Northwest Fishing Reports

I dont know really how best to review this gizmo as you really need to do a side by side comparison... i really believe lowrance brought it out not to piss off the customers who had recently bought their new to become old models after they released the HDS models.

Installion was a walk, simple plug and play. Although you have to wire it to an accesory switch or it will drain your battery. I does pick up fish around bait balls and will spot them at high speed. I paired mine up with the LCX28HD. I do think it is a little better than the regular unit but the 599 dollar question is...Is it really worth it?? In fairness I snapped mine on ebay for 150bucks and for that much it is worth it.
Hope this helps anyone who is interested in getting one.

I have the same setup, I use the broadband sounder on the console unit, and I have an identical 28 HD unit on the bow, networked to share waypoints. I see a pretty big difference in target separation, especially when the fish are belly to the bottom, my bow mount unit just can't create the same separation, and the other thing that's noticable is when graphing weedlines or thick weedbeds. The unit with the broadband sounder can identify fish within the weedbeds, or grasslines, whereas my bow mount unit doesn't seem to be able to, at least not in the thick stuff. I'm also impressed with the ability to continue to read the bottom, I can still get a bottom readout at 60 MPH+ on most days, not that it helps you to graph fish at that speed of course!

I can't beleive you scored one for $150 bucks, I paid full retail for mine a couple years ago, and just prior to them announcing that the HDS units coming out would have the BB sounder tech built into them! UGH!!!

I totally agree on how easy it was to setup and good comment about wiring it to a cutoff switch!

I just purchased a pair HDS 8's with LSS, so looks like I'll be selling the ones on my boat including the BB sounder unit, as soon as i find some spare time to do an installation! Thanks for the review!
Dave

Well dave you bring up a point that is worth adding and that is bass fishing. i have never used mine for that...I guess with your imput it takes it up a few notches in being worth the extra money.
Yeah i lucked out on ebay i put a bid on 300 dollars thinking i wont get it for that and next thing i know i get a winners email for 150. i was gobsmacked.