Lowrance 522c

[Cicada]

My Garmin died last fall and I went shopping. Bought a Lowrance 522c GPS and Sonar combo. Looks like I might be lucky to get on the water once before the opener, so I won't have much time to learn how to use it. My first question is how easy is it to use? Second question, what do guys that own a Lowrance do for traveling? I was not impressed with the cheap plastic cover that came with the unit. It says it's not for high speeds. When the heck did they think I'd want to use it?

[RiverBassGuy]

Cicada,

1. They are very easy to learn. The majority of your button pushing will take place on the "PAGES" button. You can navigate from your map to your sonar or choose the split screen feature ("map with sonar" on the list). Navigating the GPS page can be done by simply holding down the cursor button and controlling the zoom with ZIN and ZOUT. The WPT button handles all of your waypoints. If you push it, you will have the option of setting a new waypoint or looking up you current waypoints (my waypoints). The Menu button consists of your settings, most of which are auto, but the map chips that are available may require you to change some settings. There's a lot of sonar settings that you can change to accomodate different styles of fishing (under the "sonar features" icon). I realize this is very basic, but I hope it helps.

2. The plastic white cover flies off during the first mile of travel.

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[Sandmannd]

Cicada, I have an x17 and they are pretty easy to get used to. I would store it out of the boat for travel and storage, just the way I do it.

I think I'm going to get one of these as well. I have the x17 B&W and would like to move that to the front of the boat and put this on my console. I currently take my gps/sonar off after each trip and store it under lock and key. Will do the same with new one as the boat is just covered and kept outside.

I have a puc on my boat, would you go with the 520 and keep the puck or go 522c and use the internal and use the puc for the old one up front.

By the way Thorne Bros has them for $609 right now.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Go to the Lowrance HSOforum and download the immulator for that unit and play with it in the demo mode before you start pushing buttons on yours at home.

[RiverBassGuy]

Lowrance has a rebate right now for LMS series graphs. If you buy one, they will send you a $99 chip for free. Some of the options are the 07 Lakemaster MN, WI, or MI.

[Cicada]

Sent for a chip and downloaded the simulator. The sim. is pretty basic. You can't play with too many features with the sonar. Thanks for the help guys. Makes me feel a little more comfortable.

[bassNspear]

Have you got out to use it yet?

[Sandmannd]

Just got the 522c yesterd. Cabeles in Rogers had them for $599 and they paid the tax. You get the free chip via rebate, but they also had it that you get a 5" underwater camera for $20 if you bought this. Was a good deal so I snagged it. Installed it today, would love to test before Saturday but I don't know that I'll have the time.

[Cicada]

I plan on either getting it into the boat Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Hopefully, I can try it once before Saturday, but time is short. Thursday I work late and Friday there's always the pre-Opener meeting,...umm...prep night....well, you know...fairly massive consumption of adult beverages to make up the lies we might need on Saturday.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

You want to run the emmulator unit in simulator mode. There isn't a thing you can't do on it! Play around you should see each change you do.

[Cove]

Folks, this is an 522c email trail but it is open water oriented. Believe it or not I am actively researching the 522c as an ice fishing combo sonar / gps. I have been using (and will continue to use) a flasher (Vexilar Fl-20) I would love to hear from some ice fisherman what it is like to use the 522c on the ice.

[Skeets]

It is an excellent combo for ice fishing. You will need to add a Lakemaster chip and a Lowrance ice duecer.

I use mine on the ice in the 5" GPS mode to find my spot and mark it, and then switch to the sonar mode to fish. The graph display is amazing for vertical jigging, great detail and very accurate. You will not be dissapointed.

[PerchJerker]

There's lots of info about the 522 on ice in the ice fishing forum

[Cove]

Thanks folks. I "iced" the deal Saturday with my marine dealer. I am getting the 522c with the high speed transducer plus a kit for about 16.00 so it can be attached to a trolling motor which is where it will likely be in the summer. Then I am getting the Lowrance Portable kit with the ice fishing transducer, power pack etc.

As a bonus, if I am on a trip and, Heaven forbid, my LCX-19c dies, the 522c can use the same transducer, will work fine except won't get temperature reading. Apparently the 522c is the "blue" colored transducer and the 19c is the "grey" so they are not completely interchangable but in a pinch would work OK.

Mainly, I got it to use exactly as mentioned above; for ice fishing, utilizing the full screen, as needed, to locate structure as precisely as possible, then the graph or flasher mode for fishing. It will be interesting to see what the graph mode is like with ice fishing.