Buying new Sounder
Gday all, am in the market for a new depth sounder and thought i would see what everyone thought was a good one these days.
First of all up until recently i have been using a older model colour furuno sounder on my 5.5m boat, mainly for offshore fishing, inshore to deep sorts of water, you know Dhui's, Snapper and so on. Has served me well but is now starting to play up and is not worth repairing(so i'm told, will be a very costly exercise if possible).
So i thought i would ask around and see what other people are using or would recommend. I dont mind paying a fair bit for another decent one so i am not looking to go skint. So far the only ones i have had a look at are the new furuno sounders the FCV-620 and FCV-585. I have also had a mate recommend to me the hummingbird range.
Any idea's, thoughts, recommendations or personnel experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15665
Date Joined: 29/11/05
620
Mates got the 620, he swears by it and I've seen it in action, certainly does its job when it comes to finding the fish!
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Tim
Posts: 2497
Date Joined: 26/09/06
Cant
Cant go wrong with a 620 or 585.
Havent heard much in the way of good reports from those using Hummingbird out deeper.
There is always the new Lowrance Broadband units to look at.
I have a Furuno 585 and the Lowrance Broadband on my boat but have only used the broadband a couple of times so far since I got it so not really in a position to comment on it too much atm although I was still getting bottom picture on the Lowrance when the Furuno had stopped. This was in over 300m btw.
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brenz
Posts: 2182
Date Joined: 15/06/06
humming bird is my choice
humming bird is my choice for sure both my old man and i have run them in all our boats and they have been the ducks nuts.
although the furuno range is tops to.
proud user of xzoga rods
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
I am more inclined to furuno
I am more inclined to furuno just because of the reliability of my old one has made me so. Depth i am fishing never goes beyond 150m so i dont need it to find the continental shelf, but would still want good enough detail in 100m. I might have to go into a shop and check out these hummingbirds though.
Tim
Posts: 2497
Date Joined: 26/09/06
Depth
Furuno will do those depths easy with the 600w transducer.
** Rockingham Offshore Fishing Club **
brenz
Posts: 2182
Date Joined: 15/06/06
both sounders will do that
both sounders will do that depth with ease and provide awesum detail to, im running the 595c and the old boy is running th 700 series split unit and we havent had a problem yet . although we never head past the 100m mark .
proud user of xzoga rods
scotto
Posts: 2474
Date Joined: 21/04/08
i got a 620, and apart from
i got a 620, and apart from the transducer stuffin up a few months ago, you'll get no complaints from me.
have picked up bottom in over 250m with the 600w tranny.
johno
Posts: 468
Date Joined: 20/07/08
I can comment on the
I can comment on the Lowrance side, I have a 1kW unit and the picture and definition is fantastic. I did have a lower end unit of Lowrance which was ok but it depends on what you plan to use and the locations you plan to hunt in. I have a few mates that have the various makes of Furuno and like wise great units
Johno
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thebear
Posts: 246
Date Joined: 09/06/07
Furuno
Yep, I have the FCV 620 and its a beauty for the type of fishing that I do it is more than adequate.
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wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
Out of interest what do
Out of interest what do these units retail for? Ballpark OK guys.
Cheers
feral1975
Posts: 638
Date Joined: 22/02/07
Im running the 585 and 600
Im running the 585 and 600 wt tranny and would reccomend it anytime , its a bit more coin than the 620 but worth it for the 8.4 inch screen also the 585 has the ability to run either 1kw or 600wt where as the 620 is only 600wt , and ado ballpark for 585 is around the 2100 mark but pays to shop around
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wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
Geesus that's exxy$$. Thanks
Geesus that's exxy$$. Thanks Feral, I will have to see my bank manager/missis ;-)
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
if you hunt hard enough
you can get a FCV620 for $1300. But if you can stretch, the bigger screen of the 585 is awesome.
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Paul G
Posts: 5215
Date Joined: 12/12/07
I think most sounders
I think most sounders between $1000- $2000 all do a good job i fished with the lawrance sounder ,great mid range sounder I have the furuno GP-700F But they are up around the $4500 the definition is beter, but i still recon the lawrance are a great sounder i have found plenty of new ground with it and caught plenty of fish.
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roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Bob swears by his furuno & Garmin GPS
SPEWIE LEWIE
Cockburn Power Boat Member
Ginger Tablets Rock
wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
Thanks guys very interesting
Thanks guys very interesting thread. Leaves my cheapo $350 Garmin 160C for dead. Speaking of which should a unit like mine be able to hold bottom above say 12kn ? It seems to get heaps of interference and lose bottom hold. But then < that speed all is fine. Tried playing with angle of tranny and altering gain to no avail. Any suggestions?
Tim
Posts: 2497
Date Joined: 26/09/06
Speed
Pretty much all sounders should hold bottom at that speed.
The most likely cause is transducer installation or location as it works below that speed. Sounds like it could be getting turbulence off the hull.
** Rockingham Offshore Fishing Club **
wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
Thanks Tim - so lower it or
Thanks Tim - so lower it or make it shallower? Installed as per manufacturers spec thus far (but what wud they know?)
Cheers
Tim
Posts: 2497
Date Joined: 26/09/06
General
Manufacturers specs are usually general as all hulls are slightly different. It is more of a starting point.
You could be getting turbulence of strakes or it may need to deeper or shallower.
If you look off the back of the boat while travelling (get someone elst to steer) it should be sitting in clear water not in any airated water. Some people have even had to fill the gap between transducer and hull with silicon to get a smooth water flow.
Maybe take some pics of your hull and transducer location and start another thread to see if anyone can help.
wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
Timbo - is this too close
Timbo - is this too close to the port strake?
Chers,
Ado
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
The tranny is in the wrong
The tranny is in the wrong place, it should be behind the stake and only about 3mm down. The below setup will show bottom at 30 knots.
18 Outrage, Johnson 140hp 4stroke and 190 Outrage, 150 Mercury Verado
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Alfred, I put the sounder
Alfred, I put the sounder between strakes on my boat and I can't hold bottom at pretty much any speed. You reckon putting it on the strake is the go?
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Works for me! This way you
Works for me! This way you will not have to drop it low and not have any rooser tail problems.
18 Outrage, Johnson 140hp 4stroke and 190 Outrage, 150 Mercury Verado
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Bob's is in the hull
can look for ground at 30knots, no interference. He adjusteds gain accordingly.
SPEWIE LEWIE
Cockburn Power Boat Member
Ginger Tablets Rock
wrassinator
Posts: 554
Date Joined: 26/11/08
@ 30kn you would hope it's a
@ 30kn you would hope it's a decent lump as u would be a km past it before you noticed and turned around *lol*
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Don't have to worry wrassinator he
will stop the boat on a pin head, me still going and yelling at him but he's found the lumps.....Half the time Bob will head for a spot (Leeman) and we never get there as he's found more good ground with fish on.
SPEWIE LEWIE
Cockburn Power Boat Member
Ginger Tablets Rock
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Lawrance Souders
In the Lawrance sounders what are the models that you's all reckon are the better ones?
Big J
Posts: 129
Date Joined: 16/12/07
Yeah Im running a Furuno
Yeah Im running a Furuno FCV-585 absolutly sware by it and no probs getting a clear pic @ 30knots.
feral1975
Posts: 638
Date Joined: 22/02/07
the 37 with a broadband
the 37 with a broadband addition makes a good unit
I wish I had an emo lawn so it would cut it self
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
LCX 37c Broadband
Cheers
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Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
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Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Whats a ball park price for
Whats a ball park price for the Lowrance LCX 37c? And do you know what stores in perth sell them so i can go have a look at one?
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Roughly $2800 at a guess
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Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
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Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Thanks Andy. Will go and
Thanks Andy. Will go and investigate and/or dream :)
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Smaller screen models LCX-27c
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Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
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Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Already have a Navman
Already have a Navman plotter, so not to concerned with missing out on that. What is this broadband unit thing? And how does this aid you?
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Broadband
http://www.lowrance.com.au/en-au/Products/Marine/Broadband-Sounder-and-Ethernetworking/Lowrance-Broadband-Sounder-1/
Cheers
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Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
Youngest member of the Fishwrecked Old Farts Club