Thread: Discussion on Lowrance Elite 5 DSI/Chartplotter ....

Thanks CP for starting this very informative thread, and keeping it a sticky. And thanks to everyone who has contributed to it. Going in for surgery Monday and am looking at getting one of these as slick as I am on my feet again, providing of coarse they are still available then. It's been my pleasure to read this entire thread from beginning to end. The actions of the participants in this thread of helping one another out is exactly what brought me to join this wonderful site, and the family of Crappie.com. Once again thank you all.

Just got new Elite-5 HDI Combo. Also ordered second tducer and switch. Will mount one tm and one transom. Can switch back and forth so I can use with big motor or tm. Have sticksteer and this works well. Did it with HB on previous boat. Adds about $225.00 to total. Want to get most out of new unit.

Originally Posted by scrapiron

Just got new Elite-5 HDI Combo. Also ordered second tducer and switch. Will mount one tm and one transom. Can switch back and forth so I can use with big motor or tm. Have sticksteer and this works well. Did it with HB on previous boat. Adds about $225.00 to total. Want to get most out of new unit.

Sounds like a plan, Scrap .... but, this thread is about the Elite 5 DSI, not the Elite 5 HDI. Although, your unit is basically a Elite 5DSI with 2d broadband sonar & some other capabilities added.
This is likely why Lowrance has discontinued the E5DSI (well, that and to stay in the game with the competition).

You gonna put a map card in it, or a blank sd card (to take screenshots) ?? You're welcome to post screenshot pics ... if only for comparison.

... cp

Originally Posted by crappiepappy

Sounds like a plan, Scrap .... but, this thread is about the Elite 5 DSI, not the Elite 5 HDI. Although, your unit is basically a Elite 5DSI with 2d broadband sonar & some other capabilities added.
This is likely why Lowrance has discontinued the E5DSI (well, that and to stay in the game with the competition).

You gonna put a map card in it, or a blank sd card (to take screenshots) ?? You're welcome to post screenshot pics ... if only for comparison.

... cp

Will use blank card for now.

Ok I got my new elite 5 today I have one ? Until I get it hooked up on my boat whats the easiest way to hook it up in the house with out damaging it to play with it and try to learn all the settings?

Originally Posted by jos3ywales

Ok I got my new elite 5 today I have one ? Until I get it hooked up on my boat whats the easiest way to hook it up in the house with out damaging it to play with it and try to learn all the settings?

That would be somewhat like I do, which is to plug in the power cord & connect the pos/neg wires to a 12V battery. In my case that's a portable jumper battery (which is cleaner/easier than lugging a marine or car battery around the house).
I was fortunate enough to receive two power/td cords from the member I bought the unit from, so I can still hook the unit up & "play with it" at home. Once you have a micro-sd card & reader, then you can take screenshots of your settings or pages where you're having problems or have questions about ... and it's easier for us to follow along.

I would also recommend printing out the Operations Manual (about 45pgs) so that you can use it as a reference guide ... highlight some of the info, or pencil in notes of your own. Helps with the learning curve !! ( http://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowranc...0153-001_w.pdf )

And, should you happen to obtain some GPS coordinates of interest .... you can manually input them into your unit, and when you go to them "on the water", they'll be as accurate as if you had input them while you were on the water. And if the coordinates don't "fit" ... say for instance they're in "Decimal Degrees" ... then go here -> GPS Coordinate Converter, Maps and Info and convert them over to the "GPS" coordinate numbers that the Elite 5DSI uses.

I have successfully done just that ... manually input over 100 waypoints. And every one of the ones I've gone to, have been dead on the mark. You just have to understand that you will have to be moving close to 0.5mph towards the waypoint, in order to stay on course and center your boat icon over the waypoint icon. You can't really "drift" to them, due to the lag time of the GPS signal and boat drift (from wind/waves) possibly causing you to go off course and miss your mark.

... cp

thx I downloaded it anyone know where I can get a hotpsots card for Tennessee

Originally Posted by jos3ywales

thx I downloaded it anyone know where I can get a hotpsots card for Tennessee

http://www.hodgesmarine.com/Navionic...sd-prem-e6.htm

According to this, the Navionics Hotspots East is the card you'd want. There are no map cards for JUST one state. That website was just the first I found with the info I was looking for, so don't think that I'm recommending it. You will need to do some research & searching to find the best price deal ... just be sure it's a micro-sd card (msd) and no bigger than 2GB. The unit will not process info from a card that has more than 2GB memory, and only a micro-sd card will fit in the slot.

... cp