Story
Lowrance echo sounders Lowrance Electronics is a company known throughout the world for its production of echo sounders, GPS receivers and aircraft.
It was founded in Joplin, Missouri in 1957. The founder of this famous and sought-after company was an avid fisherman, Carl Lawrence, who loved his business and hobby so much that he was able to instill this love in his two sons, Darel and Arlen, without much difficulty. Both of his sons quickly became the first scuba divers in their state, thanks to which they managed to become famous throughout the world. It was thanks to their love for scuba diving that the sons began to study the movements of fish, and therefore came to the conclusion that the modern world simply needed a device that could help in this matter. No sooner said than done, and therefore, a few years later, the Lawrence brothers invented a device that could be successfully used not only in fishing, but even in boating - this is how the world's first transistor echo sounder appeared. The main idea of this echo sounder was to make it not only light, compact and easy to use, but also to give it the most affordable price, so that every fisherman could please himself with such a purchase. Oddly enough, all the ideas came true, and therefore, already in 1957, the Lawrence brothers were able to sell about two thousand echo sounders, the first of which cost about one hundred and fifty dollars. Lowrance has been one of the legitimate leaders in the production of marine equipment for large, medium and small-tonnage vessels for more than half a century. Starting with the production of echolocators in the 50s of the last century, today Lowrance produces a wide range of equipment - from marine radios to GPS chart plotters and powerful ship radars.
X-series devices
Unfortunately, devices of this family are no longer produced today, but they are often found on store shelves. These are very easy to use and cheap echo sounders, the functionality of which is sufficient for studying the situation under water. The X series includes the following models:
- X4;
- X4 Pro;
- X50DS;
- X59 DF;
- X52;
- X67 IceMachine.
X4 is the simplest representative of the line under consideration. The device is equipped with a monochrome 4-inch screen and allows you to work with just one beam. All subsequent models have different modifications of the basic X4 solution. The transmitter has become more powerful and sensitivity has increased.
The X50 model has a full-fledged Russian-language interface and a sensor that records temperature indicators. The IceMachine device is equipped with a frost-resistant sensor, which allows you to actively use the equipment even in severe winter cold.
general information
Lowrance fish finders are rightfully considered the first and most popular fish finder. In the United States, more than half of all fishermen use them. Lowrance itself is part of the Navico concern, which in turn is the largest supplier of marine equipment in the world. The main production of Lawrence echo sounders takes place at a plant in Mexico.
Today there is a very large range of echo sounders from this company on the market; those who want to buy a Lowrance echo sounder will not be disappointed. There are single-beam echo sounders that are easy to use and master at a low price, and powerful, digital models with Structure Scan technology at a price of over 100 thousand rubles. All models supplied to our country support the Russian language and use the metric coordinate system. The warranty is 18 months.
Review
Models of the most popular series of Lawrence echo sounders:
- HDS presents a line of professional echo sounders with unique navigation and echolocation characteristics, a large number of options and various capabilities. The Lowrance echo sounder sensor in this series can be assembled independently. It is not included in the standard package. The advantage of these models is their ease of use.
- Elite series models are compact and equipped with a color display. A simple menu and uncomplicated interface make it easy to control the echo sounder. Models are equipped with a special TrakBack function, as well as a bottom scanning option.
- Elite CHIRP models provide a fairly clear picture of the bottom thanks to special CHIRP technology. The CHIRP Sonar device, which has excellent resolution and high sensitivity, will help you find places where fish live.
- The HDI series models are compact and have a variety of options.
- Hook is a new line of quality fish finders with a variety of features. All models are equipped with a clear interface and a bright display.
- The budget Mark series is represented by high-quality economy class models for beginner fishermen. The devices have a black and white screen, all important options, a wide viewing angle and provide a clear image.
Popular models
The most popular Lowrance models can be called Lowrance X-4 Pro, Lowrance Mark-5x DSI, Lowrance X52, Lowrance Mark-5x Pro.
The listed models are affordable and have good technical characteristics. They all differ in scanning depth in fresh water, display extension, radiation angle, radiation power, number of beams, etc. In order to receive the correct information in sufficient quantities, it is not necessary to buy an expensive model. If you understand the design of an echo sounder and know the main points of its operation, then you can read information from a simple model, the main thing is to understand what you are doing and for what purposes you need it.
If you are working in a shallow body of water, then the Lowrance Mark-5x DSI model is perfect for it, since the scanning depth is not very large, 76 meters, the screen resolution is 480x480, which will allow you to clearly detail small objects.
For something deeper, you can take the Lowrance X-4 Pro or Lowrance Mark-5x Pro. They have similar technical characteristics (2 beams, radiation angle 120º, scanning depth 305 meters, etc.), the only difference is the number of colors, screen expansion and price.
The simplest on this list is the Lowrance X52. There is only 1 beam with a radiation angle of 60º, the scanning depth is 244 meters, the display is small (4 inches). It follows from this that it is slightly worse than the above models, but it can also adequately describe a body of water.
The lineup
|
|
|
Model overview
The Lowrance HOOK 5 and HOOK 5x fish finders have a Solar Max Plus display with a diagonal of five inches or 12.7 cm. Improved anti-glare coating ensures good picture contrast under different lighting conditions. A screen resolution of 480x480 pixels allows you to create a detailed image of the bottom structure and accurately recreate small relief elements. Three windows can be displayed on the screen at the same time. This means that the user can read the map, images from CHIRP and DSI sensors in parallel.
The device housing is protected from moisture and splashing by IPX7 coating. Echo sounders can be operated in temperatures ranging from -15 °C to + 55 °C. This means that the devices can work in bad weather and even during winter fishing.
For those who do not like to set the settings manually, there is an ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) option. In this mode, settings are set automatically. The main device is supplied with an HDI Skimmer sensor with a six-meter cable. It scans the water column at frequencies of 83/200 kHz or 455/800 kHz.
Popular series
HDS Series
Lowrance HDS series chartplotters are four modifications of devices with different display sizes and various design options: stand-alone chartplotters, stand-alone echo sounders and chart plotters - echo sounders. Lowrance HDS-5 chartplotters are equipped, for example, with a color display (5”) with a resolution of 480x480 pixels. The dimensions of the model and the monitor resolution of the Lowrance HDS-7 model are larger with the same characteristics: the diagonal of the chartplotter display is 6.4” and the resolution is 640x480 pixels.
All subsequent models of the HDS series have even larger screen sizes with the same level and quality of technical capabilities. For example, the Lowrance HDS-8 model has an 8-inch display and six quickly programmable keys. The Lowrance HDS-10 has a 10.4-inch display and programmable keys. Lowrance HDS Series chartplotters feature high-speed data ports and high-quality mapping.
Elite Series
Lowrance Elite series chartplotters are several versions of devices with 5-inch displays. The Lowrance Elite-5 model is equipped with an internal echo sounder. Its modification Lowrance Elite-5 Gold is provided with additional Navionics cartography. The latest model in this series, the Lowrance Elite-5 DSI, features DownScan image display technology with high-frequency sonar, which provides almost photographic accuracy in displaying data from the echo sounder.
LMS Series
As part of this series, Lowrance has released a sufficient number of marine GPS chartplotters with monitors ranging in size from 3.5 inches and larger. Particular attention should be paid to one model of chartplotter - echo sounder - Lowrance LMS-525 DC. This device can be considered one of the best examples of the old series of chart plotters from Lowrance - it is equipped with a 5-inch display and an internal 500-watt fish finder.
Useful tips for the user
In the Lowrance HOOK 5 models, the manufacturer has implemented the main fish-finding functions. As soon as the device finds the specified depth, a sound signal is heard.
In automatic mode, the picture on the screen clearly displays eyebrows with sharp changes in depth. At the user's request, this scale can be decreased or increased. For example, in shallow water it makes sense to limit the maximum depth to 5 m.
It is convenient to divide the screen into several windows. It is optimal to view two modes: in the first, control the bottom topography, and in the second, observe the structure of the surface. The principle here is simple: the harder the bottom, the darker the displayed area.
Use the keys to enlarge the image. This way you can examine small objects in detail. At a frequency of 455 kHz it is even possible to see the operation of complementary foods. The device effectively suppresses noise, while the picture quality is close to photographic.
see also
|
|
|
Digital depth maps
For devices that support connection to storage media, cards are considered a necessary addition. Thanks to them, it is possible to increase safety on the water, avoid obstacles and achieve the goal.
There are 2 main manufacturers of chart plotters that work with Lowrance fish finders:
C-Map
– digital depth maps, which are distinguished by a high level of elaboration and the presence of all the necessary information. They recorded 32 depth levels. The user independently sets the size of objects and highlights important ones. Additional features of maps from this manufacturer include 3D visualization of objects and the ability to install on mobile devices.
Maps from Navionics
. All information provided on them is current and is constantly updated. The peculiarity of this company’s products is that they record not only data on depth, but also on the topography of the coastline and objects located in this area. When creating the maps, not only publicly available data was used, but also the results of the research of the manufacturer itself. Today, the coverage area of the maps reaches a large scale and includes most of the major countries. They are compatible with most Lowrance chartplotters and can be used right out of the box.
Using digital maps greatly simplifies the fishing process and allows you to get all the necessary information to find fish. Data on the condition of reservoirs is constantly updated and improved, which makes it possible to use them at any time of the year and on most reservoirs.
