Thread: Elite4 DSI – First Impressions

Lowrance recently asked me to have a look at the new Elite-4 DSI Combo (fish-finder / GPS) soon to be available here in SA, and give them some feedback.

The first thing I did was to have a look at the specifications:-

1. LED Backlit 3.5” Display
2. 320H x 240W resolution
3. 455 / 800kHz sonar
4. Power 350 watts
5. TrackBack
6. 10 Channel GPS receiver



Physically it really is a neat and compact little unit. I was very impressed to see such a high resolution (320 x 240) in a 3.5” screen. This is the same resolution as what some other brands are using on their 5” units. The key pad is quick and easy to navigate, but strangely the zoom buttons have been swapped over.

Once powering it up, there is very little one has to do:
1. Select language
2. Turn off Wide Angle Augmentation system (WAAS – U.S only)
3. Select local time and date format
4. Change Chart/Sonar split to ‘Over’



To load your charts you simply insert the micro SD card into the card slot at the bottom of the unit. You will see a black outline appear in the area of the chart, and all you need to do now is zoom in. The chart plotter shows great detail, but you will be using the zoom in and out a lot because of the 3.5” screen.



To set the sonar up is super simple, as it pretty much works great on the default settings. I however prefer the ‘Blue Gradient’ colour, and like to adjust the contrast between the 455kHz and 800kHz frequencies slightly different.



On the water I found the screen to be bright enough to see what’s going on, but the screen has a high gloss finish and the result is a lot of reflection. A nice little anti-glare screen protector will be a big advantage. I soon got used to the screen and found the zoom and TrackBack features very useful. Here you can see the little sunken boat in Grants Bay at Inanda Dam, with a fish about half way between the boat and my current position. The definition was nothing short of remarkable for such a little unit. Marking waypoints from the TrackBack feature and navigating back to them was a breeze.



My next test was to see how the Elite-4 DSI would handle in very shallow water. So I went right in amongst the weeds near the shoreline and dropped a ‘2lb tennis ball rig’ in less than 4ft of water with the ball only a foot off the bottom. This is a serious test for even the best of sonars. I couldn’t believe my eyes, not only was the tennis ball visible, but the line securing it to the floating marker buoy could be seen as well.



My next test was target separation, to do this I would have to find cover at a depth that many an angler would regard as ‘deep’, and hopefully find fish holding very tight to it. An old favourite tree in Bay 2 came to mind immediately. On my first pass I spotted the tree as clear as day, so I scrolled back to the tree with the cursor pad(TrackBack), and quickly created a waypoint. Then I noticed something on the main branch, so I zoomed in and clearly saw a small fish just above the main protruding branch. On my first cast, this little guy grabbed my falling bait. So as long as you use your zoom function often, you will be able to spot even the smallest fish sitting virtually on the cover.



Conclusion
I have never been a big supporter of these small <5” screens, as I felt they just didn’t have the resolution to provide any meaningful information. But this is not the case with the Elite-4 DSI, it provides more than enough information and is super simple to use.

Pricing
I have not been informed what the pricing structure is going to be for our SA market, but logic tells me that it will be cheaper than the Elite-5 DSI. So for you out there that felt High Frequency True Down Scan Imaging was just out of your price range … just keep an eye on my web page for details.

Other models available are the Elite-4x DSI, Elite-4 and Elite-4m.

Visit LOWRANCE | Marine Electronics | Fish finder | Chartplotter for more details.

Great report back John, as always. Easy to understand especially with the pics.

Should be a good option for the float tube brigade

eish pitty i bought the mark 5x dsi , the smaller unit would suit my small rig better!!!!

Nice one John. Tks for the info & clarity thereof as usual.

It kinda got me wondering if I was not a tad hasty in getting the 5 DSI

The 4 DSI seems to have all the features of the 5 only a smaller display and cheaper.

I may look bit silly with the DSI 5 on a kickboat?

As great as this little unit is, bigger is ALWAYS better.

Jhon,this is exactly what I have been looking for!When can I order??

Hi Willie,

Keep an eye on my website, as soon as we have prices I will start advertising. Should be any day now.

Wow! John, maybe a stupid question, but with such detail on the tennis ball in shallow water, is there any situation where the fish will NOT be visible? Among grass, weeds, or reeds maybe?

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