I bought my Hot Maps Premium card approximately 1 1/2 years ago. Is it worth spending the $99 to update? How much difference are you going to see say on Rayburn.

With the water up, I actually like the old cards. I just got a brand new card and you can see where they had to guess and just filled in contours to get to the bank. Many points missing that are now in 6-8 fow. The card just shows them as smooth flats. Not sure about Rayburn, but I know for sure that happened at Roberts.

you need to update it

I updated it last week when I got it. It's great for everywhere except the shallower parts of lakes that weren't underwater when they took the new 1' contour interval data. There's coves on Lavon that I was in on Sunday that are over 10' deep and the newest update just stops at the mouth.

It is really simple to know. Look at the Web App on the Navionics website. That is the current maps and is updated daily "somewhere".
The Web App has the Nautical Charts (Navionics data) and Sonar Charts (user generated data).

You cannot update your Premium card after the year of Freshest Data expires.
If you purchase the Navionics Update card, it becomes the Navionics+ version after you activate it with your Premium card.

I just paid the $99 and updated my premium card. It said it updated successfully. Am I to believe it didn't update it and I need the updateable card.

That may be a new process that I am not aware of.

Did you do the transaction through the Chart Installer software?
That is how Platinum and + versions are done.

Yes it was done thru the installer. It's hard to tell a difference so I hope it actually updated.

Always something.. Its funny to me that Navionics needs to be updated yearly. SO was last years version junk? Money, money, money....

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the updates just add the user submitted sonar data right?

The contours on my chip that I bought this year seem to be identical to the contours on my chip I bought in 2011

User generated data is the Sonar Charts map layer.
Navionics data is Nautical Charts.

Hotmaps Premium does not include Sonar Charts and you don't get that choice when doing a Freshest Data update. Hotmaps Premium also does not have Community Edits.

Hotmaps Platinum has Nautical Charts, Sonar Charts, and Community Edits.

Navionics+ has Nautical Charts and Sonar Charts.

Doing a Freshest Data update with any version updates Nautical Charts and only Sonar Charts and Community Edits if it is selectable.

Lowrance units can participate in the Community Edits that can be downloaded and updated too.

The Navionics Mobile App has all three also if you get the entire package. That is for smartphones and tablets--iOS and Android.

Before you do another update, check the Web App on the Navionics website. That will show you any additions you do not have and save you the time it takes to do an update.

how do you switch between Nautical Charts and Sonar Charts on the web app?

When zoomed in to about 1000' or less, click on the round circle at the lower left. When the circle is grey, that is Nautical Charts, when it is blue, that is Sonar Charts.

I do Sonar Charts a lot, when I get an email notifying that my data has been processed, I check the Web App Sonar Charts to see what the data created before I do an update to get that data.