Trojan Boat Forum

I've been looking at chartplotters/fishfinder combos and am leaning towards the lowrance HDS touch series. I like the built in structure scan hd sonar (no need for an additional module) and touch screen capabilities as well as the ability to access the screen remotely with an Ipad using a wifi adapter. im having trouble deciding between the HDS 9 ($2199) or the HDS 7 ($1499)? I believe the only differences are the screen size and the fact that the HDS 9 has an additional sd card slot and a second Ethernet port and the 9 supports video. I like the larger screen on the 9 but for $700 more I'm not sure if its worth it. I may eventually get the broadband radar for the unit ????
What do you fellas think????

I find the touch screens annoying as one often touches them when you don't wish to..... don't point to something when the boat might move
I would go for a bigger conventional display................... I find one never has enough screen display space when looking ahead at anything!
Plus dual screen works really well on a bigger display.......

Here we go!

I like my Garmin 740S touch screen. Does everything I need and want. Large enough for me. Easy to see, easy to understand, easy to run.

TC wrote:Here we go!

Touch screens are pretty intuitive these days. I find them easy to use and in some ways much better than buttons. It’s certainly easier to scroll across a screen with a simple swipe of your finger than using buttons to do the same. Also much easier to simply touch a spot or waypoint, zoom in/out etc. with your finger than it is to do all that by guiding a cursor there with buttons. I find the cursors move much too slow but any faster and you'd likely pass right by. Not a problem with the touch screen. The touch is faster and minimizes the amount of time you take your eyes off the road.

The video option is neat for some vessels where a stern facing camera can come in handy when docking into a slip stern in. I’ve piloted a few large aft cabins where I wondered what the designers were thinking and wished there was a camera to help. It’s also used a lot as a means to see what’s going on in engine compartments. There are several other ways to skin this cat though.

The only thing I am not fond of with the multi-function displays is having all your navigation outputs in one device. If a component fails, you have nothing; no chart, no depth, radar, etc. Some also have built-in VHF. If you go this route, you should always have some redundancy.

Big D wrote:
The only thing I am not fond of with the multi-function displays is having all your navigation outputs in one device. If a component fails, you have nothing; no chart, no depth, radar, etc. Some also have built-in VHF. If you go this route, you should always have some redundancy.

I agree I do have a multi-function display But I only use it for radar I have separate gps (2) and sounder on the upper helm .N the lower only a muti function radar/gps/sound that gets data off the upper .If I used the lower helm I would have muti units

I got the Raymarine E7d right after it first came out. Its the Hybrid touch, it has touch screen and buttons. Im telling you that I love the options and the touch. I have noticed its harder to use the touch in rougher seas. I am now upgrading to atleast the 9" screen if not Ill get the 12". when I picked up mine, it was about an extra 1,000 to step up from the 7" to 9", looking back, I wish I did.

The lawrance HDS is a great unit, thats what a friend of mine runs.

The only recommendation are this...

-spend as much time as you can at your local WestMarine playing with each unit, and find what one is the most comfortable for you to use.
-buy the biggest you can, if not buy the next size up! you will never regret the larger unit.



Tom

Thanks guys! Well it sounds like the bigger screen is the way to go. I agree with the comments about having some redundantcy with electronics but there is limited real estate to mount them on my mid cabin. I always carry a hand held gps with map just in case and have thought about having my old chartplotter on board just in case , would only take 5 min to hook up in a bind.
I have a hds 5 that I got for my centet console last year. I like it a lot but using the curser button seems awkward and slow when your use to smart phones and tablets with touch screens. Luckily I own a trojan so using the touch screen in rough seas won't be an issue!!!!!!
Looks like I need to cowboy up and go for the 9 inch screen.
Thanks

going with the Humminbird 1198SI and dual side scan transducers. Boat yard is installing the ducers while at last installing my engines and some other things.
Lowrance is good also just selected Humminbird as can move the control head behind my two boats.