I'm looking for a new depth finder for my boat, primarily will be used in saltwater with depths down to 300 or so feet. I've zeroed in on two units in my price range. I'm wondering if any of you own either and what your expeience has been. The first is a Garmin 160 Red unit, priced at $240. The other is an Eagle Accura 240 priced at $310. The Eagle has a better screen and more features, but the Garmin has the features I need also. One thing I'm not clear about: The Garmin says it is rated at 400 watts, 3200 peak to peak, while the Eagle says it is 75 watts RMS, 600 peak to peak. Yet both have similar depth ratings (Eagle 600 or so, Garmin 900 or so) - so what's with the big watt diference? Your comments are appreciated!

The big diference in wattage depends on what kind of transducer you have. Single double triple or 6 beam. Also if it has a 3d feature it will use more wattage.Garmin and eagle pretty make good products.(check out Zercon if you have the chance) I have the Humminbird Wide Paramount. It list's for about $600(paid $380 from a friend) and has a true 1000 watt tribeam TD. I believe if i remember right 400watts went to the center beam to get an accurate read of the bottom depth and high detail. And the remainder split between the 2 45 degree offset beams for better fishfinding capabilities. Wattage is ALL the difference. It doesn't only mean deeper, it's more on the side of detail and area covered. Mine has everything i could want except one thing, GPS. Eagle makes an awesome gps high wattage, low price, big screen, fish finder with sidefind, temp,speed,1000watts 1000ft depth and true fish arch(air bladder)display detail. Something to look at. If i hadn't bought the Wide Paramount i would have got the Eagle/Gps. It was under $500 and i saw it at the Tacoma Narrows Bait and Tackle shop. I believe it even had an optional graph printer so you can make hard copies. Can't remember though. Make a wise choice grasshoppa. Try www.outlaw.com they may have it too.

D

Thanks,
I think I'm leaming toward the Garmin because of the wattage plus price considerations.

I have a Hummingbird Wide Panorama with a tri-beam also. I am very happy with my finder. Make sure you send in your product-registration-card for the product that you buy.

I have a Hummingbird Wide Panorama with a tri-beam also. I am very happy with my finder. Make sure you send in your product-registration-card for the product that you buy.

People I know who are a lot more knowledgable than I about sonar feel that Garmin makes a better unit than either Lowrance (also Eagle) and Humminbird. I have a Lowrance 350 that has been back to the factory about three times because of the seal. It's still not sealed, and this one is going back again. I'm going to sell it once repaired and replace it with a Bottomline that has GPS and mapping. I don't have a lot of recent experience with Bottomline, but their reputation is fairly good.

Wattage and power are important to give both target acquisition and separation. For fishing in the salt, you want a transducer with a narrow beam (about 8 degrees or so)-- in order to pick fish in the vicinity of your boat. Wider beams pick up a lot of stuff that is not even close when you're shooting in deep water. If you realize that and use the info to help you pick a general area to fish (rather than just a spot or drift) that's fine. but if you're trying for more specific info, you won't get it with the wide transducer.

On another note, wide beams allow you to see your downrigger ball and adjust its depth according to the level of fish activity. Also, wider beams give you a better idea of what's near you when fishing in shallow water. Like everything in life, transducer beam width is a trade-off.

Picked up a Garmin 160 Blue yesterday and it's going under the tree. Thanks everyone for your help!