Recommendations for a GPS/Sonar/Chart plotter

[RedTaco]

Hi All,
Looking for some input/recommendations for a GPS/Sonar/Chart plotter for 2004 1801 CC which I recently went in on with a friend.
I'll/we'll be fishing the lower Delaware River, lower Schuylkill River, the Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay and the bays, estuaries, and coastal waters along New Jersey.

My question is for fishing these types of areas do I need chart plotting capabilities?
In the relatively shallow waters where we'll be fishing would side view scanning be more beneficial than down view scanning?
Ant other input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[warthog5]

Yes you need a Chartplotter.....Yes You want Downview & Sideview.

Here's my recommendation..... https://www.boemarine.com/products/garm ... 3299811399

It has buttons.....You Want Buttons!
It has Downview......It has sideview
It comes with the transom mount X-Ducer for that.
It has CHIRP.

And......It's big enough to read with multi displays at the same time.

Garmin is THE MOST user friendly units to operate.

 

[B-Faithful]

Call Nick at BOE marine. He will talk you through your uses and what will likely fit your needs.

I have to say that if you really want shallow water imaging, you should check out the new Humminbird stuff. They are taking over a large segment of the freshwater market and starting to make good inroads into the saltwater market .

Garmin has a nice array of inexpensive transducers for near shore fishing but you are stuck with bluechart.

Lowrance gives you Navionics options but I am not overly impressed by the totalscan transducer. (however they are adding a couple of new features to their sounder that may impress me like "FishReveal"that combines a traditional sounder with downscan for actually seeing fish)

Furuno is coming out with a 9" GPS/Fishfinder with 1kw TruCHIRP (GP1971F) but I think it only runs with high dollar CHIRP transducers (or inexpensive 600w fixed frequency transducers like p66/b60, or full 1kw like the B260) but no multi-beam sounder. GPS will run CMap 4D chartography, which is very nice.

I havent used the new Raymarine stuff yet. Told that transducers are very limited.

 

[tjd24]

If you use a TM Transducer on the Garmin, do not expect depth readings at speeds over 20MPH. I got a Garmin 94SV on my 2320 in the Electronics Package from the Dealer. I traded emails with Garmin, Parker & my Dealer for almost 12 months before Garmin finally admitted that any depth readings @15-20MPH are a bonus.

You need a TH Transducer for readings at higher speeds and twins ($1200.00) if you want the SV to continue to operate properly. I kept the TM & installed another F/F with TH so I can run & read at the same time.

I wish Parker or my Dealer had explained all this prior to my purchase at a Boat Show.

 

[Flukenewsty]

I have dual Garmin 94sv with side scan and chirp. Great units a good price.

 

[ebates]

I just installed a humminbird solid 15 mega chirp imaging which has the down view, side view and everything else you would ever need. I was skeptical about the humminbird knowing that it is traditionally leader in freshwater but I am more than impressed. Very user friendly, very good discrimination on all of the imaging and best of all, touchscreen AND buttons.

 

[djam]

Regardless of what religion you choose based on everything I've read and heard, the transducer is the biggest make or break component. I'd tell you I love my Simrad gear and it works fantastic. I have a buddy that dropped big dollars on Garmin, I like mine better than his, but he likes his better than mine... so there.

Go to the dealer, play with different displays or try to get out on a boat with them.

You want buttons, you also want touch screen. my NSS9 Evo2s have both.

I have a dual 9" screen setup and love it. I can run chart on one and dual split radar on the other (2mile + 400yard)

For a transducer I got the B175H/W 20degree and it works great. I can keep bottom to almost 30 in less than 100', at 300' it's closer to 20.

If you can swing it, Radar is amazing, prevented an accident a few months ago when the other boat at 10pm didn't have any lights on.

Dave