New to GPS, PLZ Help!

[gvg_uwec]

I am thinking about getting a GPS unit for ice fishing this winter. I am looking at the Lowrance H2O Non-color for affordability. I have seen on here that many of you guys use these and hopefully I can get some well needed feedback on a few questions.

1) If I just go out an buy this I know that it will show me the general shape of the larger lakes (from playing with it in the store). Are only the larger lakes on the internal memory or will I have to go out and buy software right away to get some of my smaller local lakes on there.

2) Do the lakes that are preloaded on there have depth contours on them or is this only with say a lakemaster chip?

3) If the model I get doesn’t have the electronic compass, how far do I have to move to get the signal to tell me my direction? ( couple feet, 100 feet??)

Any comments on this model or suggestions on another model would be greatly appreciated. I would like to stay around a couple hundred bucks so I can budget a trip in this winter also.

Also, what kind of deals should I expect at the Ice show in St. Paul, They have them at Scheels in town for 159 I think. I'm sure Gander is about the same also.

[waxworm]

i've had the H2o for a few years now, and i can say that it has the most lake detail of any gps on the market today. My brother has a Magellan and we've been on at least 4 smaller lakes together where it showed up on my h20 and not on his. There is no contours shown without a lake chip. I have one in my unit, and it helped especially in ice fishing if you didn't mark coutours on the lake during open water. As for the compass, as long as your moving it will read out a direction. I got mine for 169.99, and haven't seen a lower price than that anywhere so if you get a lower price buy it then and there. Another benefit of the Lawrence GPS is the car charger (included in price). It doesn't actually charge but is simply a battery bypass so the batteries don't get drained in the car. Any way you go, a GPS is nice to have. Good fishing.

[FishingPops]

This is a good question for me also as I am looking at getting one. Marine General (Contact Us Please) has them for $149.99. Not sure if there is any tax or shipping charges.

[farvak123]

I have an iFinder Hunt (non-color) and it works like a charm. I bought a lakemaster chip for it and it also is a great tool so i can drill holes in the target range of say 17 feet rather than drilling and figuring out i am in only 8 feet of water. Also the "hot spot" can be marked and then return to it within a few feet. all in all i would say get the chip if your budget allows, some lakes have even more detail than paper maps, ive found breaks a couple of times holding fish that were not on the map.

[Captain B.R.K]

Quote:

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I am thinking about getting a GPS unit for ice fishing this winter. I am looking at the Lowrance H2O Non-color for affordability. I have seen on here that many of you guys use these and hopefully I can get some well needed feedback on a few questions.

1) If I just go out an buy this I know that it will show me the general shape of the larger lakes (from playing with it in the store). Are only the larger lakes on the internal memory or will I have to go out and buy software right away to get some of my smaller local lakes on there.

2) Do the lakes that are preloaded on there have depth contours on them or is this only with say a lakemaster chip?

3) If the model I get doesn’t have the electronic compass, how far do I have to move to get the signal to tell me my direction? ( couple feet, 100 feet??)

Any comments on this model or suggestions on another model would be greatly appreciated. I would like to stay around a couple hundred bucks so I can budget a trip in this winter also.

Also, what kind of deals should I expect at the Ice show in St. Paul, They have them at Scheels in town for 159 I think. I'm sure Gander is about the same also.

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Great questions to pose about GPS. So many options, but you are in the right direction if you are looking at the Lowrance series.

I have the H20 color model, but nothing wrong with the black-white model. I'll answer some of your questions:

1 and 2) Most of the pre-loaded information will show the bigger lakes, medium lakes and maybe smaller lakes. I would definately recommend the LAKEMASTER chip that you can buy extra and place that in your GPS unit. This will give you more defination of the lake shore structure as well as give you structures (rocks piles) and contours. I like the contours because I can be moving along the water/ice and view my GPS and know how deep of water I'm in. It's amazing how accurate the GPS w/chip is.

3) The only downfall is that the electronic compass doesn't rotate on it's own. So you do have to move a little bit so it can pick up your direction. I wouldn't make a decision based on this small oversight of the designers.

I think the unit makes up for it in all of it's other options.

Well worth the money that is for sure!!

[Snake River King]

Hello I have a h20 color model, I paid more for it but when I got mine to guy and gander told me when I get the lakemaster chip it shows the depth and it look better in color, other than that I love it, with out the chip I still can see lakes that are about 350-500 acrer, with the chip you can see 25,000 lake just in Minnesota, and its more detailed

[ThreeD]

I have heard similar truths about not being able to see the depths as well on the gray screens. Anybody have any answers r/t clarity of the 2.

[Matt Johnson]

I use the black/white H2O and don't have any complaints. I don't have any problems seeing depths really, nothing more than any other unit. A stack of features on the H2O and pretty user friendly...

[Bob Clausen]

I just purchased the H2O color. It's more money, but the feature that swung me to the color model was the fact that (I'm no techy) whatever resolution features are in the color model make it effective in the cold down to -40 F. No more tucking it in my coat to keep it warm and then taking spot readings on my way to a destination. Perhaps the B&W has the same features, but we couldn't find it on the features chart. I can mount it on the snowmobile and go without it fading or locking up.

[gvg_uwec]

Okay great info so far guys, i have another question now though, I have been looking at the lowrance HSOforum and the Ihunt seems to be pretty much the same except that it can hold an additional 1000 waypoints, has a voice recorder for scouting ect, and 17 extra hunting icons correct me if im wrong but it looks like i can add the mapping chips such as lakemaster to the Ihunt also.....

[farvak123]

yup i have an ihunt non color and it works like a charm with a lakemaster chip and the hunting icons are pretty cool too.