Elite 5 FF

When I made the comparison btwn the cost of HDI & CHIRP, I said 2x the price...but I was wrong. In general, the difference is more like 30% [unless considering purchasing a refurb HDI unit; in which case the difference IS close to 50%].
So the question would be: is the difference in technology worth paying an extra 30%? And the answer depends on your specific situation. There is no universal answer. Just like there is no universal fishfinder...it comes down to which features you want, what type of fishing you do, and how much you can afford to pay.

BUT...the Elite 4 HDI seems like a killer deal @ $150 right now at Cabelas (includes 83/200/455/800 transducer). The transducer alone retails for $150 by itself!!

That's is a sweet deal. Found that my previous mark 4 screen was to small for my likings though.
 Elite 5 hdi chirp for FTW  .

Which navionics upgrade best for saltwater? Gold seems like more for inland but could be wrong.

Gold is mostly coastal.

Check out these:
http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Mapping/

This web app will also show you exactly what's on each version of Navionics: http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@6&key=%7Dp%7C_Flm_fV
Just click the flyout arrow on the left then select a version (Gold, Platinum, etc). And zoom in to the spot you want to fish. Works better on desktop computers than mobile devices.

You don't want to run a Platinum on a Lowrance Elite series unit though.  It's just too much info and it REALLY bogs down the processor.  I tried running the Lowrance HD chip (which is about, if not the same, info as the Platinum) and it took an easy 7 minutes to load up the maps on the screen and touching the unit confirmed the processor was WORKIN' (got pretty warm).  The Lowrance HD chip or Navionics Platinum chips are better suited for the Lowrance HDS Series units IMHO.

Just ordered elite 5 hdi chirp gold for $500. Will go perfect on new Revo I'm getting sunday. So stoked can't wait. Now to figure out best mount spot.

Just arrived and realized I ordered elite 5 chirp not hdi 
Unless I'm trippin and chirp is step up from hdi

Or is there even a difference?

Chirp is a step up.

Thanks. I'm sitting here playing with unit and noticed zoom out button on upper right hand corner not working. Is there a setting I need to adjust ? I can zoom in but won't back out.
With my luck the units messed up 

Uh, that's no bueno.  New or refurb unit?

New. No audio tone or nada

I have elite 5 dsi gold, can I upgrade to the chirp head unit and keep the transducer that came with my DSI?

I have elite 5 dsi gold, can I upgrade to the chirp head unit and keep the transducer that came with my DSI?

Yes, the Lowrance chirp & hdi use the same transducer. So you can just swap head units. Lowrance has an upgrade program, but I think they'd want you to send back the whole hdi setup (head unit, base, transducer, etc). Sometimes you can find a deal on the head unit alone.

I finally got my rebate card from Lowrance for the Elite 5 chirp I bought.  Felt like it took a long time but I think it was only a couple of months. 100 bucks!!! I know it was coming but it still feels like pennies from heaven. 10,000 of them anyway

I have elite 5 dsi gold, can I upgrade to the chirp head unit and keep the transducer that came with my DSI?

Yes, the Lowrance chirp & hdi use the same transducer. So you can just swap head units. Lowrance has an upgrade program, but I think they'd want you to send back the whole hdi setup (head unit, base, transducer, etc). Sometimes you can find a deal on the head unit alone.

The unit i have is the DSI not the HDI, will it still work?

I have elite 5 dsi gold, can I upgrade to the chirp head unit and keep the transducer that came with my DSI?

Yes, the Lowrance chirp & hdi use the same transducer. So you can just swap head units. Lowrance has an upgrade program, but I think they'd want you to send back the whole hdi setup (head unit, base, transducer, etc). Sometimes you can find a deal on the head unit alone.

The unit i have is the DSI not the HDI, will it still work?

DSI has a different type of plug. Similar to the older Elite 4/5 83/200.
Are you just trying to keep the trans in place and replace the head to a chirp. Is the DSI head unit toast?

Mike