ChartPlotter vs FF w/ GPS

[forrest]

buying 2 separate units would give me 2 screens:

What is the benefit of buying a fishfinder with a chart plotter compared to buying a fishfinder and a chartplotter seperately?

 

forrest

[silveradosheriff]

Go with the two units - Split screens suck!!!

[BillM]

We run two seperate units, Eagle Intelimap 500c (nice cheap chartplotter) and a Humminbird 747c w/GPS.

 

Combine that with a Navionics Gold+ chip and that is pretty much all we need. It's come in extremely handy.. We have definitely caught more fish this season because of it.

Edited July 28, 2008 by BillM

[MrMike]

You can get a better unit with both than buying 2 units for the same money, look at the new humminbirds with the side imaging 797c

[forrest]

I glanced over the prices and features on Humminbird products vs the FF/Eagle 500c( good tip).

 

All good info...so no real benefit of having them combined but some price incentive at combining the two at the expense of 1 screen.

 

 

thanks guys.

[brickNblock]

buying 2 separate units would give me 2 screens:

What is the benefit of buying a fishfinder with a chart plotter compared to buying a fishfinder and a chartplotter seperately?

 

forrest

 

From what I see it comes down to 2 issues:

1/....How much you have to spend

2/....Do you have the room to mount it.

Maybe add a 4th batterey too...I did.

 

I have a 7" screen so the split screen isnt too much an issue...but if'n I had the money a 2nd screen for the chartplotter would be nice..(I have the room).

But would still use the split screen tho with the GPS/sonar..

....Perhaps a 3rd screen..lol..I think theres room......

....just wired in the AquaVu underwater camera this past weekend....Love it......It'll keep the non anglers who ride along entertained at the very least.

Edited July 28, 2008 by brickNblock

[BillM]

You can get a better unit with both than buying 2 units for the same money, look at the new humminbirds with the side imaging 797c

 

If you want a half size GPS and fishfinder, then sure.....

[Terry]

I can see both sides of question

 

I have always said it is better to have 2 separate units..main reason..if you have a 2 in one unit and the unit dies you don.t know how deep the water is and you don't know where you are....

 

if you have 2 units and one dies at lest you can tell how to get home or will be able to see how deep it is on the way home

 

and same if it dies and you just want to fish

 

so I like 2 units

 

but I got a great deal on a 2 in one unit and really like it takes up a lot less room and I find I can get the info at a quick glance rather then looking at the 2 different units..

 

 

but I always take my handheld gps with me just in case the thing dies

[BITEME]

1 unit is the way to go

KISS keep it simple silly

[Uncle Buck]

if you can afford it buy 2 seperate units...

 

bigger, easier to read... less menu buttons to go through for specific tasks...

 

I'm gonna run 2 if ever manage to get the boat in the water...

[ccmtcanada]

I have two units....wrestled with having it all in one or not. Since I'm still new with a boat and still accompany others in their boats, I opted for a handheld Lowrance. That way I can take it on the water in a friend's boat and mark waypoints....or with me where renting is the only option.

[SlowPoke]

I purchased an all-in-one because it was the best unit I could find in my price range. I bought a Lowrance LMS-525-dumb ass. I had considered upping my price range for a two unit setup but I just couldn't justify it. I'm very happy with it and one of the perks I hadn't considered was advantage of having everything in one place. When I troll I sit sideways facing the port side of my center console. The screen is on the port side of the console itself. Had I purchased two units I would have to look over my right shoulder at the other screen on the right side of the console. I'm never far enough away from the 5" screen (even when fighting a fish) that I can't see the details... even the volts reading which I have on small text. If I had a larger boat I would certainly benefit the larger screens but this one works very well for me.

 

I like the split screen and typically run 75% Map/25% Sonar and get all the information I need. If I want to review structure that crawled off the screen I simply hit Pages/Sonar/Enter and I have full sonar screen. It takes less then a second and the information is still crawling across the screen.

 

Eventually I will be upgrading the boat and I just can't see parting with the 525. It would make for a sweet bow mount unit interfaced with the NMEA system. The would allow me to re-use the dumb ass transducer on a new, larger head unit for the dash and tie both GPS systems together on the same puck. Add a universal sonar bow-mount trolling motor and I'm good to go. All I have to buy is the new head unit, no 'ducer and no new puck... that'll save me $300.

 

If money was not an issue, I would two all-in-one units on the dash... split screen on one or the other, full screens on both... what am I thinking... probably go split screen with sonar/gps on one and RADAR on the other!!!

 

Time to wake up now and go to work.

-Brian