good quality sounder

[daza1]

Can anybody recommend a good quality sounder??<br />I need something that will work while travelling at speed, & i realise that transducer placement is paramount, however any suggestions would be great.We have a 5.5mtr alloy with 90hp that we use in salt water in NZ.Plan on fishing depths up to 500mtrs.Any ideas on colour or greyscale??<br />cheers.

 

[JB]

Re: good quality sounder

Howdy, Daza.<br /><br />I have had consistently good performance from Lowrance (including Eagle) products in fresh water. I think that the Lowrance "Skimmer" transducer design is largely responsible.<br /><br />My salt water friends pretty consistently recommend Furuno color sonars for deep salt water use.<br /><br />My own experience with Humminbird units has not been good.<br /><br />For your use, I think that Furuno is the way to go. Which model depends on factors you have not stated.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: good quality sounder

You could probably get away with a Furuno 600L but to be quite honest with you it won't tell you much past 200 meters. The machine will read to 500 meters on relatively smooth days but about all you will get is a faint bottom line.<br /><br />If you move up to the 582L you will be able to shoot to 500 meters any time you go out. It with standard transducers in all three mounting styles. In your case simply go with an in-hull to assure operation at any speed and accept the slight loss of total bottom depth possible. <br /><br />There is a third option as well. You could use a high performance transducer along with the 582L. Several are available, in Airmar's 256 series (thru-hull or transom mount) or 260 line (thru-hull, transom mount, or in-hull) and the R199. With the M260 (in hull) you could easily shoot in the 700~800 meter range but more importantly in the shallower waters of 100 fathoms and less it is not possible that a sizable fish will pass below the boat unnoticed with this combination. In 100 feet or less no fish what so ever, regardless of size, could pass under the boat undetected with that fish finder/transducer combination. I have that setup. I've had it for a year. I am still amazed by it every time I turn it on.<br /><br />So, if you don't want to spend too much go for the 600L. If you don't mind putting out a couple of hundred more go with the 582L and standard transducer. If you want to step up go with one of the big transducers for an additional $300~700. I haven't mentioned the R199 because of price, but in deep water if price is no object then it is the transducer to use (around $1,800 I believe, but I haven't bought one).<br /><br /><br />Thom

 

[Boatist]

Re: good quality sounder

I agree Furuno for that depth. Make sure you select a unit with 1000 Watts (1KW) or more. Also make sure it has dual frequency 50/200 Khz.<br /><br />Pick the size screen and LCD you want. Color nice if you find the money.

 

[daza1]

Re: good quality sounder

thx 4 the info, any thoughts on raymarine ds400x?? seems ok on paper??

 

[BillP]

Re: good quality sounder

My first choice would be Lowrance and then Garmin. The one Hummiminbird I bought lasted about a year before it stopped working. I have a Raymarine that sits in a box because it kept needing to go back to the repair shop. In my opinion Ray quality has dropped way off from what it was originally built on. Friends with Raymarines say the same. Based on fishing with a Furuno 6100, I wouldn't do a Furuno because the screen is difficult (impossible) to read unless the unit is directly in front of me. Too much glare if viewed from the side. The 600 color may not be this way but view the unit outside in the sun and see if you like it.

 

[daza1]

Re: good quality sounder

ray quality dropped??? ds400x dodgy?? wat model lowrance do u suggest? will it perform while travelling?? i have heard about the furuno plus they r quite exp. over here , keep posting i value every1,s opinion..<br />cheers

 

[18rabbit]

Re: good quality sounder

Well, if you are serious, Simrad. Can’t beat the display or the proprietary transducer. It’ll read 500 meters like you were sitting still in 25ft of water. Optionally, a Simrad sounder with an Airmar transducer. Simrad puts two transducer ports on their units. Their own transducer is a work of art but only works with a Simrad head so the second port is for use with Airmar or RadarSonic products.<br /><br />And if you are really serious, Wesmar will be introducing a new line of more “affordable” sounders in about 4 months. They are reworking their high-end, 360-deg rotating, aim-able transducer to offer it at about 1/2 the cost ($6k as opposed to $12k). Saw a demo of it at the Seattle boat show. Made my knees weak. The transducer rotates 360-deg horizontal, 180-degs vertical. It splits into zones so once you can locate and track a critter while the boats in motion. If it’s in the water, that sonar will find it. The Wesmar folks were a little surprised I knew about their wireless sonar. They said it wasn’t something they were supposed to talk about (i.e. designed for military applications) … I read about it on the Wesmar website last year. I think wireless is an option on the $12k unit.<br /><br />I kind of have a problem with Furuno in general. It is great equipment, solid, but archaic technology and components. I’m thinking they are going to need to re-engineer some hardware it stay competitive over the next few years. Maybe the Furuno we know and love will soon be obsolete and then we can complain about how good it used to be. On the other hand, because it is archaic, folks that work on marine electronics can fix, tweak, or modify Furunos (i.e. modify Furuno for use with a Simrad transducer). Just a personal thought.

 

[Boatist]

Re: good quality sounder

Lowrance is a great group of sonar and they developed sonar for the navy in the begining. In the US there chart are cheaper and soon to be free. They have a bunch of new units coming out in February with built in hard drives and detailed maps for the US. For Shallow saltwater and Fresh water I would go with Lowrance but for 500 meters Furuno is the best I have seen. 70 percent or more of the party boat I have checked out have Furuno fish finders.<br /><br />Rabbits comments about being arghaic has some merrit but their units are built to last. The company with new units every year are ok but if your unit has a problem 1 year down the road the unit will be out of production and no parts available to repair. I can not remember someone coming here talking about a failed Furuno.<br /><br />You will not find a cheap unit that will do 500 meters. Take the spec on most unit and devide by 3 if you expect to see fish.

 

[daza1]

Re: good quality sounder

divide by 3?? how do you mean?? e.g 500wat unit really only @ 160wats?? 1000wat really 330???<br />i had my eye on a raymarine 500wat output colour unit rated for 600m max depth, dual freq, good price etc... thoughts??<br />p.s. no 12k unfortunatly

 

[Boatist]

Re: good quality sounder

Daza<br />I mean when they say depth to 3000 feet I divide by 3 or 4. Yes in perfect condition it may see a rock bottom at 3000 feet of fresh water. In clear saltwater when you can see 40 feet deep will still be less than 3000 feet. Add some air from wave action, some plankton some turbulents where can only see 15 feet and it will be much less than 3000 feet even with a hard rock bottom. If it is a soft mud bottom less depth still. Now add some fish which are built like a stealth fighter and I would not expect to see them at 800 feet.<br /><br />Now for power, the more power you put out at 50khz the deeper you will see fish. Power can be RMS or Peak to Peak. 8000 Watts Peak to Peak is equal to 1000 Watts RMS. I not sure if even with 1000 watts rms you will see fish at 500 meters. I have not tried to fish more than 500 feet deep or 152 meters. Even at that deepth you need a very high vertical resolution or some form of bottom track to see fish. The best Vertical resolution I have seen is the 800V of the brand new Lowrance but it only has a 4 times zoom and no bottom track. What kind of weights and gear do you use to fish 500 meters deep? I am thinking will take at least a 5 lb weight with 80 pound spectra line. What type fish do you catch that deep?

 

[daza1]

Re: good quality sounder

Gidday mate thanx 4 the explanation, that is news to me u won,t see fish at 500??Basically i want a sounder that will track the bottom so i can see contour & allso pick up fish. The fish we are targetting are bass / hapuka mostly which hang out in the deep stuff as u know.I was looking at a lowrance 126df which has 480x480 res, 4000w peak, & has depth penetration of 518m.<br />I haven,t won lotto yet so this unit aswell as the raymarine were in my price range.A very important function has to be that it will run properrly at speed wen installed properlly.The lowrance has a skimmer transducer so sounds pretty good, whaddya rekon???

 

[Boatist]

Re: good quality sounder

I understand I have not won the lottery either and that is one reason I still have a OLD Lowrance X50. My unit is 192 khz at 3000 watts peak to peak (375 watts RMS). With the standard 20 degree transducer I can see fish to about 200 feet (61 meters). With a 8 degree transducer the power is spreed over a much smaller area and I can see fish out to 400 feet (122 meters). This unit also has a bottom track so can expand the bottom to full screen. You and can do bottom and up 10 feet or any number of feet over 10 feet, 11,12,20,30,40. When bottom fishing I ususlly set to bottom and up 30 feet.<br /><br />The x126df spec say 518 meters. I would divide that 518 by 3 and get 173 meters and not expect to see fish deeper than that. <br /><br />Now this unit has 4000 watts peak to peak power (500 watts RMS). Thats is 125 RMS watts more than my unit.<br /><br />It is also operating at 50khz which will go thru salt water better than my 192khz.<br /><br />I am useing a 8 degree transducer the x126 has a 36 degree transducer which spreads the power out over a much bigger area. More than 4 times the area but this also means less than 1/4 the power at any spot.<br /><br />I hope that unit will work for you but in my honest opinion I think you will not see fish over 175 meters.<br /><br />The manufacturs want you to belive the unit will work to 518 meters, but you will never see anything that says will see fish up to 518 meters.<br /><br />Think about it this way. Take a golf ball and bounce it off you concrete drive way, it will bounce high. Now bounce it off the grass and the hight will not be as much. Bounce it off some mud and it will bounce even lower. Bounce it off a fishes back and most of the time it will not bounce up but to one side, when it hits perfect it will still not bounce like on the concrete. Now the numbers that lowrance is giving you (518M) is off the concrete. Even then that number is the best in clean clear fresh water not salt water.<br /><br />I think the X126DF is a great unit for the price to about 175 meters but worthless for 500 meters. I hope I am wrong.<br /><br />One other thing to think about is the 480 vertical pixels. I not sure how to convert to CM so will do it in inches. I hope it will mean something to you.<br />500 meters equals 19,700 inches divide that by 480 pixels and each pixel equals 41 inches or a fish over one meter thick. Now with 4 times zoom each pixel will cover 10 inches or 1/4 meter. Each pixel is so small that if only one lights you will never think of that to be a fish. I usually think it takes at least two. On average that will be a fish 20 inches high or 1/2 meter thick to light 2 pixels. That is a pretty big fish.<br /><br />The new Lowrance unit LCX-17M coming out has twice the power of 8000 Peak to Peak or 1000 rms but still has the same pixel count. The pixel are a little bigger bucause the screen is bigger. IT is more money. Even with twice the power it still says *518 meters. Go down and see what the * means and you will find this. " * Actual depth capabilities depends on transducer configuration and installation, bottom composition and water conditions. All sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than salt water."<br /><br /> http://www.lowrance.com/Marine/Products/X126DF.asp <br /><br />I would still recommend a unit with at least 8000 watts PeP or 1000 Watts RMS and some form of bottom expansion like bottom track. Furuno has those features. Ray Marine I belive does have a 8 times zoom which can help see fish in deep water.<br /><br />If you buy it please come back after a few trips and give us a detailed report. <br /><br />I hope others will give you a few more opinions.<br /><br />Good Luck

 

[PaulKim]

Re: good quality sounder

Hi All, just purchased a Ray Marine DS400X, this is the first fishfinder I have purchased. Is this a good purchased? I will be fishing Puget Sound (Salt Water).