im looking for input. i have had a lowrance and a garmin for years. my garmin 176c chart plotter is great but is old discontinued and kind of held together. ive been doing research and i am thinking of either Lowrance hds 5m or standard horizon cd390i plotter finder. i like garmin just fine. but in my price range these two have the best options and features im looking for. anyone use either. im looking for pros and cons… i do like the 3 yr warranty st horizon has on all their products. i have had a vhf from them for 10 yrs and their service is great. like lowrance… like ■■■■■■■■ so bring it.
HDS is the best for the money IMO and no reason to get anything different unless you need more performance or larger screens.
Can do many practical things with an HDS that others in the price range cannot. Satellite WX and radio + stereo can be operated from an HDS unit. Radar can be hooked up and overlayed even on the small HDS’s. Built in sonar is extremely good for the $$. GPS startup and refresh rate is better than others. Waypoint capacity, storage and transfer are better than others. Functions within chartplotter and sonar are more adjustable and advanced. Expandability for things like livewell, motor and fuel monitors are available. Menu’s and ease of use is better. Built in charts and add on charts better than others. Can add sidescan imaging… I can go on and on.
When I say better than others I am talking about within $300 of the same price…
SH is going to be fine, but IMO you are getting much more for your money with an HDS unit. Lots of nice stuff packed into a cheaper, compact package. Lowrance is owned by Navico, and their customer service is terrific now. 5 years ago, the wait times to talk to someone to help you was horrible. I get someone on the phone to answer questions within 2 minutes wait now… and they are in the USA.
Getting the nautic or lake insight version of the HDS-5 will be worth the money, IMO. The satellite photo overlay is extremely helpful in areas where any available charting (for any brand) sux. If you are going to use in coastal or offshore waters you should get the 50/200 and nautic insight version. The few extra $$ spent are well worth it.
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Luke 8:22-25
anyone use the standard horizon?
Sushi Adam
If you go with the lowrance get the base model and buy the navionics charts. Insight is junk imo.