Just in case you have a newer Navionics map card in your HDS you need to know that the map card is a "micro sized" sd card which inserts into a regular sized sd card adapter. There are no instructions or warnings on the package. The "micro sized" sd cards come out quite easily and can be easily be lost. The reason I know this is that I learned this the hard, expensive way. I thought that it was one sd card...not an adapter with a micro sd card. Evidently they are very small and light in weight. I really didn't know that I had lost mine...if I had known how it was built I would have CERTAINLY been more careful. Other people I have talked to have checked their Navionics chip and saw what I was talking about....and were quite surprised and grateful. This is true for both Lowrance and Hummingbird chips. I wish I knew how to post a picture of this. Mark from NY did a picture on my original post and after seeing the picture and checking my chip I knew why I couldn't get my map to come up! Hopefully this will be helpful and informative to others...if I save one guy from losing his chip it will be worth this post!!

did you not look at it when u put it in?

Yes! ....but I don't think you would notice that it was chip within the adapter and it would come apart!
WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THERE IS NO WARNING WHAT SO EVER IN THE PACKAGING THAT SAYS THIS WILL COME APART.
I was having trouble with my HDS and taking the chip in and out is the reason why I lost it. If you aren't having trouble with your HDS and just put it in there...you may never have any trouble. I was just trying to help somebody else have the same expensive mishap like I experienced.

You are correct. I had no idea a Micro SD was inside of the regular SD chip until a few days ago. I do not see the purpose of it. Unless its because you can load the map into your cell phone via micro sd.

Everything is going micro nowadays with all the smaller devices. It is easier (cheaper) for them to produce micros and use an adapter for the full size sd cards.


My beef with them is the computer geek they had put a bridge or culvert symbol on every creek/road bed intersection on their maps. Most dont even exist.

Several of the new units only accept Micro SD cards (Lowrance Elite 5 DSI), so I'm sure that's one reason they're going that direction.

Tim, you're right about the culvert/bridge symbols. I got a kick out of that too.

I had the same problem over a year ago. Still a problem I see.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...elp#Post5038181

Thanks Skeeter 50!!! I have no problem with the design chip within a chip and if it is cheaper, so be it! I DO have a problem with not knowing that it will come out. I was not fortunate enough to have it in the boat. I lost mine...and it is GONE!!! I talked to the regional rep...he said I was the ONLY one that he has heard of that there is a problem with this. Obviously it has been happening for over a year and it has not been corrected. That GETS me!!

Just put a little tape over the end, problem solved. I don't like them either but it's the only option.

This is an example of the new cards. I have not had any problems at all with mine.The micros have been introduced to accommodate the owners of newer units that require micro SD cards like the Lowrance Elite 5. Navionics is dedicated to providing quality map products to everyone as technology grows at an alarming rate in our world today. The micro SD's are the only way to accomplish that at this present time.

kinda like the old 8 tracks that had a cassette adapter,..
golly, what will they think of next..?

Great, now I need bi-focals for my bi-focals...

James: Thanks for posting the picture. I understand the reason for the micro chips and have no problem with it. James, of all the people that have posted on here, I think you understand about trying to help people...since I know what your stand is in life! That is all I am trying to do.
If you look at Skeeter 50's reply and if Navionics had taken some action, some people like me would not be having problems. I think with the picture like yours and a warning in the packaging there should be a whole lot less problems. Some of us in the older generation....I am over 75...don't know about all of this new technology and I really don't need to know about it...just install the chip and tell me what to watch for. I think folks have missed the whole point of my post...it is not how it works, too late to put tape on it...I don't have it...my crude illustration would be asking you what time it is and you tell me how to build a watch. All I really need to know is what time is it.
James, don't you think it might be simple solution to explain chip within a chip, show a picture, and say "watch out"..."warning"...this micro chip can come out. Not all fishermen read TFF and BBC...so if you put a notice in the packaging it would cover everybody that bought the product.
Thanks again James, keep up the good work.

I noticed that immediately when I bought it... Just sayin

Its funny, because I flung a few chips across the room when testing the new Micro Cards. I suggested that a small piece of tape be used to hold the card together, but we found in testing that it often got stuck and created more problems than it solved by folding up and gumming up the card drawer (however, I know alot of guys who use some tape and are happy with it).

Its not as if we simply decided that this was a better format, the reality is that its pretty much the only format available anymore. MMC is gone, SD is on the way out. MSD is the new format for almost anything that takes a memory card (digital cameras, phones, etc). In fact, some of the newer units ONLY use the tiny chip inside (see the Lowrance Elite for example).

I certainly sympathize with anyone who lost a chart becasue of this format, but its definately not something we put in play to sell more charts, its just the way of the electronics world...smaller is better.