LOWRANCE ALERT ! - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Dan K · 03-24-2012, 12:51 PM

Thanks Billy. I was going to step up to a Simrad NSE and based on what you have posted, this will seriously alter my plans. Ron ad the big West Marine showed me both the Lowrance HDS-10 and the Simrad 12. No mention of the most important areas to us local fisherman. Again, thanks!
Dan

Billy V · 03-26-2012, 09:19 PM

OK Guys here is the follow up to this story...

As promised I went to FH on Sunday and tracked down the Lowrance booth. It was actually fishing legend Don Iovino, a Lowrance Pro staffer that was displaying the Lowrance Banner.

-I asked him if he was aware that one of the most productive fishing area of Southern California had missing cartogrophy ? He said he was unaware - so I showed him.

He stood there in disbelief, and asked if I could return to the booth in 1 hour so we could talk more, as he was busy selling his fishing goods. He said he could help so I agreed.

-I returned in an hour and he was alone. I pulled up the chart and told him the saga. He was very cool about it and pulled out a phone number off his cell phone. He gave me the number for the 2nd in command at Lowrance and told me to explain the situation. He told me I had to get it to this guy to make it happen, anyone else was the wrong people.

-So today, Monday morning at 8 am I was on the phone, then fired off and email. It was very detailed with times, dates, and every person who I have dealt with to present date regarding this problem. By 10 am I had 2 responses from the big guy and the engineers in charge of cartography.
It reads as follows:

Mike's message to me
FYI here is the email I received , thank you again for your feed back . We’re thankfully for customers like yourself and your fishing bud’s.

Thanks for the continued feedback Mike. We are currently researching content to fill this gap as the official surveyed data that we rely on for our contours does not cover this area.

From a timing perspective keep in mind that we typically lock down requirements in April for the following year’s product. So fixes and requests for improvements received after April will not be included in the next release. So in the example below we received feedback in August 2011 which is too late to incorporate a fix in the 2012 product. The 2013 product is the next version we can update so we’re still working on this item. It hasn’t been forgotten.

Best regards,
Mike

-So in conclusion its coming, but it won't be here until the next update in 2013. I thanked Don Iovino for the immediate attention he gave toward helping us with this problem.

wade · 03-26-2012, 11:19 PM

Thanks Billy!

Regor · 03-27-2012, 04:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy V

Best regards,
Mike

-So in conclusion its coming, but it won't be here until the next update in 2013. I thanked Don Iovino for the immediate attention he gave toward helping us with this problem.

Thanks Billy !

A couple issues don't pass the smell test.

1) The issue is not with the product line, but with the software. I make my living in Software, you buy software, we all buy software. With every product we have bought, patches can be released at any time, especially for important issues. If this issue was costing the company money, or costing stockholders money, there would be a patch. Not in 2013, but now.

2) There is a fix, right now! Fish-N-Chip from Navionics. Lowrance already partners with Navionics and it's products come with Nautic Insight. If they want this fixed while they "fix" their product line, then start dishing out the Fish-N-Chip from Navionics.

Are you still in contact with Mike to give him some more feedback? Or willing to share his Contact info, and we can all let him know how to run his company and fix these issues now and keep face and customers.

Thx
Greg

Billy V · 03-27-2012, 09:31 AM

I sent a follow up e mail this morning lets see what response I receive.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the fast response. The cartography that is missing from the HDS Nautic Insight fish finders can be found on Navionics Chart Cards like the Fish-N-Chip, or Navionics Gold, or Platinum Chart Cards.
What has puzzled us for so long is the information is readily available through Navionics, but has not included in any of the updates.

The cartogrophy guys wrote this in their e mail to you:
"Thanks for the continued feedback Mike. We are currently researching content to fill this gap as the official surveyed data that we rely on for our contours does not cover this area."

I really appreciate any help you give us.
Respectfully
Bill Vitale

RK · 03-27-2012, 10:15 AM

Thanks Billy

And thank you for the updates as well.

Regor · 03-29-2012, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy V

I sent a follow up e mail this morning lets see what response I receive.

He was pretty quick to answer the first time, but not so quick when you proved you knew what you were talking about?

Ken Sauret · 03-29-2012, 08:17 PM

Lowrance received the feedback you have referenced about the missing map data around La Jolla late in the summer of 2011. This was after the requirements for the 2012 Nautic Insight product had been completed and so the updates could not be included in the 2012 product. They do have the requests and have a solution planned but unfortunately it wasn’t in time for the 2012 product. It's because of customers like you guys that Lowrance has the opportunity to fix issues that are discovered like this. They have told me they appreciate guys that are passionate about this sport and aren't afraid of giving quality feedback. Their customers are their eyes and ears out here. I, like you, am a customer but I happen to be fortunate to be on the Pro Staff too and I was working the Lowrance booth at the Fred Hall in Long Beach. It's the things we fishermen find on the water when we're doing what we love that helps Lowrance make their products so much better. Word from Lowrance is they will have a fix in 2013 product which will be available in January.

Billy V, if you would like to participate in the beta testing of the fix later this summer send me your information and I'll see if this would be possible.

Ken Sauret
Lowrance Pro Staff
email fishnwin@yahoo.com

Billy V · 03-29-2012, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Sauret

Lowrance received the feedback you have referenced about the missing map data around La Jolla late in the summer of 2011. This was after the requirements for the 2012 Nautic Insight product had been completed and so the updates could not be included in the 2012 product. They do have the requests and have a solution planned but unfortunately it wasn’t in time for the 2012 product. It's because of customers like you guys that Lowrance has the opportunity to fix issues that are discovered like this. They have told me they appreciate guys that are passionate about this sport and aren't afraid of giving quality feedback. Their customers are their eyes and ears out here. I, like you, am a customer but I happen to be fortunate to be on the Pro Staff too and I was working the Lowrance booth at the Fred Hall in Long Beach. It's the things we fishermen find on the water when we're doing what we love that helps Lowrance make their products so much better. Word from Lowrance is they will have a fix in 2013 product which will be available in January.

Billy V, if you would like to participate in the beta testing of the fix later this summer send me your information and I'll see if this would be possible.

Ken Sauret
Lowrance Pro Staff
email fishnwin@yahoo.com

Thank You Ken.

Yes I would like to participate in the beta testing. I'll send you my info on e mail.
Thanks Again
Billy V

04-01-2012, 12:21 PM

I ready to put money up for a nice Lowerance system. However,
without the proper charting for La Jolla, I'm looking elsewhere.
I'm not waiting for Lowerance to finally fix this.

What are good alternatives?

03-26-2012, 09:19 PM	#2
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	OK Guys here is the follow up to this story... As promised I went to FH on Sunday and tracked down the Lowrance booth. It was actually fishing legend Don Iovino, a Lowrance Pro staffer that was displaying the Lowrance Banner. -I asked him if he was aware that one of the most productive fishing area of Southern California had missing cartogrophy ? He said he was unaware - so I showed him. He stood there in disbelief, and asked if I could return to the booth in 1 hour so we could talk more, as he was busy selling his fishing goods. He said he could help so I agreed. -I returned in an hour and he was alone. I pulled up the chart and told him the saga. He was very cool about it and pulled out a phone number off his cell phone. He gave me the number for the 2nd in command at Lowrance and told me to explain the situation. He told me I had to get it to this guy to make it happen, anyone else was the wrong people. -So today, Monday morning at 8 am I was on the phone, then fired off and email. It was very detailed with times, dates, and every person who I have dealt with to present date regarding this problem. By 10 am I had 2 responses from the big guy and the engineers in charge of cartography. It reads as follows: Mike's message to me FYI here is the email I received , thank you again for your feed back . We’re thankfully for customers like yourself and your fishing bud’s. Thanks for the continued feedback Mike. We are currently researching content to fill this gap as the official surveyed data that we rely on for our contours does not cover this area. From a timing perspective keep in mind that we typically lock down requirements in April for the following year’s product. So fixes and requests for improvements received after April will not be included in the next release. So in the example below we received feedback in August 2011 which is too late to incorporate a fix in the 2012 product. The 2013 product is the next version we can update so we’re still working on this item. It hasn’t been forgotten. Best regards, Mike -So in conclusion its coming, but it won't be here until the next update in 2013. I thanked Don Iovino for the immediate attention he gave toward helping us with this problem. __________________

03-26-2012, 11:19 PM	#3
wade Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 1,214	Thanks Billy! __________________

03-27-2012, 09:31 AM	#5
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	I sent a follow up e mail this morning lets see what response I receive. Hi Mike, Thanks for the fast response. The cartography that is missing from the HDS Nautic Insight fish finders can be found on Navionics Chart Cards like the Fish-N-Chip, or Navionics Gold, or Platinum Chart Cards. What has puzzled us for so long is the information is readily available through Navionics, but has not included in any of the updates. The cartogrophy guys wrote this in their e mail to you: "Thanks for the continued feedback Mike. We are currently researching content to fill this gap as the official surveyed data that we rely on for our contours does not cover this area." I really appreciate any help you give us. Respectfully Bill Vitale __________________

03-24-2012, 12:51 PM	#1
Dan K Junior Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 8	Thanks Billy. I was going to step up to a Simrad NSE and based on what you have posted, this will seriously alter my plans. Ron ad the big West Marine showed me both the Lowrance HDS-10 and the Simrad 12. No mention of the most important areas to us local fisherman. Again, thanks! Dan

03-27-2012, 10:15 AM	#6
RK Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 736	Thanks Billy And thank you for the updates as well.

03-29-2012, 08:17 PM	#8
Ken Sauret Junior Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 1	Lowrance received the feedback you have referenced about the missing map data around La Jolla late in the summer of 2011. This was after the requirements for the 2012 Nautic Insight product had been completed and so the updates could not be included in the 2012 product. They do have the requests and have a solution planned but unfortunately it wasn’t in time for the 2012 product. It's because of customers like you guys that Lowrance has the opportunity to fix issues that are discovered like this. They have told me they appreciate guys that are passionate about this sport and aren't afraid of giving quality feedback. Their customers are their eyes and ears out here. I, like you, am a customer but I happen to be fortunate to be on the Pro Staff too and I was working the Lowrance booth at the Fred Hall in Long Beach. It's the things we fishermen find on the water when we're doing what we love that helps Lowrance make their products so much better. Word from Lowrance is they will have a fix in 2013 product which will be available in January. Billy V, if you would like to participate in the beta testing of the fix later this summer send me your information and I'll see if this would be possible. Ken Sauret Lowrance Pro Staff email fishnwin@yahoo.com

04-01-2012, 12:21 PM	#10
yani Guest Posts: n/a	I ready to put money up for a nice Lowerance system. However, without the proper charting for La Jolla, I'm looking elsewhere. I'm not waiting for Lowerance to finally fix this. What are good alternatives?