Garmin echoMAP 94sv

[dmack]

I am replacing my bow unit. Was very close to pulling the trigger on either a Helix 9 or 10 ($1299 and $1699 respectively). I see that in a week Bass Pro has the Garmin echoMAP 94sv for considerably less ($599). I know that Garmin won't have the Mega Imaging. Saving somewhere between 700 and 1100 is enticing. However, I don't want buy something I wouldn't be happy with. Do any of you have any experience with this Garmin unit? What are your opinions? 

[12poundbass]

Go check one out. You're going to get strong opinions on both sides. If you compare it to MEGA imaging you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Nothing compares to MEGA imaging. I'm still undecided on the 73sv or the Helix 7 SI myself. 

[Abrown2669]

Checked on this unit myself. It is set up for the ocean however the one from Bass Pro comes with Lake View maps which will make it fine for freshwater fishing. It's also last year's model without the touch screen.

[redbirdsfan44]

Definitely pros and cons to each brand of fish finder on the market. Garmin makes some awesome units for the price tag but like previously mentioned nothing compares to mega SI. Like most things you get what you pay for. Mega is the latest technology on the market in SI and DI so you’d have to assume it will be here for a while. I upgraded units last year and opted for the Helix 9 mega SI at the console and I have no regrets. If it fits your budget I’d say go for the helix 9. You won’t be disappointed and I don’t think an inch of screen is worth $400 especially because both units are the exact same size just an inch difference in screen size. I need to do some tweaking with my settings still but here’s a screenshot 

[Sprocket]

Keep in mind, you can add Panoptix any time to the 94sv.

 

SE Kansas grass grpwer

[Evan Silver]

I’ve been doing a lot of research since I saw the sale and the downside is it comes with the saltwater transducer which is great for side and down view. Not so great for 2D sonar detail. 

[LoweStinger]

You may want to look again at that, Its advertised even lower now for the spring classic sale at 449 !! Plus you get the triple crown points free installation and other bonus bucks !!

[12poundbass]

11 minutes ago, Evan Silver said:

I’ve been doing a lot of research since I saw the sale and the downside is it comes with the saltwater transducer which is great for side and down view. Not so great for 2D sonar detail. 

The only difference between the 73 sv and the 74 sv is the 74sv has coastal maps, the transducers I believe are the same. 

[ElectricSlide19]

11 hours ago, Evan Silver said:

I’ve been doing a lot of research since I saw the sale and the downside is it comes with the saltwater transducer which is great for side and down view. Not so great for 2D sonar detail. 

He is right, it does come with a different transducer. the 94 comes with a CV 51 transducer while the 93 comes with a CV 52 transducer. The Garmin website makes it sound like both will still mark fish with 2D sonar. Here are the specs for both transducers. Can someone translate what they mean? I thought this was going to be a lock for purchasing this, but now I am not so sure...

CV 51: CHIRP Mid-band (80-160 kHz); ClearVü/SideVü CHIRP 260 kHz (245-275 kHz) & 455 kHz (445-465 kHz)

 

CV 52: CHIRP High Wide (150-240 kHz); ClearVü CHIRP 455 kHz (425-485 kHz) & 800 kHz (790-850 kHz)

[12poundbass]

I'm no pro at this (obviously I thought they had the same transducer. But with my line of work the frequencies kind of go hand in hand. 

 

So basically the higher the frequency the better the picture but the shorter the distance. The lower the frequency the deeper you can go and the image quality is lacking. So the lower frequencies for the coastal units makes sense because salt water tends to be deeper. Saltwater is more dense too not sure if that plays into the equation or not.

[LonnieP]

22 hours ago, LoweStinger said:

You may want to look again at that, Its advertised even lower now for the spring classic sale at 449 !! Plus you get the triple crown points free installation and other bonus bucks !!

That’s the 7” version. The OP is looking at the 9.

[ElectricSlide19]

I did some further research as well, looks like some guys that are typically in shallow salt water situations say that they are unhappy with the transducer performance when shallow (less than 50 feet). Of course this is all just from reading some forums on the hulltruth. Looks like BPS is going to be douping a lot of people into buying a sonar that won't match the application they are going to use it for. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I think I will be staying away from the 94sv even though it is a fantastic deal. Too bad they don't have it for the 93sv as well...

[LoweStinger]

If it comes down to just the transducer why not sell it on ebay and buy the correct one ? Just a thought.

 

[NHBull]

I picked up 2 of the Garmins for under 900.oo. Good enough for me

[ElectricSlide19]

1 hour ago, LoweStinger said:

If it comes down to just the transducer why not sell it on ebay and buy the correct one ? Just a thought.

 

My understanding from reading on other forums was that people were having issues with changing transducers, even though they should be compatible. Things like side vu and down vu were not working correctly after changing the ducer 

[Sprocket]

12 hours ago, ElectricSlide19 said:

My understanding from reading on other forums was that people were having issues with changing transducers, even though they should be compatible. Things like side vu and down vu were not working correctly after changing the ducer 

I've got a 52 and a 51 transducers that I use every time out on the water.  I've changed them back and forth between units without any issues.  You do have to go into the menu and change to whichever transducer you are using. 

 

SE Kansas grass grower

[ElectricSlide19]

11 hours ago, Sprocket said:

I've got a 52 and a 51 transducers that I use every time out on the water.  I've changed them back and forth between units without any issues.  You do have to go into the menu and change to whichever transducer you are using. 

 

SE Kansas grass grower

From your experience would the 51 transducer give good performance in shallow water? (less than 50') I would hate to spend $600 on a unit and be unhappy with the performance

[Sprocket]

I honestly can't tell much difference.  They are both CHIRP but I do think the 52 separates fish a little better.  Not enough to make me put on a different transducer though.  I bass fish almost exclusively.

 

SE Kansas grass grower

[ElectricSlide19]

PM sent Sprocket

[Sprocket]

Replied

[RHuff]

I was thinking of getting that Garmin echoMap Chirp 74sv tomorrow at Bass Pro but I fish freshwater exclusively and 99% of my bass fishing is done in 40' of water and less.... 

 

Will the 74sv work for me or is that the wrong transducer? I have $500 budgeted so I was thinking of jumping on this deal but I don't wanna spend my money on something that will not work ideally. 

 

I want something that will read good sonar, side view, and down view... 

[Roughwater]

On 2/11/2018 at 10:44 AM, LonnieP said:

That’s the 7” version. The OP is looking at the 9.

Lonnie,

Wow that is one awsome deal.  Just a few days ago I saw a similar deal but almost a 100 dollars more and since it was the best deal I had seen in a couple weeks of continues searching and checking I bit.  Had I waited 3 days I would have saved even more!  Oh Well, what do ya do. 

 

I do think there may be some other subtle differences in the 73 and 74 other than the transducer and map!  I only say that because in researching the specs of some transducers at the Garmin store I found the occasional transducer that was stated to work for the 73 but not listed to work with the 74 and vice versa.  So I figured if the 73 and 74 were exactly the same they should share all the same transducers I would thinK?

An example of that is the GT40-TM.  At the garmin store it says it's for the Echomap 73SV.  It doesn't say it's for any of the other Echomap units, not the 74 or 72 model units.  https://g.factoryoutletstore.com/details/154975/garmin-010-12220-00.html?category_id=0&catalogitemid=138068 

 

At the Garmin.com site they don't even list it as being compatible with any of the Echomap SV units.

https://g.factoryoutletstore.com/details/154975/garmin-010-12220-00.html?category_id=0&catalogitemid=138068

 

Which all leaves me a little confused.  It would be nice if a Garmin rep frequently visited this website and answered these technical questions for us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roughwater]

On 2/9/2018 at 5:26 PM, dmack said:

I am replacing my bow unit. Was very close to pulling the trigger on either a Helix 9 or 10 ($1299 and $1699 respectively). I see that in a week Bass Pro has the Garmin echoMAP 94sv for considerably less ($599). I know that Garmin won't have the Mega Imaging. Saving somewhere between 700 and 1100 is enticing. However, I don't want buy something I wouldn't be happy with. Do any of you have any experience with this Garmin unit? What are your opinions? 

Dmack,

 

I don't know if you have since made up your mind yet but I have been able to get out a few times with the Garmin 74SV Chirp that I recently purchased .  I don't really have anything to compare it to so I don't know if the 73SV shows any more detail in shallow water but my 74 seems to be doing just fine in shallow water.  The only lake I have used it in so far is right at 30 ft deep in the deepest part of the lake.  I can clearly see individual fish and schools of fish etc really well with it. I can even see fish sitting on the bottom and individual fish stacked up.  My 74 came with the CV51-TM Transducer.  

After buying it I was really concerned like you thinking I might have to buy a different transducer like the 50 to see detail well in shallow water.  But my main concern was whether I could see fish OK, but having used it I can honestly say there is definitely no problem with the 74 seeing fish in shallow water.  Same goes with structure, I have no problem seeing structure and I can see the fish in the structure as well.  So the short of it is the 74 Works GREAT in shallow water and I couldn't be happier with my purchase (unless I had got it even cheper).  I would like to sooner or later pick up a panoptix transducer for it also. It would be pretty awesome being able to stop or anchor my boat and still see the fish but you can't do that with anything I know of except panoptix. 

Next time I am in my boat I'll take some pics of the screen and paste them here. 

Terry