It time to trade in the old Fishing buddy fishfinder and upgrade to a little new technology. I have pretty much settled on two different units by Lowrance. The X125 and the X102C. Basically they are the same exact unit with the same vital statistics except for one is color and the other is black and white.
The vital stats are:
5 inch screen
480 X 480 pixels
2400 watts peak to peak power
20 degree cone
Flash graf flasher mode (looks just like the vexilar)
Fasttrack vertical flasher bar (like the vex only in a vertical bar)
However the color unit is $200 more. I'm just wondering if it is worth the extra money? The color unit sure looks good in the semi dark store but is it really that good outside in the sunlight? One of the salesman at sportsmans said that he has had several color sonars returned (lowrance brand) because the color display gets kinda washed out in the sunlight and doesn't seem to help that much over a standard black and white screen. I was wondering if any of you have any experience with color LCD sonars? Also any positive or negative feedback on the two units I have kinda decided on????? Thanks for your input!
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I have the Lowrance LCX-19C and, yes, I think color is worth the difference in cost. The earlier LCX-19Cs and -18Cs had a problem with the screen that made them difficult to see in bright sunlight, I'm told. Mine has the updated screen.
The color screen is more difficult to read in sunlight than the black and white if you're wearing sunglasses. But I think the greater detail with the color screen justifies me taking off my sunglasses once and a while.
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One of our party had a flasher up at the berry last winter with color I don't remember what brand it was, he said it cost 250 the color was well worth haveing, when a fish aproached the lure it would show a diferent color
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My opinion would be that it is all application.
What advantages will color give you over monochromatic given your fishing application?
If you spend 99% of your time fishing for suspended kokanee or trout, that are in open water, color differences may not play a key role at all in your ability to see fish.
If you spend all your time hunting lake trout that are stacked right on the bottom, and you will be able to see a different color for different sound returns, color may provide all the difference in the world.
If you bass fish and pound the shorelines 90% of the time, and are not fishing for fish below you, chances are you use the sonar mostly to see structure get water temp readings.
Is the color going to give you the edge you would want?
Get what I am trying to say?
No one can tell you if it will be worth the extra money.
You know your fishing situation best, and can think through the advantages for yourself much more accuratley than anyone here.
Color is the way things seem to be going, all the companies are going to it, pushing it, and it is getting better all the time.
But still, its all in your application.
The easiest thing to do is not think about it, and say whats the best for all situations?
Well, obviously color gives you more accurate information.
When a sound signal bounces off something, a fish or rock, the sound is changed. When the changed sound returns the screen can display the changes in color rather than shades of grey.
That makes seeing things like fish, hard bottom and soft bottom, weeds, ect easier and takes a lot of the guess work out of it.
As well you dont have blending shades of grey, you have different colors pulling images apart from each other.
Does that make a difference for you?
I dont curently own a color unit, my X-15 mt and bolth my garmins are monochromatic screens.
But my next sonar, (I already know wich one it is) is color.
One thing to watch is the new hummingbird line.
I know its a swear word in the fish finder world, but things change.
The company has cleaned house, been through some mergers, and retooled thier work force.
As a result they have a stack of new designers and engineers and a stack of new top of the line sonars all with technology sonar has yet to see.
Constant feed 3D imaging, photgraphic quality, upgradeable hardware, and all the latest.
But old bias can be hard to break even if you have a superior product.
History is a bugger sometimes.
It will be interesting to see if the new hummingbird line and all its ground breaking technology and options can turn the company image around.
But working in the industry I learned one thing about sonar, they all have quality issues, some more than others, the bottomline brand saw more returns than any other brand.
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Pred, R-T, and D.I.D
Thanks for you input and insight on color sonars. I'm still up in the air on this one. Let me ask a different question. In the reading I've been doing it seems like their is some concern about the ability to read the color screens in the bright sunlight. For those of you that own or have used/seen a color sonar under real fishing conditions what is your experience with it as far as glare, readablity, color getting washed out? Thanks!
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My two cents, I own a Lowrance 332c unit and it provides very good visibility in all conditions. When color first hit the market a few years back there were some problems with visibility in certain situations but the manufacturers seem to have overcome those problems. Our eyes are attracted to color for a number of reasons, look no further than the advertising, marketing, and sales of most products - they have performed research and extensive studies in this area and have come to the conclusion that color sells. How many folks prefer a B/W televsion set to one that is color? To each their own, but I am very pleased with my color sonar....
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