Hummingbird Zero Lines Autochart

Just picked up a Helix 7 w/SI, DI and GPS.  Some of the lakes I fish have old/inaccurate contour maps so I bought Humminbirds Zero Lines Autochart (micro card).  Has anyone out there been using this? If so, what's your take on it? Is it complicated to make maps? Once I have run transects in both directions, how do get it to create contours and a contour map. Do I need some additional software to create the finished map? Looking for other folks experience and advice.

I'm with Fish Hound, don'r run your electronics on your TM Batteries period.  Can get interference.  I too run two Helix 10's, and one Helix 9 all day long along with all my pumps, and never had battery issues either.  

Grey Beard, you should not have your graph attached to your trolling motor batteries, it's not recommended by any electronics manufacturer to do it that way.

I have 3 Helix 7's running all day on 29series main battery along with live well pumps and everything else other then the TM and never had an issue with battery drain of my main battery fishing all day.

My Terrova is a 24V, 80# thrust on two 29 series batteries and I can use spot lock all day (I have done it up to 9 hours) in the current of the Fox in Depere with a 21' fiberglass boat and not run the TM batteries dead. I think you should be okay. LOL

I just use the $99 Everstart Maxx (Maxx-29DC) batteries so they aren't anything fancy either.

I have a Helix 9 and did buy the zero lines card. There a number of youtube videos that I found helpful. Making a map is much simplier than one would expect and I only run it on specific spots of interest so I don't fill it too fast. The details you generate will help you find some spots on spots other maps don't show.

For me the downside of the Humminbird is how much power it consumes so most of the time I don't have it on next to the tiller because I'm on the bow with an old Lowrance. I spend a lot of time draging jigs for eyes on steep structrue. I would love to put a 7 on the bow so I could use the map but I run the Lowrance all day and think the Humminbird would cut my trolling motor batteries down and shorten my day with current and/or windy conditions. (24v size 31 Spot lock on 16' lund) I do turn down the screen brightness when possible to preserve power.

I bought the card vs internal 8hr because I fish multiple lakes and plan to use it in FL in my Helix 7.

Grey Beard

I think the Helix 7 only has one slot, so the map will be created on the zero lines card.  I have a Helix 10, when I have the zero lines card in and am recording it goes to that card, and the unit will display that map instead of my lake master chip.  Pretty slick and pretty easy to use.

A few contour maps I made this year

I've been using the Zero Lines card for a few years. I've not figured out how to save data and overlay onto a topo map to create my own map. Basically, I keep the card in the unit and can overlay that onto the Huminbird basemap. Storage is not unlimited, and recently mine filled up and began overwriting existing map data. 

I have a helix 5 that I used the auto chart live on. I do not have the zero card, I just made the map to the internal hard drive on the helix. It was very easy to make a map, all I did was  turn on the auto chart and start driving around. Other than having to hook the helix up to the trolling motor I don't think you need anything else.