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  1. 02-21-2018, 05:23 PM #1
    okiebass
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    Question good Budget fishfinder

    Are there any descent cheaper fishfinders out there ? My boat came with a Lowrance elite 7HDI and a Hook 7 . The hook 7 is ok i guess (but very slow) but the 7HDI is a piece of crap ! i need to replace it on trolling motor , but dont care about spending a ton of money . anyone have any suggestions for a descent one that doesnt cost an arm and a leg ? i just need to have basic functions , thanks
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  2. mactlman
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    #2 02-21-2018, 06:38 PM
    new hook model just came out or other brands besides lowrance
    2022 z519 cup 225 merc 4s ser # 3B210484. 2--hds12 live units. 2 poles, atlas plate, ghost, hamby's, active target, merc digital gauges
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  3. 11pounder
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    #3 02-21-2018, 06:42 PM
    sent PM.
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  4. Lape0019
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    #4 02-21-2018, 08:31 PM
    Pretty sure the hook 7 and elite 7hdi (not the touch units) are pretty much the exact same unit. And honestly for the price, I don’t think you’ll find anything much better. I had an elite 5dsi/gps (came out the year before the HDI) and like it for what it was. The chip was slow to update though.

    If you want to switch, the Helix units are pretty damn good for the price. The processor speed seems a bit better but I wouldn’t necessarily call them “budget”
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  5. okiebass
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    #5 02-21-2018, 08:54 PM
    Yes they both opperate very similar ---the hook 7 is usable but for some reason the 7hdi wont work at all ---think it might be on its last legs . It is pretty sad that all three brands (lowrance, bird and garmin) every unit reviews for units in the 2 to 4 hundred dollar range i cant find anything with good reviews !
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  6. POPPAB
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    #6 02-21-2018, 08:54 PM
    Maybe look for a used Lowrance HDS 5 or 7.
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  7. okiebass
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    #7 02-21-2018, 08:54 PM
    11 pounder --PM sent THanks !!
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  8. Hickory Legend
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    #8 02-22-2018, 03:36 AM
    Dragonfly Pro!

    You can get a 7 inch unit for 549.00 it comes with down imaging and Navionics+ chip included!!

    http://www.raymarine.com/dragonfly/dragonfly7pro/
    Last edited by Hickory Legend; 02-22-2018 at 06:12 PM.
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  9. okiebass
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    #9 02-22-2018, 09:36 AM
    know someone who has a hds-5 gen 1 dirt cheap---head only . will my power cord and tranducer from my 7hdi work on this unit ?
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  10. Bill Reynolds
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    #10 02-22-2018, 09:49 AM
    The power cord will work but the HDI transducer is a different issue. It will hook up and you may be able to get the 2d sonar but not the down imaging. You will be able to connect the two units over ethernet but you cannot share map cards since the HDS 5 is a gen1, and I don't think you can share the down imaging from the HDS 7 ( could be wrong about that).

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  11. okiebass
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    #11 02-22-2018, 10:21 AM
    may be worth a shot lol , can always get another transducer. any idea if the hds-5 unit worth the trouble ? i just need it for basic stuff
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  12. Bill Reynolds
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    #12 02-22-2018, 06:05 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by okiebass View Post
    may be worth a shot lol , can always get another transducer. any idea if the hds-5 unit worth the trouble ? i just need it for basic stuff
    Yes, that is a good full feature unit. Works well stand alone for 2d sonar and charting. Requires an LSS1 transducer and module to get sidescan/downscan, not worth the extra cost if you have to buy those.

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  13. Highcentered
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    #13 02-22-2018, 06:12 PM
    I'd jump on the hds5. Mine is 6-7 years old and been bulletproof. Showing its age cosmetically but still functions fine.
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  14. jtracc
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    #14 02-22-2018, 07:57 PM
    You need to update them dude. I hade the same units in my last boat as well as gen 1 hds 7. They started running slow, so I checked Lowrance website and boom update. I had an elite 7 hdi by the wheel and it would mark fish excillant.
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  15. okiebass
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    #15 02-22-2018, 10:49 PM
    the 7 hdi keeps losing its place and goes blank ! cant get it to do much of anything ---my son has 2 hds9 and knows whole lot more about this than i do and he was unable to get the hdi to work either lol
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  16. Dogfish_Jones
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    #16 02-23-2018, 02:50 AM
    Go with a Humminbird Helix series, much better, clear and very stable.
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  17. okiebass
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    #17 02-23-2018, 02:27 PM
    another question ---do the hook 7 and the elite 7 hdi use the same transducer ? sorry for some of my questions but i not sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to electronics lol
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  18. Skunked again
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    #18 02-23-2018, 06:19 PM
    Get a Garmin echomap. Some good deals now.
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  19. Legend Chris
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    #19 02-23-2018, 06:55 PM
    Lowrance Hook2 units. Lots of sizes, packed with features, easy to use, easy to read and find fish.
    https://www.lowrance.com/lowrance/series/hook2/
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  20. eriedude
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    #20 02-23-2018, 07:00 PM
    I picked up 2 Garmin Echo map 57 refurbs with maps for 247.00 each on ebay. Seems like pretty good units.
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