Sounder/Chart Plotter

[Michael Michowski]

I am searching for an integrated Sounder/Chart Plotter for my 27' Mackinaw and have narrowed it down to the following two units which both fall into my price range. The Lowrance LC-X104C and the Garmin 2010. Any recommendations on these or others? As far as transducers are concerned, I know from previous postings that everyone is going to tell me to drill the hole but I can't bare the thought (yet). As a casual fisherman, would the minor decrease in sensitivity of an "in hull" transducer really be that bad?

[BullFighter]

Michael,

I can't speak for the Lowrance unit, but I have the Garmin 2010C and I HIGHLY recommend it!

- Super easy to use (menu driven)
- Bright display even in direct sun
- With the 10" screen you have plenty of display size to employ the "Split screen" features and not suffer from eye-strain due to the images being too small to read. I place the map, course numbers, and bottom sounder info on a "triple-split" screen and have everything I need at a glance.

Since you mention "drilling a hole in the bottom", I'm assuming that you will be purchasing the optional "black-box" sounder module (GSD-20) unit.
This item is very easy to install and comes with the needed software to update the 2010 to a VERY nice bottom machine.

As far as drilling the hole:
Not a big deal if you take your time and read the posts here. There are a lot of posts that spell out exactly where the best locations are, and what to avoid. What I found when I did mine a couple months ago, was that the location I needed was occupied by my live-well pickup. So, out came the livewell fitting, drilled a new (larger) hole in that location to fit the transducer, and drilled a new hole further back for the live-well. (You don't want any fitting forward of the transducer that can cause turbulance).

Results:
With the high-speed fairing block, I can cleanly and clearly read bottom at all speeds (even WOT - about 28 mph). I divised a simple two-piece streamlined fairing block that required nothing more that a table saw and jig saw to build. I'll be glad to share the design with anyone if there is interest.

One more thing:
If you can swing the difference for the color version, you will be in hog-heaven. These units have held there value now for over a year ($2499 at most discount outlets), but there are deals out there. I got mine (new with full warranty from Garmin) for less that the price of a non-color 2010 version.

Good luck

Mark

[Leprechaun]

MM - read all 4 pages of this linked thread:


http://www.noreast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?page=1&startrow=1&topic_ID=11584&search=service&searchString=Lowrance&searchNotString=&SearchMode=all&SearchNotMode=all&searchFromDate=%7Bts%20%272003%2D01%2D08%2013%3A36 %3A19%27%7D&SearchUpToDate=%7Bts%20%272003%2D04%2D08%2013%3A36 %3A19%27%7D

and this one too:

http://www.noreast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?page=1&startrow=1&topic_ID=11356

You can see that I'm bIG on that new Lowrance.

Just go and compare that thing to any other unit out there and you will be too.

rgds, Leprechaun

[LunaSea]

if you can afford it, I would DEFINATELY go w/ the Garmin 2010C with sounder. As for the transducer (regardless of which unit you end up with), drill the hole and put it just in front of the drive tunnel (there is a flat area there on the centerline). You will track the bottom just fine at all speeds and you will not need a fairing block.