lowrance guy, bought a Garmin 94SV, now what

[john5915]

So I decided to buy a 94SV for the bow since the price was so good so I can eventually run panoponix, my plan is to place it next to my HDS 9 and run mainly mapping on it, since I have a 9 and 12 at console. My original plan was to keep my lowance sonar/downscan transducer on T motor along with adding the garmin transducer but it looks like I will not have room for both, so now I have to decide on one or the other for sonar/DS. Given this is the garmin board I am guessing you will all say Garmin :)

[LWINCHESTER2]

Not that simple. Your 94sv, chirp or non-chirp? Must be chirp since you said you could run Panoptix. Your HDS 9 and 12; gen2? You mentioned downscan on the TM. You not running an LSS xd or totalscan? Please list all the xd's running on your boat.

Even with all the variables the Panoptix will be a home run just by itself. With the chirp 94sv you probably got the GT51 transducer. Look and see. You can run on 260 and look really far. I'm still running HDS and Garmin but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I hear a noise getting louder and louder. Sounds like Garrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

[john5915]

thanks, HDS 9 gen 2 with spotlight scan transducer, no LSS up front. No chirp. Yes, I have the GT51 transducer so I can run side/down/chirp with Garmin if I switch. I kinda wanted to be able to split screen my HDS and run maybe downscan with mapping and then sonar/panoponix on the garmin but probably not a must have.

way too much $$ invested to switch all, just wanted to see what all the excitement was about with Garmin, really have no complaints with lowrance.

[ring fry]

So I guess you are fishing coastal waters? If not, you better take it back and get a 93sv.

SE Kansas grass grower

[john5915]

my bad, I meant 93 SV

[fishfood]

Better check the maps also. Folks around here haven given up on them because they can't use anything be garmin mapping. If they haven't scanned your lakes the mapping is almost useless. Not a bad product but they are missing the boat on mapping.

[TroyBoy30]

They have better maps and more coverage than the lakemaster and they are all free. They are also adding lakes faster than lakemaster and they are actually doing the mapping themselves, not having volunteers doing it or buying old data. Just like lakemaster, some areas are not covered. They are not losing anything but number of lakes covered by not allowing navioincs. Navioincs is a distant third in accuracy to Garmin and lakemaster.

[LWINCHESTER2]

thanks, HDS 9 gen 2 with spotlight scan transducer, no LSS up front. No chirp. Yes, I have the GT51 transducer so I can run side/down/chirp with Garmin if I switch. I kinda wanted to be able to split screen my HDS and run maybe downscan with mapping and then sonar/panoponix on the garmin but probably not a must have.

way too much $$ invested to switch all, just wanted to see what all the excitement was about with Garmin, really have no complaints with lowrance.

If you have the 93sv you should have the GT52 transducer. Most likely on your downscan you'll have it set to 455 kHz. The GT52 uses 455/800 for side and down. So if you keep the HDS set to 455 you'll want to set the side and down on the GT52 to 800. You set them separately. Whether you look at them on screen or not you'll still need to set the frequencies to 800 to avoid interference on your HDS. If you have the downscan/spotlight scan set to 800, then set the GT52 to 455. With the 93sv and GT52 your options are 2d, side and down. You can choose any of these separately or in any combination. You can run Panoptix, but won't see Panoptix options on the menu unless you have a Panoptix transducer attached to the unit. Your options for that are currently PS21, PS31, and PS30, depending on whether you want ForwardVu or DownVu.

On the HDS to avoid interference you'll need to stop the pinging for the 2d 200/83 or set it to 83 kHz. Then you can use chirp on the Garmin 2d. If you set the HDS to 83 and the Garmin to chirp for 2d, you'll see fish on the HDS that won't show on the Garmin because of the wider cone angle of the HDS.

Just go out and experiment with it. You'll figure most of this out. If Garmin had detail mapping for your lake, you'll like it. If not, you won't. It's really that simple.

[john5915]

Thanks, i dont have room for both transucers on my tm so my question is if garmin downscan/sonar is really that much better than lowrance before i go swapping them.

[MonteSS]

Garmin better sonar.
Low better down image

[fishfood]

Garmin better sonar.
Low better down image

The sonar looks like a toss-up to me. Side is better with Garmin BUT the details are lacking in the range where Lowrance has the same coverage. Down is no contest..... Lowrance by a mile. Throw in the mapping and I'd have to think twice at this point unless panoptix is in your future ........ even then though........

[fishfood]

They have better maps and more coverage than the lakemaster and they are all free. They are also adding lakes faster than lakemaster and they are actually doing the mapping themselves, not having volunteers doing it or buying old data. Just like lakemaster, some areas are not covered. They are not losing anything but number of lakes covered by not allowing navioincs. Navioincs is a distant third in accuracy to Garmin and lakemaster.

Sorry to bust that bubble but I ran the latest version of LakeVu HD next to both of the others two weeks ago. I've decided the garmin crew had to be napping while scanning our lake. Considering the boats they brought here looked like small navy vessels loaded with sensors the output is really poor. Not even close to the Lakemaster detail and just even with Navionics. It may be that way on your lake but not on ours.

I even called dealer services to make 100% sure I had every mapping detail turned on......

Do you ever leave you home waters??

[Larry3215]

Im with Troy on the mapping issue. Of the lakes and ocean areas I fish in Washington and Oregon, Garmin wins. Its not a slam dunk for me but Garmin maps win over all. My LakeMaster charts had quite a few major errors on quite a few of my lakes - shore line in some cases, but mostly contours and depths that were not even close. In one example it showed a 30 ft deep hole in a lake that was only 12 ft deep in the entire area, drop offs that were not there, wrong depths, etc. Like Troy said, its because they use data from sports guys like us who dont have a clue how to adjust for transducer installation offsets or water level changes.

Same thing for Navionics+ charts I had. Not lots of errors, but the Garmin charts are at least as good or better in my area of the Pacific North West.

LakeMaster did/does cover some lakes Garmin doesnt and Garmin covers some LakeMaster doesnt.

You can check to coverage for your favorite lakes on-line before you buy. You can also use QuickDraw if there is no coverage.

http://lakes.garmin.com/

[Treeguyus]

Garmin better sonar.
Low better down image

Monte don't know if I agree but am operating on 1040's not 7600's both are very good though

[fishfood]

Im with Troy on the mapping issue. Of the lakes and ocean areas I fish in Washington and Oregon, Garmin wins. Its not a slam dunk for me but Garmin maps win over all. My LakeMaster charts had quite a few major errors on quite a few of my lakes - shore line in some cases, but mostly contours and depths that were not even close. In one example it showed a 30 ft deep hole in a lake that was only 12 ft deep in the entire area, drop offs that were not there, wrong depths, etc. Like Troy said, its because they use data from sports guys like us who dont have a clue how to adjust for transducer installation offsets or water level changes.

Same thing for Navionics+ charts I had. Not lots of errors, but the Garmin charts are at least as good or better in my area of the Pacific North West.

LakeMaster did/does cover some lakes Garmin doesnt and Garmin covers some LakeMaster doesnt.

You can check to coverage for your favorite lakes on-line before you buy. You can also use QuickDraw if there is no coverage.

http://lakes.garmin.com/

And here is the issue with Garmin not letting another brand of mapping on their units. There mapping seems to be fine in some areas but, like others, it's not good at all in other areas. I know way to many sponsored folks that run Lakemaster on the floor so there must be a difference in the lakes the tours go to.

I have discussed this in-depth with my rep and one of the "top-dogs" and all I get is the story about what Navionics did...... so what,grow up and take care of your customers. Those issues should be between upper management at both companies. And yes that is exactly what I tell them...... lol

[fishfood]

Monte don't know if I agree but am operating on 1040's not 7600's both are very good though

Your images do look good but I can't reproduce that on the 93sv I have. Maybe it's the species you are chasing? depth? average size of fish? ...... who knows. I do know the sonar on the 93 shows fish and objects the Di screen isn't showing. I know this because another unit running Di is marking the targets the 93 is showing on sonar.

It leaves me scratching my head for sure........

[TroyBoy30]

Sorry to bust that bubble but I ran the latest version of LakeVu HD next to both of the others two weeks ago. I've decided the garmin crew had to be napping while scanning our lake. Considering the boats they brought here looked like small navy vessels loaded with sensors the output is really poor. Not even close to the Lakemaster detail and just even with Navionics. It may be that way on your lake but not on ours.

I even called dealer services to make 100% sure I had every mapping detail turned on......

Do you ever leave you home waters??

If your lakes have max def coverage, lakemaster is not even close on accuracy or features. Navioincs is not even in the conversation. All of my local lakes have max def coverage as well as lakemaster coverage. I have an 1198 with lakemaster next to my 7612xsv on the console and run the maps side by side daily. I have fished multiple lakes in my area in the last year. It's close but Garmin has the edge. I can compaire any lake in the south east just by sitting in my boat. Oh yea...the Garmin maps are free

[Larry3215]

And here is the issue with Garmin not letting another brand of mapping on their units. There mapping seems to be fine in some areas but, like others, it's not good at all in other areas. I know way to many sponsored folks that run Lakemaster on the floor so there must be a difference in the lakes the tours go to.

I have discussed this in-depth with my rep and one of the "top-dogs" and all I get is the story about what Navionics did...... so what,grow up and take care of your customers. Those issues should be between upper management at both companies. And yes that is exactly what I tell them...... lol

I agree with that :)

I will add again that in cases where neither one has good coverage - lots of lakes, ponds, rivers - Garmin's QuickDraw wins hands down for making your own charts. 100% free, instant, you choose to share or not, you can easily import others charts, 1 ft contours and can easily be adjusted to compensate for changing water levels and different transducer installation depths so you get more accurate charts (not that most will do that, but its there)

Still, I agree Garmin would be way ahead if they allowed the use of other chart brands.

[Astrochris]

Still, I agree Garmin would be way ahead if they allowed the use of other chart brands.[/QUOTE]

Garmin does allow to use other charts...
They have some maps for the US also..

https://www.trakmaps.com/en/support/...bility/#margin

[TroyBoy30]

They would allow navioincs had navioincs gone through proper channels to have the chips supported instead of hacking the units. No way Garmin will ever allow them now