Lowerance HDS 8 - GPS/Chartplotter/Fishfinder

MRACER, if you have a mind to, the next time you are out and if you have the time, check it out to see how well the structure works at deeper depths to see where or what the limits seem to be. That would be great to see the results. What are your impressions with the unit overall? I'd love to have an HDS 10, but the HDS 8 is already a stretch for my wallet, and honestly it will be light-years ahead of the antique fish finder I currently have.

I have had good referrals to both the Harbour Chandler and Port-Boat House, they have both given exceptional service to friends, I am between both, so will have to visit them to talk some.
Thanks for your input.
 
FISH FINDER- due to the fact I am newly retired to the Island (used to live here in the 60's when fish just jumped into your boat for fun! LOL!) I am currently categorized as a "GEAR DRAGGER"- I am learning though and have taken a couple of trips out with a local guide and learned a lot from watching him do the routine stuff and seeing what tricks he uses with his handling of his gear. Allready looking to sell my Proline walk around and get a tin pilot house so I can try more winter fishing and prawning. THAT SAID- I love the unit, but the best thing about it is I have the Harbour Chandler phone number printed on the inside of the face cover, and the couple of times I got confused on the operation of the unit--out came the cel ph. and Mike or Steve nursed me through my stupidity--That service alone is worth it's weight in gold! bob meek- Saltair
 
I have dual HDS 10s with structure scan, broadband radar, satellite weather overlay/stereo, dual LVR 880 VHF radios, Dual Suzukis interfaces for twin motors, and a Garmin Autopilot. All are Lowrance items except the autopilot and all tie in through the NMEA 2000 network. This is one slick set up. The structure scan works down to 250' very well. Fishing structure will never be the same. You can see out each side of the boat 250' fairly well. It will go 400' each way but I have never seen anything that far. For salmon fishing it is the best. You can mark bait balls or fish off to the side, mark the waypoint on the down scan and it marks on the chartplotter screen to go back and fish it. It is slick.

My radios mark my buddies on my chartplotter screen through the mmsi numbers. The radar overlay works sweet with the heading sensor of the Garmin autopilot. It is a very sweet system. Customer support is back and very good again now. I have had Lowrances since 1999 and have had them all. I really like them and they used to have impecable service before Navionics bought them. They are getting back to that again. I hope they continue to improve to what they used to be.

One other thing is that my Suzukis are on my Lowrances. I have the rpms and MPG on the screen that really helps fine tune the milage. I have been really impressed with my system.
 
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Well I bit the bullet and just ordered my structure scan off ebay, Smokin deal $559 shipping inc. There is a awesome deal on ebay for a new hds7 with transducer for under $800,perfect timing with our dollar just above the yanks
"#1 in the NHL your Vancouver Canucks"
 
albernifisher, congrats that is a good deal for the structure scan. I have also been watching the USA listings and sites for their prices on the HDS-8 and structure scan, have been finding the structure scan for the same kind of price that you found and the HDS-8 unit for about the $1400 mark. Combined between the two units that is aproximately a savings of around $600+ off of the best prices that I can find up here. Might have to go to the USA to get one, $500 is still a lot of money to me, I think that I could find a few things to spend that on. It is sad to say that I might have to go the USA to get a unit for the boat, but when you see the difference on these items between here and the USA one can't help but feel that we are being price gouged up here. There was a thread on this forum about outboards with the same pricing issues between here and the USA.:(

Keep me posted as to how it works for you once you get it working.

Cheers, Jay.
 
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Fish-Hunter (Jay), I started out with a LCX 16, LCX 25, LCX 104 and now a LCX 110 which have been great units. I have them networked with my radar, fuel flow, speed, temp and the TR1 auto pilot on my kicker. I could not do without these tools and they just keep getting better, like the new HDS line.

Don't buy anything right now, you want to wait for the boat show in Vancouver. They will have the best price of the year then, even if you don't go Harbour Chandler will match the boat show price for a week or so after. Lowrance is coming out with a rebate program around the boat show so wait until then.

As far as where to buy it. Port Boat House buys there units from Harbour Chandler so talk to Dane or Mike for the best deal and service.

Good luck on your hunt, I'll be looking for a new unit next year.
 
Thanks codfather, I had thought that it would be best to wait until the boat show in Vancouver to find a good deal on a setup, but was in talking to a fellow working at HC just before X-mas ( I am not able to remember his name) and he told me that there is not any expectations that there will be any great deals on the HDS units at the boat show this year. They would not be representing them there this year, it would be some other dealer ( I believe from the lower mainland??) that would be reping them and he did not expect that they would have any significant price reductions as they are only working on a "less than 10% margin on these products". Maybe I was not talking to the right person. If I can't find a good deal at the boat show, then I will go in and talk to Dane or Mike and find out if it was either one of them that I have already talked to.
I take it that HC is where you have purchased your previous Lowrance products? I have heard good things about them in the past, so I was as you can imagine sort of taken back by the comments and general feeling I had after my last visit. ( My last visit will not be my last...but if my next vist is like my last visit, it may well be my LAST:confused: ).

Thanks for your input, it is greatly appreciated!
Jay.
 
Cod Father make sure you have your facts stright, The Port Boat House buys it product from the same lowrance/Simrad distributer as the Harbour Chandler does.
 
Took the seminar in Puyullup this weekend , hands on with the HD-10 ( hd-7 and 8 are the same , just smaller ), seen videos of them in action in Alaska , navigated through all the features
, 2 words , " KICK butt " unit , i am sold , Unreal , these 2 reps , really new ther shyte , hard to get knowledge here in our area , was great
working with these 2 , Jeff Boyer and Jack Findleton

customerservice@sonargpstraining.com

later

FD
 
Yeah, you're right there, "KICK butt" they are! We just got our HDS-8 in (Screaming good deal) and now installed in boat, (just need to find some time to get the boat in the water to play with it - work just seems to keep interveneing:() We are also going to pick up the structure scan here soon as well, I think that it should be worth the $$.

albernifisher, have you had a chance to play with the structure scan yet? - How is it? - Worth it?
 
I took it out for the trial run on sunday,AWESOME!!!! It is going to take a bit of getting used of the side scan since the images are at 90 degrees.On the way back to the ramp I was travelling in 35 feet of water,passed over a pop/beer can and I swear it showed so clear it was like a picture.Think it's going to shine at some of my favourite spots around Bamfield
Look out fish,you got nowhere to hide!
 
albernifisher said:
I took it out for the trial run on sunday,AWESOME!!!! It is going to take a bit of getting used of the side scan since the images are at 90 degrees.On the way back to the ramp I was travelling in 35 feet of water,passed over a pop/beer can and I swear it showed so clear it was like a picture.Think it's going to shine at some of my favourite spots around Bamfield
Look out fish,you got nowhere to hide!
Click to expand...

Sweeeeet, I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas, don't know if I can wait for the boat show (LOL) to see if we can get a good local price on the LSS-1 Structure Scan unit. There is a couple of really good prices that dad has found on the internet one at $519+$35.00 del and one $540 delivered from state side. (dollar just went up again today:cool:)

I do think that it will have a place in the fish hunting weapon arsenal for sure, it won't be a complete cure all, but it will help and hey I need all the help I can get, yes I can admit that.;)

Cheers.
 
LastChance said:
I have the HDS-8 with structure scan, it's great when the unit is not in the shop (4 months now).
Click to expand...

Where are you getting it looked at? A local shop or at factory? What the heck is the hold up on it? What was it that was wrong? I can't remember if had mentioned earlier here.

So are you out a unit? I have a reeeealllll good deal for you, a Classic, top of the day, Eagle Z-9000, that finds lots fish, (at least the screen always has lots of small medium and big fish symbols on it, I believe that it thinks everything is a fish). It maintains bottom most of the time if you do everything right, (if you go too slow you loose bottom and if you go too fast you loose bottom - kinda like trying to get to third base with a girl LOL) As you can tell I am going to find it hard to part with the old faithful, I am only into the HDS-8 for the Chartplotting;). But for the right price,,, it could be yours??? LOL

Your guiding right?? Boy would your guests be impressed by this unit for sure,,, look there's fish everywhere, let's get a hook in the water!!!!

Anyway I hope you get your HDS back soon, it's time to fish!
 
r.s craven said:
:confused::confused::eek:
Click to expand...

RS you look confused. It appears my sick humour may not have come out right, up above.

I just repalced an Eagle Z-9000 fish finder with a new Lowrance HDS-8.

The Z-9000 is a piece of S#!& as far as a sounder/fish-finder goes, if it weren't for the pollution factor I would Punt it right off the back of the boat and then go back over top of it with the new HDS to see it in detail sitting on the bottom. A snorkle and mask would work better than that old thing for finding fish. LOL. I am pretty sure LC would want nothing to do with this unit, I was only trying to be funny, it might not have worked there for you, sorry:eek:
 
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