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IMAGING
FREQUENCIES
DURABILITY
PRICE
SUMMARY:
This unit comes with a 5-inch 256-color TFT display. It has a resolution of 480 x 480-pixels. The most notable features of this product are a TrackBack function, multi-window display, the CHIRP technology, and DownScan. However, it doesn’t have GPS. It’s suitable for both professionals and amateurs. The powerful 500W output allows it to work without a glitch.
PROS
- CHIRP technology
- Good resolution
- Affordable
- Easy to use and install
- Good user manual
CONS
- No GPS
- No maps
- Tends to be inaccurate in deeper waters
Review
Elite-5X fish finder is a great unit. It offers everything you might seek in an average fish finder. It offers exceptional features while maintaining the affordability. It is equally useful for amateurs as well as for the professionals. It’s easy to install and quite straightforward, you don’t need to be an expert to install and use this device. It comes with CHIRP Sonar Technology which provides excellent pictures and visual representations of the situation below the vessel.
The frequency variations will also allow you to scan the bottom with different frequencies and get precise readings. Before you decide to purchase a fish finder, you need to determine your demands and conditions. We will try to explain some of the features this fish finder offers as well as some technical details. Read this article; it might help you make the right decision. Don’t rush with your purchase; this is a piece of equipment that lasts for years, it’s crucial for you to choose the right one.
The Specifications
Display size – 5 inches
Display resolution – 480 x 480-pixels
Display type – 256-color TFT
Sonar type – CHIRP, Down Imaging
Sonar Frequencies – 50, 83, and 200 kHz
Power output – 500W (RMS)
TrackBack, multi-window display
The Display and the Resolution
The 5 inches of the screen surface is sufficient enough for you to distinguish certain shapes and forms underwater clearly. You will be able to separate different symbols and readings on this display easily. The resolution is also quite nice. This resolution offers crisp and clear images on the screen.
The LED backlight allows you to manually fine-tune the backlight of the display either for the day or the night fishing. The color display offers clear and detailed information, unlike some gray scale ones. Because the color display isn’t a standard feature, this is an upside and a commodity to have.
CHIRP and Down Imaging Technology
CHIRP Sonar has some significant advantages. First of all, it’s easier to identify and distinguish bait and fish targets. Also, it thrives in better target identification at greater depths. CHIRP makes reading signals on a chart plotter simple by using a technology that is not so simple. CHIRP replaces a single-frequency wave with a pulse that crosses from low to high frequencies. In more mere words, CHIRP sonar sends a continuous blast of frequency waves instead of just one like the conventional sonars.
A CHIRP signal crosses from high to low frequencies in a long pulse and penetrates the water better. Sophisticated “black box” software distinguishes the returns of the spectrum, their timing, and volume in a complex calculation that allows the fish finder to produce a much higher resolution image of targets on the screen.
Down Imaging offers a complete understanding of the situation below the deck. You can identify various terrains, structure, and fish quickly with Down Imaging technology. Also, you can get a complete 180 degrees view with side imaging combined with down imaging. Down imaging offers photo-like clarity images of the bottom. Although this sonar technology is reliable up to 300 feet, it’s still a good sonar, as it gives you the possibility to distinguish between structure and fish with ease.
Other Useful Features
One of the useful features is the TrackBack feature. It allows you to rewind your sonar history and catch up with some details you might have missed the first time.
TrackBack can help you save fuel, and you won’t have to re-trace your path. The multi-window display lets you choose from pre-set page layouts, including a three-panel view.
You can multitask with ease, which is a valued luxury in fish finders. Advanced Signal Processing reduces the need to manually adjust settings to see the structure, fish, and bottom terrain more clearly. DownScan Overlay technology overlays DownScan Imaging onto CHIRP Sonar and makes a perfect combination of two readings combined into one result.
Upsides and Downsides
The biggest upside of this fish finder is its sonar and the technology that comes with it. CHIRP technology is a new, innovative way to get even better readings and excellent visual presentations of the bottom. The powerful output of 500W will allow this transducer to work flawlessly and provide the most accurate readings.
That said, there are a few drawbacks. First of all, it doesn’t have GPS integrated. Although GPS isn’t a necessity, it’s pretty standard nowadays. GPS offers great things like waypoint marking, tracking your position, tracking fish, and so on. Also, it may come in handy if you’re fishing in unfamiliar waters. It’s quite hard to get lost with GPS on board. That’s why you should consider buying an additional GPS unit and synchronize it with your fish finder. Also, it does not have any NMEA 2000 ports, which may be a major issue for some people.
The Conclusion
Overall, Lowrance didn’t disappoint with this fish finder. It’s compact, easy to install, and easy to use. The straightforward menu offers a clear insight into various features this device offers. Anyone can mount it; you don’t have to be an expert to get this fishfinder ready for use. Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, this fish finder has the potential to meet your expectations.
All in all, this device is affordable and useful for the vast majority of anglers. It’s portable, so it doesn’t matter if you own the vessel or not, you can mount it and dismount it in a matter of minutes.
