I have two HDS 7s linked. A Gen 3 and Gen 2. I have never owned any cartography before. I often look at the navionics web app before I fish to plan though. Having said that, what would be the best maps to buy for my setup? I fish only Texas lakes.

Navionics cards work well. The Lowrance isn't bad if you already have it but the Navionics is much more detailed.

Navionics Hot Map Platinum South.

Why Hot Map instead of Navionics +?

IF you are comparing the Navionics Platinum($199) to the Navioncs+ Regions card ($149), the only real noticeable difference is the Platinum offers satellite overlay(makes land and unmapped water look like google earth) and also offers 3D capabilities in some areas. IMO if those 2 things are not something that you use or need, I would save the $50 and go with the Nav+ Regions card because as far as the actual Nautical mapping the cards are the same. Both cards also have the sonar chart layer and both come with 1 year of free updates and what you see on the Webapp is the same nautical data you will see on both of those cards.

So, I'm assuming that the Hot Maps premium that sells for $70 on Amazon also has the same nautical data?

I have never seen one that cheep. You can also trade in a registered card for half price according to their Website.

Looks like there are a couple of sellers selling used chips. That's why they were $70 I guess.

Just a little to add I just last week updated my Nav platinum card, it was probable 5 years out of date. I was able to go online to the Navionics website and update it for 100.00. It took maybe 30m. So if you buy the $70 on Amazon just make sure it�s up to date or not to outdated. A new card is only $150 of course unless u want all the google imaging etc then it $199. One more thing if there is any new google imagery etc it will not updated that.

I just bought a navonics HotMaps Platinum south with the 2017 update on eBay for 85.00 there are some good deals out there you just have to find them

No this is not the case, the Premium card, which is no longer made, was only a 2GB card and did not have the Sonar Chart layer. If you are going to spend the money(new or used) I would buy the Navionics Platinum or the Nav+ Regions card, both of those card have the Sonar Chart layer on them and it is night and difference the amount of detail on a card with the sonar chart layer vs the old cards that do not have it. The sonar chart layer is where all of the updates via user submitted recordings, recording boats, overlay updates, community edits etc are stored on your card and where the most data goes when you update the card. Check out the webapp, zoom in on lakes like Toledo Bend and toggle the button in the bottom left corner to turn the sonar chart layer off and on and see how big of a difference it makes.

Does Navionics Platinum give you more access to the Navionics cmap data?

Actually the C-Map mapping is a Lowrance mapping card product, not a Navionics product.

Thanks for clarifying.

Not a problem