Lowrance Mark 5X DSI

Academy has the units on sale now for $200. I am ready to upgrade from what I have now (which isn't much for $70). A good deal I figure. I am not as intelligent about such things as you fellas here, so just a couple of questions:

1. I normally fish in water less than 10 feet (sometimes up to 30 feet). Is the unit okay for this? And, for what I see on the screen, what am I looking at (directly below the boat, etc.)?

2. The advertised screen shots look nice for structure, which is what I am looking for. How does fish show up? Fish ID or arches? Can you see the fish?

I really appreciate your help. Thanks.

the DSI model I saw on their website was $499. The lowrance dsi does NOT have 2d sonar, only DSI, and the picture is not anything like a 2d sonar pic. Fish show up as little white specks/dots in DSI, not arches or fish symbols. The non DSI Mark 5 is $200 or less, and will show fish symbols or arches depending on the settings.

The Down scan image shows structure in much more detail than a 2d sonar picture will but any fish usually show up as little white specks or dots from the pictures I've seen and some reading done. Look thru the electronics forums for down scan threads, and you can probably see some down scan pics posted, or google down scan pictures.

Here's couple pics of fish on mine Elite 5 DSI.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...wnload-2-1.jpg

Here one of the bass from the above screen shot.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...download-3.jpg


my Jig going down on the DSI unit

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...download-5.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...wnload-4-1.jpg

Ladder that I found on my DSI

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...download-4.jpg

Nice screen shots, but there's about a $250 price difference between what he's looking at and yours. Is the difference just color instead of B/W, or are there other differences?

Main difference is the color.

Mark 5 DSI--Display Type 16-level gray scale Film SuperTwist LCD
Backlighting Bright white LED screen/keypad

Elite 5 DSI---Display Type 256-color SolarMAX™ TFT
Backlighting Fluorescent cold cathode

question, on the screen shot with all those bass the screen says it is 12.5' deep but the little screen at the bottom left corner says the bottom is 11' while if i was looking at the depth bar i would go with 11.75', so which is it and why the difference?

Probably bouncing between on that hard cement rock and the bottom..

Jason.. What are 455kHz and 800kHz beam angles for this unit...??

I cannot find this info on the Lowrance website....

Rickie

Jason - Nice resolution being able to see your line and jig going down. I assume that I would be able to see the same thing on the black and white unit? Also, nice fish arches - were you moving?

I was moving very slow and the fish where moving in and out of the beam angle to create the fish arch. I don't see why not, if you get in same position where fish is schooling and moving in and out of the beam angle.