Pro's & cons - Humminbird & Lowrance GPS/sonar combos

[Shorelunch]

I'm coming to the realization I will need to upgrade two units on the used boat I bought. It has an LCX-15ci on the console and an x125 on the bow. I've been looking at the HB 858 for the console and either the 597 or 788 for the bow. For Lowrance, the HDS7 on console and either the HDS5 or Elite 5 on bow.

I mainly fish northern MN lakes (Bemidji, Cass, Leech, and smaller lakes) and occasionally the Canadian side of LOTW.

What are the benefits of the HB and Lowrance setups - and how does the networking work/benefit?

[Muskiebait]

i know the lowrance you can network them together where they will both read off the structure scan, and you can also do gps points if you lock it in on one it will lock in on the other as well. Don't know about the HB also know where you could get it all set up if need up in northern mn.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I will not say anything bad about Lowrance.. they make a great finder.. I have a couple birds in my boat networked.. which is awesome.. you drive over a structure mark a spot.. drop the front t-motor and have at it.. that gps mark shows up on the front unit as well.

[PerchJerker]

With the HB units you're looking at, the 800 and 700 units will interlink (allows you to share GPS position and waypoints), and those units will both use LakeMaster cards (you can't share the card data, you'd need a card for each unit if you wanted mapping on both units). The 500 unit won't interlink so it won't share the gps info or waypoints, and the 500 unit can't use a LM card. I'd go with the 788 over the 597 in your situation.

With the Low units you're looking at, the HDS units can be connected with an ethernet cable to share gps position, waypoints, and to share the same transducer. The Elite cannot be networked at all. Same deal on map cards, you need a map card in each unit if you want mapping on each unit. I'd go with the HDS-5 over the Elite-5 in your situation.

If you were going to go with more than 2 units then you could have an advantage with Lowrance - the HB interlink can handle only 2 units, Lowrance can have an unlimited number of units on the network. But since you are talking about two units, the functionality will pretty much be the same between HB and Low. The only difference is that with Low you could share the sonar display from 1 transducer on both units.

If you were interested in side imaging then you could have an advantage with Lowrance - the StructureScan module can be added later and simply plugs in to up to 3 HDS units, and you can control the side scan display seperately on each unit. In contrast, with HB you either get side imaging with the unit or you don't get it, and you can't share it across multiple units. Given the HB units you asked about it doesn't sound like side imaging is something you want, but it is a difference and is one of the advantages with the Lowrance networking capabilities.

Lowrance and HB both make excellent units. With the units you're looking at, I think your functionality and performance will be good with whichever brand you choose.

I hope that helps. Good luck and I'd be happy to try to answer any other questions that you have.

[Fish Slayer]

Can you use lowrance lakemaster chips in the humminbirds?

[JohnMickish]

Can you use lowrance lakemaster chips in the humminbirds?

No, you need the Hbird Lakemaster chip.

[solbes]

One other thing. Depending on the vintage of your outboard, you may be able to hook into a NMEA 2000 network with the Lowrance. Gives you oodles of engine information, fuel economy, hours, diagnostics etc. Yamaha, Suzuki, and Etecs are all NMEA compliant in the later years and the Lowrance HDS are NMEA 2000 pending. Don't think the birds can do this, but I'm not 100% on that.