Lowrance HDS-5M - 5" Screen Too Small?

[HIRISC]

Negotiating the inclusion of a GPS for my pending boat purchase (2001 310).

They're offering an HDS-5 w/ install.

http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Ma...System/HDS-5m-Multifunction-GPS-Chartplotter/

Large city lake with lot's of bays. GPS could be handy at dusk/night.

5" seems small, but fairly common. Anyone comment on this unit and/or the size being effective?

I could pay the difference for the 6.4" screen, but that (obviously) seems incremental.

Lake Minnetonka is 14,500 acres

TIA

 

[Tonka Boater]

I'm on Minnetonka as well and I have the Lowrance LMS 520c which is the non-HD, previous generation of the HDS-5. My 5" works great on our lake -- you can get a larger screen but it's not worth it.

 

[HIRISC]

Thanks very much for that very on-point feedback.

We'll stick with their replacement on their dime.

Looks like your pic is from Fletcher's.

Do you live on the lake or slip?

Take it easy,
Chris

ps.. your signature is very funny

 

[CSR_Admin]

Screen size is very important. I consider the 5" the smallest that is usable on a boat. I'd suggest paying the extra $200 and getting the HDS-7.

 

[Tonka Boater]

Screen size is very important. I consider the 5" the smallest that is usable on a boat. I'd suggest paying the extra $200 and getting the HDS-7.

I just want to clarify that my "not worth it" statement was specific to our lake. A 5" display is more than adequate for what where we boat.
.

 

[Tonka Boater]

Looks like your pic is from Fletcher's.

Do you live on the lake or slip?

Hey Chris -- yes, that is Fletcher's. The food is crappy but the view makes up for it. We keep our boat slipped at Brown's Bay Marina -- stop by and say "hey" sometime.

 

[skolbe]

I have a 6.4" screen and it is plenty for my use. I think 5" is fine as well for lake use. I split my screen, it is a Northstar, with Smartcraft data fed in at the bottom of the screen.

 

[Nacho Boat]

I have a 10.4" screen on my boat. My previous had a 5" screen.

Sorry, for your boat size, I would definately want BIGGER!

 

[HIRISC]

In general, I'd buy the biggest screen that would fit (10" maybe) and move on, but I'm knee deep in a bunch of other expensive projects and thought I'd slow a bit and consider how I'm going to use it.

I grew up on Minnetonka, so during the day I'll have little need for a GPS. The unit will be primarily for evening (infrequent) use.

I'll sleep on it (assuming I can get back to sleep), but I am leaning toward sticking with the 5" based on feedback thus far.

Thanks all.

 

[tdappleman]

I'd get the biggest screen you can justify - it makes it easier to read at a glance. I went through this as well and went with the 7" screen which was the biggest I could fit.

 

[AKBASSKING]

I would agree, go with the biggest you can justify.

I talked to the lowrance reps last year at the Miami boat show and for my application of a sedan bridge, they suggested 2 units. A HDS 5" and the HDS 10. These have internal antennas and if you network them right, the the signal would be pulled off the unit with the best view. I plan to install radar too, so the features is what I wanted. He also suggested placing them on gimble mounts? This way if I want to switch them out and put the 10 on the bridge and the 5 in the cabin, I could, as the hook ups would be the same.

 

[Iprof]

Negotiating the inclusion of a GPS for my pending boat purchase (2001 310).

They're offering an HDS-5 w/ install.

http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Ma...System/HDS-5m-Multifunction-GPS-Chartplotter/

Large city lake with lot's of bays. GPS could be handy at dusk/night.

5" seems small, but fairly common. Anyone comment on this unit and/or the size being effective?

I could pay the difference for the 6.4" screen, but that (obviously) seems incremental.

Lake Minnetonka is 14,500 acres

TIA

I have the 5" Lowrance LMS 522c and it works great on our boat. I have also installed the Lowrance MNEA2000 network and added fuel flow and I purchased the external GPS head this fall and will install it this spring. Once the network is set-up you can add another head any time you want. When I add radar next year I will get the 10 1/2" screen but I will keep the 5" screen and use it for the fuel flow and tank levels.

Here you can see my set-up the Lowrance and my laptop. When we run on the big water Lake Huron I set the laptop up and run zoomed out and the Lowrance zoomed in to 5 to 10 miles. This gives us the best of both worlds.

Hope this help you.

I remembered I had taken a picture with my cell phone last summer on the first day of my trip.

Ken

 

[HIRISC]

^^ That's a great idea re the laptop.

I have a Sony Vaio 10" screen not doing anything that I could run on top of the 5".

Decisions, decisions.

Still working the details with them - I'll post back the final deal.

Thanks

 

[tdappleman]

Ken - what software are you running on the laptop and how do you see the screen on it in the daylight?

 

[douglee25]

I'd run the biggest screen size you can afford plus what your boat real estate allows. I run a 5" and it's big enough for my current needs. The next larger boat will probably have a bigger one. I like the laptop idea, but lcd screens suck in the sun. I personally don't know how one would use that. I've tried my laptop out in the sun just sitting on the deck while docked and I care barely see it.

Doug

 

[Iprof]

I am using Fugawi software with a Garmin 76 connected to the computer. I can plot my routes over the winter and upload them to the Lowrance in the spring. I found the laptop to be great on the boat, you can get a sun shade for the laptop most places that make boat tops also make accessories from the left over material. I find that I just need to turn it a little and it is fine in the sun.
There is free navigating software out there that you might want to look at. The raster charts that are free in the US work with this setup also.

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/staff/charts.htm

Ken

 

[Henn]

Hey Ken, I am also looking at the Fugawi. I have a nice lap top that just sits in the closet, what exactly is needed to get the Fugawi up and running? From what I gather you need the Fugawi software package, you need a GPS unit and you can download some maps for free? What is the minimum GPS you can get to run it? I have heard you can get something that just plugs in to the side of the laptop?
Thanks, and see you on Simcoe!

 

[Old Vet]

Will be following this thread with great interest.

Just got a Netbook......downloaded the SeaClear software....bought a USB "dongle" GPS receiver.

Now in the process of trying to get it all set up....and figured out to see if I can make sense of any of it.

Hoping to be able to use this arrangement here in the St Lawrence 1000 Island area.

Don't want to hijack this thread but any suggestions.....tips...anyone may have would be greatly appreciated.

 

[1956olds]

I would think the larger screen would be a bit of eye candy for the next buyer if you ever sell.I sure can tell the differance from my old 10" navman to my newer 6 " navman,i would take the 10 if it would fit my boat.