Bit the bullet and upgraded the current Lowrance on the Dream Machine. A 15 year newer model and triple the screen size . Anyone have experience with one and suggestions/favorites they like to run on it. Idc if you have another model you prefer or think this is a crap unit. I just want info from anyone who runs or has run one and what they liked. I got the Hook7 Bundle. On a side note, itās 11 times less expensive than the unit I run on the Wet Dream so I already know what not to expect.
2 complaints that Iāve read about them is that the GPS processor is slow so the map takes longer to update especially when you use a chip that has a lot of detail.
Also, you can not turn off any of that detail as you can with some of the other Lowrance units. This can result in the screen looking very cluttered at times and in certain places. Examples could be places like Charleston Harbor where there are a lot of different buoys, markers, navigation channels, etc. Or even on a lake like Murray that has a lot of depth changes, there will be many contour lines that can clutter up a screen.
I would suggest that you go to the Lowrance website and download the latest update for your unit. http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software-Updates/hook-software-20/
Just because itās new, doesnāt mean that it has the latest update. The latest update supposedly addresses the slow GPS issue.
Other than that, all Iāve read indicates that most people are very satisfied with the unit.
Enjoy it.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when itās lost and the story is told. - Me
-Whatās the best eating fish, you ask? Iāve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my āPuppy Dogā 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. Iāll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
Thanks BH, will do. I have a lake Murray Pro Chip in my big boat. Iām not sure if itās SIMRAD only programmed or if itāll work. Iāll have to check once the unit comes in. Would be awesome if itāll load cuz it has all the road beds etc. loaded with humps etc in it.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when itās lost and the story is told. - Me
-Whatās the best eating fish, you ask? Iāve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my āPuppy Dogā 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. Iāll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
My Elite 5 chip reader bit the dust; so Iām now running a Hook 5 for my Navionics Hot Maps. It updates pretty much in real time. I have not hooked up the sonar yet but will do so when I have more time. My HDS 5 continues to work well as my sonar.
2 complaints that Iāve read about them is that the GPS processor is slow so the map takes longer to update especially when you use a chip that has a lot of detail.
Also, you can not turn off any of that detail as you can with some of the other Lowrance units. This can result in the screen looking very cluttered at times and in certain places. Examples could be places like Charleston Harbor where there are a lot of different buoys, markers, navigation channels, etc. Or even on a lake like Murray that has a lot of depth changes, there will be many contour lines that can clutter up a screen.
I would suggest that you go to the Lowrance website and download the latest update for your unit. http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software-Updates/hook-software-20/
Just because itās new, doesnāt mean that it has the latest update. The latest update supposedly addresses the slow GPS issue.
Other than that, all Iāve read indicates that most people are very satisfied with the unit.
Enjoy it.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when itās lost and the story is told. - Me
-Whatās the best eating fish, you ask? Iāve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my āPuppy Dogā 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. Iāll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
I have the Elite 7 Chirp and the GPS processor is slow on it as well. I really haven't had any major issues with it and I go to Charleston and Lake Russell where you have to stay in the channels and it hasn't caused any issues. I don't think the Hook is much different than the
I havenāt found the slower refresh on my E7 GPS to be an issue striper fishing, but it does make it more difficult when trying to get directly over a specific set of numbers when I reef fish.
One thing to be aware of when using the Elite or Hook Sonar, that drove me crazy at first, is that setting an upper and lower limit to view just a portion of the water column does not work as on something like an HDS, because it tracks bottom differently. The setting is there to set the limits, but you will not get a correct digital bottom reading if you get one at all and the view on the screen is not accurate either. Not sure why they even give this option on these models.
For something like fishing suspended fish in the big water, what I found works best is to set the depth range manually to 200ā, so you will never be deeper than the range setting, since that is when it has issues. Then zoom in 4X to see a span of 50ā and then just adjust the view up or down the water column with arrows until you are just viewing say 30ā - 80ā, or whatever.
2 complaints that Iāve read about them is that the GPS processor is slow so the map takes longer to update especially when you use a chip that has a lot of detail.
Also, you can not turn off any of that detail as you can with some of the other Lowrance units. This can result in the screen looking very cluttered at times and in certain places. Examples could be places like Charleston Harbor where there are a lot of different buoys, markers, navigation channels, etc. Or even on a lake like Murray that has a lot of depth changes, there will be many contour lines that can clutter up a screen.
I would suggest that you go to the Lowrance website and download the latest update for your unit. http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software-Updates/hook-software-20/
Just because itās new, doesnāt mean that it has the latest update. The latest update supposedly addresses the slow GPS issue.
Other than that, all Iāve read indicates that most people are very satisfied with the unit.
Enjoy it.
-The size of a fish is directly proportional to the time between when itās lost and the story is told. - Me
-Whatās the best eating fish, you ask? Iāve found that for a lot people, its the ones that they happen to be able to catch, clean, and cook. - My Dad (1/13/37 - 9/27/16 I love you Pops)
-Until you have loved a dog, part of your soul remains unawakened. Anatole France (paraphrased)
-RIP my āPuppy Dogā 10/15/2004 - 1/14/2013. Iāll never forget him. What a special friend he was.
-Team Gonna Fish
I have the Elite 7 Chirp and the GPS processor is slow on it as well. I really haven't had any major issues
. Anyone have experience with one and suggestions/favorites they like to run on it. Idc if you have another model you prefer or think this is a crap unit. I just want info from anyone who runs or has run one and what they liked. I got the Hook7 Bundle. On a side note, itās 11 times less expensive than the unit I run on the Wet Dream so I already know what not to expect.