Lowrance Elite 7 HDI

[XxthejuicexX]

Welcome to the club! Is the chirp sonar similar to the Garmin?

[Reel Tune]

I don't know. It's new just come out this month, and supposed to be better.

Guess I'll be finding out soon. A buddy of mine who we regularly fish together has the Elite 5 DSI, so I guess we'll have to do a side by side comparison. We did it with his Elite 5 DSI, and my Elite 4, now it's time to see if there is any advantage in the Elite 7 CHIRP.

Here is a take from the Lowrance site

- Easier to identify and distinguish bait and game fish targets
- Better target identification at greater depths
- Mark fish clearly at faster boat speeds
Exclusive Lowrance Elite-7 CHIRP advantages:
- Multiple CHIRP ranges from a single transducer
- CHIRP sonar performance with a greater number of affordable transducers, including the Lowrance HDI Skimmer®
- View multiple CHIRP sonar settings on one display

• DownScan Imaging™ provides picture-like images of fish-holding structure beneath a boat.
• Selectable single-frequency sonar operation with award-winning Broadband Sounder™ performance.
• Highly accurate, built-in GPS antenna plus a detailed U.S. map featuring more than 3,000 lakes and rivers and coastal contours to 1,000 feet.

[XxthejuicexX]

You will love the 7" screen if you are stepping up from the 4". Get some pics and post if you don't mind.

[Reel Tune]

THat's what I'm hoping. I can tell a big difference between the 4 and my buddies 5, and a big difference between the regular Elite and DSI. Hopefully it will be in before the Bledsoe Creek Event. Monday I'll pick up the battery 18Ah. The rest of the week when time allows I'll pick up everything else I need.

[Alphahawk]

CHIRP is CHIRP......unless as some claim Garmin is not using true CHIRP technology. But unless one has some really good test equipment no one can say if that is so. You will see a much more detailed sonar return with CHIRP. It does it by transmitting multiple frequencies from the low to the high range.....where as non CHIRP sonar is just transmitting one frequency....or maybe two. CHIRP broadcast a range of frequencies from high to low or low to high.....to paint a much more detailed image. This has been used in radars for some time. Gave us a much better info of the target and started being used in phased array radars.....my experience with it was in the PATRIOT System....except we called it pulse compression.....but it is same thing. Bottom line you will get a great looking image. You should be able to see individual bait instead of say a bait ball.



Regards

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

CHIRP is CHIRP......unless as some claim Garmin is not using true CHIRP technology. But unless one has some really good test equipment no one can say if that is so. You will see a much more detailed sonar return with CHIRP. It does it by transmitting multiple frequencies from the low to the high range.....where as non CHIRP sonar is just transmitting one frequency....or maybe two. CHIRP broadcast a range of frequencies from high to low or low to high.....to paint a much more detailed image. This has been used in radars for some time. Gave us a much better info of the target and started being used in phased array radars.....my experience with it was in the PATRIOT System....except we called it pulse compression.....but it is same thing. Bottom line you will get a great looking image. You should be able to see individual bait instead of say a bait ball.



Regards

Randy, Same technology we use in Viet Nam in Airborne ECM (Electronic Counter Measures ) I am sure more refined now ... This was tried on us by the Russians in 1968 when the SAM Missile sites was trying to lock on to us while we were orbiting (EB-66's) to protect the F-4's from the SAMS during their strike objective .. They kept Ramping there Frequencies to avoid us ... So we did one better ...

We took their signal, phase shifted 180 deg's. modulated it with noise and sent it back to them at thousands of more watts that their receiver was expecting ... Since they were varying their frequencies we had to go up and down the band ... Using magnetrons, Backward Wave Oscillators (Carcentrons) , TWT's ... etc ... Hopefully frying their screen !!!

And No, those where not the good old days I want to relive ... It wasn't fun to watch a missile heading for you or the F-4 you were sent up there to protect ... You could not have drove a straight pin up my butt !! ...

Sorry, Chirp just released an old Memory bank that has not been opened for 45 years ... <'TK><

[tennvols00]

Had mine out on the TN river yesterday. I can really tell how this unit will improve my fishing success. Pictures are clear when you are around fish. I still get some interference from time to time but being able to use regular sonar and down scan side by side helps to remove any doubt of debris Vs fish. Found multiple bait balls too. My only complaint is that the unit has shut off twice while in use and it does not want to pick up information like depth past 15-20 mph. I had read where some owners said theirs would track depth at speeds up to 40mph.

[tennvols00]

Another pic

[XxthejuicexX]

those are good pics, lots of bait. Mine used to shut off at times, I opened my front console up and found a loose wire that was causing it. Yours could be as simple as that.

[XxthejuicexX]

MidTN how is that Chirp Sonar? I forgot about you getting it until I was digging through the old post.

[hotwielen65]

I put my HB on a separate atv battery, I was having the same problem when talked to HB tech and they asked if my power source was the trolling motor batteries, the voltage drop when I would hit the trolling motor was causing the HB to shut off. Since putting it on a separate battery the problem has quit, unless I don't charge the battery for a month. Just a thought.

Ray

[tennvols00]

I have been using a lawn mower battery to power mine and it has performed well. It has shut off a time or two but I think it was due to poor connection on the terminals. Overall I love it.

[Reel Tune]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

MidTN how is that Chirp Sonar? I forgot about you getting it until I was digging through the old post.

It's awesome. Great definition and clarity, the screen is of excellent size not to big and not to small. The unit is very user friendly. I have no complaints.