Sonar Units

[pgjeldum]

Just looking for different opinions on different sonar units. I would like to get a good unit that can keep track of bottom & good fish seperation in deeper water. I've heard good & bad both on Lowrance loosing the bottom in deeper water around 100ft down. Haven't heard much on other brand units. Just looking to see who is happy or not with their sonars down deep.

Paul

[Priority1]

I have an older LMS-350 Lowrance GPS Sonar combo that still does the job. I think it's about 15 years old. I probably should upgrade, but I'm dinosaur myself.

Oh! I just notice this is your first post. A warm welcome to you Paul. If you get a chance, post a little about yourself in the welcome forum. Let us know if you need any help.

[scott w]

I have a lowrance x-15, And love it. I won't replace it till it pukes or i buy another boat.

[boomerang]

so ya think you have alot of options in buying a sonar unit, from what ive seen/read and experienced you have tons of different transducers as well, the better sonar heads well work much better and you will get better performance with a more expensive transducer, even with a sonar unit with less power output will work much better if you couple it with a more top of the line transducer.....good luck in your search.....WELCOME TO THE SITE!!!

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

There are many good makes out there and I personally think it comes down to personal preference. I have a Lowrance and Garmin on my boat. My future units will likely be Garmin due to their great user functions and great technical service.

For the Great Lakes, if you want to track the bottom, deffinately get a unit that has the following:

1) hyperscroll feature, great for going a little faster on a 'search and destroy' mission to find fish prior to dropping lines

2) whether it be dual frequency or single, ensure it can operate at 200khz or higher. They will track the bottom much better. I personally would do a 50khz/200khz dual frequency unit. They are not much more expensive and offer the advantage of great bottom tracking and water coverage at the same time.

3) 1500W peak to peak minimum power(3000 if dual frequency)

4) This is also personal preference, but I really would not consider a unit that does not have color. I've got both on my boat and the additional colors are much easier on the eyes and can really give you detailed info at a glance.

I hope this helps!

Good shopping and welcome to the site.