AutoChart
 

I told someone on here, I think Alpha, that I will let them know what I thought about AutoChart. I've been making maps for about 6 months now and it's taken a lot of time (both on the water and behind the computer), but it has been worth it.

I have a Navionics card and it has been great and I still continue to use it in areas I haven't mapped, but the AutoChart map I've made has much more detail. Below is a comparison I've put together between Navionics, Navionics SonarCharts, and AutoChart from a few points I've mapped.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/z...SidebySide.jpg

I've fished the point on top, but never fished the bottom point much because it doesn't look as good on the Navionics as what I mapped.

The only thing I wish you could do if overlay the two. I have a 998 and I believe you can do this on the ONIX which I will be getting. In most cases there isn't much difference in the maps, but I have found spots on my map that aren't on the Navionics and I have caught a ton of fish of them.

The last thing I will say is the program is not easy to use. I think I've gotten it down, but you have to fix false readings and areas you've lost GPS signal. It has been worth the money though.

So you made the autochart map? This is pretty neat!


Mike

Thanks for the feedback. All the reviews I have read talk about how good the maps are but that the program is difficult to use.



Regards

Cool map. I do a bunch of hydrographic surveying and mapping for my job. I have never used Autochart, but it looks like the results you are getting are very good.

Good luck on mapping some new honey holes!

Jim

Nice work.

Nailman;

Could you describe how you go about "mapping" an area? Do you just ride a grid pattern over an area using both SS and DS or just one, both ??

I have a Hummingbird and use the side imaging and set my 2D to 200 kHz. You could just use the 200 kHz but you would get the bottom hardness, which is a really cool feature.

I actually don't ride a grid pattern, I just go one way back and forth and then make the map. If I see something I want more detail on then I will just do that area the other direction.

Nailman - That is very interesting. What I have found, particularly on Old Hickory, is that much of the Navionics chart data is no longer valid or outdated. My sense is that so much has silted in since whenever they last the mapped the lake that you are much better off using sonar and DI to tell you what is really below the boat. I can see how you can have some fun with that program.