Lowrance Elite 7 Ti
Perfect for anyone who owns a vessel with onboard power. It’s awesome unit that is full of all the features you need to find fish with more success on big lakes, rivers, and the ocean
Pros
- Easy to navigate touchscreen display
- Accurate images with high CHIRP sonar
- Crystal clear sunlight-readable 7-inch screen size
If you fish in the sea or large lakes from a boat, you know how hard it can be to find fish at times.
Fish behavior is often erratic and unpredictable and without sonar fish finders to help you locate them you can spend days scratching your head instead of catching fish.
A fish finder like a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series can change the game for you.
You’ll go from guessing to knowing what is under your boat, and with the ability of marking fishing hot spots on the GPS and revisit marked locations later, you’ll likely find your success rate improving – making those head-scratching days a thing of the past.
Things to consider when buying a fish finder?
Fish finders like a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series are one useful tool.
You can follow preloaded bottom contours on the charts of your fishing area, see what fish and structure are beneath your boat, and mark good fishing spots and revisit marked locations later with a fish finder like the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti.
But, is a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series the right fish finder for you?
Find out with this Lowrance Elite 7 Ti review…
How deep does A Lowrance Elite 7 Ti penetrate?
To start this Lowrance Elite 7 Ti review let’s begin with the commonly asked questions…
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fishfinders show you a maximum depth of 1000ft using CHIRP sonar technology which is more than anyone needs in a lake, and the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fishfinder has pretty much got the ocean covered for you too.
Of course, the ocean goes way deeper than 1000ft where mysterious creatures dwell, but knowing what’s in the first 1000ft of the water column is more than enough unless you plan on bottom fishing in greater depths than this.
Does a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti come with GPS?
Yes. Similar to the best handheld fishing GPS, the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fishfinder series comes with a GPS antenna. Its a highly accurate GPS antenna that uses GPS networks to pinpoint your position to an accuracy of 20 meters.
The GPS can also store up to 3000 waypoints, 100 routes, and 100 trails with up to 10,000 points per trail.
You’ll always be able to know where you are, plan trips, see where you’ve been, and for marking fish hot spots to remember using the GPS on the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fishfinder.
Does a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti connect to your smartphone?
Yes. Not only does Lowrance make the best phone fish finders, their Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fish finder series also uses Bluetooth and wi-fi to create its own network.
You can connect your phone via Bluetooth to see the fish finders display on your smartphone.
This means you don’t have to be sitting by a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fish finder to know what’s going on, you can be fishing at the back while still watching for fish targets under the boat.
You can also control a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fish finder series using wireless connectivity from your phone, switching between modes, and allow the fish finder to pull up smartphone notifications on the display so you can leave your phone in your bag but stay connected to anyone trying to contact you.
WiFi
The wifi on a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti fish finder series is also useful. You can use the wi fi to connect the Elite 7 Ti to a Power Pro Anchor or trolling motor to raise and lower them from the convenience of your captain’s chair.
Does a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti come with a transducer?
Yes, the Elite 7 Ti fish finders do come with a transducer, but you get to choose which transducer you’d like to have, and you can opt to buy the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti without a transducer if you already have a compatible transducer at home.
We’ll look more at the transducer options later on so you know which transducer is best for you.
Who should buy a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti?
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series is perfect for anyone who owns a vessel with onboard power. You’re going to need a 12v battery to power these fish finders, so as long as you have one, it’ll work on a kayak, canoe, small boat, and a sport fisher.
If you’re looking for a compact fish finder that you can take home every day or use from the shore, the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series is not the right unit for you.
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You should look at portable fish finders where you can remove the transducer with ease, and that has no need for onboard power.
Lowrance Elite 7 Ti
Perfect for anyone who owns a vessel with onboard power. Lowrance Elite 7 Ti is an awesome unit that is full of all the features you need to find fish targets with more success on big lakes, rivers, and the ocean.
Lowrance Elite 7 Ti
Lowrance Elite 7 Ti – Overview
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti series is an awesome unit that is full of all the features you need to find fish with more success on big lakes, rivers, and the ocean.
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti will show what fish are beneath your boat down to 1000ft with the CHIRP sonar technology, you can hop into DownScan imaging to take a closer look of anything down to 300ft, and use side-scan to see if there are any fish sitting on the left or right of you.
There is nowhere left for the fish to hide with this kind of sonar CHIRP technology at your fingertips.
Charts
Beyond the fishfinder side of things, the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti comes preloaded with charts of your fishing area like Navionics Gold, and with an accurate GPS to guide you around and mark fishing hotspots with.
You can even use your smartphone to view and control fishfinder from anywhere on the boat.
What Comes In The Box with the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti?
When you order the Elite 7 Ti you get the display unit, a transducer, a power cable, plus a mounting bracket and sun cover for the display.
This is everything you need to install the fishfinder on your vessel except for the screws to attach it to your boat which you can find at your local marine hardware store.
Lowrance Elite 7 Ti Vs Elite 7 – How Does it compare to its legacy model?
The unit that the Elite 7 Ti evolved from was the Lowrance Elite 7. The Lowrance Elite 7 fishfinder is a little more basic when compared to the Lowrance Elite Ti but still has some great features that the Ti has kept with it today.
However, The Lowrance Elite Ti comes with a lot more than the model Elite 7 including; wi-fi, Bluetooth, side-scanning sonar, and the touchscreen display.
Lowrance Elite Ti Vs Ti2
The Lowrance Elite Ti has a new version known as the Elite Ti2. The units are pretty much exactly the same, except for their transducer compatibility and their wi-fi abilities.
Transducer
The Ti2 has the option of using both Active Imaging 2-in-1and Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducers which the Ti does not.
These transducers make improvements only to the side-scanning sonar giving you a more detailed image over a longer distance of 150ft instead of 100ft, while CHIRP and DownScan Imaging are the same.
WiFi
In terms of wi-fi, the only difference is that you can use it to connect two Ti2 units to synchronize waypoints and share mapping, something you can’t do with the Ti.
You can also add sonar data to charts with Insight Genesis.
This feature isn’t that useful unless you own two Ti2 units or want to share data with other people who have the same unit.
Pros
- Crystal clear sunlight-readable 7-inch screen
- Easy to navigate touchscreen display
- Accurate images with high CHIRP sonar, side, DownScan Imaging, and StructureScan
- Control and view the unit from your phone
- The intuitive user interface is easy to use
- Accurate GPS antenna, and great GPS system
- Easy to install
- TrackBack feature lets you review sonar history
- FishReveal gives you a clearer, more defined image for seeing fish
- Add sonar data to your charts with Insight Genesis
- Add your preferred charts like C-map max n.
- MicroSD card slot for up to 32GB memory
Cons
- With so many features, it can be hard to get your head around them all at the start
- The instruction manual isn’t very clear
- The sounder can turn off after software updates but it’s easy to fix
Features & Benefits
Display
The 7-inch display size is a solid size for seeing all the sounder details with ease and it comes with a screen resolution of 800h x 480v pixel matrix that ensures you can read it from any angle and in any conditions, even direct sunlight.
The 7 inch screen size has a screen resolution of 800h x 480v pixel matrix that also comes with a white LED backlight for excellent contrast and brightness, allowing you to easily pick out fish from the sounder images.
If you want a bit more screen real estate, you can consider getting the higher end Elite 9 Ti, which is basically this unit’s bigger brother.
In terms of durability, the 7 inch screen size display is rated to IPX7 meaning it’s waterproof and can be submerged to 1 meter for 30 minutes without any resulting damage. So it’ll handle the occasional splash without worries.
Touchscreen Display
Aside from having an easy to use user interface. The high pixel matrix display is also touchscreen, so you can navigate through the features with ease like you would on a smartphone.
You can also use split-screen mode for multi window display up to 4 windows at once, so you could watch your charts, GPS, CHIRP sonar, and DownScan features all at once – giving you every bit of information on one screen.
Active Imaging Sonar
The Elite 7 Ti comes with a large range of sonar features that makes finding fish a breeze. You have the option to look to the left, right, and beneath your boat in immense detail for fish targets and structure with great accuracy.
How Frequencies are Used
The Elite 7 Ti uses a range of wave frequencies including 50/83/200/455/800 kHz.
Low frequency waves like 50/83 kHz hit deeper depths but pick up less detail along the way. While 200 kHz waves don’t go as deep but pick up a lot of details.
When you go above 200 kHz to 455/800 kHz you get a lot less depth but a lot more detail again.
The lower frequency waves of 50/83/200 kHz are used for CHIRP and the higher 455/800 kHz frequencies are for side and DownScan Imaging features.
How CHIRP Sonar Helps Fishing?
The Elite 7 Ti comes with CHIRP 2D sonar to give you a full picture of the water column down to 1000ft.
The way this sonar works is by sending out multiple sonar frequency waves simultaneously.
The reason this is so effective and is now the leading industry standard is that low CHIRP sonar waves penetrate deep to the bottom picking up minimal bottom detail, while high CHIRP sonar waves don’t go as deep and get absorbed by the water, but high CHIRP sonar pick up a lot of detail along the way.
Detailed Images
When used together in CHIRP sonar you get a detailed image of everything from top to bottom.
The CHIRP on the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti uses 50, 83, 200 kHz sonar waves. The 50 and 80 kHz waves going deep to the bottom, and the 200 kHz waves hitting shallow water but picking up all the detail.
What is DownScan Imaging?
The DownScan Imaging feature is a more intensified version of CHIRP and uses sonar waves higher than 200 kHz to give you increased image detail of shallow water. DownScan Imaging uses 455 kHz waves and has a maximum depth of 300 ft.
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Using DownScan Imaging is ideal when you find some good structure to fish like fallen trees or a pinnacle, and want to take a closer look.
How Does Side-Scan Help When Fishing?
Side-scan is similar to DownScan, except it looks to the left or right of your boat instead of down. It uses 800 kHz waves to pinpoint any fish that are to the side of your boat, but being high-frequency waves of 800 kHz, they get absorbed by the water.
The 800 kHz waves will only penetrate up to 100 ft on either side of your boat.
While the 800 kHz waves do get absorbed at a low range, being able to see if there are fish within 100ft of either side of your boat is a huge advantage.
You can be trolling and see a marlin sitting 80 ft away to your right, or pick up a school of baitfish that are worth going to fish near.
What is StructureScan HD?
StructureScan HD takes things to another level when it comes to finding fish. StructureScan combines Side and Downscan Imaging into one feature that gives you a full picture of what’s underneath your boat.
When in StructureScan mode, the unit sends out 3 simultaneous sonar beams, one to the left, right, and down.
StructureScan then sends all this information back to the display to show you a full StructureScan picture of everything it has picked up.
You can see what fish or fishy targets are sitting to the left, right, and beneath your boat all at once with StructureScan, leaving nowhere for fish to hide.
Does the Lowrance Elite 7 Have CHIRP Problems?
The unit does have some issues with CHIRP sometimes, and it’s only fair to let you know.
When in CHIRP mode the screen can go blank and lose its depth reading, how often this happens differs across user reviews.
To fix it, just reset it by turning the unit on and off, and it comes back online.
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It usually happens after a software update where the ‘Sounder Off’ option gets ticked by mistake. If you go into the user interface and untick this box, the issue should stop. If not, call Lowrance.
How Does FishReveal Smart Target View Help?
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti comes with FishReveal that merges both CHIRP and DownScan Imaging into one screen.
This gives you an incredibly detailed picture of any fish or structure beneath you and saves you from looking at two views, as they are merged into one.
TrackBack Feature – Sonar History Review
The Trackback feature on the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti records sonar history so you can go back and review your sonar history or down scan imaging history later.
For example, if you’re trolling and catch some fish, you can look back on the sonar history at what you went over when you hooked them and mark the fishing hot spots on the GPS using the Trackback feature.
It’s a great and useful fishfinder feature to have. It could be sometimes hard recalling fishing hot spots from memory, with TrackBack you could easily track your sonar history and Downscan Imaging history with ease and revisit your marked fishing hot spots.
GPS
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti GPS uses a highly accurate GPS antenna that gives you a GPS position accurate to 20 meters. It has great coverage and locates you quickly once the GPS is turned on so you always know where you are.
With it, you can save up to 3000 waypoints, 100 routes, and 100 trails with up to 10,000 points per trail, allowing you to map where you’re going, see where you have been, and save any fishing hotspots for later.
Memory
All the data you create will be saved to the microSD card that you put into the microSD card slot on the Elite 7 Ti.
This allows you to transfer your data to other fish finders, you can share it with other people too, and if you fish with a buddy, you can make sure each other has all the data you’ve spent all that fishing time finding.
Transducer Options
The Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 come with a range of transducer options for you to choose from depending on what sonar capabilities you want from the unit, below are all the details.
Ti Options
Should I Get the TotalScan Transducer?
The TotalScan single transducer is by far the best option. TotalScan unlocks all the features of the Lowrance Elite Ti.
With a TotalScan Transducer you get low and high CHIRP, Broadband Sonar, Side, Down, and StructureScan.
The broadband sonar is ideal for tracking lure action and marking fish school arches while Downscan Imaging provides easy-to-understand, pictorial views of structure and bottom detail.
The TotalScan transducer has all the sonar frequencies in one TotalScan transducer and the only way to get all the frequencies without it is to install two transducers, one for CHIRP frequencies and another for down, side, and structure scan frequencies, meaning drilling more holes in your boat.
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The TotalScan transducer is the best choice if you want all of the fish finders’ sonar features running out of one transducer.
Do I need a Med-High Skimmer?
The Med-High Skimmer transducer is made for CHIRP only and doesn’t unlock all the features like the TotalScan transducer. You won’t be able to use Structure, Side, or DownScan unless you buy or have another transducer compatible with them already.
Should I Use a HDI Transducer?
The HDI transducer works on both the Ti and Ti2 units. It unlocks both CHIRP and DownScan Imaging but doesn’t give Structure or Side scanning features. It’s not a bad option, as it gives you the features you’d use most of the time when trolling and fishing structure but you don’t have all the options like with the TotalScan.
Ti2 Options
Active Imaging 2-in-1 Transducer
This option opens up both the Side, StructureScan, and DownScan features of the Ti2 but leaves CHIRP out.
It’s an ideal choice if you already own a CHIRP transducer and just need another one to run the extra scanning features.
Active Imaging 3-in-1
This option is the Ti2’s equivalent to TotalScan and like the TotalScan transducer, this option will open up all the same features as TotalScan including CHIRP, Side, StructureScan, and DownScan Imaging.
How to Install an Elite 7 Ti Transducer
All the transducers mentioned above come with a transom mount for easy installation. With a transom mount, all you need to do is drill a few holes in your transom for the transom mount, and one hole for the cable that goes to the display.
Once drilled, run the cable to the display, plug it into the transducer, and screw it on securely. Simple! Follow the instructions to ensure it sits at the correct angle for good coverage and is outside of the engine wash so it can get a good reading.
Do I Need a Y Cable?
If you’re installing two transducers or adding another to an existing one, the process is the same, but you will need a Y cable. This allows you to connect two transducers to the display by splitting the input into two, like a ‘Y’ shape.
Map Options
US/Can Nav+
Both the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 units come with the option to have Navionics US and Canada maps preloaded. With this option, you get 1-foot contours of 24,700 lakes and the entire US and Canadian coastline.
Navionics update their charts daily and are some of the most accurate charts around. You can also add Navionics Gold separately.
The Navionics Gold map offers a different level of chart detail.
See how the Navionics Gold charts work with the video below…
C-Map Pro
C-Map max n is an available option with the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti only and will give you charts with 1-foot contours on more than 3,000 lakes and 10-foot contours on 11,000 lakes in the US, plus detailed US coastal charts.
4000 US Lake Map
The Lowrance Elite Ti2 can come with a 4000 US lake map chart that gives you 1ft contours on 4000 US lakes, a lot less than the 24,700 lakes Navionics option above. You don’t get any coastline coverage either.
Lake Insight Genesis
Insight Genesis is a portal to an online database of free customized maps generated by the Lowrance community. Lake Insight Genesis allows you to add your sonar data to your charts but Lake Insight only works with C-Maps.
With Lake Insight Genesis both Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 models upload your data and map them onto your Lake Insight Genesis charts so you can save all the bottom contours you go over to get the ultimate accuracy and detail of your fishing areas.
Wireless Networking
Both Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 units come with wi-fi and Bluetooth. You can use Bluetooth to connect the fish finder to your smartphone and view the display from anywhere on your boat. You can also control the fish finder with your phone, and change between views, so you don’t have to sit by the fish finder the whole time.
Updates
You can also use the wireless connectivity to download Lowrance Elite 7 updates for the software on the Ti and Ti2, upload data to C-MAP Genesis maps, send service reports to customer support, and even lower or raise a Power-Pole shallow water anchor.
Sync
The Ti2 can do something the Ti cant when it comes to the wireless connectivity side of things.
The Ti2 can sync waypoint and route data across two Ti2 units seamlessly, but you’ll need to own two of them or have a buddy with one waypoint sharing to be useful.
The Lowrance Gives Smartphone Notifications
Both the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 give you smartphone notifications on the screen.
This means you can leave your phone safely in a waterproof bag and still see any message, emails, and reminders that come through on the fish finder display, so you’ll always be connected when on the open water.
How to read a Lowrance fish finder
Reading a Lowrance Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 is the same as reading any other fish finder…
You’ll have the depth scale along the side, the actual depth in numbers on the screen, and colors in arc or dot form at different depths denoting; fish, debris, or bottom detail structure like fallen trees.
The larger and more solid the arc the bigger the fish you’re seeing.
Wide dotted arcs show you schools of fish. Any debris, like seaweed, will be shown as light dots on the screen and not as arcs.
If you still don’t quite get it, here’s a guide on How to Read a Fishfinder.
What Memory Will I Need?
Both units come with a microSD card slot for a MicroSD up to 32 GB. The card slot is found at the back of the unit, and using a MicroSD makes sharing and moving data easy. You can, for example, take all your previous fish finder data, put it on MicroSD, and add it to your new Lowrance Elite 7 Ti microsd card slot.
RECOMMENDATION
You can also pick what size SD you want to use, up to 32GB. I would recommend using a 32GB card as it’s better to have all your data in one place.
You’ll eventually fill up a 16GB card and then have to swap cards around while fishing, which is a pain.
What Do People Who Own The Elite Ti and Ti2 think?
To review Lowrance Elite 7 units properly, I had to, of course, go and look at every Elite 7 Ti review left by all the people using them out there.
You’ll be glad to know that almost every Elite 7 Ti review and Ti2 review I found was positive, and you’ll find some of the Elite 7 Ti review below..
Lowrance Elite 7 Alternatives
This Elite 7 Ti review just serves as a guide. Looking at this Elite 7 Ti review doesn’t mean you should automatically get an Elite 7 fishfinder unit.
It’s always prudent to have a look at what else is out there, like this review of Lowrance fishfinders, and compare it to the Lowrance Elite Ti and Ti2 to be sure you’re getting the best unit for you.
Garmin Echomap 74Sv
The only reason to switch to the Echomap 74Sv would be if you’re used to Garmin products over Lowrance’s, as it’ll make using it a lot easier, to begin with.
Garmin Echomap 74Sv
The Garmin EchoMap 74Sv has very similar key features to an Elite 7 Ti and Ti2. Both units are almost identical except for a few minor things.
The only reason to switch to the Echomap 74Sv would be if you’re used to Garmin products over Lowrance’s, as it’ll make using it a lot easier, to begin with.
If ever you need more details about the Echomap Series, here’s our Garmin EchoMap Plus Full Review.
Pros
- Comes with both a touchscreen and keys for use with wet hands
- Comes with blueChart® G2 coastal maps preloaded instead of Navionics or C-Maps
Cons
- Doesn’t have a feature that compares to FishReveal.
Humminbird Helix 7
The only real benefit of the Helix 7 is that it goes 500 ft deeper, but it’s not often you’re going to drop a bait down to depths between 1000-1500 ft.
Humminbird Helix 7
The Humminbird Helix 7 is another sounder that is similar to the Ti’s but is more expensive and has fewer features, the Helix 7 does penetrate a bit deeper though. Here are the differences.
There is no reason to go for the Helix 7 over an Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 as you’re getting a lot fewer features for more money.
The only real benefit of the Helix 7 by Humminbird is that it goes 500 ft deeper, but it’s not often you’re going to drop a bait down to depths between 1000-1500 ft.
Pros
- The Helix 7 has a maximum depth of 1,500 ft., whereas an Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 only go to 1000 ft.
- The Helix 7 SwitchFire feature allows you to choose how much detail you see from the sounder.
Cons
- The Ti’s have wifi, Bluetooth, FishReveal, Side, and Structure scanning features that the Helix 7 does not.
- The Helix 7 is more expensive and has no touchscreen
Raymarine Dragonfly Pro 7
If you’re looking to spend a little less and live without the extra scanning features of the Elite 7 Ti and Ti2, then the Dragonfly is a solid bet.
Raymarine Dragonfly Pro 7
The Dragonfly Pro 7 is a little more affordable than the Elite 7 Ti and Ti2 but lacks features like Fishreveal, Side, and StructureScan.
If you’re looking to spend a little less and live without the extra scanning features of the Elite 7 Ti and Ti2, then the Dragonfly Pro is a solid bet.
It’s also better for getting more detail up to 600ft, so if you bottom fish in these kinds of depths, it might be a better choice than the Elite 7 Ti and Ti2.
Pros
- The Dragonfly hits depths of 600ft with DownVision but the Ti’s only hit 300ft with DownScan Imaging
- The Dragonfly is more affordable
Cons
- The Dragonfly has no touchscreen
- The Lowrance goes deeper to 1000 ft compared to 900ft with the Dragonfly
- The Dragonfly has no Side or StructureScan features
Summing Up
I hope you enjoyed my Elite 7 Ti review and found it useful…
It’s an awesome unit that gives you everything you need to find fish out on lakes and the ocean.
Its sonar is particularly great for giving a holistic view of what fish are around your boat with side, down, and StructureScan.
But if you think the Elite 7 Ti is too much for your fishing needs and looking for another option from Lowrance, you might wanna check out the Ti version of the Elite 5, it’s a fishfinder, GPS, and chartplotter all rolled into one.
Please share my Elite 7 Ti review with your friends or anyone in need of a good fish finder. And don’t forget to check the site for more fishing articles, such as this Humminbird Helix 9 reviews.
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