FIRST IMPRESSIONS: AIRMAR 1 kw SS264W-50 kHz + AIRMAR M260

[Sharphooks]

hey Guys

I finally got some water-time with the new transducer install (thru-hull Airmar SS264W 50 kHz) so I thought I'd share some impressions for informational purposes. These transducers are expensive and it's hard to make a purchase decision so seeing screen-shots and reading about other people's experiences are a big help.

I've had an Airmar M260 in the boat for a couple of years (an in-hull) It's a great tool for finding bait (at speed, as in finding bait balls going 30 knts ) but not all that hot for day-to-day fishing stuff (tracking gear, pin-pointing fish etc).

That's due to two reasons:

PLACEMENT: It sits on the center-line of the boat approx. 4 feet ahead of where my downriggers are mounted and;

BEAM WIDTH: The 200 kHz has a 6 degree beam and the 50 kHz has a 19 degree beam

Since most of my salmon fishing is conducted between zero to 30 meters, those beam widths equate to 11 feet of coverage for the 200 kHz element and 34 feet for the 50 kHz elements

In other words, a fairly narrow viewing window for both 'ducers.

To compound matters, I fish with braid (which promotes blow-back) and even worse, I exclusively use an 8 pound downrigger ball (even-more blow-back) yeah, yeah, I know, I'm an idiot for using such a light ball but that's besides the point here

Short answer---the only time I see my gear on the M260 is on a total slack tide or if I am moving across current and the gear is pushed directly under the boat.

So having 1 kW capability with my sounders (FURUNO DFF1 + 587) I decided to bite the bullet and install a 50 kHz SS264 W (W = "wide" = 25 degree beam) It is installed in the Port Sponson of my Arima, DIRECTLY over the hole in the water that I drop my gear into. At 30 M, this gives me a beam width (viewing window) of 45 feet.

A bit of math: the beam of my boat is 8 feet; 45 feet minus 8 feet beam /2 = an 18 foot viewing window on both port and starboard side of the boat if my gear is at 30 meters

So I got some water-time yesterday--- lots of bait and even got a few springs. They were all caught in the C&R section so no pix of the fish but here are some screen shots

FURUNO 587 wired to AIRMAR SS264W 50 kHz



You can clearly see---top line = spinning herring---middle line = dummy flasher---bottom line = down rigger ball

Here's the same screen-shot on the DFF1 wired to the AIRMAR M260 (setting is at 200 khZ)



No gear, just a spin or two of the herring, even though the gain is turned up high enough to get lots of clutter

Here's a shot of bait on the SS264W with my gear going right through the middle of it:



Here's the same shot on the DFF1 attached to the M260:



You're left asking---what's up with the M260? Well, if I'd had the screen on "Dual" it would have provided much more info but still no gear.

The narrow beam takes some getting used to; lots of tweaking to find the right setting---I think that rig has more of a place in deep-water fishing---halibut pasted to the bottom in 100 M---that's where a machine like the M260 would shine

What's interesting: I can run the M260 in dual mode (50 kHz on one side; 200kHz on the other) and run the SS264W 50 kHz thru-hull simultaneously and NOT get any interference between the two 50's. That really surprised me.

When I ran my Airmar P66 (600 W transducer) it would totally screw up the DFF1 when running them simultaneously

All in all, I'm pleased. I know the CHIRP stuff is way cooler then what I have, but I'm officially done in the transducer department. I mean really. Done. That's it. No more marine electronics...Over and done with.

But if anyone has some screen shots of their new CHIRP, I'd be all over it. I mean just for informational sake. Nothing more then that.


Really.

 

[tykkyt e blue]

Thank-you sooo much for making that post. I have also been considering a change to 1kw transducers and wanted to see real comparisons before deciding what I would want?
I love the shot of the gear n bait - most of the time I have imagined how it looks but never seen it on my electronics ( yet )

 

[Sharphooks]

So some of you know there is an Icon choice on the Furuno models called "ACCUFISH" ---it only works when you have both 50 and 200 kHz turned on ("DUAL") as the two sets of elements must triangulate to give the specific depth of a target.

I can't use it on the SS264W because I only have the 50 kHz transducer but I have it on the M260 (contains both 50 + 200 in the box)

So, on Friday I get to my honey hole (first spring trip of the year, first five minutes of fishing for springs this season ) and I turn on the ACCUFISH option on the DFF1.

I immediately see a target at 77 feet . I drop the gear down to it with a cut-plug herring, then I turned around to fiddle with the sounder one more time. Just at that moment, thinking I might start paying attention to other things besides the sounder, I happened to look over my shoulder and glanced back at my gear. Holy mackerel--the rod had popped free from the clip---fish on!

So, I'm not saying that I got the fish that showed up on ACCUFISH but it sure seemed pretty coincidental.

What's really goofy is here we have a color sounder that costs in the thousands of dollars and when you're using the ACCUFISH option and a target shows up, there's an alarm function that you can engage that when turned on, sounds a beep and posts a message across your screen that boldly proclaims:

..."THERE'S A FISH ON THE BOTTOM. WHY DON'T YOU CATCH IT?..."

I'm not making this up---Ya gotta love the Japanese electronic technicians for that one.

I wonder what the commies must think when they see that message flash across their screens?

 

[barkerfam]

This is great info. Thank you!