Not Getting Detailed Contours On Lowrance Elite

[Stizzla]

My Double Eagle has a Lowrance Elite 7 Chirp (maybe 2016?) it’s not the Ti2
I have a Vancouver island navionics card that I recently upgraded. I don’t get the option for 1’ contour increments which I really want. I had them in my hook2 7” on my last boat and the detail really helps me see the structure and keep my lead from catching bottom.
I have it set to fish n chips mode which is what I had on my hook2.
I barely get any contours showing up though. Maybe just a bit older technology doesn’t have the option?
I might just get a second screen and keep what I have for sounder and get a new plotter. It’s only money.

 

[Rain City]

My Double Eagle has a Lowrance Elite 7 Chirp (maybe 2016?) it’s not the Ti2
I have a Vancouver island navionics card that I recently upgraded. I don’t get the option for 1’ contour increments which I really want. I had them in my hook2 7” on my last boat and the detail really helps me see the structure and keep my lead from catching bottom.
I have it set to fish n chips mode which is what I had on my hook2.
I barely get any contours showing up though. Maybe just a bit older technology doesn’t have the option?
I might just get a second screen and keep what I have for sounder and get a new plotter. It’s only money.

Did you select the right chip in your options?
On my old elite 7 it always defaulted to the stock charts and I had to manually select the navionics charts.

 

[hippaisland]

Did you select the right chip in your options?
On my old elite 7 it always defaulted to the stock charts and I had to manually select the navionics charts.

Same as mine, albeit an ancient elite 5.

 

[Stizzla]

I will confirm. Thanks!

 

[casper5280]

You could phone Harbour Chandler for advice. They are great to deal with and great support especially their electronics. They have talked me though a few problems with my Lowrance stuff. A couple times while in the boat and once in the parking lot, came right in the boat. They are the only place that I have dealt with that really knows the electronics the sell.

 

[Majek]

My Double Eagle has a Lowrance Elite 7 Chirp (maybe 2016?) it’s not the Ti2
I have a Vancouver island navionics card that I recently upgraded. I don’t get the option for 1’ contour increments which I really want. I had them in my hook2 7” on my last boat and the detail really helps me see the structure and keep my lead from catching bottom.
I have it set to fish n chips mode which is what I had on my hook2.
I barely get any contours showing up though. Maybe just a bit older technology doesn’t have the option?
I might just get a second screen and keep what I have for sounder and get a new plotter. It’s only money.

I have a new to me boat with an older Lowrance mfd so I’ve been doing some research on how to get the Navionics chip set up for fishing. Here is a good link to a Navionics website that should walk you through the steps to get the detail that you are looking for. Good luck!

Access Navionics Charts and Features on Lowrance HDS Carbon/Gen3 and Elite Ti Plotters

This article includes recommended plotter setup and steps for using your Navionics plotter card with your unit.

navionics.secure.force.com

 

[Majek]

My Double Eagle has a Lowrance Elite 7 Chirp (maybe 2016?) it’s not the Ti2
I have a Vancouver island navionics card that I recently upgraded. I don’t get the option for 1’ contour increments which I really want. I had them in my hook2 7” on my last boat and the detail really helps me see the structure and keep my lead from catching bottom.
I have it set to fish n chips mode which is what I had on my hook2.
I barely get any contours showing up though. Maybe just a bit older technology doesn’t have the option?
I might just get a second screen and keep what I have for sounder and get a new plotter. It’s only money.

In my previous post I’m assuming that you have a newer Navionics chip. You may have to buy a current card from Navionics to get the detailed contour that you are looking for. If you update the Lowrance software and get a new Navionics card you should be fine even with an older unit.

 

[Irishwolf]

Did you register the card? Won’t get that level of details if the card thinks your subscription is expired.

 

[tubber]

Are you getting contours like screenshot 2, but want what's in screenshot 1? or something else?
I only get the lousy ones on my old Elite 5 chip. The phone app has the Sonar Chart feature.

 

[Stizzla]

I have a new to me boat with an older Lowrance mfd so I’ve been doing some research on how to get the Navionics chip set up for fishing. Here is a good link to a Navionics website that should walk you through the steps to get the detail that you are looking for. Good luck!

Access Navionics Charts and Features on Lowrance HDS Carbon/Gen3 and Elite Ti Plotters

This article includes recommended plotter setup and steps for using your Navionics plotter card with your unit.

navionics.secure.force.com

In my previous post I’m assuming that you have a newer Navionics chip. You may have to buy a current card from Navionics to get the detailed contour that you are looking for. If you update the Lowrance software and get a new Navionics card you should be fine even with an older unit.

I think the chip is also about 5 years old. I paid $100 recently to update it on the navionics website.
My unit is one generation older than the instructions from your link. Elite chirp it’s called. Not Ti or Ti2. it’s called fish n’ chips on mine not sonar chart. That said, fish n’ chips got me the detail I wanted on my hook2.

Did you register the card? Won’t get that level of details if the card thinks your subscription is expired.

Yep renewed the card in December.

Are you getting contours like screenshot 2, but want what's in screenshot 1? or something else?
I only get the lousy ones on my old Elite 5 chip. The phone app has the Sonar Chart feature.

View attachment 62696
View attachment 62695

The format on my plotter looks a bit different than this. Image 1 is what I am wanting!
I will snap a photo of what my screen shows today and post it.

thanks to you all for trying to help me!

 

[CIVANO]

May not be even close but I have Raymarine and had the Image 1 and discovered I had selected remove clutter in the program. Deleted that and got image 2

 

[pescador]

Not sure about Lowarance but on a Garmin unit pix 1 is ‘fish chart’ versus 2 being ‘navigation chart’. You can select one or the other thru the menu.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Elite 5 have two charts your chip and the insight one. Go into options, and think it's chart type. Set that to card. There is only two to choose from.

 

[Northcst]

When updating your Navionics Charts ensure Sonar Charts (and community edits if desired) are selected or this option won't be available on your MFD.
Once in your Lowrance MFD the sonar charts must be selected at which point your detail level can be adjusted. If your subscription is expired the Sonar Chart detail function will be limited to max along with several other "features" Navionics which is now owned by Garmin requires a subscription for. I'm speaking with experience on older HDS and the new Live Units.
Navionics | Download Charts With the Chart Installer

Good luck!

 

[advTHXance]

I think its (maybe) called Navionics fish and chips in the chart selection.

If you have an active navionics subscription, pop ur card into ur computer and download the sonar charts for the areas you want charts for. Whoever showed you those sonar charts in the first place is probably very smart!

 

[advTHXance]

Did you register the card? Won’t get that level of details if the card thinks your subscription is expired.

Dont think thats true. As long as you download the sonar charts while your subscription is active they shouldnt expire.

 

[advTHXance]

Are you getting contours like screenshot 2, but want what's in screenshot 1? or something else?
I only get the lousy ones on my old Elite 5 chip. The phone app has the Sonar Chart feature.

View attachment 62696
View attachment 62695

If you have an active subscription, just download the sonar charts onto your card. Worked fine on my elite 5 chirp.

 

[Northcst]

Dont think thats true. As long as you download the sonar charts while your subscription is active they shouldnt expire.

They won't expire but you lose the ability to utilize some advanced features such as reduce sonar chart density, auto routing, and a couple others. I have two plus cards and Navionics imbeds subscription date data on the card so my units know when the subscription ends and caps the advanced features which I'm not overly happy about...pay to play I suppose.
On the map page: Menu, More options, Chart options gets me into the SonarChart Data on HDS units.

 

[Irishwolf]

Dont think thats true. As long as you download the sonar charts while your subscription is active they shouldnt expire.

I think I’m referring to what @Northcst notes above, you loose the reduced sonar chart which is the key piece for me. I refuse to pay 140$ a year for this so I’m left with either full sonar or basically a blank map. This was the feature I thought stizzla was referring to. Just couldn’t remember the name of it.

 

[Stizzla]

I was out fiddling in the driveway yesterday. I think something is wrong with my card/download. When I put the chip in the unit it beeps and finds my location but it does not change the chart or detail. I have it on navionics fish n chips. I am getting very close to just calling this one my sounder and snagging a new 7” with upgraded charts.
I was chatting with Prime and he’s giving me a tidy price on a simrad 7” probably going to go ahead with that unless anyone objects?