Lowrance/ Eagle sounders. Any difference?

[Deiter]

g'day all, first time poster. been reading and learning for a little while on this site, so now i have made the move from "spectator" to "contributer". here goes.

In regard to Lowrance/ Eagle products, is there really much difference, or just the same thing, different box?

I am currently looking to buy a sounder and gps for my boat (currentl mid-repair, another story) and i have decided on a garmin 172c for gps, but i am still undecided on the sounder front.

I was sorta set on the Eagle 640cdf, as on paper it looks better performance wise to anything else in the price range. BUT. what about the equivalent Lowrance model? if there is such a thing. are there any reliability issues?

I have just always thought of Eagle as the sounders you buy when you can't afford a real one.

Most of my fishing is around the bay at the moment, but once my "hull" is competed i want to go offshore (mooloolaba, moreton etc.), hence the upgrade.

any input much appreciated.

DT

[Deiter]

bummm...p

[revs57]

G'day Damo,

You've gone for a great GPS, do the same with a sounder..particulalry if you are goona be working off shore...go with the best you think you can afford plus a bit

I'd understand the lowrance/eagle is the same animal...

I've got a Raymarine ds500X...very happy with it...see recent thread in this topic area http://www.ausfish.com.au/forum/YaBB.cgi?num=1151717620 ...for around a grand...cant go wrong

Give Jason at Sundown Marine a call 3203-3007...he'll give you the good oil and they really look after ausfishers...he will be able to give you both informed and expert advice on other units to suit your purpose if the Raymarine is too pricey...just mention your ausfish name when you talk to him.

Cheers

Rhys

[Synergy]

DT
You will find that the difference between the Eagle and Lowrance is in the pixel counts and with some in the power output. I have just bought the Lowrance Globamap 3500c GPS and 107CDF Sounder and couldn't be more pleased with both. The Navionics chart used with the 3500c is the best I have seen, for my area CQ. I have some friends with Navman, C-Map and they don't have the same detail. In my opinion it is all in the pixel count.
PJ

[vermin]

Pixel count.

[klyons]

All this talk about pixel count is a complete smokescreen.

An Eagle colour fishfinder with a 640 x 480 pixel screen is exactly the same pixel count as a lowrance sounder with 640 x 480 pixels.
Deiter asked what the difference was/is betwen an eagle sounder, specifically the 640cdf and the equivalant lowrance,( if there is one) not a lowrance with greater resolution.
My understanding is the Eagle sounders either lack some of the features of a similar resolution lowrance,have lower power or have no lowrance equivalant. This is not to say thay are a lesser sounder, but targeted at a different market. If you want high resolution but only fish shallow water you don't need a lot of power. In my experience they are just as reliable /good as lowrance.

Kev

[Fishin_Dan]

From the little I've seen, the equivalent lowrance (LMS 332 or 339) only has 480x480 vs the Eagle 640x480

I'm in the situation where I am considering both of these units (lms332 or 640cd) but not entirely sure yet... May end up sticking with the handheld GPS, and just upgrading the sounder to a colour sounder only.

The fact you can't hook up the Navionics to a computer makes me a little hesitant to get these units.