New graph, help me decide

I currently have a Lowrance LCX 104C. I had an issue with it earlier this year but was able to open it up and repair it. Well a couple weeks ago the boat “took on some water” and the graph again isn’t powering up. I decided it’s time to start looking to upgrade my 12 year old graph/gps, but holy hanna the choices now days.

I read James’ post on the new Garmin technology and it was quite interesting. Also heard of lots of guys going away from Lowrance to Hummingbird. I am just starting my research and would appreciate and help. I am not real techy and don’t want to spend 2 years learning a new graph, but I do have a few requirements.
I need big screen at least 9″
I want both graph and GPS in one unit
I need contour lines on common lakes
I don’t have $5000 for the graph $1000-$1500 is roughly the budget

Lastly where is a good place to go see all three Garmin, Hummingbird and Lowrance side by side with a salesperson who is knowledgeable?

Do you want anything else besides GPS & 2D?

You should be able to see all three along with a knowledgeable salesperson at Joe’s. Also cabelas in Rogers. What I’ve learned is don’t leave if you’re not satisfied with the salesman, just seek out another one. It’s a lot of money and deserves to be treated accordingly.

I’m curious about the Garmin as well. A follow up post would be great!

Lot of salesman with zero experience with any of them!!!!!!

Common statements like : Must be moving for SI to work. Or SI doesn’t work above 10mph…All uninformed BS from lowered learning folks who can’t afford the technology let alone have the time to use it.

tracking

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Do you want anything else besides GPS & 2D?

Nope, I am fine with just that.

Your budget and screen size should be easy then!
If that’s all your using it for, any of the big 3 will easily cover your needs. I’m a hbird fan, but will be switching to garmin within a year or two. Especially now that i know a dealer that will get them to me at cost.

http://www.humminbird.com/Products/1159ci-HD-Combo/

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Especially now that i know a dealer that will get them to me at cost.

any chance he needs a hunting dog???

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Lot of salesman with zero experience with any of them!!!!!!

Common statements like : Must be moving for SI to work. Or SI doesn’t work above 10mph…All uninformed BS from lowered learning folks who can’t afford the technology let alone have the time to use it.

Glad I’m not a lowly hourly paid salesman!

If you are looking at options right now Lowrance just dropped their HDS Gen2 Touch units up to $400 (that is for 12″ model however). This would be the HDS 9 Gen2 Touch within range for you.
I find the touch screen to be much easier to navigate since they are much more similar to all the other electronic devices we get our hands on these days like smartphones, etc.
Otherwise with a screen that size, you could go with an Elite 9. The elites lack some of the capabilities of an HDS, but they are easier to use IMO.
Garmin certainly intrigues me and I am researching them right now for a possible addition next year for a non-networked unit to go along with my HDS networked units I have.

belletaine wrote:

Glad I’m not a lowly hourly paid salesman!

Sorry was that too blunt?

Asking a highschool student advice about buying a home would be the equivilent of asking a big box store’s employee for advice about fishing electronics.
Yes, there are a few great employees of the big box stores. However, not knowing much about electronics walking into the store; you’ll be quick to believe whatever comes out of their mouthes as gospel.

Too many people pursuaded with false info by listening to folks who are mis-informed or under informed. Just trying to keep Sticker away from that.

I wouldn’t be nearly as afraid to buy a lowrance as i would have been 4 years ago. They’re each very competitive right now.

Garmin will boom in the midwest in the next few years.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Too many people pursuaded with false info by listening to folks who are mis-informed or under informed. Just trying to keep Sticker away from that.

I wouldn’t be nearly as afraid to buy a lowrance as i would have been 4 years ago. They’re each very competitive right now.

Garmin will boom in the midwest in the next few years.

Its funny you say that and I agree with you pretty much 100%. Lowrance continues to take a beating in court of public opinion when it comes to Customer Support, but those issues are LONG in the past. They had a couple runs of some bad units and that set the stage for a firestorm. Those 520’s and 522’s left a very foul taste in many people’s mouths. The HDS units however have been very good and now that Navico has righted the ship with Customer Service they have really turned things around.

I have a buddy who had older lowrance units that worked fine, but wanted to upgrade. His buddies run a tackle shop in the cities and convinced him that HBird was the way to go (due to “all the issues”) so he got an Onix last year. Well, less than a year later he wants to come back to Lowrance. He said all the things he was promised by his buddies never held true. Which supports what you are saying. You really have to do a lot of research and play around with them yourself without someone breathing down your neck.

I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have one of those “bad” units back in the day and all 3 of my HDS units have been flawless.

Garmin has caught my eye however. Competition is good for everyone but the company trying to make a buck. There are a lot of choices out there and in reality they are all pretty dang good.

Quality wise in the last two years has really become a pissing match. Best case is jumping in a boat that has what your interested in and you get to play with it.

Big difference in how each unit displays things based on the set up. I see it all the time with great electronics with the transducer set wrong, wrong screen speeds, and so on.

Good and bad sales people everywhere. Ask them up front if they use it and which employees own/use a different model.

Just hanging around here has taught me as much and probably more than I’ll never need to know. Just walk in and grab it.

I would be willing to bet that we’ll over half of the guys just turn em on and let “auto” mode do its thing.

i think you are being generous…

The new garmins are really sweet looking. I have run humminbirds and currently still do but my next will be Garmin. It is almost fun to navigate and play with. Have not had seat time in my own boat with one but impressed with what I’m seeing. Cabelas in Woodbury has a few different graphs from most big names but have not been impressed by salesman who basically read you the flyer. You can still play with a few and make a choice when you see something that’s comfortable for you. The sonar race is on and the future looks pretty exciting.

A lot of great info here guys, thanks much! I may just hold off until the sportshow in the spring before I buy and I can walk around and get everyones pitch. The boat is put away for this year anyway. I can research them for a couple months now. I am not a big fan of Cabelas, but the Woodbury store is in my backyard so I will run over there and see what they all look like. Been so long since I looked at graphs I don’t even know what to look for anymore. Keep the info coming, I am always wanting to learn.

sticker wrote:

The boat is put away for this year anyway. I can research them for a couple months now.

HUH?!
You’re missing the best part of the year!
Another thing to throw into the mix, if you are an icefisherman, these new models are excellent in the winter too. Mount it to your ATV, snowmobile, vehicle, etc drive to your spot using the mapping and then use them with a puck transducer. Gone are the days of using an old dinosaur flasher. Using a graph on the ice is so much more fun and a better learning experience because you can totally see the attitude of the fish as you present your bait.

I hear that all the time, but tomorrow starts hunting season and my arms are tired and my hands cut up. Time to get the guns and bows out.

I don’t ice fish a ton, mostly on little lakes that I walk into. Do the new graphs all have internal gps antenas?

sticker wrote:

I hear that all the time, but tomorrow starts hunting season and my arms are tired and my hands cut up. Time to get the guns and bows out.

I don’t ice fish a ton, mostly on little lakes that I walk into. Do the new graphs all have internal gps antenas?

Almost all of the newer models have internal GPS. In fact, I cannot even think of one that doesn’t right at the moment that’s a sonar/GPS combo. They do make external GPS pucks that are more precise though so those are a worthy add on as well, but not necessary for majority of fishermen.
I figured it had to do with hunting based on the pic of bambi in your avatar. Better let that one grow. LOL

CaptainMusky wrote:

Those 520’s and 522’s left a very foul taste in many people’s mouths.

Never heard that before. Been happy with my 520c. Did you mean the 334 series?

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Never heard that before. Been happy with my 520c. Did you mean the 334 series?

-J.

You must be VERY lucky!!! Seriously, they were terrible and that is putting it lightly.

Never heard anyone complain about the 520 series. Bought my unit in 2007. Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours. Never a hicup.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours.

I love this video!

Jon Jordan wrote:

Never heard anyone complain about the 520 series. Bought my unit in 2007. Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours. Never a hicup.

-J.

I remember that

Jon Jordan wrote:

Never heard anyone complain about the 520 series. Bought my unit in 2007. Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours. Never a hicup.

-J.

The 522 with the internal GPS were the biggest problems, but the 334 wasn’t much good either. The GPS would rarely work. That is probably why you haven’t had problems because you have the 520 which is the external puck.
Otherwise they were fairly decent, but I am truly surprised you haven’t had trouble.
My buddy had a 522 up to a couple years ago and still used it. Mainly for ice fishing, but since the GPS never worked he just bought a puck transducer and used it in the fish house. Worked OK for the most part, but would freeze up at least 5 times a day.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jon Jordan wrote:</div>
Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours.

I love this video!

<div class=”oembed-wrap”><div class=”fluid-width-video-wrapper” style=”padding-top: 75.05%;”><iframe id=”fitvid314636″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/6FF2__9saXc?feature=oembed&#8221; frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””></iframe></div></div>

Was that his best Bill Dance impression?

CaptainMusky wrote:

Was that his best Bill Dance impression?

Would have been better with a Texas hat on.

LOL!

sticker wrote:

Jon Jordan wrote:

Never heard anyone complain about the 520 series. Bought my unit in 2007. Entire unit was once submerged in 3 feet of water for 20 hours. Never a hicup.

-J.

I remember that

After that boat, had it on the Ranger 2008 to 2015. Now have it on the jon boat. Still works like new. GPS lock in in seconds. Even hundreds of miles from last location.

-J.