Let me bottom line this for ya.

Skip the HDS5 and 797 / 798. Screen is just too small to be useful.

Get you a used 997 (used) or minimum of 898 if you go new. PM Billbob. Dang good price, plus he's a snappy dresser and can mambo like no other here.

Now, let me draw another line and let you read below that....

If money was no object, I'd chunk my 997, get me an HDS 8 for the console, HDS 7 for the Front and an LSS-1 and be happier than DD at an open bar with a day off the next day.

Of course, $ is an object. There's the rub. The SI and mapping of the HDS is superior to the H'bird, plus the GPS works like a GPS should work. Don't belive me....ask Billbob, the well dressed mambo king why he's selling his for a good price. On top of that, you'll fiind spotty reports of Lowrance unit seals being bad and getting water inside and you can find all kinds of Steven King type horror stories of Lowrance customer service.

Were I fishing for a living, I'd have 2 HDS 10s, LSS1s and a Backup HDS10 and backup LSS1.

Wannabe...