Lowrance LMS 160:

[Buzz Bouvier]

I just put a Lowrance LMS160 on my 896 and when I have it on the GPS screen I don't seem to have any detail below the 60 mile range. I've tried both normal detail, and high detail for the screen. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciate.. Also when I'm on the sonar screen, what is a good starting point for the setting's for greyline, & sensitivity?

Any other suggestions for this model would be greatly appreciated. Thanks



Buzz

 

[Bill McElroy]

I have the lms160 but I use it 95% of the time in the GPS mode for navigation. Put your sensitivity settings on @ 65% and you should be good. Try a little higher if you can get away with it,....i tend to get too much interference when i use it in conjunction with my 1240 in-dash flasher (Both transducer's are mounted in the rear (externally). You should be able to zoom right in with the GPS though,...granted you won't have the mapping detail unless you load more software into it, but I use mine for everything,....marina's/ramps/navigation hazards/weighpoints/marker bouys,..etc..etc.....it will show roads and canals and stuff too, go into your settings and menu's and make sure you have all the features "turned on" that you want to see,...........play around with it while the boat's on the trailer in the driveway,.....you'll learn a LOT in 15 mins!!! It's a GREAT unit,..you'll love it!!

Mac

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Buzz, can't help you on the 1st part. But for the sensitivity and grayline, until you learn how to read the unit and tweak it the way you want it, but until then use the auto feature to assign those values. Now, I personally turn off the fish ID mode to get real data returns. Once you learn how to read those, next go to sensitivity, I usually turn mine down a little at a time until I lose all the "debris" and interferrence and only pick up solid fish returns. Takes some time to learn. Now gray line, to be totally honest, I still don't have a good grasp on that whole thing. Still under the learning curve myself. Good luck. I should have your pic soon of your big bass. You still coming on Friday and Sunday of the rally?

 

[Buzz Bouvier]

Thanks for the infor guys, and Rob I will be there Friday and Sunday. I may want to leave the boat at your place Sat. if that is O.K. and your more then welcome to use it if you would like.. Thanks again.



Buzz

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I may take you up on that since my eagles aren't working. And the added comfort of a bigger ride. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her, charge her up, and gas it. Hope you don't mind it gets all stinky with fish slime though while I'm kicking Mac's $&%#! LOL

 

[Bill McElroy]

Stinky Fish slime??!!.....Wrong species bigdog,.....you must be catching pike!!!!!! The smell of a toad smallie is borderline Heavenly!!!!!!...LOL

 

[Buzz Bouvier]

Rob, you may slime the boat up all you want, there's nothing that makes a boat owner happier then knowing that fish were caught on his boat. Catch all you can.. I know Mac wouldn't mind....

 

[Russ Charles]

Rob,



Grayline is a Lowrance feature that has been in use since the old X-16 paper graph (I still have one). It is also used on other brands, but just not called grayline as that is a Lowrance trade mark. I think Garmin calls it whiteline.

All it amounts to is a method of displaying the relative return signal strength for any given sensitivty setting. What that means is, the wider the grayline, the stronger the return. With practice it is helpful in determining the bottom composition, ie. mud absorbs more of the signal than sand so the grayline would be thinner over mud (less signal returned) and wider over sand (more signal returned). It is also helpful in identifying some structure. For instance, what may appear as just a hump on the bottom may actually be a pile of rocks and would be identified because the grayline of the rocks would be much wider then that of the rest of the bottom. It is also useful in seeing objects within structure. For instance, a fish laying in grass would only be seen an increase in the width of the grayline because the fish return is much stronger than that of the grass.

In the type water you fish I think you could gain a lot from using the grayline features.

It's not quite as usefull here in the shallow lakes of FL, but the bluewater guys do use it a lot.



Russ

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Thanks. I knew most of that, but am still under the learning curve applying it. I would think that the thicker the grayline, the softer the bottom but it's just the opposite. Takes a little while. But I do live by my electronics. Especially on hot summer days when fish go deep and I fish bottom structure. I remember the first time and the cards came into play perfect, and I graphed fish on a hump in 20+ ft of an inlet. I then could make out my flipping tube as it descended on the screen and I watched as the bass intercepted it. Just like playing a video game. Only a 2 1/2 lber, but it was way cool to finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Worked again the other day for my 4.2 lb smallie (which I think is still currently leading) which was suspended again in an inlet. Gotta get that grayline completely under my belt though for weed fishing.

 

[Russ Charles]

Rob, know what you mean about the learning curve, it never seems to end. I can remember back when flashers were all us bass guys had until the paper graphs statred to appear on bass boats. Back then it was mostly learn by trial and error. I remember tying weights with about 3 - 4 foot of line to 2X4's about 16 inches long and putting them in about 10 feet of water just to see what it would look like on the graph (simulating a fish). BTW, anything over 10 feet is real deep here, LOL.

I don't use my old X-16 anymore because it's just too big, but I still don't believe there is anything better for absolute detail. From top to bottom on the chart (paper) there a 1,000 lines. Even the best units now don't have anywhere near that kind of pixel count.

I was using a 160, but my son kinda borrowed it, and now I use the Garmin 168 map/sounder.

I always had used Loran, so GPS isn't that much different, just a lot better.



Russ