New gps/depth unit

[RABBITFISH]

I know that if I don't ask for help I'll regret it so here goes. It's time to replace the electronics on my boat and have narrowed my choice down to two.
Garmin 541s combo or the Lowrance HDS-5 Nautic Insight
I know some of you may have some experience with these units and or companies and would value all of the input I can get before I pull the trigger.
Thanks....

[Road King Cole]

Well I have a garmin 54x combo, the one with the cheaper display. Not once have I thought I needed the fancier higher definition display.

The GPS works well and is easy to use.

The sonar reports lots of seaweed as fish.

Just keep in mind that I don't have a lot of experience. But if I were to do it again I would probably go with a garmin gps and a better separate sonar unit if you want to use the sonar for finding fish. It works great for just saying how deep it is. Also, again, maybe I just don't have it set up correctly and read it well.

rkc

[macojoe]

I have thenew fancy Garmin 4210 with a 10" screen, gps, sonar, and radar all toghter. I have always had Garmin except once it was a Lowrance and I did not like it.
Chumbucket liked mine so much he just bought the Garmin 5207, 7" touch screen. can put sonar but he isn't doing that right now.

[chumbucket]

I don't know where you come up with these numbers MJ.
I just purchased a Garmin GPSMap 740 Touch Screen display and I have a separate Furuno FCV620 Fish Finder.

[macojoe]

lol, got the number wrong but its still the same unit. shoot me!

[chumbucket]

Originally Posted by macojoe

lol, got the number wrong but its still the same unit. shoot me!

First of all, they don't even make anything called a 5207. 8" is the smallest screen size in the 5000 series GPS.
Secondly, I don't have MJ money so I have to buy a much smaller unit.
And last, it was 5 AM when you posted. Shouldn't you be out doing yard work or something?

[spareparts]

I used to recommend the garmin 541's to my customers who wanted a nice gps, with a decent depth finder. last time I told some one about it, he called me back and asked, "have you priced one lately?" I had no idea how much they had gone up, watch when you are shopping them because they tend to price it with out the transducer, the Lowrance units seem to be the best bang for the buck now. I've never liked the lowrance units, but the fresh water guys on the lake love them. Personally, I'd look around for a good used unit to bide your time with, if you need are ally good bottom machine, check out the commercial fishing papers, they have the real deal reman SItex and Furono bottom machines for around $700, these things look like they belong on "deadliest catch". I've seen a major across the board increase in marine electronics lately, some pretty step ones at that. I personally thing the new Ipad type tablets are going to make the boat GPS market crash soon. For $700 an I pad has a far better screen and display than $5000 Marine GPS. I have several of my customers running navionics on their Ipads that sit right beside their high $ Ray Marine and North Start units. Once they come out with a rough service model(like my Casio phone), I think they will over take the small boat market. There is already a radar and auto pilot link set up to import data from your existing NEMA data. You'll still need a power module to run the transducer, radar, and auto pilot high voltage lines, but the display and control will all be in the pad

[macojoe]

I was out to the shead at 6am doing a few things!! Went and got the wife for a home vist today at 9am and I here now.

Spare you are right about prices!! I paid $2000 for my 4210 with the sonar black box, - the ducer, and also got the radar included in that price. at boat show in 2010 winter. But I hear I never be able to touch it now!

[ssiredfish]

Ihave always used Garmin but I have to say Furuno and Lowrance make the best bottom machines.

I recently bought the LOW Elite 5x-DSI.....pretty cool unit for the price. Ive seen anchors in the pulpits and subway car windows in 80' with it......