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Ripoff?

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:49 am
by SKIPER
Question for those in the know: I know this is the Lowrance site but the question is not necessarily aimed at Lowrance. I am looking to upgrade my fish finders and was just wondering if the makers of all fish finders are pulling off the biggest scam of the century. Admittedly, I've never examined the insides of a fish finder, but it seems logical to me that the electrical components of a $300 unit would be the same as components in a $3000 unit, with the only difference being a larger circuit board and bigger case. That would only account for the expenditure of a couple dollars more to the manufacturer. Am I totally off base here?

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2018 10:00 am
by Edd
I'm glad you are NOT an Engineer.

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:29 am
by Pat
Are a Kia and a Lexus the same underneath?

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:04 am
by SKIPER
Forgive me if this reply pops up somewhere later, but I posted it earlier and it's somewhere in cyberspace.
Haha...You're right Edd I certainly am not an engineer and the $300 amount I cited was a bit naïve. But in looking through a fishing catalog I see that a Hummingbird Helix 5 Chirp, GPS G2 fish finder and chart plotter with down imaging to 100 feet, side imaging to 480 feet, card slot for cartography, speedometer and temperature can be purchased for $499.

I'm obviously missing something that those with much more fishing electronics experience but WHAT???

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 8:05 pm
by Kelly Ripa
You do the research and You tell us. I remember when My Lowrance paper graph went obsolete by the new pixel graphs in 1989 or 90.It was years before they caught up because the images and target separation were not as good but it finally happened. It is the same now with all of the different mapping/scanning/ Sonar/ and even radar possibilities....What you need you pay for. Of course saying you are a bit naive will cover some of your pure speculation but if you actually tried to compare that 499 dollar unit to a 5500 dollar unit you just might get an education. Ripoff? Hardly! The shear volume of differences in that $499 vs.that 5500dollar unit speaks volumes as to the gap in your knowledge. Before you come on to the Lowrance site with a headline of RIPOFF I personally think you would come here with some objective facts not a notion of some perceived inadequacy.Have you actually seen any of the units at work on the water? Your best chance at getting that education without it costing you money is to get in a club and see what the others are talking about and using.How did you decide on that Champion you have...? You fish Castaic...Some pretty fine anglers in your neck of the woods. What are they using and why would be a better all around question to my way of thinking. Is the the $499 unit a deal maybe....Just like riding around in 6 or 7 different bass boats will let you know what you are getting into when you buy it .let us know how it works out for you....

Also.. save up your money and put hydraulic steering in your Champion...there is more of a difference than just money.Save your money and make it count when you do spend it. Get better rods,gear etc. but wait until you can get that upgrade on whatever and then with some past experience pull the trigger on it with the knowledge that it is what you want and need to further your on the water experience.

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:48 am
by SKIPER
Kelly there certainly is a gap in my knowledge so that's why I asked the question...operative word here is question regarding the Rip OFF headline...no real need to take offense. Since you are the apparent high-end fish finder expert why didn't you include a few pertinent facts instead of just taking the time for a long-winded critical dissertation.

Regarding the recurrent steering cable problem: If I had initially known that I would need to replace the cables every two years at a cost of $2200 (it should have been a red flag indicator to the mechanic that something was causing the problem since the cables went bad after two years when they previously lasted over twelve years) I would have gotten hydraulic steering cables in the first instance. As you know, I frequently fish Castaic so I took my Champion to Lakeside Marine where they found that two O-rings had disintegrated allowing water to enter thereby causing a build up of rust. I hope that is in fact the problem...I'll let you know in two years since you have an obvious interest.

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 9:05 am
by Edd
SKIPER wrote:Kelly there certainly is a gap in my knowledge so that's why I asked the question...operative word here is question regarding the Rip OFF headline...
Actually, the operative word is 'asked'. Jus say'in......

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 10:29 am
by mark poulson
I think the answer to your question is both yes and no.
I'm guessing the profit margin is higher on more expensive units.
But the larger screens, the sharper details, and the added features are amazing.
So, you pays your money, and you makes your choice. :wink:

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:19 am
by SpookFreak
At the least each unit should come with an emulator so you can learn it while your not on the water.

Re: Ripoff?

Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 10:49 am
by ash
The market will determine it's value, that is capitalism. If it is over valued for what you get the market wont buy it and the price will come down. If one is looking for value in a higher end unit then buy the previous model, this is typically where one can get value, but if one is buying the latest and greatest tech they are paying a premium. This business model has been around as long as technology has been.

I agree with Kelly, that it's not a rip off, when you know full well what your gettin and shell out the money. If you think its over priced buy something else. :mrgreen: