I'm re-wiring the new boat and need to add a sounder/plotter to it with a budget of around £450 and I think I've narrowed it down to either the Lowrance elite 5 HDI or Raymarine Dragonfly (no charts needed at the moment).
I'll be diving from the boat hence looking at units with downscan imaging. The dragonfly has a slightly larger screen but the lowrance has nmea0183 output/input for the vhf although this isn't a deal breaker as I also have an older lowrance globalmap 5150c plotter with nmea out so this could feed the vhf if I went for the dragonfly.
I just can't decide between the two so does anyone have any experience of either and can help make my mind up?
I was looking at the Lowrance elite 5 HDI, and I was advised to get the HDS unit as this has an SD card slot - for adding charts, downloads and updates etc.
hmmm... I asked Lowrance directly about what unit I should get when I sent my 3500c and x102c in for repair as they were beyond repair. I asked about this unit as I wanted a wider single unit to replace both - but they said that it wouldn't support navionics...
hmmm... I asked Lowrance directly about what unit I should get when I sent my 3500c and x102c in for repair as they were beyond repair. I asked about this unit as I wanted a wider single unit to replace both - but they said that it wouldn't support navionics...
My old navionics card from my 3500c dose not work in the new unit'
hmmm... I asked Lowrance directly about what unit I should get when I sent my 3500c and x102c in for repair as they were beyond repair. I asked about this unit as I wanted a wider single unit to replace both - but they said that it wouldn't support navionics...
As far as their website is concerned both the Elite HDI 5 and 7 both support Navionics charts but in Micro SD format. I believe they do do a version of the elite 5 which is a sounder only not plotter/sounder so this may be what they were talking about.
I now think the reason was down to the fact that I had an SD card from the 3500c and not a Micro SD. So they sold me the HDS units giving me the option to re-use the navionics card from the 3500c, then when I had paid and the units shipped from Europe told me my SD card was faulty - so had to buy a new card anyway.
Thanks for the replies, decided to go for the Lowrance in the end, due to recommendations on here and reading around, also the option of the nmea0183 to the radio given that it'll need it.
I think I've narrowed it down to either the Lowrance elite 5 HDI or Raymarine Dragonfly (no charts needed at the moment).
If you go into the menu on the Lowrance Elite 5 HDI and change the chart setting to Navionics, even without the Micro SD card it will give you the coastal outline.
It's all I use, as most of my fishing spots aren't far from shore.
Beretta
