IMO lowrance elite 5 hdi @ $370 give you alot of options(DI, GPS, MAPS). This was my first DI that I put on boat. Now its up front on TM and run Hds 8 LSS at drivers seat.
Hey guys I was wanting to know what the best inexpensive fish finder is any opinions any feedback would be helpful
IMO lowrance elite 5 hdi @ $370 give you alot of options(DI, GPS, MAPS). This was my first DI that I put on boat. Now its up front on TM and run Hds 8 LSS at drivers seat.
I would take a real serious look at the garmin striker series. They have the 5 SV for 399.00 and the 7 SV for 499.00. Both the 5 and 7 inch models have chirp sonar along with sideview, down view, sonar and GPS. They don't have lake maps with the GPS but you can still mark waypoints when you find good brush piles. The chirp sonar is a lot more detailed than standard sonar. Garmin has the clearest screen resolutions we have ever seen. Impossible to find a locator that does sideview, downview and sonar with chirp and GPS for under 500.00
Ya dont need chirp technology unless you are fishing really deep water, 50'+. I have been told by a Lowrance field staffer that since most of us fish shallower than 35' year round that the chirp is really not needed.
Chirp does make things a little clearer. Kinda like reg tv v HD tv. Do your research and decide what units interest you. Don't be afraid to look for refurbished units either. These are usually sent back to the factory for some flaw and sent to a team of specialists for repairs. I have purchased many refurbished items and every one of them worked great. It can save you money and allow you to upgrade from what your original budget allowed.
Gonna have to disagree with the Lowrance fella. The difference in Chirp and the older sonar units is Chirp sends Multiple sonar frequencies at once where the old units sends one frequency therefore you have much clearer images on the screen. We use them in all water depths from 3 to 50 fow and there's a tremendous difference in screen resolution, fish identification and bottom contrast. The reason we went with Garmin is they are True Chirp sonars and very user friendly, which is important to a lot of us that's not computer genius's. If you are ever in a boat that has Chirp sonar and the contrast and brightness is set right, you will be saving your pocket change to get one. Detail is amazing and is one tool that will actually help you catch more fish.