wanna-be":ec9m0wj1 said:
Hey is there anyone with a gen2 lowrance 12" ? I would like to know feedback on touch screen and performance of unit for fishing purposes...I am upgrading from DSI5 and not sure if I should wait for Gen3 to come down in price next year or purchase the gen 2 now as it is $600 off...as it always goes the 3 will probably be on sale when the gen 4 arrives! thanks Sue
I am in the midst of a very similar dilemma and have put a good solution in place:
I have purchased an HDS7 Gen3 structure LSS scan bundle (get them to take out the 83/200 xducer and add a tm150, cabelas, west marine, bass pro and most retailers will do this if you only ask for like $50 credit for the 83/200) and add HDS12 Gen2 no xducer.
When networked both MFDs have the capabilities of the gen3 over gen2 (which are substantial) and you have an extra unit you can put out in your cockpit which, if you add AP, can be a second helm with something like a trollmaster or a remote control for your kicker nearby. This ended up costing me only about $300 more than an HDS12 Gen3 with vastly more capability.
The Gen 3 touch has an improved, multi-beam 3d structure scan, true chirp sonar (with the tm150 upgrade) built in, and wireless, wifi capability. If you are spending the money, a gen3 in the mix is worth the$$, but if you buy the little one and then you get your big screen in the gen2 you will max your $$. I would not opt for the single gen2, you will probably want the extra features eventually, and will spend the cost difference in upgrades and still not get the same 3D structure scan, etc.
For what it's worth, Lowrance was probably the tops in the sonar game (prosumer anyway) until Garmin's latest Panoptix offering. I would expect Lowrance to extend this functionality to their HDS units in Gen4 and release a new sonar black box and/or xducer that will provide this multi-beam realtime picture in the HDS package.
