chartplotter + sonar combo or separate devices?

[photographer]

Would you use a chartplotter + sonar combo or separate devices for navigation and sonar (fish finder separated from gps)???
What are the pluses and minuses?
Thanks!

 

[GA_Boater]

Plus - A recreational combo unit is much less expensive than two separate units.

Minus - When the unit breaks, you lose the FF and GPS.

Still, I prefer a single combo unit.

 

[photographer]

Plus - A recreational combo unit is much less expensive than two separate units.

Minus - When the unit breaks, you lose the FF and GPS.

Still, I prefer a single combo unit.

This does make sense!

 

[roscoe]

I had a fishfinder unit.
Then bought a chart plotter.
Both were 5" screens, can't imagine both functions squished onto one screen.

Recently moved into the 21st century and bought a Humminbird Helix 7, sonar, down image, and chart plotter, as the chart plotter model was only $100 more.
I left the old 5" chart plotter on the dash, so I can use the sonar and down image split screen on the new unit.

Now I have backups.

The lakes in I fish in Ontario are not available on the LakeMaster chips, but are on my old Navionics chips.

And only LakeMaster has HD maps for some of the lakes I fish in Wisconsin.


They are taking preorders for the new Helix 9 now, to ship in a few weeks. Larger than the 7, obviously, and networkable , and I-pilot compatible.

 

[photographer]

Thanks so much!

 

[NYBo]

How much mounting room do you have? Mine is very limited so I went with a combo unit.