1st sonar

[kc0myy]

I am looking for my 1st sonar. I have been looking at eagle 320 and the lowrance x67. both are just basic machines but I wanted to pick your guys brains to see what you think would make a good 1st sonar.

[CJH]

My buddy uses the x67 with the iceducer for winter and then the normal setup in the summer. Loves it, and its a great value.

[BobT]

I have an X67C for my bow and I really like it. Easy to see in bright sunlight, good resolution, and seems to pick up a lot of things my older X51 doesn't see.

Bob

[Esox_Magnum]

If you can swing it go to the Eagle 500C, great unit for the money. Either you have listed will get the job done though.

[NAMASafetyDirector]

If you don't mind something used, I would keep an eye out on places like he - bay. There's getting to be alot of the higher end units that are a few years old now for auction on there. I would look there and try to find the best unit out there for the money you want to spend. I bought a Lowrance LCX 104 brand new in the box last year for around $800. That unit retailed for around $2500 when it first came out!

[Sandmannd]

I love my Lowrance 522c and for an extra buck fifty or so you can make it an ice unit. Awesome to have gps and graph all in one.

[Ralph Wiggum]

X67c here. Great unit for summer and winter.

[dan z]

since this in the open water forum I would suggest the most power you can afford. I purchased a lowrance x135 a couple years ago and it is the best unit I have ever used. its 4000 watts and it greyscale. finds fish very nicely, I showed my dad how to use it and he could not believe it was actually a fish finder... turn of fishy symbols and you will realize that if you see a tru arch its a fish and a filled arch is baitfish... once he figured that out he now trolls around looking for those archs and just not throwing out and waiting for something to bite. sonars are growing really fast and so are thier prices good luck...

[Ralph Wiggum]

I would recommend going with a color unit. Whatever you get.

[mnmarlin]

I bought an Eagle 320 last summer, I really like the unit. For me, it works as well as an Lowrance X-135 or the 520's (no GPS though but I have an Ifinder H20).

Not quite as feature rich as the others, but I would rather fish than play with the depth finder. As far as color, I really don't see what color does that the grayscale doesn't.

mnmarlin

[wplatehunter]

I would buy what you can afford, but after running color with gps I would never go back to black and white.

[Esox_Magnum]

Color is a major difference in seein fish tight to structure or in weeds.

[fishcast]

If you want to save some money, and if you ice fish with a flasher, you could get an open water ducer and use it. I myself would rather have a flasher than a cheaper LCD graph most of the time.

[Ed Carlson]

I am looking for my 1st sonar. I have been looking at eagle 320 and the lowrance x67. both are just basic machines but I wanted to pick your guys brains to see what you think would make a good 1st sonar.

Do you know own a Vexilar?

If so, for $79.99 you can get the summer kit with all the mounting and ducer of your choice (trolling motor/shoot through the hull, or high speed) and use you ice Vex as a open water unit.

I run my Vex's all year around, first on the ice and first thing on the boat come spring...i love it.

[TonkaBass]

That's a good point. I think that Fleet farm has the high speed ducer on sale. If you use your current gimbal off your winter set up and your current power cord, that's all you need!

My $.02, I have always been satisfied with Lowrance. Maybe try and find an out of date model on sale, and no matter what you get take some time to learn what you are actually seeing on the screen or display.

[wplatehunter]

Lowrance has been good to me as well.

[Ray Esboldt]

Eddie,

I am with you. Not too many graphs can tell you more than a flasher (Vex, Marcum, Humminbird). A graph does grant you more time to decipher things because of a scrolling display.

I like my Lowrances, love the Humminbirds on Deitz's boat (I need to get an SI unit), but I'll never launch a boat without at least one flasher on it.

[NEWTOTHIS]

I HAVE HEARD THAT THE X67 GETS ALOT OF INTERFERANCE ANYONE KNOW IF THAT IS TRUE?

[moby1]

Ive had my x67 about 3 years now and love it. As long as you adjust it you will be fine.

[ozzie]

I just purchased a lowrance 522Igps for $500 and I really wouldn't be surprised to see it drop another 50-100 since they came out with the new HD units now.......I love the lowrance graphs!!

[WingDing2]

I second a color unit, I finally got one for my boat last year and there is a differance, these days not a nessasity but rather a inexspensive luxury.

[hondarider550]

I purchased a Showdown simply because of price but after using it for about a year now I love the vertical appearance and the clean line seperation that it has to decpher between the lure and fish.

The main one thing that I wish that NatureVision would do with the Showdown is COLOR... I think that would make that sonar a even greater machine.

If you are looking for a inexpensive unit and dont care about black and white the Showdown has my vote but if money is not an object I would definitly look for a highter end sonar with color and the extra bells and whistles...

[PerchJerker]

I'd also suggest a color graph, the displays are much nicer and will show you more info. I see a lot of guys that don't get color and end up regretting it right away, and end up swtiching to a color unit and up spending more money in the long run by buying 2 units.

Whether you go color or mono, you want as large a screen and as high of resolution (number of pixels) as possible - that will give you the best picture.

I have several good sonars on my HSOforum, if you're interested or have questions about any of them just let me know.

[kc0myy]

Thank you guys for the grea info. I was looking at aother sonar and its the lowrance x96 does anyone have this sonar? its cheap and it was a big screen whick I like. and does anyone know of a cheap big screen color sonar like the x96? i don't want to spend over $300

[Sniper07]

I just bought myself a boat and was wonder what a decent fish finder would be. I'm retired so I live on a fixed income, so $ is an issue. I use a Marcum LX-5 for my hard water fun. I got a Larson 17' Delta Conic Bowrider and will use it for inland lakes, mainly here in NY. Any help and advice will be appreciated. Thanx in advance, AL