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I am considering a HDS 10 plus the additional structure scan module; currently that requires two individual units, and two separate transducers. I am wondering if I were to wait another year to purchase will Lowrance make the structure scan an integral part of the sonar unit similar to Humminbirds, so that the sonar, down imaging, and side imaging will all be in one unit? Thanks.
anything is possible, and you seem to have more patience than me. I have been wondering the same thing and I bet they will someday. but I sure am glad I bought mine. there great additions to my fish finding, now if they can come up with a way for me to catch I'll buy two
I doubt it. Lowrance had to dodge some Johnson Outdoors patents when designing their unit, and the separate unit has advantages. You can see the SS from multiple HDS units, and you don't have to buy a new LSS if your HDS fails or is stolen.
I believe you will see MORE functions moved to external boxes with communication over ethernet in the future. You'd mount monitors at the bow and console, and have a SS box, regular sonar box, GPS and maybe weather, music etc. mounted under the deck.
I think the bigger issue here would be the inherant issue of interference... between the separate crystals for each feature...
I don't have a Lowrance but if the frequency of the DI and the SI are the same..there will be interference...sometimes....
Rickie
I have Never heard of a single interference problem from the Crysals, I think this is a guess from Rickie. HDS has a dedicated crystal for Downscan and 2 for sidscan, Bird has 2 crystals and a 2d sonar built into their transducer. Lowrance downscan is built from the down crystal, HB doesn't do this.
Personally I like the fact that the LSS-1 is a separate unit. For one thing, if you can't afford the LSS-1 and HDS at the same time, no problem. Buy the HDS unit, and add the LSS-1 later. Also if something happens to the LSS transducer, you don't lose your 2d. If you cut the HB ducer cable somehow, you're done.
The LSS-1 system allows you to view the down and Side scans from multiple units. Just hook them to the LSS-1. To do this with Bird, you must spend all the money up front as only Side imaging units will share images, etc. Also, you can add so many devices to the Lowrance network, and you just can't achieve this with current HB technology.
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