fishfinder/sonar ?????

[boblydon]

Right lads, need a new fish finder for my new boat....it's been several years since i've bought one and technology has moved on quite a lot.....and so have the bloody prices.

So......what do you all recommend, cost is not an issue (within reason), wheres the best place place to buy from???..........seen any offers anywhere???.

Allready have a 12inch colour plotter i took off the old boat, so don't really need a combo unit, however they all seem to be combo's i've seen whilst browsing the net.

Cheers

[Paul_h]

Right lads, need a new fish finder for my new boat....it's been several years since i've bought one and technology has moved on quite a lot.....and so have the bloody prices.

So......what do you all recommend, cost is not an issue (within reason), wheres the best place place to buy from???..........seen any offers anywhere???.

Allready have a 12inch colour plotter i took off the old boat, so don't really need a combo unit, however they all seem to be combo's i've seen whilst browsing the net.

Cheers

sea-kit.co.uk are very good for prices, and excellent service

Sea-Kit marine electronics

Simrad are supposidly the leaders at the moment NSE12 or NSS is touch screen, hook them up with the BSM-1 sounder box and a 1kw tansducer, nice but pricey.
Raymarine have just brought the new E series out, with Garmin right up there.

Standard Horizon are bringing a new 10" out, but its realease is late.

Lowrance HDS gen2 is very popular.

I looked for months and watched the real time reviews from owners and ended up with Simrad.
all of my research was from THT electronics forum

Marine Electronics Forum - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum

hope it helps

Paul

[boblydon]

Thanks Paul, will take a look.

Was originally going to put the interphase black box and 1kw transducer like i had in my last boat, but like some of the new style sounders so thought i would ask what everybody is using these days.

Used to get my stuff from the states, but now with customs getting tight by the time you pay taxes etc your not much better off.

Bob

[Norman]

Hi Bob,

Still 100% Furono FCV for me .....

cheers

norm

[Paul_h]

Forgot to mention the Furuno, Norman, how dare I, bullet proof kit, market leaders in customer support over the years, the new TZ series is supposedly the dogs.

i spent a long time researching and opted Simrad over the Furuno 3DNN. I must say i am not dissapointed. touch wood, only winge would be i wished it was c-map not navionics, but thats just me being used to c-map charts.

its a good time, i feel for electronics, they are trying to keep up with each other and the systems are faster, more easy to integrate into networked systems, the sounders are becoming chirp technology, expensive now but you'll see in a few years time they will be cheap and probably become a normal transducer for most

theres a thread on the go at the moment on THT, its the normal, my stuff is better than your set...na..na
it gets hilarious with those over the pond, nutters, probably the most entertaining site i surf, its mint when they kick off and it goes on and on.

but there is also a wealth of information mainly because they can buy cheaper and the massive audience.

best of luck, take your time i am sure you will find what you need.

one of the things i am suprised at is the 3D that hummingbird developed and Lowrance structure scan have emulated, but I don't know of a system for the liesure market that can really say its good for offshore work in deeper water and a bit of movement on the water.

the sounders and transducers are coming into a new era for detail at depth and holding bottom at speed.

One thing I would say is what ever you get make sure the sounder and transducer is the best you can afford, i have had a couple of 1kw inhull M260 and they hold bottom excellent and great detail on the bottom, BUT would have gone chirp if it wasn't for the 5-6 grand for the sounder black box and transducer !!!

also look at Panbo, he has a great review site of everything that comes out

Panbo: The Marine Electronics Weblog: Thinking big systems, Furuno NavNet TZ included

glad its not me again............

hope it helps

paul

[Paul_h]

Thanks Paul, will take a look.

Was originally going to put the interphase black box and 1kw transducer like i had in my last boat, but like some of the new style sounders so thought i would ask what everybody is using these days.

Used to get my stuff from the states, but now with customs getting tight by the time you pay taxes etc your not much better off.

Bob

Bob,
what is your old kit, the transducer may not be compatable if you change, i had Standard H and had the 1KW but wasn't compatable with the Simrad so yes i sold it on and bougt new (states missed the customs...wahoo)

Be careful of buying the plotter, some manufacturers are what you they call "Geolocking" which means they will not work out of a certain range of the US waters.
airmar now have a M260 which comes with a pigtail, this allows you to hook any system up if you change over the years. you just buy the relevant cable from pigtail to new set

I nearly got my Simrad form the states, found out they have a US version, a EU version and a worldwide one,
i could have got the worldwide one which would have been ok the us would not have worked !!, the other bits are ok from US, i got my BSM-1 sounder, m260, GPS and heading sensor overseas, but played safe with the plotter. the radar i got from uk only because its too big to carry, I daren't ask my mate.


and the most difficult task of all, over all of the days and weeks, over all of the reading, over everything.......keeping it from her, paid more for a 12" screen than what i paid for a telly......!!! shh........if she finds out, some good stuff going cheap and probably a boat......if you see someone sleeping in the park on the bench...it could be me-hee.............. live dangerous !! show them whos boss................

oh...got to go.........coming pet.............

hope it helps

Paul

[boblydon]

Haa Haa Paul.....i fortunatley dont have that problem as i got rid of her about 9 months ago lol lol

I have an interphase 12 inch colour plotter, i had 2 of them on the last boat and they work a treat, the guy who boat the boat did not want both, so i removed one of them and reduced the cost of the boat....only problem was is that the other one had the black box connected to it, this one was the newer unit but only used for GPS.

Was going to buy a new black box and transom mounted transducer, however prefer 2 separate units also the price was in the region of $550 plus delivery, was thinking of putting that towards a new unit for approx $1000-$1200...........but the choice is mind boggling and giving me a headache.

Could afford more, but as the boat is only a quicksilver 500 did not plan on doing any 10-20 mile wrecks like i used to when i had my merry fisher 805.

Been looking on ebay, but most of the adverts are from the states.......like the look of the hummingbird side imaging sonar though...any thoughts??

[Kev1n]

.....like the look of the hummingbird side imaging sonar though...any thoughts??

I’ve not got one of the side scan units but have seen a couple on boats in the marina. They’re impressive within their limitations. For water less than 100~150ft deep, the picture is impressive and gives far more detail of wrecks and rough ground than an ordinary sounder can. Beyond the depth limit, they’re as good as cheaper sounders but no better.

I'd worry about dinging the tranducer which is transom mounted.

[boblydon]

Hi Kev,

Thanks for the reply, i to seen a few of them at royal quays and your right they looked great in the 25 foot depth, i did worry though about there limitations on the deeper wrecks.

Transom mount for me is probally safer than drilling through the hull as i may be trailing the boat sometimes......never liked fitting them inside the boat as i feel they can loose a lot of power through certain types of hull construction. All my other boats i drilled the hull and fitted the fairing block, may still do that as the boats just sitting on my drive, just need to choose the unit first.

Bob

[Paul_h]

Sorry Bob,
i have no experience with the Hummingbirds, although they have been out a long time, a lad near me has one and (3-4 years now) and he loves it.

plenty of info on the hummingbird if you do a search on those links I sent. they seem to be trouble free, although thats only an opinion on not seeing any posting complaining etc.

They do side and downscan with the new 360 deg scan on the new models
1158Di Si is the top of there range.

i glanced at them but thought they had stagnated when the others were heading on with faster redraw and networking simlicity and other gadgetry. in the depths i fish then they wouldn't be effective although nice to have if you fish in shallower water. nice set saying that with pricing makes them a good choice and the 10" maybe a good size.

if you can wait and you are looking for a 10" i would seriously look at the Standard Horizon CPN 1010 series being launched, I was waiting for a new 12" over the CP500 (excellent set) but couldn't wait if the new series is anything like the CP series they will be great sets.

saying that the new series seemed to me on reading more a gadget upgrade rather than a software and networking, they do support the new C-map 4D cartography, touch screen and look nice. by the way I would recommend the CP500 series, so easy to use and with the FF525 black box and the M260 was a great set up for my needs.

I think the cpn1010 and 700 are in the shops now just this week

a few lads have said that the lowarance sidescan is good but is ineterfered with smallish choppy/swell sea and over 70 foot, the users might chip in here and put that comment right.

sorry i can't be of more positive help, you are going to have a headache till you make a purchase.

but again, set your need, size, cost, gadgets (wifi/bluetooth etc) and surf through them all...
FURUNO.
Garmin
etc
etc


if its just a chartplotter you are looking for, think about getting a Ipad with navionics charts, if the size is ok, then go for a fish finder set up as a seperate.

it depends on what you are after really

Paul

[Graham B]

Morning Bob,

We plumped for the furuno FCV 585 after a bit of deliberation and looking at a load of sounders at the boat show and being inundated with sales patter! regarding prices, Redcar marine price matched or beat everything we gave them and with them being local we bought all of our electrics from them. They were great to deal with and hence my recommendation.

Graham.

[boblydon]

Thanks Lads,

I need to get this sorted ASAP so i can get the boat in the water and start fishing.

I allready have the 12inch colour chart plotter, but looks like any sonar i get will have a chart plotter built in.....however thats no problem as as i like back ups in case one unit fails, i have already fitted a Icom 502 and 603 vhf dsc's.

Thanks again for the advice, will let you's know how i get on.

Bob

[Norman]

just dangle a line over bob, when it snatches your on the wreck ... job done !

norm

[boblydon]

yeah but i like to see what i am NOT catching!!!!!!!, if i don't get a fish finder i will have nothing to blame my poor fishing on.....you know a poor tradesman always blames his tools

[boblydon]

Well have just bit the bullet, going to be skint for some time now, just bought a Raymarine E120, DSM300 module and the 1kw m260 transducer, just waiting now for it to be delivered so i can get it all fitted