Review: Lowrance Elite 5 TI TotalScan Fishfinder/Chartplotter

Upon receiving the new unit on a Tuesday and installing it on my kayak by Thursday I was able to use the unit on the water at the Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament. Since my kayak had a Elite 5 Chirp Installed I was able to use the existing hull pass-thru and the power cable. The transducer had to be swapped out replacing the HDI Skimmer (DownScan) with the TotalScan. See the install Article for more information on how I scupper installed the new TotalScan Transducer.

Once the cabling was installed I then inserted the Navionics+ Charts SD Card into the unit. On the initial power on it asked me to accept a disclaimer which every unit asks on power on. Then immediately went into quick setup mode. The touchscreen is where it is at. What once took over 15 different key pad presses now takes one touch of a finger!. Very convenient along with additional settings. The menus are simple to navigate along with the ability to touch zoom touch courser areas to zoom in on and set way points and even on the sonar touch and swipe back to review history. Changing settings such as sensitivity on the fly is simple. Touching the sensitivity and a slider appears which you can slide up and down via touch for more or less sensitivity. This applies for all settings.

An excellent new feature is the ability to customize just about every screen. You can create your own pages with views you would like to see along with sizing them within the page. You even have the ability to customize the background wallpaper with your own image! Change colors of tracks the DSI and Side Scan screens. By simply swiping the menu it will hide for max screen resolution. Simply edit the settings of any panel by touching the panel and selecting the options and settings within the menu.

Another really cool feature is 3D Charts. Like a vehicle GPS you can now view them in 3D to see what is in front of you simpler. The ability to pan and change the view angle is all controlled by touch.

A big improvement I have noticed is the refresh rate and sensitivity of the GPS along with better Navionics Charts. While turning it flows like a floating compass and is not laggy like older units. Adding way points has never been easier. Simply touch on the screen where you would like to add a way point or for current location press the chart then add new way point. Even faster press the flag symbol key on the keypad. Even easier is naming your way points. The onscreen touch keyboard makes this fast and easy.

The Lowrance Elite5 TI also has WIFI and Bluetooth ability. The wireless connectivity gives you the ability to use a wireless device to remotely view (smartphone and tablet) and control the system (tablet only). Access the GoFree Shop. Upload your Sonar logs to create custom maps at Insight Genesis. (If you have purchased the Lowrance Insight chart add on) Download software updates Connect to third party applications.

One flaw so far is in heavy rain the touchscreen will malfunction. Bring a clean dry cotton towel with you to dry off the screen. If you are in a downpour. Quickly navigate by pressing the power key and then touching the lock screen icon. This will temporarily turn off the touch option. Once you are able to dry off the screen press the power button to unlock the screen. See the image on the left for touch lock location.

The TotalScan is completely amazing. It includes CHIRP 2D Broadband, Down Scan Imaging (DSI), and side scan imaging. The DSI and side view imaging is completely photo like due to the CHIRP technology. Giving the ability to identify fish holding structure is a huge advantage for any angler. With three different transducers built into one it is an advantage for the kayak also. Although a drawback of the TotalScan transducer is its size. The install situation on a kayak it is incredibly tough to mount. Being side scan it must be in the water with no interference with the hull. The overall dimensions on the transducer is 10.11″ long by 2.65″ wide.  I had to modify the boat transom bracket to work with the Jackson kayak scupper and Lowrance Scupper mount. See the install article for more information on installing the transducer on Jackson Kayak Raymarine Ready Kayaks. For all other kayaks that do not have a large scupper trough you may opt to use a Ram Mounts Transducer Arm Mount and for use on multiple kayaks use the YakAttack Cell Block.

The unit will not work with the HDI skimmer unless you purchase an adapter cable (additional $30.00)

Pros:

• Touchscreen Ability
• TotalScan Three Different Transducer in one
• Full Customization
• WIFI
• 3 available Chart Addons
• Perfect Size for Kayak Application
• Mounts using Ram Mounts RAM-101-LO11

Cons:

• Touch Screen is tough to navigate when really wet
• Transducer is HUGE
• Will not work out of box with HDI skimmer (needs adapter cable)

Check out the Lowrance Catalog and website for more information!

www.lowrance,com

http://www.lowrance.com/Global/Lowrance/Documents/Catalogs/2016%20Lowrance%20Catalog_985-11130-001_w.pdf

Jackson Kayak has really simplified the installation of fish finders for the end user first with the Big Rig and now with its new offshore kayak the Kraken! Like the Big Rig the Kraken is Raymarine Dragonfly ready. This means the Lowrance HDI skimmer also fits really nice in this scupper with the Lowrance Scupper Mount Kit! This article covers how to install a Lowrance skimmer transducer & Fish Finder on the Kraken in a scupper hole so the transducer is in the water.

Things you will need:

• Lowrance HDI Skimmer
• Lowrance Scupper Transducer Mount Kit
• (2) West Marine Wire Cap
• Drill with 1″ hole saw
• Philips head screw driver
• 2 waterproof butt connectors
• 3/8″ diameter x 4″ long heat shrink tubing

Install:

First unwrap the transducer cable from its packaging and twist tie. run the wire from the hull through the scupper up to the deck . Unboxing the scupper mount simply follow the diagram. With the HDI/Chirp skimmer you will simply slide the transducer on the track at the bottom of the transducer mount. It needs to be positioned forward on the mount so slide the track all the way up to where the wire goes inside the transducer. Now Slide the foam insert and then through the top bracket that will fit perfectly to the scupper. Using the wing nut thread it all the way down to the top bracket to snug it up. Once snug you may now clip the threaded plastic off flush with the bracket and clip the cap over.

Now to run the transducer wire to the inside of the kayak.  Using a 1″ diameter hole saw drill through the radius area of the hatch. BE careful as the plastic is ver thin here. Once the hole is made runt he cable through the wire cap and screw the wire cap in using the screw driver. The screws will self tap.

Next for wiring back to the fish finder unit and battery. This is really up to you where you would like the location to be. I tend to keep it out of the way of where fishing line cannot fowl with the wires and also so adjusting the location of the fish finder on the fly. Also take into consideration the factory installed battery box tray between the front day hatch and the center hatch (7). In my case the fish finder location is to be on the center hatch tracks and being fully adjustable to slide the entire length of the track. The decision to run the wired through the deck in front of the center hatch in my case was the conclusion. This location allows the wires to swing and not get int he way when operating the hatch. The next step will be fabricating a track mount console that will allow me to mount the fish finder to the center of the hatch.

To connect the battery using a plug connector first slide a 3-4″ x 3/8″ diameter heat shrink tubing over the bare wire side of the Lowrance power wire. Crimp the butt connectors to the wires with the  correct polarity and heat shrink the connectors. Then slide over the 3/8″ heat shrink tubing and shrink  the connectors in. I prefer to use clear heat shrink tubing due to all of the use int he salt water. Sometimes connections fail and have water seep in. This speeds up the trouble shooting as now the corrosion is detectable visually.

Complete!

Installing electronics on a kayak can bring on many challenges. One of the major challenges are how to wire through the kayaks bulkhead and what products are manufactured to cap large drilled holes post wiring the fish finder. This article covers common Types of Hull Pass-Throughs.

After a lot of research here are a few types of hull pass-through caps for wiring electronics on your kayak.

Rubber Stopper 1/4″ – 1.5″ Drill

Commonly used for drain plugs and scupper holes the Rubber stopper can also be used for Thru Hull Wiring. Simply with a sharp box cutter cut a slit from the outer diameter to the center hole. This will allow you to pass the wire into the center of the stopper. Runt he connecting plug through the hole and simply press the stopper in small diameter of the flange first to make a seal. This method works but is not recommended for a permanent install. The stopper over time can come loose so check it every now and then. It wouldn’t hurt to silicone them in.

Cable Gland 1/4″ – 1″ Drill

The cable gland is a wiring connector that is able to match wire diameters with a grommet that seals tightening down a lock nut.

On the bottom of the gland is a threaded portion that is able to pass through a drilled hole in the hull and tightened down with an included ring nut. Cable glands do work great but the only problem i see with them is the protrusion they create. They are easily snagged by fishing line. In areas that fishing line will not snag they are great.

Cable Clam pass through 1″ – 2″ Drill

Cable clams are a good solution but protrude the most. They require 4 large screws holes perfectly aligned. Personally I think they are the most unsightly for applying on a kayak. They are purposed more for boats. They are also the most expensive and hardest to install.

TH Marine CeaCap 3/4″ Drill

The CeaCap is the most flush option but will only work with cable plugs that will pass through a 3/4″ hole. It is threaded and will turn the wire 90 degrees so it is flush with the hull. IT will allow for two 12 gauge wires to pass through.

West Marine Wire Cap 1″  Drill

The best out of them all I have found for large connectors is the West Marine Wire Cap. Fish finder connectors with 1″ diameter will work with this cap to cover the required hole to pass through the wire for both the transducer and the power. You may run two wires at 14 gauge through this cap max and 1 wire at 8 gauge id say max.