Garmin info

 Are there any electronics gurus out there?

I'm going a full new electronics fitout for my new to me boat and looking for a bit of advise, I'm thinking of going all garmin which is very new to me as I have always run furuno sounders but I'm liking what I'm seeing with the garmin stuff, will be getting a couple of multi function displays, radar, autopilot and I'm trying to figure out what transducer/transducers I should get as I need to fit them before the boat goes back in the water. Would be keen to have a chat if anyone is happy to give some advise.

 

Cheers

Rod


Posts: 307

Date Joined: 01/09/09

New electronics

Mon, 2024-05-20 17:28

While this post may not answer your question and I've never used Garmin gear so can't comment or help you there I will just suggest that if you're used to reading Furuno gear and have always used them why not stick to them . They all have MFD's now and Furuno is very quickly catching up on tech especially with the new TZ TXL gear. All the brands use Airmair transducers so picking one does not matter in regards to equipment brand , this will come down to fishing styles and depths .The different brands just display / interpret the signals differently.
Just something to think about.

 

Posts: 295

Date Joined: 27/05/11

 I have the GT51 and have

Mon, 2024-05-20 17:39

 I have the GT51TM and have never had an issue reading bottom. Normally reads bottom without skipping a beat at 25knts. I haven't been much deeper than 100m so can't comment if you are going deep dropping. It's a few years old now, so they may even have an upgraded version.

 

www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/537004

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 15/06/15

 If you get 2 MFDs then make

Tue, 2024-05-21 10:14

 

If you get 2 MFDs then make sure both units can each connect to a transducer (i.e. don't try to save a few bucks with a view only MFD, It makes it easier to run/switch-between 2 transducers without extra hardware if both networked units are sounders/have sounder input.)

Any odd hull features - especially stepped hulls, pods etc? Single or twin motors? will impact on side-vu options

Transom mount or through hull? (?clearance/limitations on location from trailer-rollers/bunks if trailer boat?)

 

What depths are you fishing? I find side-vu with GT51M useable to 80+m when looking for lumps/bottom, chirp useable to 100+m,  But you will need more power for deep dropping.

Garmin Chirp sounder screen-images are not as easy to use/interpret as my old Furuno was, especially deeper.

For me this is more than offset by the use of side vu in water up to 80m for picking up lumps/baitschools to the sides at low speeds.

roddo's picture

Posts: 486

Date Joined: 16/10/09

 Cheers for the feed

Tue, 2024-05-21 17:47

 Cheers for the feed back.

Will be defenatly running 2 full power mfd's no view only 

Boat is a 32ft with an inboard shaft drive so boat has a keel transducers will be run through hull 

Boat is staying in a penn and will be based in exmouth so will defenatly be deep dropping but also like to fish the 30-100m range and find good lumps do dive on. So that's why I'm thinking I will have to run 2 transducers. 

I also want to find bait schools.

my original thoughts were to run GT56UHD-THP

and a TM275 but not sure what one.

I have only ever run a furuno 588  on previous boats with a tm 258 transom mount and ss175 thru hulls.

 

 

roddo's picture

Posts: 486

Date Joined: 16/10/09

 Cheers for the feed

Tue, 2024-05-21 17:47

 Cheers for the feed back.

Will be defenatly running 2 full power mfd's no view only 

Boat is a 32ft with an inboard shaft drive so boat has a keel transducers will be run through hull 

Boat is staying in a penn and will be based in exmouth so will defenatly be deep dropping but also like to fish the 30-100m range and find good lumps do dive on. So that's why I'm thinking I will have to run 2 transducers. 

I also want to find bait schools.

my original thoughts were to run GT56UHD-THP

and a TM275 but not sure what one.

I have only ever run a furuno 588  on previous boats with a tm 258 transom mount and ss175 thru hulls.

 

 

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 15/06/15

 If you get 2 MFDs then make

Tue, 2024-05-21 10:14

 

If you get 2 MFDs then make sure both units can each connect to a transducer (i.e. don't try to save a few bucks with a view only MFD, It makes it easier to run/switch-between 2 transducers without extra hardware if both networked units are sounders/have sounder input.)

Any odd hull features - especially stepped hulls, pods etc? Single or twin motors? will impact on side-vu options

Transom mount or through hull? (?clearance/limitations on location from trailer-rollers/bunks if trailer boat?)

 

What depths are you fishing? I find side-vu with GT51M useable to 80+m when looking for lumps/bottom, chirp useable to 100+m,  But you will need more power for deep dropping.

Garmin Chirp sounder screen-images are not as easy to use/interpret as my old Furuno was, especially deeper.

For me this is more than offset by the use of side vu in water up to 80m for picking up lumps/baitschools to the sides at low speeds.

sealure's picture

Posts: 115

Date Joined: 19/05/12

 I see you mentioned

Tue, 2024-05-21 15:16

 I see you mentioned radar. 
'My own experience with radar over the past 12 years on a 6.85 CruiseCraft has been disappointing to say the least. 

Anything but a glass off significantly reduces its usefulness . Line of sight on which it depends is quickly lost with small boat pitch. White caps can really mess it up. Unless your transmitter is mounted very high I wouldn't bother with the added cost. 
Just my personal opinion & experience. 

roddo's picture

Posts: 486

Date Joined: 16/10/09

 Awesome thanks for the feedback

Tue, 2024-05-21 17:53

 Awesome thanks for the feedback that's the sort of stuff I'm after nothing worse then spending that sort of money and be disappointed with the results.

sea-kem's picture

Posts: 14991

Date Joined: 30/11/09

 That's very interesting as I

Thu, 2024-05-23 08:03

 That's very interesting as I was talking to someone about radar the other day, they said very usefull for picking up cray floats in the dark. I gues that's nullified with any chop about?

____________________________________________________________________________

Love the West!

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 15/06/15

 I run GT56 and GT51 on my

Wed, 2024-05-22 17:46

 

I run GT56 and GT51 on my little boat.

GT51 side-vu is what you will find most useful for side-vu on your boat at exmouth. I only use the GT56 UHD sidevu in less than 20m water/rivers/creeks/shallow inshore for picking up individual fish or small groups of fish to cast to .

GT51 on 455khz does everthing else including shallow water sidevu bottom-finding fine, and will give side-vu to 80 +m at slow speeds.

The "The Hull Truth"  forum has quite a few Garmin threads - Try a search on  "GT56UHD vs GT51M"

  

Posts: 287

Date Joined: 04/08/22

 Had garmin gps in my old

Thu, 2024-05-23 09:43

 Had garmin gps in my old boat and was spot on with its accuracy and speed.Never used the sonar though but I'd stick with Furuno to find fish