Reply With Quotelowrance 522c.........
I have last year's model (334c) and love it.
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GPS Depthfinder????
Me and my dad are looking into getting a new depthfinder for our boat and I was looking to get some recommendations.We are looking to spend somewhere around $500 to $600,and would like to have one with GPS if they are affordable.I've looked at them in magazines but quite frankly I don't know a whole lot about them.You guys mind throwing some good canidates our way?
Thanks in advance.
James
Crappie Wall Hanger II
lowrance 522c.........
I have last year's model (334c) and love it.
Slabmaster
I just got a boat with the 332c and I think I am going to really like that fishfinder. I am sure I would like it more though if I could figure out how to get it to do a 60 degree cone angle vice 20. I know the lowrance website says to turn the sensitivity to -10db instead of -3db. Have you tried this and does it work?
I am looking for something with a wider cone angle to make it easier to spot fish. I have thought about switching to a Humminbird 737 with the quadbeam transducer to allow a greater cone angle. It covers 90 degrees at a time or another way of looking at it is this. A 20 degree cone only shows about 1/3 of how ever deep you are fishin (in 21 ft of water you are only getting a return of 7 ft wide on the bootom of the lake), the 90 degree cone shows everything up to 2 times the depth you are fishing( in 21 ft of water you would see 42 foot across at the bottom).
For Bama the 737 also has a gps antenna you can buy for it. The 737 is abot $390 and the antenna is another $100. I am thinking of keeping my 332 for the front of the boat on the trolling motor and maybe going to a 737 on the console. For GPS I am trying to figure out if I can use the hand held GPS adapter for the 737 and wire it into the lowrances NMEA 1830 wires on the back of the 332. I think this will work.
Slabmaster
Ooops....that question on the lowrance and the sensitivity is for tarheell. The rest of it is just some info for Bama and others who might be trying to think outside the box.
Slabmaster II
I say spend the extra money and get one with a GPS already on it.....You'll be sick if you're wanting a GPS and don't get it....May as well get color while your at it....DemoMan
Crappie Wall Hanger II
60 degree cone
You don't have to do anything special to get the 60 degree cone other than crank your sensitivity up as high as you can without messing up your "picture" to amplify those outer readings. Twenty degrees is just a measured point at a certain power reading (-3db). That has historically been the standard for measuring cone angle. However, some companies started measuring at the -10db point and then "marketing" that as a way of saying their units would read to 60 degrees. Kind of similar to a line company that makes a line that breaks at 10 pounds of pressure but labels it as a 6# line. You think man, this is some strong 6# line. Well yea, it is because it's really 10# line (LOL). They could have just as easily called it 10# line but then people would say it's weak because because it doesn't break a lot higher than the stated test rating. :D Marketing 101Originally Posted by dr_duff
All the standard transducers work at this 60 degree point, including yours. The only thing is that it takes a larger object or something that creates a stronger return to show up out there on the fringes. That is why you should crank your sensitivity up to try and amplify those particular readings.
The other way to pick up greater coverage area is to either go with a side finder or as you suggest, go to a unit with multiple transducer beams. Just depends on what kind of fishing style you are using and accustomed to. These systems work great for suspended open water fish, but will lack when compared to a normal unit for specific target and depth readings near the bottom.
Like anything else, there are trade-offs involved where you have to give up something to get something else.
-T9
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