echomap 7sv saltwater performance

[Spoon1337]

Looking for a new sounder and tossing up between the Lowrance HDS Live 7 w/3-1 active imaging or Garmin Echomap UHD 75SV w/GT56UHD

I like the Garmin but I am afraid of the deep water performance. I can’t find much online.

Does anyone know how the traditional will perform in saltwater up to maybe 60m or maybe 80m? Or how the Live 7 performs?

[Dignity]

I have the HDS 7 Live, performance in up to 65m of water experience so far and ok, main reason I got it was for managing my Motorguide leccy. I find Lowrance very unintuitive to use. I have an old 751sx Garmin beside it and it walks all over the HDS. So far I'm struggling to be able to link my phone or tablet to the HDS, they just keep saying "not found", pity as I was hoping to sync the WPs and Tracks so I can manage them

[Spoon1337]

I’ve heard the exact same with the Garmin vs Lowrance in the aspect of walking all over the HDS.

Have you tried changing your wifi channels in the unit?

[ranmar850]

Lowrance have used exactly the same menu structure since the 90's ( at least) . Go from a monochrome early 90's model to a HDI ( or Hook) , exactly the same, just some different options within the same layout. The HDS series obviously is a bit different--they released a cheap version of the HDS, with the lower power output and touch screen.(can't recall the name) These were much easier to use than the all-button HDI--I try to use a HDI nowadays ( a mate still has one) and I am reduced to a screaming fit of rage 300 metres from the boat ramp just having to turn off the auto track start at the begining of each day. And I had one for several years, actually liked it for what it cost. Now, after using superior systems, they are just crap.
But to get back to the HDS, and all of the touch screen-only versions, they seem to have their own menu structure, and it is certainly far from intuitive. I've fished with HDR, and set up the cheaper touch screen models for a neighbour. ( AND loaded his old marks for him, and sorted it out when he has stuffed things up ) To sum it up, after using most of them, I wouldn't have any Lowrance unit if you paid me. If I bought a boat with a Lowrance on it, it would be on Gumtree the next day. I haven't fished with Garmin, but I've played with them, seem easy to get your head around. As is Simrad, and Raymarine.

[Dignity]

I’ve heard the exact same with the Garmin vs Lowrance in the aspect of walking all over the HDS.

Have you tried changing your wifi channels in the unit?

If I could figure out how to do it. I'll have another look at it when I'm back home in a couple of days.
The stupid thing is that my phone finds the unit, says it's connected but can't find it when I go to sync it. Hate the thing atm.

[tunaticer]

Having owned and used 4 x lowrance, 3 x garmin, 1 x humminbird and 1 x raymarine, my preference is hands down garmin until to go over 120m in depth...then i would be looking at furuno.

I will not buy Lowrance again....all of them failed within 2 years of service, one of them 3 times.
Never had an issue with Garmin, raymarine was decent.
Will not buy Humminbird again once this solix dies.

If furuno did a shallow water optimized 3d model (sub 30m) I would be keen to look at it.

[Spoon1337]

God help me if they use the same as the elite 5 I have now 😂. Even after a decade I still hit a button and I’m marking a man overboard and this unit even though it’s still pumping along well after a decade is the reason I’m steering away from Lowrance as the menu is just awful. My father is still learning it after all this time.

[NAGG]

I've been using Lowrance sounders for over 17 years now with very few issues - Every now & then they would become slow but a soft reset fixes that .

I find the menu fine & pretty easy to navigate ( excuse the pun)

The reality is though that Lowrance are at there best in shallow waters - up to 100m - for deeper waters there are better choices .

Chris

[Dignity]

I have had a couple of Lowrance previously, both Hook models. Very slow to start up, surprisingly the HDs Live I just got is just as long in starting. Previously with a mate moving up/down in Lowrance they had 2 different software databases and we had to do a bit of maouvering with EasyGPS to transfer data.

The only reason I went this way is that the Motorguide I have doesn't have a screen on the remote and as I can't see the lights on the leccy I needed another method to know what I was doing. If Motorguide put out a remote with a screen the Lowrance will be out the door.
The menus are not intuitive, I don't have 17 years to figure it out and even managing the data is pretty ordinary in my books. I do like to review my trips on the laptop afterwards, delete or update WPs, delete tracks or part of them and other bits and pieces but with Lowrance this is rather awkward unless someone can point me in the right direction. EasyGPS only does a smidgeon of what I want and even then it's not straightforward.

BTW my Lowrance in the tinnie won't display the sonar on it's own but if I do a split screen with it and CHIRP then it works- a recent fault.
I've had Garmin, Raymarine and Lowrance, I have played with Furuno on mates boats. Lowrance I would rate at the bottom of my choices.

[ranmar850]

I've been using Lowrance sounders for over 17 years now with very few issues - Every now & then they would become slow but a soft reset fixes that .

I find the menu fine & pretty easy to navigate

After 17 years, I would sincerely hope you have the menu operations sorted Look, I was actually happy with my Elite 7 for the couple of years I had it. A lotta button pushing to get anywhere. Menus were not hard to figure out, just lots of button pushing. And don't get me started on manually entering a waypoint from written information. The touch screen model was a lot easier. But I still didn't realise how easy it could be until I got the Axiom Pro.Particularly for split screen operation. Just touch the half of the screen you want, the menus change accordingly. But buttons as well-pure touch screen has no place on a boat that can get a wet cockpit.
Did you ever work out how to NOT have the track start automatically whenever you powered up the unit? It was, what? 6 button pushes just to STOP it? Now, I tap one button, track starts. tap it again, track stops.

[Spoon1337]

I've been using Lowrance sounders for over 17 years now with very few issues - Every now & then they would become slow but a soft reset fixes that .

I find the menu fine & pretty easy to navigate ( excuse the pun)

The reality is though that Lowrance are at there best in shallow waters - up to 100m - for deeper waters there are better choices .

Chris

The sounder has honestly been fantastic. For its age it’s never missed a beat, never crashed or frozen and always booted first time. It has a Navionics platinum card in it and it reads it fantastic for a 10+ year old unit.

I can definitely see why people prefer Lowrance I’m just over the menu layout of that unit.

[Dignity]

The sounder has honestly been fantastic. For its age it’s never missed a beat, never crashed or frozen and always booted first time. It has a Navionics platinum card in it and it reads it fantastic for a 10+ year old unit.

I can definitely see why people prefer Lowrance I’m just over the menu layout of that unit.

If you like the Lowrance then get another one as to capability in deeper water mine is nowhere near as good as any other sounder I've owned or used. You may have to get a better transducer which is what does the grunt work. As Airmar supply the bulk of transducers to every brand look them up and see what tranny would work best fir you.