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

I tried to mark some brush piles with a waypoint and discovered that if you are not moving fast enough to keep the GPS updated, the waypoint will appear at the last point which your GPS updated. Now, if I pass over a brush pile, I drop a marker, swing around and move fast enough for the GPS to update and set the waypoint when I pass the marker.

Good stuff to know, FAADAN !! Thanks, & keep the info coming !!

... cp

I haven't fished in awhile and looking to get back in to it. Going to need a sonar and a trolling motor. I am replacing an X102 Lowrance and the replacement is the elite 5. I am also replacing an auto pilot minnkota. My question. Will the built in sonar on the minnkota be sufficient or should I forgo that and purchase a unit separately?

Originally Posted by whizkids

I haven't fished in awhile and looking to get back in to it. Going to need a sonar and a trolling motor. I am replacing an X102 Lowrance and the replacement is the elite 5. I am also replacing an auto pilot minnkota. My question. Will the built in sonar on the minnkota be sufficient or should I forgo that and purchase a unit separately?

Unfortunately the built in sonar will not work with the Elite 5 DSI.

Originally Posted by Barnacle Bill

Unfortunately the built in sonar will not work with the Elite 5 DSI.

Perhaps I can find an auto pilot a little cheaper w/o that feature.
What about just a plain X5? do you know about it?

Yep I also have the elite 5 DSI. Manuel is next to useless and yes I agree you will spend much time on the water doing trial and error. Thats not right. If the manual was a tad more descriptive you could spend more time fishing. Other than that its a nice unit just expect to spend a fair amount of time figuring it out. Oh and when your doing that be sure to watch where your going as the unit requires you to watch the screen and the buttons while your playing with it.
something I have noticed the unit loses the bottom while traveling at 30 + it will eventually pick it back up but there are times ya just don't want to lose the bottom for any lenght of time. I have adjusted the transducer several times but nothing seems to work. Was told by Cabelas that that happens a lot with low wattage units. Well mister this unit is not a low wattage unit so am not sure what is causing this problem..
Bottom line===its not a go getter out of the box....

fishnfool .....

Yes, the DSI units are set to work their best at speeds of <8mph ... Not having 2d sonar capabilities, and having manual pre-set bottom depth range, you may lose bottom contact under speed. I don't think it was Lowrance's intention that this unit be used for high speed scanning.
I have mine on the bow/TM ... with a low end HB 2d unit dash mounted/ thru hull transducer for depth readings at speed. Even that unit will lose bottom contact at WOT (53mph) if the bottom contour drops quickly. That's probably due to the boat (transducer) outrunning the return signal ... which may be a factor in the DSI case, since the DSI sonar return is more of a elongated football shaped deal (only a few degrees thick) rather than the circle shape of the 2d sonar return.

Have you tried running the DSI in "Flasher" mode, when running at top speed ??

And a word of advice for anyone trying to adjust/change settings on ANY unit, while the boat is moving at more than idle speed : DON'T !!
(that's roughly akin to text messaging while driving a vehicle ... not too cool !! )

... cp

Doesn't have a flasher mode that I know of.