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I'm looking for some advice on Lowrance sounders. Just bought a new boat and it has 2 Lowrance sounders on board. A hds 10 and 5 with structure scan and an extremely shitty standard transducer. I've been using Furuno gear for the last couple of years and love them. Just want opinions from guys using Lowrance sounders weather I am wasting my money buying a 1kw transducer for the Hds or should just get a new 588 with 1kw. Bearing in mind the price difference of prob 2k.
I would try a Mix and match 1kw transducer first (airmar 260) then buy the 588 if unsatisfied. Is the HDS 10 1000 watt ?
The 587 should be running out at good prices tho - if you dont require Rez boost
Barry, I set up a mates boat, he has a HDS touch Gen 2. They use a high definition sounder module that puts out around 600 W. But wattage isn't the main issue any longer. We installed a Airmar SS264n pair of through hull transducers, both 1KW. The results are brilliant and so far ahead of the standard transducer, it's not funny.
What a lot of people don't understand is that the aftermarket transducers by Airmar, which would be the ones you are looking at, are much better quality and have far greater resolution than the Lowrance OEM ones. Sensitivity is the name of the game, much more important than kW output. There is a factor measuring sensitivity and it's called the Q factor. The lower the Q value, the less ringing and therefore greater sensitivity.
The Q factor for OEM transducers is around 30-40. By comparison, the "benchmark Airmar P66. (600 w 50/200) has a Q of 24 at 50 and 30 at 200.
One big reason for chirp being so much better is the very low Q factor on CHIRP transducers. Often around 2-5.
So bottom line: yes, your HDS will drive the 1kw Airmar transducer, and yes, the results will be far far in excess of the standard 83/200 pr 50/200. In another ballpark.
The mix n match mentioned above really just means that the transducer is fitted with a standard plug and you use an adapter cable depending on what make Sounder you have.
Note to self: Don't argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience....
Mate I have a Hds gen 2 and run the standard lowrance 50/200 transducer. Holds bottom at speed. Works well. Took a few repositions to get it that way though.
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