need a new graph

[squidkid]

could someone please give me some advice on what to look for in a quality graph....i see the correlation between pixels and peak watts and price........is there a big difference between 160 pixels and 240?......what about 600 watts compared to 3,000?.......is this legit, or is it compareable to the reel manufacturers that try to cram as many ball bearings into their reals.....lol..........i have gone to a few sites that sort of explain things, but would rather hear it from guys that have used them.......not selling them........any makes and models would be appreciated.....thanks

[Chris S.]

I just sent back a garmin 240 cause it lost bottom on me twice. I bought the lowrance x-85. Nice unit but the garmin was a lot more sensitive. Jigging in 10' of water you could see your jig up and down across the screen. I have not seen this yet with the x-85. The spedometer on the x-85 is very accurate, and the one on the garmin is way off. Both are nice units.

Chris

[Mille Lacs Guy]

Let me suggest the Zercom LPG 2000. And yes the amount of watts does make a differene; the LPG is 3200 watts. I run a X65 next to the Zercom and in 20+ feet of water the X65 is not marking the fish the LPG 2000 is. If you are going to get a new graph I would suggest either the LPG 2000 or the Lowrance X15, these graphs feature easy to use buttons and controls compared to the X85, which is more difficult to change settings in because you have to navigate through numerous "windows". The LPG also features a dual angle transducer which is nice.

Good Luck in Your Decision.

Mille Lacs Guy

[FROGMAN]

Let me confuse you a little more if I may. When purchasing sonar's you must make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Some companies like to play the number's game when describing the power of their units. Power can be listed as one of two ways. Peak to peak, or watts RMS. The LPG2000 listed above at 3200 is peak to peak, on the other hand I run an Interphase Advantage that is 1000 watts RMS which translates to 8000 watts peak to peak, get the picture? Most of the units that run anywhere near the 500 watt RMS mark are doing pretty good, and are worth your consideration. Yes more pixels will give you a better picture of the target, but the power is the key.
Currently on my tournament boat I run a Lowrance lcx-15MT/GPS and an Interphase Advantage on my console with a Pinpoint 7520 on the bow mount trolling motor. Each one was selected for, and serves it's own purpose. Good luck, and e-mail me if your are not confused enough already! LOL

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[squidkid]

thanks for all three responses guys.........maybe if i tell you a little about my situation, it might help you help me.....lol.......most of my fishing is done on saginaw bay for walleye(30ft. or less)....currently i have a hummingbird wide view on my boat.......don't worry about hurting my feelings if you laugh at my graph.......i have serious doubts about it also, hence my new graph debate...lol.........i fish a few small tournies for the experience, but mostly fish for bragging purposes at work...lol.........i have thousands of dollars wrapped up in rods,reels,lures, boards etc and am wondering if the missing ingredient is a quality graph.........the key word is 'A' graph.....hehe.......right now i am kinda looking at the lowrance x-85.......is this an incredible upgrade from what i have now and would it do the things that i need it to do for my type of fishing?......thanks again

[KP]

I second Frogman. I also have an Interphase Advantage. It has less screen pixels of competing units which means it's not supposed to have the same quality of detail. But if your lack of RMS and Peak power keeps you from seeing fish, who cares how good your detail is. A friend of mine just bought one because he was sick of being in the same area as me and not seeing the same fish on his fancy Bottomline that I was seeing on my Interphase.

[squidkid]

the difference between the x-15mt and the x-85 is the pixel count
(the watts are the same).....what do you get for the additional $300?.....are that many more pixels a huge difference ?.........pinpoint 7420(240x240 with 3600 watts), zercom lpg2000(320x240 with 3200 watts), lowrance x-85(240x240 with 3000 watts) all compare to each other.......what makes one better than the other?...........thanks again

[squidkid]

thank you also, i guess what i am looking for is one graph that has sufficient power and sufficient detail........do you have any ideas as to which graph would fit this bill?

[EricCO]

I have an x-85 on my console.

Pro's - The backlighting is awesome at night. Lowrance has a great reputation for service and product reliability.

Con's - Adjustment menus take a while to scroll through to find what you want such and sensitivity, depth, etc. Scroll speed could be quicker.

I have a Pinpoint 7420 on my bow.

Pro's - Adjustability of sensitivity and depth are easy with one touch keys. Great bottom separation. Great detail. Networkable with other pinpoint sonars. Fast scroll speed. Transducer is built into my bow mount (Motorguide), so no wires going down the shaft.

Con's - Fishing with this thing at night sucks. Screen is a little small.

Good luck with your choice.