I have been reading these threads for the past couple of months now and really need some help.

I am casually looking at different depthfinders that display both temperature and speed at a reasonable price ($400 max.).

My current 'finder is an Eagle which has depth only and a couple of bells/whistles. The last couple of times out, I turned it "on" and it would flash 2.5' continuously. I tried cycling it "off" and then "on" a few times, and changing the position of the pick-up, but to no avail. On one of the two trips, it came out of it's stubborn state and all was well; the other trip we we gave up, turned it off and guessed at the depth.

I will check the circuit for proper voltage, etc. to the owners manual specs. and adjust if need be. If this does not solve the problem, I will call the company. If this does not solve the problem, do you have any ideas other than buying another unit.

Back in April, a friend an I took my boat out. I let him drive for a little bit and he happened upon a thick 6' branch floating just under the surface. It bent my prop a little and impacted the 'finders Xducer into the upright position. I know they are designed to swing up when hit, but I think it may have messed up it's brains.

Any advice on troubleshooting the existing unit and, the best 'finder with temp and speed for the money is much appreciated.

Hmmmmmn? I am not sure but I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on the best hooks to use? :p

JK.

Really though the was quite an extensive post on this subject a month or two back. Do a search and check it out.

P.S. Garmin 160 Blue

JK,

Thanks. Before I posted, I looked at a few different websites and had narrowed my choices to either the Garmin 160 Blue or a 240 Blue for various reasons. I searched for the posts you referred and gleaned some good info from them.

Thanks again.

Matt

I would highly recommend the Garmin series finders.
I just picked up a 240 Blue a month ago and really like it. The on-screen menus to adjust the settings are really nice.
The unit is right at your price threshhold. The only difference in-between the 160 and 240 are the screen resolution pixel counts. You could save a few bucks if you want to go with a lower resolution screen, but the go with the 240 if you can. You get alot of bang for your buck. Sped, temp, voltage and depth readouts.

AkKings from the board here works at Boaters World in Everett where I bought mine. If you have any other questions he is the pro.
If you buy one pick one up from Boaters world. They had a good price when I shopped around.

Good luck, let us know what you get.

Sky-Guy

I had a similar problem with my old lowrance unit. It turned out to be a small scratch on the bottom face of the transducer. replaced the transducer and it worked fine after that. As for a replacement, my vote would be for the 240 garmin. Hope this helps.

Sky and Chaser,

Thanks for the input.
I've visited Boaters World enough in Everett that I know most everyone there by their first names, just not by their handles here.

In my troubleshooting, I'll make sure I eliminate the easy stuff first; electrical checks, scratches on the xducer, etc. before replacing anything.
You know, even if it came down to a simple xducer replacement to fix the existing unit, it's sure tempting to buy a newer unit with temp and speed.

We'll see. I'll let you know what I find next week.
Gotta take advantage of the weather now and finish the new roof.

M

i wouldnt spend the money for that only.the speed is inaccuarte and the water temp is the surface which really doesnt matter much.the only way for accurate speed is the gps.i have a $1000 furuno ff and the speed is worthless when you compare what it reallly is with the gps.thats my opion and others feel may feel diffrently but i woudnt spend extra money for nothing

My 2 cents about the speed option is from the saltchuck point of view...Although a GPS can indicate speed, the speed it provides is SOG, speed over gound. That is not the same as the speed you are actually travelling through the water though, unless there is zero wind drift or measurable current. Used together with the speed indicator on the FF, you can get an idea of what the current speed is and then use that info to determine your approximate speed through the water.

Doesn't mean that it's worth the extra money of course, but can be helpful when you want to be as close as possible to your preferred speed through the water.

What I have found is using my Interphase is that the FF speed indicator is actually pretty close to what the GPS says, plus or minus the current speed. Usally within 1 to 2 mph if I'm running on plane. Slower speeds are effected by a lot of factors including weeds, sticks, wind, placement on the hull and God knows what else.

After a while, you just know what the right speed is anyway. On my boat, it's about 800 rpm on the 100 HP Suzuki.

Well said Seacat, I personally wouldn't have a ff without speed, I don't have much use for temp, but I have to have the speed.
I would probably have a use for temp if I fished shallow lakes or rivers but it really isn't very useful in the salt, which is where I spend most of my time.

As for spending extra money on these features, you really aren't paying extra with the Garmin models mentioned, there is NOTHING in their price range that compares with them.

Crwcbtrk, I think I spoke with you on the phone this morning (didn't put 2 and 2 together till after the call, kinda drugged up on cold medication) though the unit you have is fairly old as ff go, I think the transducer is still available and we could probably get you 1 for 70-80 bucks.

Thanks again for everyone's advice and help.

I can get a Xducer for $60 through LEI Extras (1-800-324-0045), as recommended by Eagle Electronics, if I choose to stay with what I have. But as you mentioned AKKings, how much longer will the monitor function? Is it worth it?

As far as speed is concerned, I want a good idea of my relative speed to the water, mainly for trolling.
I can see the benefit of having a GPS for ground speed, coupled with relative speed on the boat. If one is in open water or, in fog, you want the GPS to indicate where you are, where you are heading, and how fast you are getting there.

Being fairly new to the salt fishing, marine electronics game, I can see the benefit of using the fishfinders with the "fish" icon "off" to indicate the difference between fish, baitballs and thermoclines.

My choice is to buy either the Garmin 160 Blue or the 240 Blue, possibly at the boat show, maybe before.

Have a good weekend!