I am looking for a new graph for my boat. I was looking at getting a helix 12 but ran across a good deal on a hds 12 live. Any of you have experience with the newer lowrance vs the helix with mega si? Most of the guys I fish with have helix with msi so I know what to expect. I have not been any lowrance since they started structure scan. Are they comparable?
If you’re used to Lowrance, get Lowrance, if you’re used to hummingbird, get hummingbird. I was the Larance guy for 30 years and switched to hummingbird, and I feel absolutely inept. It’s a whole new system, everything is different, I hate it. Both are great units.
I run lowrance hds 12s and really like them. My buddy has helix 12s and I hate them. I also kept one of my garmin uhd 93sv and that’s a great unit as well.
I didn’t like the h bird strictly due to they were so foreign compared the lowrance and garmin
If you’re used to Lowrance, get Lowrance, if you’re used to hummingbird, get hummingbird.
I’d agree with this too. I’ve essentially used Lowrance for most of my adult fishing life (20+ years) and switching to something else now would really set me back from an operational stand point. Use what you are more comfortable with. I’m sure one brand has advantages over the other, and vice versa.
Personal preference I guess. But to me the birds or hard to navigate.
Side question though. Can I ask where the deal on the Live 12 is? Been in the market for one possibly to upgrade my Gen 3 unit.
Can I ask where the deal on the Live 12 is? Been in the market for one possibly to upgrade my Gen 3 unit.
They are $1450 off the regular price right now at Cabela’s for a Marine Sale that runs through Feb 22. Not sure if there are any left though. Here’s the flyer for it.
That’s a steal! I dont really want a 12 inch though because I would like this unit to be able to use on the ice and that is just too dang big, but this is tempting.
I have Lowrance and my buddy has Humminbird. I have to help him navigate that dang thing and I dont ever use one. Lowrance is moreso like an android phone where it isnt limited to certain functions and more customizable whereas the Humminbird seems more like an iPhone where they control so much of what you can do.
I think they are both good units, but I have just been a Lowrance guy so that is what I stick with. His Humminbird has some quirky “features” to it like any time he does an update he loses all of this trails. Not sure if he is doing something wrong or not, but we couldnt find them at all. Then it wouldnt record the trails and we had to go back into settings to turn it on. Something like this shouldnt reset during an update.
This a good topic for me. Another long-time Lowrance user here. I’ve never liked the Hummingbirds when I’ve had the chance to use them.
A buddies boat or my step dads boat for example. Always a painful experience.
However they do have Lakemaster which I feel is the best maps.
Contemplating buying a new boat, which then begs the question what electronics to put on it. I had talked myself into going Hummingbird and just learning a new system, but maybe that would be a mistake
The other weird thing is it seems like the VAST majority of anglers/businesses/dealers run and sell Hummingbird. At least my perception. I bought a Garmin Ice unit this winter (and love it-very easy to use) and felt in the extreme minority at least talking to the guys at Thorne Bros
It is nice to have all your equipment working in sync. Most anglers/boats use Minnkota for an electric motor/bow mount and they pair up nicely with birds. Lowrance has their own bow mount now called the Lowrance Ghost and I’ve heard good things about it. Same with Garmin and the Garmin Force electric motor. I saw all of these at the boat show in January.
Is it absolutely necessary to use an electric motor that pairs up with electronics? Surely not. There are ways around that, such as adapter cords, etc. Universal sonar means exactly what it says, “universal” so it will work with any modern electronics.
However they do have Lakemaster which I feel is the best maps.
When humminbird bought out lakemaster Lowrance came out with their own line of chips and I have confirmed that they are identical because I had the last lakemaster chip that would work in a Lowrance and then the new Lowrance chip and they were exactly the same. Each company may have updated their charts since then, but they started from the same base at least. The nice thing about the Lowrance chip is you got everything on one chip including LOW and Rainy river. The Lakemaster chip you had to get multiple chips to have them.
When humminbird bought out lakemaster Lowrance came out with their own line of chips and I have confirmed that they are identical because I had the last lakemaster chip that would work in a Lowrance and then the new Lowrance chip and they were exactly the same. Each company may have updated their charts since then, but they started from the same base at least. The nice thing about the Lowrance chip is you got everything on one chip including LOW and Rainy river. The Lakemaster chip you had to get multiple chips to have them.
This is good to know. I’m glad I haven’t pulled the trigger on anything yet. As I said I like my new Garmin Ice unit, but not really a fan of navionics(it’s OK). It just seems much more intuitive for me to use out of the box, similar to my old Lowrance HSD 7 that is currently on my boat.
I have both Lakemaster and Navionics in different displays and I think that Lakemaster has better maps than Navionics also.
My Lakemaster maps show features that don’t even show up on Navionics maps. Mine are definitely not identical.
It is nice to have all your equipment working in sync. Most anglers/boats use Minnkota for an electric motor/bow mount and they pair up nicely with birds. Lowrance has their own bow mount now called the Lowrance Ghost and I’ve heard good things about it. Same with Garmin and the Garmin Force electric motor. I saw all of these at the boat show in January.
Is it absolutely necessary to use an electric motor that pairs up with electronics? Surely not. There are ways around that, such as adapter cords, etc. Universal sonar means exactly what it says, “universal” so it will work with any modern electronics.
In theory yes. However I know multiple guys that talked themselves into Hummingbird so they could have “the link” and then never use that feature anyway.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
However they do have Lakemaster which I feel is the best maps.When humminbird bought out lakemaster Lowrance came out with their own line of chips and I have confirmed that they are identical because I had the last lakemaster chip that would work in a Lowrance and then the new Lowrance chip and they were exactly the same. Each company may have updated their charts since then, but they started from the same base at least. The nice thing about the Lowrance chip is you got everything on one chip including LOW and Rainy river. The Lakemaster chip you had to get multiple chips to have them.
LOW and Rainy are now included on the MN Lakemaster cards. They are no longer separate.
I wouldn’t consider anything other than Minnkota for my trolling motor. However I don’t feel the need for it to talk to my graph.
I wouldn’t consider anything other than Minnkota for my trolling motor. However I don’t feel the need for it to talk to my graph.
Ive had great luck with my Motorguide Pinpoint xi5. Its a much better motor than the MinnKota I had previously, but that was not a Terrova so anything was an improvement over what I had.
I do like controlling the trolling motor from my touch screen graph. Its pretty slick.
I wouldn’t consider anything other than Minnkota for my trolling motor. However I don’t feel the need for it to talk to my graph.
I’m in the same “boat” as you being that I use Lowrance and Minnkota. I’m not a tournament angler nor do I feel the need to constantly upgrade my units, so for now I’m fine with the status quo as well. Love the HDS 7 unit, mine is currently an HDS 7 Carbon.
I have only used Humminbird for 4 years. Trolling motor with Follow the contour and spot lock.
I love it.
Never used Lowrance so have no idea.
I suspect the Iphone/Android post earlier is the best comparison.
I sell software and I tell customers “software is like everything else, learn how to use it the right way and practice with it” they are all fairly similar with some brand specifics features.
Comfort level is worth alot. I “practice” with mine at least one of my trips out every week. How can I get to this function faster/ easier? What should I do when…..? When I see this image I should do X on my control panel? etc.
I have them,. I might as well be proficient.
Good luck with your decision.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>lindyrig79 wrote:</div>
I wouldn’t consider anything other than Minnkota for my trolling motor. However I don’t feel the need for it to talk to my graph.Ive had great luck with my Motorguide Pinpoint xi5. Its a much better motor than the MinnKota I had previously, but that was not a Terrova so anything was an improvement over what I had.
I do like controlling the trolling motor from my touch screen graph. Its pretty slick.
I love my xi5
I agree the statements about android to IPhone difference.
In the phone world I used an android from the time they came out till 5 years ago when i decided to try an iPhone. I haven’t looked back. Once I learned how to work an iPhone it seamed easier. Up until last year my work phone remained android. So day in and day out I got to see the comparison between the two systems.
The same can be said for lowrance and humminbird for me. I used lowrance for 25 years. When I bought my new boat in 2021 I wanted lake master mapping and 360 imagery.
Looking back after learning how to navigate through humminbird, I won’t be changing anytime soon.
I ran Lowrance for many years, switched to humminbird about 5 years ago, now own 4 units, would not go back to Lowrance. I’m 62 and learning new technology isn’t the easiest for me, but switching was not too terrible!
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