I have a gen 2 touch 7" and 9" as well as an old Elite 7 unit. I am giving the Elite unit to a catfishing friend for his metal boat and I am looking at either a Carbon 9 or and Elite FS 9. They are both about the same price right now and I am curious as to which you guys suggest may be the better buy. I am purchasing a Ghost early next year and I know that both units work with it so no issues there as I would like to have it on the bow. My current units are not linked. I am curious, If I have a mapping chip in one unit and link all of them, will the map be shared or does each unit need to have the chip installed? I know waypoints can be shared as well as transducers. Thanks for any input!

The Carbon is part of the HDS family. For that reason, it is the better buy and also has a more expensive (brighter) glass (screen). The Carbon has two transducer ports along with two Ethernet connections. You will need NMEA to operate the Ghost from the FS or Carbon and you will need Ethernet to be able to see mapping card on both units when only having one map card installed. BTW, the FS does have better mapping right out of the box & is a newer unit, just not in the HDS family.

Thanks for the input. I actually came across a decent deal on a used Live 9 with an AI 3n1. I am thinking I will grab the carbon 9 head unit only and sell off all the Gen 2 stuff and LSS2. That will give me modern, compatible 9" units at the bow and dash. They should fully integrate with the ghost and active target if I go that route plus power poles. I might keep the 7" gen 2 as a dedicated mapping/2d unit on the dash.

Just mounted a 60 inch ghost on our pontoon. Running a 9 and 12 carbon. If you can swing it go for the carbon. You will not regret it when you see what the screen provides you. Myself...I have always tried to stay 1 "generation" behind. Save the bucks...

From my point of view....the live will be a little bit faster response time. Screen is basically the same as a carbon.