After hours of research, I probably going to go with a HDS 7 gen 2 touch with side scan. Looking for opinions if the chirp in the HDS gen 3 is really worth the extra $500 as that is really the only feature that i would use over the Gen 2. Like i said most fishing is in less that 20m of water in a 11 foot inflatable. This all seems like overkill for me but would love to have side scan.

Actually my HDS Gen1 works just fine for me (for now). The only thing is that I might be changing the whole boat and I will probably sell the HDS along, so now I am looking what to buy instead. Looking at the paper specifications this Elite chirp looks fine but I have no experience with it. It seems that there are many differences among all kinds of chirps? I know some people who were told at the time that HDI fish finders are great and much better than broadband. They realized that they are not usable for depths deeper than 30m only after they bought it:( I really wouldn't like something like that to happen to me with some not good enough chirp!

Baitban wrote:
Hi Baitban,

I believe the structure scan feature is really useful for depths less than 20m. I have no experience with chirp but have had several conventional broadband fish finders and not even the simplest one had problems with depths less than 20m. I think the gen 2 is a good choice for you!

@baitban: You would be very happy with fixed frequenzy in your depths, so the HDS Touch would do just fine.
@Riba: If your friend can't use his Elite HDI deeper then 30 meter he is doing something wrong. I bought Elite 4 HDI for my canoe, and it tracks bottom down to 400+ meters in freshwater using 83/200/455/800-HDI. Offcourse you will not see fish at those depths, but that has more to do with the ducer then the sonar itself. In fact the sonar in Elite HDI is exactly the same as in your HDS Gen 1, but with more limited menus for adjustment.

The difference in CHIRP-sonar is just like fixed frequenzy, it varies between the brands and the ducer used. Raymarine Dragonfly and Lowrance Elite CHIRP both use the OEM-ducers for CHIRP, and will never get even close to the capabilities of systems that use Airmars ducers. I just wrote a test of Elite 5 CHIRP for a Norwegian site, and have spent around 40 hours with it over the last months in both fresh- and saltwater. It is a very good unit for it's pricepoint, but it is not magic. :)

@Team: Sorry, I didn't mean HDI but DSI (downscan only) :)

Riba wrote: Let's just say that Elite DSI was not Lowrance proudest moment....

I am also in the market for fish finder for my kayak. Was looking at the Elite 4 CHIRP. Is this model good enough for this software?

Any other brand around the same price (300 USD) that would be good?

I really like raymarine dragon fly, but so far i have read that this brand is not supported for this mapping software.

Thanks!

Yes you can use Elite CHIRP for both collecting the data you need and to display the maps you make. The second best would be Humminbird Helix, wich can also collect the data and use maps from reefmaster, although maps that are slightly less favourable for the eye.

You can collect data with Dragonfly, and with additional software you can also make some rather simple maps for it.

Personally I would go with Elite CHIRP of the three, and yes I have used all three.

Hi Team or anyone else who might know the answer,
You said that with the Elite CHIRP you can fix the frequency and then use it for bottom composition. Is there a possibility to fix it to 200 kHz since all my maps are made using that frequency?
Also, as I understood you correctly, the Elite CHIRP should get a software upgrade that would allow it to switch between depth and BC maps while on the water? Is it true and do you know when it is suppose to happen?

Thanks Colibri, I appreciate the alternative options as well as your recommendation! i will look into the Elite 4 Chirp then.. Friend just got the 5, but it's too expensive for me and if the 4 can do what I need, im all for it :)

Riba@ You can fix it to 200 kHz, the sonar in Elite CHIRP would then be exactly the same as in Elite HDI. I did a test of Elite CHIRP for a norwegian website earlier this year, and then spoke with both Navico and the Norwegian agent. Both said that there would be an update schedueled this summer that would bring the menus in Elite CHIRP on par with HDS Gen 2. Since HDS Gen 2 have the sort of options in its menu that you describe, it would be safe to assume that Elite CHIRP will get these choices. This would also mean a boost to Navicos own mapping-service, so it is in their own interest to make it happen.

jstyle@ The 4 and 5 are the same, apart from the 0,7" extra screen on the 5 and the possibility to use an external (more or less oudated) GPS-antennae on the 5. The 5 is more pleasant to look at when running splitt-screen like map/sonar, but you will get exactly the same info into and out of the 4 as your friend with the 5.

terrific... that would make it WAY easier for me to buy this software lol....