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I have a garmin striker dv that has given me reliable service for years. Today I was in a hurry to get out and go fishing and put a new battery in the boat. The motor went down right and I assumed the polarity was correct. The starter spun without engaging. To check system voltage I tried to turn on the sounder. Nothing. I determined that the starter bendix was working and realized that the battery polarity was reversed. The engine started and I untied and began turning on instruments. The plotter came on but the sounder was dead. I checked the cables in the back of the sounder and they were plugged in all the way. There is power at the fuse rail, the fuse is fine, the negative bus is fine. But the sounder will not come on. I fish for a living and not having the ability to see what is going on down there renders me blind and would leave me wasting fuel and time playing fish bingo. Is it toast? If so what specifically is toast inside the sounder? I have a soldering iron and access to components, but not the kind of deep pockets that technicians and electronics dealers require.

Do any of you have the Deeper Fishfinder? I’m a kayak/shore angler and I’ve fished all my life just by intuition and experience but I think the Deeper might be an awesome addition to my gear. What are your guises experiences with it? I like the fact that it makes topo maps of the lakes and stuff. Is there a better Fishfinder for the price? I need something I can use both in a kayak and onshore

I know how to read and use my electronics, but once I find a nice school of bass how do I know where to cast in order to be right on top of them? Are they under my boat? To the right? To the left? In front of the boat? Behind the boat? Same question goes for casting towards points and ledges holding fish. Thanks so much

Looking for a new one, I don't need maps or even GPS. Basically I've narrowed it down to 3 specific models. The Garmin striker 7sv, what I like about it is the chirp with down imaging and side imaging it also goes up to 800 KHz on the clear vu and down vu. The Humminbird Helix 7 Chirp SI GPS G2, I like everything about this except it does not have 800 KHz but it has a 455 kHz: 420-520 kHz. The 3rd is the Humminbird Helix 7 DI, it has a higher frequency (800 KHz) for its down imaging but it does not have side imaging....I kinda want side imaging. Right now I have a older Humminbird on my boat, so if I did go with Humminbird I would not need to drill new holes in my boat. Thoughts please.

Can someone tell me if this reel (http://m.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Abu-Garcia-Revo-STX-Spinning-Reel-REVO2STX10&i=912087) would be a good pair for this rod (http://m.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=St-Croix-Legend-Tournament-Bass-Casting-Rod-610-Medium-Light&i=451547) I really don't have time to check. Anything would be great. Also I'd appreciate any alternate suggestions.

Hello! I am looking at getting my first fish finder for my kayak, my budget is kind of flexible, I want to spend around $300. I mainly bass fish in lakes. I have been looking at Lawrence and Raymarine. I wanted a Humminbird at first, but I do not like that they don't have "real" down imaging. My friend has been giving me **** and just telling me to get a humminbird or lowrance because those are the best, but he has never even heard of raymarine. The ray marine I was looking at has the frequencies as "CHIRP 170-230; Down Vision: 320-380", but from research, that doesn't seem like the best for shallow/lake fishing right? Also, Gander Mtn has a really good deal on an Elite 5 HDI, but it does not have CHIRP. How important is that for the type of fishing I do? Thank you, any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

I am looking for a GPS/GLONASS fishfinder and a transducer. My purpose is a bit on the unorthodox side. I work for a small civil engineering firm that assesses and and designs countermeasures for bridges. Many of our sites are over substantial rivers such as the Rio Grande and Colorado River. The overall goal is to be able to get accurate depth measurements from the transducer that will be logged in a gps unit. The setup will be on a small fishing boat and we will run cross sections upstream and downstream of the structure to get a representation of the channel. We are looking for a transducer with a narrow cone angle in order to get an accurate depth measurement. We also need a gps fishfinder that will log our location and depth as we move through the channel. Any help in selecting the proper equipment would be highly appreciated.

So I need to get a transducer for my Garmin Echomap 73sv and I found a used GT-41-TM for sale but I have a question. The GT-40 says its for Shallow water (fresh) and the GT-41says its for rougher deeper waters (salt). I guess my question is: will I not get get good shallow performance from the GT-41 as well? Both are compatible with the unit, I was jus wondering if I will sacrifice shallow water views because this is a deep water unit. I do not fish ocean in my boat at all. ransducer Name Picture Description Garmin P/N Price Freq. (kHz) Power Beam-width (o) LF/HF (-3dB) Max Depth (ft.) Depth/ Speed/ Temp # of Pins Cable Length (ft.) Supported Deadrise/ Transom Angles GT40-TM All-in-one Traditional/SideVü/DownVü optimized for clearer image at shallow depths. Provides picture-like images of what is below your boat. Contains fast response water temperature sensor. 010-12220-00 $249.99 Trad 77/200 Down/ Side/ CHIRP 455 khz (425-485) 800 khz (790-850) Trad 500W, Down/ Side 500W Trad 45/15 Down/Side 1.1x53@455 0.7x30@800 Trad 1900 fresh 900 Salt Down 750 Side 750 D/T 12 30 0-70° transom GT41-TM All-in-one Traditional/SideVü/DownVü optimized for depth and rough conditions. Provides picture-like images of what is below your boat. Contains fast response water temperature sensor. 010-12221-00 $299.99 Trad 50/200 Down/ Side/ CHIRP 260 khz (245-275) 455 khz (445-465) Trad 600W, Down/ Side 500W Trad 40/10 Down/Side 2.0x51@260 1.4x29@455 Trad 1500 Down 1000 Side 750 D/T 12 30 0-70° transom

Hey guys I currently have a JK Big Tuna and I want to add a fish finder to it. I think that I'm going to pick up a Garmin Striker 7sv. I plan on using it on both the kayak and my friends jon boat. I want to use a Ram Transducer Arm so that I can switch back and forth from both boats, but I don't think that the transducer will mount properly to the arm. The transducer number is GT52HW-TM. It is similar in shape to the Lowrance LSS but is not exactly the same. Does anyone have ideas about how I could get this to work or how I could rig up a transportable system that will get the transducer deep enough in the water for the sidevu to work properly??

Hey guys, just ordered a new has 9 and his 7. I want to run direct power to a toggle switch and need to know what battery i should get for them! thanks!

Hey everyone! I need help choosing a fishfinder for less than $200 that will help me locate structure (and fish) in a shallow lake (deepest point is 12 feet, but much of it is between 6-8 feet deep). If practical for my budget, Id like to be able to see the structure and underwater cover of certain parts of the lake that are impossible to drive directly over because of the cover, so that's side imaging right? Or does down imaging also fan out to the left and right of the boat a little bit? I'd like for the unit to be portable because I'll be using it on my father-in-laws bass raider and don't want to have to drill or run cables or anything. I've been looking at the Humminbird Fishin Buddy 120 unit (http://www.humminbird.com/Products/120-Fishin-Buddy/) because I think it meets most of my requirements, although I realize the "side finding" is not the same as side imaging. Does anyone have any experience with the Fishin Buddy 120 or any other portable fishfinder in a shallow lake that's been helpful for location structure, baitfish etc? Is the side imaging feature available on units in this price range or would I have to spend significantly more? Thanks for any guidance you can provide!

I do all kinds of fishing during all times of the year, and I normally do fairly well. But I am looking to take my fishing experience to the next level. I fish from a 12' Lowe Jon boat and a 20' Procraft bass boat. I live in Michigan. And I am new to the market of fishfinder. Well I have a old Hummingbird but all its good for is telling me the depth of water. I am looking for any advice for buying my first fishfinder. My price range is around $500. I have done some research and have looked at a Raymarine Dragonfly Sonar GPS and it looks nice and is around my price range but I don't know much about fishfinders. It should be noted that the majority of lakes around my area are 50-150 acres. I would like to primarily use the unit to help locate my crappie honey hole easier which is in about 10-20 ft. of water. And to catch deep bass. And the average depth of water I fish is about 10ft. (the reason I add this is I've heard different fishfinders give different readings depending on depth) A key feature I would like it to include is a map so I can mark areas I've caught fish. THANK YOU!!

So what am I looking for, what do the different colors mean, i know yellow is the strongest return, but how do I know if it is rock/hard or soft, what do the reds and blues mean? I don't know if it is different for certain fishfinders, but I'm mostly talking about the Garmin Echos. How can I tell what is weeds or wood, etc? Thanks

Ok so I know it is not used to "find fish", but I was wondering. It's spring time and I get out on the water and see fish suspended at about 10 ft (notable arcs.) I move into the shallows looking for structure and cover, and I see no fish on the finder, maybe some small clouds of baitfish. Should i still try to fish a spot, or pass it up if i see no "arcs"? Maybe a stupid question, but I'm fairly new to fishing off a boat Thanks

Sorry if this is confusing, but i just got into fishfinders, and i am quite confused. when i look at the screen of a standard fishfinder (Humminbird 570) i don't where the things i am seeing on the screen are. Are they in front of the boat, behind the boat, under the boat, on Mars, etc.Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Has anyone used Lowrance's new Mark/Elite 4 series with HDI? I know it was just announced in December and just released last month in January. I've been looking for a fishfinder and was going to go with a Mark 4 with just sonar and gps, but I did really want down imaging as well. Then I stumbled upon the new HDI series and it seems like quite a bit of technology for a decent price ($229/$299). It has all three features that I want but was wondering if anyone had hands on experience yet? Also, while I'm on the topic and don't want to create a separate thread, can anyone tell me if this is the type of battery I would need to use for a fishfinder? It is from BPS (the 12V/7.5 Amp version). This is my first time installing/using one and it will be installed on my new kayak so I just want to be sure I am getting the right items. http://www.basspro.com/RedHead-Rechargeable-Batteries/product/49382/ Thanks guys.

So i have a piranhamax 153 for my kayak, i'm going to do the thru-hull mount. My question is the best way to do it. what should i use to stick it to the hull that is pretty permenant, but doesn't require a scientist to do it? i have heard of marine goop and other things like it, also i have heard of making a well out of electrical putty and filling it with water before i go out. honestly i prefer not to have to add water before each launch,but if it works better then so be it. any help would be great!

Hi, I'm debating on which fish finder to buy for my 14' alumacraft semi-v jon boat. I have been doing research on the Lowrance 4x dsi and the Humminbird 346c DI. Which of these are the better of the 2? I'm new to using electronics and need some serious input on these 2 fish finders. Thanks Shane

Alright so I'm looking to get a cheaper fishfinder. One that is accurate with depth, structure, temperature, etc etc. I'm just looking for a fishfinder, not a chartplotter and what not. I have heard some pretty good things about Garmin fishfinders, and for the price I'm def. leaning towards it compared to Lowrance and Humminbird. What do you guys think of Garmin's and more importantly the Garmin Echo 500c. For the price ($250) it has a 5in screen, which is appealing to me, as i was looking at smaller screens in similar price by the two big manufacturers. So yeah if you could give me your opinions on Garmins and the one I'm looking at. Also you can give me some info on other fishfinders if you don't like the Garmin. Thanks

Alright so I'm new to fishfinders as we just got a boat. I'm not looking to spend at anywhere near where people on here would say to. I just want one that will accurately measure depth, temp, obviously easy to read/see the structure etc. It does not have to be in color, but more preferable. I've been looking into Garmin fishfinders. They rated their lower end model the best in field and stream against humminbird and lowrance, (not saying that i should go by that.) I've been looking at the Garmin Echo 300c. I haven't really looked in depth at fishfinders/differences, but I was wondering if you guys can give me a start. I'm looking in the range of $100-$300. Obviously I'm at the upper-end of those numbers, that is just the margin. So if you could give me some tips/list on what to look for in the fish finder, also if you could give me fish finders that you would recommend in this price range, etc, etc. I'm thinking I'm leaning more towards Humminbird and Garmin. Thanks Also sorry for how choppy that was, kind of just threw it together real quick.

I am looking to purchase a Garmin Echo 150 Dual Beam FishFinder and am looking for any and all tips/advice on mounting the transducer in the hull of my kayak. I have an Ascend FS-10 kayak so I have a nice "console" to mount the unit on. I am looking for tips/advice in terms of properly mounting the transducer so that I do not receive poor/false readings. Additionally, I am looking for any advice you could offer on how to store or mount the battery as well to conserve space, reduce interference and not slide around inside the hull. If you can point me in the direction of any other threads that already covered this topic that would be greatly appreciated as well. Thanks!

Just bought a 1995 Procraft 210 dual pro and the console has a lowrance x70a. Will the current cables work for a lowrance elite 7? Kind of a noobish question and I couldn't answer it myself researching it online.

I have a Lowrance HDS7 Gen 1 and am considering installing the structure scan add on. What has been your experience with structure scan? Is it worth the $600 investment?