Need a new depth finder

[jerrysgonefishing]

It's time to replace the inexpensive failing depth finder. I've been looking at the Lowrance Mark 5X DSI Down Scan Imaging Sonar. It sells for about $300. Does anyone have experience with this unit or have better suggestions? Thanks

[Marc Martyn]

Lowrance has been having some problems in the past couple of years. It has recently been bought by Simrad Yachting of Egersund, Norway. It is not an American company anymore. From the little bit of research I have done, their customer support is next to nothing. Too bad, because they were basically the founding company of fish finders.

If I were to be buying a new fish finder now, I would certainly avoid Lowrance. I bought a Humminbird two seasons ago and love it.

Here are a couple of links to help you make your decision.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_q ... n16182060/

http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=131762

http://www.lake-link.com/boards/forums/ ... d_ID=60315

[SmanOhood]

http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=13

Before you actually take that advice, please go where there is a better knowledge and understanding of lowrance. Please visit BBC, its for you're own good.

[Bodofish]

As far as sonar goes, they're hard to beat. If you're looking for a combo, they don't have the best maps. Sonar hands down the leader. Customer service is about the same as anybody elses, Monday through Fri. 8 to 6 cst. I think most people complain about the CS people not walking them through electronics component repair. There are no user serviceable parts. If it's a bad part it has to go back. When I've had to call they've been quick to answer the phone and answer the question. I don't think parts replacement happens anymore than anybody else. I've had very good luck with all the units I've been involved with.

[hewesfisher]

http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=13

Before you actually take that advice, please go where there is a better knowledge and understanding of lowrance. Please visit BBC, its for you're own good.

Actually, Marc is dead on with his recommendation. If I were in the market for a new sonar, Lowrance would be at the bottom of the list. I've had Lowrance units and their economical Eagles too, I've also had Garmin, and now Raymarine. I'll never own another Lowrance/Eagle.

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd check out Humminbird and/or Garmin units in your price range. Lowrance has had lots of issues with product reliability and their customer service frequently isn't when Lowrance owners need support.

You want to know what other folks think of Lowrance? Spend some time reading through the myriad of posts about them on The Hull Truth, Continuous Wave, Bloody Decks, and Hewescraft Owners forums just to name a few, there are many more places than that too.

As far as sonar goes, they're hard to beat. If you're looking for a combo, they don't have the best maps. Sonar hands down the leader. Customer service is about the same as anybody elses, Monday through Fri. 8 to 6 cst. I think most people complain about the CS people not walking them through electronics component repair. There are no user serviceable parts. If it's a bad part it has to go back. When I've had to call they've been quick to answer the phone and answer the question. I don't think parts replacement happens anymore than anybody else.

Well, a display unit can only produce what the transducer can see, and Airmar transducers are the best and you will not get one of those with a Lowrance. The Airmar P66, considered the industry standard for transom mount transducers, came with my Garmin 320 6 years ago, and I didn't know squat about transducers then. Bodo's right about one thing, there are no user serviceable parts on Lowrance units, and you have to ship your unit to them for repair at your expense and wait, and wait, and wait for it to come back. Meanwhile, you are without a sonar and/or GPS. You can do better than Lowrance, a lot better, but it's your money and your choice.

[Anonymous]

Jerry, let us know what kind of fishing you do and if you plan on hitting the salt at all. The model you mentioned has limited depth capability do to the cone angles and frequencies used. Yes, it is probably an excellent shallow water unit, just know that its depth limit is around 200'. I just upgraded my 5 year old Lowrance unit to a HDS7, my older unit will be installed on my father's boat, displacing his flaky Hummingbird unit. My guess is that folks who have had issues with sonar units had them with a company's lower to mid range product, I know I have. Get a company's higher end/signature product and my guess is that it will be solid, no matter whose it may be.

[SmanOhood]

Well all could do the same if you wanted to pick a company apart. Just google a brand and look for the negatives, pretty simple. It all comes down to what you like better and you're wallet.Everyone's opinion is just that. Visit the sportsman show and maybe get a lesson on units.Not sure if the Lowrance booth is doing anything on the new 5" models though.

http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=13

Before you actually take that advice, please go where there is a better knowledge and understanding of lowrance. Please visit BBC, its for you're own good.

Actually, Marc is dead on with his recommendation. If I were in the market for a new sonar, Lowrance would be at the bottom of the list. I've had Lowrance units and their economical Eagles too, I've also had Garmin, and now Raymarine. I'll never own another Lowrance/Eagle.

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd check out Humminbird and/or Garmin units in your price range. Lowrance has had lots of issues with product reliability and their customer service frequently isn't when Lowrance owners need support.

You want to know what other folks think of Lowrance? Spend some time reading through the myriad of posts about them on The Hull Truth, Continuous Wave, Bloody Decks, and Hewescraft Owners forums just to name a few, there are many more places than that too.

As far as sonar goes, they're hard to beat. If you're looking for a combo, they don't have the best maps. Sonar hands down the leader. Customer service is about the same as anybody elses, Monday through Fri. 8 to 6 cst. I think most people complain about the CS people not walking them through electronics component repair. There are no user serviceable parts. If it's a bad part it has to go back. When I've had to call they've been quick to answer the phone and answer the question. I don't think parts replacement happens anymore than anybody else.

Well, a display unit can only produce what the transducer can see, and Airmar transducers are the best and you will not get one of those with a Lowrance. The Airmar P66, considered the industry standard for transom mount transducers, came with my Garmin 320 6 years ago, and I didn't know squat about transducers then. Bodo's right about one thing, there are no user serviceable parts on Lowrance units, and you have to ship your unit to them for repair at your expense and wait, and wait, and wait for it to come back. Meanwhile, you are without a sonar and/or GPS. You can do better than Lowrance, a lot better, but it's your money and your choice.

[Marc Martyn]

Thanks for the link to BBC. Very informative. I looked up the customer service comments on the same forum for Humminbird. Pretty impressive.

http://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=604220

[sickbayer]

lmao at brand favoritism. I do agree with googling of any brand and you will find fault. I have a lowrance lcx 28HD and recently installed a broadband sounder and i am very happy. It has not broken so i have not had to call CS. buy what you can afford and dont sweat it. I will add i only troll so i dont care for the down scan.

[jerrysgonefishing]

Thank you for the input. I'll check out the attached web sites and also try to make the Sportsmans show.

[Marc Martyn]

Let us know which fish finder you chose and why. It will help others in the future if they are shopping for a new finder also.

[hewesfisher]

Well all could do the same if you wanted to pick a company apart. Just google a brand and look for the negatives, pretty simple. It all comes down to what you like better and you're wallet.Everyone's opinion is just that.

Very good point, we can all agree to disagree and every brand has problem units. It's the classic Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge thing, it's all about what you like for what you want to spend. I'm pleased with where my money went whether that means anything to anyone else is purely subjective.

[Anonymous]

http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=13

Before you actually take that advice, please go where there is a better knowledge and understanding of lowrance. Please visit BBC, its for you're own good.

Actually, Marc is dead on with his recommendation. If I were in the market for a new sonar, Lowrance would be at the bottom of the list. I've had Lowrance units and their economical Eagles too, I've also had Garmin, and now Raymarine. I'll never own another Lowrance/Eagle.

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd check out Humminbird and/or Garmin units in your price range. Lowrance has had lots of issues with product reliability and their customer service frequently isn't when Lowrance owners need support.

You want to know what other folks think of Lowrance? Spend some time reading through the myriad of posts about them on The Hull Truth, Continuous Wave, Bloody Decks, and Hewescraft Owners forums just to name a few, there are many more places than that too.

As far as sonar goes, they're hard to beat. If you're looking for a combo, they don't have the best maps. Sonar hands down the leader. Customer service is about the same as anybody elses, Monday through Fri. 8 to 6 cst. I think most people complain about the CS people not walking them through electronics component repair. There are no user serviceable parts. If it's a bad part it has to go back. When I've had to call they've been quick to answer the phone and answer the question. I don't think parts replacement happens anymore than anybody else.

Well, a display unit can only produce what the transducer can see, and Airmar transducers are the best and you will not get one of those with a Lowrance. The Airmar P66, considered the industry standard for transom mount transducers, came with my Garmin 320 6 years ago, and I didn't know squat about transducers then. Bodo's right about one thing, there are no user serviceable parts on Lowrance units, and you have to ship your unit to them for repair at your expense and wait, and wait, and wait for it to come back. Meanwhile, you are without a sonar and/or GPS. You can do better than Lowrance, a lot better, but it's your money and your choice.

I won't say good points but I will say points. Before anyone wants to argue, I worked for the APL (Applied Physics Lab UW) on a design team making various sonars for the Navy, trust me they were a lot more than fish finders....

As far as transudcer choice, putting "the best" off the shelf transducer with a system is not the best choice. Using the the transducer that was designed for the system is best. That would be sort of like putting Ferrari fuel injectors in your Chevy pickup just because they're Ferrari. A display unit will display best with the transducer it was designed to work with.

As far as customer service, I have had the occasion to talk with them several times. When they weren't able to solve the problem over the phone and I had to send the unit back I recieved a new unit in less than 2 weeks. In my book that doesn't speak anything but good about thier customer service.

If the sour grapes are about them being bought by Simrad, I not sure what the problem is. One of the largest and exremely respected manufactures of marine electronics in the world. I've used Simrad sonars and radars on a bunch of commercial boats. All top notch stuff. If it's because they're not from the US, better check all your other marine electronics, like those little marine electronics guys... say Garmin.

As far as brand war loyalty, no don't really care about them in one way or another if you noticed I did complain about their maps. What I do care about is making claims because you read something on the web. Everything you read on the web is true, right?......... Personal experience is what matters. If Lowrance has kicked you in the #### then lets hear about it, in detail. If it's for some other reason, OK lets have it.

Fair enought?


PS my brother has put a Lowrance HD systm on the deck of his boat just because the sonar is much better to read when it comes to fishing. Other than that his boat is decked with Raymarine.

[geljockey]

I was looking for a new fish finder this summer. The one I was replacing was about 10 years old and didn't have very good resolution. 160 vertical pixels by 128 horizontal pixels.

After a lot of research I narrowed my choice down to two brands, Lowrance and Humminbird. Both units were in color, they both had GPS, and they both were 480 x 480 pixels. What I liked about the Humminbird that it was more intuitive to use and the wires were connected to the bracket. The unit just popped in and out. What I didn't like was the graphics.

I thought the Lowrance had better graphics, but was less intuitive to use. After going back and forth between the two in the store, I bought the Lowrance. It was an HDS5. I was also comparing the HDS5 to the Elite 5. They both had equal graphics. However, I did not like the buttons on the Elite. It seemed that you really had to push them in and the one on display that I was testing out, it seemed that the button would stick. If the buttons on the Elite were like the HDS, I would have bought the Elite. I won't be buying the LDS unit that will allow sidescaning and 3D. What's nice about the Elite is that you can tell what you looking at. If there's a tree below you, can can see the branches.

[Racer]

I also recently bought the lowrance Elite 5 unit. I haven't had any problems with the buttons at all. I have been very happy with it. It has a good display and the detail has been very good. You are right about seeing the branches. I had a small learning curve figuring out what I was looking at but after that it's been great.