Lowrance 522c or like units...Little help???

[MaGoo]

Anyone use the 522c?

Its onsale at Cabelas for $499 and looks like a great deal for a combo unit in this price range. Reviews on Cabelas are good, but I'd rather get some info from the experts!!!*018*

200kHz Transducer - any real need for dual beam?

My Garmin 498c has dual beam and I can't trust it. I never catch fish when its marking. *017*

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=catfeatel-cat602012_TGP&id=0044762019021a&navCount=2&podId=0044762&parentId=cat602012&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat602012&hasJS=true

[mbfishing]

That is a good price, I have the same unit on mi boat with the internal antenna an I am very pleased with it. The depth finder is great and I have second guessed the gps when trying to locate reefs off the NC coast. I could see the buoy but the gps said I was on top of it. It may have been right but I could not locate the structure. Overall I am very pleased.

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

MaGoo, are you going to use this machine in fresh or salt water?

[lakebiker]

Garmins are for GPS.
Furuno or Lowrance/Eagle products are for depth/fish finders.
NASA can't make em bite. That's up to you.
AR markers do get moved due to storms etc.

[MaGoo]

NEM, This unit would be for salt. fishing up to 300' of water.

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

It was a talk over THT about their transducers, they were burning in salt water and also effect the machines too, i don't know how true it is though.

[MaGoo]

Thanks NEM. Cabelas must have been monitoring this site as the sale on that unit is over. Just as well. Back to the drawing board.

[lakebiker]

Check out that x510c they've got on sale. $350 is a hell of a deal. I just ordered one and don't even need it. BOE, my FAVORITE place got em listed at $475. Can't beat that price. Get ya a Garmin GPS. *thumbsup*

[Dave]

My opinion, but if you see it, I think you would agree. Hummingbird has a better bottom imaging than any of the popular brands, in the medium to upper level machines (6 to 900 dollar retail range). That was, until Lowrance just introduced it's new High Definition imaging bottom machines. I demoed one at West Marine the other day, hot off the press model HDS5, internal antenna, dual GPS/FF, with dual frequency transducer, a must for me. Incredible color and clarity, with a decent mapping software package. Old model Lowrance machines should be on sale everywhere by now, or will be very soon. Retail (WestMarine) price is 899.00, but this unit is available elsewhere (check the internet) as low as 750.00.

mbfishing, I think you can trust your GPS, but don't trust numbers that come off a chart or were given to you. Two problems with that. As LB says, buoys get moved from time to time. Charts almost always count on conversion software (old LORAN-C numbers to new GPS numbers) that are not reliable. Unfortunately, the inaccurate numbers get passed along with newer charts and sometimes with lists of GPS numbers, (taken from them) by unsuspecting boaters. I rarely find charted marks to be within 50 yards of my actual GPS readings. Best to motor up to the known buoy, to absolutely identify it, then mark it and save it to your library of accurate numbers. The repeatability should be spot on from from that time forward, with that particular GPS machine.

The second thing to know is that one GPS machine will often read slightly different than another machine - this is less common and usually so minimal as not to make much difference, especially for buoys and landmarks. But for small, hot-spot fishing locations on the open ocean, it can be somewhat frustrating having to circle around to find your trusty old bottom structure, which (when and if you do) you don't want to get all excited and forget to re-mark and record. ;D

Dave

[lakebiker]

My opinion, but if you see it, I think you would agree. Hummingbird has a better bottom imaging than any of the popular brands, in the medium to upper level machines (6 to 900 dollar retail range). That was, until Lowrance just introduced it's new High Definition imaging bottom machines. I demoed one at West Marine the other day, hot off the press model HDS5, internal antenna, dual GPS/FF, with dual frequency transducer, a must for me. Incredible color and clarity, with a decent mapping software package. Old model Lowrance machines should be on sale everywhere by now, or will be very soon. Retail (WestMarine) price is 899.00, but this unit is available elsewhere (check the internet) as low as 750.00.

mbfishing, I think you can trust your GPS, but don't trust numbers that come off a chart or were given to you. Two problems with that. As LB says, buoys get moved from time to time. Charts almost always count on conversion software (old LORAN-C numbers to new GPS numbers) that are not reliable. Unfortunately, the inaccurate numbers get passed along with newer charts and sometimes with lists of GPS numbers, (taken from them) by unsuspecting boaters. I rarely find charted marks to be within 50 yards of my actual GPS readings. Best to motor up to the known buoy, to absolutely identify it, then mark it and save it to your library of accurate numbers. The repeatability should be spot on from from that time forward, with that particular GPS machine.

The second thing to know is that one GPS machine will often read slightly different than another machine - this is less common and usually so minimal as not to make much difference, especially for buoys and landmarks. But for small, hot-spot fishing locations on the open ocean, it can be somewhat frustrating having to circle around to find your trusty old bottom structure, which (when and if you do) you don't want to get all excited and forget to re-mark and record. ;D

Dave

Agree, especially if I was as close to the salt as you are, that High Def is for sure the cat's meow. I'd have one in a minute. On the other hand, there's some good buys on the non-hi def stuff right now if you can hit them before they all sell out and the unit can meet your requirements. Lowrance site has a good demo on the hi-def's too. *thumbsup*