Lowrance LCX-27C vs LMS -520c???

[1lastcast]

Im in the market for a sonar/gps colour combo unit.

I will be purchasing the Navionics GOLD at the same time.

I fish Large mouth in shallow weed bays mostly all summer. Spring and Fall I fish the BOQ for walleye. I dont really turnament fish. My boat is a 18ft legend full windshield sport/fish style boat. I will have to place the unit above the trottle as there is little room over the steering wheel for a large unit. There is a standard lowrance b/w 50 unit mounted about the steering wheel now but it will no longer be needed.

My question is: Do I need to go any larger than the 5" LMS - 520? With the cost of the chip and unit im looking at around $800 total. Where as the 7" X-27 is $1200 alone!

Do any of you wish that you purchsed a larger screen size? I never see these units for sale on the used market? So that tells me that either no one is buying the 5" desplay or everyone that does is happy with the unit?

[Badger Shark]

I like my Lowrance combo/ I dont have the nav gold card yet but for just the sonar alone has helped me a tonne especially on Quinte this past fall. But it has also helped me on other waters as well.

Ask Eye-Tracker about Lowrance.

[hawgbass]

Hi 1Lastcast. There are several diffierences between the units. Firstly, its obvious that the LCX-27C has better capablities, such as:
1. it has a dual MMC/SD compartment, which allows you to save lake info to a spare MMC/SD, ie BOQ spots or locations that you fish, which will not eat up space on your unit.
2. the LCX 27C has a Full VGA Solar Max screen vice the solar max screen on the 520c, which gives you finer or clearer detail on the screen,
3. The larger screen is nice as it will give you a better and more detailed view of the bottom content or structure that it is viewing. its like looking at a 5 x7 picture compared to a 8 x 10...a little more detail. and
4. The power output on the 27c is 8000 watts, vice 2400 watts on the 520c, which works better when fishing (trolling) deeper water.
Again both units are great units, but the above mentioned are the reasons for cost differences. I am going to buy a second unit for my boat as I have the older LMS-332c presently at the dash and I will move that unit to the bow and I will be buying a LCX unit ( either the 27C or 28HD). So if cost is not an issue or factor, I would go with the LCX-27C.

Cheers, Frank

[troutnmuskiehunter]

I like my Lowrance combo/ I dont have the nav gold card yet but for just the sonar alone has helped me a tonne especially on Quinte this past fall. But it has also helped me on other waters as well.

Ask Eye-Tracker about Lowrance.

Except when it died for the last half of the day during a Quinte outing Don!!

Good thing Sheldon was around at the end of the day to perform a HARD RESET on the unit!!

[Erie-Eyes]

Hi 1lastcast.
I purchased a LMS-332c for my boat 2 years ago, and was extremely happy with it the first year (warranty period). This past summer it has been acting up by not wanting to continually track bottom, especially when going over deeper water ie. in excess of 100'. I plan on discussing these problems with Lowrance officials at this years boat show in Ottawa and will see what happens then. Not sure I would purchase another Lowrance again as I have been hearing good things about the new Hummingbird units.
As far as size, I think the larger 7" screen is much easier to view from different areas in the boat, but went with the 5" screen as I found it to be about as large as the space I had available on my boat - a 186 Princecraft with a walk-through windshield. I take my unit off/ on every time I use my boat and the space between the top of my dash and the windshield is limited so I would suggest you check your measurements carefully before deciding on which unit to buy. You need finger room to attach necessary cables.[/i]

[1lastcast]

Thanks guys for the input. I think im going with the 5" untill I see the two un display side by side

It is almost double the cost to go from a 5" with Navionics to a 7" with Navionics.

I do like the thought of having a memory slot free to store waypoints. How many waypoints can the 520c store? I do have a full walkthrouh style wind shield. hmmm. I thought buying a boat was hard

[eye-tracker]

If it was me I would go with the largest screen you can afford because you will be using it in split screen (GPS/Sonar). One big advantage of the LCX units is they have more power, which allows better target separation when marking fish hugging bottom and also keeps locked on bottom at high speeds.

-s

[1lastcast]

One big advantage of the LCX units is they have more power, which allows better target separation when marking fish hugging bottom and also keeps locked on bottom at high speeds.

good point thanks