axiom vs lowrance carbon

[mattsteg]

I'm shopping for a fishfinder for a boat that I had just picked up - I'd more or less settled on the Axiom 9 with the lowrance carbon 9 as second choice...the day before lowrance put the carbons on sale.

So now I'm back on the fence. Birds are out - I feel like using them you just mash a bunch of buttons until you get the right screen up. I just do not get on with the interface.

From in store button pressing, the axiom interfac, responsiveness, feature set, and mapping are great, and the 3d usability is so much better. Also the longer warranty and expected support cycle are attractive. The higher screen resolution and clearer imaging on the lowrance are really attractive as well however, and possibly (to a lower degree by far - as I don't love being that manufacturer locked) the xi5-specific integration.

Guys coming from lowrance (or going the other way). How much has any of this mattered? What other key differences have you noticed?

Ray guys - how much and with what firmware releases has side vision improved? Some of the units I poked on had older firmware...

[Hickory Legend]

Getting the Lowrance your about to have an older unit as they release something new here in a bit.
So if you have an issue are they going to repair or up grade you?
Ray usually includes or makes available new products and improvements for the older units so you don’t have to upgrade your unit for the latest stuff!!

Not sure about the firm wear and side, I have no issues with it before or after.

[Jig34]

Honest question - how would you rate these images?

[Royt]

Honestly the images lack detail. Show us a tree with detail branches and fish, rock on a drop with fish and bait, creek channels with structure and fish. . Images are clean but not allot of detail to look at. You asked.

[mattsteg]

I can get a pretty good feel for the bottom type (eg sandbar) and see fish - but not as much (potentially superfluous) detail as other units seem to show.

Potentially acceptable, but not good enough to be a positive differentiator.

Of course we almost never see side by side with other units showing the same atructure and fish.

[Hickory Legend]

Like this

[Royt]

Interesting picture. Really deep water, looks to be about 125' deep and trees look to be almost 60 to 70 ft tall. Not too many fishing opertunties to see much less fish anything like that here in VA.

[Wayne P.]

Interesting picture. Really deep water, looks to be about 125' deep and trees look to be almost 60 to 70 ft tall. Not too many fishing opertunties to see much less fish anything like that here in VA.

Smith Mountain Lake has trees that deep.

[Royt]

I haven't been up there in about 30 years, lol.

[aero320]

Interesting picture. Really deep water, looks to be about 125' deep and trees look to be almost 60 to 70 ft tall. Not too many fishing opertunties to see much less fish anything like that here in VA.

That graphic is from Tim’s Ford Lake in southern middle Tennessee. The bridge and roadway is on the main channel in front of Tim’s Ford State Park.

I switched from being a lifelong Lowrance user to Raymarine Axioms and I don’t find Lowrance superior in any way. The Lowrance feature called “fish reveal” is a joke. SideVision is better than Lowrance’s version, Raymarine’s Chirp Sonar is better and there is no comparison when you get to DownVision. The Axiom RV’s include RealVision 3D as standard. I think that is an option on the Carbon’s. I have Axiom 12, 9, and 7 units on my boat. The best “value” is the Axiom 9 RV with the RV-100 transducer. We were on the lake today and we maintained bottom lock at cruising speeds. You might try ordering one of the unit from a “return friendly” online vendor. First power it up and run it in simulation mode. If you like what you see, put it on the boat. Attach the transducer and power cable, then head to the lake and see for yourself. The screen capture shown in this thread was made by me with an Axiom 9 RV that was being “evaluated”. Performed same tests on newest Lowrance models as well as Helix. After going to the trouble to personally do on lake tests, it wasn’t even close.

[DonnieG]

I know that some of you RM users fish ,sometimes, in 30' and less water..Is there any way to get some 2D/SI/DI images in this range? Also, please post the images from a image host so they will be at readable size instead of billfold size.

Buying or borrowing units to try is not an option for me...Thanks

[aero320]

I know that some of you RM users fish ,sometimes, in 30' and less water..Is there any way to get some 2D/SI/DI images in this range? Also, please post the images from a image host so they will be at readable size instead of billfold size.

Buying or borrowing units to try is not an option for me...Thanks

Here are some photos from shallower water ...

[DonnieG]

Nice, very nice. I only wish the images were a little larger..

[Royt]

Would like to see the same image from Lowrance and Helix units if you still have them. Thread ask to compare to Lowrance Carbon which would equal a HB Mega if we're comparing apples to apples.
QUOTE
The bridge and roadway is on the main channel in front of Tim’s Ford State The screen capture shown in this thread was made by me with an Axiom 9 RV that was being “evaluated”. Performed same tests on newest Lowrance models as well as Helix. After going to the trouble to personally do on lake tests, it wasn’t even close.[/QUOTE]

[Jig34]

What device (computer, iPhone, ???) are you on. With my iPhone, I click the small image and then click it again for full screeen

Nice, very nice. I only wish the images were a little larger..

[DonnieG]

Computer with image host::I also have an iPhone, just not big enough

[aero320]

Would like to see the same image from Lowrance and Helix units if you still have them. Thread ask to compare to Lowrance Carbon which would equal a HB Mega if we're comparing apples to apples.
QUOTE
The bridge and roadway is on the main channel in front of Tim’s Ford State The screen capture shown in this thread was made by me with an Axiom 9 RV that was being “evaluated”. Performed same tests on newest Lowrance models as well as Helix. After going to the trouble to personally do on lake tests, it wasn’t even close.

[/QUOTE]

Royt, the units tested were Axiom 9RV, Carbon 9, and Helix 10 Mega. Unfortunately, I was unable to have all three at the same time in the boat. Will try to repost photo.

[Royt]

Thanks, I really like to compare images from different manufacturers.

[Chief Brody]

Here are some photos from shallower water ...

Im noticing something unique with Raymarines......the change in the bottom images on both 2D and DI.
On DI the fish make the bottom lighter, and on 2D the bottom under the fish is stronger red.

Is there a particular reason for this?

[Jig34]

More likely those are the “transition” areas people talk about. Bright/thick white and Dark/thick red are hard bottoms. It’s not the fish making the bottom look different, it’s the bottom composition holding fish. The picture below shows a classic soft bottom with a school of baitfish above it and some larger Bass off to the right hanging on the edge just before you see the bright red which is a shell bed.