# Bird or Lowrance??



## Fishtracker1 (Mar 29, 2009)

I'm long overdue for a combo upgrade, I've been happy with my older Hummingbird sonar but need to get with the times. Considering the sales going on with these two, wondering if I need chirp, I fish mainly Lake Erie. I'd like to stay in the $500-600 rg. The Hummingbird Helex 7DI or the Lowrance HDS-7 Gen 2, each I believe offer a single micro sd slot, is this enough storage/memory and what about if I want to add a Navionics card? Advice appriciated, Thanks

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...oductId=2130797&type=style&WT.ac=DRF%7C135299

http://www.cabelas.com/style/024640.uts?WT.ac=DRF|135299


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## Kwall (Feb 12, 2014)

If the hds7 is a touch that a nice unit , I just bought a hds9 gen 2 touch can't wait to get it on the water


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## thebear (Apr 24, 2014)

I've always been of the idea that you get what you pay for. There is a reason theyre 5-600 and the HDI and the Helix are more of economy units.

I would strongly, 100% recommend a raymarine dragonfly 7 pro over any other low dollar unit on the market. 650 and rebates still available through the end of april.

I have twin 1199s on my boat and will be switching to raymarines because of how advanced they are and how much better they are. No matter what anyone says, and I have seen it side by side first hand, raymarine technology is better than any other units technology out there; period. Lowrance sonar is good, it's better than birds, but birds mapping and lakemaster chip is better than lowrance. The nav platinum plus is comparable to the lakemaster, but lakemaster 3.0 as well as autochart live is pretty legit.

However if youre wanting to spend 5-600 i would just say either DONT and save more and get better units, or get the dragonfly. It has chirp, excellent viewing, great ease of use, and infinitely better than the HDI or helix.


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## jcoholich (Feb 12, 2014)

If you want the best maps get the Navionics platinum chip which is currently 30 bucks off through April.... And yes they would great in those units plenty room


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

I have a Hook 7 Chirp and love it, it will do everything you need it to do. Great resolution and easy to use. The GPS works great and comes with the lakes already installed. All you need is a micro data card to back things up every now and then. Navionics does NOT make a card for them, you don't need it.


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