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Joined: Oct 2007
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
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Joined: Oct 2007
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I want to buy an inexpensive one for my 14'boat.I was looking at the Hummingbird 597 HD DI Combo.Truth is I know nothing about these newer locaters.Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks ahead Huntz. 
Its all right to be white!!
Stupidity left unattended will run rampant
Don't argue with stupid people, They will drag you down to their level and then win by experience
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,309
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2009
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Most, by a wide margin, of the tournament guys use Lowrance, and I can also tell you that most do not get them for free.
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,239
Campfire Tracker
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You can get a nice Lowrance unit quite a bit cheaper...if you go black and white, instead of color.
I should have just
bought a [bleep] T3...
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Joined: May 2005
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Campfire Regular
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Joined: May 2005
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...And buy the Eagle instead of Lowrance, same insides, different outside.
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Uhhhhh..... It'll take some digging, but you need to find the knowledgeable people that really know about marine electronics returns and repairs at places like BPS, Cabelas, West Marine, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, and larger boat dealers - places that sell multiple brands of depth sounders.
I just did that recently and was told at every place that they have MANY, MANY more returns and problems with Lowrance and Eagle products that are priced LESS THAN about $700 to $750, than any other brand. Below $750 they all recommended Humminbird products. Some said that Garmin was okay, but none recommended them over Humminbird.
Now, ABOVE $750, the Lowrance equipment is good, and was recommended by quite a few folks I talked to. And I guarantee you that NONE of the pros are using anything that cost less than 750 bucks.
If my personal experience means anything, I grew up on the Tennessee River in North Alabama, still have a place there, and have had fishing boats and bass boats my whole life, have spent and still do spend UNTOLD numbers of hours on the water, and the ONLY fish finders that have ever crapped out on me were Eagles and Lowrances. Never had a Humminbird fail on me. I AIN'T saying that doesn't ever happen - it just hasn't ever happened to ME.
I'm currently running a Humminbird 788ci HD with built in GPS and two SD slots in it. One slot has a Navionics Southern Region card in it and the other I load with a card with goodies that I put together using Navionics Planner software and other s/w on my home computer. By the way, I paid around $500 for my 788ci HD on sale at BPS.
Bring enough gun and know how to use it.
Know that it is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,237
Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 14,237 |
Uhhhhh..... It'll take some digging, but you need to find the knowledgeable people that really know about marine electronics returns and repairs at places like BPS, Cabelas, West Marine, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, and larger boat dealers - places that sell multiple brands of depth sounders.
I just did that recently and was told at every place that they have MANY, MANY more returns and problems with Lowrance and Eagle products that are priced LESS THAN about $700 to $750, than any other brand. Below $750 they all recommended Humminbird products. Some said that Garmin was okay, but none recommended them over Humminbird.
Now, ABOVE $750, the Lowrance equipment is good, and was recommended by quite a few folks I talked to. And I guarantee you that NONE of the pros are using anything that cost less than 750 bucks.
If my personal experience means anything, I grew up on the Tennessee River in North Alabama, still have a place there, and have had fishing boats and bass boats my whole life, have spent and still do spend UNTOLD numbers of hours on the water, and the ONLY fish finders that have ever crapped out on me were Eagles and Lowrances. Never had a Humminbird fail on me. I AIN'T saying that doesn't ever happen - it just hasn't ever happened to ME.
I'm currently running a Humminbird 788ci HD with built in GPS and two SD slots in it. One slot has a Navionics Southern Region card in it and the other I load with a card with goodies that I put together using Navionics Planner software and other s/w on my home computer. By the way, I paid around $500 for my 788ci HD on sale at BPS.
Thanks, Huntz
Last edited by Huntz; 06/02/11.
Its all right to be white!!
Stupidity left unattended will run rampant
Don't argue with stupid people, They will drag you down to their level and then win by experience
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I'm going to second Skeezix thoughts - on the entry level stuff, go Humminbird. I'm a kayak fisher, and did a lot of reading before purchasing a 383c combo. Seems like the Eagle stuff just wasn't as rugged as the Humminbird gear.
That said, my 383c went tango uniform on my second trip to Kodiak. Humminbird, no questions asked, sent me a replacement (It wasn't my old unit, but I imagine it was refurbished) when I sent the snafu'd unit back to them.
Scott
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Joined: May 2008
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I'm a diehard Lowrance user, and have been for more than 35 years. Everything from flashers, to paper graphs, up to the HD series they have out now. In that span, the only units that ever gave me trouble were the 332 combo series, with the built in GPS antenna. They did have a bit of trouble with the early 520 getting water in the units, but that was corrected also.
Lowrance built a GREAT reputation for customer service. They had a lady named Sue who would bend over backwards to help you out if you had a issue. Not sure if she's still there or not, but the few times I dealt with her, she was great. She once shipped a replacement unit overnight to my boat dealer, before I had even shipped back my damaged unit, so I wouldn't miss a Tx. Things like that keep me buying Lowrance.
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Call Marine General in Duluth Minnesota and those guys will tell you about locators of all makes. They know there stuff.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,745 |
You can end your search right where you thought. If you want a good, relitivly inexpensive locator, you picked a good one. I had a H-bird 535 on the front of my last boat. it was a black and white unit. For $150 it was a good buy. I trusted it more than the Lowrance that was at the helm. You can get a nice Lowrance unit quite a bit cheaper...if you go black and white, instead of color.
I have 2 lowrance units on my boat, an I am not impressed. I do agree with yukonAl though, if you get a B&W unint, no matter the brand, it will be cheaper by a good margin. Some are more accurate than the color counter parts. If you want cheap, that is probably the way to go. I'm switching out my Lowrance's to H-birds this winter if that says anything.
Last edited by tzone; 06/12/11.
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
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Most, by a wide margin, of the tournament guys use Lowrance, and I can also tell you that most do not get them for free. Yes they do get them for free. Nearly every sponsored tournment guy gets their electrics for free. I fish trourneys and am not sponsored....I'll be paying to switch to humminbirds later this year.
Last edited by tzone; 06/12/11.
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Lowrance built a GREAT reputation for customer service. They had a lady named Sue who would bend over backwards to help you out if you had a issue. Not sure if she's still there or not, but the few times I dealt with her, she was great. She once shipped a replacement unit overnight to my boat dealer, before I had even shipped back my damaged unit, so I wouldn't miss a Tx. Things like that keep me buying Lowrance.
Sue left Lowrance in a way the most felt unfairly...She was the one that kept most coming back to Lowrance. If you didn't deal with Sue, it was a crap shoot. Lowrance customer service has been a crap shoot at best, for a few years now. When you have trouble with you Lowrance, they will most likey not repair it. YOu will have to send in $60 just to have them look at it, and they will tell you it is out dated and they no longer support it. But will sell you a newer version for a discounted price....Yes, even with the $2K plus units, they do this with. I'm not the only one with these issues....Google Lowrance custormer service. Check out walleyecentral.com in the "electroins forum, for some more info.
Camp is where you make it.
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