FishyGuy

After getting responses to my questions from support and seeing the comments here I concluded that they were good enough so on Black Wednesday I got a 9i at Bass Pro. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks for all the comments. It is quite a step up from my Lowrance lms520.

I think that's right. I have been thinking about that Elite but I am suspicious of the touch screen. May be a bigger problem if you leave your boat in a slip over the water exposed to high humidity. I've got LMS520 about 15 years old, still works fine. Do you know how much they discounted?

I have sent email questions to lowrance support and they have responded quickly. The statement that after warranty/support they will give you a good deal on a new upgrade doesn't sound very enticing, but that is probably typical.

tks for info, I found the ad, I think you are correct that the ducer comes with it. Now I wonder how many they will have, at least its not on black Friday.

and the deal is for Wednesday? It may be local to your area deal.

yeah, if its included its a bargain. I've said no more black Friday lines but if its Wednesday then its worth a trip. Was the ad on a flyer at the store? I wonder if Cabelas will have the same thing?

Looking close at the ad it says totalscan which usually means the unit is capable of totalscan but you have to buy the ducer separate. I don't see where it says includes transducer. Lowrance advertises lots of stuff that way.

Anyway you can tell if it includes the transducer? wednesday means next week, or today?

Who is it that is selling that Lowrance elite 9 unit? I suspect that it does not include the Totalscan transducer which is usually ~$180. Still a good deal but maybe humminbird includes the ducer?

After skimming a few posts I see references to poor service from Lowrance. Can those with experience chime in here? Did it get better or worse after they were bought out? They certainly have flooded the market with lots of various models.

I'd say that's particularly important if you have the newer 4 stroke or DFI OB. They have a lot of electronics and it may be impossible to start even if the starter turns over. Unlike the old school 2 stroke carb motors.

I know its a delay but you should be happy that they are not shipping you the older ducer that did not really have the downscan/sidescan elements due to that lawsuit with Lowrance. There's quite a few people that were very upset that Garmin would not update their pseudo side scan ducer.

You are getting great advice. I'm slightly newer school than you, LMS320, but I became convinced that I HAD TO HAVE a downscan on my trolling motor when I hired a guide because I was unable to catch anything on my own. With the downscan he said "fish right here" and he was right. I am partial to Lowrance, no good reason, like ford & chevy. Lowrance has a bewildering array of models and you really have to read the fine print. eg I was going to buy a split scan Hook2 7" and thought I could upgrade by buying a triplescan ducer, but it won't work that way. The unit although looking identical is different so I'll probably go with a Hook2 7" triplescan for the console and a downscan something up front. I'll keep the LMS320 and make it a dedicated map/gps. So I don't need maps on the new ones, the map function makes them about $200 more. I think that the Lowrance hook2 triple shot is about $200 less than other side scan brands but I could be wrong on that. I'd like to hear what others think.