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| Ok, I have to get a new antenna or have mine repaired. Or buy a new unit. So, how about the Lowrance 5300c with the internal antenna?
The question is how satisfied are you with the Lowrance 5300c?
Any reports/reviews greatly appreciated.
I especially want to know how the internal antenna works?
Also, how good are the detailed maps that come with the unit. Especially interested in details for Lake Michigan and Green Bay.
Thanks,
Grouse
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | I run the 5300 iGPS and find it to work perfectly. I never loose a signal, it keeps the speed up to date, its simply works perfectly. There is however no internal lake contour maps in this unit, you will need a chip. |
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| I purchased a Lowrance 3300c Global Map in the spring of 2005. The first of June 2006 the antenna went out. The phone service rep said it was over a year so no warranty. I bent the reps ear so he sent me a new one free. This one is now going out and I called them June 8th for another new one which I will now have to pay for. Have not received it, so called back to check on July 3, and was told it is on back order. They are so busy that they don't have enough antennas. Sounds to me like Lowrance has some problems with antennas. Also I have a friend that has a small one with a buildt in antenna, which was new this spring and his has now gone out.
I am now looking at other brands.
Anyone else having this type of problem? |
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| Lowarance is having MAJOR quility issues with many things at this point - good luck ! Bob |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | I guess I must live just a bit off the pace back in the woods. I sell boats and lowrance is the unit of choice in all boats. I tournament fish and know many lowrance users. You make the comment that lowrance is having major issues and yet I hrdly ever see a problem. If I had to put a "Percent of return" On the number of products we sell or service it would be 1% or less.
Where do you get the info from Chamookman? |
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| I've got to agree with Chamookman, Stacker. Lowrance's quality does seem to be on a downward trend. It's sad to see, and the customer service could be renamed to customer "torture". 
I can site a whole list of users with problems with "current" products, including GPS antenaes, head units, and transducers.
Unless, industry expections are that marine electronics should only last beyond the warrenty. But I don't believe that. |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | OK, But do you know the rate of return that lowrance has? When you are selling more product than everyone else, you always seem to have more problems. There is simply more of it in the publics use, thus always hearing about something going wrong. In reality, the guy that is selling less product and has a higher return rate than the big boyz, is never talked about. Why, because when you sell 10 and 4 go back, them 4 people just don't make that large of a wake. But that is a 40% return rate, not 1 or 2%
I would be the last to defend someone if indeed they are wrong or building a crappy product. However, in business, I deal with companies that after the sale, I don't need to continue fixing problems, and for me, Lowrance has filled that need. |
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| When programs are in place to make it unreasonable for a customer to return a product. Then yes, the "pretty picture" big business number for rate of return looks good. Rate of return, still doesn't reflect customer service.
For example. If you buy a product that has multiple pieces to make it work for a cost of say $500. And 1-1/2 years later a part breaks. You can either A) Send it in to have it repaired at your expense for $150 or B) Purchase the new part for $200. What do you do?
Sales look good and rate of returns look good....Do you think the customer is happy?
BTW, that example is based on real life case of a Lowrance product. |
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Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | OK So, let me ask you this. The warranty was a 1 year warranty, did you expect them to fix it for free?
2nd, If you could by the part for 200.00 or send it in for 150.00, did the 150.00 include the part? If it did not, do you know a local lowrance fix it shop that can repair it for less than 150 in labor?
You state that the "Pretty Picture" big business number for rate of return looks good. Rate of return is within the warranty period. This is the the only viable time frame one could use for tracking such things. I am confused yet again.
Does lowrance have a shorter warranty period than the other electronic manufacturers in the world? |
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| I would expect something to last more than 1-1/2 years. The fact is the newer stuff is not lasting nearly as long as it once did. This is not my personal situation so I have no dog in this fight.
I may not be a business guru, but I do know one thing about business, if you don't have customers and don't keep the ones you got happy......you don't stay in business very long. |
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| I don't have a whole lot of contact with other Lowrance users to know the depth of their problems. I'm just a retired fisherman who put $1000 of their product on my dash two years ago, and the transducer went bad right after the year was up, and then the GPS goes out too. The fish-finder is a X100c, and I had to pay for the transducer. I also have a Lowrance X67c on the bow. So, for me Lowrance has gotten a fair amount of my gold.
I am now running with me as a back up my old Garmin hand held that I bought in 1997.
Also a couple of weeks ago I was out in the Bay out of Oconto and a boat came running up to me. At fist I was asking myself, what's this idiot doing? Then he yells over, "where am I, my Lowrance went out". I then gave the guy directions.
I base the fact that Lowrance is having problems on the above contact, my friend that has a new one with antenna problems, the Lowrance phone service reps dance, and my experience. |
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| I fished in the PWT Mille Lacs as an am. Two of my Pros I fished with were complaining about Lowrance and the problems they are having. It sounded like Lowrance wasn't getting the new units out to the pros, so a lot of them were using borrowed units or older units. I believe Lowrance has gone through a number of changes/owners in the last few years. Maybe that's the reason for some of the quality issues. I hope they get their issues figured out. I love my unit 332C, and plan to purchase another one in the future. |
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| I own the 5300c with No trouble and I love it.
Hopefully this thread isnt turning into a Witch Hunt!
I also own 2 102c finders and love them also with NO problems.
A buddy I fish with had trouble with his Lowrance and it was junk... I helped him trace down the problem. He had wired it incorrectly and he didnt have it fused properly either. HE had caused the demise of the unit himself but Lowrance replaced it anyways. So its NOT always the equipment that fails! |
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Posts: 1406
| Navico is trying to get into the fishing industry (bought lowrance), as with all acquisitions the first year is always a crap shoot, people get fired and some leave, marketing strategies change and inventories are monitored closely! So the iron is hot and others are coming to the plate to compete, If your seriously considering a new piece of electronics I URGE you to wait and see what the competitors have in store for next year.......Lowrance has been a mainstay but this acquisition has opened the door all the way for the competition, If you know anything about sonar and what a fisherman really wants your going to be impressed!
Good Luck
Tyee |
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| I bought a new one 2 weeks ago. It's going back to the store. Wouldn't lock into sat.s worth a dam. Took up to 30 min to find my position so I could mark my spot an an open lake. I was glad I knew where I was going in the dark. Maybe I should purchase a used Garmin that I know works fine! This product was a mistake. |
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Location: Stevens Point, WI | Daybreak II - 7/7/2008 3:48 PM
I bought a new one 2 weeks ago. It's going back to the store. Wouldn't lock into sat.s worth a dam. Took up to 30 min to find my position so I could mark my spot an an open lake. I was glad I knew where I was going in the dark. Maybe I should purchase a used Garmin that I know works fine! This product was a mistake.
Was that the first time you had turned the unit on? When first turning the unit on, it can take up to an hour or half hour or longer for the unit to find the satellites. But once they've been found and have connnected, you shouldn't have an issue. But EVERY Lowrance I've ever owned out of the box, it's taken multiple minutes for the gps to lock onto the satellites the first time.
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