# Question about Lowrance Elite 5 Ice Machine



## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

Ok so I just got my new flasher in the mail yesterday and am a bit confused. I know that lowrance has a few different elite 5 models out there and thought I was suppose to get the elite 5 w/ gps. Well the unit that came with it is an elite 5 HDI. Only time I've fished from a boat is with my dad so I would like for this unit to have the ice fishing features that I am looking for. I would like for it to show my jigging on the left side of the screen and the real time jigging on the right side. This is what I saw when I searched youtube. One other thing. Is it suppose to have loose wires. It didn't have the connectors for the wires to hook up to the battery.


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## endoracing (Jul 10, 2013)

They come with lose wires to connect into fuse panel of a boat. You will need to add connectors for whatever type of battery you are connecting to.

I believe you want to enable the show amplitude view on for the sonar which will give you a view of the actual sonar data as well as the sonar history scrolling by.


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## FishKilla419 (Feb 22, 2008)

Amplitude scope turned on will show you real time sonar. You should have a blue connector with cable with red and black wires.


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## cmatts12 (Jan 4, 2012)

The unit that comes in the "ice machine" package is the exact same unit as if you were to buy an elite 5hdi for a boat. They simply put the ice ducer with it and a battery and put in a fancy bag with a couple tackle trays. The lowrance options can be a little tricky at first but once you figure them out you will find the set up you want. As for the wire question, are you saying there are no connections to hook to battery? Coming from the unit(blue connection) to the battery there should be those crimp fittings on the end that slide into battery post. If not, is there an extra baggy or something that came with different connection ends to connect to different battery types? If you bought as the complete "ice machine" package it should have come with battery and all connections. Hope this helps.


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## Im hooked (Jul 21, 2014)

I just bought one too.

For the power you use the red and black and disregard the yellow wire. The other trunk of wires is for hooking up a GPS. I bought a 5X without GPS and they use the same wires to save money.

Tape off the GPS wires and make sure you use the supplied 10amp fuse. Oh, you will need to buy the Ice Transducer for $70.00 to make it work right and easily....


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## Im hooked (Jul 21, 2014)

Oh yeah, you have to buy what ever connections you need to hook it to the battery, they do not know what you are hooking it to so they don't sent you crimp connectors.


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## cmatts12 (Jan 4, 2012)

Im hooked said:


> Oh yeah, you have to buy what ever connections you need to hook it to the battery, they do not know what you are hooking it to so they don't sent you crimp connectors.



If you buy it as the complete ice machine package, which it sounds like the OP did, the battery comes with it and the necessary connections. If you are using a "stand alone" elite 5 and adding necessary parts to use it on the ice than yes, you are correct.


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## Im hooked (Jul 21, 2014)

If he has an HDI, he does not have an ice machine package.

The ice machine does not support Hybrid Dual Imaging. The ice machine just says Elite 5....


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## Im hooked (Jul 21, 2014)

river rat78 said:


> I was suppose to get the elite 5 w/ gps. Well the unit that came with it is an elite 5 HDI.


If it says Elite 5 HDI, it has a chart plotter "GPS" in it.

If it says Elite 5X HDI, like mine, it does Not have GPS. The X means Sonar only...


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## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

Ok thanks for the responses. I wanted to double check that I got a unit that I was looking for and didn't end up with some lesser model. I was just surprised to see that the wires for the power cable didn't have the necessary connectors to hook up to the 12v battery. When I purchased my showdown a few years ago all I had to do was plug it in and it was ready to go.


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## Im hooked (Jul 21, 2014)

You didn't get a dedicated ice machine so you should plan on ordering an ice transducer with the blue connector on it, or send back what you got an order the ice package that's turn key for what you want...


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## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

It came with an ice transducer. It has everything that I need for ice fishing.


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

is there an inline fuse on the power/transducer cable? if not you may want to put one on it... mine has a 3amp fuse in it.....


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## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

aslongasitpullsback said:


> is there an inline fuse on the power/transducer cable? if not you may want to put one on it... mine has a 3amp fuse in it.....


I might have a fuse but not sure. If I do it might be incased in a small black box. Anyways I got the wire connectors and was able to run the demo. Now I just need to read the instructions and wait for some safe ice.


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

river rat78 said:


> I might have a fuse but not sure. If I do it might be incased in a small black box. Anyways I got the wire connectors and was able to run the demo. Now I just need to read the instructions and wait for some safe ice.


look like this?

you really don't want to run that unit with out one IMO......


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## river rat78 (Dec 30, 2010)

Just checked and it does have a fuse. I'll need to see what size fuse the unit uses and buy a few spares. Last year my showdown blew a fuse and it ruined my day.


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## RedM2 (Dec 19, 2007)

So you run the power directly to the battery?


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

RedM2 said:


> So you run the power directly to the battery?


 Sure? is there any other way.....


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## Josh R (Dec 4, 2010)

aslongasitpullsback said:


> Sure? is there any other way.....


That's the best I think. You can run it off a wire that's only hot when the sled is running. I don't like doing it that way because I usually leave my gps on while I'm fishing. I have seen a few GPS' s take awhile to lock on and when it's blowing and snowing 8 miles out the last thing I want is to have to wait for a signal, that's my only reasoning.
But I always had a separate gps and fish finder.
Josh


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