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Need some suggestions on entry level units for beginners. Too many buttons usually means too many option. I'm looking for plain and simple for finding Crappie, Pan fish, Cats to the side. I'm leaning toward the Garmin 7sv chirp. Looks to run around $499.00.
Asking for suggestions because someone out here knows what I am looking for to meet my fishing needs.
Make sure that 499 model is chirp. I have had the chirp and non-chirp Garmin 73sv. I have only seen the non-chirp model at 499. It will say chirp in the name if it has it.
They both perform well on my boat. I only upgraded to the chirp version for the future possibility to use panoptix and also adds extra networking capabilities.
I really havent been able to tell difference in the images.
Thanks
Have a friend with the 7 striker and a 93sv chirp. He gets a great pic from both. I have the 93sv chirp, only unit and it is on TM. I'm very happy with performance, ease of use, etc. Plus I hope to do Panoptix one day soon.
That to me is the reason to get chirp version for lake fisherman. Option for panoptix!Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeDee
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Buy a used Huminbird. As their slogan says " Simply, Clearly, Better! Really simple operation to me as compared to similar units. Default settings will deliver good images IMO.
I have the 93 sv garmin and love it. It is a simple unit to use. I bought a used non chirp 73 to put on the bow of my toon with down view.
Did you look at lowrance elite7 ti I was considering it but chose axiom 9
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Hey, those of you all in here that have Garmins, what settings are you running your sidevu and downvu on? It's hard to pick out stuff on my sidevu. I can pass by a log that I know is there, and since I know its there I can kinda squint and see it on sidevu, but it doesn't pop out at me like I'd expect...
For reference, I'm using the default settings out of the box and have not touched them since day 1.
I like the red color background and then mess with the contrast to make it a little darker. The harder items pop more then. Im not in front of mine at the moment to tell u where i run it.
The above might make you miss fish....i use side trying to find structure though. So wood and rocks will be lighter colored than the mud so u can see it easier
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I think I've printed out some recommended 'things to try' that maybe Rickie has in a sticky, or else I'm thinking of LWinchester on bbc. Contrast and brightness will be the things you play with. I expect to change my settings at each lake I go to, variables with different waters, different bottoms, etc. Find a palette you can see best under that day's conditions (may change) and go right back where you spoke of..a place of known cover and structural changes. Don't fish, just try to learn your unit at this point. Adjust one of the two elements until things start popping for you. Know where you start at so you can return if you aren't happy. If you get lost you get confused and frustrated. Contrast may very well be the bigger ticket for you, but if not then it may take a combination. It sometimes takes a bit to get really comfortable with them, I'm happy with my displays. I agree that for sv I'm looking for cover or structural differences. If I see soft targets so much the better. 2d for that and then dv. Freq's can matter also. When you set contrast and brightness on sv and dv I think they are independent one from the other and also per freq
Thanks d_a and TeeDee.
I'm going to have to go find that list of things to try you're talking about. I'll be on the water again Super Bowl weekend.
Here is what I keep handy, altho Rickie penned it toward HB's much of it is applicable anywhere. I cannot recall where I first saw it. "The 2 most important settings for satisfactory imaging in HB units is Chart Speed and Sensitivity...
*Match Chart Speed to boat speed for best ratio of data collected to data plotted
*Then adjust Sensitivity Up/Down to brighten/darken the SI (sv) image
*Contrast and Sharpness--only increase when looking for fish echoes..because the image becomes grainy the higher the Contrast and Sharpness
*Choose a palette color that contrasts light and dark well (in the image) for the specific ambient light at that time (brighter palettes for sunny days--darker palettes for cloudy)
*Set SI (sv) range at very close (30-50') until things seen in the image make sense...then longer ranges as experience grows in recognizing what stuff looks like in SI (sv)
I keep this inside my cover to remind me. Been a great help to me. I make adjustments to Contrast and Gain as I see fit now that I am more familiar and comfortable, but always know where I started so as not to get too lost or confused. The units are great. Hope you enjoy
Thanks TeeDee!!
Keeping that info on the inside of the cover is a great idea!!! Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeDee
Ive found that using Ultrascroll at all speeds kept the images from looking squished.Quote:
Originally Posted by TeeDee
personally on mine these days I use autoscroll or ultrascroll. It does elongate the images a bit and may make them a little easier to see. The list that Rickie put together is of more value to me now as a reference and a place to always be able to return to in case of meltdownQuote:
Originally Posted by Schins