fishfinders

[niko]

i'm sure this topics been done to death but will someone answer a few questions for me. here's the deal - i run a 19 cc, i've got a garmin 238 combo unit. i'm happy w/ the gps/chartplotter but the ff sux. maybe i just don't have it tweaked on the settings right but i see furonos on other boats and i would like to get a dedicated ff for my rig. i target alot of different species from offshore to inshore and my budget is +/-$750 for equipment. i would like a color unit and would like some opinions on thru hull vs transom mount transducers.

[taJon]

I have the Garmin 320C and am pretty happy. Check out amazon, they have some good prices.

[niko]

i'm leaning towards the furuno 620. now i just need to figure out the transducer. i trailer and frequent skinny water so a thru hull might get in the way, but i don't know if a transom mount is going to perform as well as i would like

[gf2020]

I had the 238 on my boat and I never thought the fishfinder worked too well. The chartplotter was great and it was very accurate for depth but I never saw any fish!

I would read here: http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=8 to search for more information on new units.

[ProfessorM]

I have 2 year old color Raymarine on the transom and am very happy with it, even at wide open no problems. I have a separate Garmin gps. 19 foot walkaround trailered boat.

[TheSpecialist]

My buddy has a Garmin combo, and it leaves alot to be desired, at full throttle it won't holdbottom, I am sure that has to do with his transducer location. I have a lowrance color, holds bottom at full throttle, and easy t make out fish and bait.

[BigBo]

Paul. Send macojoe a PM. He has that Furuno 620 on his Sea Ox. Very nice unit.

[macojoe]

Yes I have the 620 and love it so far, I got the Airmar Thur hull, it was a pain to get in but was worth it!!
I see fish and debth at all speeds. I belive the whole thing went for a tad more then your $750, more like $850. Nice color and never have a problem seeing it.

[keeperreaper]

Furuno fishfinders are top of the line. The new 585 and 620 are fantastic units. Furuno sounders are found on most commercial boats for a reason. You cant go wrong with them. Their plotters on the other hand........

I have the 600 and love it. It has treated me well and works whether it is 20 degrees or 100 degrees out. Remember the unit is only as good as the transducer. Thru hull is the way to go but transom mounts work perfect for most applications. Running at high speeds the transom mount wont hold bottom whereas a thru hull will.

[niko]

thanks for the help everyone

[Hooper]

niko, I had the Furuno 582L on my Seacraft with an Airmar M260 in hull 1kw 'ducer. That was a sweet set-up, but the ducer alone was about $700. On the new boat I have a Furuno 292 with a 600 watt thru hull ducer. Both units work very well. I would encourage you to do some research on the shoot thru 'ducers. I could mark clearly at full cruise in my Seacraft because the water passes smoothly over the hull, rarely the case with a transom mounted unit.

[Greene]

Second (or third) the Furuno 620 unit. The airmar b-60 thru-hull x-ducer is the way to go. I wouldn't worry about trailering or getting in skinny water as it only protrudes 3/16" from the hull at it's highest point. You've got other things to worry about at that point.

[Halvey64]

Does anyone know of a Raymarine training product. How to tweak your system and what you are looking for to determine fish vs flotsom? I'm looking for some quality picutres/video that shows the diferences in settings and presentation of the bottom picture.