Lowrance Elite-4X Chirp Ice Machine

[shake]

Looking for some advice from anyone who owns or has used this unit. I've searched this site and others extensively to try and avoid creating a new thread. I see a lot of the elite 4x but not the chirp, but who knows, they might not be that different. Currently have an FL-8 SLT that I'm looking to upgrade from. Found the Elite 4x chirp for $299 with a $50 visa gift card. Only other finder in this range is the Humminbird ice 35 or the FL-8 se.

First, I fish mainly shallow lakes with max depth in the 30-40ft range. Majority of fishing is done in 10-15 fow and targeting panfish.

So, with that being said, any major complaints with the elite 4x chirp? Do you use the flasher mode at all or only the graph? Looks like in all of the pictures I can find the flasher mode is split screen top with the graph on bottom. Would think the flasher display would be tiny.  Can you pick a jig up on graph mode? Is there a lag and if so, is there any significance that it would impact your fishing?  Any regrets on going with that vs another unit?

Thanks!  And, if anyone has a link to a thread already covering this please share and mods can kill this one. Tight Lines. 

[Douger]

shake, no experience with the 4x CHIRP, I have the Elite 5 HDI in an ice pack, great unit, CHIRP came out the year after I got the HDI, never use the flasher mode.  I think the 4x should have the Amplitude Scope option also which basically is a vertical straight line flasher on the right side of the screen; it paired with the sonar is hard to beat.

[shake]

Thanks for the info Douger!

[Rugburn]

I ran the Elite 4x chirp on my boat this soft water season. Great unit. Especially liked the GPS with Nav. + Chip. So for me it was a no brainer to get the ice kit and use it year round. The ice kit actually came in today. We have NO ICE yet, so time will tell.........

[shake]

I ran the Elite 4x chirp on my boat this soft water season. Great unit. Especially liked the GPS with Nav. + Chip. So for me it was a no brainer to get the ice kit and use it year round. The ice kit actually came in today. We have NO ICE yet, so time will tell.........

Thanks Rugburn.  I was thinking about going with the elite 4 vs the 4x (sounds like you have the 4) for the GPS advantage but I'm not sure it's worth the extra $100 with me only using it on the ice.  I can use my Navionics app for that but know how great they are on the boat.  Thanks again for the feedback.

[Old Goat]

Shake the FL-8 SE is on sale at scheels 265.00     you should be able to get at least a 100.00 to 125.00 for the FL-8 SLT

[JaysFishin]

I just purchased this unit. Looking forward to using it this winter.

[hamms]

Lowrance units are great

[mr. maloonigins]

I have an Elite 4.  I wasn't sure about the extra $100 for the GPS, but I went for it.  It was before I had heard about the Navionics app.  My first time out with it, I was with some friends, and they left early.  By the time I was ready to go, the wind and snow had really picked up.  When I looked out of my door, I couldn't see anything.  I was in unfamiliar territory.  I was a bit worried.  Turns out, I had my Lowrance on, during the ride out.  It tracked my course, so all I had to do was follow that back in.  Navionics would have been just as helpful for me, but I was unaware of it at the time.  Since then, I've tried to navigate with my Navionics app, but my iphone basically shut down for almost an hour, because of extreme temperature.  So that was pretty annoying. It can be a pain to have to stop and pull out the phone a bunch of times to find the spot.  So, this year, I am going to get a Ram mount, and a cigarette lighter plug, and mount the Elite 4 to my 4 wheeler. 

Last year, I went fishing with a friend and his Humminbird Ice 55.  He kept telling me that I needed to ditch the graph, and get a flasher.  I was skeptical, especially after spending that kind of cash on the Lowrance, only a couple years earlier.  I fished with him, side by side, with both or our machines running.  It didn't take long for me to see the difference.  I ended up catching two 22.5" whitefish, by looking at his Humminbird.  My Lowrance had a noticeable lag.  He was right, and once I noticed it, I couldn't un-notice it.  It drove me nuts.  So, this offseason, I've been slightly obsessing about getting a flasher.  I read about Marcums, Vexilars, and Humminbirds.  They all seem to have really nice units, and I'm sure I would be happy with any of them.  In the end, it came down to bang for buck, and I found a Humminbird Ice 55 for $325 (after $55 MIR).  That's a great deal.  By far the best deal that I had found in months of researching, so I went for it.  I have been warned by some people that they are no good, and I have been told by plenty of others that this is a great machine.  So far, I've only been able to watch the same small fish show up and be caught, over and over and over, on the demo mode.  The demo mode could use some more variety.  That's the only review I can offer at this point.  Now with the bird in hand, my Lowrance will be dedicated to navigation, and serve as a backup/loaner unit for friends or family that decide to venture out with me, if we ever get ice.

I'm not trying to push you in any direction, I just thought I would offer up my experience with this, since I was once in the same boat.  Good luck with whichever direction you decide to go. 

[chilly-willy]

shake couple question for you. that you don't need to answer about the flasher just to form a thought for your self  do you own a boat? do you fish soft water at all for crappie, pan fish, like pumpkin seeds, blue gills, etc..  and maybe walleye? see the nice thing about the flasher is marking new way point on the gps and having them available during ice season.... you can mark structure were fish can be found etc etc...


another good function  is the track back function for the gps part for the flasher... let say your walleye fishing in the boat you pass over a rock pile trolling with lures... you don't want to stop cause they will tangle when you stop cause they float up to the surface... so you use the track back feature to mark that structure on the screen by using the arrow key to scroll back to the structure and mark it in to the gps....  then come back in winter time and hit that spot on the ice and find ton of walleye there.. ok ...


 now if your just a pan fisher men you really don't need it the gps for small lakes that you know like the back of your hand but your better off with a hand held gps and a flasher.... this is because you don't want to carry your flasher around in one hand and drag your sled in the other.... you want the gps around your neck spud In one hand and sled in the other is how I do it .. so you can stop and look at the gps when needed  that is why I got the elite 4x with out the gps and a hand held gps for boat fishing etc but that track back function would be nice see why??..now do you think you need the gps version of the elite 4x chrip or do you think the reg 4x with out the gps is the way to go?   now don't forget if you got atv or snowmobile the elite 4x will help with the gps  finding the spots on big lakes...this is  cause they mount to handle bars of them atvs and snowmobiles... but if having to carry it in your hand no spud and drag a sled you may want to reconsider for safety sake???   

[Cousteau]

I just got the Elite 5x CHIRP minus the transducer, as I will be using Lowrance ice transducer I already have.  It is my understanding that downscan will not work with iceducer, which I am fine with and will get suitable transducer later for boat use.  I had an HDS 5 which I used on ice with great results but sold it with the boat it was on.  After playing around with Elite 5X, its the same set up as my old one.  I think you will be happy with yours.

[Rugburn]

Question on set up for the Elite - 4 chirp. Does this unit display battery power, or voltage? Can't seem to find the option on my menus. Found the clock, but not sure if voltage is available. If it has it where do I look? Thanks.

[NYSporty]

Question on set up for the Elite - 4 chirp. Does this unit display battery power, or voltage? Can't seem to find the option on my menus. Found the clock, but not sure if voltage is available. If it has it where do I look? Thanks.

Its in the over lay settings I think.

[Rugburn]

Thanks NYSporty, found it! Overlay data under sonar data. Still learning this unit, going out on my pond asap to play with it.

[Rugburn]

Another question, do you run one battery or two. I have a second one, just haven't wired it in yet, and not sure if I'll need it or not. If two are needed do you just switch when battery #1 runs low, or wire them both in? Thanks.

[Kevin23]

You should get right around 9 hours on a good fully charged 7ah battery. If you need longer you can upsize to a 9ah for up to 12hrs of time or run two batteries and carry the extra weight. Only hook up to one at a time and use the second if you need it, that way you arent charging/discharging a battery that you dont need.

[Rugburn]

Thanks for the response Kevin23. 9 hours ought to do it. 

[Kevin23]

I just received the ice pack to use my elite 4 on the ice. One thing i noticed right away, it turns itself on while carrying it. The front of the pack hits the power button.. Watch out for that! Im installing a rocker switch to the pos line on mine.

[Nitro16]

I just received the ice pack to use my elite 4 on the ice. One thing i noticed right away, it turns itself on while carrying it. The front of the pack hits the power button.. Watch out for that! Im installing a rocker switch to the pos line on mine.

I noticed this too with my elite 5 chirp. I just added the fuse and take that out when I'm not using it

[Rugburn]

Thanks for the heads up. That happened to my this summer too, with a tight fitting neoprene cover Cabelas was giving away. Plenty of power on the boat, so I didn't get to concerned. But that could wreck a day on the ice. Thanks again!

[NYSporty]

I have never run out of battery in a day of fishing I have a 9ah bat.
I have a cigarette lighter and a UV led light bar wired in to my pack I always unplug the battery for transport.
Two bat's in there makes it heavy as he!! I'd leave the spare in the sled.

[JeJa]

Hi everyone,
The manual shows the split screens as being side to side. My elite 4x chirps shown the split screens being on top of each other. Scoured the manual but cannot find how to change the split screen orientation.

Any help is always appreciated

[Rugburn]

Power up. In pages get to the sonar page. Press menu, scroll down to sonar options, hit enter. now scroll down to split zoom, and press enter. You now should be on the split zoom. you may have to scroll arrows up or down to reveal bottom. Hope this helps.

[Kevin23]

Hi everyone,
The manual shows the split screens as being side to side. My elite 4x chirps shown the split screens being on top of each other. Scoured the manual but cannot find how to change the split screen orientation.

Any help is always appreciated

. Top to bottom only. Side by side on 5+

[Rugburn]

The split on my 4x is side by side.   

[NYSporty]

The split on my 4x is side by side.   

2X

[kc_]

Hey Rugburn never had to use the extension you made for me last year. Not complaining though.
 You get that lowrance set up so you can pick up your jig on it. I have a 4x also and I set it to shallow water ( good to 60 feet). I can see a size 12 swivel with it.
 I don't use the ice fishing mode, because I don't like the battery status on the screen.

 But I plan on upgrading to the 5x. Couldn't pass up the great deal thru Cabela's.

[Rugburn]

I bought the 4x for my Craigslist special boat I picked up last spring. Figured I may as well try it on the ice, and it worked very well. I don't use the ice mode either. It's no vexilar, but not as much $ either. Lots of settings to play with, to adapt to most any waters. I have no complaints.