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Location: Contrarian Island | Anyone know the inside scoop on what Lowrance will be coming out with? The mega imaging from HBird is pretty awesome, but it's simply upping the frequency from 800 to 1200...seems like Lowrance could easily come out w their own version? Also, auto chart live, why doesn't Lowrance have it? I would like to stick with Lowrance but HBird sure seems to be the route to go if someone was gonna get new units...anyone know anything? |
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Posts: 1100
| Im with you on this one HBird seems to be more and more attractive, anyway Lowrance new HDS Carbon have a "SonarChart live" function but it requires an internet connection, e.g. mobile phone or something like that, as far as i know. |
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Posts: 743
| i was (and still am) a loyal Lowrance users for years. Recently i moved to Raymarine eS series and the Dragonfly. i like the autochart, side imaging, down vision they offer. I'm not very good with technology, but the platform and user ability is similar to an Iphone (i think it is anyways). they are worth looking at. |
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Posts: 135
| The mega imaging from HBird is pretty awesome, but it's simply upping the frequency from 800 to 1200...
AND...the software to render it cleanly, AND the processing power to handle that software quickly, AND better network sharing, AND full Chirp sonar, AND AutoChart.
Just saying, it's not "simply."
MSRP on a Helix 9 Chirp Mega SI G2N is only $1299. A very good price considering.
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Location: Contrarian Island | are you saying Lowrance doesn't or can't do all that with the engineers they must have? I'd think for the wizz kids they have working there it can't be that hard... is it "simple", maybe not for you or I...but..
Hope Lowrance ups their game or I see HBird in my future
Edited by BNelson 9/13/2017 9:53 AM
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| It may be that HBird has some technology that is protected by patent. Look at the huge award the courts gave the parent company of Lowrance from Garmin for infringing on their patents/technology. Yes, they have engineers that could copy the tech, but it may not be legal to do so. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | totally agree w that.. hopefully someone with some sort of knowledge at Lowrance will chime in. |
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Posts: 408
Location: MN | Lowrance's most recent released technology is structure scan 3d:
http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Sonar/StructureScan-3D.aspx
This industry has a ton of litigation and general competition between companies. Humminbird filed a somewhat bogus patent early on for side scan sonar (bogus in that the technology was not really new) and has used that to box out some of the other major players. See:
http://investor.johnsonoutdoors.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=440...
https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/industry-news/johnson-outdoors-wins-r...
Lowrance's engineering staff was hit hard about 5 years ago when Garmin got heavy into the sonar game and took some of their employees:
http://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/case.asp?s=OK&d=55876
I'm not really expecting anything crazy from them any time soon. SS3D appears to be their "answer" to Garmin's Panoptix. My impression (I used to work in this industry) is that they are not in a position to push the envelope. |
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Posts: 183
| Zinox - 9/12/2017 10:28 AM
Im with you on this one HBird seems to be more and more attractive, anyway Lowrance new HDS Carbon have a "SonarChart live" function but it requires an internet connection, e.g. mobile phone or something like that, as far as i know.
SonarCharts Live on a Lowrance doesnt require a wi fi/internet connection. It requires a Navionics Mapping card it maps live on the screen on the Carbon and Elite Ti. And is saved on the Navionics card for future use, no one has access to the data it is private to the user |
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Posts: 1100
| @kirth
Awesome thanks for the information. |
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Posts: 183
| Here is what is coming out for Lowrance Live Mapping with SonarChart Live- What I know so far, subject to change…
¬ See below for effected units.
¬ Lowrance NOS 56 software update.
¬ Lowrance Units covered are-
? HDS Gen 3 12, 9, 7 Version 4.5
? Elite Ti version 2.5
? Lowrance Carbon
¬ SonarChart Live data recorded in Lowrance and displayed live on screen.
¬ LSDCache file on the Navionics card.
¬ SonarChart data is not recorded to the hard drive of the sonar, it is recorded to the Navionics card and Navionics card is required. (See below for required cards).
¬ Create High Definition 1’ contours.
¬ Requires a Navionics mapping card with an active chart update subscription (Freshest Data).
¬ No tolerance, if it was 3 ft. yesterday and 1 ft. today, it will start correcting to 2 ft today where you run the boat. Yes, as you can visualize that means it will draw a 1 ft. ledge in the middle of the 3 ft. flat. Without adopting level adjustment, that’s the result.
¬ Tide adjustment is there which does this automatically (same for Raymarine), but for freshwater there is no level adjustment. We can do it in the app but Lowrance and Ray opted not to implement.
¬ Plotter Sync requires an active Mobile subscription as well as card.
¬ Navionics Cards needed-
? Hotmaps Platinum
? Platinum +
? Navionics +
? Navionics + Regions
? Navionics Updates
¬ Data recorded in Lowrance and stored on card is not shared to Navionics.
¬ Genesis/Lowrance nor Navionics gets NO LOGS or Data from Lowrance Plotter/Sonar. Data not shared.
¬ Adjust SonarChart contour density.
¬ Update Navionics Mapping card in Lowrance Plotter via WI fi connection between Mobile device and Plotter.
¬ Download updated charts and transfer routes and markers/waypoints via the innovative Plotter Sync capability of Navionics Boating apps without having to remove the Navionics card.
¬ If you choose to do SonarChart Live and want to update your Navionics SonarChart data on card or mobile device app you have to connect affected Lowrance Units via Wi fi to Navionics Mobile app and do SonarChart Live in the mobile device, which is then uploaded to Navionics and processed into the community SonarChart layer. You then do a Freshest Data update to card or mobile device.
¬ Wi-Fi required in sonar.
¬ The SCL file (LSD Cache) Q. How much recording can a user do with SCL on a plotter?
There is no limit other than the available space on the card. SCL consumes 20 kb per hour. The available time is the available free space on the card. 1000 KB in 1MB. 1000 mb in 1 GB. So, 1 GB of space = 50,000 hours of recording. Bottom line is, even a full card with a few MB of space remaining, say 5mb left, has 250 hours of recording space, more than enough for a couple years for most users.
¬ It will not record or overwrite present SCL Data if no changes are present.
¬ Plotter Sync requires an active Mobile subscription as well as card
¬ Plotter sync can not only transfer routes and markers but also update the card (download the chart updates in mobile before you sync using the “download map” function with rectangle).
¬ Added functions-
? You can do plotter sync.
? With Lowrance
? Transfer Routes
? Transfer Markers/Waypoints
? Update Charts
? Activate New Cards
? Shallow Water Highlight.
? Depth Highlight.
? Minimum Depth- Adjust what SCL rendering treats as the safety depth. This affects the coloring of the SCL area. As the vassal approaches the safety depth, the SCL area will gradually change from the simple grey/white to red.
? Easy View.
? Transparency – The SCL overlay is drawn on top of other chart data. The chart data is completely covered at a minimum transparency. Adjust the transparency to allow the chart detail to be seen
? Navionics Dock-to-dock Auto-routing creates intelligent, detailed routes, even through narrow passages and channels. (Only available outside the US)
Edited by kirth 9/20/2017 5:45 AM
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