Upgrading to a new CHIRP DownVisionâ„¢ sonar display with chartplotter

[Egoody]

I currently have the Lowrance Elite 5 and want to go to a 7inch unit.

I'm looking for any pros and cons you may have with the units you are using. Especially the Raymarine Dragonfly 7PRO and comparable Garmin and Lowrance units.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Boat Safe

Egoody

Fitzwilliam, NH

[Andre wallyandre]

The Elite Ti-7 comes with the wifi so you can download map, update, you can also view the screen and control the unit; also view you're screen on a smartphone not to forgot the touchscreen. It offer 2D, CHIRP, downscan, sidescan with the Totalscan transducer, NMEA 2000 capability. Processor is the same use on the Gen-3 that allowed to use the Navionics Platinum

 

Dragonfly offer: downscan, CHIRP,wireless no touchscreen

 

Garmin Echomap: no touchscreen, side imaging on the sv unit, downscan on sv and dv unit, CHIRP, no wireless and no NMEA, no choice on the mapping side

Edited December 2, 2016 by wallyandre

[Egoody]

Hi Wallyandre,

Thank you for the comparison information. Do you have good or not so good experiences with any of these you can share? I'm looking for a unit with a great performance history that I can depend on while on the water. 

Thanks And

Boat Safe

Egoody

[justtracytrolling]

Check out the Humminbird Helix and the auto chart feature. If you fish structure at all the auto chart is the play

Justin Okrepki

NYSDEC licensed guide #7324

http://www.otiscolakeguideservice.com/

(607)-349-1750

[Andre wallyandre]

Hi Wallyandre,

Thank you for the comparison information. Do you have good or not so good experiences with any of these you can share? I'm looking for a unit with a great performance history that I can depend on while on the water. 

Thanks And

Boat Safe

Egoody

I'm a Lowrance user but I fish with friends that are running Ray and HB unit; I should say was running HB because now he is running Lowrance Elite Ti.

One thing that I would never go back is the button only control; it's like going back to a flip flap phone. It's much faster and easier to use with the touch screen. I didn't ask you what kind of fishing you are doing but for my part I really like my Motor Guide Xi5 link to my Lowrance; I can program my trolling line and use the kicker to push and the Xi5 to maintain my course.

The antenna on the Lowrance is much faster 10 Hz compare to 5.

On the Helix7 Si you got 83/200 and 455 and for the Elite: 83/200 455/800 and CHIRP and max panel is 2 and 2 also for the Dragonfly. On the dragonfly you have 50/200 and 320/380 for the downscan. As for making you're map at this moment you can use Insight Genesis and in the very near future you will also be able to create you're own map visible on you're Elite Ti screen using Navionics. For the Dragonfly you are stuck with the Garmin map.

Edited December 3, 2016 by wallyandre

[justtracytrolling]

The Helix has the chirp as well depending on the model you select. The I pilot link to the trolling motor works well also if you have minn kota.

Justin Okrepki

NYSDEC licensed guide #7324

http://www.otiscolakeguideservice.com/

(607)-349-1750

[Andre wallyandre]

The touchscreen is a major plus for me and the Smart Steer to control my Xi5 is also a big big plus.

 

I also use the Navionics Platinum something that the Helix processor can't handle.

[justtracytrolling]

I picked the Helix to avoid the cost of a touch screen and I was upgrading from a 7 in to 9 and 12. The elite ti is a very nice little unit. To get those features from Humminbird you have to buy a bigger unit. Just a question of what you want for your needs not what's better.

Justin Okrepki

NYSDEC licensed guide #7324

http://www.otiscolakeguideservice.com/

(607)-349-1750

[justtracytrolling]

I'm gonna try the 360 imaging this year...if I could afford it i'd like to try the Garmin panoptix. I've heard it's unreal for jigging eyes. So much cool stuff, and it all catches fishermen for sure! Lol! Good luck with your purchase...

Justin Okrepki

NYSDEC licensed guide #7324

http://www.otiscolakeguideservice.com/

(607)-349-1750

[Andre wallyandre]

I really like using my Lowrance to jig lakers in 125-140ft of water.

The 360 didn't really took a lot of market mainly because the prostaff were not impress with it same for the Lowrance Spotlight.

With the Patnoptix we are touching another level of $$. It's important to compare $ vs $

Edited December 4, 2016 by wallyandre

[Egoody]

Thanks to all.  

I'll have plenty of time to choose my next sonar/chart reader unit as the boat is put up until April. With the little research i've done in the past few days, I'm leaning towards the Lorance Ti unit, but i'll keep looking.

Maybe i'll ask Santa for for a nice surprise under the tree.

Thanks Again and Happy Holidays.

 

Boat Safe

Egoody

[nowickyj]

I have been a Lowrance user forever I have several units the most used is hds12 I also have a Garmin 74sv and the image is more crisp and clear on the Garmin. It might be worth your time to check them out. They are on sale now

Sent from my SM-N920V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Andre wallyandre]

Image on a good quality 7" will always look crisper on a 7" vs a good quality 12" and also if you are running a gen-2 12" the screen is not has crisp then a Gen-3 that is like the Elite Ti

 

If we compare apple to apple the Garmin and the Elite share a 7" 800X480 so they should be quite similar

Garmin antenna is a 5Hz vs 10

With the Garmin you got to live with the Garmin only choice map and w/o all the capabilities of the NK 2000 on the Elite and again Garmin is w/o the touch screen 

Edited December 9, 2016 by wallyandre

[Sk8man]

As far as the "crispness" of the image and size of screen,  the issue is much like that of a TV screen or most other electronic displays; the image presented on the screen is a function of the number and specific size of the pixels distributed across the display and the closeness of the viewing position. The smaller the actual pixels and the larger the number of them the"crisper" the image viewed at the same distance.