[No Mas]

I will be buying a new boat in the next few weeks and was wondering what to do as far as electronics are concerned. Any opinions on whether I should buy a sonar/gps combo unit or just buy them separate would be helpful. I was looking at possibly the Eagle 480 combo, or the lowrance LMS 480 Dual Freq. sonar/gps+waas.

 

[Eastern Yooper]

I'd advise buying separate.

BTW: I just got the Eagle 480 Intellimap GPS+WAAS myself, with the Navionics gold cartridge. Haven't got it on the rig yet, but it sure impresses me thus far.....

C'mon spring!

 

[Eastern Yooper]

Also worth mentioning: Lowrance and Eagle are the exact same thing made by the exact same company.

Compare the two, and you'll discover you're paying $50-$100 more simply for the Lowrance name.

 

[No Mas]

I knew they were the same company! So you did not buy the combo one, just the GPS unit separate. I was looking at going with the 480 seafinder and then maybe buying the Intellmap 320??

 

[Mad Jack]

NO MAS
I would have to agree
Just thing if one of the things quit working and you had to send it back you are with out anything.
At least this is my opinion I also have seperate modles.

 

[Eastern Yooper]

Ahhhhmmmmm..... need to know what type of rig you're buying and what you'll be using it for.

That Seafinder 480 is a nice unit, but note that it has a split-cone option of 35/12 degrees, and no speed sensor option.

The Fishmark 480 plus has speed & temp sensor and a 20 degree cone.

And did you mean the 480 intellimap GPS? I don't think they make a 320 model.

Eagle electronics are reliable, easy to learn, and simple to use. I think you'll be happy with those models.

 

[No Mas]

Your right, I definitely want the 480 plus. I need to have speed and temp. According to the eagle website it looks like the still sell the 320 Intellimap. I am buying a 19ft Starcraft Fishmaster. I will be using it for salmon and walleye fishing.

 

[SalmonBum]

The problem with a combo is, if you have a problem, you loose both. Unless you have a back up of both (I do).

I would really look into Garmins. They are much more reliable. I know about 20 good friends that have Lowrance stuff and they all have had problems.

 

[PencilPlugger]

I have a Lowrance combo unit (not sure of the model) and I had problems with losing the sonar signal intermittently. It was probably 2 or 3 months old at the time and I sent it back to Lowrance for repair. Since it was still under warranty, they actually offered to send me a new unit if they could place a "temporary" charge on my credit card until they received the other unit. I passed on this offer. Three or four weeks later, I received the "repaired" unit back only to find that it was still losing the sonar. Turns out that the problem was with the transducer, which they replaced without question. Although I was happy with the customer service, I wasn't so happy without the sonar working properly for months or the time I was without GPS. Long story short...get separate units!

 

[mihunter]

No Mas,

Check your pm's

 

[No Mas]

Mihunter,

Send me an email if you can. If not, I will PM you. Me and another guy are looking at a new starcraft 196 fishmaster. I can fill you in.

 

[Eastern Yooper]

No Mas, you're buying a Fishmaster?

You're allright in my book!

I looked at Eagle website at those 320's, and the only difference is that they have a 320 screen pixel count versus the 480 count on the 480 model. You'll get slightly better graphics, resolution, and detail with the 480.

If you buy the Navionics Hot Maps cartridge for it, make sure you get the gold. Better format, shaded depth contours, and slightly more details than the classic. You can get it for the same price, too.

I've got a 176 named "Unforgiven" that I just got last fall:

 

[No Mas]

Eastern Yooper,

I thought about buying a 19ft. Monark King, but for a couple of grand more I don't think I can go wrong with the Fishmaster. I like how everything is set up, the room and the transom height/width.

Can you give me the in's/out's of the Eagle GPS. I have never used one and only relied on knowing how to navigate the waters I like to fish in. I have been looking at all the different models (cabela's/bass pro) and get confused on what's what and what is better than the next. You mentioned the navigation chart or something like that. Is this a must? What does it do for me.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Eastern Yooper]

The Intellimap has a built-in map of the entire world. So if you were to turn-on the unit in say, Cambodia, it would show the river you were on. It also shows major roads, cities, towns, ports, etc.

When in the United States, the map has a more detailed version of major lakes, coastal & great lakes waterways, roads, "points of interest" like restaurants, motels, etc.

Undoubtedly over the years, you have seen the waterproof folding paper "Fishing Hot Spots" maps of a particular fishing location, like Saginaw Bay, Higgins Lake, etc. They make paper maps of these for lakes and rivers all around the country. These maps show drop-offs, structure, boat launches, reefs, etc. and areas to "key-in" on for fishing.

Well, the Navionics cartridge I mentioned upgrades your GPS to a computerized version of that. Highly, highly detailed maps comprised of data from USGS, Fishing Hot Maps, MDNR, NOAA, and many other sources. You pop the cartridge into your Intellimap, and WALLAH! Instantly has the data for 224 Michigan lakes, bays, and rivers.

Here's their site:
http://www.navionics.com/HotMaps/Default.asp

The GPS itself is very uncomplicated to use. I know it looks intimidating... but I am very un-sophisticated when it comes to electronics, and if I can get the hang of it, anyone can.

 

[No Mas]

Thanks a lot.

One more question and I will stop bugging you. If I was to buy the intellimap 320/480 does that have a speed indicator on the unit. Just wondering because if it does, I guess I don't really need a sonar with speed on it right?

 

[POLARBEAR]

no mas, i just got an ad from bass pro shops and they are going to have a "spring fever sale" march 6 to the 14th. moonlight march madness sale is on march 12 5 to 11pm..

listed in the ad is the fishmark 480 for $189.88. you may get a good deal there. do your homework though. good luck

 

[Eastern Yooper]

Yes, the GPS has a speed indicator.

There are lots & lots of GPS on the market; I know it can be very confusing and overwhelming when shopping for one.

I choose Eagle because I have owned several of their products over they years, and I've been very satisfied with performance, operation, and quality.

The Intellimap 480 has one of the biggest screen pixel counts currently on the market, built-in background mapping, and is easy to use. Add to that the available Navionics cartridges, and I felt I was getting the most "bang for my buck".

Sure a GPS can navigate you thru fog, in the dark, etc. but thats a rarity. 95% of the time I use mine for fishing: returning to structure(s), a "secret spot", etc. Every time I land a legal walleye, I enter an "icon" (a symbol) into the GPS' memory. After a few years, you can look at the screen and say, "Gee, over the years I've caught a fair amount of fish in this area" and then go work those particular spots. Also the unit automatically lays whats known as a "plot trail" on the screen, and when drifting, I'll return to exactly where I started my drift if I'm catching fish.

You'll be amazed at what you can do with it.