[[email protected]]

Stuck between Garmin Echo 70s, Garmin 740s (older model), or the Lowrance HDS 7 touch. I want touch screen and I would really like the best satellite/google earth images I cant get. What do you all recommend? Any input on the google earth images? Are they anywhere near the accuracy and high def as they are on google?

 

[Creek Runner]

I'm putting the new 741xs on my new HB I'm building. Garmin hands down to me has the best user interface, customer service, and performance.

On my big boat I have a Garmin 8215 and have been extremely happy with it.

I have had to deal with Lowrance customer service recently when my customers don't listen to me and go with other products and I wouldn't own one just because of there customer service.

Ray marine has probably the most technology advance systems but their user interface sucks. 

Just my .02 

 

[cutrunner]

The raymarine dragonfly is an awesome unit for the money and easy to use functions.
the Garmin maps lack big-time without a chip. I like navionics' maps the best but over all Garmin are very reliable and easy to use.

 

[Creek Runner]

The raymarine dragonfly is an awesome unit for the money and easy to use functions.
the Garmin maps lack big-time without a chip. I like navionics' maps the best but over all Garmin are very reliable and easy to use.

The new 741xs comes with the blue chart g2 built in, so does the older 740s the biggest difference between the 2 is that the new 741xs has the 10hz GPS which is going to give you a much faster refresh rate, also the touch screen is a little better.

Westmarine has it on sale for $1299 vs $999 for the 740s to me its worth the extra $300

I agree the new raymarine dragon flys both the 5 & 7's are nice and some of the easier user interface units they have.

 

[Creek Runner]

If your looking for the best maps, get a cellular IPad and a bad elf pro GPS receiver, with a life proof case. Then you will have all the google maps you want.

 

[cutrunner]

The raymarine dragonfly is an awesome unit for the money and easy to use functions.
the Garmin maps lack big-time without a chip. I like navionics' maps the best but over all Garmin are very reliable and easy to use.

The new 741xs comes with the blue chart g2 built in, so does the older 740s the biggest difference between the 2 is that the new 741xs has the 10hz GPS which is going to give you a much faster refresh rate, also the touch screen is a little better.

Westmarine has it on sale for $1299 vs $999 for the 740s to me its worth the extra $300

I agree the new raymarine dragon flys both the 5 & 7's are nice and some of the easier user interface units they have. 

true

I put a brand new 5212 in a guys boat last week. On the seatrial, I noticed it labeled a section of land along side the canal we were in as "marsh land". Haha theres been a condo building there for 30 years...

 

[devrep]

hey it's a flats skiff, you don't need any stinking electronics. you a wuss or what?

Just paraphrasing some of the posts I've seen on the BBs.

I was upgrading recently and was really interested in the Garmin but I have a Navionics platinum chip I wanted to use. Called Garmin customer service and asked if it would work with their unit and the guy would not answer my question, totally evasive. I finally said look, yes or no? He said again that he wasn't sure but I know he was quite sure it would not. I went with the HDS-7 touch. nice unit.

 

[[email protected]]

hey it's a flats skiff, you don't need any stinking electronics.  you a wuss or what?

Just paraphrasing some of the posts I've seen on the BBs. 

I was upgrading recently and was really interested in the Garmin but I have a Navionics platinum chip I wanted to use.   Called Garmin customer service and asked if it would work with their unit and the guy would not answer my question, totally evasive.   I finally said look, yes or no?   He said again that he wasn't sure but I know he was quite sure it would not.    I went with the HDS-7 touch.    nice unit.

I believe its the Navionics Platinum chip that has the satellite/google earth images I want. Have you used them? How clear and accurate are they?

 

[devrep]

I'm not that tech savvy, will have my son check it out this Sunday when we go fishing.

 

[ifsteve]

I went through this last winter. Forget either one of those and go with the Simrad NSS8. With the new evo2 out you can find some killer deals on the NSS8. Same parent company Lowrance. The NSS gives you an inch bigger screen and has touch and a rotary dial. Awesome gps.

 

[langtown]

I have the Garmin 741xs on my skiff it is extremely fast, accurate and easy to navigate all the options and set waypoints. plus the touch screen still works if you have wet hands.

 

[MariettaMike]

The new Garmins with Bluechart are faster, but the Navionics maps in a Lowrance are more detailed and accurate. They all suffer the same location drift problems caused by satellite availability.

The sonar on my old Lowrance worked better than my new Garmin.

If I really want to know where I am I use the GPS kit app on my AT&T iPhone to see Google satellite image. AT&T is the only available cellular signal at Flamingo.

 

[bumpas]

I had the Gen 1 HDS 7 on my big boat (it was my first ff/gps unit) and could never find any spots that people gave me or any spots on hotspots maps. I figured it out one day when I was under a bridge and the unit showed me about 200ft to the right of the bridge. I don't know if it was a gps or maps issue.

 

[Creek Runner]

If you get a lowrance or simead, you can always get the standard mapping cards for them.

 

[timj]

I have a HDS 5 gen 2 with navionics platinum plus card and  love it.  I trust the satelite images more than the contour lines on the chart when i'm in the shallows.  It's amazing how many holes you can find that are 5-20 ft deep and labeled as being 1' or less on the chart but when looking at the satelite overlay you can see the color change and you know something has to be there.

 

[Godzuki86]

I played around with a dragonfly today. Pretty cool unit. I really would want a rep to show me all the features on these new units frankly because I suck at using them. I want a new system bad. The elite 5 isn't cutting it for me.

Ansy

 

[saltydg0089]

I just put the echomap 70s on my Fury. I had a simrad nss 8 previously and their costumer service is questionable at best.

I love the unit, very user friendly. The speed of the gps is head and shoulders better than any other unit i have used. It came with the map upgrade (g2 i believe) the detail is amazing.

 

[bflyfish]

Good stuff everyone. It seems like having the ability to use a navionics chip is worthwhile. Lowrance and Raymarine seem to be the best in that regard. Garmin charts and customer service not all that great.
Tough to beat a Lowrance with Navionics especially if you do not really need the fishfinder if you fish in shallow water situations.