Fish Finder | Sonar & | Navigation | Networking | Control Unit |
Sonar: | GPS: | N/A | SolarMAX |
The Hook Reveal 7 SplitShot is one of the Lowrance fish finders released in 2020. However, in 2021 several bundles have been released which come with the newer Contour+ maps. Therefore, this is the Lowrance part number 000-15854-001, the one that includes the Contour+ maps.
Key Features and Specifications
- Display: 7″ diagonal, 800H x 480V pixel matrix, color TFT, with LED backlight
- Sonar: High Wide-Angle CHIRP & DownScan
- Transducer: SplitShot (000-14028-001)
- Max. Depth Capability:
500 ft. (153 m) for the CHIRP sonar
300 ft. (91 m) for DownScan - Frequency and Coverage (with the included transducer):
2D Sonar: 200 kHz / 40°
DownScan: 55/3° @ 455 & 35/1.6° @ 800 kHz - Power Supply: 12 VDC (10.8-17 VDC min-max)
- GPS: Internal, GLONASS/WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS
- Maps: Contour+
- Routes, Waypoints, Tracks: 100; 3,000, 100 (10,000) points per trail)
Sonar and transducer
In terms of sonar, the unit is the same as for the older Lowrance Hook Reveal 7 SplitShot with the Inland Basemap (000-15512-001). It supports three main frequencies for standard CHIRP, these being 50/83/200 kHz, while for DownScan it supports 455/800 kHz. The unit does not support SideScan and cannot be paired with a TripleShot transducer. However, it will work with the 50/200 kHz HDI skimmer. It also does not support Active Target sonar, Forward Scan, or Active Imaging transducers.
The included transducer is the SplitShot model. It features a thermoplastic construction, comes with a transom mount, has 20 ft. (6 m) of cable with an 8-pin connector. It also has an internal temperature sensor and the unit can indicate the water temperature.
For the standard sonar, the transducer supports only the High CHIRP channel (200 kHz). The exact CHIRP range is not specified. For this frequency, the transducer casts a conical beam with a coverage of 40° and a maximum depth range of 500 ft. (153 m).
For DownScan, the transducer uses two thin oval beams. The coverage of the 455 kHz beam is 55°/3°, while the coverage of the 800 kHz beam is approx. 35°/1.6°. The maximum depth range for the DownScan can be achieved with the 455 kHz beam which can reach depths of 300 ft. (91 m).
The unit offers a fairly decent range of standard sonar features. As its name suggests, it has the FishReveal feature which allows you see the fish arches from the 2D CHIRP sonar into the DownScan window. Sonar Autotuning is also available. This application auto-calibrates your fish finder in order to provide the best image by adjusting the sonar settings as the water conditions change. It can definitely save you some time with the tweaking of your sonar for the particular spot you’re fishing. Among other features, we can count Fish ID, Circular Flasher, Surface Clarity, Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, and more.
Navigation features
The Hook Reveal 7 SplitShot Contour+ is equipped with a 1 Hz internal GPS. It supports GLONASS, MSAS, EGNOS, and WAAS for position augmentation. It has a GPS speed function. The unit also offers the possibility to save up to 3,000 waypoints in its memory, 100 routes, and 100 tracks. Each track can have up to 10,000 points.
As we’ve already mentioned, the unit includes the Contour+ charts. These cover the inland and near-shore coastal areas of the continental United States, Hawaii, and Bermuda. They offer high-resolution 1-foot contours for over 15,000 U.S. lakes and 9,400+ Canadian lakes. They show various points of interest with improved icons, as well as custom depth shading. In all, they are considerably better than the U.S. Inland Basemap included with the previous Hook Reveal units.
The unit supports other charts as well. It can be loaded with various chart cards from C-MAP or Navionics. The compatibility list includes C-MAP Lake Insight, C-MAP Insight Pro, C-MAP MAX N, and MAX N+, C-MAP Precision Contour HD, Navionics Gold, Navionics+, and Navionics Platinum+.
Genesis Live is another very useful navigation feature available with this Hook Reveal 7 model. This is a bathymetric mapping application that uses the unit’s GPS and the CHIRP sonar in order to detect and draw the depth contours of your lake on the map. Therefore, even if the Contour+ charts don’t offer sufficient detail for your favorite lake, you can map it yourself and even share your custom maps via the Genesis Social Map base.
Control unit features
This Hook Reveal 7 unit is part of the most basic Lowrance chartplotter series. Therefore, it does not have networking features such as NMEA 2000 or Ethernet ports. It doesn’t support Radar, AutoPilot units, or AIS. It also does not have wireless connectivity. However, it does have a microSD port for Genesis Live charts or other charts from Navionics or C-MAP.
The unit features a 7-inch SolarMax display, color, with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V. It has LED backlight with a brightness of +1000 NITS. It also offers excellent visibility (80° top/bottom, 85° left/right).
The unit does not have touchscreen technology, just the side keypad which offers 8 buttons. These are Pages, Zoom In, Zoom Out, Cursor, Exit, Menu/Enter, Waypoint, and Power. Its interface is easy to use and customize. Also, the unit is IPX7 waterproof so it should be able to withstand incidental water exposure with no problem
The mount included with the unit is the standard tilt bracket. A flush mount and a unit cover are not included.
The Pros
- Standard CHIRP sonar;
- DownScan sonar;
- Supports 50 kHz;
- SplitShot transducer included;
- Multiple sonar features such as Fish ID, A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Circular Flasher, Colorline, Sonar Recording, Overlay DownScan, etc;
- FishReveal;
- Fast and accurate GPS;
- Contour+ charts for more than 15,000 US lakes and 9000 Canadian lakes;
- Genesis Live;
- Compatible with superior charts from Navionics and C-MAP;
- Adjustable backlight for superior readability;
- MicroSD card reader (1 slot);
- Bracket mount included;
- Fairly easy to install.
The Cons
- No NMEA or Ethernet ports;
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth;
- Unit cover is not included.
Summary
The Lowrance Hook Reveal 7 SplitShot Contour+ is a fish finder and chartplotter. It offers CHIRP sonar, DownScan sonar, has built-in GPS, and comes with the Contour+ charts. It also includes the SplitShot transducer for 200/455/800 kHz, with a transom mount. It’s a fish finder intended for lake use, but can also be used off-shore especially if paired with an HDI transducer and Navionics charts.
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