Lowrance Elite FS 7 Active Imaging 3-in-1 C-Map Contour+

The Elite FS 7 is one of the Lowrance fish finders released at the end of 2020. It comes with several improvements over the older Elite 7 Ti2 unit. For example, it supports ActiveTarget live sonar and is pre-loaded with the new C-MAP Contour+ charts. For reference, this is the Lowrance part number 000-15688-001.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 7-inch diagonal, 800H x 480V pixel matrix, full-color, with LED backlight, and multitouch technology
• Sonar: Active Imaging 3-in-1, ActiveTarget ready, StructureScan 3D ready
• Transducer: Active Imaging 3-in-1
• Frequency and Coverage (with the included transducer):
  83/200/455/800 kHz
  300 ft. (91 m) on each side – 455 kHz SideScan
  150 ft. (46 m) on each side – 800 kHz SideScan
• Depth Capability (with the included transducer):
  1,000 ft. (305 m) for the CHIRP sonar
  300 ft. (91 m) for DownScan
• Supply Voltage: 12VDC (10.8-17 VDC)
• GPS: 16-channel, 10 Hz internal GPS
• Maps: C-MAP Contour+
• Routes, Waypoints, Trails: 100; 3,000; 100 (10,000 per trail)
• Networking: Ethernet, NMEA 2000, Bluetooth, WiFi

Sonar and transducer

The Elite FS 7 000-15688-001 has built-in Active Imaging 3-in-1 sonar which includes standard CHIRP sonar, DownScan Sonar, and SideScan sonar. It supports multiple frequencies, including 50/83/200 kHz for standard CHIRP and 455/800 for structure scanning. It is also ActiveTarget Live Sonar ready. This means that you can pair it with an external ActiveTarget Live Sonar unit and transducer, but these are not included. It also supports StructureScan 3D.

The Elite FS 7 000-15688-001 comes with the Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer which has a transom mount, 25 ft. (7.6 m) of cable, and an internal temperature sensor. As its name suggests, it supports all three main sonar technologies built-in the unit – 2D CHIRP, DownScan, and SideScan.

The exact sonar beam angles aren’t specified for this transducer. However, it is certain that for the 2D CHIRP sonar, it uses the 83/200 kHz sonar frequencies casting two conical beams for Medium CHIRP and High CHIRP. The maximum depth capability for the 2D CHIRP sonar that can be achieved with this transducer is 1,000 ft. (305 m).

For SideScan and DownScan, the Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer uses the 455/800 kHz channels. It casts oval beams. The maximum depth capability of the DownScan sonar is 300 ft. (91 m), while the maximum side range for the SideScan sonar is 300 ft. (91 m) on each side at @ 455 kHz, and 150 ft. (46 m) on each side @ 800 kHz.

This Lowrance fish finder offers the full range of standard sonar features and functions. To begin with, it has the FishReveal application which allows you to view the fish arches detected by the 2D sonar into the DownScan sonar for a better assessment of their position in relation to the bottom or structure. Among other features, we can count Amplitude Scope, Fish ID, Circular Flasher, Sonar Zoom, Sonar Recording, and Sonar Rewind, Bottom Lock, Depth Line, various alarms, and more.

Navigation features

The Lowrance Elite FS 7 Active Imaging 3-in-1 fish finder is also a chartplotter and offers quite an impressive range of navigation features. To begin with, it has a built-in 10 Hz GPS receiver. This means it can provide position updates 10 times per second. It supports WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS for position augmentation. It offers the possibility to save up to 3,000 waypoints in its memory, 100 routes, and 100 trails. Each trail can have up to 10,000 points.

The unit is pre-loaded with the new C-MAP Contour+ chart platform. These charts cover inland and near-shore coastal areas of the continental United States, Hawaii, and Bermuda. They offer high-resolution 1-foot contours for over 8,900 U.S. lakes. They also show various points of interest with improved icons, as well as custom depth shading. Of course, the unit also supports premium charts from C-MAP and Navionics, including C-MAP Max N, C-MAP MAX N+, Navionics Gold, Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, Nautic Insight Pro, and Nautic Insight HD.

Just like the older Elite-7 Ti2 unit, the Elite FS 7 has the GenesisLive feature. This application uses the GPS data and the CHIRP sonar data to reveal and record the depth contours of the lake you are scanning. Therefore, you can create your own custom bathymetric maps with the most up to date contours.

StructureMap is also available with this unit. With StructureMap, you can overlay recorded imaging from the SideScan sonar on the map. It also has a live mode which shows the SideScan imaging history as a trail behind the boat on the map. However, the Structure Live map mode does not save any data. Also, for the Genesis Live application, contour recordings require a microSD card to be loaded into the unit.

In terms of navigation, the unit also supports Radar, including 4G, 3G, Halo20, Halo20, and Halo24. It also supports AIS data as well as Weather SiriusXM via WM-4. And finally, it supports Outboard Pilot, Ghost Trolling Motor, MotorGuide Xi5 & Xi3.

Control unit features

The Lowrance Elite FS 7 Active Imaging 3-in-1 features a 7-inch color display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V and LED backlight. It has a multi-touch interface with a side keypad for page quick access, waypoint creation, zoom in/out, and power on/off. Its interface is very easy to use; you can customize its home page with the most used application combos for quick access.

The unit is IPX7 waterproof; this essentially means that it can withstand incidental water exposure such as rain or splashes. It includes the standard Lowrance Elite mount but a flush mount is also available (not included). The box also includes a unit cover.

The unit offers superior networking features, including NMEA 2000, Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth. Therefore, you can easily hook it up to an already existent boat network in order to work with other instruments available on that network, such as Halo Radar, AIS units, etc. The wireless connectivity allows you to sync your smartphone with your Elite FS unit via the Lowrance app for software updates, map personalization, real-time AIS, auto-routing, and more. You can also take control of the unit remotely with your smartphone or tablet.

Finally, the unit is equipped with a microSD card slot that can use cards up to 32 GB. Thus, you can load your unit with charts from Navionics or C-MAP, or with a blank data card for recordings and data backup.

The Pros

• Active 3-in-1 sonar (2D CHIRP, DownScan, SideScan);
• Supports ActiveTarget live sonar;
• Supports StructureScan 3D sonar;
• Active 3-in-1 transducer included;
• 1,000 ft. depth capability with the included transducer;
• Various sonar functions, such as FishReveal, Bottom Lock, A-Scope, Fish ID, Sonar Recording etc;
• Built-in C-MAP Contour+ charts;
• Genesis Live for bathymetric real-time mapping;
• StructureMap for SideScan sonar overlay;
• Compatible with a wide array of custom charts, including Navionics Gold, Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, C-MAP Max N, C-MAP Max N+, Insight Pro and Insight HD;
• Fast chart updates, fast navigation through menus;
• High precision, 10 Hz GPS;
• Autopilot functions via SmartSteer, for Xi3 & Xi5 trolling motors;
• Radar support;
• Waypoints, routes, and trackplotting functions;
• Easy to use touchscreen navigation;
• Super-bright display, excellent readability;
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity;
• MicroSD card slot reader for data backup and transfer;
• NMEA 2000 connectivity;
• Ethernet connectivity;
• GPS and sonar overlay data possibilities, via Insight Genesis;
• Standard swivel bracket mount included;
• Unit cover included;
• Available in multiple language packs;
• Fairly easy to install.

The Cons

• To use Genesis Live you need a microSD card as support;
• In-dash mount not included.

Summary

The Lowrance Elite FS 7 Active Imaging 3-in-1 C-MAP Contour+ is a fish finder and chartplotter that offers CHIRP, DownScan and SideScan sonar, 10 Hz GPS, C-MAP Contour+ charts, Genesis Live, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, superior networking capabilities, and a wide array of other features. It includes the Active Imaging 3-in-1 transducer for CHIRP sonar, DownScan, and SideScan. Although it includes charts for the US inland waters, it can also be used off-shore if you opt for other premium charts. It’s a versatile fishing and navigation tool, offering excellent value for the price.