126SV or 1222 for Livescope....sale complication!

[mchesney]

Was ready to pull the trigger on the 1222 and lvs34 combo for FFS use only on bow but noticed cables has the 126sv on sale for $1600 . I'm not a touchscreen user and it sounds like many say the knob use on the 1222 is quicker or more intuitive than touchscreen so it sounded perfect. Now that the 126sv is cheaper I'm wondering if that's the better choice however. Any thoughts?

[GPtimes2]

It seems you may be one who appreciates value. So go with that. Touch screens and buttons both have their pros and cons and if they only made one or the other, people would be plenty happy. For me, I love the touch screen. I haven't used Garmin button units, but I can't imagine them being faster, or a need to be. I like that the touch screen units take up less space also. And fingerprints are not a big issue for me. Maybe dry skin or less fish slim. Just keep a small microfiber rag and a bottle of water with you. Wet a corner of the rag and wipe away any smudges and dry with the same rag. No need for chemical cleaners. And I only have to do it every few trips for my livescope unit, which I touch a lot.

[John Hagins]

I have a non-touch 1022 dedicated to Livescope and have no problem navigating thru the menus. If it were me, I would follow the money!

John

[fishon396]

I was all set to buy the 1222 this year also talked to people that had them and they recommended them for livescope. The 126sv and the 1222 were about the same price at that time and I wasn’t sure and then the sale came. Walked into Bass Pro on a Tuesday and of course they wanted to sign me up for a credit card and 10 percent off on todays purchase and I was a wtf moment. Found out I could get that deal at Cabela’s anytime and bought the 126sv a couple days later and saved another $160.00 I couldn’t resist. I have a Solix so I am used to a touchscreen but I really like the Garmin 126sv and definitely don’t regret the purchase.

[Toni]

I have found that my 126 is actually better on the console and I have my 106 up front for LS. Used to have them the other way around, but I find with graphing side and down, etc, the bigger screen is actually way more useful for that and the 106 is perfectly adequate for LS where I fish. I have fished a couple different lakes with LS, and the settings are different and the effective range, clarity, etc different on each lake. Main lake I fish, the 12 isn't any better than the 10 for the LS.

One thing I love is the cradles for the 10 and 12 are exactly the same so its no bother to swap them whenever it makes sense to.
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[fishon396]

I didn’t think I would like the cradles but I like them also because I don’t keep my graphs on the boat. When I bought the 126sv the salesperson told me the 10 inch unit would be better up front for just livescope but I bought the 12

[Jasonrs]

Love my 126sv/106sv!

[Mcjenson]

If I could do it over again, I would've went with echomap units. Initially I just got a standalone 1222, and while it works great with livescope and I do prefer it for quick adjustments, the touchscreen units are just more versatile for mapping and regular sonar and if you want to fully switch to garmin one day you aren't stuck with the GPSMaps line of graphs, which are significantly more expensive.

[bassdge]

Touchscreen all the way. You can adjust gain and distance by simply a touch of the finger. I am used to this, so when I fish in my brother’s boat, I absolutely hate the knob adjustments. It might be different if I did not ever use a touchscreen. Based on what I do know and actual experience using both, no chance I would chose the knob adjustment

[fishin couillon]

Earlier this spring, i ordered a 1242xsv for bow, to match up with a 943xsv and then eventually change the 126 on console to another GPSmap unit.....well got it in and was setting it up and going thru the menus.....needless to say, i went back to my 106....the main reason was the foot print of the unit/bracket was huge and would fit they way i had planned on mounting it. Second reason, i'm so used of the touch screen, i was all over the place trying to set it up. I ended up sending it back for a refund. For me, if i was used to the knob unit, it would have been easy but i'm not and didnt want to fight with the knob. i'll try later on at end of year to maybe swap over to GPSmap units.

[Mcjenson]

Touchscreen all the way. You can adjust gain and distance by simply a touch of the finger. I am used to this, so when I fish in my brother’s boat, I absolutely hate the knob adjustments. It might be different if I did not ever use a touchscreen. Based on what I do know and actual experience using both, no chance I would chose the knob adjustment

The livescope adjustments on the knob are honestly the only time I prefer it. Tap the knob to toggle between distance / depth / gain, and quick precise adjustments with knob rotation.