Thanks C To C I was going to suggest to my friend that he gives you a call as well.

Kerren - some people may be reluctant to comment on these things due to their obligations to suppliers etc so he may be reluctant to post certain things in here.

Call me on the mobile 0274 941 626 or at Rollos Marine 07 849 4809. Not all of the advice you are getting is exactly correct....

Michael.

I have a Lowrance LCX15ci and it's great. The menu system is very easy to use and as obald says the software is upgradable. The 15ci and 16ci have been replaced by the 18 & 19ci, but it is a name change only, both models are the same in every way.

The advantage of the dual system 15ci is the ability to save your soundings to memory and view latter on your PC. They will also display the GPS cords and can be uploaded back to the unit.

The lowrance sounders also have one of the most powerful transducers in their class, 1000watts.

I have a Lowrance LCX-15MT - in fact the very first one that came into the country. It's now starting its 4th season and is superb - for what you pay. mono- sure but it was a mono price. Menu commands complex? - not really, initially maybe, but you very soon do the things you do often without looking. Big plus is the upgeadeable software - free over the internet. Lowrance are still upgrading the LCX-15MT unlike the colour ones that came out at the same time. The new colour Lowrance ones have a completely different software package and if you bought a LCX-16CT, for instance, you are timewarped into 2002 software. I've upgraded the software on mine about 8-10 times and with useful things like extra screens, better power management for the transducers etc. I reckon this feature has kept technology that is 3 years old as current as you possibly can in this rapidly changing electronic world.

But, as allluded to above, things move on. Separate units are definitely better (whatever better means) than combined - no argument. There is some seriously sexy stuff around that wasn't available when I bought mine. The new Raymarine digital sounders look superb and presumably other manufacturers will come out with similar models. More and more PC's are getting onto even small boats. If I was buying again I would like to say I would set a budget and buy two separate units to fit that, spending the bulk of it on the sounder. The GPS/chartplotter side of things is cheap and will get cheaper. But knowing my spending habits between the months of January and May each year I would probably buy the next model up from the best high power colour sounder I could afford and then buy any old 12 channnel GPS reciever and interface that with a marinised laptop running Nobletec or one of the other charting programs (haven't researched that side of things (Thinks Bubble 'Crap weather today, what about looking at new charting software......'))

obald

PS I agree with Bushie re Hummingbird, certainly, and Navman, maybe, - wouldn't touch them with his.

PPS Bender, calling Navman 'cheap local stuff' is selling them a bit short. They are an extremely successful NZ company that has a humungus slice of the GPS market inparticular that attatched to PDA's in the States and Europe. However I still think their screens look crap.

Hehe I am happy that you're a happy indian tonto. Tonto / Barrie the Navman - does it have a fishfinder incorporated into it?

have recently bought a navman 5100 gps chartplotter, cost $900 plus map and i am stoked with it so far, will look at adding the optional fuel computer soon, incidentally I bought a map off the internet of the  nth is. for $250

a very happy indian

cheers tonto