Inside Edge

Electronics 106: New Sonar & GPS Units for 2007

It is that time of year again, boat show season, all the new models of boats lined up and ready for you to look over and go through. If you look closely enough you will notice new models of electronics mounted on the new boats as well. Choosing a new boat can be a daunting task but failure to select the right electronics on that new boat can haunt you throughout your ownership or cause you to purchase additional or replacement units. With that in mind let’s take a look at some of the new Sonar and GPS units available from the three major manufactures as well as a quick review of the important features to look for when purchasing a new graph.

New Sonar & GPS Units for 2007

Garmin:

Garmin has introduced several new GPS and Chartplotter units for 2007; the units with the biggest impact on freshwater fisherman are the GPS530 and GPS 535, both units feature a 5” VGA color display, pre loaded maps of U.S. Inland lakes and have an optional sonar featuring a 400 watt dual beam transducer. Anglers wanting a smaller screen and more affordable unit will like the GPS430 featuring the same mapping and sonar options with a 4” VGA color display.

For sonar only applications or bow mounted units, the Garmin Fishfinder 400C fits the bill. Featuring a 4” color QVGA display that is easy to see in bright sunlight, along with fish-catching features like CANet, water temperature, fully automatic operation, and a choice of either a 400-watt RMS in dual beam or 500-watts RMS dual frequency transducer. The Garmin 400C is tough to beat.

Humminbird:

After introducing 3D and Side Imaging sonar in 2006 Humminbird continues to push the envelope and improve sonar display in 2007. The new 797c2 si Combo brings Side Imaging 3D Sonar into the affordable 700 series. This unit offers 5” color display, 640X480 resolution, 4000 watt peak to peak power, MMC memory card slot, Hot Map and Navionics compatibility and a 16 channel WAAS GPS receiver. The new 757c Combo is another high power Sonar / GPS Combo unit, with features like a 5” color display, 320X240 resolution, 4000 watt peak to peak power, MMC memory card slot, DualBeam Plus Transducer, and a 16 channel WAAS GPS receiver.

For those looking for an affordable color sonar the new 747c Sonar is a great option; a 5” color display, 320X240 resolution, 4000 watts peak to peak power, DualBeam Plus transducer plus it is network and GPS compatible.

Lowrance:

The big news from Lowrance this season is screen size, with the introduction of the new LCX-110C and LCX-111CHD Lowrance has upped the ante on screen size with a whopping 10.4” color SVGA screen. Beyond the “big screen” size both units feature 600x800 resolution, 8000 watts peak to peak power, dual frequency transducer, sonar recording, GPS mapping option, two MMC/SD card slots for recording or upgrading, plug n play compatible with Fishing Hot Spots and other mapping software. The LCX-111CHD has an additional 20G hard drive pre-loaded with mapping software and electronic charts.

For those wanting the more traditional 7” display Lowrance offers the LCX-25C and LCX-26CHD both feature 480x640 resolution, 8000 watts peak to peak power, dual frequency transducer, GPS option, two MMC/SD card slots for upgrading, plug n play compatible with Fishing Hot Spots and other mapping software. The LCX-26CHD includes an additional 20G hard drive pre-loaded with mapping software and electronic charts.

Lowrance also introduced several smaller sized units packed with power and full of features. If you are looking for a color Sonar / GPS combo unit the LMS-332C GPS features all of the power and mapping capability of larger units in smaller in-dash mountable format plus the pre-installed lake maps include topo depth contours. If you are interested in a full power full feature small Sonar only unit the X-135 is hard to beat, 5” screen, 480x480 resolution and 4000 watts peak to peak make the X-135 a power packed sonar bargain.

Factors In Purchasing Your Graph

There are several important factors that go into the purchase of a graph; pixel counts, peak to peak power, screen size, etc… the following are critical:

Pixel Count: Basically this is the number of squares that make up the picture you see on the graph, the higher the count the greater the detail. If you plan to fish deep you will need a graph with a minimum of 320v x 480h pixel count.

Cone Angle: Measured in degrees this will give an idea how wide of an area you are viewing on the bottom. For deep fishing a minimum of 15 degrees is necessary.

Peak to Peak: This is the amount of watts the graph will put out; it is the total amount of AC current output from the graph’s peak positive value to its peak negative value. A peak to peak value of 2500 watts or greater is required for deep fishing.

Screen size: The larger the screen the greater the detail, most deep fisherman use a 7” diagonal screen.

Greyline: This is a Lowrance term, simply put it shows items of differing densities with differing shades grey darker grey being the stronger signal (i.e. a rock bottom darker grey than a mud bottom, or a fish laying on the bottom)

Zoom: Gotta Have It! 2x & 4x zoom allows you to look closer at your bait, the structure or the fish without having to adjust the upper and lower limits of your view.

Transducer Frequency: The higher the frequency the more detail 200 kHz is used for deep fishing, a 50kHz is used for trolling and deep sea fishing it has a broader view.

Transducer Type: A skimmer transducer is preferred; it stands off of your trolling motor a little further than a pod style which seems to help limit trolling motor inference.

This is also a great time of year to pick up a good deal on non-current model sonar or GPS, many retailers will run clearance sales on non-current models after the first of the year leading to the possibility of picking up a high quality unit at or below dealer cost. With that in mind let’s review some of the important features to look at when buying a sonar before you head to the Marine Accessories Counter at Bass Pro Shops.

Eric Prey is sponsored by: Ranger Boats, Bill’s Marine, Jewel Bait Co. and Anglers’ Tackle Box as well as the owner of Focused Fishing guide service.