gps/mapping/sonar??
- Thread starter sven
- Start date
Whole in the Water
Well-Known Member
I would go with Lowrance or Raymarine, they are professional grade.
B
Butt Ugly
Guest
I have a Standard Horizon CPV350. It intergrates everything into one great package. It's a 7" gps, with integrated vhf radio, and I have also added the sonar module which allows you to switch from gps to fishfinder, or split the screen with both. Keeps the dash and front of the cockpit less cluttered from having separate units mounted here and there, and it's very nice to have everything right at your fingertips in one unit.
The sounder module runs at 50 or 200 khz, and the detail is amazing. With a properly mounted transducer, I've had no problems losing signal. So far I've been up to 25mph and not lost bottom at 490'.
I've got a cmap max cartridge in it for charting which covers the west coast from Puget Sound to Alaska. Super detail on the maps right down to the individual fingers of the docks at many popular marinas. It will also display tides and currents, and list the details of every bouy, light, or marker. All really helpful for a boating novice like myself.
I am really pleased with this unit, and am still finding more things it will do.
The sounder module runs at 50 or 200 khz, and the detail is amazing. With a properly mounted transducer, I've had no problems losing signal. So far I've been up to 25mph and not lost bottom at 490'.
I've got a cmap max cartridge in it for charting which covers the west coast from Puget Sound to Alaska. Super detail on the maps right down to the individual fingers of the docks at many popular marinas. It will also display tides and currents, and list the details of every bouy, light, or marker. All really helpful for a boating novice like myself.
I am really pleased with this unit, and am still finding more things it will do.
I have a Raymarine E120, and love it.
islanderguy
Member
We've always used Lowrance GPS / Sounder combo units. They are easy to use and the new colour units are awesome. If you're jigging, you can see a 2 oz jig bouncing bottom at 60 ft.
5
5-Salt Fever
Guest
Commercial Grade: Furuno and Si-Tex
Quality Consumer Grade: Raymarine
Best of the rest: Lowrance, Garmin, Eagle, Standard Horizon.
I prefer Lowrance GPS and Furuno Sounder is the best sounder with Si-Tex a close second. I run a 10in Lowarce GPS only and stand alone Sounder and Radar - hate flipping between view or having to share small screen with both GPS and Sounder.
Good bang for the dollar would be Lowrance all-in one with the biggest screen you can afford. Toss the factory transducer and replace with Airmar Transducer for best sonar performance for your unit. www.airmar.com. Thru-hull or Transom mount transducer with Thru-hull giving you best sonar picture.
Which ever unit you settle on be sure it works with Navionic Chart cards. Largest coverage for the dollar, chart same as paper, good trade in program, and the best bathymetry (bottom mapping) of the bunch. Enhanced Bathymetry comes free with XL3 Version Navionics Charts - confrim bathymetry coverage for Canadian waters.
Quality Consumer Grade: Raymarine
Best of the rest: Lowrance, Garmin, Eagle, Standard Horizon.
I prefer Lowrance GPS and Furuno Sounder is the best sounder with Si-Tex a close second. I run a 10in Lowarce GPS only and stand alone Sounder and Radar - hate flipping between view or having to share small screen with both GPS and Sounder.
Good bang for the dollar would be Lowrance all-in one with the biggest screen you can afford. Toss the factory transducer and replace with Airmar Transducer for best sonar performance for your unit. www.airmar.com. Thru-hull or Transom mount transducer with Thru-hull giving you best sonar picture.
Which ever unit you settle on be sure it works with Navionic Chart cards. Largest coverage for the dollar, chart same as paper, good trade in program, and the best bathymetry (bottom mapping) of the bunch. Enhanced Bathymetry comes free with XL3 Version Navionics Charts - confrim bathymetry coverage for Canadian waters.
westcoast advneture
Member
I was in nikka in steveston the other day and they were blowing out last years lowrance combo units. I think $2000 taxes in. Seemed like a good bang for the buck. I personally use a laptop with nobeltec with all the goodies loaded into it. Packing a laptop is a royal pain though. I never bother to use it on my smaller boats and have a sounder fishfinder combo only and those funny paper charts things. The detail on the new units is amazing and gps seems to have gotten way more reliable. Alot of the combo units are radar,sounder,fishfinder and chartplotter all in one. I think the power draw for a combo unit is very little.
Hoochiebob
Well-Known Member
My buddy has a Lowrance combo unit and I have the equivalent Eagle unit.Same company, same features,same product?WRONG!The Eagle processor is much slower than the Lowrance and the screen resolution is not as sharp.I also dont like the non locking cable connections on the back.That being said,it does what it should and I saved myself 400 bucks.Would have preferred the Lowrance though
Tsquared
Well-Known Member
I have a question re the fishin chip Navionics upgrade that you get free with their coastal chip. My machine is a 337 Lowrance with only one card slot. I just got this unit installed this week and was playing around with it yesterday. How do you get the fishinchip overlay onto the screen with only one card slot?
T2
T2
islanderguy
Member
T2: Try "menu button" then select "Map Data" then "Navionic's Map Choice". You may have to select a particular chart from a number of charts loaded on to your memory card.
