Looking to buy a new fish finder/ chart plotter combo unit. Which one will give me the biggest bang for my buck???
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Looking to buy a new fish finder/ chart plotter combo unit. Which one will give me the biggest bang for my buck???
It will help if you tell us your max $. But, personally, I would buy the biggest Lowrance HDS I could afford with my budget.
Greg
A lot depends on if you are willing to learn a new/different brand than what you know. What are you requirements. They all are comparable for the most part. Everyone has their favorites. Are you able to transfer all your waypoints easily.
A lot of guys prefer the big screen units, for me I prefer 2 units that equal or exceed the big screen display. This can be a cheaper option, but this way you also always have a back up, zoom in/out is much easier, also adjusting settings. But that is me.
I've had the lcx38chd with the 8" screen for many yrs now and have been very happy. if I was getting a new model and had the $$ I would get one of the new lowrance hds mobels with the big screen. I just love my 8"screen its big enough that I can see all the details but still small enough for my dash. good luck and good fishing.
sherman
Yup, I have a HDS 5 and if could afford it would have purchased the biggest screen i could. I have used mine for 3 years now and love it.
i installed an hds9 touch screen last spring and cannot say enough good things about it!!Quote:
Originally Posted by PDnaz
i am still learning all the features on it but it is truly awesome......jmo....good luck......
I really like the Lowrance HDS Gen 2 touch. I have the 12" and it is great for using split screen Sonar / Chart
However, in regards to Sonar most units are restricted by the junk transducer that comes with a bundle. My advice is to get a unit without a transducer and buy a decent transducer, you won't regret it and it is the best $ you will spend on the system.
I just got the B21 and it is heads and shoulders above the Lowrance bundled transducer.
-Matt
That's a good point Matt, most stock transducers are junk. I run the air mar b60 and it gets the job done.
Greg
Greg,Quote:
Originally Posted by walleye2go
After you said that, I had to look at what I bought. I did get the B60 as well, I got the B60-12 degree tilt. I looked at the B21 and ended up buying the 60.
It has been great and I've had no complaints. We installed it ourselves in the boatyard a couple years ago.
I'll take a lesser head unit with a good transducer. Putting a transom mounted Lowrance transducer on an HDS Gen 2 touch is like Buying a 30' Sportcraft GLS and using a 5 HP tiller outboard as the only motor.
Lol... Just my 2 cents.
-Matt
What are wanting to do with it? Do you want to network it through the nmea2000 networking circuitry? If you do then in the Lowrance line you will be limited to the HDS units, if not then you can use the HDI units. You would also need the networking capability to run most of the better Autopilots on the market today. Remember if you are not going to network you will be spending money for features you will not use if you buy the HDS line of chartplotter/sonar combos. I use a stand alone HDS 5X sonar and a stand alone HDS 5M chartplotter. I also have the Navonics chip, model #DMSD/649P+ Platinum Plus for Lake Erie and Lake St Clair Marine. Do I like them? Yes and no!Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckeyebob
For my style of fishing and for what I use my sonar for, I would not buy another HDS unit, same applies for the GPS/chartplotter. I would go with something of lesser complicity and put the savings into a larger screen and or, more, even better fishing equipment. Here is why! An Airmar B21 will set you back an additional $100.00 and the ever popular B60 will set you back an additional $200.00+. Then the cost of the networking circuitry and connecting cables to make the whole thing work as intended is not cheap either. These are all things that you have to consider when you lay down your money for the different units. Not trying to discourage you from buying a HDS unit but trying to inform you of the added cost in trying to make it all work as intended. Also if you do not fish or boat enough to become totally familiar with the operation of the unit(s), the pages buttons and the different programs, you then have to become a Philadelphia lawyer in order to remember how to use all of those features when you need them without having the manual handy. If you fish every day and use the different functions every day, or at least often enough to be able to become familiar with them then they are worth what you have spent on them if they actually really help.
The statement that the factory supplied transducer for the HDS Units are not very good is actually an understatement. It is my opinion that they are just slightly better than no transducer at all.
It would be nice to be able to link your GPS to your VHF radio in case of emergencies! But on the other hand there are only 3 things that would keep me from doing the same thing manually. First if I could not talk, second & third if either my GPS or VHF is not functioning.
At this time I am in the market for a stand alone unit that offers both a chartplotter/sonar and is basically a turn it on and go fishing unit without all of the bells and whistles, bells and whistles that I will never ring or use anyhow. If the unit shows me where I am at and what is underneath me then that is all that I need to know, it is all that I need!
Wakina,
Nice post, and good information! I agree with Wakina about the HDS really only being worth the extra money if you are going to integrate it with other system.
I bought my HDS Gen 2 with no intentions of networking it. Last year however I bought the Lowrance "Point 1" external GPS that updates 10 times / second. Then I plugged my marine radio into the HDS as well. Now my radio displays my GPS position, and... and... If I want to I can "share" my location through my radio and any of my friends can "see" me on their Lowrance HDS units, and I can see them if they have one.
I realize that you are buying it for a fish finder, but if you can see your friends and you can get reports from them, then it is better than seeing what is in the water. For example: I can tell a buddy, "Hey, from where I am right now go NW for 1 mile trolling 2 MPH. We just picked up 6." He doesn't have to ask where I am, and he already has my exact GPS coordinates.
This was not something that I thought about when I bought it, but now it is something that I wouldn't go without.
Wakina is also correct in that any autopilot or radar system is quite easy to set up with the HDS systems and almost "plug & play."
However, he is also correct about needing to be an attorney... lol
My brother who owns the boat with me is an attorney in Pittsburgh and he spends a couple hours each year reading and learning about some new feature for us to start using... It's pretty comical that Wakina mentioned being an attorney in Philly!
-Matt
Madd Matt
My father-inlaw grew up in your neck of the woods at Millfield, Ohio. My wife still has alot of relation down there in Glouster and Corning, we get down there a couple of times a year for visits.
I have seen some monster Whitetail bucks outside of Glouster as well as a Black Bear just north of town. Just wondering if you ever hunt those big bucks there in Athens County?
Some of those roads are scary curvy, in fact they are so bad you can see your own tail lights when you go around some of those curves. Found that out when we cut across from Rt. 33 to Rt. 13 Beautiful rugged Country in that part of Athens County.
I hunt when I can... Typically only have time for gun season, but I actually sighted in the cross bow today. Who knows. Maybe I'll get time to get in the woods.Quote:
Originally Posted by wakina
We do have big deer compared to those large dog looking things up North. lol
-Matt
Wakina
I've been very happy with my Raymarine Dragonfly 7" screen. It has CHIRP hybrid technology on the sonar and the GPS works as it should. Not network compatible. I bought the unit this past spring with Navionics gold chip for around $700.
TheBigE22
Thank you for the first hand information on the Dragonfly 7 it is much appreciated.Quote:
Originally Posted by thebige22
My current chip will not work in the Dragonfly 7, the Navonics Platinum Plus chip is to large for the memory. To many MB's, the Hot Spots Premium chip will work and so will the Gold and Silver chips. I have a new Hot Maps Premium East so I will probably just get the bare unit with transducer and use the chip that I have. I am keeping both HDS units, I have no complaints with the HDS 5M GPS it is an excellent unit but am tired of replacing transducers on the HDS 5X Sonar. The sonar has never performed as well as I had originally hoped it would, most likely due to the transducer issues.
So, I am going back to something that to me is more enjoyable and easier to operate. Something that doesn't have several different electronic pages and enough settings to confuse a fighter pilot all while you are trying to figure out the fish. When I started fishing the big lake we only had a compass and no sonars or GPS units. My first unit was a Ray Jefferson flasher I bought at Sears. Then I had a LORAN C unit made by Sitex and a Sitex video sonar as well. Also used various models of those paper graphs with the replaceable stylus and rolls of paper.
For me, to be constantly fooling with electronic gadgets takes the fun and relaxation out of the fishing, I go fishing to rest my mind and have fun. So I am going back to the K.I.S.S. system. Kind of like those set them and forget them ovens you used see on TV.
Look for the NEW HDS-GEN 3s due out after the holiday season.....
If anyone is still looking for a new GPS/FF, West Marine has reduced the HDS 7 Gen2 Touch to 799.90 online. Probably because the Gen3 is coming soon, but still quite a unit for the price.
Gradyfish
BPS Rossford, has it for $899 with the structure scan bundle:)
For any walleye.com forum member I will meet or beat West Marine or other vendor prices on any product to the extent that I can. I respect the MAP pricing restrictions so in many cases my web site doesn't reflect the lowest prices available. If you have a specific model in mind and provide with the MPN number or related SKU number from our web site I can quote a specific price.
Below is the link to the Lowrance fish finders on our site.
http://www.walleyetacklestore.com/lofich.html
Best to all in the New Year.
Walleye Rick, walleye.com and walleyetacklestore.com