fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:40 am

want a good unit, willing to spend in $600 range. mainly fish private lakes but getting into public lakes more. (just saying that wont be using it all the time like a guide or someone out every day) should i get a unit that has the gps built in or a seperate handheld unit? really leaning toward color lowrance. internal or external gps? if combo which lms 500 series, if seperate which one?

thanks

dampeoples · Post by **dampeoples** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:48 am

I do nto like combo units at all, personal preference, I know. I like knowing that if one fails, the other is still available, as well as being able to take the GPS unit with me to do car or hiking duty if I choose.

I'm using a iFinder H20, got it before color existed, but they have a color unit now, it's cheaper than what I paid for mine back when

They even make a RAM mount for it.

Cpark · Post by **Cpark** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:29 pm

I tried the handheld gps thing for a couple months and for fishing it just doesn't cut it. The screens are too small to pick out subtle details on the mapping and its almost impossible to try and read one of those and run 70mph down the lake. I'd go with a combo unit and be done with it. A handheld is ok if your hiking through the woods but pretty much worthless fishing, unless you don't mind picking it up and getting close enough to it to read the screen that is.

I bought a couple Lowrance gps/graph combo's, had nothing but trouble out of them. Went out with a guy that had a Humminbird side imaging unit in his boat and went home that night and ordered a 997 with side imaging/gps for the console, and a 787C2 gps/fishfinder combo for the front and they have performed flawlessly. I'd do a few internet searches about Lowrance before buying one now. They used to be top notch but they are having problems like crazy now. Everyone I know with new Lowrances is having trouble with them. They have got some serious problems going on right now.

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:50 pm

i have seen a couple posts of people having trouble with them but it seems that 90% of the pros (also ultimate match fishing, bass tech) uses lowrance

thanks for the help, keep it coming

Cpark · Post by **Cpark** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:17 pm

Whats funny tho is go actually look at the pro's boats at one of the tournaments. There are several that are sponsored by Lowrance and use them in the tournaments, but have a Humminbird SI transducer mounted on the back of their boat.

They are using that to practice with. The reason most the pro's use Lowrance is because they sponsor the most of them. They have Lowrance techs on site at every tournament to take care of any problems they have. If you have problems your going to be on the phone with customer service, which everyone says has gone to crap now. When I had my lowrances customer service was still good, but everyone is telling me now that its really gone down hill. I'm not sponsored by any of them or anything, but I feel that right now Humminbird is leading the way.

Stringjam · Post by **Stringjam** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:08 pm

I've had to return TWO brand new Lowrance X-15's because of screen fogging.

The return guy even tried to give me a hard time - saying that I must be leaving them uncovered or something....

....um...yeah, usually when you fish all day they don't have the cover on them. I asked him if Lowrance made equipment for pro's or for store displays. I only fished for a DECADE or so with an old X-85 without having those problems.

If I had the $$$ laying around it would be a Hummingbird SI all the way.

fishinfreak21 · Post by **fishinfreak21** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:00 pm

Not to mention, the antennas will occasionally burn up on external models (sometimes if behind a windshield) and you can also tilt the units with internal antennas and lose your signal! You can call Lowrance's customer service and they will even admit that they have a problems with their antennas. If you are looking to spend $600 go with a Humminbird 787. It is the same price (external) as the LMS-522 (I believe that is the external model) but better resolution.

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:47 pm

external-internal, whats the difference

Mattman · Post by **Mattman** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:24 am

I'm not a fan of the combo units for the same reasons dampeoples states... You loose one unit, you've lost them both. And unless you're going to the big magnum versions, I hate the reduced screen size you get when you have to share one screen for depth and GPS.

I prefer an external antenna. If that goes you can easily replace just the antenna.

What ever you decide...go color. I'll never go back to gray scale again. Color units are easier to read in the sun, easier to read in the dark, and easier to interpret. Its much easier for the eye to distinguish between colors than it is shades of gray.

_________________
Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:41 am

mattman-what brand do you like?

Mattman · Post by **Mattman** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:51 am

fishboy wrote:mattman-what brand do you like?

I have Lowrance units.

_________________
Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods

dampeoples · Post by **dampeoples** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:20 am

Mattman wrote:I'm not a fan of the combo units for the same reasons dampeoples states... You loose one unit, you've lost them both. And unless you're going to the big magnum versions, I hate the reduced screen size you get when you have to share one screen for depth and GPS.

I prefer an external antenna. If that goes you can easily replace just the antenna.

What ever you decide...go color. I'll never go back to gray scale again. Color units are easier to read in the sun, easier to read in the dark, and easier to interpret. Its much easier for the eye to distinguish between colors than it is shades of gray.

_________________
Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Otterods - High performance hand crafted fishing rods

Yes! The split screens are not really that much larger than the handheld units. Honestly, if you're relying on your GPS at 70, I'll never ride with you!

As far as the antenna, if it's the Lowrance puck style, it's a matter of one connection and 'screwing' the new one on.

I do have a question on the color units - all my stuff is greyscale, and the Garmin graph I have can't be seen at certain angles with polarized glasses, is this the same with color?

fishboy · Post by **fishboy** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:10 pm

on splitscreens can you put either one on fullscreen when you want?

dampeoples · Post by **dampeoples** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:14 pm

The units I have used, yes, you can.

Cpark · Post by **Cpark** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:32 pm

You wouldn't want to get in the boat with me then. I rely on my gps at all times. Its the best navigation aid ever. I'd never rely on it at night or in fog or anything like that when I couldn't also see with my own eyes what was around me, but that wouldn't be cause I didn't trust the electronics its cause it still doesn't tell you if another boat, log, or anything else might be out there. But I use it all the time for laying out gps trails in shallow stumpy areas where there is only a certain path you can run. When running at high speeds down lakes or rivers they are great because at a glance of the screen you can double check your position to make sure your in the channel and tell exactly where your at. To me thats a lot better than staring at the banks and reading them to tell where your at exactly. Just follow your waypoints and the only thing you have to concentrate on is driving the boat and whats in front of you.

I know it sounds a little crazy to a lot of people using gps to run through shallow stump filled waters but it works. A lot of the places I fish you pretty well have to do it. A lot of guys that don't have gps just have to blindly run those places and those are the guys that usually end up dropping a lower unit on a stump or rock. I always idle a place once or twice and then mark the safest trail through it. It works great.

I've got a large screen 997 HB so its plenty big even in split screen mode, but when I'm running I always have it in full gps screen. When running, the full map is the only thing I care about seeing. I still have a digital depth display in the corner of the screen but when running at speed the depthfinder isn't going to tell you anything you could actually use, all I care is knowing I'm in deep enough water to be safe. So I always recomend to everyone to try leaving them in full map screen when running. Makes it easier to see and you still have all the info that is important, which for me is just depth.

fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

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Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)

Re: fishfinder/gps questions (which one, combo gps, etc...)