I'm trying to decide between a Lowrance x-15MT and a bottomline
NCC 6500. I like the screen resolution of the X15 and I like the
sidefinder feature of the 6500.

Can anyone give me some experienced advice?
Do the side finders really work well or is it sales fluff?
Will the 6500 operate in 50 kHz and 200 kHz mode at the same time?

Does the Tournament Master HR work as well as the NCC 6500 as far as
the sounder functions go?

fishin4fun- I can only speak about the Tournament Master HR. I`ve been using this unit for three years now and I`m still impressed! Believe Me when I say I would be LOST on Saginaw Bay without the sidefinder feature. Invaluable tool searching for suspended and roaming schools of Eyes and/or baitfish. Also the HR stands for High Resolution, IMHO it out performs any other unit I`ve seen. Hope this helps in Your quest. Bob WC#253

agree on the master HR have had mine 5 years now and still love it every time i turn it on.

I run both the Bottom Line NCC 6500 and the Master HR. The HR unit is up front and the 6500 is on the dash. Both units are great. If you are looking to get the most from the unit and money isn't the object go with the 6500. Here's why:

Larger screen for the GPS. Extremely valuable when you add a C-Map reader, and you will want that.

Four sidefinders instead of two. Double your fishfinding capabilities.

If you are so inclined you can also hook 6 downriggers to the NCC 6500 or 5300.

Remember that sidefinders are not only helpful for finding fish in open water, they are great for searching shallow water also. For example, while searching a breakline or dropoff the sidefinders are scanning the adjacent flat for shallow, active fish. I turn the fish alarm on on my sidefinders, if they start to beep I know itis time to cast shallow.

No you can't run 50 Khz and 200 Khz at the same time from the same unit. I've run my 6500 with the 50 Khz transducer and then I ran a Tournament 4300 beside it with the 200 transducer. This was a great setup.

Good luck with your choice.

Doug Burns

Doug

Does the 50 khz transducer connect to the unit on the same connector
as the 200 khx transducer or does it have its own connector?

I have 2 friends that bought the x-15mt and they both had problems
those 2 units have been sent back twice
maybe the HR is a better choice

I have a lowrance lms-240 and have had no problems

rebs

Doug,
I always thought that the sidefinders were just gimmick. I have never used them and felt that the general popularity of the competion pointed to there lack of validity. I am not trying to pick a fight on this and am only seeking information. None of the folks I have ever fished with have used these units. What are the practical limitations of the side view regarding distance etc? You seem rather high on them. Do they sponsor you? Sponsored or not, I would appreciate more of your thoughts on these units. If you prefer you can email me directly, I am a registered user.
Thanks,

Jim,

Yes, I am very high on the Bottom Line units. They do everything I need them to do and do it well.

Yes, I am sponsored by Bottom Line. I have been with them for six years. I know you aren't trying to pick a fight, but let me say this. If I thought switching to another brand would make me more competitive and help me find more fish I would do it in a heartbeat. I compete to win, with the possible exception of playing some games with my children, even then sometimes I can get carried away.

NO, sidefinders are not a gimmick. They are simply another tool to help locate fish. They work on the same premise as downlooking sonar, a sound wave is sent out from the transducer and when that sound wave is returned the depthfinder will display a fish signal in the designated screen. Unlike downlooking sonar where we can set the unit on manual we can't do that with sidefinders. A fish icon is only displayed when the sidefinder determines that the returned signal fits the given parameters of a fish. Is there some error in this process? Certainely. However, independent test have shown a 90% accuracy and I personally have come to trust sidefinders completely.

The one false identification I see most often occurs when I am casting or trolling steep banks. A double echo from the bank will cause the sidefinder to display a fish 60 feet away when the boat is only 30 feet from the bank. It is quite obvious that a fish isn't 30 feet up on dry land.

Bottom Line Sidefinders work on a 9 degree cone at 455 Khz, so that they don't interfere with your downlooking sonar. They have a range of 240 feet to each side.

Anytime you would like a ride I will be glad to show you how well Sidefinders work. Maximizing the amount of water an angler can see with their depthfinder only makes sense to me. So this doesn't sound to much like a commercial I won't go into all the other things I like about Bottom Line.

There are many pros running Bottom Line units and that number increases each year. To name just a few: Ted Takasaki, Scott & Marty Glorvigen, and Mark Sak.

Doug Burns

P.S. Yes there is only one port for a transducer, either run the 200 or the 50.

I've been running BottomLine for maybe 8 years now. I run a BottomLine NCC5300 on my console and a Tournament Master HR on the bow. Personally I like the Tournament Master HR better (I think the gray scale is better).

That being said, I also have a GENETRON on the console (next to the NCC5300) and it blows both of the BottomLine units away. The NCC5300 is relegated to GPS functions only at this point.

Best Regards,

FJH

When running both Bottomlines do you get interference?

Nope, no problems.

Best Regards,

FJH

take the bottom line. I have an old bottom line tourn. with side finders, it's a must for shallow walleyes as well, walleyes are a shallow fish you know.

FJH;
Are the Genetrons really that good? What depths are you fishing?How do they work at higher speeds?
Thanks Mike

I had a Garmin 160 on my last boat, I hate to say it again, but my buddy has an X-15 and it's not as good. Way less money too. Sure its' a bigger screen with more pixels, more power, ect.

As far as I'm concerned Garmin makes the best.

Adam.

Yeah, I know... everyone's got one. Go buy one at Walmart for 175 on sale.

what does the garmin do that the x-15 mt doesn't do

I have a lowrance x-45 which is an older unit on my bow and I like it too
but I like my LMS-240 better

rebs

When using the 50 khz transducer with an HR or a 5300, does it have sidefinders? Is the 50 khz transducer useful for fresh water fishing?

How about the Garmin 188 anybody have one of these. I do not have the dash space for a seperate GPS unit. I have had other finders with the dual tranducers and that is an option the 188 has. I am also curious about Garmins base map and how you guys that use there GPS units like it.
Thanks Paul

How about it guys...is the 50 khz option worth
messing with for freshwater?

fishn4fun
For me it is a good option. One I can run my other fishfinder at the same time with the gain turned up even in deep water and have no interference. Second the wider cone angle with the 50khz allows me to see a wider view of the bottom and when I am using downriggers the 50khz screen most always lets me keep track of my downrigger balls.
Paul