Product Review - Navionics Hotmaps Explorer

[nofearengineer]

I'll sum it up...DO NOT BUY THIS JUNK.

I spent $25 all told for the ability to save my stored waypoints from my fishfinder to memory card and bring them into my house and look at them on my PC. This would allow me to mark these waypoints on a printable map of the lake, for convenience and planning...to make my own Fishin' Hotspots maps, so to speak.

Unfortunately, while the product claims 10,000+ lakes across the United States, somehow they left out 10,800 acre (Lake Monroe), 8,800 acre (Patoka Lake), and a 5,300 acre (Brookville Reservoir) lakes in Indiana.

Holy ****e, what a rip-off! These lakes are not even available for purchase separately. How the hell do they not include these MAJOR lakes? I know they have the data, because it's on my damned Navionics chip in my fishfinder!!!! Total waste of money.

[islandbass]

That is terrible. Can you return it, or contact them to see if they can send it to you? If I made that product, I would have added a feature that would enable my customers to download data of lakes they were interested in as they were made ready and avaiable, similar to how antivirus makers provide updates.

I appreciate the heads up.

[3dkicker]

I still haven't purchased any chart/map software for my unit. Took a look at a website and it was too confusing to determine which product had what I wanted. I'll probably have to call the company and speak with someone.

[BassinNC]

They don't have 4 of the 6 lakes I fish either.

[Bender]

Maybe they cover the lakes up north better, but 99% of the lakes I have been on are in this software. For me it was the best $20 I have spent on fishing related items.

I just opened mine up and all of those lakes are on it. Patoka and Brookville have the standard maps and are also available in higher definition for purchase. Here is a sample of all of them:

[nofearengineer]

Bender, I don't know what's wrong then. I do the "find lake" thing...and my lakes are not listed.

I even went to their website:

http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/n..._lake_list.htm

The lakes are not listed there either.

[Bender]

That is really strange, I would be pissed too. You might ask them what they hell they changed and why they took lakes away? Mine is version 4.5.16.1808 if you need to tell them that a version does exist with these lakes.

Just out of curiosity I checked and Patoka even shows up on my Navionics iphone app but the map is different. The iphone map has higher detailed contour lines but doesn't show road beds and submerged brush piles like the Explorer map does.

[nofearengineer]

My version is the very latest, 4.5.46.

I looked through their previous versions, which included "fixes" for lakes not appearing on the list. Maybe the idiots have broken the software again.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be an easy way to go back to a previous version.

[nofearengineer]

So stupid, it's almost funny....here is the response I got from Fugawi:

Dear Bryce,
Due to the expiry of a data license between Navionics and the Fishing HotSpots data supplier, some lake maps are no longer available in Navionics Hotmaps Explorer as of June 30, 2009, and Patoka Lake and Brookville Lake were among them. They were available in the initial version of the product, however, due to the license expiry, we have had to take them off the list to comply with their license agreement.

The lists have been updated as of June 30, 2009 on our website at the links below:

http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/navionics_hotmaps_explorer_lake_list.htm

http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/navionics_hotmaps_explorer_lake_list_hidef.htm

As for Monroe Lake, that was never included in the software. The Navionics Hotmaps Explorer software is separate from what Navionics provides on their lake map chips, and is not advertised as being identical.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

Yours truly,
NORTHPORT SYSTEMS INC.


Kristina Thibodeau
Customer Service

[nofearengineer]

I just got another email from their support, in which she told me they also deleted Monroe, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Barren River, Nolin, Lake Cumberland, Cave Run, Laurel River, and Taylorsville from the list...you know...just some insignificant little puddles.

Good thing nobody in Indiana or Kentucky fishes for bass.

Sorry to keep beating this dead horse, but man....I am PI$$ED OFF right now.

Chris...whatever you do, DO NOT upgrade your software online when it tells you there is an update available. You may lose some lakes forever.

[CMorg]

Originally Posted by Bender

That is really strange, I would be pissed too. You might ask them what they hell they changed and why they took lakes away? Mine is version 4.5.16.1808 if you need to tell them that a version does exist with these lakes.

Just out of curiosity I checked and Patoka even shows up on my Navionics iphone app but the map is different. The iphone map has higher detailed contour lines but doesn't show road beds and submerged brush piles like the Explorer map does.

Bender , is Newton Lake or East Fork Lake in Illinois on this ?

[bamabassman]

I say get ol bender to make you a copy of his and use it.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

I say get ol bender to make you a copy of his and use it.

Unfortunately, you can't. It requires registration to activate and be able to print maps. That's why I'm shafted...I can't even resell or give away the one I just bought, because I registered it, just to find out it's useless. Oh well, this is probably going to be my last post on the subject, unless I film a video of me setting the DVD on fire.

[3dkicker]

Burn it!!! Navionics and Fishing HotSpots have a little tiff and the little guy gets screwed!!! I may have to think about whether I purchase software from them.....

[bamabassman]

sorry bryce, shows just how much i know about tech stuff, lol.

[Bender]

I wonder if anybody is still selling the old versions. The new one sounds pretty worthless.

[Captmikestarrett]

When I did logistics mapping for a software company we used have all kinds of trouble with royalty issues. So we starting using Rand Mcnally maps and scan them in, scew them and layer them in to our map sets. One time while down in El Savidore we used a map on a table place set. You know that piece of paper under your plate at a restaurant.

Point is that I also purchased a 120.00 gold chip that advertized contours and depths. I got one lake FL that has contours and depths. Yea the big O.

None for the Cheaspeake Bay..

Worst 120 ever spent.

Capt Mike

[nofearengineer]

Ouch, Cap'n Mike....sounds like you got it worse than me!!!


Now I don't feel as bad....thanks.