Which fish finder and GPS Unit
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Newbies Corner
Forum Description: If you're new to fishing this is the place to ask any questions about getting started ...
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131832
Printed Date: 03 Feb 2026 at 2:25pm
Topic: Which fish finder and GPS Unit
Posted By: Lumo2
Subject: Which fish finder and GPS Unit
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 11:44am
| Hi, I am looking for some help to select a fish finder/ GPS and Tranie to fit my boat. I have a Hanes Hunter 535. I have a Lowrance Elite 7 HDi fitted. Has anyone got one of these and would know the depth it will work to? I was thinking of fitting a Lowrance HDS 9Live with a PM260 has anyone got a similar set up? Or other ideas? The nine is as large as I can fit in Dash. Thanks for any help. Den |
Replies:
Posted By: Keith C
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 12:37pm
| Why are you looking to change I.e. what do you want that you can’t get with the current unit? |
Posted By: Lumo2
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 6:20pm
| Hi, One I have is not touch screen and I would like to fish 300+ mtrs. The screen would be a bit bigger for use with 2 screens showing. Othere than that I am just trying to weigh up the pros and cons of an up grade. Den |
Posted By: FarmerBrowne
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 8:47pm
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300 metres at 19.4 knots. We could get down to 400 metres on a good day. when choppy (air under hull) or alot of swell (boat yawing) not so good out deep. This was with a 50/200 khz transducer  |
Posted By: Lumo2
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 9:27pm
| Thanks very much, 300mtrs should do everything I will be doing. Just have to check the 50/200 tranie. Any idea how you can tell? Den |
Posted By: Lumo2
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 9:45pm
| Hi, sorry but is your transducer standard with the Unit or a 600 Watt after market one? Cheers Den |
Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 7:12am
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If you want to read fish at 300m make sure you buy a 1kw unit, then you will be able to read bottom to 600-800m but be able to pickup fish easily at 300-400m. Make sure transducer is fitted by someone who knows what they are doing as they must be fitted dead right to perform properly edit,1kw transducer will cost you nearly the same as head unit, approx $ 1500, good head unit $2000 or bit more depending on brand
-------------  www.kavemantackle.co.nz
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Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 9:25am
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I am running a Lowrance HDS Gen3 with 600W transducer and fitted this kit to fish at 300+m. It works very well. I can get bottom to around 550m, but finds fish beyond 400. But you have to have a 50khz transducer. usually the model type is on the cable - up near the head unit. It may be you just need to change transducer (a few hundred $s). You would need to check what model range is compatible with your head unit - but I would be pretty sure you would be able to fit a 600w 50/200 if you don't already have one. If you do have one you will just need to switch from the 200khz frequency. Alan
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 9:29am
------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Lumo2
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 5:13pm
| Hi, thanks lads will stick with what I have got at present and see how it goes. The head unit limits the transducer to 250 watts RMS and the up grade is a bit to steep. at present. Thanks again. Den |
Posted By: FarmerBrowne
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 6:31pm
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https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/transom-mount-transducers/lowrance-simrad-transom-mount-transducer-50-200khz-blue-plug-5-pin" rel="nofollow - https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/transom-mount-transducers/lowrance-simrad-transom-mount-transducer-50-200khz-blue-plug-5-pin As kaveman noted the location of the transducer on the hull is critical for best performance. Moving up or down a couple of mm can make quite a bit of difference to performance. You will also get the best performance out of the sounder if you learn to operate it on manual and adjust gain, clutter etc yourself. Learn how to get the best out of your existing sounder/plotter and then when you step to a flasher unit you will note the improvement in performance
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Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2019 at 5:16pm
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OP how much you want to spend? You can spend $2k extra for LIVE transducers now, Garmin are the best in the biz at it. Just youtube livescope. You can literally see a kingfish tail push to take off after your lure if its in front of you. YOu can also move the angle so you get live fish under the boat. Traditional transducers show what you have run over as such. Nothing wrong with that. Id only recommend livescope etc if you are into gamefishing a LOT, kingis, tuna, marlin etc. Yes it works for everything. but you dont need to spend that just for bait fishing or finding a pinnacle and fish. Get the most powerful unit you can afford. 9"+ for split screen gps/sonar. Lowrance is the only other company to come out with live sonar, called livesight, but by the time you want something better livesight as they call it should have improved. One thing regardless of all, I much prefer clearview/downscan over old school sonar 2d arches. Clearview etc imo is much more accurate. Its called downscan in lLowrance and of all the reasons id buy lowerance would be downscan, it shows a lot of detail. Im not sure which models offer Downscan as Im not a Lowrance user. After having look around the cheap hook systems use downscan. Clearly the HDS systems are nicer, but wow Lowrance systems are not cheap. |
Posted By: FizFisho
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2019 at 5:47pm
Ok Im going to say at that price, look at Garmin. Jaw almost broke when I saw the cost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN9eqqJUmm0&t=21s" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN9eqqJUmm0&t=21s What type of fishing do you do? Do you NEED a $4k fishfinder? If so what species of fish are you chasing? The Garmin transducers are no cheap either but will work with a much cheaper 9" unit. Garmin vs Lowrance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xOSucxQjDo" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xOSucxQjDo |
Lumo2 wrote: