depth sounder advice

[mmmroe]

Looking to add electronics on my boat. I'm looking to spend less then a 1000$. any advice would be extremely helpful. Looking for best bang for your buck finder with useful options (gps, side scan, chrip)

Thanks

 

[fishin solo]

Looking to add electronics on my boat. I'm looking to spend less then a 1000$. any advice would be extremely helpful. Looking for best bang for your buck finder with useful options (gps, side scan, chrip)

Thanks

Lowrance call chandler they will be the best price around make sure you get an airmar transducer with it either p66 or inhull p79

 

[michael_reiber]

We have the Lowrance Hook 7 with the airmar transducer and we are very happy with it, they're priced well too.

 

[spring time]

Why do you guy s up grade the transducer the one from lowrance.

 

[fishin solo]

Why do you guy s up grade the transducer the one from lowrance.

way better then the stock ones. Night and day difference imo you can really dial them in and they hold bottom reliably. I can cruise at 40mph and hold 500' no problem

 

[bentley]

So I'm kinda in the same boat, I bought the Lowrance hook 7 over Xmas, haven't installed it yet, have heard lots about the airmar transducer's but don't know anything about them, are they still a chirp transducer? And besides tracking the bottom better at high speeds, do they show more detail/fish ???

 

[fishizzle]

Keep it simple... if you are just looking for a depth sounder go with lowrance. The most important thing is knowing where the bottom is...all the manufacturer's have the more options than we really need or use... I set mine up on my boat in a water box and shoot through the hull...never any issue's

 

[JAC]

Lowrance and get the P66 transducer. Call HC Nanaimo they are the best around to deal with

 

[JAC]

Bentley

The Airmar P66 is not a chirp model. It's much larger then the 83/200 lowrance unit. If you bought the lowrance 50/200 it's a much closer match to the P66. If you have the small lowrance transducer the P66 will hold bottom better and work better for finding fish and bait.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Simrad with a P66.

 

[ericl]

I'd read-up on CHIRP on the airmar site. I have CHIRP & it is truly amazing - shows Salmon way better.

 

[Reeltime]

I'd read-up on CHIRP on the airmar site. I have CHIRP & it is truly amazing - shows Salmon way better.

I think your right ,i have the Lowrance elite 7 chirp and with the chirp transducer there was crisp fish marking and sharper image
but didn't track bottom at high speeds no biggie for me , changed to the p66 and lost all detail and sharp fish marks ...
played with all the settings and couldn't get it detailed lol 6 months later ..well gonna switch it up and see . probably made for higher powered sounders .

 

[RageWelding]

Nothing wrong with the lowrance 50/200 transducer. I have a p79 and a lowrance 50/200 and the lowrance ducer is better. The 50/200 is rated 500 watts, a p66 or p79 (same element just shoot through hull) are 600 watts but an hds only has 500 watts of output power so the extra 100 watts is neglegable.

 

[bentley]

Thanks JAC

So it's sounds like, from what your saying is the 83/200 isn't the most powerful transducer, if I was to go with the 50/200 transducer by Lowrance, am I still getting the benifits of the chirp, thanks for all the info

Bentley