Review: Lowrance HDS-10 Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter

The price differences in various fish finders on the market these days are amazing. You can find a basic fish finder for around $100 or you can find the ultimate fish finder for $2,549.99, yet not everyone needs that fish finder. It is a lot of money to pay for a device that simply helps you to locate fish. The average recreational sportsman or woman who just likes to fish on occasion is not going to need that type of fish finder. But for those who fish professionally or like their gadgets high tech, the Lowrance HDS-10 Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter is for them.

You absolutely cannot compare the Lowrance HDS-10 Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter to lower end fish finders you find on the market these days. And it is a far cry from the fish finders of the past. Those early models offered very basic functions. They would give the temperature of the water, the depth of the water and if you were lucky a rudimentary graph of the terrain beneath the boat.

This is simply not the case with the HDS-10. This fish finder comes pre-loaded with GPS maps of the surrounding area as seen from above and it also comes with information about the area where you are fishing. Plus you can keep track of where your best fishing has occurred thanks to its SD memory slots. If you are worried about being able to read the screen, then stop worrying because it has a 10.4" VGA color display that allows you to see it in the daylight or at night. And now as of May 15, 2009 it is completely compatible with Navionics, which means you can buy and download additional maps for wherever you are fishing.

Even the lower end versions of the Lowrance HDS-10 Fishfinder/GPS Chartplotter are still fairly expensive, even at Amazon.com. You can choose the kilohertz and base-map systems at which you want to operate, yet the price difference is only a few hundred dollars at the most. And even the lowest version still has tremendous advantages over most other fish finders on the market. Will it fit your needs? Only you can really be the judge of that.

Related topics about lowrance hds-10 fishfinder/gps chartplotter
Shopping For GPS Fish Finders
Part of owning a marine GPS device involves diligent maintenance. If you don't take good care of the system you could end up spending big bucks for replacement parts or a completely new system. When installing your marine GPS fish finder, try to settle on a permanent location that is easily accessible to you.

Finding The Perfect GPS Fish Finder
The Eagle FishElite 500c GPS Fish Finder is another popular choice. It has a high quality ultra bright and 256 color LCD screen. It also possesses a full size combo 200 kHz sonar and mapping GPS and WAAS, with 256-color, sunlight-viewable 320Vx240H pixel display.

Choosing The Eagle Fish Finder
There are several different models of the Eagle fish finder and all are very easy to use and are affordable. Because of its size and lightweight design this fish finder can be used on small watercraft like kayaks, canoes or even or float tubes. The transducer, the working part of the fish locator, mounts onto the craft using a suction cup.