Lowrance I-Finder H2o

[Jig-Junky]

Got one of these for Christmas and I want to tell you...this is one of the neatest toys I have ever owned. You can buy the Navonics,FreedomMap, and Fishing Hotspot cards for it...but one of the coolest things I found was the Map Create software you can get through BassPro....$99.00. Six CD's that divide the whole USA into zones. You can create custome maps on your computer for traveling by road or water. When I'm not using it to stay on a hump or a brushpile, I take it with me on business trips and use a suction cup (Ram Mount) to stick it on the windshields of rental cars.

Get in a town I've never been to before and want.....say pizza for lunch.....no problem. The Map Create software will no only show you where the pizza joints are...but how to get to them....it will even show you the address and telephone number of the place!

Say I'm are pulling my boat to south Florida to got Shiner fishing and I need gas and a burger. This thing will tell me what each exit ahead has (BP, Amaco, Shell, McDonalds, Burgerking, Taco Bell) and show me how many miles I have to get there. When I get to the boat ramp, I take it out of the Jeep and put it on the dash of the boat and use it on the water.

I-Finder H2o $169.00 (Monochrome) $269.00 (Color)
MapCreate $99.00

A lot of bang for the buck. I love this thing.

 

[DHaun]

I have one myself and totally agree, but have yet to get any better maps for it. Does mapcreate show decent detailed Chickamauga/Nickajack Lake info or contour lines like Fishing Hotspots does? I was trying to decide which one to get...

 

[Davo]

Yeah, I'd be really interested in the lake features. There are too many different software packages out there and I have no clue which one is best.

 

[SNUFFY]

MAP-CREATE 6 IS SOMEWHAT LACKING IN CONTOUR STUFF ON THE WATER.....BUT YOU CAN GO TO LOWRANCE WEB SITE AND THEY HAVE SOME FREE DOWNLOADS FOR ENHANCED LAKE MAPS......THEY REALLY HAVE A BUNCH BUT LOUDON AND PERCY PREIST WERE ALL THEY HAD IN TENNESSEE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED,,,,,THEY ARE GOOD MAPS FOR GPS AND FISHING

 

[jon the fisherman]

I have a garmin map 76 handheld with the fishing hotspots and the only lake around here it does not show contour lines is melton hill. I used it on Guntersville and Nickajack and was very helpfull on both. It also has the chick.

 

[Jig-Junky]

What I found with the MapCreate 6 software was that the lakes have no detail (contour lines). You have to go to the Freedom Maps, Navonics, and such for that. These SIMM cards (Freedom Maps, Navonics....) are like $120 bucks a piece at BassPro. If you want to fish Tennessee and Alabama...you have to buy two because of the way they seperate the country by zones for these maps. So....How can I get the best of "all" worlds for the least amount of money invested?

Here is my thinking. The Mapcreate software gives me detailed roads, highways, streets.....also landmarks, points of intrest, motels......for the ENTRIE country. This gives me the ability and confidence to travel anywhere. I also found that MapCreate does have more accurate shoreline detail for the lakes, than does the maps that come pre-loaded in the I-Finders....but no contour lines.

For lake contours...I'll buy maps for Tennnessee and Alabama lakes at Wal-mart for $10.00 a piece...rather than buying the SIMM cards for $240. With the paper map, I-Finder, and a Lowrance X75...I'll still find that point in 20 feet of water.

Right now I have $270 invested in mine (I-Finder and MapCreate)....why double it?

Just my two cents, boys.....or maybe three.

 

[Fishheadspin]

i bought one of the I finders when they first came out. it is very unreliable. It takes a long time to hook up. it is also not very accurate. i hope they have worked out their problems now.

It just comfirmed the rumor about lowrances electronics i have heard over and over. JUNK!

I'll never stray from Garmin again!