# Navionics Plus Satellite Overlay??



## DBStoots

I don't think so. I went through the same thing with a new Raymarine. The satellite overlay is really cool though.


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## CaptainRob

Don't think you can update to the overlay feature. Maybe you could trade in the Plus chip +cash for the platinum? I would check with where you purchased and see what they tell you.


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## FSUDrew99

CaptainRob said:


> Don't think you can update to the overlay feature. Maybe you could trade in the Plus chip +cash for the platinum? I would check with where you purchased and see what they tell you.


Chip came with the Simrad so I just went ahead and bought the Platinum Plus.


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## CaptainRob

Good call. I love my platinum plus chip with my GO7. Great detail and plenty large enough for my small skiff.


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## FSUDrew99

CaptainRob said:


> Good call. I love my platinum plus chip with my GO7. Great detail and plenty large enough for my small skiff.


Is it just me or will the satellite overlay not fully focus to a real sharp image when fully zoomed in?


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## CaptainRob

If its overzoomed it can be unfocused, but I think that's more to do with the navionics photos than the unit.


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## FSUDrew99

CaptainRob said:


> If its overzoomed it can be unfocused, but I think that's more to do with the navionics photos than the unit.


Yea that sucks. Looks better on the navionics app on my phone!


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## Egrets Landing

FSUDrew99 said:


> Is it just me or will the satellite overlay not fully focus to a real sharp image when fully zoomed in?


Navionics photos are advertised as "hi res" but as you can see for yourself it really is false advertising. They use the term about as loosely as possible. If you want the photos sharp zoomed in and to actually look like a real color photo instead of a dingy blue or grey print there is only one option available in Florida - FMT. Just look at your chip and compare. Navionics's only uses as 16 gb chip and it's a cheap one at that. It is not possible to provide really hi res imagery on a chip of that size for a the area that their map covers and they they only use about 9.7gb of the 16. FMT uses a 32 gb chip to fit about 25gb of data and even with that it can contains data for only 1/2 of Florida. You get what you pay for.


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## sjrobin

Any plans to make a FMT chip compatible with Raymarine a700 series? Also which units at this time are compatible and any plans to map the Texas coastal zone?

Steve


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## Egrets Landing

sjrobin said:


> Any plans to make a FMT chip compatible with Raymarine a700 series? Also which units at this time are compatible and any plans to map the Texas coastal zone?
> 
> Steve


Raymarine indicates they may be open to more map options. The more customers that call them and express their feelings about limited mapping options the more open to the idea they are likely to be. You have to call their senior management. Calling customer service doesn't do very much to promote the notion. FMT would like to run on their platform. We have people switching out of raymarine and Garmin units every week because they want to run FMT. It runs on any of the Navico line of plotters. 

After you run for awhile inshore and in some tight spots you realize that the plotter is really only as good as the map that runs in it and if you have trouble navigating with a fancy chart plotter its usefulness is really diminished. People should shop maps first, then plotters that will run the map(s) they prefer. We find that the Garmin group of owners are the most dissatisfied and have the most buyers remorse after they realize just how horrible their map choices are. The more map options you have the better off you are as a boater.

Louisiana is being mapped currently and should be done this year. After that, TX.


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## sjrobin

Thanks Egret. If Navionics updated the Platinum Google map overlay on clear water(winter) low tide images they would be much more useful for off channel navigation.


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## Egrets Landing

sjrobin said:


> Thanks Egret. If Navionics updated the Platinum Google map overlay on clear water(winter) low tide images they would be much more useful for off channel navigation.


That is true and that is what FMT endeavored to provide and did so successfully in many areas. But Google has nothing to do with it. Check out the July article on FMT in Florida Sportsman and the image examples. There is a really nice picture of the entrance to Rogers River in 10000 islands and the long curvy channel with the pvc stakes. Since that came out there was another photo update to FMT that shows the same entrance at dead low that is even better. It seems to me that any substantive changes at Navionics or the other larger map companies with respect to their images are unliikely to occur as their operation seems to be static in this area and for well more than a decade and customers have been complaining about it for just as long. They just did release some updates and they were slightly better than previous but still overall very poor and devoid of natural color. There is no way you could use them to successfully navigate and you still can't zoom in with any clarity. To fix the problem with the photos, they would need #1 a complete new data set of imagery because the raw images are poor and lower res to start with and to get the high quality output you need to start with high quality raw data, #2 they would have to cut their chart sizes down to much smaller areas or just provide less photo coverage and #3, double the capacity/size of the chips they use. That is the only way they could provide imagery that was really hi res. So the bottom line is any inshore boater that values imagery as a highly useful tool for scouting and also for navigating is going to continue to be frustrated trying to get that done with a Plat+ chip. For those that are just OK with it, I find that once they see what they are missing, then they realize pretty quickly how much better boating life can be and they are not so satisfied at that point with their Plat map. But the buyer's remorse on the Garmin side is clearly the worst as their maps are clearly inferior on accuracy overall for many areas and the photos are even worse than the Plat+ photos.


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## sjrobin

Thanks for the info and I hope your business continues to grow.


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## reddoc

sjrobin said:


> Thanks for the info and I hope your business continues to grow.


Just an FYI. I purchased a Hook 7 for my Maverick thinking I could get the satellite overlay map. Their website stated the Hook would accept the Hot Maps but they discontinued Hot Maps in Jan. I am told none of their maps with satellite overlay are compatible with the Hook 7. Trying to get them to give me some credit so I can buy another model that accepts satellite overlay maps. 
Just putting it out there so no one makes the same mistake I did.


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## GullsGoneWild

reddoc said:


> Just an FYI. I purchased a Hook 7 for my Maverick thinking I could get the satellite overlay map. Their website stated the Hook would accept the Hot Maps but they discontinued Hot Maps in Jan. I am told none of their maps with satellite overlay are compatible with the Hook 7. Trying to get them to give me some credit so I can buy another model that accepts satellite overlay maps.
> Just putting it out there so no one makes the same mistake I did.


I wonder if you can find a used one for sale, or old stock since it was just discontinued. You may be able to find a deal since they have been discontinued. i'd try ebay, amazon, factory direct, tackle warehouse, westmarine. Or an easier way would be just to google HOT MAPS. I did and plenty of results came up. Hope is not lost, yet


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## Egrets Landing

reddoc said:


> Just an FYI. I purchased a Hook 7 for my Maverick thinking I could get the satellite overlay map. Their website stated the Hook would accept the Hot Maps but they discontinued Hot Maps in Jan. I am told none of their maps with satellite overlay are compatible with the Hook 7. Trying to get them to give me some credit so I can buy another model that accepts satellite overlay maps.
> Just putting it out there so no one makes the same mistake I did.


All Hook units and regular Elite units are not compatible with any chips that have photos. They only run plain maps that have no photos. These units are pretty much the least capable unit you can buy and that is the reason they are cheap. If you get one thinking it will probably be just fine, you will likely be dissapointed. Don't expect to be raving about its capabilities afterward. Best to avoid those and get something else that has more capability.


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