Topic: 798ci Enhanced Contour Output

[Wall-E-Baiter]

Well this new 798ci should keep me busy for a long while. I upgraded this week to the 798ci from my old HB Wide Vision. I would like to use the track  point output to produce enhanced contour mapping for over laying on my NVB maps. I have been reading and downloading software, much of which doesn't seem to operate, to my computer. Is there either a software program that I can get that will do this or at the very least a good site that will give me a primer on how to go about producing these overlay maps or am I assuming too much. Is the entire process of map enhancement overlays not doable?

Maybe this should be posted to a new thread. I have software version 4.62 on my 798 and the output for a snapshot produces only ".png" and a ".dat" file for each snapshot. Also my tracks are in ".HT" files with one ".xml" and one ".hwr" file. Where is/are the ".son" files that are so constantly spoken of?

Incidentally the snapshots are easily read as a snapshot by "Irfanview" - a shareware program. I used the combo sonar/SI view and Irfanview showed it superbly.

Jeff

[wizzo86]

I am having the same problem with my 987c si with humviewer. The files are saved as dat files not son. I can not get the viewer to work. It tells me an error message

[Riverboat]

You might try the free viewer from http://www.caris.com/  I have it downloaded and installed and the demo looks great but haven't tried it any bird files.  I am running XP HOME version  with an Athlon 2600 processor.

Riverboat

I tried to use Caris and it does not work with the Yellowfin or DeepV format.  I will try to find a converter.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Wall-E-Baiter,
Most of your questions are answered in the software section.  Some are using the Dr. Depth program to make contour files of their lakes but these cannot be imported into your 798 unit as it only uses the Navionics mapping files (soon will be able to use the LakeMaster maps with a software download).  The *.son files are part of the information the unit saves when making a sonar recording file.

[Wall-E-Baiter]

Thanks Greg - I'm not sure if I am getting you correct. Are you saying that Dr. Depth overlays won't work with Navionics? If not then I assume that the overlay will only work with the Unimap- correct. Is it also fair to assume that there is/are no programs that can make overlays for the Navionics maps, and also create a map of a lake that is not in the Navionics folders?

Jeff

[Humminbird_Greg]

Jeff,
Not sure if you would be able to make a map overlay that would work in some PC based Navionics software program.  I do know that your Humminbird will only use maps that are from a Navionics mapping card and that you should not go experimenting with these mapping cards or you can corrupt the data on them making them useless.  To date I have not heard of anyone that has successfully cracked Navionics map card security measures.  So there is no know way to make your own maps or map overlays and have them displayed on your Humminbird unit (although this has been a standing product change suggestion for years now).

[Riverboat]

None of the files in the HB can be used with any software I have found.  I use the XTF converter and you can view the files with the YellowFin software.  The DV viewer works but you have to manually scroll down the page.  I am working on a system that will download direct from the SD slot. I can download USB and am now trying to get it work with ethernet as the YellowFin software will direct connect to the transponder and download raw data.  If the ethernet works you can take a laptop on your boat and plug in the cable and get raw data processed with YellowFin on the fly.  I must tell you the image is not any different than what you see on the HB now, only bigger.
All of that said and none of it will do contour mapping.  There is a commercial program that will convert the XTF files but it cost several thousand dollars.

Riverboat.