Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch redefines ease-of-use

by Andrew Golden on 2 Oct 2012 Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957 and GPS navigational systems since 1992 — announced today that it has expanded its HDS® Gen2 range, with the new wide-format, touchscreen HDS Gen2 Touch.

Delivering the same award-winning benefits that made the HDS High Definition System the world’s top-selling multifunction display series, Gen2 Touch models incorporate new easier-to-use, wide touchscreens in 7-, 9- and 12-inch sizes. The new Lowrance lineup — an addition to the current HDS Gen2 series — also features the best, built-in fishfinding technologies on the market — the Broadband Sounder™ and StructureScan® HD — as well as powerful chartplotting capabilities and seamless integration of Lowrance’s comprehensive range of performance modules including the award-winning Broadband Radar™, SonicHub® marine audio server and LWX-1 Sirius® satellite weather/radio receiver.*

'The new HDS Gen2 Touch combines all the superior fishfinding and navigational technologies Lowrance customers love, in a sleek easier-to-use touchscreen multifunction system that includes our largest display ever, the new 12-inch HDS-12 Gen2 Touch,' said Louis Chemi, chief operating officer, Navico Americas. 'The revolutionary integration capabilities of the Gen2 Touch paired with built-in Broadband Sounder and StructureScan HD help our customers get the most from each on-the-water experience.'

Easy-to-Use, Touchscreen Control: Featuring high-bright, sunlight-viewable displays, HDS Gen2 Touch models provide the flexibility to customize and configure personal screen views with up to four panels at once, and have the added advantage of a new three-panel, vertical-page view. Effortless touchscreen operation makes panning and zooming fast, responsive, and most of all, easy to learn with its intuitive icon-driven menu.

The HDS Gen2 Touch also provides five push-button options, allowing users to easily remain in complete control in any boating situation.

Cutting-Edge, Built-in Fishfinding Technology: HDS Gen2 Touch fishfinder models feature both a built-in Broadband Sounder and StructureScan HD. Anglers will enjoy legendary Lowrance sonar and sonar imaging performance with greater sensitivity, peerless echo clarity and underwater definition proven to find more targets. Built-in SideScan and true DownScan Imaging™ sonar signals offer full panoramic displays for best-in-class, clear picture-like views of underwater structure to the left, right and directly beneath a boat.

The systems also feature Lowrance’s premier TrackBack™ functionality, allowing anglers to scroll-back through recorded sonar history to review and zoom-in for a closer look at bottom structure or fish targets, and pinpoint locations with a waypoint. To avoid losing important sonar data, HDS Gen2 Touch continues recording through the use of TrackBack to ensure valuable readings are not lost. All HDS Gen2 Touch fishfinder models are available with a 50/200 kHz Skimmer® transducer for deep-water coastal and Great Lakes applications, or a 83/200 kHz Skimmer option for inland fishing. The units are also compatible with Airmar® in-hull or thru-hull transducers for up to 1kW operation.

Powerful Navigation: HDS Gen2 Touch displays feature a highly accurate, internal 1Hz GPS antenna with an external 5 Hz GPS antenna option, and are pre-loaded with Insight USA™ inland and coastal cartography.** All models include a standard SD card slot and are compatible with Lowrance Insight HD chart cards; Navionics® Platinum+, HotMaps Premium and HotMaps Platinum with Freshest Data; and Fishing Hot Spots® Pro. The displays provide an option to simultaneously view Lowrance and Navionics mapping data.

Now with a new 3D perspective view for built-in Insight USA, and optional Insight HD and Fishing Hot Spots Pro cards, the Gen2 Touch allows control of the viewing and rotation angle for customized views of a boat’s position and surrounding landmarks. Navionics Platinum+ and Hotmaps Platinum are viewable in 3D perspective, as well. Also compatible with 3D perspective, a StructureMap display feature allows users to scan and overlay underwater StructureScan HD images directly on a chart in real-time — or create saved StructureMap views of their favorite boating, fishing or diving areas to display on or off the water — without the aid of a computer.

In addition, HDS Gen2 Touch works with Lowrance’s new Insight Genesis™ — a web-based application feature (scheduled for November 2012 release) that allows users to generate their own personal high-definition bathymetric contour maps from sonar log recordings.

Unparalleled Networking and Integration: NMEA 2000®, NMEA 0183 and Ethernet compatible, the HDS Gen2 Touch series allows multiple displays to be networked and share all data ensuring the ultimate in flexibility and cost savings. When networked with other HDS Gen2 fishfinder/chartplotter models, chartplotter-only displays easily become full-functioning combo units. In addition, 9- and 12-inch Touch models feature dual Ethernet ports for greater expansion options without the additional cost of a separate network-hub. They also feature two SD card slots, plus a video input for underwater or onboard cameras.

Wireless Connectivity: Navico’s GoFree Wireless module and apps for Lowrance displays are scheduled to be available for use with the HDS Gen2 Touch in early 2013. This innovative add-on hardware option provides wireless connectivity of multifunction systems, and fully interfaces with engine data, fuel information sensors and transducers, to name a few. When paired with the wireless module, users can download the GoFree Wireless apps on their iPhone, iPad and Android devices to remotely view and control their HDS Gen2 Touch displays.

Available from authorized Lowrance dealers and distributors throughout the United States and Canada, the Lowrance HDS-7 and HDS-9 Gen2 Touch multifunction displays will be available for purchase in October 2012, and the HDS-12 Gen2 Touch in December 2012. Minimum advertised prices range from US $1,299 for the HDS-7M Gen2 Touch Insight USA chartplotter to $3,249 US for the HDS-12 Gen2 Touch Insight USA fishfinder/chartplotter model. Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch multifunction displays are protected by a two-year limited warranty, and are supported by the five-year Lowrance Advantage Service Program. For more information on the Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch series, the entire Lowrance line of marine electronics or to locate an authorized Lowrance dealer, please visit www.lowrance.com.

* Broadband Sounder and StructureScan Sonar Imaging modules can also be added to chartplotter-only Touch models to incorporate fishfinding capabilities.

** HDS Gen2 Touch chartplotter models sold outside the U.S. feature a built-in Navionics Navico website