Portable fish finders - any ideas?

[reelcrazy]

Budget restricts me to hiring boats, so I'm looking for a portable fish finder that I can pack and go.

There's a couple I've seen that cost more buck than I can afford, but I was thinking of getting a good second hand one that's battery powered.

Mounting the transducer might be a problem, but I was thinking of using a stiff tube of long poly similar to that used by electricians to run 3 phase and mounting the transducer on a perspex flat section on the bottom (water end), running the cable up the guts and mounting the end on the transom of the boat.

Can anyone suggest a solution, i.e. and what to buy in units.

[SHANE]

HI REELCRAZY
a good but cheeper sounder that is portable is one of the humming bird 100 or larger the are battery powered
should be enough for what you would need
as for mounting them go and talk to one of your local boat dealers
i bought a setup for around i think $20.00 it was an aluminium set up like a sliding bracket set up that you had to mount to the back of the boat
when you used it the trabnsducer slid down the bracket and locked in place with a wing nut set up
great for my old car topper

hope this helps

shane

[Brett_Finger]

Mate,
Bouth the Humming Bird 150sx and the Eagle/Lowrance Fish - Easy are portable units with there own case and battery packs built in, along with suction cap transducer brackets.
i think the new lowrance x51 will be in portable as well,the x51 WILL be the best seller on the market for bottom and middle of the rangs sounders bosting 240x160 resolution that will give you a brillent screen matching units far more expensive.
with 1500watts peak to peak power!!
a new fish reveal feature will win the fisherman over with it's amazing screen display!!.
the standard transducer also has a temp init in it as well.
Hookin, Brett

[reelcrazy]

Thanks Fellas

Food for thought, any ideas on what sort of $$$ I should be laying out for a unit, I know you get what you pay for, but bucks are tight at the moment (when arent they?)

Any idea what the new Lowrance x51 is going to cost?

Any other things I should look out for if I go for a second hand unit, or should I buy a new one.

Tom

[Brett_Finger]

Mate,
not sure on the x51 price will try to find out today for you,it also has a curved face plate to decrease glare.with the fish reveal thing it has 10 levels of gray tones and you will be able to pick out fish arches from surface clutter,thermoclines ect... re/second hand. not a good idea if you can afford to wait and save the extra bucks then with a new unit you will have warrenty and after sales service and back-up.
Hookin,Brett

[reelcrazy]

Thanks Brett

I hear you on the second hand, appreciate your efforts.

Tom