Not another "what sounder" thread

[rugerman]

Greetings fellow boating enthusiasts, I have decided that my Lowrance HDS5 is way too small for my peepers so was thinking of going for a 12 inch screen. I was just in at Boat city and they seem to be "recommending" a Shimrad NSS12 Evo3. Does anyone have any experience with these. I was just gonna get a 12 inch version on the Lowrance but they have to order them in and the guy was saying the Shimrad was all the rage these days. Thoughts, feelings etc... would be greatly appreciated.
Of course I bought the Lowrance when I had just bought the boat so wasn't yet aware of the serious money it takes to kit them out well so went with the HDS5 as it looked like it would do what I need. Lesson learned...yet again.
I would mainly just be running a split screen with map/bottom fix. I don't think I would need the 1KW transducer since I wont be fishing in very deep water. Just around Kapiti Island etc.... The Shimrad Active Imaging 3-1 would most likely fit the bill ? and only $300ish so not too pricey. The head unit is around 5.5K

[mikee]

a 1KW transducer is a distinct disadvantage when you are mainly fishing shallow as the beam angles are so narrow in 20m of water you may only be looking at 1m of the bottom.

When you pay about the same money you get the same thing like cars.

Simrad is easier to operate (more intuative than Lowrance). I don't particularly like either of them, and to be up front I am totally biased to FURUNO having worked with their commercial gear for more than 20 years. Have you looked at the TZT2 series as with the latest software update they look and operate same as TZT3's but they are cheaper

[rugerman]

I just had a look Mikee, they look pretty good. I love the swipe and customisable screen you can add what you like to multi split screens etc...

[mikee]

Some you can.
Or you can use a pc and run a product like TimeZero and buy a sounder module for it. Depends on your budget entirely how far you want to go. Like us shooters a lot of fishers spend a lot on "bling" without actually thiniking about how they will actually use it. For example it is not uncommon to spend a bucket on a flash harry multifunction plotter sounder display and yet when you ask what tranducer they want for the sounder you get the reply "whats the cheapest" like buying a custom long range rifle then fitting a Hunting and fishing 4x32 scope to it. Sure it works but...............

If I were not buying a FURUNO for some reason, I would be looking seriously at the Raymarine Axiom I have seen one or 2 and they are very nice

What ever you buy you get similar features for similar cost.

If I were buying and money was not an issue I would be getting a PC Based Chartplotter, 19 inch daylight viewable screen flushmounted running TimeZero Professional with FURUNO DFF3d Sounder and multibeam transducer.
https://www.furuno.com/special/en/fishfinder/dff-3d/

[rugerman]

Luckily I don't take many waves over the back of the computer monitor

Mikee can you hook a smaller unit up to a computer monitor to get the big screen?

That raymarine looks pretty nice Mikee. Price looks pretty good too.

[mikee]

Luckily I don't take many waves over the back of the computer monitor



That raymarine looks pretty nice Mikee. Price looks pretty good too.

Yeah marine electronics prices are like custom rifle prices ..............sadly and the aftersales support you get also varies just like custom rifle suppliers.
Most large factory trawlers have about 200K worth of sensors on their nets to monitor everything and I often find myself saying when someone asks what something is worth "Oh its only a few thousand"...........been in the industry too long maybe.

[Beaker]

Greetings fellow boating enthusiasts, I have decided that my Lowrance HDS5 is way too small for my peepers so was thinking of going for a 12 inch screen. I was just in at Boat city and they seem to be "recommending" a Shimrad NSS12 Evo3. Does anyone have any experience with these. I was just gonna get a 12 inch version on the Lowrance but they have to order them in and the guy was saying the Shimrad was all the rage these days. Thoughts, feelings etc... would be greatly appreciated.
Of course I bought the Lowrance when I had just bought the boat so wasn't yet aware of the serious money it takes to kit them out well so went with the HDS5 as it looked like it would do what I need. Lesson learned...yet again.
I would mainly just be running a split screen with map/bottom fix. I don't think I would need the 1KW transducer since I wont be fishing in very deep water. Just around Kapiti Island etc.... The Shimrad Active Imaging 3-1 would most likely fit the bill ? and only $300ish so not too pricey. The head unit is around 5.5K

I've got the 9in version. Should have got the 12.....
I didn't get the 1kw, as not really thinking ill go that deep.
Seen fish at 120m, that's as deep as I've gone.
Stereo is hooked to it.
Cell phone is linked to it
Just had a auto pilot hooked up, works well.
Great to see engine info on it to (plugs straight into mercury)
All in all, for the price I think a good unit.

[Beaker]

Mikee can you hook a smaller unit up to a computer monitor to get the big screen?

Look at a app called 'link'.
It replicates the screen onto tablets or phones. For evo3 and other brands
Ie I can be fishing off the back and have the phone on the bait board and see the sounder or what ever is on the screen - and control it, apart from auto pilot functions.

[mikee]

If you think of the transducer as your "Scope" and the display as your Rifle the the analogy of a great scope on an average rifle works or a great rifle on with a very average scope not works so well is very true.
If your budget is limited then a standalone sounder and transducer is a great but often overlooked solution.
For example @rugerman keep your HDS5 for example and use it as a plotter and buy a Furuno FCV628 or similar standalone sounder with P66 (600w ) transducer and you will be away.
You wont have the sidescan trick stuff nor touchscreen but both are over rated in a moving boar. What you will have is a very capable sounder that works well with a bigger screen (or even bigger if you buy the next model up)

[rugerman]

lol I hear ya Mikee. If money was no object I would have a 30m boat instead of the 5.2m
Good to know Beaker. I have a 60Hp 2stroke Merc. I assume it's packed full of sensors ? I never thought about hooking the sounder/plotter up to the engine. Might as well have as much hooked up at the time since the head unit supports it.

I thought motorbikes were expensive, but then I got a boat

[rugerman]

That's not a bad idea about using the current one as well. I wouldn't need the transducer on the hds5 if I'm only using it as a plotter I assume.

If you think of the transducer as your "Scope" and the display as your Rifle the the analogy of a great scope on an average rifle works or a great rifle on with a very average scope not works so well is very true.
If your budget is limited then a standalone sounder and transducer is a great but often overlooked solution.
For example @rugerman keep your HDS5 for example and use it as a plotter and buy a Furuno FCV628 or similar standalone sounder with P66 (600w ) transducer and you will be away.
You wont have the sidescan trick stuff nor touchscreen but both are over rated in a moving boar. What you will have is a very capable sounder that works well with a bigger screen (or even bigger if you buy the next model up)

[mikee]

That's not a bad idea about using the current one as well. I wouldn't need the transducer on the hds5 if I'm only using it as a plotter I assume.

Correct.

I thought motorbikes were expensive, but then I got a boat

Just sold my boat and so far I have no regrets................its not like I actually used it much.
Boat = Break Out Another Thousand

[rugerman]

lol shit Mikee if that was the reason for selling stuff most of my stuff would have to go Had the boat 4 years and probably done about 40hrs on it. Digger about 3 now at 160hrs, Bandit since 2008 and 22,000km Hang on I'm starting to see a pattern

[Beaker]

lol shit Mikee if that was the reason for selling stuff most of my stuff would have to go Had the boat 4 years and probably done about 40hrs on it. Digger about 3 now at 160hrs, Bandit since 2008 and 22,000km Hang on I'm starting to see a pattern

Boat, just over 2 years and 236hrs.... I might like fishing a bit....

Yes, boats can be expensive - but, I think of it as family time, mates time and me time - and that is price less

[rugerman]

Yeah I hear ya Beaker. I'm actually planning on only working 3 days a week from next year, so hope to get a bit more time for fishing and hunting. Life is too short to not do things you like