Lowrance Elite 5m...with included card......?
- Thread starter Seafever
- Start date
rockdog
Well-Known Member
I have this unit. I like it, seems to have everything I need. The only knock I have is that the screen is too small when running split screen (GPS and sounder ). I have considered selling and upgrading to the elite 7. When you split the 7, the halves are nearly the same as the whole screen on the 5. The 7 is too expensive right now.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
Well....went and had a look at it Harb. Chan.
Not bad as a stand-alone unit for screensize........but it seems the bundle-card they give you with this unit is not too well detailed for bottom contours. I was told the government hydrographic chart makers got their knickers in a twist over navigation versus fishing detail some time back and forced the card-makers to comply with deleted detail.
I could upgrade to a better Navionics chip.....but the newer ones don't have the detail the older ones did I was told.
If you have an old card with all the detail , there is a way to add it to your new card (except the "bundle" one) if you're good on computers apparently.
So even though I liked the unit, the depth detail was the same as on a 2600 dollar unit they had.
I need way more bottom contour and depth marks than is on the cards they had.
Hydrographic government chart makers say the the old maps and cards rely on soundings made 50 to 70 years ago or more and they are now not accurate anyway.
Bah!!
That might be true for sandbars but a rock is a rock and a ledge is a ledge and they likely haven't moved very far in the last 70 years..
The other thing that browned me off is the "wandering" of GPS tracking.
I was told WAAS -tracking is not always available from sattelites......and today's units use whatever is available at the time....switching from WAAS to "Not WAAS" automatically.
I was shown an instore very expensive unit that has never left the store but is turned on all the time. The "track" chart shows a spider web of movement all over the place as the "pinpoint" location changes diameter dramatically as the sattelite availability changes.....so you are not necessarily where you think you are are at given time....
Not bad as a stand-alone unit for screensize........but it seems the bundle-card they give you with this unit is not too well detailed for bottom contours. I was told the government hydrographic chart makers got their knickers in a twist over navigation versus fishing detail some time back and forced the card-makers to comply with deleted detail.
I could upgrade to a better Navionics chip.....but the newer ones don't have the detail the older ones did I was told.
If you have an old card with all the detail , there is a way to add it to your new card (except the "bundle" one) if you're good on computers apparently.
So even though I liked the unit, the depth detail was the same as on a 2600 dollar unit they had.
I need way more bottom contour and depth marks than is on the cards they had.
Hydrographic government chart makers say the the old maps and cards rely on soundings made 50 to 70 years ago or more and they are now not accurate anyway.
Bah!!
That might be true for sandbars but a rock is a rock and a ledge is a ledge and they likely haven't moved very far in the last 70 years..
The other thing that browned me off is the "wandering" of GPS tracking.
I was told WAAS -tracking is not always available from sattelites......and today's units use whatever is available at the time....switching from WAAS to "Not WAAS" automatically.
I was shown an instore very expensive unit that has never left the store but is turned on all the time. The "track" chart shows a spider web of movement all over the place as the "pinpoint" location changes diameter dramatically as the sattelite availability changes.....so you are not necessarily where you think you are are at given time....
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Time
Well-Known Member
A couple years ago, shortly after I had bought a Garmin 5", I was lucky enough to win an Elite.
Tried them both, and I forget the measurements, but the split screen - side by side views - the Elite screen was narrower (and taller) than on the Garmin.
The Garmin was just more visually appealing to me so I let the Elite go.
Try to find a shop (West Marine?) that has both on display and compare.
With the freebie Navionics now provided I might have had to adapt.
Tried them both, and I forget the measurements, but the split screen - side by side views - the Elite screen was narrower (and taller) than on the Garmin.
The Garmin was just more visually appealing to me so I let the Elite go.
Try to find a shop (West Marine?) that has both on display and compare.
With the freebie Navionics now provided I might have had to adapt.
jeffywestcoast
Well-Known Member
I cant stand the narrowness of the new fishfinder/gps all in one units, i opted to get the elite 4x n elite 4m, i know neither of them are top of the line but i liked the option of have a dedicated unit for each.
Seafever
Well-Known Member
The Elite 5m is "map only"......The Elite 5 is map/finder combo.
On Saturday May 11th.....Harb Chan is selling the map/finder unit for the same price as the map only unit....plus they are giving away a number of these as "doorcrashers".......
So if you like that unit, Sat would be good time to buy one.
I didn't find enough detail in the card that comes with the unit. We looked at "The Rat's Nose" off WCVI on the card provided and it was pretty sketchy. Just not enough contours and depth markings. But that's also the fault of the government going "navigation" oriented, to heck with fishermen.
The more expensive units have better color deliniation for contours/profiles.......so it looks like you get more detail because the colors are better.
My advice is to hang on to all those old-time hardcopy maps as an onsite reference.
On Saturday May 11th.....Harb Chan is selling the map/finder unit for the same price as the map only unit....plus they are giving away a number of these as "doorcrashers".......
So if you like that unit, Sat would be good time to buy one.
I didn't find enough detail in the card that comes with the unit. We looked at "The Rat's Nose" off WCVI on the card provided and it was pretty sketchy. Just not enough contours and depth markings. But that's also the fault of the government going "navigation" oriented, to heck with fishermen.
The more expensive units have better color deliniation for contours/profiles.......so it looks like you get more detail because the colors are better.
My advice is to hang on to all those old-time hardcopy maps as an onsite reference.
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