New GPS/ Plotter

[tkei]

After my lowrance GPS5300 was stolen and recovered in jan, we have had a few hassels with it. It had been submerged somewhere and had leaked. we dried it out, and it worked for a while but then the screen died. Lowrance sa would not help as its an imported machine and I am not sending it back to the usa as last time customs gave me kak as it was anew machine being imported as the replaced the other one and had to pay almost 2k in tax etc.  Furuno in durban looked at it and fixed it for me, but over the easter break it worked intermittently. Not a nice situation to spend a few  grand opn fuel to the coast, bait, etc only to have the gps play up. the screen goed black (like a damaged LCD) and has lineds on it etc then is fine for a bit etc. Its also not safe as a GPS is nowdays an integral part of our navigation.

I now want to replace it. I have a lowrance x515c as the finder so a dual unit not nb, but it does not read well when running at pace. i dont want to re drill the hull so if I do go dual unit then will hull mount transducer for this purpose.

My budget is 20k max. do i replace the lowrance unit with the same. Advantages,. Lowrance sa have supposedly good after sales service and do not need to remount anything. It slots right in the old bracket.

Garmin. What are good Plotters and or Dual units here. NB must be internal gps as I do not want to put antennae on the boat.

Furuno. I have not used these at all so and advise appreciated.

If you have any others worth me looking at let me know. I was stung by buying in the USA last time so wont go there again sure a bit of bad luck but still a waste opf cash.

 

 

 

[miles]

Hiya

Garmin makes one of THE best plotters/gps units, whilst Furuno makes THE best fishfinders.

For some odd reason, most fishfinders won't work well when we tuna fish in the Cape. Many very good  units, which work briliantly inshore, simply don't work in the very deep waters of the canyon. Furuno is the only fishfinder that i can recommend with-out hessitantion.

If you're looking for a fishfinder plotter combo, look at the Furuno GP7000F. It has a 7" screen and will cost about R20 000, with maps and transducer. Unfortunately, with the GP7000F, you have an external gps antennae. This is not a problem, as my buddy has his gps antennae mounted right next to his GP7000F unit, on a small centre console of a semi-rigid. Pictured below is tuna marking on my old GP7000F:

 

 

Your next option is going for two units. Look at the new Furuno FCV620. Its the latest in digital fishfinders. Costs about R12000 -10000, depending on where you buy it. Here's a picture on cape snoek marking on my FCV620:

 

If you follow the 2 unit route, a Garmin 420 series plotter, which has a 4" screen AND an internal antennae, will work well. If you want a larger screen, Garmin has the 520 series plotters. Also worth looking at is the Garmin 276C and the smaller GPS60C map. Another option is the Garmin Nuvi 500, which is a multipurpose, car and marine GPS/Plotter with a touch screen. You'll find something in the Garmin range to suite your likes and budget!!

The transducer not reading at speed is indicative of poor tranduscer positioning. Take some photo's of your current transducer position and i'll be able to assist. My echo will read bottom at 35knts+ (fairly flat sea), simply due to placement of the transducer. On my old 5.0m semi-rigid, i could read bottom at 20knts+ and that was with a Navman fishfinder.

Hope that helps!!

Regards

miles

 

[neilg]

Miles
been looking at the FCV620 for a while, and can get a new one for a very good price, must just get the funds together

 

[tkei]

Thanks Miles. As for the finder not reading, I know its a positioning problem. It was mounted on the port sponsom transom. it sits fine but in that position, too much turbulence. i have seen most others mounted on the outside of the motors, not tunnel side. The idea with getting a dual/ combo unit is to mount 2nd transducer in the hull to read when running, and then use the other unit for shen we are bottom fishing. Not keen to re drill the transom and patch the old holes as they always leak.

I will ahve a look at those units. Thanks again

 

[tkei]

Miles,
Just as I typed my reply. my brother called. Furuno in durban have a GP7000F in stock and as the guy has fished with my brother and caught his firast copper with him, can give it to us For 15k. He is trying to see if can get us an internal transducer. Seems we may go this way.
Seems this unit is highly recommended as my cousin has the same unit. Stopped using lowrance as too many breakdowns, even though their after sales service is great but a breakdown is no good 20km out to sea.

 

[Fishton]

miles wrote:

For some odd reason, most fishfinders won't work well when we tuna fish in the Cape.

Regards

miles

Hi Miles,

The flesh of a fish is the same density as water, so if it was not for the scales, bones and air bladder, we would get no echo whatsover.  Tuna are really difficult to pick up because they don't have much of an air bladder, or scales for that matter.  Turn your sensitivity up to max (100%) and fiddle with the colourline (+/- 83%) for the best results when you know you are over tuna.

The Broadband Sounder delivering 30 000 watts from Lowrance is quite handy in these low return, super deep applications.

Always look at the vertical pixels of your unit, for freshwater shallow applications a 480 vertical pixel unit is usually fine, but for deep salty applications try stay away from anything less than 600 vertical pixels.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fishton]

Here is a great example of Lowrance's High Definition System's Broadband Technology.  This is not a screenshot of their R40 000.00 top of the range unit, but rather their entry level HDS-5 which is available at around R10k - including 16 channel GPS receiver, Broadband and transducer!!!

 

[tkei]

Fishton, I fianally went the Lowrance HDS5m way. no rewiring etc. its the Plotter unit, but I ccan link it to my Finder withb a cable and it becomes the same as the combo unit. Quite highergrade to use compared to the old one, but I havnt had much time to play yet.

 

[Fishton]

Awesome tkei! Thanks for the info. What model is your sonar?

 

[tkei]

X515c . Great machine. Nearly went for the HDS5, but why spend the extra few grand gwetting a combo when already have a great echo. for 300 bucks bought the ethernet cable and the 5m becomes a combo. Now to find out how it all works, and not easy as it all lives in the transkei so can only play when i am there. Was great to just take the new unit and place it on old bracket and use old plugs etc. no new wiring etc.

 

[Fishton]

It does make things easy when the upgrade is so simple.

Remember to select the right transducer in the HDS-5 sonar menu 'installation'.