Lowrance Elite 7 Ti Review

This unit has the best display out of all fishfinders I’ve used so far. I’ve used big Humminbird units and I always had problems reading them, not so with Lowrance. The display is not only bright, it’s also touchscreen so it’s much easier to use. You can trust this sonar, it’s very accurate and it picks up everything.

-“The multi-window displays let you choose from as many as eight preset page layouts, including up to three split-screen panels to view sonar, chart, and DownScan Imaging simultaneously.”-

READ CAREFULLY you cannot have “CHIRP” going simultaneosly with any downscan/sidescan, you can only choose one at a time. Thats why they didn’t say “CHIRP” just sonar.

Page 31 of the “Getting Started” manual.

Otherwise – a very good fishfinder.

This unit is an excellent value. You get most of the features from the HDS unit at a fraction of the price and with a single transducer. Even the user interface is the same as in the HDS units. The preloaded maps are very good, I didn’t even bother getting a Navionics card. The imaging is excellent, again, pretty much what you would get from an HDS unit.

This finder is a bit more expensive than other 7 inch units but it’s still a great value when you consider all features. Humminbird Helix doesn’t support CHIRP, Garmin Striker doesn’t have maps and neither of those 2 have a touchscreen. That made an easy choice for me and so far this unit hasn’t disappointed me.

I’ve had the Lowrance 7ti elite with total scan for 2 months, very easy to use, easy installation and priced right! I will be replacing my HDS 5 in my other boat for another lowrance 7ti!!! FISH ON!

I wish my review could be a positive as the others. 2 months in and I am still trying to find the sweet spot on my tracker for the Totalscan tranducer. I lose depth and sonar one I get on plane. Other things that Lowrance isn’t accurately or obviously stating is that these units do not have bluetooth, even though they state it on their website. When i received my unit there was a little sticker added to the box that states “bluetooth coming soon” or something to that effect. Also, as another reviewer commented, you cannot Chirp while running down/ sidescan imaging. Once I get this unit running properly I am sure it will be great. Until then I’ll keep banging my head for not buying a Gen2 or 3.

So far it’s given me a few headaches, which is disappointing for what I paid.
Before you can use CHIRP you have to disable StructureScan, which is a pain to do as it isn’t easy to find in the menus, and then you have to restart the 7 TI on top of that. Most units will allow you to use both.

Also, my changes to the display, like showing time and speed, disappeared after the restart. The manual just shows the basic layout and functions, and has no advise at all about advanced use, problem solving, or even limitations.

The 7 TI does as advertised, with nice, colorful, crisp display. Sonar is quick and the mapping data is great, but let’s face it, there are cheaper units that can do all this, and are easier to work with.

I had some pretty strong reactions to the Elite 7 TI after only one day of using it on the water. I’ve used Lowrance units almost from the beginning, and they typically have some nice features. But here, screen resolution doesn’t make up small size. The contour lines also seem inaccurate. I don’t know if this is the Insight Pro mapping feature or poor GPS, but it’s irritating. Installing the transducer was a pain. As it turns out there’s an extensive PDF manual online, but in the box, no. Also, you have to turn off Chirp to use side scan. Now that I’ve got the PDF I’m learning a lot, but still no way to overcome the problems I mentioned. I just hope Lowrance gets it right the next time.

I went with the Lowrance 7 TI for two reasons: a larger screen and Bluetooth capability. The plan was to connect to a tablet mounted in the back of my boat so people fishing there could see water depth when setting their lines. Lowrance claimed the 7 TI could do this. It can’t. When I called tech support to ask for an explanation, I was told that this feature would not be released for several months. Isn’t that false advertising? When I spend $800 for certain promised functions, I expect them to be there. If Lowrance hadn’t used this deceptive advertising, I would never have bought the 7 TI.

Bought two 7ti’s one for me and a mate, both have issues with the touch screen, if a bit of salt spray is on the screen, whether you wipe it or dry your finger, wont work. Have sent back to Lowrance couldnt find anything wrong with units sent the back still not working, waiting for replacements wish we would of went Garmin now.

Bloody ripper structure scan woohoo

I find issues with the 7Ti. Once you think you have it set. Then you lose bottom on the plane. I have moved transducer several times. The only way it works is on 200khz. So i must adjust anytime i want to move. Reading other reviews, this is a common issue. Also no bluetooth. Coming soon they say. Been about a year. Not much support on the net. Think this will be my last Lowrance. Time for change

This unit is fantastic, it’s so easy to use with the touchscreen, no more mucking around with up and down arrows to find what your looking for.Very clear images, has some great features, and the Navionics plus+mapping that came with the unit is very detailed, also has unreal split screen options, really easy to mark weigh points too. Nice one Lowrance love it?? would totally recommend this unit to anyone.
Happy Fishing ?
Teddy

I really enjoyed my elite 7 ti, but wouldn’t buy again as you can’t run CHIRP while structure scan is on. This is a huge downside for me. Since I always have my Down or Side scan activated, I basically can never use chirp which is not really what I paid for.