sounder frequencies

Gday,

Just trying to learn abit about sounders and gps chartplotters, before Ioffload my hard earned

difference between single or dual sounder frequencies? and what brands to buy and stay away from?

 

cheers


Tony Halliday's picture

Posts: 2500

Date Joined: 14/06/07

firstly get this mag, it

Wed, 2010-05-12 09:31

firstly get this mag, it helps a lot,
http://www.fishfinderbooks.com/product_info.php/cPath/21/products_id/174

then here is a good background info site
http://www.fishfinder-store.com/howfifiwo.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcJE0fEsicI

secondly buy a good book, there is one from AFN that I recommend, Depth Sounder Secrets, by Rick Huckstepp
http://www.afn.com.au/shop/scditem.asp?ProdID=1126

personaly I like Furuno, not cheap, but the best in my view,
I have had Lowrance & Hummingbird before, they all good brands these days.

It all depends on the type of fishing you doing, the depths and what you willing to spend.

____________________________________________________________________________

Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~

 It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it

"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)

"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)

milsey's picture

Posts: 1462

Date Joined: 22/08/07

Firstly, what depths are you

Wed, 2010-05-12 09:36

Firstly, what depths are you looking at fishing, a singly frequency will be fine up to around 50m and past that you will need a dual frequency, and if fishing in anything deeper than 150-200m you should be looking at a 1KHz transducer. Most people on here Rate the furuno's, however i believe the new lowrance HDS systems are better and also cheaper than the Furuno's.

Posts: 96

Date Joined: 04/03/09

I would be looking at

Wed, 2010-05-12 09:40

I would be looking at fishing over 50m. Im trying to find a chartplotter/sounder combo are there any draw backs/positives in having the one unit?

thanks for your help

milsey's picture

Posts: 1462

Date Joined: 22/08/07

Most people would rather

Wed, 2010-05-12 09:45

Most people would rather have separate units for a few reasons, first being that you can use the full screen size, hence giving more detail, the second being that with separate units you can set each up without having to switch between pages. eg to change sensitivity without having to go into sonar page then back to Gps. Also the furuno's don’t have the ability to be combo's.

Alan James's picture

Posts: 2223

Date Joined: 30/06/09

Furuno Combos

Wed, 2010-05-12 11:04

I don't think that is correct there are Furuno combos.

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Tony Halliday's picture

Posts: 2500

Date Joined: 14/06/07

yes, the GP7000

Wed, 2010-05-12 13:07

yes, the GP7000 series
http://furunousa.com/products/productdetail.aspx?product=GP7000F%2fNT&category=Products+%3a+GPS+%26+Chart+Plotters+%3a+Fish+Finder+%2f+Chart+Plotter+Combos

but it's not cheap!

the majority of Furuno stuff is stand alone GPS or Sounder in the FCV range, but you can still get the older GP1600 series and others that where combos.

If you have to have a combo, go Lowrance HDS7 or 8, good quality and not bad on value.

if you fishing deeper than 80m, but not over 200m and in a boat with the space for a GPS and Sounder side by side on the dash, I'd go FCV 620 with a 1Kw tranny for Fish finding duties, and a Garmin GPS or Lowrance next to it.
If you can afford it and bite the bullet and want a quality combo only, go the Furuno GP7000

____________________________________________________________________________

Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~

 It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it

"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)

"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)

Posts: 96

Date Joined: 04/03/09

ive been looking at..

Wed, 2010-05-12 10:10

lowrance hd5-5 83/200khz?????any good

milsey's picture

Posts: 1462

Date Joined: 22/08/07

I would go the 50/200khz,

Wed, 2010-05-12 10:22

I would go the 50/200khz, but yes i think for the price thats the best unit, however i would ask if you can get a deal if you buy seprate units. Or mabye look at getting the single hd7, this will give you heaps more screen and the detail will be much better and i know the combos have special features like being able to save waypoints from your the sonar which would be handy. but as i said i think for the price that unit is the best you will find. Go have a chat to either Ryan at oceanside, or the bloke at bias boating, both these guys know there stuff and will be able to point you in the right direction.

Posts: 96

Date Joined: 04/03/09

where bouts are they?

Wed, 2010-05-12 10:48

where bout are they?and what does it mean with the different khz??I thourght bigger is better?

milsey's picture

Posts: 1462

Date Joined: 22/08/07

Oceanside is in O’Connor

Wed, 2010-05-12 11:13

Oceanside is in O’Connor and is a site sponsor so they'll help you out, and bias boating is in Nedlands. With the frequencies, the lower the frequency the furthur the wave will travel without loosing strenght, so the 1khz will read the deepest, up to 500+ish meters, the 200khz will read to around 50m and the 50khz will read to around 150-200m However the 200khz will give a better image and will show more detail in shallow water, not sure on the physics behind it but yer that’s the reason there aren’t any single 50khz transducers.

Jacko's picture

Posts: 72

Date Joined: 15/10/08

Furuno GP 7000F is a combo

Wed, 2010-05-12 12:08

Furuno GP 7000F is a combo unit. I have the Lowrance HDS8 with 83/200 transducer and it works great down to about 80m. I have not been any deeper than that.

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If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can read it in English thank a Soldier.

Posts: 64

Date Joined: 08/09/07

gday ferret i have a navmam

Wed, 2010-05-12 19:12

gday ferret i have a navmam 4500 5in screen 50/200khz u can have for $300 I have up graded to a furuno and was going to put it in the boat when i sell it but the new boats not going to happen So if thats any good let me know