Navionics?

I have a Humminbird 597ci HD. I was thinking of getting a Navionics Gold Fish'N Chip West Coast (NAVCF-FISH-W). My main fishing areas are Puget Sound and hopefully the WA and OR coast (soon).

Any thoughts/comments on this product?

I'll have a report up when get some free time. I've been using it since last summer and it's been very interesting.

I traded some email with the navionics folks last year.  Their Puget Sound data comes straight from NOAA, so you can get the same information for free, but not on your 597.  I also have a Humminbird and last year looked at some free conversion programs for NOAA charts into the Humminbird format.  You may find some time with Google useful.  In the end, I decided for where I am fishing, the Navionics products do not provide me with much value. 

Here is what Navionics said:
All of our navigational charts for US waters are based on the NOAA charts with additional information from other maps sources as they are available.  We do take the NOAA data, however, and present it with a paper like appearance.  I have attached a screen shot of our data so you can see what I am talking about.

Navionics never responded to my followup message:
Thank you for your response.  I have included a section of NOAA chart 18471 for comparison with the Navionics data.  The image is of similar size as the Navionics example you sent.  The data looks the same except Navionics converted from fathoms to feet.  Does your product offer any added data value?  I believe I have seen your Western Lakes product and if I recall correctly it has topo and bottom contour data with resolution far beyond what your marine example shows.

See the attached photos.  They have been derived from higher res BMPs. 

Not relating to FF but smartphones, Navionics makes a great app. The Nothing turned me on to it, for iPhone/iPod it's only $10 and is good for estimating distances and scouting new areas, also has wind forecasts. I haven't had a chance to toy w/the "community" features much. Maybe TN could chime in on that?

I love my navionics for iPhone. It's not detailed but sufficient for my purposes. The only issue is finding a good case. I'd use it a LOT more if I had something better than a ziplock bag. Having said that, the ziplock bag is the best case I gave used so far and I have bought a few.

There is only one truly waterproof case for the iphone, and it costs as much as the iphone.  it also acts as a second battery, and includes a magellan GPS chip which is much better than the iphone.  worth it? i dunno http://www1.magellangps.com/toughcase/

The OtterBox Defender case is very nice, though not waterproof.  It's marketed as "water resistant."  I've had mine for over a year now, and like it.


As for Navionics for the iPhone

I have not made much use of the Community Data yet, though it is enabled.  This is a newer feature of the app that allows registered users to add tackle shops, marinas, uncharted buoys and obstructions, etc. 

A nice feature that I have used is the Route sharing.  I've made float plans on my iphone, then shared them on Facebook.  This creates a link showing the map i've laid out.  It's pretty slick and keeps the wife happen when i choose to use it.  You don't have to share to facebook, as it can be emailed from the app instead.

Sea to Summit makes a good, waterproof case for smart phones-the medium is a good product--fits my droid x and some extra room.
http://www.rei.com/product/814232/sea-to-summit-tpu-accessory-case-large

The navionics software is also available for android--both lakes and costal packages are good.

Sea to Summit makes a good, waterproof case for smart phones

that's not so much as a case as I was talking about.  If you can't talk on the phone, or operate the touch screen, then it's more of an enclosure, imo.

Navionics is available for iPhones, Androids, and some Nokias. I've got a few of the locations, and while I may not use it on the water, I do use it when having beers with the locals....

I love my navionics for iPhone. It's not detailed but sufficient for my purposes. The only issue is finding a good case. I'd use it a LOT more if I had something better than a ziplock bag. Having said that, the ziplock bag is the best case I gave used so far and I have bought a few.

Thinking outside the box here a bit.... but that's half the fun of yak fishing.  I don't have a iphone yet , but what would happen if a guy vaccum sealed the phone with say a "food saver"  when you took it out on the water?  Using the pint bag size... Would you still be able to use it's features?  Should be plenty waterproof.  At the end of the day just slit open the vacuum bag and you are out all of a few cents (provided you already have a vacuum sealer etc)?  Would this work?

If the touchpad still worked, you could probably get a few uses out of the same bag if you made the sealed end long enough to reseal more than once.  Just fold the excess behind it while in use.   

Touch screens seem sensitive enough these days that you should be able to use the device through a vaccuum seal bag.  I'm a bit curious if you could get one of those inductive charging pads and use it through a sealed bag like that and not have to worry about redoing it every time you need to charge the phone.

ooo...I may have to try that.  But the dang batteries on the iphone's are pathetic.  Especially if you have a GPS running it seems. 

The touch screen works through a ziplock bag.  Should work I would think....

I sure hope I don't hear a crunch....

Haha...should work.  The first time I was admiring how tight the seal was and how well the touch screen worked.  Then I noticed the button was "sucked in" and it didn't work.  Then it powered off since the vacuum pushed the top button.

Other than with practice you can make it super small, I have had too many seals break on my food saver seals to think its not a big enough upgrade since I won't have enough battery for all day use after a 3 or 4 hour drive. 

But the concept works!  You'd know when the seal was broken at least.  Lower the vacuum power before trying though.