What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

[Mitro]

For example, what is the differences in an internal/external anteana?

If there was one thing you wished yours had, what would it be?

Any big mistakes out there?

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

Exactly what it implies. One has an antenna built inside the unit and an external is a seperate box. The only thing I'd like to have on mine is a bigger screen.
At least 7"

 

[Boatist]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

What to look for really depends on how you are going to use it. Antenna for example. External antenna works better because it can be mounted where people and boat structure do not block signals. However if you also plan to use the unit in your car then you will want an internal antenna.

If you fish deep water then power and resolution most important. If you only fish 15 to 30 feet for bass then power and resolution not important at all. Also you do not need dual Frequency. Deep Salt water then you want at least 500 watts RMS or 4000 watts PeP. Also your need a high resoultion and Dual frequency.

So what important depends on how you will use your unit.

 

[imported_Ady]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I have the Lowrance 332c, great little unit. I picked this for resolution, if you are gonna install a map chip (navionics etc) then the higher the resoluton the more detail you will get out of it. Wishlist??? as already said, a bigger screen would be nice. The 332 has a 5" screen and I use it in split screen mode when trolling.

 

[tommays]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

The new Lowarance units have one of the better screens for viewing in sunlight

You would think they all would BUT many units have poor sunlight viewing


Tommays

 

[Mitro]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

Thanks for the advise.

We went to the Toronto Boat show, and my husband fell in love with the NorthStar M84, which has an 8" display. It is really nice. We will probably go with this one.

Has anyone used one, and had problems with it?

 

[TheChad]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I have a Lowrance LCX-26c HD.

I picked this model because of a few reasons.

I love the 7" Screen, It's amazing how much bigger it is compared to the 5" model, but it really is alot bigger, especially when using split screen.

I picked the Hard Drive model, because I live in Illinois, and I fish IL, MO, IN, all 3 of which are in different reigons, and I would have had to buy 3 different chips in order to cover all 3 of thease states. At that point, it was cheaper to buy the 26c HD, over the 332 + 3 chips, and I get the added bonus of the 7" screen.

The Resolution is amazing. I only got to use it on the water once for about an hour as I purchased it at the end of the season, but what little I used it, I was impressed. The under water detail was AMAZING compared to my Humminbird 727.

From everyone I talked to at about a dozen dealers all said that by far Lowrance was the best GPS/Sonar Combo unit.

But as stated before, You need figure out exactly what you are using the unit for, depth, type of fishing, lakes you will be running on, etc. To narrow down the right unit or you.

-TheChad

 

[roscoe]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I would get two separate units, a gps/plotter, and a separate fish finder.

Bigger would be nice, but the thing that bugs me most, is the speedometer.
I use it when trolling, to maintain very slow speeds.
My plotter will only display the speed when I use the half screen map.

What I would like is to be able to use the full screen map, with the speed super imposed up in the corner.

The biggest factor is determining which manufacturer supports the map chips you want to use; and which map chip manufacturer has the best maps of the waters you boat on.

So, find the best maps of the waters you boat on. Then find a unit that can utilize those maps.

 

[TheChad]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I would get two separate units, a gps/plotter, and a separate fish finder.

Bigger would be nice, but the thing that bugs me most, is the speedometer.
I use it when trolling, to maintain very slow speeds.
My plotter will only display the speed when I use the half screen map.

What I would like is to be able to use the full screen map, with the speed super imposed up in the corner.

The biggest factor is determining which manufacturer supports the map chips you want to use; and which map chip manufacturer has the best maps of the waters you boat on.

So, find the best maps of the waters you boat on. Then find a unit that can utilize those maps.

You gotta have a pretty big helm to have poltter & Fish Finder seperate.

The Lowrance Units allow you to put any of the available information, on any screen, in any location on the screen.

I LOVE this feature. Just some of the available info is: Temp, Speed, Depth, location, etc.

-TheChad

 

[dingbat]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

The Lowrance Units allow you to put any of the available information, on any screen, in any location on the screen. I LOVE this feature. Just some of the available info is: Temp, Speed, Depth, location, etc.

-TheChad

I bought a new boat last year which came with a LCX15MT. Not according to the manual the data I use (sonar returns and speed only. I use a separate GPS for positioning data) is not available on a single screen and because of this I’m constantly flipping back and forth between screens which is annoying. I also find the unit hard to see and read (spoiled by color on my previous unit) even with the large screen size because of the monochrome display. The unit is getting the boot in the next couple of weeks in favor of a FCV 582L Furuno unit.

 

[roscoe]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

My unit is an Eagle (Lowrance) intellimap 502c
This unit may be discontinued now, not sure.
Speed will only appear on screen in the half screen map mode.
Speed is not on of the items that can be superimposed on the full screen map.

Perhaps they got this right on the newer models.

And yes, Color makes a world of difference, especially for daytime viewing.


"You gotta have a pretty big helm to have poltter & Fish Finder seperate."

I've got the smallest helm available. Approximately 4"x 21", they both fit nicely right above the steering wheel.

 

[TheChad]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

Maybe I am wrong about All Lowrance models.

All the Model's I've looked at have the ability to put speed on any screen, in any location. The Model's I looked at were all Color. 332, 334, 26c HD

Maybe that ability is only for their higher end models.


As for Helm Size. mine is probably 1/2 that size. I have a 17' Boat, and it has a windshield, I have maybe 12" wide by about 4" deep because of the angle on the windshield. It took me a week to custom mount my LCX-26c HD due to it's big heat sink in the back, I had to take it apart and grind a 45 degree angle on the top of the heat sink, so it would clear the glass.

-TheChad

 

[Texasmark]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I just got a gps and I did it to fish the marshes of the gulf coast in unfamiliar water.

I think that the detail of the stored map, without regard to highwaymarkings and such would be of keen interest to me.

To be able to see all the sloughs of the marsh and know that I was at a certain place in which sluough would be of significant benefit. Once you get in them, at water level, it all looks the same and it's very easy to get lost.

Mark

 

[ted655]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

dd
===="The only thing I'd like to have on mine is a bigger screen.
At least 7" "================
Not for small boats, but if you have a wheelhouse, then check out the Fugawi website and look at the ENC.. Deluo Marine has the kit.
I'm a fan of not putting my eggs all in one basket. Seperate units are safer investments (I think).

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What to look for in GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

I believe that separate units are better made individually. When electronic companies combine things usually that means that the quality suffers.