Description and characteristics
The echo sounder was invented so that fishermen from boats could accurately see the bottom topography and study it thoroughly. An important function is that with the help of this device you can track the movement of fish in a reservoir, and, consequently, increase the possible catch several times. An echo sounder can study the depths and possible obstacles for the bait being carried due to its characteristics and components. The operation of each echo sounder is based on sounds, they are transmitted into the water by a sensor, then it receives their reflection and converts them into a picture on the device’s screen.
Design
The design of Lowrance echo sounders is standard; the gadget consists of a transducer and a screen. These two components are constantly in cooperation; without this, the operation of the echo sounder is simply impossible.
Now gadgets for fishing without a screen have appeared on sale. Models of this type are designed for the angler to have a screen (phone or tablet) to which this device can be connected. Most products of this type support a signal from a transducer.
Screen
Lowrance echo sounder models have fairly easy-to-use screens that display images in both black and white and color. The extension will vary depending on the model. It is this component that will help to consider what exactly awaits the fisherman in a particular body of water at a certain distance.
Transducer
Otherwise, this component is called a sensor; it is with its help that scanning of water thicknesses is carried out. An impulse is sent from the sensor, encounters obstacles in the form of fish, snags, stones and returns back. The sensor converts what is received and displays the information on the screen. Install the transducer on the bottom of the boat below the waterline for greater convenience.
Victoria Leshchenko
I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.
Ask a Question
There are not many components of the echo sounder, and the principle of operation is quite simple, even a novice fisherman can figure it out.
Criteria for comparing echo sounders
And so, what exactly should be taken into account when choosing an echo sounder:
• The echo sounder must be able to find fish, this is influenced by several criteria: transmitter power, transducer frequency, transducer cone angle.
• So that the echo sounder can distinguish fish from algae or snags, and the bottom from muddy or rocky ones, we select a receiver with high sensitivity.
• In order for the owner to be able to distinguish the data, the echo sounder must have good screen resolution.
• For ease of use, it is necessary to take into account the size and weight of the echo sounder, because a bulky model will always be inferior to a compact one.
Top 9 best Lawrence fish finder models with specified technical characteristics
The Lowrance brand has a lot of models, it is impossible to dwell on each one, so we will present a description of the most popular gadgets from this manufacturer among anglers.
Lowrance Elite-3x
The dual-frequency echo sounder from this brand was released back in 2014, but still holds the lead in many respects. The screen is color and has a diagonal of 3 inches. The working depth of the device is up to 244 m.
Lawrence Hook-3x
The model has a 3.5-inch screen and a dual-frequency sensor that allows you to scan a body of water with its bottom, topography and fish inhabitants at a distance of 244 meters. Features of the model are:
- color display with LSD backlighting, which makes the image as clear as possible;
- fast switching between frequencies;
- Possibility to zoom in 4 times.
In addition, the housing and mount make it easy to install the echo sounder screen in the right place.
Lowrance Elite-3x DSI
The 3.5-inch display will perfectly show everything you need on a color screen, the brightness of which can be adjusted. A special DSI system will accurately determine the thermocline and display these readings in a clear picture. The backlight will help you see the picture if necessary.
Lawrence Hook-4x Mid (High) Down Scan
The model copes well with all the assigned tasks, scans the bottom, finds fish in the water column and accurately determines the distance to it. The color display and the ability to adjust the tilt angle will allow you to view the picture even in sunny weather.
Lowrance Tlite-7 TI
A fishing echo sounder with a 7-inch display will be an excellent assistant for both experienced fishing enthusiasts and beginners. The features of the model are:
- bright wide color screen;
- support for modern echolocation technologies;
- reliable navigation system;
- significantly simplified menu;
- the ability to use micro-SD to install cartography;
- The 16-channel antenna provides high positioning accuracy.
The built-in module will also be important, on which pairing with a tablet or smartphone directly depends.
Lowrance Hook-5x
The model includes a five-inch screen that will reproduce a fairly clear picture, even when the craft is moving quickly. The mount will allow you to install and adjust the device to the desired angle. The model also has features:
- 5-inch high-expansion backlit color display;
- continuous sweep from low to high frequencies with one sensor;
- exclusive technology for finding a scan.
Victoria Leshchenko
I've been working hard in the fishing tackle department for the past six years. I can help you assemble almost any gear.
Ask a Question
There is a noise filtering system and a simplified menu that will allow the fisherman to see everything exactly as it really is.
Lowrance HDS-7 Gen 3 50/200
The echo sounder chartplotter has excellent characteristics and reviews from users. The ability to scan more than 1500 m makes it indispensable for fishing in large bodies of water. Information is collected and processed from two beams at once, which makes the picture even more believable.
Lowrance Mark-5x Pro fish finder
The five-inch screen does an excellent job of displaying information already received and processed by the sensor. The LED strip allows you to use the device even at night. An echo sounder can “see” everything that is happening at a distance of up to 300 meters. There is no need for additional settings for the device; you just need to plug it into the network and start working with the device.
Echo sounder Lowrance Elite-3-x HD 83/200 000-11448-001
The 3.5-inch display receives already processed information from 2 sensor beams and immediately converts it into a high-definition image. Scanning with this model can take place at a distance of up to 244 meters, while the bottom topography and the location of the fish will be determined quite accurately. It is possible to enlarge the image up to 4 times. Echo sounders from the Lawrence brand have approximately the same characteristics; they will be differentiated by additional functions in each of the models.
The Lowrance echo sounder is a great help in finding fish in bodies of water of different sizes and with different depths. The main thing is to decide on the model and use it skillfully.
Review of Lowrance 2021 fish finders
I would like to conduct a short review of echo sounders from the 2017 model range of the world’s most popular brand Lowrance, so that fishermen can understand their main differences and buy the right echo sounder. So, in 2021, Lowrance offers anglers the following series of fish finders: HOOK, Elite Ti, HDS Gen3 and HDS Carbon. I will only say that today the Lawrence company makes all devices only with color displays; black and white models are no longer produced. Let's look at each series in more detail and find out the main differences between them.
Lowrance HOOK series fish finders. These include: Lowrance HOOK-3x Lowrance HOOK-3x DSi Lowrance HOOK-4x Lowrance HOOK-4 (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HOOK-5x Lowrance HOOK-5 (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HOOK-7x Lowrance HOOK-7 (sounder + GPS) ) Lowrance HOOK-9 (fish finder + GPS) Here are the most budget-friendly Lawrence fish finders, but still very functional. There are simply echo sounders, and there are also models with a built-in GPS navigator - chart plotters. All the minimum necessary functions for searching for fish in reservoirs and rivers are present in the devices of this series, so you can safely buy these echo sounders and be sure that you now have everything you need to successfully search for fish from a boat.
Lowrance Elite Ti series fish finders. It includes the following models: Lowrance Elite-5 Ti (sounder + GPS) Lowrance Elite-7 Ti (sounder + GPS) Lowrance Elite-9 Ti (sounder + GPS) Lowrance Elite-12 Ti (sounder + GPS)
A new and very popular series of Lawrence echo sounders for fishing from a boat. All devices come with built-in GPS and are chart plotters. They are equipped with touch displays, where some of the body buttons are duplicated on the sensor. The functionality is close to the most popular series of professional echo sounders - HDS, but at a price they are much cheaper than the latter, which makes the purchase of such a device very profitable. When using Navionics cartography with an annual subscription and Broadband sonar (when connected to a Totalscan transducer), Elite Ti chartplotters can independently create a depth map of the body of water or section of river where you are currently fishing. And this is done for free. The resulting maps can be saved and transferred to other fishermen. Read more in the article about SonarChart Live technology.
Lowrance HDS Gen3 series fish finders. These include: Lowrance HDS-7 Gen3 (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HDS-9 Gen3 (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HDS-12 Gen3 (sounder + GPS) This is the third generation of HDS series fish finders. They have all the advantages of the Elite Ti series described above, but they have more capabilities: the touch screen has more functionality, 2 card slots, full Ethernet, the ability to connect a StructureScan 3D sensor, Lowrance 3G and 4G radars, autopilots, a compass, and other equipment. One of the important advantages of chartplotters in this series is that when using the StructureScan sensor, this device, using the StructureMap function, can overlay the resulting image on a GPS map, thus drawing a very detailed map of the underwater terrain and structures with all objects linked to their coordinates. And with the connection of a 3D structure scanner sensor, fishing becomes generally wonderful and interesting, since you have a three-dimensional overview of the underwater world around the boat.
Lowrance HDS Carbon series fish finders. Includes 4 models: Lowrance HDS-7 Carbon (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HDS-9 Carbon (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HDS-12 Carbon (sounder + GPS) Lowrance HDS-16 Carbon (sounder + GPS)
This is Lawrence's top-of-the-line fish finder/chartplotter series available today. Devices in this series come in a Carbon housing and are equipped with improved new type SolarMAX HD displays with highly detailed images. Having all the advantages of the previous series of chartplotters, these ones work faster as they have a dual-core processor. That is, their main advantages over the HDS Gen3 series are a slightly more beautiful body design, faster operation, as well as improved image and screen detail. Read more in the article about the differences between the HDS Gen3 and HDS Carbon series.
That's all for a quick review of the 2021 Lawrence fish finders. Now you have an idea which series to look for when purchasing a Lowrance echo sounder for boat fishing for pike perch, pike or catfish.
Author: Maxim Kostyaev
