I have a question regarding Navionics and Lakemaster chips. I bought a new navionics card about a year ago with my new hummingbird 1199's. I was looking at another guys maps and they seemed better. I'm wanting to make sure I have the latest version. Do they upgrade their info and how do I get it. The only info I have found was to pay another $99 to upgrade. Is this necessary? Also wanted to do depth shading and was told initially that was a lakemaster deal but lately heard navionics does it also. Lost!

Yeah seems to be 99$ for the update, if i were you i would go with lakemaster.

So no one knows the answer?

I don't know but here is their number.

508-291-6000

Is it possible yours is a premium version and your friends is a platinum version?

You can do depth shading on Navionics but with Lake Master you can do lake level adjustments that will change the contour lines as well. The depth shading with Lake Master, you can set shallow water highlight as well as selected depth highlights, you can't do that with Navionics.

As far as the updates Navionics use to have Freshest Data that you could download. Don't know if they still do that or not. I use Lake Master chips in my units.

I think I do have the premium card and it is possible he has the platinum. I didn't think there was a difference in the way the maps looked though.

go with lakemaster

All the map versions have the exact same maps for a particular location if the date is the same.
The Navionics data is called Nautical Charts.
You can see what the current map is on the Navionics web site's Web App. Those exact same maps can be on the Navionics Hotmaps Premium, Navionics Hotmaps Platinum, and Navionics+ cards if updated the same day.
A new purchase of any product includes a year of Freshest Data updates. What you see on the Web App, you can get on your card if it is updateable.

Older cards qualify for the Navionics Update discount which gives you the Navionics+ version when activated with your old card.

With Humminbird and Navionics, there is Shaded Depth which is highlighting from the shoreline to the chosen depth. That's it.

Lakemaster has that plus water level offset and depth highlighting in the depth range you want.
Lakemaster has annual issues and just recently you can purchase a single body of water to download to a card you have (Chart Select). The card has to be encrypted with a unit to do that.

Thanks that's what I needed.

Lakemaster contours are not as accurate as Navionics are I used both cards.