Lowrance unveils new Elite 7 widescreen fishfinder and chartplotter models

Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics, announced today the newest addition to its Elite family of fishfinder/chartplotter products, the Elite-7 Hybrid Dual Imaging (HDI) series. Available as a fishfinder/chartplotter combo model — as well as a standalone fishfinder or chartplotter — the Elite-7 features a 7-inch, widescreen colour LED-backlit display that is 70-percent larger than comparably priced 5-inch products. Allowing anglers to see more sonar history, larger chart images and more detail in split-screen mode, all Elite-7 models with fishfinder capability also feature Hybrid Dual Imaging™ (HDI), which combines two award-winning technologies  — Broadband Sounder^TM and Downscan Imaging^TM — to provide the best possible view of the water column.

Built-in to the new Lowrance HDI Skimmer^® transducer design, Broadband Sounder technology is ideal for marking fish arches and tracking lure action, while Downscan Imaging provides easy-to-understand, picture-like views of structure and bottom detail. With the exclusive Lowrance Downscan overlay feature, boaters can layer the Downscan Imaging view over the Broadband Sounder recording for a stunning display that separates and clearly exposes fish targets from surrounding structure. In addition, the overlay transparency is easily and fully adjustable.

To maximize fishing time on the water, signature Lowrance Advanced Signal Processing (ASP) reduces the need to manually adjust settings to see fish, structure and bottom detail more clearly; and TrackBack allows anglers to scroll back in recorded sonar history to review structure or fish targets. When used on an Elite-7 model with chartplotter capabilities, you can also TrackBack and pinpoint locations with a waypoint — eliminating the need to circle back and retrace the path.

Elite-7 models with chartplotter capability feature a highly accurate built-in GPS antenna. A micro SD card can also be used to display Navionics^® cartography. All Elite-7 chartplotter models are also compatible with the new online Insight Genesis map creation service, which allows users to make custom, contour maps from sonar logs that you record.

All Elite-7 models feature a new multi-window display that allows users to choose up to three panels in split-screen mode to view chart, sonar and DownScan Imaging — all on one screen simultaneously. In addition, Elite-7’s easier-to-use menu system provides quick access to all features using one-thumb operation, and NMEA 2000^® connectivity, which allows waypoint sharing among networked displays and communication with an externally networked GPS.

“Elite-7 combines powerful Lowrance technology and new sonar display capabilities with a bigger, wider, highly functional 7-inch display,” said Louis Chemi, chief operating officer, Navico Americas. “After testing our new Hybrid Dual Imaging with a number of professional anglers, I am confident all anglers will immediately see the benefits it brings to their fishing and boating experiences.”

The new Lowrance Elite-7 series is comprised of Elite-7x fishfinder-only, Elite 7m chartplotter-only and Elite-7 combination models. Each model offers a range of bundled packages that includes 83/200 kHz or 50/200 kHz transducer options, as well as Navionics cartography.

Protected by the Lowrance Advantage Service program, the Elite-7 Series can be purchased from authorized Lowrance dealers and distributors from late February 2013. Prices start from $899 for the Elite-7x stand-alone 83/200kHz fishfinder model. For more information on the Lowrance the Elite-7 Series, the entire Lowrance line of marine electronics, or to locate an authorized Lowrance dealer, please visit www.lowrance.com