Help with Elite 5 DSI

mblaney · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:54 am

I need help with a Lowrance Elite 5 DSI. I am very dissapointed with this unit and I am thinking of putting my old Eagle 480 Fishmark back on the boat. The gps and mapping is nice (not as nice as my Garmin hand held 60CSX though

).

I have put many hours on this unit, caught lots of trout but this thing will not ever show a fish arch. I have occasionally marked (i think) bait balls but that's it. I would describe the Elite 5 as a color version of the old Fishmark except that it does not mark fish. It appears to only be good for showing the depth and surface temperature. I don't get the DSI part - the 'picture' it shows of the bottom is the same as the 480 but in color.

According to the manual I should have sensitivity settings plus "fish modes", etc but it appears that it's missing many menus that are detailed in the manual. I have found similar complaints on-line and apparently the DSI doesn't have manual sonar adjustments? What good is a sonar that doesn't mark suspended objects, shows a 2D bottom and looses bottom at 250ft? What am I doing wrong?

Lowrance shows nice images on their product info page http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Marine ... -DSI-Gold/ but these images are nothing like mine. I don't need 'fish id' or fish alarms but if it can't mark a 10 lb trout down 50 feet what good is it?

Sorry for the rant but I am very dissapointed in it. I am concerned that it would be better mounted to a fence post in the back yard. :wink:

I would appreciate any advice; if it won't do what I expected of it then I will either sell it or shoot it. :lol:

ChugBug262 · **Joined:** Sun May 15, 2011 6:19 pm **Posts:** 464

Try this first : http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/Elite-Software-Update/

mblaney · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:33 pm

ChugBug262 wrote:

Try this first : http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/Elite-Software-Update/

Thank you, i have this update downloaded but hadn't installed it yet. I will put it in tonight.

mblaney · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:32 am

Well now I have Turkish language option! :roll:

No other (useable) change.

Radioworld · **Joined:** Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:31 pm **Posts:** 436

Here is a good picture to show the difference between how DSI and traditional sonar mark fish. As you can see fish on DSI show up as little dots while the traditional sonar shows up the classic fish arch.

One thing you can try that I have had success with is changing the color palette to "White Background" as this has the "look" of traditional sonar.

-Lawren

Aquasport200ccp · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:11 pm

Umm , it is doing what it is supposed to do. It is an entry level structure scan. Even a $2500 hds10 using structure scan doesn't show conventional fish arches. Maybe sell and get an elite 5 df, or an hds5., they will blow the old 480 away.

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Help with Elite 5 DSI

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