heavytacklecrackle
Member
Airmar B175hw has been hands down the best ive used out here. With a little tuning in the settings it is awesome! if i knew how to attach pictures i would!
Lets talk transducers...
- Thread starter EZZ70
- Start date
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
I’ve got some screen shots if you want to see the diff between B175HW and the B54 (Airmar’s designation of the Furuno triple beam, also known as Furuno Multi-Beam)
Here’s the B175HW with gain turned way up to show bait ball and downrigger gear:
Here’s the Furuno Multi Beam B54, showing both down-scan and side-scan of a bait ball:
Here’s a screen-shot of the 180 degree side-scan function on a relatively flat bottom. The tide was slack and my downrigger gear (ball and cut-plug just above it) were hanging directly under the boat—-makes for an interesting target return:
However, Despite having all that heavy fire-power covering the full palette of frequency ranges, my favorite transducer continues to be my P66 transom mount. I’ve run it on the full line of Furuno fish finders, including the GP7000F, the FCV 600, FCV624, the FCV 585 and the FCV 587. Last summer, I stepped up for the FCV 588, which has both bottom discrimination as well as “Rez-Boost”—-The Rez-Boost I will call a poor-man’s CHIRP—- you can get CHIRP-like returns (purchasing both the sonar head and the transducer) for less then the cost of what you’d pay for just the CHIRP transducer. (And once you owned the transducer you’d still need to buy the sonar module to drive the transducer and an MFD to see the picture).
Here are some screen-shots of the FCV588 with the Rez-Boost. YOu can also see what bottom discrimination looks like on the bottom of the screen—-that bell and whistle I would think would be extremely valuable to a halibut fisherman:. You can clearly see the bottom transition from mixed gravel and sand to rock in both bottom discrimination pictures:
Here’s the B175HW with gain turned way up to show bait ball and downrigger gear:
Here’s the Furuno Multi Beam B54, showing both down-scan and side-scan of a bait ball:
Here’s a screen-shot of the 180 degree side-scan function on a relatively flat bottom. The tide was slack and my downrigger gear (ball and cut-plug just above it) were hanging directly under the boat—-makes for an interesting target return:
However, Despite having all that heavy fire-power covering the full palette of frequency ranges, my favorite transducer continues to be my P66 transom mount. I’ve run it on the full line of Furuno fish finders, including the GP7000F, the FCV 600, FCV624, the FCV 585 and the FCV 587. Last summer, I stepped up for the FCV 588, which has both bottom discrimination as well as “Rez-Boost”—-The Rez-Boost I will call a poor-man’s CHIRP—- you can get CHIRP-like returns (purchasing both the sonar head and the transducer) for less then the cost of what you’d pay for just the CHIRP transducer. (And once you owned the transducer you’d still need to buy the sonar module to drive the transducer and an MFD to see the picture).
Here are some screen-shots of the FCV588 with the Rez-Boost. YOu can also see what bottom discrimination looks like on the bottom of the screen—-that bell and whistle I would think would be extremely valuable to a halibut fisherman:. You can clearly see the bottom transition from mixed gravel and sand to rock in both bottom discrimination pictures:
Last edited:
CBsqrd
Well-Known Member
https://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/index.php?threads/3d-structure-scan.68086/
In short, great for bass fishing in lakes, waste of money for the chuck. Furuno makes the only truly salt water capable side/3D transducer.
Stick with the 175HW (or P66/B60) it will do everything you want and more - which is how deep the water is and what depth bait and fish are at. Chasing returns of to the side you see on side scan is going to get old pretty quick. A) any hungry salmon are going to see your gear and some to you and B) by the time you maneuver the boat at trolling speeds, whatever you saw is going to have moved and drifted off with the current by the time you get there.
I installed a Furuno DFF3D and DFF1-UHD w/ B175HW last year (purchased as a 2nd hand package). The 3D is cool, but the 175HW gets used 90% of the time when fishing. I’ve turned on the side scan once or twice while fishing and didn’t find it particularly useful.
In short, great for bass fishing in lakes, waste of money for the chuck. Furuno makes the only truly salt water capable side/3D transducer.
Stick with the 175HW (or P66/B60) it will do everything you want and more - which is how deep the water is and what depth bait and fish are at. Chasing returns of to the side you see on side scan is going to get old pretty quick. A) any hungry salmon are going to see your gear and some to you and B) by the time you maneuver the boat at trolling speeds, whatever you saw is going to have moved and drifted off with the current by the time you get there.
I installed a Furuno DFF3D and DFF1-UHD w/ B175HW last year (purchased as a 2nd hand package). The 3D is cool, but the 175HW gets used 90% of the time when fishing. I’ve turned on the side scan once or twice while fishing and didn’t find it particularly useful.
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
What both CBsqrd and Wolf said regarding your question about StructureScan.
It’s not known as a saltwater fishing tool. Fresh water in 20 feet of water chasing bass? Sure, go for it. But in the chuck you won’t have any type of significant depth penetration into the water column, especially while underway in lumpy seas.
I posted a screen-cap of a Furuno Multi beam side-scan target return of a bait ball in 200+ feet of water above (the second pic down). I’m betting the StructureScan couldn’t have painted that same picture at that depth. Is it valuable to have that type of target returns at that depth? Sometimes. If your down-scan is not showing bait directly below you but your side-scan is, a slight course adjustment will put you back over the bait and hopefully, the predators chasing it
The tech boost that Furuno has over the competition on side-scan? Their unique "motion sensing" technology mitigates the constant pitch/roll/yaw movements that effect your boat while fishing
They tried to develop a product that smoothed the real-time imaging so that you can view a clear, picture-perfect, wide-angle view of what’s happening in "real time" underneath your boat. The 165 kHZ transmit frequencies of their multi-beam transducer enables the beams to penetrate deeper water.
In comparison, some competitive wide-angle units such as StructureScan offer transmit frequencies that are more then twice as high as Furuno's. Those frequencies show great target returns and image resolution in 20 feet of water but limit the real-world effective depths that can be reached when fishing the chuck.
It’s not known as a saltwater fishing tool. Fresh water in 20 feet of water chasing bass? Sure, go for it. But in the chuck you won’t have any type of significant depth penetration into the water column, especially while underway in lumpy seas.
I posted a screen-cap of a Furuno Multi beam side-scan target return of a bait ball in 200+ feet of water above (the second pic down). I’m betting the StructureScan couldn’t have painted that same picture at that depth. Is it valuable to have that type of target returns at that depth? Sometimes. If your down-scan is not showing bait directly below you but your side-scan is, a slight course adjustment will put you back over the bait and hopefully, the predators chasing it
The tech boost that Furuno has over the competition on side-scan? Their unique "motion sensing" technology mitigates the constant pitch/roll/yaw movements that effect your boat while fishing
They tried to develop a product that smoothed the real-time imaging so that you can view a clear, picture-perfect, wide-angle view of what’s happening in "real time" underneath your boat. The 165 kHZ transmit frequencies of their multi-beam transducer enables the beams to penetrate deeper water.
In comparison, some competitive wide-angle units such as StructureScan offer transmit frequencies that are more then twice as high as Furuno's. Those frequencies show great target returns and image resolution in 20 feet of water but limit the real-world effective depths that can be reached when fishing the chuck.
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
Speaking of SideScan, I found this screen cap of the Furuno multi-beam “history” function. This is the mode that Furuno likes to showcase in their promo vids about DFF3D. It paints both real-time of the structure under your boat and maintains the “history” of grounds you’ve already gone over. It is a really good function if you’re in a new area and you’re trying to get an idea of the bottom configuration
You can also mark a bait target or a predator target on the screen and if you have a flux gate compass in your network, you can point the heading line at the event mark and go back to it in “real time” on the MFD screen....pretty snazzy but I agree with CBsqrd—salmon fishing is all about movable furniture in the ebb and flow of tides and you can run yourself ragged chasing targets off to port or starboard or stuff you’ve already gone over. It’s a better technology for getting the lay of the land under your boat and for the wow factor of seeing it displayed in all those dazzling colors
Wildthing—-you’ll be very happy with the 175 and the 264’s. Just make sure when you get out that hole saw that you’re placing those x-ducers in an optimum spot—-nothing upstream on the boat hull, correct tilt according to deadrise, arrow pointed at the keel, blah blah blah ...you know the drill
I was an early adopter of the 1KW transducers when they first came out and I stepped up for CHIRP transducers years ago when they first came on the market. And I made some whopper mistakes when deciding where to mount those transducers over the years.
When I owned an Arima I got the bright idea that if I placed an Airmar 264N and an Airmar 264W in the bottom of the Arima sponsons, I would have the transducers directly over my downrigger gear.
I paid big money to gouge out a ton of foam and drill down to the skin of the boat for what I thought was optimum placement
So, later that summer, after all that expense and nail biting, I launched the boat at Port Hardy and fired up the transducers—-perfect picture in dead calm water....then a boat came by, made just enough wake to rock the boat and....wtf...I completely lost the picture from both transducers. I broke into a cold sweat—downrigger ball deep down over the rocks, me without a trustworthy sonar picture for the rest of my trip
I later came to realize that the face of the transducers, being on the port and starboard sponsons, came out of the water with the rocking of the boat just enough to create turbulence and bubbles, resulting in a total loss of picture. That was a $ 3,000 mistake...in the world of transducers, pretend you're investing in real estate: it's all about location, location, location.....
You can also mark a bait target or a predator target on the screen and if you have a flux gate compass in your network, you can point the heading line at the event mark and go back to it in “real time” on the MFD screen....pretty snazzy but I agree with CBsqrd—salmon fishing is all about movable furniture in the ebb and flow of tides and you can run yourself ragged chasing targets off to port or starboard or stuff you’ve already gone over. It’s a better technology for getting the lay of the land under your boat and for the wow factor of seeing it displayed in all those dazzling colors
Wildthing—-you’ll be very happy with the 175 and the 264’s. Just make sure when you get out that hole saw that you’re placing those x-ducers in an optimum spot—-nothing upstream on the boat hull, correct tilt according to deadrise, arrow pointed at the keel, blah blah blah ...you know the drill
I was an early adopter of the 1KW transducers when they first came out and I stepped up for CHIRP transducers years ago when they first came on the market. And I made some whopper mistakes when deciding where to mount those transducers over the years.
When I owned an Arima I got the bright idea that if I placed an Airmar 264N and an Airmar 264W in the bottom of the Arima sponsons, I would have the transducers directly over my downrigger gear.
I paid big money to gouge out a ton of foam and drill down to the skin of the boat for what I thought was optimum placement
So, later that summer, after all that expense and nail biting, I launched the boat at Port Hardy and fired up the transducers—-perfect picture in dead calm water....then a boat came by, made just enough wake to rock the boat and....wtf...I completely lost the picture from both transducers. I broke into a cold sweat—downrigger ball deep down over the rocks, me without a trustworthy sonar picture for the rest of my trip
I later came to realize that the face of the transducers, being on the port and starboard sponsons, came out of the water with the rocking of the boat just enough to create turbulence and bubbles, resulting in a total loss of picture. That was a $ 3,000 mistake...in the world of transducers, pretend you're investing in real estate: it's all about location, location, location.....
Last edited:
Tail-chaser
Member
Guys up here may wan to take a look at the new tm 165 hw. Airmars new 600w wide beam chirp transducer with a 30 degree cone angle. Might be perfect fit to replace the p66 for those wanting to utilize the chirp capabilities on the new head units.
EZZ70
Well-Known Member
Hey sorry to kick this horse again :0
I can get a (12" and a 7") or (9" and 9") configuration for app the same pricing? ...all HDS Gen3's, what config would you go with?
What "transom mounted" transducers would you use for salmon, halibut/groundfish? I think the P66 is a given Yes/No? Correct me if I am wrong but I can hook up one transducer to each head unit and I can switch back and forth as they will be networked...
I was thinking a TM165HW but wondering if the TM165 will interfere with the P66 while both are being used?
I can get a (12" and a 7") or (9" and 9") configuration for app the same pricing? ...all HDS Gen3's, what config would you go with?
What "transom mounted" transducers would you use for salmon, halibut/groundfish? I think the P66 is a given Yes/No? Correct me if I am wrong but I can hook up one transducer to each head unit and I can switch back and forth as they will be networked...
I was thinking a TM165HW but wondering if the TM165 will interfere with the P66 while both are being used?
Last edited:
Yes it will interfere. Try to get something to where only one unit has the TM265HW & the sounder info can be displayed on the second unit. IMO this functionality is much more important than what brand you choose.
pescador
Well-Known Member
So I just installed my new tm165 hw and tried it with my new Garmin 942xs plus. Game changer. I also re-installed my p66 on the other side of the transom approx 3 feet away from the 165 which I’ve left hooked up to my older Garmin unit as backup. I have not been fishing yet but running both units same time in the River there was no interference between them. The detail on the 165 so far is a quantum leap over the non Chirp P66. The 942xs plus has a lot of features and it’ll take a while to figure stuff out. It’s like going from an IBM typewriter to a new Mac.
EZZ70
Well-Known Member
THNAK YOU! That is awesome...
pescador
Well-Known Member
So I’ve just had a week at Nootka with the new tm165hw. It’s detail is very good. Picks up bait, fish and weeds amazingly. Worth every dollar. Now, the bad; under speed 25 knots or so in deep water like plus 400ft it loses the bottom. It really seems to do well in 300ft or less at speed but over that depth it’s struggling. Not the end of the world and maybe I need to dial it in a bit more to solve this. Not sure. I really haven’t played with the settings that much. At speed i sense it’s getting a bit of interference off my other sounder and it’s p66. But trolling both are amazing. Overall as a fisherman it’s great. For cruising probably not ideal.
wildthing
Well-Known Member
leave your P66 on 50 Htz...
Sir Reel
Well-Known Member
I had the same issue. Garmin allows you to have multiple profiles with different names. Setup a cruising and fishing mode and use 150hz for cruising, no chirp and then chirp for fishing mode. 150 holds bottom better.
Sir Reel
Well-Known Member
This will help too. its under Menu > Sonar Setup > Advanced
Set to 300 to 500 feet or something
Btm. Srch. Limit
Limits the search for the bottom to the depth selected when the Range setting is set to Auto. To minimize the length of time it takes to find the bottom, you can select a depth to limit the search for the bottom. The device will not search for the bottom deeper than the selected depth.
Traditional, Garmin ClearVü, and SideVü Sonar Setup
Here is how to setup different presets on the sonar. I have one called cruising and one called fishing. Within those presets yo9u cabn have completely different sonar settings.
Presets
A preset is a collection of settings that optimize the screen or view. You can use particular presets to optimize groups of settings for your activity. For example, some settings might be optimal for when you are fishing, and others might be optimal for when you are cruising. Presets are available on some screens, such as charts, sonar views, and radar views.To select a preset for a compatible screen, select MENU >
When you are using a preset and you make changes to the settings or view, you can save the changes to the preset or create a new preset based on the new customizations.
pescador
Well-Known Member
thanks. awesome infoThis will help too. its under Menu > Sonar Setup > Advanced
Set to 300 to 500 feet or something
Btm. Srch. Limit
Limits the search for the bottom to the depth selected when the Range setting is set to Auto. To minimize the length of time it takes to find the bottom, you can select a depth to limit the search for the bottom. The device will not search for the bottom deeper than the selected depth.
Traditional, Garmin ClearVü, and SideVü Sonar Setup
Here is how to setup different presets on the sonar. I have one called cruising and one called fishing. Within those presets yo9u cabn have completely different sonar settings.
Presets
A preset is a collection of settings that optimize the screen or view. You can use particular presets to optimize groups of settings for your activity. For example, some settings might be optimal for when you are fishing, and others might be optimal for when you are cruising. Presets are available on some screens, such as charts, sonar views, and radar views.
To select a preset for a compatible screen, select MENU >, and select the preset.
When you are using a preset and you make changes to the settings or view, you can save the changes to the preset or create a new preset based on the new customizations.
Similar threads
