The only segment of the fishfinder / chart plotter / combo market that Lowrance had not tapped into, was the touch screen feature. Many users out there that preferred a touch screen paid a hefty price, and I’m not talking about actual cash. I’m talking about inferior sonar, no high frequency down scan and side scan imaging and nowhere near the networking capability of the Lowrance HDS range. This has all changed now with the launch of the HDS Gen2 Touch.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC-3yWJ-zw4
The range consists of three models, the HDS7 Gen2 Touch, the HDS9 Gen2 Touch and the HDS12 Gen2 Touch. They are all compatible with the rest of the HDS Gen2 range.
It is hard to believe that so much has been squeezed into a single unit. Let’s have a look at what this amazing unit has in it, and what all those components are worth. (South African Rands – ZAR)
HDS7 Gen2 Touch (from R11999) vs. LCX28c (R19 000)
Display = R16 000 (5 years ago)
GPS Receiver = R3 000
Broadband Sonar = R9 000
StructureScanHD = R6 000
Laptop & software = R6 000 (to create maps of SideScan data)
Touch Screen Tablet = R5 000 (to display the SideScan maps on a portable device with built in GPS)
Total = R45 000
The HDS Gen2 is also 50% brighter, twice the processor speed, 10 times the internal memory and a host of additional features that enhance the overall user experience.
Before you answer this next question, just go back to 2008 when the LCX28c was launched, and think what you could buy with R19 000 back then.
Knowing what you know now, what would you pay for the HDS7 Gen2 Touch?
Technical:
The HDS G2 Touch now has 5 plugs in the back, with the addition of the StructureScan transducer
The display sizes of the HDS G2 Touch (blue) compared to the HDS G1 & G2 (yellow)
The resolution on the almighty HDS12 G2 Touch (blue) compared to that of the HDS10 G1 & G2 (yellow)
Videos available:
1. HDS Gen2 Touch – Is this the right direction for Lowrance?
HDS G2 Touch - Is this the Right Direction? - YouTube
2. HDS Gen2 Touch – Screen Calibration
HDS G2 Touch - Screen Calibration - YouTube
3. HDS Gen2 Touch – Pages & Panels
HDS G2 Touch - Pages & Panels - YouTube
4. HDS Gen2 Touch – Panel Resize
HDS G2 Touch - Panel Resize - YouTube
5. HDS Gen2 Touch – Power & Brightness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0-5kmmOUDs
6. HDS Gen2 Touch – Auto Contrast
HDS G2 Touch - Auto Contrast - YouTube
7. HDS Gen2 Touch – Afrikaans Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=246qZQoAgtw
8. HDS Gen2 Touch – Simple, not Simplistic
Lowrance SA - Dealer Newsletter - 01/10/2012
Lowrance, the World-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957, today introduces the brand new touch screen: HDS Gen2 Touch Series:
Expands Existing Range:
The wide format chartplotter and multifunction display (MFD) expands the existing HDS Gen2 range, providing boaters with more options for integration, exploration and navigation than ever before.
In other words: The current button-type HDS Gen2-series will continue! The Touchscreen-units are additional units! No current HDS-unit is being discontinued!
Three New Wide Sizes:
There are 3 awesome sizes in the HDS Gen2 Touch series – all with best-in-class brightness, sunlight viewable 1200 and 1500 nit displays:
• 7†wide
• 9†wide
• 12†wide – our largest display ever!
Six New Members of the HDS Gen2 Family:
HDS-7 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-7m Touch: Chart-plotter only
HDS-9 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-9m Touch: Chart-plotter only
HDS-12 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-12m Touch: Chart-plotter only
More Screen:
The ration between screen and “plastic†is 83 : 17. So more screen and less frame!
More Built-in for Cutting-edge Fishfinding Technology:
Just like the current HDS-series the new HDS Gen2 Touch has built-in Broadband Sounder, but in addition, the HDS Gen2 Touch also features built-in StructureScan HD!
On the button HDS Gen2 Series, you need to purchase the add-on LSS-2 HD to benefit from the StructureScan. The Touch-series has built-in SideScan and true DownScan Imaging sonar, which offers a full panoramic display for best-in-class, clear picture-like views of underwater structure to the left, right and directly beneath the boat. You do, however, have to purchase the LSS-2 transducer to take advantage of the built-in feature. (Or you can use your existing LSS-1 transducer with an adapter cable.)
The systems also feature TrackBack, which allows scroll-back through recorded sonar history to review and zoom-in for a closer look at the bottom structure or fish targets, and pinpoint locations with a waypoint. To avoid losing important sonar data, the HDS Gen2 Touch continues recording through the use of TrackBack to ensure valuable readings are saved.
And, of course, the new HDS Gen2 Touch series has got built-in, high-accuracy internal GPS.
Easy-to-use Touchscreen Control: Simple to Use, but not Simplistic!
It has truly never been easier to use a MFD or to configure the screen, you prefer to use. The HDS Gen2 Touch is very intuitive and provides the flexibility to customize screen views with up to four panels at once. Your choices are saved as “favourites†to make it even easier to change between screen options.
Sure to be a favourite is the new three-panel, vertical page view option!
The engineers have worked really hard at speed. The response time is faster than any other products, and they have managed to reduce the number of times, you have to press a key to get to where you want to be by 30-40%
Effortless touchscreen operation makes panning and zooming fast, responsive and most of all: easy to learn with the intuitive icon-driven menu.
The Family That Plays Together …
The Touchscreen units are designed to network and operate side by side with the button units, and the units share the same colour scheme, texture, pad printing style and design cues. For customers wanting to change existing range for the touchscreen range, we will have adapter bezels available.
Everything a Boat Owner Needs is Now at their Fingertips!
Like the button-type HDS-series, the HDS Touchscreen series is expandable. Add:
• Broadband or digital radar
• SonicHub Music system
• NMEA 2000: widest N2K support available, including the Engine Management System, which is a lot cheaper, and more convenient than the traditional gauges offered by most engine manufacturers.
Made to Network!
• Single Ethernet Port on 7â€
• Dual Ethernet ports on 9†and 12†(= greater expansion options, without the additional cost of a separate network-hub)
• Up to 4 units on the same network
The Touchscreen series is NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183 and Ethernet compatible, and allows multiple displays to be networked and share all data. When networked with other HDS Gen2 fishfinder/chart-plotter models, chart-plotter only displays easily become full functioning combo units.
Full Size SD Card slots
• Single SD card slot on 7â€
• Dual SD card slot on 9†and 12â€
Video Input
The 9†and 12†models feature Video input for underwater or on board cameras.
Lots of Clever Things
Obviously a lot of thoughts have gone into the new Touch screen display. And there are some really clever features.
One of my favourites is that if you put your finger on a chart to move your cursor, the cursor appears just above your finger, so your finger is not covering, what you want to see.
Transducer Options
Select 50/200 kHz transducers for coastal waters, or 83/200 transducers for inland fishing. The units are also compatible with Airmar transducers up to 1 kW.
Wireless Connectivity
Navico’s “GoFree Wireless†module and app are scheduled to be available for use with the HDS Gen2 Touch in early 2013.
More about this innovative add-on hardware will follow.
.................................................. ........................
KEEPING THE BEST FOR LAST
Afrikaans Language Option
Lowrance SA has worked really hard to make this come true: Afrikaans is introduced as a language option in all the HDS Gen2 Touch models, and will also be included with future software updates for the button-type HDS-models.
For the first time Afrikaans anglers can now browse through the menu in their own language. We think, this is going to be very popular! (And it will not be an option on GeoFenced models!).
.................................................. ........................
WHEN WILL THE HDS GEN2 TOUCH MODELS BE AVAILABLE?
Here’s more good news:
The HDS Gen2 Touch 7†models are available next week from Lowrance SA, but in limited quantities, so be sure to place your order TODAY!
The 9†models are scheduled to be available in November, and the 12†models are scheduled to be available in December.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC-3yWJ-zw4
The range consists of three models, the HDS7 Gen2 Touch, the HDS9 Gen2 Touch and the HDS12 Gen2 Touch. They are all compatible with the rest of the HDS Gen2 range.
It is hard to believe that so much has been squeezed into a single unit. Let’s have a look at what this amazing unit has in it, and what all those components are worth. (South African Rands – ZAR)
HDS7 Gen2 Touch (from R11999) vs. LCX28c (R19 000)
Display = R16 000 (5 years ago)
GPS Receiver = R3 000
Broadband Sonar = R9 000
StructureScanHD = R6 000
Laptop & software = R6 000 (to create maps of SideScan data)
Touch Screen Tablet = R5 000 (to display the SideScan maps on a portable device with built in GPS)
Total = R45 000
The HDS Gen2 is also 50% brighter, twice the processor speed, 10 times the internal memory and a host of additional features that enhance the overall user experience.
Before you answer this next question, just go back to 2008 when the LCX28c was launched, and think what you could buy with R19 000 back then.
Knowing what you know now, what would you pay for the HDS7 Gen2 Touch?
Technical:
The HDS G2 Touch now has 5 plugs in the back, with the addition of the StructureScan transducer
The display sizes of the HDS G2 Touch (blue) compared to the HDS G1 & G2 (yellow)
The resolution on the almighty HDS12 G2 Touch (blue) compared to that of the HDS10 G1 & G2 (yellow)
Videos available:
1. HDS Gen2 Touch – Is this the right direction for Lowrance?
HDS G2 Touch - Is this the Right Direction? - YouTube
2. HDS Gen2 Touch – Screen Calibration
HDS G2 Touch - Screen Calibration - YouTube
3. HDS Gen2 Touch – Pages & Panels
HDS G2 Touch - Pages & Panels - YouTube
4. HDS Gen2 Touch – Panel Resize
HDS G2 Touch - Panel Resize - YouTube
5. HDS Gen2 Touch – Power & Brightness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0-5kmmOUDs
6. HDS Gen2 Touch – Auto Contrast
HDS G2 Touch - Auto Contrast - YouTube
7. HDS Gen2 Touch – Afrikaans Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=246qZQoAgtw
8. HDS Gen2 Touch – Simple, not Simplistic
Lowrance SA - Dealer Newsletter - 01/10/2012
Lowrance, the World-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957, today introduces the brand new touch screen: HDS Gen2 Touch Series:
Expands Existing Range:
The wide format chartplotter and multifunction display (MFD) expands the existing HDS Gen2 range, providing boaters with more options for integration, exploration and navigation than ever before.
In other words: The current button-type HDS Gen2-series will continue! The Touchscreen-units are additional units! No current HDS-unit is being discontinued!
Three New Wide Sizes:
There are 3 awesome sizes in the HDS Gen2 Touch series – all with best-in-class brightness, sunlight viewable 1200 and 1500 nit displays:
• 7†wide
• 9†wide
• 12†wide – our largest display ever!
Six New Members of the HDS Gen2 Family:
HDS-7 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-7m Touch: Chart-plotter only
HDS-9 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-9m Touch: Chart-plotter only
HDS-12 Touch: Fish-finder + chart-plotter combo
HDS-12m Touch: Chart-plotter only
More Screen:
The ration between screen and “plastic†is 83 : 17. So more screen and less frame!
More Built-in for Cutting-edge Fishfinding Technology:
Just like the current HDS-series the new HDS Gen2 Touch has built-in Broadband Sounder, but in addition, the HDS Gen2 Touch also features built-in StructureScan HD!
On the button HDS Gen2 Series, you need to purchase the add-on LSS-2 HD to benefit from the StructureScan. The Touch-series has built-in SideScan and true DownScan Imaging sonar, which offers a full panoramic display for best-in-class, clear picture-like views of underwater structure to the left, right and directly beneath the boat. You do, however, have to purchase the LSS-2 transducer to take advantage of the built-in feature. (Or you can use your existing LSS-1 transducer with an adapter cable.)
The systems also feature TrackBack, which allows scroll-back through recorded sonar history to review and zoom-in for a closer look at the bottom structure or fish targets, and pinpoint locations with a waypoint. To avoid losing important sonar data, the HDS Gen2 Touch continues recording through the use of TrackBack to ensure valuable readings are saved.
And, of course, the new HDS Gen2 Touch series has got built-in, high-accuracy internal GPS.
Easy-to-use Touchscreen Control: Simple to Use, but not Simplistic!
It has truly never been easier to use a MFD or to configure the screen, you prefer to use. The HDS Gen2 Touch is very intuitive and provides the flexibility to customize screen views with up to four panels at once. Your choices are saved as “favourites†to make it even easier to change between screen options.
Sure to be a favourite is the new three-panel, vertical page view option!
The engineers have worked really hard at speed. The response time is faster than any other products, and they have managed to reduce the number of times, you have to press a key to get to where you want to be by 30-40%
Effortless touchscreen operation makes panning and zooming fast, responsive and most of all: easy to learn with the intuitive icon-driven menu.
The Family That Plays Together …
The Touchscreen units are designed to network and operate side by side with the button units, and the units share the same colour scheme, texture, pad printing style and design cues. For customers wanting to change existing range for the touchscreen range, we will have adapter bezels available.
Everything a Boat Owner Needs is Now at their Fingertips!
Like the button-type HDS-series, the HDS Touchscreen series is expandable. Add:
• Broadband or digital radar
• SonicHub Music system
• NMEA 2000: widest N2K support available, including the Engine Management System, which is a lot cheaper, and more convenient than the traditional gauges offered by most engine manufacturers.
Made to Network!
• Single Ethernet Port on 7â€
• Dual Ethernet ports on 9†and 12†(= greater expansion options, without the additional cost of a separate network-hub)
• Up to 4 units on the same network
The Touchscreen series is NMEA 2000, NMEA 0183 and Ethernet compatible, and allows multiple displays to be networked and share all data. When networked with other HDS Gen2 fishfinder/chart-plotter models, chart-plotter only displays easily become full functioning combo units.
Full Size SD Card slots
• Single SD card slot on 7â€
• Dual SD card slot on 9†and 12â€
Video Input
The 9†and 12†models feature Video input for underwater or on board cameras.
Lots of Clever Things
Obviously a lot of thoughts have gone into the new Touch screen display. And there are some really clever features.
One of my favourites is that if you put your finger on a chart to move your cursor, the cursor appears just above your finger, so your finger is not covering, what you want to see.
Transducer Options
Select 50/200 kHz transducers for coastal waters, or 83/200 transducers for inland fishing. The units are also compatible with Airmar transducers up to 1 kW.
Wireless Connectivity
Navico’s “GoFree Wireless†module and app are scheduled to be available for use with the HDS Gen2 Touch in early 2013.
More about this innovative add-on hardware will follow.
.................................................. ........................
KEEPING THE BEST FOR LAST
Afrikaans Language Option
Lowrance SA has worked really hard to make this come true: Afrikaans is introduced as a language option in all the HDS Gen2 Touch models, and will also be included with future software updates for the button-type HDS-models.
For the first time Afrikaans anglers can now browse through the menu in their own language. We think, this is going to be very popular! (And it will not be an option on GeoFenced models!).
.................................................. ........................
WHEN WILL THE HDS GEN2 TOUCH MODELS BE AVAILABLE?
Here’s more good news:
The HDS Gen2 Touch 7†models are available next week from Lowrance SA, but in limited quantities, so be sure to place your order TODAY!
The 9†models are scheduled to be available in November, and the 12†models are scheduled to be available in December.
