Lowrance Launches New HDS® GEN2 Touch

Oct. 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957, today introduced the brand new touchscreen HDS Gen2 Touch. The wide format chartplotter and multifunction display expands the existing HDS® Gen2 range, providing boaters with more options for integration, exploration and navigation than ever before.

Including the award-winning benefits that made the HDS High Definition System the world’s top selling multifunction display series, HDS Gen2 Touch models also incorporate new easier-to-use, wide touchscreens in 7, 9 and 12-inch sizes.

The new Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch series, which complements the current HDS Gen2 range, features the best fishfinding technologies on the market with the Broadband Sounder™ and StructureScan® HD built right into the unit.

The Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch provides powerful chartplotting capabilities and seamless integration of Lowrance’s comprehensive range of performance modules including the award-winning Broadband Radar™ and SonicHub® marine audio server, which means that everything a boat owner needs is now at their fingertips!

Chief Operating Officer of Lowrance, Louis Chemi said: “The new HDS Gen2 Touch combines all the superior fishfinding and navigational technologies a boat owner could ever want, in a sleek, easy to use touchscreen multifunction system that includes our largest display ever, the new 12-inch HDS-12 Gen2 Touch.

“The revolutionary integration capabilities of the HDS Gen2 Touch paired with the built-in Broadband Sounder and StructureScan HD help our customers get the most from every on-water experience.”

Easy-to-Use, Touchscreen Control: Featuring exceptionally bright, sunlight viewable 1200 and 1500 nit displays, HDS Gen2 Touch models provide the flexibility to customise and configure screen views with up to four panels at once, whilst having 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. Users will benefit from 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 TrackBack™, which allows 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 saved.

All HDS Gen2 Touch fishfinder models are available with a 50/200 kHz Skimmer® transducer for deep-water coastal and Lake 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 1 kW operation.

Powerful Navigation: HDS Gen2 Touch displays feature highly accurate, internal 1 Hz GPS antenna with an external 5 Hz GPS antenna option and are pre-loaded with Navionics® basemap cartography. All models include a standard SD card slot and are compatible with Navionics charting.

Navionics Platinum+ charts are viewable in 3D perspective, adding an extra dimension to on-water activities. Also compatible with 3D perspective, the 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 favourite boating, fishing or diving areas to display on or off the water — without the aid of a computer.

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. When networked with other HDS Gen2 fishfinder/chartplotter models, chartplotter-only displays easily become full functioning combination 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.

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. Prices  will range from €1,099 for the HDS-7M Gen2 Touch chartplotter to €3,050 for the HDS-12 Gen2 Touch 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 marine electronics, or to locate an authorised 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