Which Fish Finder for depth

[sjdtuk]

My elderly fishfinder Apelco 265 has expired after 20 years.
The transducer is glassed on to the indside of the hull quite a way forward.

I am trying to work out what to replace it with.
requirements:
- show the depth in big numbers with a good back light
- reasonable power consumption
- ability to punch through a thick hull
- reasonable price
- fish / additional bottom visibility are a bonus

I would be very interested in your thoughts.

Thanks

Stephen

 

[Highndry]

Are you able to identify the make/model of the transducer from the original installation? Might save a lot of hassle if you can find a unit to utilise the existing transducer.

Looks to me as though your unit became a Raymarine 265. If that's the case, it might be worth checking with Raymarine what would connect straight to your transducer.

 

[sjdtuk]

Looked again - its actually a 360.
I rang Raymarine but there does not seem to be anything compatible.

The suggestion was to buy a Dragonfly.

I will have a look round at Southampton perhaps.

 

[Pete7]

Ask them about the transducer if you are thinking of a Dragonfly as I don't think they have through or shoot through hull transducers yet. Certainly couldn't see any on their website when I looked the other day. Otherwise is there a budget, the cheap end is Lowrance/Eagle/Garmin and there are so fab little colour fish finders about. Again check the transducer situation.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lowrance-...tEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item19f262648b

 

[FishyInverness]

Dragonfly is a Plotter/Sounder as well, they never made a simple fishfinder model, so you'd be paying through the nose for something that you might not be using.

I would certainly suggest any of the Low end Lowrance/Garmin fishfinders, the little transom mount transducers can shoot through, and are small and easy enough to fettle with to site them before bonding in - The garmin screens are usually the most simple and easy to understand as well...something like the Echo101 perhaps?

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/marine/fishfinders/echo-101/prod146593.html#gallery-dialog

As Highndry says though, it may be worth looking to see if you can find a model that will be compatible with the existing transducer, but as technology moves on, older transducers can end up giving newer units limited functionality, you’d need to ensure the head unit was using the same frequency and emitting the right power range to work the transducer correctly – it *is* possible for a marine electrician to change the fittings on the transducer to be compatible with a different head unit, BUT you do still need to ensure that the frequency and power are compatible.

 

[sjdtuk]

I agree. This is the way to go.
Cheaper using Garmin/Lowrance.
Transom transducer glassed in where the old one was.

Thanks for your help.