Sonar/GPS - What's best

[Tompton]

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase a Sonar/GPS combo.  I can't seem to decide.  I don't want a $1000+ side imaging unit.  Just a really solid unit in the $300-$500 range.

Any advise? 

[Mayfly]

Hello Tom -

An option for your navigation would be a lowrance H20. You can use that for other things as well and its portable. Its nice to have your navigation system portable in case you decided to go out with someone else its small enough to fit in your pocket. Then you can buy a decent fish finder/sonar around 300 and all that money will go toward that technology. Just a thought.

You can buy a mountable stand/holder for the gps for in your boat.

 

[Fawkinnae]

Hi Tompton
Couple of thoughts for you. I just upgraded to a bigger screen combination unit GPS and depth finder. My eyes are going to hell on me.

I have a hand held GPS - Lowrance Expedition but it is virtually useless to me because of the small screen. If I am trying to run the boat and operate the GPS forget it. I still use it for icefishing and it's very handy for that.

I used to think the automatic choice was a Lowrance but I would look real hard at the Humminbird stuff. I think they have some excellent products. And I think their customer service is much better.

[Mayfly]

Fawkinnae -

What do you think about Navionics? Are you currently using a H-Bird?

[Fawkinnae]

Fawkinnae -

What do you think about Navionics? Are you currently using a H-Bird?

What the heck is an H-Bird? Are you talking about Navionics map chips?

[Woody]

H-Bird= Humminbird

[Mayfly]

Fawkinnae -

What do you think about Navionics? Are you currently using a H-Bird?

What the heck is an H-Bird? Are you talking about Navionics map chips?

C'mon Fawkinnae.... lets get with the program here. What do you think h-bird is? And yes, doesn't HUMMINBIRD only use the Navionics chips?

[Fawkinnae]

Duh. Clearly I'm not firing on all cylinders.

Lakemaster is coming out with a Humminbird... or for you gangstas... H-Bird,  compatible chip this spring. However the chip that works in the Lowrance will not work in the H-bird. I just got the Bird so have not installed it yet. So I WILL be runnin' an H-Bird next spring.

[Mayfly]

Duh. Clearly I'm not firing on all cylinders.

Lakemaster is coming out with a Humminbird... or for you gangstas... H-Bird,  compatible chip this spring. However the chip that works in the Lowrance will not work in the H-bird. I just got the Bird so have not installed it yet. So I WILL be runnin' an H-Bird next spring.

Doug - Your really screwing me up here... What is an h-bird?? 

And Tompton, I have heard a lot of good about the Elite series from Lowrance.

[Fawkinnae]

An H-Bird is similar to an H-Bomb. Only difference is they replaced the hydrogen atoms with Bird (Birdium) atoms.
According to the periodic table the bird atom - Birdium (Br) has an atomic weight of 49.336. It's extremely unstable with electrons flying all over the place.

[Jdrummer]

If I had a choice id spend the money on a good side imaging unit but I have fished with a humminbird 595c its crystal clear and i have no problems finding the sweet spots ! transitions are amazing to see on that unit. it has the gps combo with it and i have never lost signal un like those lowrances! lol ebay should have the 595c for pretty cheap.

[snow]

or try the lowrance 68c combo unit...