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Lowrance Marine Electronics Reviews

Lowrance is a leader in manufacturing GPS, Sonar, depth finders, chartplotters and fishfinders. Lowrance Marine is one of the most recognized brands in marine electronics among commercial fishermen and boating enthusiasts of all types because of the wide selection of devices they supply.

Lowrance Fish Finders

Fishermen may be interested in Lowrance marine fish finders. They are equipped with dual frequency sonar, 480 X 480 resolution, up to 2500 feet depth penetration, and other advanced capabilities. Fish finders are also available with large screen monochrome monitors. The new fish finder and combo units do an excellent job at finding fish. The popular fishing and boating kits can be found in quite a number of sizes, prices and colors matching distinctive requirements.

Lowrance 000-10235-001 Elite-5x DSI DownScan Imaging Fishfinder with 5-Inch Color LCD and 455/800 KHz Transom Mount Transducer
List Price: $549.00
Sale Price: $455.55
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Lowrance Mark-5x 5-Inch Waterproof Fishfinder
List Price: $159.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Lowrance Elite-5x 5-Inch Waterproof Fishfinder
List Price: $449.00
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours


Lowrance M68C S/Map 3.5-Inch Waterproof Fishfinder
List Price: $419.00
Sale Price: $299.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days



Lowrance Marine GPS

Marine GPS is easily one of the most common GPS types and Lowrance Marine GPS is at the top of the list. The Lowrance GPS antenna is built-in on most of the GPS-enabled systems so installation and use is effortless.

Lowrance HDS-5m 5-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter (With Nautic Insight Maps)
List Price: $599.00
Sale Price: $593.85
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days



Lowrance GPS Chartplotter

A step above standard GPS is the Marine GPS chartplotter. These can help you stay on course. Chartplotters also can offer you advance information about buoys and also tides. In addition, they are great for understanding the weather and many supply you with the sonar and radar images.


Considering the number of professional-grade solutions currently available from Lowrance, it simply makes good sense to add new Lowrance marine electronics to whatever type of boat you have.

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Gift Ideas for Boaters

Looking for the perfect gift for the boating enthusiast on your list? How about a new, great-sound marine stereo? Or maybe some waterproof speakers to kick-up the sound quality? Below we’ve gathered some great gift ideas that are sure to please the boater in your life.

1. Marine Stereos

If your loved one is a music lover as well as a boater then you can’t go wrong with a marine stereo system. There are lots of great choices with prices to match any budget. Below, we’ve chosen some of our favorites.

PYLE PLCD3MR AM/FM-MPX In-Dash Marine CD/MP3 Player/USB and SD Card Function
List Price: $197.99
Sale Price: $69.18
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours



Both the Pyle and the Sony marine stereos would be great choices.

2. Fish Finders

Does your man love to fish? How about giving him a little help bringing in the next catch with a new fishfinder?


3. GPS Marine Navigation

Every boater should have a GPS marine navigator. Chart your course with ease!

Garmin GPSMAP 421 4-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $331.51
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Garmin GPSMAP 78 2.6-Inch Marine GPS Navigator and Worldwide Chartplotter
List Price: $349.99
Sale Price: $229.62
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days



4. CB Radio

Staying in touch is important out on the water and a CB radio let’s you communicate no matter how far out your are.

Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel CB Radio with Instant Access 10 NOAA Weather Stations and Selectable 4 Color Display
List Price: $149.95
Sale Price: $92.88
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Cobra Electronics MR F45-D Class-D Fixed Mount VHF Radio
List Price: $119.95
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days



5. Binoculars

Binoculars are a must when out on the water. Great for viewing birds and other marine life.

Bushnell H2O Series 10 x 42 Waterproof/Fogproof Binoculars
List Price: $116.95
Sale Price: $71.63
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Nikon 7223 Action 16 X 50mm Binoculars
List Price: $190.95
Sale Price: $119.89
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days



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What Are the Top Marine Stereo Systems?

If you have been looking to buy a new marine audio system for your boat you may have had trouble deciding which are the best models and brands. Here we have compiled a list of the top-rated marine stereos based on industry expert reviews as well as consumer opinions. Many sources were used to collect this data, including Consumer Reports, technology magazine editor ratings, manufacturers websites, and review sites such as epinions and Amazon reviews. We analyzed data from all of these resources to come up with our list of the top-rated marine stereo systems.

Alpine CDA9886M / CDA-9886M / CDA-9886M Marine CD Receiver with iPod Controls
List Price:
Sale Price: $399.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


ALPINE AI NET MARINE CD/USB/SAT RECEIVER - CDA118M
List Price: $500.00
Sale Price: $399.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours


Clarion CMD6 Marine CD/MP3/WMA Receiver with USB Port
List Price: $499.99
Sale Price: $288.48
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


Clarion CMD7 Watertight Marine CD/USB Receiver with CeNET Control
List Price: $399.99
Sale Price: $199.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days


PYLE PLCD3MR AM/FM-MPX In-Dash Marine CD/MP3 Player/USB and SD Card Function
List Price: $197.99
Sale Price: $69.18
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours



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Jensen Marine SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo Review

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The Jensen Marine MSR7007 Waterproof AM/FM/WB SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo with CD Player is a great choice for those looking to enjoy satellite radio out on their boat.  This waterproof stereo comes with a ton of options including iPod and iPhone controls, USB input, NOAA weatherband, and is SIRIUS satellite ready.Jensen Marine Sirius Satellite Ready Stereo
This stereo is also waterproof and can stand up to the harshest marine environments.
Click here to check prices of Jensen Marine Stereo on Amazon.

Features of Jensen Marine SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo

- Radio Broadcast Data System – Displays up to 5 lines of system text information when the selected FM station supports RBDS (Radio Broadcast Data System) service.
- Zero Current Memory Draw – This stereo does not require a constant battery standby power feed which means the stereo keeps station presets without running the battery down.
- Full iPod/iPhone Controls – When you plug your iPod or iPhone into your new marine stereo you can fully control the iPod or iPhone using the stereo controls – no need to fumble around with your iPod or iPhone while boating; now it can stay protected and out of the way.
Generation 3.0 SIRIUS Technology – Allows a SIRIUS Dock & Play unit to act as the satellite radio receiver. This eliminates the need for a separate SIRIUS tuner box! Simply put the Dock & Play into its docking station and listen to SIRIUS radio with full functionality and control through the stereo head unit. It also means that your SIRIUS tunes are completely portable. Your favorite SIRIUS stations don’t have to remain strictly in your equipment. Now you can take the SIRIUS Dock & Play unit out of your equipment and use it in your car and home, all under one SIRIUS subscription.

Specs of the Jensen Marine SIRIUS Stereo

- AM/FM/CD/MP3/WB/iPod & SIRIUS Satellite Radio Ready Marine Stereo
- 200 Watts
- Full Dot Matrix Display
- Auxiliary Audio Input (RCA)
- Waterproof (IPX6 rated)
- USB input allows connection of jump drive for digital music and
supports MP3/WMA formats
- NOAA Weatherband
- Wired Remote Ready
- Positive LCD Display
- Preamp Line Level Outputs
- 30 Seconds of Electronic CD Skip Protection
- Non-volatile memory for presets & user settings 2-wire power (ACC, GND)
- Conformal Coated PCB
- Plastic PCB Insulator
- Sealed Chassis
- ASTM B117 Salt Spray Exposure Standard Compliant
- ASTM D4329 UV Exposure Standard Compliant

Customer Reviews

What do customers say after purchasing the Jensen Marine Sirius Satellite Ready stereo?

“Great stereo. I installed this in a 14 Caribe(very wet boat). Stereo is easy to use and can take a lot of water hitting it. The sound is great. I have a 1000 watt amp and four speakers ( DC Gold). For such a small boat and having to mount them at your feet the sound is excellent ! No need for a sub. installed the pocket for ipod . Keeps it dry and is easy to get in and out.”

“The control unit is nice, compact, and stylish. Finally I can control the radio from the helm without having to duck into the cuddy. The unit also controls my classic Ipod, so that I can mount it in the cabin and out of the elements. The unit sounds great. This is a fantastic product.”

Editor’s Opinion of the Jensen Marine SIRIUS Satellite Ready Stereo

Overall, the Jensen Marine Sirius Satellite Ready Stereo is a great-sounding stereo that will add clear satellite sound to your boat.

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Installation of Waterproof Speakers

Waterproof Speakers – Top Installation Tips

Author: James

Water resistant speakers tend to be cheaper than fully waterproof speakers but they should not be used where there is a any chance of direct contact with liquid or in corrosive environments – like seawater. They should be properly be called moisture resistant. In very humid conditions where heat and moisture combine to render the resultant atmosphere almost liquid – use waterproof!

For the moment the discussion will concentrate on waterproof speakers. There are many types of fully waterproof speakers and they can vary from types where the working mechanisms, besides being fully waterproof are to a large extent protected from the elements – horn type, rock speakers and inverted dome types. The others an much more common for domestic uses are cabinet and in wall or in ceiling speakers

Before deciding on the speakers of choice, have a long hard and detailed look at the mounting mechanism, the external speaker material and the grille material. Wherever there is moisture corrosion is not far behind and corrosion of metal can be very unsightly – brown rust on white speaker brackets, white aluminum oxide on black speaker grilles. Plan for the worst and using white speakers will hide the inevitable corrosion of aluminum. (Incidentally, unlike rust, the aluminum oxide actually prevents the further attack by the elements so forming a protective skin – if you remove it the underlying aluminum will again be subject to attack)

As far as possible position the speakers way from direct liquid access and sunlight. The effect of sun light on plastics can be detrimental despite being UV resistant which should be mentioned in the specifications. From a conventional cabinet type speaker, sound performs very much like light in its spread and direction. If you are installing external speakers in your home position them so that there is minimum overflow of sound into your neighbors’ properties.

You will find that for most domestic installations a position underneath the eaves satisfies most of the requirements – they are protected from the worst weather, sunlight and their direction can be pointed downwards to eliminate overflow. It will also be easier to hide the cable installation or combine it with existing cable runs.

On the subject of cable, always use screened and resilient cable. External installation should involve cable specifically designed for weather resistance and possible mechanical damage. Underground installations should always use reinforced cable to prevent inadvertent cutting.

Position your switches such that they both minimize unnecessary cable runs and minimize the requirement to put yet more holes in the property walls.

 

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Garmin Fishfinder 300C Review

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The Garmin Fishfinder 300C is the first of the high-end of the price range for the Garmin’s sonar fishfinder units. However, this is one time you will definitely get what you pay for. Featuring one of their best screens in this niche, you are sure to be pleased with what you see in a variety of ways.

Screen

The screen is, admittedly, not at the level of modern-day smart phones or even some portable camcorders. But with a three-and-a-half inch QVGA color display, offering 320 x 240 pixel resolution, it is superior in the sonar display category niche.

The view is ultra bright even in full sun light and offers the thousands of colors you would expect from the QVGA display technology. For comparison, the otherwise fine Fishfinder 160C offers only sixteen colors. Making it even more useful, the Fishfinder 300C offers both automatic and manual 2x and 4x zoom.

Transducer

Thanks to Garmin’s dual-beam transducer, what the fishfinder has to display is equally clear and detailed. It’s user-selectable for either a Narrow (15 degree) beam or a Wide (45 degree) beam to explore the shallows or the depths with equal clarity.

The depth range is considerable, as well. The Fishfinder 300C can measure depths accurately in water less than one foot deep. Yet, housing electronics that produce 1200 watts of power output (peak-to-peak, 150 watts RMS), it can operate effectively down to 900 feet.

The AutoGain feature ensures you won’t have to worry about adjusting the screen across the depth range. The unit will automatically select the appropriate gain to most clearly show the right level of detail. However, it is manually adjustable, if so desired. Users can also turn off or on the Fish ID and the Whiteline feature (which shows how thick the bottom is).

The case is both robust and modest sized, so you can take the Fishfinder 300C literally anywhere. Drench it and it works just as well as when perfectly dry. Come in after dark and you’ll see the screen just fine. At a slender 4.5″ x 4.5″ x 2.4″ it won’t take up much room, either.

Installation

With Garmin’s simple mount kits you can install this model on anything from a 40-foot fishing boat to a kayak with equal ease. And, since it weighs only 9.6 ounces, it wouldn’t be a big burden to move back and forth between them, either.

Garmin’s mounts aren’t just easy to install, however. They operate well, too. You get a great view in any scenario. Tilt the screen up with ease then lock it down for a stable view. Give it a firm sideways nudge and the swivel lets you turn it to face you at all times.

Overall Opinion

The company makes several other sonar units that are more expensive with larger screens and more bells and whistles. But, even at this mid-range price, the Garmin Fishfinder 300C offers a number of high-end features, not least a superb display. For freshwater lake fishermen, this could be an ideal choice.

Click here to purchase the Garmin Waterproof Fishfinder 300C from Amazon.

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Garmin Fishfinder 160C Review

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Garmin markets the Garmin Fishfinder 160C as a mid-range sonar device. That description is accurate, so far as it goes, but it doesn’t fully convey the range of fine features this unit offers.

Those fine features start with what’s the most obvious – the 4.5 inch display. Surprisingly for a screen that is only 128 x 128 pixel resolution, it’s sharp, clear, and bright in all lighting conditions. The 16-color technology – distinguished from the 4-tone grayscale of the entry-level Fishfinder 140, for example – helps that along considerably. Garmin’s UltraScroll keeps the screen constantly refreshed, so you always see up-to-date information.

Naturally, that fine view potential is useless unless there’s something picked up to display. The Fishfinder 160C ensures plenty of detail of the water below by housing a dual-beam transducer. Users can select the Narrow (15 degree) or Wide (45 degree) view to optimize the unit for varying conditions. Explore the shallows or the depths with equal clarity.

That clarity and granularity is increased by the onboard AutoGain technology. It helps outline more fish, more clearly. It also helps distinguish them from waving weeds, floating debris and other objects that would produce false positives.

Of course, experienced fishermen know they can’t keep their eyes on a screen all the time. That’s especially true near the shoreline where little movements can make the difference between moving to the right location and landing up on a sandbar. The Fishfinder 160C provides audible alarms that can be heard well over the engine, the wind, and other common sounds while on the water.

The sensor technology inside allows this unit to provide accurate readings in water as shallow as one foot, enabled by something Garmin calls SPS (Shallow Precision Signal). In this case, that’s more than just a marketing buzzphrase. Yet, the Fishfinder 160C is effective down to 600 feet, too.

There are optional settings for shallow or deep water. There’s an option to display water temperature on the screen at all times, a handy piece of information that helps judge the species you’re likely to find at a given time in your location. Users can also check battery voltage at a glance.

The physical housing is robust (waterproof, naturally) and the mount mechanism is sturdy and easy to install. After you get it in place, you’ll note another helpful feature: it swivels 360 degrees. No matter where you have to be, you can orient your sonar unit to suit you, not the other way around. There’s even a quick-release mechanism so you can carry it with you around the boat if you want.

Carrying it isn’t hard, since it’s 6.1″ wide x 4.9″ high x 2.9″ thick and weighs only about 18 ounces. The only tricky part is installing the transducer, which has a housing that’s a little on the bulky side (about an inch square).

The Garmin Fishfinder 160C doesn’t offer built-in GPS and some of the other features of high-end sonar units. But what it does provide is of durable quality and the view is just great.

Click here to buy the Garmin Fishfinder 160C on Amazon.

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Poly-Planar MRD80i Marine Stereo Review

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The MRD80I AM/FM STEREO is one cool marine stereo that offers a Digital Music Device (DMD) Dock for your digital music devices like iPod, mp3 and other smartphone devices. All you have to do is insert the device and play your music.

MRD80i is a full-featured water proof stereo optimized for marine use. You don’t have to worry about soaking your iPod because you seal the dock to avoid water from getting into your high priced music players.

It has adjustable backlight display, SD card reader and USB input available allowing you to play music even using your USB flash drive. And, its Guimbal mount option allows you to mount the unit anywhere you want.

If you’re the type who doesn’t want to do things manually an MRR2 wireless remote compatible or an MR45R wired remote compatible can be purchased separately. The auxiliary input makes it very much compatible with your auxiliary devices like speakers so there’s a lot of room for accessories.

Read customer reviews of the Poly-Planar MRD80i.

The equalizer setup makes it easy to select the best audio setting for your speakers as well. Its 2 x 16 character display allows you to see what’s playing even from 3 meters away reducing the amount of labor. It has sun and dust covers so the unit survives the altered weather condition in sea.

Its size is 7-1\8” X 2-1\8 making it very portable and giving the user an ease of mobility. The dock measures 7-5\16”making it very compatible with almost all music and smartphone devices. While its speaker boasts 8 ohms making your cruising or fishing experience music filled.

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Garmin Fishfinder 140 Review

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The Garmin Fishfinder 140 isn’t a GPS unit, really, but a sonar device. Sure, it’s made by Garmin and often winds up in the GPS category, but the name really says it all; the Fishfinder 140 does just that. Fortunately, names and categories aside, it does that very well.

Time on the water is always valuable, and always in short supply. The Fishfinder lets you maximize your time by minimizing the amount spent looking for your target. It has tons of features that make it easy to do that.

Starting right with what you see, the 4.7 inch display offers plenty of real estate. True, the glass portion is only 3.2 inches square, but it’s surprising how much detail you can make out on that smartphone-sized window. The 4-tone grayscale shows “where they are and where they’re not” very clearly, even with only 128 x 240 pixel resolution. That view is enchanced by the easy-to-use 2x and 4x zoom. A clearly visible white line shows how thick the bottom is. With 80/200kHz dual-beam transducers you get a good sweep of not just what’s below but well to the side, as well. The cone angle can be either 15° or 45° to narrow or broaden the beam as you prefer. That lets you search a large area well or a greater depth in greater detail.

The AutoGain keeps the view sharp and minimizes clutter on the display. At the same time, the Fish Symbol ID makes it pretty evident when your prey is nearby. The Fishfinder 140 is effective down to about 600 feet but operates well in shallow water, too.

Click here to read customer reviews of the Garmin Fishfinder 140.

As you know from experience, though, hunting fish involves knowing more about the sea than just what’s visible. You know that water temperature matters. The designers of the Fishfinder 140 know that too so they supplied both a log and a graph to let you know those at all times.

Audible alarms help with your search because, let’s face it, oftentimes you need to keep your eyes on the water. Those alarms alert you to shallow water, deep water, and fish size.

There are tons of convenience features built in to the Fishfinder 140, too.

  • Automatic display rescaling on range eliminates vertical lines that could interfere with what you need to see.
  • The chips retain your preference settings on a power down so there’s never a need to re-select them.
  • The battery voltage indicator and low battery alarm ensure you’re always aware of when you need to recharge.
  • The incandescent backlighting for both display and keypad make it easy to see the screen and keys in all weather.

The Garmin Fishfinder 140 is marketed as an entry-level model and, for sure, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of other sonar devices. But for the price, it’s a happy surprise just how much this fishfinder offers.

Click here to buy the Garmin Fishfinder 140 on Amazon.

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Garmin Fishfinder 90 with Dual-Beam Transducer

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The Garmin Fishfinder 90 with Dual-Beam Transducer is on the low-end of the sonar units that Garmin offers. Yet, despite its low price and simple operation, it offers many of the features of their higher-end models.

Despite its low, low price, the Fishfinder 90 model still features Garmin’s dual-beam transom-mount transducer. That lets the user select a narrow beam (15 degrees) or wide beam (45 degrees). The wider setting allows for a broad sweep to explore areas well to the sides of the boat. The narrower selection provides more detail at greater depths.

That depth range is both considerable and accurate, as well. The Fishfinder 90 will provide views down to 600 feet and measure depths as shallow as a foot or less. The unit can differentiate depths with high accuracy, too. Manual measurements made for comparison to the figure displayed by the Fishfinder 90 showed a difference of less than one inch, well within any measurement error.

The only real limitations of the Fishfinder 90 over Garmin’s more expensive units are the screen and the mount. Both are good on this model, but not quite as good as, say, the Fishfinder 140 or the Fishfinder 160C.  For example, the mount lacks the quick-release mechanism of the 160C. On the upside, it’s equally easy to install. And, while it doesn’t offer the 360 degree swivel of the more expensive model, the tilt and swivel are pretty good. The other drawback – the display – is a little more serious. The screen on the Fishfinder 90 is certainly adequate. It clearly shows the difference between large fish and small fish, outlines the bottom well, and in general does the job it was designed for. But at only 64 x 128 pixel resolution, it’s decidedly on the low end of the scale. Even the Fishfinder 140′s 128 x 240 is modest (not to mention much less than contemporary smartphone or handheld GPS displays) and the Fishfinder 90 is much less than that. Still, the display is clear and bright in all lighting conditions thanks to overall good design and an anti-reflective coating.

Click here to read customer reviews of the Garmin Fishfinder 90.

The audible alarms could be louder, but the fact that Garmin chose to include them at all in such a low-price model is a good thing. You might have to strain a little to hear it when the engine speed is high, but other than that they’re clear and flexible. Users can adjust the alarm, for example, to beep when the depth reaches a threshold, great for avoiding problems in shallow water when you have to keep your eyes ‘on the road’.

The Fishfinder 90 offers one useful feature that differs from the higher end models. The case, at only 4.7″ wide x 4.9″ high x 2.4″ thick, is great for squeezing into small spaces. The 160C by comparison is 6.1″ wide x 4.9″ high x 2.9″ thick.

Yes, the Garmin Fishfinder 90 is a plain vanilla sonar unit. But even vanilla can taste really good when it’s this well made.

Click here to purchase the Garmin Fishfinder 90 on Amazon.

Garmin Fishfinder 90 with Dual-Beam Transducer
Overall Rating:
Total Customer Reviews: (15)
List Price: $109.99
Availability:
GARMIN 010-00459-00 Fishfinder 90 GPS Marine. The Fishfinder 90 wraps simple operations and Garmin s exclusive fishfinder technology into an entry level sonar. It is perfect for any vessel where space is at a premium. Dual beam transducer operation gives you better shallow water performance. The wide viewing angle /60 degrees/ lets you see fish even off the sides of the boat. With a basic black on white display, the Fishfinder 90 has one of the sharpest screens for the money. The Fishfinder 90 also offers Ultrascroll which allows boaters to get a much faster refresh rate on their[Read More]
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