Lowrance Advise

[AquaMan]

I have a buddy that is looking to add new electronics to his newly purchased 1900ProV Roach Tiller.

I have extolled on the virtues of the LMS350A and he is interested, but I would like to offer him some feedback on the other types of Lowrance. (Not looking for info on PinPoint or BottomLine, thanks)

The choices I recommended are:
LMS350A
LMS160
LMS70A

He wants GPS with this unit and due to the recent feedback regarding the X-15 series, I recomended that he wait on those. What do you guys suggest for a main unit and a bow unit. Am I missing the boat on one or the other? Is mapping a big deal for inland lakes? Should he be looking at that or is the GPS feature sufficient??????

What Lowrance do you have as a main and secondary?

Lemme know.

Thanks

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[Tomr]

Aquaman, my main unit is the x-15mt and my secondary unit is the LMS350A. I also used to have a 70A. I have had great luck with all of the units, even the X-15. just my 2cents worth, thanks, tr

[Box]

I have LMS-160, and the GPS portion is great, so far. We don't use it a ton, but it is fun and helpfull on the bigger lakes (LOTW, etc).

The sonar portion is merely ok. 160 pixels, so not that great of a picture by todays standards, but it would work fine if it was the only unit in the boat. We used BL till it blew up, now have X75 and love it! We canNOT use the LMS160 and X75 at same time as the xducers are the same. We just tip up the LMS160 xducer and don't bother with the 160 sonar. I should look into another xducer, but we don't really need it.

The MapCreate software works fine, but it really needs to be reworked to make it current and even easier to use. We find that in the 2MB they give you with the LMS160, we can get a huge portion of MN - Pepin to Twin Cities lakes, to Mille Lacs, to Fergus Falls area, to northern part of state all in there if you plan it correctly.

The detail is quite astounding for getting the software free (comes with LMS160). On a little (and I mean little...) lake near our house, even the circle at the boat ramp (8 parking spaces!) is included when zoomed in. We were floored! :)

Good luck,
Box in MN

[Hans]

Can you even get the LMS350A or LMS70A anymore?

Hans

[Stan]

Can't speak for the LMS70A but the LMS350A's are not being made any more. There are still some units on the shelves, but you have to search for them.

[AquaMan]

Yes, there are about a dozen or so dealers that have the newer LMS-350A with the 12 position GPS. Same with the LMS-70A.

But I do not know how long they will remain because I am aware that Lowrance discontinued them both last year.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[AquaMan]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-05-01 AT 02:30PM (CST)[p]Would you say that the benifits of the mapping on the 160 offset the better screen on the 350A?

Personally, I would rather have a better sonar then mapping since most of my lakes are not hard to navigate with the GPS. However, I could see the 160 being more important on the intercoastal and great lakes, etc. But that is the information I am looking for, thanks, Box.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com

[Box]

If you want better sonar, then the 350A is definitely the one to get. I only used the 350A once, and only the sonar portion, but it was very nice. It also is huge though... really big and ... well... big... :)

For what it is worth, and its only hear-say, my neighbor tells me his 350A sucks battery power. I know my 160 does NOT suck power.

I do love my x75 though :) and if I didn't get it for only $285 including speed and temp, I would gotten the x85. The picture and detail is incredible.

Good luck,
Box

[KevinA]

Sounds like he's willing to spend a couple bucks at least...here's another option. Go to ebay. There's a GM2000 on there right now. They usually end up going for around $425-450 with all the accessories. Then pick up an X85. The GM2000 has a large high resolution screen & mapping. The X85 has high resolution sonar. They both use the same transducer & speed/temp unit. If the X85 gives you any trouble you have a backup in the GM2000. This is the setup I'm running, though admittedly I got into it for a very good price. Picked up a GM2000 brand new in the shrink-wrapped case for $300.

Ebay also has a 70A, LMS350A, X85...offered. Look at the completed auctions for going prices on things.

[Larry]

I run the GM2000 and the LMS350A on the console. My X70A rides beside my old Humminbird flasher in the bow but shares duties on a quick disconnect mount at the stern for trolling. I've always liked the large screen of these units. I would recommend the LMS350A but be sure to purchase the upgraded model with the 12 chnl GPS. I'm running the older LCG-5 and Lowrance no longer supports it. I purchased a spare unit off e-bay....just in case !! The GM2000 is a great unit that might not be an absolute necessity but it's sure nice to have !! You really do need to have the map link w/ the unit and get the chips for the waters that you fish....be that smart map or c-map. I wouldn't waste extra money for the SAM module since it's much inferior to sonar of the X70A or 350A. Another handy item with this equipment is the dual freq. transducer.

[info]

Check out www.consumermarine.com. Good site for colored chart plotters. The software seems to be geared for other brands than Lowrance. I like Lowrancce but for a chartplotter i will be upgrading to another brand. This site has alot to choose from. Not cheap for a good unit.

[Tommy Mac]

Hi AuqaMan,

I have been a lifetime Lowrance user. As for the units you are considering I would recomend the LMS 350 as a main unit. The windows freature alows you to see several differant screens at one time and the sonar is very good. The only sonars that Lowrance offers that are better are the X-85 and the X-15. The X-15 has is an awsome sonar unit. There is not a lot of difference between the LMS 350 and the X-85. The X-85 does seem to show more detail.

I do like the mapping type of GPS available with the LMS 1600, no sonar, and the X-15. On unfamilular larger bodies of water, it is really nice. Both of these units come with software from Lowrance that will show most importants landmarks. The only way to get lake contours is through a software vendor such as Navtronics or Lakemaps.

Your friend might want to consider the LMS 1600, no sonar and an X-85 as his main set up. I have an X-15 and have had very few problems with my unit. As mentioned earlier the sonar on this unit is nothing short of fantastic. The one thing that I do not like about it is that Lowrance has not give other software companies, besides Navtronics, the codes for adapting their software for the X-15. I like the Lakemaps software over the Navtronics. And for this reason I wish that I would have went with the X-15 sonar only and the LMS 1600 for my mapping unit. As for the bow area, the X-75 would work fine if high detail is not a requirement. If it is I would opt for the X-85 there as well.

If you have any other questions please feel free to drop me an e-mail. If you would like to get in the boat and check these units out, that might be possible as well. Take care. Tom

[Jim Carroll]

Eric- Don't overlook the X-15. I've got two and have had no problems. The sonar detail is awesome. I have a buddy that fished the PWT AM at Mille Lacs that got a chance to watch an X-15 side by side against a Genetron GT-9 and he was very impressed with the X-15. His comment to me was that the Genetron would mark fish at the edge of the cone better than the X-15, but that when the fish marked well on the GT-9, they were on the X-15 as well. This could be a result of the GT-9 cone angle being set wider. As I understand it they have a variable cone angle.

I agree with TommyMac on the mapping from Navionics but only because they do not offer maps for lakes here in ND and apparently have no plans to do so any time soon. We have three major walleye tournaments in our state this year. Navionics are you listening? The mapping software that comes with the unit is very good but it could be made a little more user friendly with regards to tansfering data. Perhaps they set it up as they did for proprietary reasons.

Also with your obvious computer skills you can keep your friend current with the updates from Lowrance. I look at that feature as a huge advantage as I have every confidence that Lowrance will solve any problems and keep on improving the X-15 to the limits of its hardware.

Finally there is a GPS accessories pack on ebay for an x-15. Perhaps he can save a few bucks....JC

[AquaMan]

Thanks Tommy Mac, Jim C and the rest. These are great insights. I told him about the X-15 but added that there had been problems with some (not all) and could not recommend it highly as a result. Based on my experience with my LMS-350A, LMS-70A and X-48, I could only extoll the virtues of those units only. Personally, I am all for the LMS-350A since I do not require the lakemaps features...yet. Sonar is more important at this point and the same goes for my buddy. Mille Lacs is his back yard...sorta...and he fishes that lake 4-5 times a month as well Leech, Winnie, Lake of the Woods and few other big lakes. Based on that data, I recommended the 350A as the main and the X85 at the bow. There are a few distributors that have both in stock, so we'll see what they can provide for insight in the end.

The GM2000 was another unit that came up and I forwarded all this data to him for review. Thanks a ton guys.

Best regards.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.·´¯° --- "It all begins and ends at the water's edge"

Eric@crowncomputerinc.com