Help on a fish finder/gps purchase

[floatfisher]

I am looking for a fish finder for the boat I bought last year.  I dont need one with all the bells and whistles, just really want a fish finder with a gps.  I saw the Lowrance Elite-5 DSI is on sale (I think this is last years model) and wanted to get opinions on it.  I already have my Lowrance x67c ice machine that gets mounted to the front with a trolling motor transducer for using in flasher mode for jigging.  Not sure but hoping that if I run both Lowrance units there will be less chance for interference?  (As you can probably tell I am not all that into the electronics and knowing everything about them)  Also comes with the 455/800 transducer, not sure what this means and why some cost more than others?

 

Any input with this model, both positive and negative, would be helpful!!

 

Thanks,

Mike

[rlconverse]

I bought an elite 5 dsi last spring and wasnt happy with the results. When trolling deep water it does not show fish very clearly just a little speck on the screen. Of the whole thing the gos is great somewhat easy to use. I have the elite 5dsi mounted new to an old eagle supra that i use for a fish finder. Im not sure if the HDI units are better. Think if i made another purchase it would be an elite 7 hdi. Good luck

[moemoe]

elite 7 is a definite step up from elite 5, if you are soley fishing lake ontario, looks for a unit with 200/50 sonar......the 455/800 setting is more for the down imaging which is more of a shallow water feature....the elite 7 can use the new navionics uptate chip which allows for pretty good detail on the "sonarcharts" udate

[floatfisher]

Thanks for the feedback so far

 

So from what I take on this is that the main difference from a 7 to a 5 is screen size.  7 inch diagonal and 5 inch diagonal, right?  I am looking for a 5 inch and I guess I did not state this in the original post but I am looking at getting out of this on the cheep.  elite 7 hdi (this years model) - $700+ and the elite 5 dsi(last years model) - $350.  I guess I should have put more in my first post, as I am most likely not going to be deep trolling any time soon, mostly going out with the family, and the kids are still young.  In a few years I will either upgrade if we (more than likely my son and I) get into wanting to troll and get a newer bigger boat and the whole package or go smaller and stay away from the whole trolling thing?  Not sure for now, that is why I was looking to get out of it a little cheaper.  Make sense?

 

I read through the reviews on the Gander site and they were all pretty decent.  Even the lower ratings said that they would recommend the product which confused me a bit, but hey what can I say?

 

So for a now, shallower than 200' fish finder with a gps it sounds like a decent package.  Unless there are others to ward me away from my updated description I my pick this one up.

 

Thanks again guys for the input!!

[insufishent]

check out a hummingbird 788 nice unit about $400

[Tall Tails]

Check out the Raymarine dragon fly.  You get a lot of features for a great price.

[old man]

i have had this garmin for quite a while. It has maps of the great lakes,st. Lawrence and the bigger finger lakes built in. Works great. Sonar is ok,but i just cast for esox so all i care about is the depth. It was about $400. It also has tons of other features i never bothered to learn.

[IRon]

I just got a Humminbird 859ci Hd combo. Its a no frills sonar/gps unit for about $575. I didn't really feel I need down imaging (di) or side imaging (si) for trolling in big water. 7" screen is big enough for me with split screen. I might some day get a Minnkota w/i-pilot for inland lake or for a poor mans auto pilot for big lake and its compatible with that system.

They do make 859's with di & si too if you want those. Just look for the di & si designation in their numerical descriptions. $100 or so more for those.

Edited February 26, 2014 by IRon

[Adk1]

IRon, where did you get that 859 for that price???

[Custom Deluxe]

I went with the Elite 7 HDI last year and really like it. Big screen, lots of features. If your trying to network with other stuff though go with an HDS

[Fishtheniagara]

I have always been a Lawrance fan until it comes to repairs and customer service. They suck! I purchased a Raymarine Dragonfly last summer it is an amazing unit. With both a Dragonfly and Hds7 on the helm, the lowrance can't even compare to the dragonfly. I'll never again buy a Lowrance.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[SoSaarie]

I've also been looking to upgrade my ff this spring, run an older Lowrance X17 for years and never cared much for it. I was torn between the Dragonfly and Furuno 587 and finally decided on the Furuno due to the Dragonfly's small 5" screen. Now I see the D.F. is coming out with a 7" display and I'm right back to having to make a decision again.

 

Anybody have any experience with the Raymarine Dragonfly on Lake Ontario????

[vetting]

Is it true that the Dragonfly has no outputs at all so you cant interface it with a autopilot?

[Waynes World]

 I don't know that I may be of much help in your decision, but I will say that you may want to stay away from Lowrance . They don't last long and are non repairable. See my post in open lake discussion, one gentleman wrote friends don't let friends buy Lowrance. Im personally going with Raymarine only because I have Raymarine autopilot. Good luck

[Chas0218]

Is it true that the Dragonfly has no outputs at all so you cant interface it with a autopilot?

I would like to know because that "was" going to be my next purchase. Maybe it still will be if someone can verify it can be hooked into their autopilot.

Sent from my thinking chair...

[Chas0218]

Bad news vetting, you can't network the unit at all. That really blows maybe they will change it and allow nmea comm.

http://raymarine.ning.com/m/discussion?id=6492755%3ATopic%3A151768

Sent from my thinking chair...

[vetting]

I guess I'll run another season with my humminbird 597.  If I had the cash, I'd upgrade to the new Raymarine a78.

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I've been running an elite 5 dsi for 5 years.  When i bought it i wasn't (or planning on) trolling Lake Ontario.  I was a total newbie with a new (to me) boat and didn't like the FF that was on it.  It was a "new" FF on the market.  It's def designed more for jigging or still fishing in shallower water.  However, i've caught a lot of King's with it aboard.  The GPS is great!  The FF does mark bait and fish.  The smaller marks are harder to see.  But it also doesn't have a lot of the clutter on the screen you get from FF's that use hooks to designate a fish.  If it marks a big king...you will def know it!  The biggest disadvantage is that it maxs out depth at 300 fow.  If you go deeper than 320 it stops marking bottom.  The FF will still mark fish.  You just won't know how deep you are.  I seldom fish deeper than 300...so it hasn't been too much of a problem. 

Edited March 4, 2014 by BAZOOKAJOE

[BAZOOKAJOE]

I paid $700+ for mine.  You can buy them for $350-400 now.  If that's all you can afford...it's a good value for a GPS/FF combo, IMO.

[Consigliere]

Gbgbfbgfcyyjmjhgq

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[vetting]

Gbgbfbgfcyyjmjhgq

Sent from my iPad using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Was that just a pocket post?

[TyeeTanic]

Thanks for the feedback so far

 

So from what I take on this is that the main difference from a 7 to a 5 is screen size.  7 inch diagonal and 5 inch diagonal, right?  I am looking for a 5 inch and I guess I did not state this in the original post but I am looking at getting out of this on the cheep.  elite 7 hdi (this years model) - $700+ and the elite 5 dsi(last years model) - $350.  I guess I should have put more in my first post, as I am most likely not going to be deep trolling any time soon, mostly going out with the family, and the kids are still young.  In a few years I will either upgrade if we (more than likely my son and I) get into wanting to troll and get a newer bigger boat and the whole package or go smaller and stay away from the whole trolling thing?  Not sure for now, that is why I was looking to get out of it a little cheaper.  Make sense?

 

I read through the reviews on the Gander site and they were all pretty decent.  Even the lower ratings said that they would recommend the product which confused me a bit, but hey what can I say?

 

So for a now, shallower than 200' fish finder with a gps it sounds like a decent package.  Unless there are others to ward me away from my updated description I my pick this one up.

 

Thanks again guys for the input!!

Are you still in the process of making a decision? There's a lot more difference between the 7 HDI and the 5 HDI. First the 7 can read high capacity detailed maps, while the 5 can't. The 7 also has a much better/stronger sonar.

I would not go for the 5,bit rather go for the 7. The alternative is to get the HDS 5,which has all the good features the 5 HDI doesn't have.

[Fishstix]

google  "The hull truth"   Ive been resurching a GPS FISHFINDER this winter.

Transducers seem to have as much to do with their operation as the fishfinders themselves.

You can learn about the new chirp tecnology,downview ,sideview etc.

I was going to go with Furuno but the right map is 300 bucks.

Im going Garmin .Very reliable. The best maps. 

My choice of garmin units are...... I havent purchased yet.... Echomap 50s   or    Garmin 720s.

"Digital oasis" has the best prices.

[Fishstix]

I am responding to my own post. I just ordered a echomap 50DV with lake maps.

I spoke directly with Gil from the hulltruth. He says you will be able to operate the

50 right out of the box. Ive seen some screen shots of the downview and they are

impressive.If all goes well Ill add sideview in the future. 

[floatfisher]

So now I think I am going to go with the Elite-7 HDI sonor GPS model.  I like the idea of the bigger screen, and I like the fact that you can over lay the structure scan and sonar.  Will show the fish better and show a little more structure from the down scan.  Now these are on sale at Cabelas and there is a rebate on them as well for free Insight Genesis, Lake Insight Pro, or Nautic Insight Pro.  Are these all lake mapping "chips"?  If so which one would be better for the fingerlakes and or lake ontario?

 

Thanks!