Garmin mapping on their FF/GPS combo (and I assume stand alone chart plotter

[CaptSpike]

Warning to everyone considering a Garmin FF/chart plotter combo from Garmin. I purchased one due to the increased detail of the map over what I had on a hand held unit. What I didn't realize was I assumed the detail was accurate. After a trip to Lake Winnipesaukee (in NH) I realized their mapping of the lake wasn't even close to accurate. It said I was over 175 feet of water when in fact I was only over 90 feet. That isn't quite close enough for my liking. The next thing I didn't like was the map didn't have enough ft markings around structure. I could see contour lines but I didn't know if it was a hole or a hump because the sounding wasn't labeled. This was on the "most" setting. So I picked Garmin due to the easier navigation on the menus I found the unit lacking in the detail of the lake I was on that day. I called Garmin to complain and was told we can't send someone to every lake in the country to survey and detail the maps accurately. OK then why detail them at all? I told them I found their detailing to be very misleading when I looked at the unit in the store. I assumed it was a HD graph of the lake due to the amount of detail. I asked how the maps were generated if they didn't have someone survey the lake. I was told by Satellite imagery. Well that doesn't appear to be working to good for them. I then asked if they had a list of the detailed (surveyed) maps? He told me it was on their website. I couldn't find the list. I'm still baffled why they wouldn't choose the largest lake in the state to detail accurately????

So in conclusion I will be returning the Echo43 and selecting another brand that uses the Navionics chip that I know is pretty close for detail, and if it isn't they don't populate the map with "estimated" contours.

Garmin may make a great Autopilot and GPS for over the road, but there mapping on the water at least in my one lake experience is horrible. I can only assume any non-surveyed lake to be just as bad. Stay away!

 

Spike

[CaptSpike]

I did find the map listings. It is on a map itself where you zoom into an area and refresh and it shows the first 100 maps. Apparently the guy at Garmin doesn't know how to use their own software. Lake Winni is a MAX def map according to this chart. So I was right their mapping is horrible.

Time to make another call.

 

Spike

[bigblue]

My Garmin Vision card , Blue Chart and Canada Lakeview HD cards work well on Lake Ontario ,Lake Erie , And Lake Simcoe for ice fishing . Use them on a 4210 ,4212 , 720s , 421s , and a Echo 70s and Montana 600. Great detail more than happy with the product and service. Sorry it didn't work out well for you.

[CaptSpike]

I was hoping when I called to complain about it they would tell me there was an upgrade or something for it, but not the case. The unit looked great in the store, easy to navigate and easy to install. I was just disapointed with the depth detail. All the bouy's were in the right place but they seemed to have missed the boat on marking tops and bottoms of contours. An important piece of info fishing Lake Winni. Maybe if I didn't down rig and require somewhat accurate info I would have been pleased with the unit.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case.

 

Spike

[bigblue]

What card and chart are you using? The navigation chart is not as detailed as the fishing chart I can also go a 3D chart with my Vision card.

[CaptSpike]

It was preloaded on the machine. It is supposed to be the max def chart. Had a ton of contour lines but failed to label the high and low spots so you didn't know a hole from a hump or what to expect for min. depth if you ran over one. That along with inaccurate depth labels (machine labeled 175' actually 90') made my decision to return it. Maybe it was only that map but it is the map I use most so I couldn't live with it. Check yours out and see if it labels high and low points.

 

Spike