Garmin vs Lowrance for SI and Mapping???

[TN Larry]

I'm looking to make an electronics upgrade and don't know as much about them as some of you.

I am looking to put the same brand on the front and back so that I can link them together. This will be mainly for SI/DI/ and mapping. I already have a 93 Garmin up front with livescope.

Bass Pro currently has the following on sale:

1) Garmin Echomap Ultra 126 with GT54 transducer
2) Garmin Echomap Ultra 106 with GT54 transducer
3) Lowrance HDS Live 9

Thoughts on these? They don't have to be the best but looking for decent mapping and SI.

 

[JBell]

I know you didn't mention it. But I run livescope up front and have Humminbird for mapping. Their chips are supposed to be the best.(opinion of the guy I asked). My biggest thing was, I like the idea of adding mega 360 eventually. But the mega side imaging is pretty sick itself. They are all good. If you have no intention of adding anything other than down and side imaging, I'd stick with garmin. Then switch your livescope to a bigger screen and move the 9" to the console or use it to down scan up front

 

[Spurhunter]

JBell makes some good points. I'll add my $0.02, but I'm not an expert. All the livescopers I know use 12" screens. I would use the 9" you already have for mapping and SI/DI and get a bigger screen for LS. However, Humminbird has the best SI that I have seen. I am not familiar with their mapping. Maybe it's my settings, but DI on my Garmins has disappointed me. I find 2D to be more useful. Maybe I'm just more familiar with it. Garmin's SI is good enough in my opinion. I'm not sure any of that helps, but it should confuse you just a little more.

 

[NumberOne]

If you are fishing TN river lakes and need just SI and mapping, I'd go humminbird. Humminbird has great mapping on the TN river chain of lakes. Humminbird SI is probably the best as well. Don't think you can go wrong with any of them but for mapping/SI I would go birds. Also, as Jbell said you can add 360 if you want.

 

[gasman]

I have no idea about the Lowrance, but I like the Garmin traditional sonar and the Clear Vu but do not like the Garmin SI. Hummingbird mega DI and SI are much better imo.

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

A lot of guys are making the complete jump over to Garmin. I was so close to going HB on each of my last 2 boats but ended up with Garmin. DI and 2D are as good as anything out there. Gamins SI with a gt56uhd and setup right will be so close to a HB that you wont Lose sleep over it if you have Garmin.

My opinion is that HB just has a brighter screen and I have seen Garmin with awesome side imaging. Most people who say that something is no good on the Garmin are just lacking the ability to set it up correctly.
Garmin Customer Service is light years ahead of HB at this point.
This is with a gt54 transducer on my old boat at 455khz. I think one side of the transducer was going out in this picture but it was a pretty good image as I didn't even have it set up outside of factory defaults at that point.

 

[TRIGGER]

Hummingbird has the best maps. The lake master maps are easily my most used tool.

 

[Crow Terminator]

Humminbird Lakemaster maps are the best for TVA lakes IMO. Being able to do the lake level offset is big for wintertime fishing due to winter draw downs. Garmin maps require the Vision+ card or maps to be able to do a lake offset, which is more like a yearly subscription. I had a Garmin 106 with GT56 transducer and currently have a Solix 10 with Mega SI & DI. I think to match the current Humminbird Mega imaging, you have to step up into the GPSMap models over the EchoMap Ultras. Those are more comparable. For the $ it's hard to beat the EchoMap Ultras...even if they have the GT54 instead of 56. Transducer install is everything. I thought my Solix was junk until I started tinkering with Transducer angles and such...its taken me months to get it how I want it, whereas I mostly just threw the Garmin on and leveled it with the waterline on my hull and had good images out of the box.

 

[gasman]

Humminbird Lakemaster maps are the best for TVA lakes IMO. Being able to do the lake level offset is big for wintertime fishing due to winter draw downs. Garmin maps require the Vision+ card or maps to be able to do a lake offset, which is more like a yearly subscription. You can't do one at all with Lowrance units, unless something has changed with the newer ones coming out. I had a Garmin 106 with GT56 transducer and currently have a Solix 10 with Mega SI & DI. I think to match the current Humminbird Mega imaging, you have to step up into the GPSMap models over the EchoMap Ultras. Those are more comparable. For the $ it's hard to beat the EchoMap Ultras...even if they have the GT54 instead of 56. Transducer install is everything. I thought my Solix was junk until I started tinkering with Transducer angles and such...its taken me months to get it how I want it, whereas I mostly just threw the Garmin on and leveled it with the waterline on my hull and had good images out of the box.

No need to say it again

 

[bluball]

2 birds would probally be the easiest,if you need map cards i may have some forsale if your interested.Performance fishing electronics has plenty of new units instock also,great guy to deal with.

 

[WTM]

A lot of guys are making the complete jump over to Garmin. I was so close to going HB on each of my last 2 boats but ended up with Garmin. DI and 2D are as good as anything out there. Gamins SI with a gt56uhd and setup right will be so close to a HB that you wont Lose sleep over it if you have Garmin.

My opinion is that HB just has a brighter screen and I have seen Garmin with awesome side imaging. Most people who say that something is no good on the Garmin are just lacking the ability to set it up correctly.
Garmin Customer Service is light years ahead of HB at this point.
This is with a gt54 transducer on my old boat at 455khz. I think one side of the transducer was going out in this picture but it was a pretty good image as I didn't even have it set up outside of factory defaults at that point.

yeah pretty much a flip of the coin now. garmin has some nice features with their mapping and waypoint management now.

btw, looks like that xducer may have been canted just a tad port to starboard.

 

[TNReb]

I would prefer a 12 (or a 10 at a minimum) for side imaging.

I highly prefer Lowrance for mapping. Others will highly disagree. I think CMap is one of the best map cards out there. I also think Lowrance side imaging (SS3D and AI) is also pretty darn good. I have no problems identifying fish, grass lines, cover, etc. AI HD is on the way also - who knows what that will look like.

Aside from preferring the CMap card, I think Lowrance has a great interface with better waypoint management than Garmin or HB.

If you're going with Garmin, I think it'd be worth seeing if you could find a way to get the GT56 instead of the GT54. If the Bass Pro deal is good enough, perhaps you could sell the GT54 and put that money towards the GT56.

I don't think you'll be unhappy with Lowrance or Garmin. I would just say get the largest screen you can.

 

[bluball]

I would prefer a 12 (or a 10 at a minimum) for side imaging.

I highly prefer Lowrance for mapping. Others will highly disagree. I think CMap is one of the best map cards out there. I also think Lowrance side imaging (SS3D and AI) is also pretty darn good. I have no problems identifying fish, grass lines, cover, etc. AI HD is on the way also - who knows what that will look like.

Aside from preferring the CMap card, I think Lowrance has a great interface with better waypoint management than Garmin or HB.

If you're going with Garmin, I think it'd be worth seeing if you could find a way to get the GT56 instead of the GT54. If the Bass Pro deal is good enough, perhaps you could sell the GT54 and put that money towards the GT56.

I don't think you'll be unhappy with Lowrance or Garmin. I would just say get the largest screen you can.

Ive never used c-map but have heard good things abour it.I agree the lowrance interface/waypoint management is way better than other brands.Lowrances side scan can hang with the other brands to in my opinion.Im still running the old g2 touch lowrances and love them,dont see any reason to change.

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

yeah pretty much a flip of the coin now. garmin has some nice features with their mapping and waypoint management now.

btw, looks like that xducer may have been canted just a tad port to starboard.

Couldve been. I know at that time the 54 seemed to have some issues going out.

 

[WTM]

Ive never used c-map but have heard good things abour it.I agree the lowrance interface/waypoint management is way better than other brands.Lowrances side scan can hang with the other brands to in my opinion.Im still running the old g2 touch lowrances and love them,dont see any reason to change.

garmin and lowrance are fairly similar. what makes lowrances interface way better?

 

[bluball]

Easy couple clicks to change symbols on waypoints,takes spevial symbols and names when loading from a card.If networked has a good layout to change network setting.Dont lnow if its way better,might ask @TNReb.I was just agreeing i prefer the lowrance layout and heard the cmwp is awsome.I still run the hds gen2's with the old lss2 transducer and think the sidescan is great.The gen 2's arnt compatible with the newer mwpping cards is why i dont know anout the cmap.I do have the navionics and lowrance insite cards for my lowrance.I also have birds front snd back with lakemaster cards also.Probally woildnt have the birds and cards and other electronics,but being sponsored by performance gishing electronics has its benefits.

garmin and lowrance are fairly similar. what makes lowrances interface way better?

 

[TN Larry]

Thanks for the info! I'm still undecided on what I want to do.

 

[WTM]

Thanks for the info! I'm still undecided on what I want to do.

good luck with your decision. here are the links to the mapping for each. i would check the interactive maps for garmin and c-map. what you see is what you get with them.

for lakemaster they just list the various lakes theyve surveyed, although their surveys are fairly spot on. garmin used to use their map data years ago before hunminbird bought them.

https://humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/support/chart-lists#difference

Garmin | Marine Maps

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Chart Explorer | C-MAP

Nautical Charts

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