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Posts: 88
Location: Wisconsin | I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Motorguide Xi5 with Pinpoint GPS and universal sonar. I'm strongly considering a Lowrance HDS-7 Touch unit to go along with it. From what I can gather, the universal sonar will not give me HDI and SI capabilities. I see that these units are available w/o a transducer option. If I don't want or need HDI/SI, is there any reason to buy a unit with the transducer included? I'm also considering the same unit with HDI/SI for the console. I see that it can be ordered with the structure scan bundle. Would I be good to go purchasing the front w/o a transducer and the back with the structure scan bundle? Anything else I would need? Thanks, Tom. |
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Posts: 1087
Location: Hayward, WI | No need to buy the front unit with ducer if using the built in on the TM. You will need a Gateway and NEMA network to get the XI5 to talk to the HDS. You can then link the dash unit to the NEMA network and to the bow unit with an Ethernet cable. If you have the LSS-2 hooked to the dash unit you can see it on the bow depthfinder if you unit. |
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Posts: 437
| Those are some good questions. IMO the one you mount to the trolling motor you could get without a transducer unless you don't save much then you could have a backup 83/200 transducer in case your other one takes a dump.
If you haven't already watch the big C store regularly. They are literally dumping Gen 2 products. They had HDS 8 Gen2 for $799 and a structurescan bundle for $1199 just a couple weeks ago and I just snatched up a HDS 7 Gen2 with structurescan for $799. That is a screamin' deal.
Also, Lowrance and Motorguide to have some attractive rebates if you purchase certain models.
If you buy the xi5 AND an HDS Gen 2 or Gen2 touch unit you can get the gateway kit for free ($250 value). Lowrance will give you rebates up to $300 for purchasing certain Gen2 units (mostly Touch) but you have to watch which ones, on their website.
I decided to just go with the Gen2 model for now to get me into the structurescan game and will likely upgrade next year to Gen3 units once the prices come down a bit.
I guess that turned into more of a community service announcement there, but I thought it might be useful in your research. |
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Posts: 88
Location: Wisconsin | Made a mistake at the front unit I was looking at, as it was GPS mapping only. No depth finder. Thought it was too good of a deal... With both features and without the transducer puts it at a little more than I was looking to spend. Might just go Elite 7 with GPS/fishfinder w/o HDI instead for the front and HDS 7 touch for the back. Is there a big enough difference in the HDS 7 touch and Elite 7 both w/o HDI/SI to warrant the price difference? Could I run the Pinpoint with the HDS unit at the counsel? Thanks, Tom.
Edited by TTS 2/19/2015 1:37 PM
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Posts: 437
| The main thing you will run into with a combo of elite and hds units is networking them together. The elite units do not have an Ethernet connection so you cannot just connect that to an HDS and be on your way. You would need to connect it via a NMEA 2000 network which is a more expensive undertaking. Not astronomical, but compared to a $40 or so dollar Ethernet cord its considerably more. Perhaps that will not matter to you??
Regarding running the pinpoint at the console, yep, that is the beauty of it. You could run it from anywhere provided you have the network gateway and NMEA backbone for it. Come to think of it now as I type this, you will be in a better spot to connect the elite to the hds because the Pinpoint Gateway kit requires a NMEA 2000 network backbone to connect to an HDS unit. So that is a plus!
Like I mentioned earlier, seriously check out those prices at Cabelas. They are VERY good prices. Not much going on Touch units, but Elites and HDS Gen2 units (non-touch) have been dramatically reduced. |
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Posts: 1087
Location: Hayward, WI | Networking an Elite gives you very little info, really all it will do is allow waypoint sharing as both units have internal GPS. They are really just a stand alone unit. With 2 HDS units linked you can share all info. |
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Posts: 88
Location: Wisconsin | Actually, sharing waypoints is probably what I'm looking to do the most. If that's all, is it worth linking them? Thanks, Tom |
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Posts: 437
| I think it is worth linking them. You are going to be 90% of the way there since you have the NMEA 2000 kit for the Pinpoint Gateway. I have my HDS units networked currently and it is awesome I can store a waypoint on one unit and it instantly shows up on the other one.
One interesting thing I happened across before was that I was actually able to view the map chip that was installed on one unit from my bow unit which didn't have a chip installed. I have since put chips in both of them but I found that interesting because I have read before that was not possible, but it did work, at least that one time I did it.  |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | getting my Xi5 this spring ... |
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Posts: 88
Location: Wisconsin | Plan on ordering one very soon. Hope they are as good as the reviews I've been reading, say they are. Ran cable drives my whole life so hopefully it will be an easy transition. Tom |
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Posts: 437
| I never personally ran a cable drive motor, but one thing that is nice is you can control this from anywhere in the boat. You are not confined to standing upfront on the pedal all the time. We do a Canada LOW trip every year. The other boat has a cable steer and they have to switch off who is running the trolling motor because they cannot stand there with one foot on the pedal all day without killing their back. I just have the remote around my neck and push a few buttons. |
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