Hummingbird Vs Lowrance

[Trolling For Walleye]

Thanks Don and Bassman,

On Amazon right now, the garmin 535s is $765.35 - this does not have a 3D imaging thing for under water like the others offer (optionally)

The Lowrence 522c is $616.14 - although i'd probably want the navitronics HotMaps Platinum for TAble Rock lake, which is another $183

The Humminbird 787c2i NVB is $650 on Amazon right now - but again i'd probably want the hotMaps Platinum

Also, I'm not really big on installation... (i have an old Humminbird LCR 4000 now), so i'm going to have to pay probably 2 hrs of labor to get it installed.

Yes, I"m looking for 2D fishing mainly, but the 3D under-water stuff looks really cool, which is why i'd get the hotmaps platinum.

[Don House]

Thanks Don and Bassman,

On Amazon right now, the garmin 535s is $765.35 - this does not have a 3D imaging thing for under water like the others offer (optionally)

The Lowrence 522c is $616.14 - although i'd probably want the navitronics HotMaps Platinum for TAble Rock lake, which is another $183

The Humminbird 787c2i NVB is $650 on Amazon right now - but again i'd probably want the hotMaps Platinum

Also, I'm not really big on installation... (i have an old Humminbird LCR 4000 now), so i'm going to have to pay probably 2 hrs of labor to get it installed.

Yes, I"m looking for 2D fishing mainly, but the 3D under-water stuff looks really cool, which is why i'd get the hotmaps platinum.

TFW, if you purchase the NVB product it Includes internal GPS receiver and Navionics Gold & HotMaps Premium Charts pre-loaded. That will be more than you will want to use!! And save you a few bucks in the long run...

Good Luck

Don

[Trolling For Walleye]

TFW, if you purchase the NVB product it Includes internal GPS receiver and Navionics Gold & HotMaps Premium Charts pre-loaded. That will be more than you will want to use!! And save you a few bucks in the long run...

Good Luck

Don

you don't think the 3D platinum maps are worth it? that's good if they aren't. saves me money

looks like the 787 c2i isn't even compatible with platinum maps anyway

http://www.navionics.com/HMPremium08CompatiblePlotters.asp

[Tom Spence]

I've always and still do use Lowrance. However I can tell you this. I just bought a new Champion 198 and when I ordered it I came very close to switching to the Humminbird side imaging units. But cost was a factor for me. If I hadn't had to work within a pretty strick budget I would have gone with the Humminbird. Now don't get me wrong. I'm very happy with Lowrance. I've got a 520C at the console and a 27C on the bow and don't feel like I had to "settle" for 2nd best. The 520 is my second one and I've been very happy with the mapping and sonar. So far I'm really happy with the 27C. A few months ago I went to a meeting at Center City in which a Humminbird rep was present and showing off the side imaging units. I was very impressed. I've talked to several people who are running the side imagers and they are all very happy. The technology is amazing and I feel that if a guy gets profficient with it, it will reveal things in the water that alot of other people miss. But I guess that can be said for any brand of sonar. Like I said, I had to work within a budget and stayed with Lowrance because of it. I won't say anything bad about either brand because to me, the bottom line is learning how to use and interpret the images. But if I hit the lotto you'll more than likely see Humminbirds on my boat (and a scheduled trip with Don to teach me how to use them)!

[Don House]

TFW, well the Platinum maps are really nice, but you need to move up to the units that I use.. 997 and 1197 units.. And really are made for chart plotters.. The sat overviews are really neat to play with. Say you are coming into a port and have never been there, the overview will give you detailed information and a sat view of the opening at that port.. Seen them working last year at a boat show, really cool.. Now unless you are planning on fishing just about every lake in the US and inland waterways the Gold will be more than you know what to do with. But if you have the money go for it..

Now the Garmin may use the platinum chips but they are know for there Plotting and GPS, but not know for there Sonar... Humminbird and Lorwance will give you a better shot at both.. Here is what Humminbird say's abou tthe gold mapping Nav's..

Navionics Gold and HotMaps Premium is a huge library of electronic cartography on easy-to-use plug and play memory cards or preloaded on select models. You get paper chart detail, including bottom contours, structure, reefs, and drop-offs that will help you catch more fish. For coastal and Great Lakes anglers there’s navigational data, including spot soundings, buoys, beacons and more. Other features include a wreck and diving database, tide and current data and user-selectable depth contours. For the inland angler, HotMaps Premium includes data on more than 8,000 North American lakes including exclusive high-definition surveys.

Choice is yours, units do go up alot in price to run these maps the 997cSI starts at retail 2200.00 for the NVB and 1197cSI retail for 3100.00 with the NVB.. And that is only the Gold, Platinum is extra...

Well take my advice go look at all units, see which one you feel will work the best for you.. Then go for it..

Good Fishing and Good Luck find what you are looking for..

Don

[Don House]

T1365, you are right on the money!! It is all in what you can afford and feel comfortable with.. I was lucky I learned my units from the best, I was trained by the humminbird guys. Then really took that and grew with it.. But I'm also a computer geek by trade so it came very easy to me. I'm like you I have used both units and like them both, but Humminbird has shown me the best 2-D and SI view that I have ever seen and I have seen them all, my favorite 2-D was the old PinPoint, unreal realtime views..

These New Humminbird units works just like those but now in color and alot more defined screens.. As for the Side Imaging my first three weeks on the lake with my 987 Side Imaging Unit back in 05, I found just about every brush pile and rock pile that just about all of the guides have placed out there on Table Rock, "Sorry Phil Stone, but I won't give them out.. " and finding new deep water trees has been unreal, you don' t just find one you find all of them on a point!

Your a CCM team guy give me a ring and someday next year we can go out and play with these..

Good Fishing

Don

[steveearle]

If you get the 500 series Lowrance, make sure you get the 525 or 527. The 520 and 522 are only 2400 watts, not 4000 like the 525/527

[Tom Spence]

T1365, you are right on the money!! It is all in what you can afford and feel comfortable with.. I was lucky I learned my units from the best, I was trained by the humminbird guys. Then really took that and grew with it.. But I'm also a computer geek by trade so it came very easy to me. I'm like you I have used both units and like them both, but Humminbird has shown me the best 2-D and SI view that I have ever seen and I have seen them all, my favorite 2-D was the old PinPoint, unreal realtime views..

These New Humminbird units works just like those but now in color and alot more defined screens.. As for the Side Imaging my first three weeks on the lake with my 987 Side Imaging Unit back in 05, I found just about every brush pile and rock pile that just about all of the guides have placed out there on Table Rock, "Sorry Phil Stone, but I won't give them out.. " and finding new deep water trees has been unreal, you don' t just find one you find all of them on a point!

Your a CCM team guy give me a ring and someday next year we can go out and play with these..

Good Fishing

Don

I'll do that Don. Thanks for the offer and I look forward to it.

[Gone Fishing]

I have 2 520's and they do everything I need them to do. They may not have as many watts as there big brothers but if you can see a knot in your line 30ft down it is doing all I need it to. Good look on your decision.

[Trolling For Walleye]

If you get the 500 series Lowrance, make sure you get the 525 or 527. The 520 and 522 are only 2400 watts, not 4000 like the 525/527

If I do go Lowrance, I would go with the 527.

What does the increased watts even do?