rubble Posted February 7 Report Share Posted February 7 My last update for South FL was Dec 2020. Is there any great need to update the S.FL maps for? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTLAW Posted February 7 Report Share Posted February 7 I just got mine in January, and know the latest update was October 2023 . Dunno if you need it . Have to admit , sooooooooo much better than Garmin . Never thought I would ever say that . 🇺🇸🏴☠️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dave Posted February 7 Report Share Posted February 7 Yes, I would get the update. They recently released all new images that are even better than the old ones. And, certainly a lot has changed on the water since 2020! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemaymiami Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 I guide in and around the Everglades during daytime (Flamingo, Chokoloskee, Goodland) and that whole area is pretty much temporary. Can't tell you how much the coastline there has changed over the years - and it will change again with the next storms... If you contact Islamarine they have a video showing the new update and all the changes. Not much money to learn something that might benefit you... Me? I only got my first chartplotter last summer and am still learning all the ways that my FMT chip can be used properly... I'll have that update myself when summer comes around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searing Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Just got the north and south chip last week for my 2021 Lowrance HDS 9 live. If you would like to give me a location to center over I’ll do my best to get you a good picture of the new one at the same location for comparing. Truth is, so much moves around that an update would most likely be worth it. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Seither Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Update as often as ya can! Louisiana is the forever changing coast with things just below the surface that will make your lower unit look like it's been removes with a saw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jh141 Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 Update Video https://floridamarinetracks.com/video/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 8 hours ago, lemaymiami said: I only got my first chartplotter last summer and am still learning all the ways that my FMT chip can be used properly... I'll have that update myself when summer comes around... you are a true gladesman.....now you are just getting one See you Saturday for my jigs....if you are around...or over the weekend dc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSerpent123 Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 I've never updated mine, too scared to lose what I have on it now. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coto Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 You won’t lose anything Joe. Your waypoints, trails, and routes are stored into the actual gps unit hard drive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubble Posted February 9 Author Report Share Posted February 9 5 hours ago, SeaSerpent123 said: I've never updated mine, too scared to lose what I have on it now. lol The update is simple. A minor process but you don't lose any info. The Chart/Chip is just a "Layer." That coming from a non-techie guy! I sent my charts in back in '22 for an update. Plugged the new chart back in and everything was fine. Had to adjust a few settings but not difficult. Coto is dead on. Spots (coordinates) are stored locally and not on the FMT chips. I really don't think you can store anything on those chips. Not enough room and would guess they are overwrite protected somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE OUTLAW Posted February 9 Report Share Posted February 9 Just have to re fish with the people , whose spots they were , and it’s easy peasy . 🇺🇸🏴☠️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egrets Landing Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 On 2/7/2024 at 3:23 PM, rubble said: My last update for South FL was Dec 2020. Is there any great need to update the S.FL maps for? If you are running an ISLA chart that is more than a year old it's way out of date and missing many thousands of things. Depending on where you go boating, you may be really missing out on details you would like to see. The FL chart details are updated monthly and often weekly all over the State with a focus on the more challenging areas. The photos for FL are updated far less frequently. The latest release of the SFL imagery came out last October. Since then, thousands of updates have been made to features on the chart. Things that change often include some track adjustments, buoys, stakes, posts that move or are added or deleted, and obstacle additions or removals. Things that change very regularly that are adjusted every month are bars and edges. They are regularly redrawn or added. In fact, in the just the last week, more than 6,000 bars were redrawn to be more precise and many were also added or removed. Three tracks that were too near shallow rock areas were removed at Lake Okeechobee. Navigation buoys were added at Lake Monroe as well as many new "Bushes and branches" obstacles in the middle of the lake. The areas on the coasts covered for these changes range from The Rock Garden near St. Marks, to the Crystal River and Cedar Key area, Flagler Beach to New Symrna, the Indian River, Biscayne Bay, Miami and some areas in the 10,000 islands. Most of the changes are very minor. However, in some of the tight creeks, when the edges move as they often do up in the nature coast, it can be trouble if you can't see well. That is particularly the case in the Waccasassa area. Lots of bars and edges changed in that area near and in the shallow creeks. The video showing the new ISLA SFL chart is posted on YouTube and linked to the ISLA website. It runs for more than 4 hours so use Fast Foward if you want to skip places.. Also, because of all the requests for insight and questions by Garmin users, it shows comparisons to the latest Garmin Platinum+ chart all over the place. It's quite a substantive difference in detail, quality, and insight virtually everywhere. A few of the most remarkable and even shocking noteworthy comparsisons are made at the Key West NorthWest passage, Islamorada/Bud N Mary's marina Channel, Lake Ingraham, Flamingo, and Sanibel/Caloosahatchee River. The video is fully narrated but the charts are what they are and they do speak for themselves so draw your own conclusions as to if you think updating is worthwhile or changing platforms would be beneficial for you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 Thank you Sir ! Having these detailed charts is better for your boat & the habitat, saves time and fuel in the remote places and lets one try new places to fish. The tides and winds reshape the soft bottoms and bars incessantly.. Muddy water makes you blind. I have no skin in this game: I fish and dive offshore in my boat. But, If I fished in the Park or Fla. estuaries..I would have the best mapping software. My $.02 Mod Marc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 4 hours ago, Moderator said: Muddy water makes you blind. As they say.....if you don't know....."Go Slow"....if it looks brown, "Go Around".... Learn to read the water as well......a sudden ripple in the middle of a creek is usually the top of the oyster bar hidden just below the surface...."ask me how I know this " Great product.....I have mine and need an upgrade, but, it creates a "false sense of security" for some inexperience boaters who think....well if I'm on the RED Line...I'm ok DC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubble Posted February 12 Author Report Share Posted February 12 Headed to FL Bay and into the ENP in a few days so was in a time crunch. I have good tracks on my Simrad and am feeling decent about reading the water but just wasn't sure about some of the areas in the ENP. Sent my cards back and the updates have already shipped out. Paid a little extra for next day to make sure I got them before dropping in the water. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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