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Location: Athens, Ohio | After viewing the Lakemaster paper map for Vermilion, I had a revelation: I need a good GPS/sonar unit! One that will take a lake map chip and help me run between islands and reefs. The idea of hanging Mauser over the bow to sight hard objects is being met with some resistance (and might slow me down, anyway!).
I'm looking for recommendations within the following parameters:
1. Price - around $5-600
2. Ease of use - I need it stupid-simple
3. Attachments - looking for discussion about advantages and drawbacks to built-in GPS antenna vs. puck installed in hull vs. exterior receiver; I don't want to drill my Gambler transom so looking for interior transducer (+ & - on that?).
I understand that most video graphs show you what you just passed, are there higher-speed transducers?
I'm guessing the color screens read a bit easier than the b&w's? Any suggestions are very welcome and appreciated. thanks so much, m |
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Posts: 1270
| Look into the Lowrance "5" series, these are good multi purpose units that won't empty the savings account.
I have all external anttenas but I think I would go with an internal now that they got the bugs worked out of them.
A thru-hull transducer will work if you have a fiberglass boat but you won't be able to get temp. readings. Why not just put it on the back like most of us do? You will need to drill 2 small holes and it should not affect the value of your boat because 95%+ of the boats out there have them in.
A modern graph will read what is below the boat, there is no delay. Don't believe when the flasher guys tell you that there is a delay in a graph, they're either lieing to you to sell you a flasher or haven't used a modern graph.
Wihtout a doubt get color! Was you last TV color or B&W? Enough said! |
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Posts: 619
Location: Verona, WI | Mikie,
The challenge for me was balancing a need/want for color display vs screen size. To me screen size and resolution are more important than color. The challenge is that the locator makers are making most of the large size GPS units in color only. If you look hard you can still find some better B&W units with 7" screens (like the LCX17) on clearance well within your price range.
In terms of attachments, there are RAM Mounts that allow you to add the GPS puck to the back of the locator so there would be no need to drill.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=00136...
Shane
Edited by ShaneW 2/19/2008 2:06 PM
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| I also would recommend getting something with at least a 7 inch screen. I bought a 5 inch first and was not happy with it. You aren't able to get much of the map on a 5 inch screen. The depth finder is probably ok with the 5 inch but go for the bigger one. You will be much happier. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Agreed, Jeff, the 5 inch screen would be good for GPS or depth/fish finding, but not both at once! Shane and reelman, thanks so much for your recommendations. I'm just starting to look into this stuff and appreciate the opportunity to learn from your experiences. I will be putting this on a fiberglass boat, if I can get the old flasher's transducer out of the bilge! m |
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Posts: 734
Location: Watertown, MN | Mikie with your boat you will need a 50" big screen to read the map as your winding your rig up. I would look for a 7" combo, with color, the older B/W were good units but do not read and update the screen as fast as the newer models. The other option is if you happy with your current graph is going with a stand alone 5" GPS/Color unit. Watch ebay you can get some good deals. My bow I run the X-110, but also ran a 5" color graph 102, and 5" GPS unit for the ability to zoom in on the GPS. Bigger is always better.
Troyz |
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Posts: 619
Location: Verona, WI | Mikie,
The other thing to remember is that if you are looking at a Lowrance unit you can download the emulator from www.lowrance.com and try the locator before you buy it. The emulator is basically an exact simulator of the unit you are looking at downloaded to your computer. It's also a great way to learn a unit in the offseason.
Shane |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | Mikie!
You only live once...get the 113 Baby!!!! |
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Posts: 1270
| If you can afford the 113 by all means get it! It is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have one on my boat already and another one sitting in my basement to put on in spring so I can have one for sonar and one for GPS. I also have a Humminbird 797c2 sitting there waiting to be put on. Now all I need is a bigger counsole!
IMHO I would go with a smaller screen and color over a bigger B&W screen but that's just me. |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Um, sure I'll take the 113, can you front me a couple thou? I would only live once until the wife killed me. thanks for the help, m |
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Posts: 706
Location: Richland Center, WI. | Great advice guys. I am in the same boat as Mikie so to speak. Would like to pick up a sonar/GPS unit and don't want to spend an arm and a leg to buy it. Besides, hard enough to fish sometimes let alone trying it without that arm and leg! Keep the tips coming.
Ken |
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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Love my Lowrance 522 iGPS! Cost in the $600 range and well worth it! I also made an ice pack and a "rental" boat pack for it and it also fits into my vehicle for travel. If you want I can take a snap shoot of my ice/travel pack so you can see how I set it up.
Edited by tacklebooty 2/20/2008 8:32 AM
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | steep breaks are tough to decipher on the 5" screen in split GPS/sonar screen. Newer releases of the Lowrance code allows you to change the width to make one side bigger than the other. Bigger is better or perhaps separate units.
I believe monochrome is fine for the most part, but I took a sonar log I recorded and reviewed it with Lowrance's Sonar Viewer on my laptop one night after fishing. The logs are recorded in color as it is just the screen that is monochrome. I saw more arches in color in the surface clutter, and color helped to decipher bottom structure in that case.
Mike |
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Posts: 1270
| WHat do you mean by "newer releases of Lowrance code" I have been able to resize my split screen on all my Lowrances (330,332,334,110,111,and 113) right from the factory. |
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | reelman - 2/24/2008 8:40 PM
WHat do you mean by "newer releases of Lowrance code" I have been able to resize my split screen on all my Lowrances (330,332,334,110,111,and 113) right from the factory.
My 480M wasn't able to do it until Jan '07 code update. |
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GPS / sonar recommendations