Marine electronics leader enhances consumer-level map-making tool

by Andrew Golden on 2 Aug 2013 Navico announced today enhancements to its revolutionary personal map-generation tool, Insight GenesisTM. Compatible with the Lowrance Elite HDI and HDS, Simrad Yachting NS, and B&G Zeus multifunction displays, the powerful service that empowers boaters with the ability to create custom contour maps now offers a private option and automatic tidal adjustments – plus great pre-fish tools like import and export waypoints, as well as tags and notes for convenient trip planning. In addition, Insight Genesis will release a community-sharing option later this fall that provides users with the ability to share maps or keep them private.

Designed to meet the needs of inland, coastal and offshore boaters and anglers, Insight Genesis provides secure online storage of sonar logs, merged maps and a boater’s critical trip and waypoint data — accessible from any internet-connected device. It does not require a specifically preprogrammed SD card like other solutions; sonar logs and maps can be transferred from chartplotter to PC using a generic SD memory card. In addition, unlike other map-generation tools, Insight Genesis provides individuals with a choice of either keeping recorded sonar data private or, with the community-sharing option, users can choose to share selected trips with the Insight Genesis community. This feature allows users to view and merge others’ shared Insight Genesis maps with their own. The Insight Genesis update also features enhanced inshore, coastal and offshore data with a new automatic tide adjustment — using time and location of collected soundings to ensure map accuracy. Additional new features include sample maps for new users to try and a revised sonar log dashboard that makes it easier to view high volumes of sonar logs.

'Our continued development of Insight Genesis demonstrates Navico’s commitment to add value for Lowrance, Simrad Yachting and B&G customers, and offer the most comprehensive mapping options and best charting solutions on the market,' said Leif Ottosson, CEO, Navico. 'Insight Genesis complements our Insight mapping library, and supported Navionics and Jeppessen C-MAP cartography options, as well as an extensive collection of niche mapping-chart compatibility. It is a powerful solution that offers the most recent details on boating and fishing areas, and provides a resource for boaters and anglers to save and retrieve trip information including sonar logs, maps, waypoints, weather detail and more.'

The Insight Genesis mapmaker service uses sonar recordings from Broadband Sounder™ and StructureScan® HD sonar imaging transducers connected with any Lowrance Elite HDI or HDS, Simrad NS or B&G Zeus multifunction display to generate free custom maps for online viewing. Lowrance Elite HDI and HDS Gen2, Simrad NS and B&G Zeus Touch chartplotters can also download maps from Genesis for on-water use. Whether mapping previously uncharted waters or ensuring surveyed area details are accurate and current, data can be recorded and saved during multiple boating trips giving individuals the ability to build maps over time to increase the coverage and quality of each map. Insight Genesis is the only mapmaking tool that offers a choice of easy-to-generate depth shading, bottom composition and vegetation layer overlays on customized high-res contours and depth soundings.

To create free custom maps, simply activate the standard sonar-logging feature on a compatible multifunction display to record all subsequent sonar data to an SD card. Once recorded, users can upload the sonar log file to the Insight Genesis cloud service via a PC, where it is converted into a map. The chart and related sonar log can be viewed for free using an embedded web viewer or downloaded for use on a compatible multifunction display. Downloads of the Insight Genesis maps can be purchased on an individual-map basis or through an annual subscription service.



An Insight Genesis one-time map purchase, standard subscription and premium subscription are priced at $19.95/download, $99.95/year and $299.95/year, respectively. For more information on Insight Genesis, please visit https://insightstore.lowrance.com/insightgenesis. For more information on the complete line of Lowrance, Simrad Yachting or B&G marine electronics, please visit www.lowrance.com, www.simrad-yachting.com and www.bandg.com.