GPS Fish/Depth Finder Purchase

[riddleofsteel]

I just sold my mud motor on E-Bay for a good price.

Hurray!!

I have decided to put around 1/2 the money into a GPS capable fish/depth finder. My budget will be around $600.00. After some research I have almost decided on a Lowrance LMS 522C with Internal GPS.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat602025-cat602012_TGP&id=0044762019021a&navCount=2&podId=0044762&parentId=cat602012&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IH&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat602012&hasJS=true


This a color, split screen capable unit with internal GPS antenna and is navionics capable with available different chips that have HD maps of lakes all over the country.

Of course the pucker factor of shelling out this kind of money for a fish finder is pretty high for me. I would appreciate some input on this subject from folks that own sonars on their own boats.

Thanks

[777]

Check the prices at Reeds Sporting Goods sometimes they are cheaper sometimes not on the same unit.

[dougc]

Check with Cabelas to see if they have any LMS334's left. It's the same unit, and they discounted them $100.

[blackhorse83]

Bass Pro spring fishing classic sale starts March 16th, you might see what all they have on sale. If they have the one you want it will be a deal. Just food for thought.

[777]

Check with Cabelas to see if they have any LMS334's left. It's the same unit, and they discounted them $100.


Thats the same unit I just bought and Reeds has them for $525.

[tspergin]

Check out the Eagle brand,they are made by lowrance and you can find the same models under the eagle brand a couple hundred bucks cheaper

[Mr.T]

Check out the Eagle brand,they are made by lowrance and you can find the same models under the eagle brand a couple hundred bucks cheaper

Eagle is "similar" to Lowrance, not exactly the same. Typically, the Eagle brand will have a lower output power than the "equivalent" Lowrance unit.

The 522C will work great for you. As Doug says, it seems to be a re-packaged version of the LMS-334C, with the only differences being a better quality display (16-bit SVGA vs 256 color) and the addition of an ethernet expansion port which may or may not be useful to you in the future.

If there's only $100 difference between the two, I'd take the newer unit.

[olefin]

David, I'm sure you will be happy with that unit.

One thing you will find at Cabela's is that their guarantee is as good or better than Walmart's. Bass Pro's guarantee is for 30 days.

My Lowrance LMS-480 stop working after 5 months, Lowrance would have repaired it for it was in warranty. But I would had to send it to them and been without one till they got it repaired... also it would have cost me postage.
I called Cabela's, they mailed me a new unit that day and had the faulty unit picked up at my house. They charged my credit card until they received the unit, then gave me credit. Postage free.

[Grumper]

I've had both humminbird and Lowrance, but that choice is up to you. I had a 737 humminbird with GPS on my bass boat, and it was awesome but you have to buy the GPS seperate, it will be about $500 for everything. I do think that hummingbirds are a whole lot easier to use that the Lowrance. I had a Lowrance LMS 480M on my last aluminum boat, It was awesome also. It's around $500, It's a good choice. I don't particulary like color locators. I stick with the black and white. In my mind, the LMS 480 will do everything the more expensive ones will do, for the money If I had the money to spend on a new locator, that would probably be the one I got again. On the boat I have now, I just purchased humminbird 565 and a Lowrance X65. I got the humminbird for $179 at bass pro. Couldn't pass it up for the value. 320X640 pixels. I don't really need GPS anymore, so this one works great for me.

[brad kilpatrick]

I wouldn't worry too much about sending a unit to Lowrance, In My experence there turn around is very quick. when I had trouble with My LCX 111 cHD, They sent Me a postage paid label to ship it to them, and had the unit back to Me with in 10 days of Me sending it to them.

[Rivercat2]

David

I just got the LMS 520C and am very happy with it.

[catman from owensboro]

i sent my x125 back to Lowrance and they sent me a new one and it was 6 months old and it was back in less than 10 day.

[Phil50]

I just got a 522c IGPS about two weeks ago. Haven't got to install it yet. I got it from Thorne Bros for 569.00 W/O transducer. Free shipping also.

http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/electronics/lowrance/LMS522C.html

Put it in the "cart" to see the final price. Good guys to do business with too.

[ratkinson]

Man, look at the features on that unit.....think it'll clean and cook you fish too?

[cumberlandcat]

I keep telling the wife I need one . But she doesn't understand why the one I have on the boat isn't good enough

[melvinrose]

I have just installed a LMS 520C and I love it. the only thing that is not right yet is that the sonar quits working at full throttle. I am sure that all I need to do is move the transducer to another spot. I put it nearly right behind the lower unit, I believe that the transducer is seeing turbulance from the prop.

[WylieCat]

I love mine. Works great. Buy the Navionics maps for it. They are awesome.

There are not too many units that will read out perfectly at full throttle. Its more hull design than the unit itself. Turbulence from the hull of the boat will affect most models once you get over about 20-25mph.

[melvinrose]

Thanks for the info. When I bought the boat new it had a bottom of the line Lowrance on it from the factory. About all it was good for was finding the depth. It would work at much higher speeds than the LMS 520 will. I did not put the new transducer back in the spot where the old one was. I am going to try that.

[melvinrose]

I didnt have to move it. I lowered it with the adjustable bracket about 1/2 inch, filled up the gas tank and filled the live well which made the boat heaver and sit lower in the water. Now the sonar works up to about 30 mph.