Thread: Discussion on Lowrance Elite 5 DSI/Chartplotter ....

As an additional note, in case one of you E5DSI owners gets someone to give up some of their super secret GPS coordinates, and you want to manually put them into your unit (before you even go to the lake) ... here's how :

Click Menu button
Arrow down to New Waypoint
Click Enter button
Use Up arrow to highlight Lat/Long numbers line
Click Enter button
Use up/down arrows to change coord numbers - R/L arrows to move to next number & from Latitude to Longitude box
Click Enter button when correct Lat/Long numbers are entered
Use Down Arrow to highlight SAVE
Click Enter button

Your new GPS coordinate is now saved in your unit. You will have to go through all of these steps, for each new coord you want to add.

I just added over 80 coordinates, sitting on the couch at home, using these instructions. Checked the units internal chartplotter map of the lake ... and they're all right where they should be !!

.... cp

CP, I was able to mark my waypoints with the boat sitting in the driveway. Thanks for your help; now I just need to "field test" them, but they show on the map where they should be, so I don't anticipate any problems.

Originally Posted by Woodworker42

CP, I was able to mark my waypoints with the boat sitting in the driveway. Thanks for your help; now I just need to "field test" them, but they show on the map where they should be, so I don't anticipate any problems.

I don't foresee any problems finding your spots, either. Just remember to set your unit to "return to vessel" before you start trying to ease up on your waypoints. Otherwise, your chart could be showing your last location (or home). And when you get the chart showing where you are on the lake, and get close to your waypoint ... click on the +/- buttons to zoom in/out (as needed) until you get headed towards the waypoint, then continue to zoom in until you get the closest range (20ft) showing at the bottom right of the chart screen. That's the maximum accuracy range of the unit ... but, if you're heading is on course to move the "triangle" (boat icon) directly over the center of the waypoint icon, then you should start seeing the cover come on the screen when they do intersect.

I start my waypoint search with the whole screen in chart mode ... then when I get zoomed in to around the 50ft range, I switch to the split screen ... and when I get zoomed down to the 20ft range & the triangle is about to connect with the waypoint icon, I switch to full screen sonar. I know that if I get off course for some reason, I can always switch back to split screen & circle back to reconnect with the waypoint. And I've got a few marker buoys handy, in case conditions are such that I can't stay on my spot !! I just flip a marker buoy out (into the wind) well past the spot, so I can keep track of where the spot is when the wind blows me off course or the boat drifts off course while I'm catching/landing/measuring & placing the fish in the livewell !!
Putting a marker buoy well past the spot, & into the wind, allows me to ease back into position while not having to monitor my depthfinder. That also allows me to watch my poles more closely. And it also gives me a visual aid, sort of a rangefinder deal, when/if I decide to cast to the spot from a distance, rather than drift up to or over the spot.

... cp

I have a new Elite 5 DSI. The location icon on the chart does not always refresh when drifting slowly. The issue seems to be associated with slow speed; if I speed up with the trolling motor the chart rotates and the icon moves to what appears to be the correct location on the map (Navionics KY Lake map). Could the close proximity of the trolling motor head cause a problem with satellite acquisition? Is there a minimum speed necessary for the GPS to work? Would the external antenna accessory make a difference?

Thanks, fpt

G'day

The problem that you describe is not uncommon with most GPS or plotter devices. These "domestic" devices have an accuracy of somewhere between +/- 3 metres and +/- 5 metres. When drifting very slowly, this small amount of error may mean that the plotter does not update itself because it "thinks" that it is still in the same place. It is only once the plotter moves outside of the area of error that it will then update itself. It is for the same reason that people relying on very accurate locations have to use a very expensive device known as a Differental GPS.

It is unlikely that your trolling motor head would be physically blocking out sufficient satellites from the "view" of your Plotter's antenna, but I wouldn't really be able to tell without seeing a picture of how you have the unit mounted. You can check whether the unit is receiving enough satellites to obtain a "fix" by going into the "System" menu and then select the "GPS Status" menu. I doubt that electrical interference from the trolling motor would be an issue. GPS/Plotter units are generally quite resistant to electrical noise.

If you are homing in on a brush pile or other structure that you have coordinates for, then as you begin to slow your speed across the water it is often useful to have the unit in split screen mode so that you can watch the sonar simultaneously with watching the plotter.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

I'm adding this thread : http://www.crappie.com/crappie/side-...ml#post2073181 to here, just to keep all the discussion info together.

... cp

fpt .... I noticed my chart not updating often, when I was just drifting by wind & not under power of the TM ... BUT, I don't remember ever drifting more than 50ft without seeing the icon move.

I don't know if it's related, but what distance do you have your unit set to ... as far as GPS units ?? I have the unit set to the lowest it registers (10ft), but the GPS chart will only zoom down to 20ft. Maybe the unit takes into effect how much distance you allow the GPS to err ? Sorry I'm not communicating with the proper terminology, but I'd have to rig up my unit to find the settings & menu names that I'm thinking of ... so if this only confuses you, as to what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll get back with you (when I have time to rig up the unit @ home & find the settings I'm talking about. (or unless someone else knows & can explain it better, or knows if it's even a factor)

... cp

Its going to be a couple of weeks before I get a chance to use my unit again. Ill check the settings you're talking about then. One thing I wonder: Is it possible that there may be a manual reset feature to make the chart update. A couple of things Ive noticed are: (1) The chart updates just fine when moving over 1 mph. (2)The gps must be working even below 1 mph because the "sog" displays what Im assuming is the correct speed. One way to make the chart update would be to turn the unit off and then turn it back on. Then it would acquire its new position with the satellites. That shouldn't be necessary though.

fpt

Originally Posted by fpt

Its going to be a couple of weeks before I get a chance to use my unit again. Ill check the settings you're talking about then. One thing I wonder: Is it possible that there may be a manual reset feature to make the chart update. A couple of things Ive noticed are: (1) The chart updates just fine when moving over 1 mph. (2)The gps must be working even below 1 mph because the "sog" displays what Im assuming is the correct speed. One way to make the chart update would be to turn the unit off and then turn it back on. Then it would acquire its new position with the satellites. That shouldn't be necessary though.

fpt

Yeah, I don't know what the refresh rate is for the GPS of this unit ... but it will definitely tell you that the boat is moving less than 0.5mph, even if the boat icon isn't moving.

I think that if you have the setting dialed down to the 10ft range, and your chart zoomed in to the 20ft range ... that's all you're going to get out of it. That's the most accurate it's going to read, regardless of speed. That's one reason I always have a marker buoy handy ... so, even though I don't try & be that accurate with the chart icon, I do have the spot marked, even if I drift off from it. Actually, what I've been doing is to use the TM to home in on the spot (with the chart on full screen), and when I get close to putting the icon on the waypoint mark I put up the split screen & watch for the brush to start showing on the screen, then drop the marker & flip the screen over to full screen sonar. I know where the brush is, in relation to the marker buoy, so even if I drift way off (in any direction), I can get back on the brush. That works best for me, when fishing a solo spot or several spots that are in close proximity ... if I'm working a LINE of brushpiles/waypoints, I usually don't drop markers, and just use the split screen to keep me heading towards the next waypoint. I could use the trails/route feature, but haven't needed to, yet.

With the minimum distance that the GPS is calibrated for, for an accurate marking (~ 30ft) ... I don't think turning the unit off & back on to refresh is going to help, since you're likely to be drifting while the unit is acquiring satellite lock. I think the best you're going to get out of a GPS system, especially when drifting slowly, is a icon move after you've drifted more than 30 feet from your previous position. That's about 2 boat lengths, for me ... and even a light breeze can push my bow mounted unit/GPS a couple of boat lengths away from my last position, in only a matter of seconds. (which is the biggest reason why I drop marker buoys, since I don't drop an anchor .... 'cause I ain't got one )

... cp