Lowrance Elite-5 DSI Gold opinions. Down scan imaging verses

[Rhettley]

Monday only West Marine will have this unit on a one day sale for $299. Being in pretty bad need of a new fishfinder I'm thinking seriously about this. I'll be using it on a 19' 8" center console. I'll mainly be fishing inshore or bottom fishing out to 20 miles in this area. At Mexico Beach on a flat day we are talking less than 150 feet for sure. I seriously doubt I'll be trying to run out to the 190 to 200 foot water we fish in bigger boats...



I have some questions and thoughts I was hoping some of you might have some experience with.

1. Is the down scan image good? I'm used to a "regular" type image, actually grey scale on my ancient fish finder. They have the Elite 5 with the "regular" color image of fish arches, etc. but it isn't on sale. I can find it online for about $100 more which is a lot of money right now. They say this DSI is like looking at a video of the bottom. Is this good for salt water inshore and near shore or am I going to miss bait schools, etc. I guess my main concern is the picture is the unit's interpretation of what it sees. I can read arches and bait balls if I get an older unit dialed in.

2. It says it will image up to 40 mph but best image is viewed at 8mph and under. How is the image when running from spot to spot for nearshore stuff at around 25 to 30 mph?

3. I worry a little about the 200 foot depth. It doesn't say if it will still give me a numerical death reading below that without the picture on the screen reaching the bottom. The only time this would be a concern is if I towed the boat down to the SE coast of FL or to the FL Keys. Maybe Destin.

4. It looks like they are working towards discontinuing these units or at least putting more emphasis on the touch screen Generation 2 models. I don't need the latest and greatest. Is this a potential problem in the future for customer service from them if it tears up or needs updating online?

[Rhettley]

The high-performance color Elite-5 DSI chartplotter/fishfinder combo is packed with a special-issue custom 2GB Navionics Gold microSD card with coastal/offshore coverage of US and Canadian waters along with the Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, the Bahamas and over 125 major Canadian lakes. The combo includes high-frequency selectable 455kHz Lowrance color DownScan Imaging™ sounding for wider and deeper sonar imaging coverage, with 800kHz for enhanced viewing of targeted locations. It comes with a slim, low-profile, high-speed, transom-mount Skimmer® DSI imaging transducer with exclusive down-looking crystal, built-in temp sensor, and trolling motor-mount bracket option.
Display Type: 256-color SolarMAX™ PLUS TFT
Screen Size: 5"diag.
Screen Resolution: 480 x 480
Receiver Type: 16-channel internal high-sensitivity WAAS + EGNOS + MSAS (optional external antenna)
Cartography: Navionics Gold microSD
Maximum Depth: 200'
Dimensions: 6 15/16"W x 5 7/16"H x 2 1/2"D
Transducer: Transom-mount DSI Skimmer®
Transmit Power: 500W RMS
Frequency: 455/800kHz
Speed/Temp: Included
NMEA Interface: NMEA 0183
Waterproof: Mfr.-rated waterproof
Warranty: One year

[slayer]

I run a lowrance 520c and a new Elite 5 DSI side by side on my bayboat....I will say that the structure scan on the DSI is pretty awesome when looking at "structure".....if I go over a reef that is concrete pipes, it looks like concrete pipes...with that said, I actually prefer the 2D of the 520c for seeing fish and bait....

one downside I have found with all the internal GPS antenna models such as the elite 5 DSI model is that the chartplotter is much slower to update on the screens, I believe this is do to the fact that the internal antenna models are updated once per second, whereas the lowrance units with the external antenna update 5 times per second.....makes a difference when trying to get anchored over a wreck or reef....

the detail of the DSI is amazing, but I wish I had held off a gotten something like the new ELITE 7 HDI units that encompassed all functions onto one screen....but having 2 units side by side does have its advantages, I run my 520c it split screen, half chartplotter and half 2d sonar, and I run my DSI unit in full screen sonar mode looking for things on the bottom

[bman]

For inshore mapping, DSI and regular sonar all in one box $300 sounds like a deal.
I may see you Monday

[Rhettley]

Thanks! That's exactly the type of advice I'm looking for. I'm in need of one now as the unit I have is probably 9 or 10 years old and the gps side doesn't work. I have the handheld garmin for the gps. The image from the fish finder is terrible and I can't get it adjusted like I could my old Eagle.
I rarely use a fish finder to actually find fish. I use it to find spots that should hold fish mainly and if I can see baitfish that is pretty critical too. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to be able to see a school of snapper holding over a wreck or reef. I do like the way they are headed with the 7 with both screens to compare as well as the gps but for $299 my need one soon urge is winning out as long as I don't get allot of bad reports on the DSI images.

[Rhettley]

For inshore mapping, DSI and regular sonar all in one box $300 sounds like a deal.
I may see you Monday

bman this unit has the Gold GPS mapping and the Down Scan Imaging but it does not have the regular imaging. Right now in the Elite 5 you get Elite 5 or you get Elite 5 DSI. Not both. You can get the plain Elite 5 Gold from West Marine for $569. Same as the DSI. I had to edit this after checking the WM site. They took them both off sale except for the one day sale Monday on the DSI unit. I do know a guy on The Hull Truth where you can get a plain Elite 5 non gold for $375 plus shipping.

[bman]

Still a deal.. I think the DSI is going to be a lot more useful than the standard sonar.

[Rhettley]

I hope so! I've never seen one on the water in action so I'm asking here for opinions but for the price I don't see passing it up right now.

[Harmsway]

. . . for the price I don't see passing it up right now.

Go with your gut, brother. You can't have too many GPS sounders. Later on, when you upgrade, you can have both front-facing and rear-facing units.

Fishin' is the mission.

[WolfeMan]

All of this technology is freakin' amazing.

I've not seen any down-scan imaging units on salt-water boats and never see them advertised for them - just the bass guys. I suppose it would be just as useful - especially in deep water where you see "stuff" on the bottom but can't tell what it is.

Good deal.

[HewesMan]

I have the Elite 5 Gold with DSI on my 16' Hewes. Only problem is that I rarely ever get deeper than 10' so I'm not much help as far as what I can really see down there. As far as the unit goes, I have had no issues with it and it is very easy to use. I really have it for the GPS portion on it but I do monitor the sonar from time to time but I'm not looking at bottom structure like you would if you were fishing off shore.

[WolfeMan]

HewesMan, what about side-scan? (another feature I see advertised exclusively on bass-boats)

[bman]

I have seen the side scan on TC's boat and its amazing
It would be nice but for the price I could not pass this unit up.

[WolfeMan]

Does that mean there is a trip out to the "Mad Hatter" in our future?

[HewesMan]

HewesMan, what about side-scan? (another feature I see advertised exclusively on bass-boats)

I did not get the side scan with my unit, only the down scan. Unless it can do it and I just don't know about it.