I recently purchased an elite-7 HDI and was curious if adding the Point-1 gps antanae is worth about $300 extra? I have been debating whether to add it when I install it, add it once I get another Lowrance w/ NMEA 200, or just not get at all. Is the added benefit worth the extra money?

Point 1 is worth it's weight in gold...It just will not benefit you on the elite 7 as the processor in that unit is simply too slow. Works great/awesome on the HDS models

ABSOLUTELY!
You'll be sorry if you don't
Lowrance has great resolution of images, but some of the units need this add on to be GREAT with the mapping function.

Jeff, IDK about the Elite7 but with my HDS8, the refresh rate alone was worth the price of admission. It is MUCH easier to get right on a waypoint now.

Listen to David. He knows.

Thanks, everyone. If I put an HDS on the console later and hook to the Elite with the NMEA 2000, would I need just one of the point-1s or would I need one for each? I tried looking online, and couldn't figure out if the Point-1 is just a position indicator, or an actual gps antennae? If I hook a point-1 to the NMEA 2000, when I mark a waypoint, is it marking the transducer location, receiver location, or the point-1 location? Also, if the two FF are linked by NMEA 2000, I mark a waypoint on the console, when it is shared on the network, does it just mark the same waypoint at the same coordinates on the other? Was just wandering how it works with them linked.

Shut-up-and-fish,
I thought that the Elite 7 HDI 2.0 update fixed the issue for the Point-1?

Lowrance Update

On this page it states:
Elite-7 2.0 includes the following improvements:
Compatibility support for the Lowrance Point-1 GPS Antenna with built-in electronic compass for chart stabilization and accurate course over ground, even at low speeds.

SlabHappy,

Someone correct me if I am wrong here.

You would only need 1 Point-1 and it is a gps antennae.
As I understand it if you are using the Point-1 networked between 2 units it would take the location of the Point-1 wherever you have it positioned on your vessel and that information would be shared between both units.

Thoughts anyone else?

Yes there was an update to the software to correct some issues between the Elite 7 and Point 1 antenna however the processor on the elite just isn't capable of handling it. Yes you can utilize the point 1 antenna on the elite 7 HDI but it will still lag behind.

You should just mount it up and go fish.. quit sweating the small stuff.. BTW the bb crappie are fixing to be in winter mode

Probably make my wife mad, we have to be out of our house by the 24th, but what do you say to heading out Sat or Sun am? Let's really make her mad, and head out both days! She won't wake up at 5 am to stop me!

Lol.. Sunday sounds good..dang warm spells

I didn't see where anyone responded to the question about sharing one Point 1 with two units. Yes, you can but, any waypoint you make on one unit will be shared with the other unit. So you'll be off the difference in the distance from the unit you made the waypoint on to the other unit. I hope that made sense?
I love the Point 1 but, I have two 9 Touches so processor speed isn't an issue. Suspect David is correct about the Elite being slower due to processor speed.

That was what I was wandering, how the waypoints would work, and the difference between them. I was thinking maybe they would mark the waypoint on one, and then on the other unit, just mark the waypoint at those coordinates, so they wouldn't be off. If one marked it at the lat long coordinates of the point-1, then those same coordinates input in the other, they shouldn't be off, unless both units use the point-1 as the location for the gps? I know CV had two, so I guess you could hook one each. THat was what I was planning to get, an HDS9 touch for the console, but have to plan it accordingly, not to make the wife mad! Once I save up a little, I will get ahold of David and let him know what I am trying to do, and he will fix me up. Think I might hold off on the point-1 until I am ready for the console unit.

Just curious, do you have one point-1 shared between both, or two?