GPS/Sonar: Combo unit or separate?

One of my plans for the hard-water season is to make some improvements to my boat, with one of those improvements being an electronics upgrade. After fishing with a couple of the IDA experts and playing for the first few times on some truly big waters, I now recognize the necessity of a good GPS unit and a good locator. I see that several manufacturers offer GPS/sonar combo units, and from a purely price standpoint, these seem quite attractive. My question is: what are you losing by going to a combo unit versus separate GPS and sonar units? One obvious thing is that you lose the simultaneous, full-screen views of both your GPS position and the sonar trace if you have a combo. However, are there any performance issues for the combo units that are more than just inconveniences? Are combo units battery drainers compared to dedicated GPS and sonars? Thanks in advance for the feedback. -BT

Well I do not know about battery usage but the main problem I see with a combo unit is if it goes out I am in trouble. My fishing trip is over and I need to still find where I parked my truck. I had to save up to buy two units but it was worth it. There are a lot of good combo units. Just make sure to check out Wade from Jolly Marine, A class act on this site.

bt,
i run separate units, 480 eagle’s. first reason is both have full screens. as far as power i don’t think that the 2 units use any more power than a combo units. on the other hand i think that a combo unit robs power from each side when you are running them split screen. as i have mentioned in other posts i have the gps unit rigged portable, the module rigged on a hand clamp so i can clamp it on my boat windsheild, my truck mirror, my wheeler, and my snowmobile, or anybody elses equipment that i may be in. i put a 12v plug on the unit so i can plug it in to any 12v jack. i have the unit mounted on a RAM mount so you need a base on each piece of equipment. as far as in the boat, they are right next to each other, not a problem watching both units at the same time. as far as price goes i think it was around $75 more for the 2 eagle’s over a combo unit. well worth the extra money. lastly as mentioned above, if you should have a problem with one unit or the other you are not totality out of commission…..tom f

Ron, Thanks for the kind words.

BT, These guys have given you some good info already. If the extra cost or the extra space is not a concern then separate units are probably a good way to go for the reasons noted above – full screen on both units and if one breaks down you have the other to help get you home.

A couple of thoughts… I would think about getting a GPS that is compatible with Navionics charts if you plan to run any electronic lake maps (Lowrance, Eagle, Raymarine).

If I were to suggest separate units I’d highly recommend the Lowrance GlobalMap 3300C Color GPS coupled with a Navionics Map (if desired). Color GPS is clearly the way to go in my opinion. As far as fishfinders go, I’d think about the Lowrance x100C or the Lowrance X135 . Both have received high marks this season.

As far as combo units go, I personally use the Lowrance LMS 330C and have been very pleased with it.

I hope this helps out.

I’m only going to throw 2 cents in here….Once you go with color gps or sonar….you’ll never want to go back. Kinda like the ol B&W tv…but with the sonar the change of color is much easier to see…for a rookie like me.