lowrance mark5 dsi

[treboryerf]

Any one have any first hand knowledge of how good or bad these units are,Thanks.

[FAADAN]

I have the Elite 5 DSI which has GPS capability along with color selections for the Sonar. I don't think the color is any benefit so far. I think the Black and White Sonar on the Mark 5 would be just as good. I have used the gray scale option on the Elite 5 and it is just as good as a color you would select. The jury is still out on the DSI Sonar as far as I am concerned. The unit does show individual tree branches as opposed to a blob on a typical sonar. I can see schools of bait fish but have yet to see a single bass or individual larger fish around a school of bait fish. In shallow water, 7' or less, I see what appears to be fish but the water is clear enough and there is nothing there. I have the surface clutter setting on max. As I have said here before, the operator's manual included with the units is really useless. It's all trial and error to learn how to use it.

[treboryerf]

Yes i agree there really is no manual at all, i was surprised to find the lack of directions or operating instructions,as there are none.I have not installed mine yet i was just wanting to see if anyone has used one yet and what kind of results were they getting,thanks.

[dmondarts]

I have the elite-5x DSI and from I have found that you have to play with the settings while you are on the water to get the unit to work the way you want to see things. And yes the manual don't help at all

[mduncan62]

I have the elite-5x DSI and from I have found that you have to play with the settings while you are on the water to get the unit to work the way you want to see things. And yes the manual don't help at all

Exactly, the best way to learn any fishfinder is getting on the water and changing things to see what works better/worse.

I've looked at the DSI units several times, and I'd have to say that there just doesn't appear to be that many settings anyway. Contrast, color pal. Pretty minimal in terms of what can be set, so to the guys that have bought them, are you saying that the manual doesn't even address the things that can be changed?

[REDEYE50]

What is the degree of cone angle from the transducer? Humminbird says it has a 20 degree cone but i can't find out what lowrance has.

[FAADAN]

The operator's manual is a generic manual that covers all of the 5 series units. It has a hodgepodge of information on the various units but nothing specific for the unit in the box it came with. You are correct in your assessment that the DSI units have very few options as far as changing settings. There is no sensitivity setting, only contrast. The color settings really don't how different colors for different sonar returns, they are simply a color preference option. You can pick from several of your favorite background colors. Personally, I believe the gray scale is as good as any of the others and that really makes the colors simply a decoration rather than a useful tool. There is nothing in the operator's manual that tells you anything about the frequency settings other than how to choose them. It doesn't tell you where you should use one or the other, it doesn't tell you anything about the transmission angle for each frequency. The majority of the manual is about the chart options. Not much at all on the Sonar.

Here is a link to the operators manual for anyone interested: You will notice a disclaimer on page one saying that the manual is for several different units and your unit's capabilities may differ from what you see here. You would think for $650 they could print a manual specifically for the unit in the box.

Presentation

[mduncan62]

The operator's manual is a generic manual that covers all of the 5 series units. It has a hodgepodge of information on the various units but nothing specific for the unit in the box it came with. You are correct in your assessment that the DSI units have very few options as far as changing settings. There is no sensitivity setting, only contrast. The color settings really don't how different colors for different sonar returns, they are simply a color preference option. You can pick from several of your favorite background colors. Personally, I believe the gray scale is as good as any of the others and that really makes the colors simply a decoration rather than a useful tool. There is nothing in the operator's manual that tells you anything about the frequency settings other than how to choose them. It doesn't tell you where you should use one or the other, it doesn't tell you anything about the transmission angle for each frequency. The majority of the manual is about the chart options. Not much at all on the Sonar.

Here is a link to the operators manual for anyone interested: You will notice a disclaimer on page one saying that the manual is for several different units and your unit's capabilities may differ from what you see here. You would think for $650 they could print a manual specifically for the unit in the box.

Presentation

If contrast and color are the primary or only things that can be changed, how much of a manual would one need? The only way to know what the best contrast and color setting is for each individual is found by using the unit on the water. These are user preferences.

[treboryerf]

The manuel does not go into any detail of how to set anything,The salesman said you could change the sensitivity.I believe the frequency settings depends on water dept,i think the 400 works better in shallow and the 800 in deeper,but i'm not sure this is not discussed in the manuel either.I have not installed mine yet,I was hoping someone on here would have some first hand knowledge of one,It does seem to be pretty simple to operate though,Thanks guys.

[hightower]

I have this unit, it does not have many settings,pretty much plug and play, I am pleased it with it so far.