[rhahn427]

I've had a bit of experience with depthfinders. I own more than I need right now. My suggestions :

First off, buy the best you can afford. If you are looking at the Eagle line then you may want to take a look at the Lowrance line. THey are both made by Lowrance and look the same except that the Lowrance has much more RMS power than the Eagle line which can give you better accuracy and sensitivity and usually better tracking at high speeds.

Second you have to decide how you want to use it. I like having the DF and GPS in 1 unit. It allows you to do much more. With the higher end units, (LMS332c - LCS111x in the Lowrance line) you can record both the gps and the sonar on a chip and you can mark GPS waypoints from the sonar record so you have greater accuracy for pinpointing spots. THis is only important if you want to record your trips marking spots you caught fish to finetune fishing patterns and being able to see what was below you at that time.

If you dont want to record your trips then seperate units may be better so you won't lose both capabilities if the units goes bad.

Then there are the brands, that is up to you're pocket book and personal preference. I personally like Lowrance because it has a great depthfinder and a good GPS that uses inexpensive software that is great (Nauticpath). The units have the largest screens with the highest definition (pixels) for the money and that is important to me. They are so sensitive that you can watch your jig go to the bottom in 60ft + water. THe drawback is that it is more menu driven then some other manufacturers(who use more buttons) so it requires more of a learning curve.

Right now I have and use the LCX111c, LCX25c and the LMS 332c and 2-X70's Since I only have 2 boats I'll probably sell the 332c and the X70's this winter/spring.

Be careful with the X17 ....... It's a great unit but I believe it's being discontinued and it may only work with the older NauticPath Chips. I had to trade an older Nauticpath chip for a newer chip to a friend for that reason and I believe he had the X17. You may want to check with Lowrance technical support just to be sure before purchasing it. Otherwise it is a great Black and white unit.

Thanks

Rick