WANNAFISH Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi Raiders, Ive got the b/w Furuno 4100 at the moment but I think its time to upgrade to a coloured unit. Im tossing up between Lowrance x515cdf or the Garmin 400c. Anyone have this units or experienced using them? Need help. I dont want to waste my money and I want to get it right first time. Ill just be fishing around the harbour and botany bay targeting kingies and jewies. A good advise would be appreciated. Cheers, JON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelrdoyle@gmail.com Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hey dude I'm certainly no expert WRT sounders, but bear in mind Furuno sounders are meant to be of exceptional quality, professional, whilst the other brands mentioned are "consumer" (And I think price reflects this). So switching brands may mean a quality drop (despite the new one having heaps of cool features) This doesn't mean the Lowrance won't be good - they're excellent, but perhaps not as excellent. BTW - I have the Lowrance 339, which is a similar colour unit, but with a plotter included. I've really enjoyed it. Of course - I always wonder what the Furuno equiv would be like (after I win the Lotto of course!) Mike Hi Raiders, Ive got the b/w Furuno 4100 at the moment but I think its time to upgrade to a coloured unit. Im tossing up between Lowrance x515cdf or the Garmin 400c. Anyone have this units or experienced using them? Need help. I dont want to waste my money and I want to get it right first time. Ill just be fishing around the harbour and botany bay targeting kingies and jewies. A good advise would be appreciated. Cheers, JON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANNAFISH Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hey dude I'm certainly no expert WRT sounders, but bear in mind Furuno sounders are meant to be of exceptional quality, professional, whilst the other brands mentioned are "consumer" (And I think price reflects this). So switching brands may mean a quality drop (despite the new one having heaps of cool features) This doesn't mean the Lowrance won't be good - they're excellent, but perhaps not as excellent. BTW - I have the Lowrance 339, which is a similar colour unit, but with a plotter included. I've really enjoyed it. Of course - I always wonder what the Furuno equiv would be like (after I win the Lotto of course!) Mike I dont think the big furuno would be suited to my little 4.3 dinghy. Im just after a small unit that would do the job good enough to get the fish im targeting. Im not gonna go out deep. Just around the bay and the harbour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamtime Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 What is your budget. I am also one of the converted - there is Furuno, then there is Furuno. The Furuno units I use, have as a standard feature, heated housings which prevent moisture build up inside the unit. This condensation is one of the biggest sicknesses when it comes to navigational electronics. As mentioned by Mike, these high volume, consumer oriented sounders are generally made in China and do not have the R & D expertise that has been earned by Furuno for many decades. It all comes down to price. But don't forget longevity. Cheers Mariner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANNAFISH Posted October 9, 2008 Author Share Posted October 9, 2008 What is your budget. I am also one of the converted - there is Furuno, then there is Furuno. The Furuno units I use, have as a standard feature, heated housings which prevent moisture build up inside the unit. This condensation is one of the biggest sicknesses when it comes to navigational electronics. As mentioned by Mike, these high volume, consumer oriented sounders are generally made in China and do not have the R & D expertise that has been earned by Furuno for many decades. It all comes down to price. But don't forget longevity. Cheers Mariner HI Mariner, my budget would be around 700 max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuffy Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 I've gone from Garmin to a Lowrance x515cdf and I am wrapped. A little more than your $700 budget but IMHO, well worth the money. If anything, they are probably a bit too powerful for bay fishing with the dual freq / beam transducer, may be better to look at the Garmin on second thoughts for your usage. Tuffy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a boat Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hi Jon, not really an apple to apples comparison mate because the Gamin is around the $500 mark while the Lowrance is close to $1K, unless you are getting from OS. If they were my two choices and I was prepared to spend almost double than the Lowrance is a better unit with better back up. GME used to sell Garmin but they have gone their seperate ways and not sure what the back-up on the Garmin might be like now, but for the dollars they are an OK unit. If I had $1K to spend on a sounder alone there are a few other brands I would look at personally, but that is just my 2 cents worth. Cheers, Huey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netic Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 For the $1,000 mate you can pay a touch more and get a Furuno....awesome sounders with great performance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitch Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hey guys....$700 not 1k. 1k is a big difference in bucks and sounders. I personally run a Garmin sounder / GPS on the helm and a 400c Garmin up the bow. I am very happy with mine. I do a lot of deep water breaming and deepish structure orientated bream / bass fishing and honestly would not have near the catch rate as i do without my sounders. I have previously had lowrance and they are great too. It all comes down to personal choice and what suits you and your style of fishing. good luck with the purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANNAFISH Posted October 10, 2008 Author Share Posted October 10, 2008 (edited) The Lowrance x515cdf is currently on special for $699 at this place with full warranty. The garmin 400c is $420 at this place at Menai. The thing i like w/ Lorance is the beam angle w/c is 60 degrees max @ 200khz and the closest ive seen is 20 I think. I know I dont need a dual frequency in the bay or harbour thats why the Eagle 500c comes into play as well with the same wide angle beam like the lowrance, just a bit lower on pixels thats about it. For $499 on special Cheers JON Edited October 10, 2008 by WANNAFISH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamtime Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Well done, it appears that you have been able to answer your enquiry youself. This thread has given some good advice, however I would have expected more Raiders would have had experience with the units you have mentioned. The last "toy" unit I purchased was from a large "K" store and it was portable - the transducer was mounted on a suction cup and the unit was in a small moulded plastic case. This unit served me extremely well and put me on to plenty of good fish I would normally have passed over. It operated on 2 x 6volt lantern batteries or a standard 12volt battery. I guess I am trying to say is, that anything is better than the nothing you previously had. That said, it surprised me that these portable units were far more expensive than a permanently mounted unit that most fishos own. Units that have transducers of 600watts or less will not provide the clarity needed for "offshore" applications. If "inshore" or "enclosed" fishing waters is your target, then value for money would be your priority. Just don't confuse quality over quantity. Good Luck with you purchase. Dollars are hard to come by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbielites Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Who said any thing about Furuno???? You are always going to get the latest is greatest crowd mate, that's the way it is these days... Before Furuno it was Garmin before that it was Furuno again, Raymarine were in there some where too.... It is all about marketing... Any way back to your original question..... Get the biggest screen you can afford with the highest powered RMS transducer. Both elements are crucial when looking for fish. You also need to be happy with the menu structure, a mate of mine has a popular brand that takes way to many button presses to get between the most used pages.. Good luck with it..... Robbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a boat Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 The Lowrance x515cdf is currently on special for $699 at this place with full warranty. The garmin 400c is $420 at this place at Menai. The thing i like w/ Lorance is the beam angle w/c is 60 degrees max @ 200khz and the closest ive seen is 20 I think. I know I dont need a dual frequency in the bay or harbour thats why the Eagle 500c comes into play as well with the same wide angle beam like the lowrance, just a bit lower on pixels thats about it. For $499 on special Cheers JON Hi Jon, $699 for a Lowrance X515CDF is a great price, but I would be guessing it is a US imported one and might have issues with back-up if something goes wrong. I am not saying do not buy it, because installed correctly with a fuse we do not see many issues, but I personally would ask for a serial number B4 you buy it and then contact Navico and see if that number is registered with them and has a full Oz warranty. If so mate, buy it and enjoy and I think for the extra $200 I would go the Lowracne, you can not beat pixels for picture quality. Cheers, Huey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achjimmy Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I am also looking at a new sounder, would be interested to be PM'd the pricing you have found. The Furuno would be my pick but not sure i can justify the extra dollars. Anybody no what benefits i would get running a Lowrance 515 inconjuction with my Lowrance 3500c mapplotter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WANNAFISH Posted October 11, 2008 Author Share Posted October 11, 2008 Hi Jon, $699 for a Lowrance X515CDF is a great price, but I would be guessing it is a US imported one and might have issues with back-up if something goes wrong. I am not saying do not buy it, because installed correctly with a fuse we do not see many issues, but I personally would ask for a serial number B4 you buy it and then contact Navico and see if that number is registered with them and has a full Oz warranty. If so mate, buy it and enjoy and I think for the extra $200 I would go the Lowracne, you can not beat pixels for picture quality. Cheers, Huey. This one is local Huey. Its one of those big boating acc. shops. B--s Boating. I think Im gonna get that Lowrance one. Ive been talking to my mate that goes out regularly and he uses the same one and he said its like a new mobile phone but in a complicated way, it takes time to master the functions and how to read the info properly. Thanx a lot for the advised raiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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