No experience with the Garmins, but I've been running Lowrance for a while. If I had to start from square one again I'd go with the Helix units. Like they said you can't network the Helix - 7 and smaller units (share waypoints, charts, transducers, etc). So instead of needing 2 - $150+ chips you can run one and view it on multiple units. I installed a Helix 7 SI/GPS with a buddy a few months back. Only has one transducer for Side, Down, and regular sonar, and no need for a separate structure scan module (like my lowrance did, now the touch units have this built in without the need for the SS module, but still have multiple transducers) which is great. Really bright screen that you don't have trouble seeing with shades on in direct sunlight (compared to my Lowrances). I did have trouble getting a real clear picture on the Down scan but I think our transducer placement may have had something to do with it and caught a lot of prop wash. The maps that came on it (for Toledo) weren't any better than the standard insight maps that came on my Lowrances. I put my navionics chip in it from my units and it worked fine. I don't have any experience with the Lakemaster chips, don't think they are compatible with Lowrance. Not sure, but I don't think the 7's can do the live mapping? Might should read up on that. Honestly my navionics platinum chip is really accurate, and I wouldn't even worry about live mapping, or at least not on major lakes like Toledo / Rayburn etc. BUT, if you fish smaller bodies of water that aren't covered on the chips, then the live mapping could be really handy I suppose. The price for the Helix units are pretty good too. I like how they offer certain units that do certain things for different prices. For example, you can save a few hundred bucks by buying a DI/GPS unit for the bow instead of having to buy one that has SI capabilities that you won't really need on the front (have to be going at idle speeds to get a good picture on the Side Scan). If you have them networked and can share waypoints, you can use the console unit to find what ever you want with side scan while idling and mark it on that unit, then move to the front and see that waypoint location to fish it. No need to side scan up front. I do prefer the touch screens, but the Helix's are much easier to navigate through for a push button unit, compared to a Lowrance push button unit IMO.
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