posted 07-23-2006 12:14 AM ET (US)            

The LMS-350A had some keys that stopped functioning, so I'm replacing it with a Lowrance LCX-17M. This unit appears to have quite a bit more in the way of charting capability. Once I get it going, do you see a benefit to also using the CP150 (apart from just keeping it on the boat for redundancy)?

posted 07-05-2007 10:48 PM ET (US)            

Have a Garmin 478 - does both boat and car - that's an awesome unit too.

posted 07-07-2007 08:50 AM ET (US)            

http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Marine/LMS-520C.asp

Lowrance has a product simulator that you can install and run to check out the features.

I use the Navionics hot maps chip in the unit because it has very good detail of inland lakes and color bottom contours. A list of lakes for your region is at the following link:

http://www.navionics.com/PremiumLakeList_07.asp?RegionID=3

A word of caution about the Lowrance units with internal GPS antenna. I started with this and found that there was very poor reception in my mounting configuration. I ended up exchanging the unit for the external antenna version. The new units may have improved, but be sure to buy where you can exchange if you try the self contained model. I purchased at Bass Pro where they matched an internet price and were very accomodating. They demonstrated the unit with the Navionics chip so I could be certain the detail I wanted was there. It is a good place to compare brands.

posted 07-27-2007 02:49 PM ET (US)            

Do you still think that the best SONAR and GPS units to buy are the Standard Horizon CP-150 and the Lowrance X87. and do you still have these and are you still planning on offering them for sale soon if anyone wants to get the best available stuff ?

posted 02-16-2008 09:35 AM ET (US)            

If you are going to buy marine electronics on E-bay be aware that not all manufacturers have the same policy in regards to warranty service. Raymarine comes to mind but others may have similar tough policies.

Before buying it could be helpful to query the manufacturer of the product under consideration to determine thier exact policy in regards to warranty work on equipment purchased from the source you are considering.

posted 06-05-2008 09:20 AM ET (US)            

Recommend you consider Furuno if you do not want a Lowrance.

posted 06-05-2008 10:07 AM ET (US)            

--leave them ON all the time, even when the boat is not in the water, so transducer is pinging all the time;

--operate them from a supply voltage that is not well regulated, using same battery as used for engine cranking so that there are big voltage spikes;

--place control head in direct sunlight, causing temperature of LCD and internal electronics to become excessively hot;

--place control head as close as possible to VHF radio transmitting antenna so the SONAR electronics are bombarded with radio frequency energy.

How to cause GPS receivers to fail prematurely:

--operate them from a supply voltage that is not well regulated, using same battery as used for engine cranking so that there are big voltage spikes;

--place control head in direct sunlight, causing temperature of LCD and internal electronics to become excessively hot;

--place control head or remote antenna as close as possible to VHF radio transmitting antenna so the receiver electronics are bombarded with radio frequency energy.

Lowrance Customer Service

I have purchased and owned four Lowrance SONAR units. I have had no failures. As far as I know all of them are still working, as I have sold three of them, and the fourth is on my current boat.

I have contacted Lowrance by telephone once for advice or help. While trying to install a transducer I lost a small black specialty washer in the grass. I spent an hour looking for it, but could not find it. I called Lowrance the next day, explained what happened. They sent me for free an entire transducer mounting kit. A week later I found that tiny washer in the grass.

Moderately Priced Combo Units
I recently bench tested the Lowrance LMS-520c. See

Lowrance 500 Series GPS Receiver, Electronic Display, and SONAR
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/L500.html

I also tested the Raymarine A60:

posted 06-05-2008 06:27 PM ET (US)            

My first Lowrance was an X65 that I had for 5 years, and never had a problem with it. Got twofootitis and sold the boat. The units I have had problems with are dry, out of the sun, and under the hardtop 5 feet below the antenna. The voltage spike is a thought, but I don't turn on my sonar until after I start my main. When I am finished trolling for the day I usually start the main with the unit on? I troll for about four hours at a time with the sonar on the whole time.

The first unit I had problems with just died on day. This one still works, but wont turn off. When I turn the batteries on it turns on. The screens turns black at cruising speed, and any button you hit will adjust the screen light? I have tried a soft reset, no luck. I can't do a hard reset, because it wont turn off.

I guess it just bugs me to think they will hook it up to their computer make a couple of keystrokes for $212 bucks. That is food for my family for a couple of weeks.

posted 06-05-2008 10:32 PM ET (US)            

After a bit of investigation it was discovered that the user's workstation was unresponsive to the usual CTL-ALT-DEL keystroke press necessary to initiate the network log-in. Further research discovered that the keyboard was entirely unresponsive. In dialogue with the user she revealed that she had spilled a substantial volume of liquid into the keyboard not long prior to the onset of this network log-in problem. Replacing the keyboard restored her ability to log into the network.

posted 06-06-2008 07:23 AM ET (US)            

How do you avoid "operate them from a supply voltage that is not well regulated, using same battery as used for engine cranking so that there are big voltage spikes" on simple rigs like my Classic 13 that has a 12 volt battery for starting and accessories, battery leads to Yamaha 40, leads to a terminal block for lights, compass (light), bilge pump, depth finder and occasionally a trolling motor? Do I rig in some kind of voltage regulator? Is a battery switch indicated?

I would very much appreciate your thoughts on this.

posted 06-06-2008 10:39 AM ET (US)            

--carefully inspect unit to see if the case can easily be disassembled without damage;

--if yes, disassemble case without damaging it;

--inspect interior for any obvious signs of damage;

--spray selected switch contacts with WD-40 and exercise switch mechanism;

--look for any on-board keep-alive battery in removeable socket which may have lost charge or have corroded contacts; repair contacts or replace battery;

posted 06-09-2008 11:41 PM ET (US)            

Happy Fathers Day guys.

posted 06-10-2008 08:31 AM ET (US)            

You might ask why I keep recommending those units as the best ones to buy. Well, it is simple, those are the ones I bought. If I recommended another unit, I would in effect be saying that I did not buy the best ones to buy. The reason I bought those units is because I thought they were the best ones to buy.

I believe that the unit that most people have purchased is the unit they though was the best one to buy. I don't know too many people who buy something that they think is not the best one to buy. It seems like human nature that people buy the one they think is best. So this question about which is the best one to buy more or less reduces to a question about which one did you buy.

posted 06-11-2008 07:02 PM ET (US)            

Your mileage may vary but I've been pleased with the [customer service] treatment thus far.

posted 08-11-2008 01:43 PM ET (US)            

In order to simplify the search I believe that it will be necessary to separate the "fish finder" from the "GPS unit" and consider them as individual and distinct devices. This will make it easier. Of course, the "GPS unit" really consists of several sub-units:

--GPS receiver
--Chart plotter display or multi-function display
--Chart cartography, either stored or on memory chip
--Software to manipulate data on a computer workstation
--Operating system of the collective device
--Interface for serial data communication with other devices via NMEA-0183 and-or NMEA-2000

In the GPS realm I want:

--modern receiver with parallel satellite tracking
--WAAS enhancement

In the Chart Plotter display I want:

--reasonable size
--detailed and fine resolution
--sun light viewing and bright
--weatherproof
--ability to network with other devices such as RADAR, Satellite Weather overlays, AIS, and so on

In the Chart Cartography I want:

--reasonable price
--good charts
--updated charts

In the Software I want compatibility with MacOS or Unix, not just a Windows OS executable.

In the Operating System of the device I want good design and easy operation. I don't want to have to read the manual all the time to make it perform simple tasks.

In the Digital Serial Communications I want both NMEA-0183 and NMEA-2000 ports. Also, the display has to be able to display a lot of NMEA-2000 parameter groups which will come from other networked devices such as an engine, a fuel flow sensor, or who knows what.

Now for the SONAR I want a few things, too:

--capture of sonograms on memory chip in standard file format with meta-data
--color
--ability to give good detail as deep as 520 feet of cold fresh water

I know that I could probably assemble a system like this using all of the top-of-the-line devices from Garmin or Raymarine, but such a system will cost many thousands of dollars. I just don't use the boat that often to justify having $5,000 in electronics sitting on it and not in use 99-percent of the time.

posted 08-13-2008 09:43 AM ET (US)            

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Marine/ Broadband-Sounder-and-Ethernetworking/Lowrance-Broadband-Sounder-1/