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Wifey bought me a Lowrance 520..????


Ridgerunnr

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Yeah I got a keeper on the second try..lol

How do I tell what software version i have and IF its not the right one where do I get the newest version? Im new to the fancy fishfinder stuff so bear with me..also does this thing come with the lake maps etc in it or is that something i need to buy?

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you will need to buy the lakemaster chip for the unit....if you hit menu there is a software info or system info something along those lines and it will read 2.4 hopefully otherwise you can take it to big box outdoor store and they should do the update for you.....

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Did she remember to get the one with the C on the end of it? If not, tell her it's got to go back! 520C GPS is the one she needed to get you! But you may just want to be happy with what ever she approved!! grin

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Wheres the best place to pick up the lakemaster chip for it? What do they normally run?

Look to spend a hundred or so, that's what I ended up paying last year for the lakemaster Mn chip! Worth it though buddy!

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Ridge, you got a Keeper there! Oh and the wife is pretty nice Too! grin I think Fleet maybe the cheaper place to find a lake chip? It was the last time I checked Gander & Cabelas.

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When you buy the latest chip it has the corrections on it. They surveyed the lakes in the north back in '06 and the maps were kinda messed up on the first chip. The '08 was better and they claim that the '09 is supposed to be 100%. LOL.

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uhu..sounds like 09 is th better way to go. The store near me has two kinds..a MN only and a Midwest edition...are they the same maps basically other then adding a few states or is the MN only maybe have more lakes or more detail?????

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Return it and get the HDS series. I've had my 520C for a third season now and am on my second unit that was replaced by Lowrance. They are terrible in shallow water with weeds, you will not get a depth reading at all. I still lose bottom all the time, even with a replacement unit. It was a BIG problem in that years line up of finders and Lowrance got hit hard with customer retention and a bad rap putting out units that didn't work the way they were supposed to. I would not keep it or install it, go with this years line up or to another manufacturer.

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I would tend to agree with the above poster. My unit worked great for awhile and now nothing but issues. Many have had the same issues and Lowrance has not really found the cure for many.

Lowrance is a fine company but this unit has not been one of their finer units at all.

I would trade it for the unit mentioned above if possible.

Nice gift by the wife by the way.

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well the money for an upgrade isnt there and from the HD reviews I have seen they arent all that good either ...oh wel guess i'll have to take my chances and see what happens. Either way its gotta be better than the wheel chock for a locator that i had..i hope smile

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and from the HD reviews I have seen they arent all that good either

What have you heard about the HD units? Everything I've run across with them seems to boil down to user error, or frustration with Navionics or other mapping issues that the software updates have corrected.

Even though there are lots of frustrations with the 520c, there are also many, many guys using that unit that are very happy with it. Hopefully you'll be one of them too. If you are having issues be sure to go to the latest software version, that cleaned up a lot of problems for a lot of guys.

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I purchased a HDS-5, used it a week and was concerned about losing signal in weeds. Once I learned to use it and the appropriate option to use I did not have problems. The resolution is incredible and weeds and fish show up really well. I did buy a USB flashcard writer/reader and downloaded latest release. Did not need it as I am a lakemaster user, however I wanted the latest with Steer and other options. Overall I really like it. It is not for the casual user who just wants to turn on a finder and go. It is for someone who likes to tinker and actually read the user manual. It should be upgradable to sideview at some point.

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You'll like the 520c. I have two with no issues in shallow weeds. The trick to using a locator is to run it in manual mode and adjust the sensitivity as needed. Simple as that. When you get in weedy, shallow water you should bring the sensitivity down which will allow for a better "picture" without all the clutter.

Have fun with the new unit!

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That may be true Lmitout but what do you do when your unit reads 1.6ft or 2.4 ft or another when you could be in 6fow or 35fow?

Yes, I have tried another ducer also. I also tried the programs and that did not help either.

I then called Lowrance and could not get through. I then e-mailed Lowrance and they never bothered to reply.

I then talked to a friend that works for Lowrance and he states they have had many, mnay issues with these units.

He then told me to try to call Lowrance to get through and ask if I could upgrade my unit to the new one.

I also have had so many issues with my H20 from the power cord to it not acquiring a signal. I sent it in 3 times and they have sent me new ones and then they go bad. I believe Lowrance has issues. I personally will be going another direction.

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Not sure. Could be a faulty unit.

Mine have been good and I'm typically reluctant to upgrade to the latest firmware because why fix what ain't broken. The X-28 in my boat works well too. I had a transducer go bad last year on that unit but that was a simple fix and I was on my way again.

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with everyone sayin problems in shallow water with weeds what comes to mind is what depth are you considering shallow and seeing the problems? 3 feet? 10 feet??? 2 feet? We fish largemouth a lot and are in 2 feet of water a lot and dont need the locator at all. WHen i would use it is 6 feet to 30 feet..thanks for the tip on manual mode!

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I hope you have good luck Ridgerunner as yes, there have been many issues with this unit and to this day, Lowrance has not addressed them to the point all are happy.

One can do a search on this site and find many posts in regards to these units.

"Not sure, could be a faulty unit"

Then there are many of these faulty units out there. Mine was good for awhile and then went south.

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You'll like the 520c. I have two with no issues in shallow weeds. The trick to using a locator is to run it in manual mode and adjust the sensitivity as needed. Simple as that. When you get in weedy, shallow water you should bring the sensitivity down which will allow for a better "picture" without all the clutter.

Have fun with the new unit!

If you are having trouble in shallow weeds trying bringing the ping speed down a bit too (works for the older LMS units and the newer HDS units too)

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