$1000 Color sounder which one

[foggy]

Guys,

I am in the market for a new color sounder for around $1000. What would you recommend?

Looking at the Lowrance x107c dual at present. Or maybe raymarine. Any other suggestions.

Mainly shallow water less than 100m

Foggy

[revs57]

Raymarine DS500X...very happy with mine

[maztez]

We are running a Lowrance 107 in the Mistress at present and find it to be a great unit.If you like PM BREJEN for any info as he is the techo in our fishing capers .
cheers Terry

[Fixation]

Check out the new furuno FCV-620. They retail round fourteen hundred but you should be able to get one a little cheaper. Should try and buy it at the brissy boat show. Every dealer should be there. Good time to buy. We just bought it's big brother the 585 and it's an absolute machine.

Or like Rhys said the raymarine are also good.

[whiteman]

Am I missing something here? How can a unit with 76,000 pixels (Raymarine or Furuno) be better than one with 230,000 pixels (Lowrance) - that's 300% better resolution for less money??

[JB]

The difference is the software that chooses how to display the pixels and why. Just because it has a high resolution is not a determing factor to a better sounder. Software interpretation of what the transducer is sending back is very important.

[revs57]

What JB said!

[honda900]

I picked up a x107cdf from BCF for $940.00 includes the speed wheel and it also allows you to add some other devices later on, like fuel flow meter and bait tank temperature sensor with the nmea 2000 network.

The old ford vs holden debate. My advice, go to a shop you can see them side by side and have a look.

Regards
Honda900

[cyclone]

Sorry Whiteman but you are missing something and that is that pixels are only one part of a sounders performance. pixels only relate to the screen and have nothing to do with what the unit detects under the boat. While I think Lowrance build a reasonable sounder for the money I believe you do get a lot more performance for a bit more money elsewhwere.
Just my view having owned four different brands of sounder including Lowrance, the latest is Furuno fcv 620 which I think is the best of the four I have owned by a fair margin. Andrew

[Smithy]

Don't think one exists under $1,000. #Really need to get yourself a true colour unit like a Raymarine/Simrad/Koden/Furuno/JRC etc., etc., to see the benefits. #IMHO you might as well have a B&W sounder if you want Lowrance. #All the fish arches on a Lowrance seem to be black and it is only if you are on a bait ball or something denser you get colours in stuff mid water. #Yes they show up the bottom in different colours but not a big fan of that red/yellow colour scheme either when you are used to looking at proper colour sounders like the brands mentioned above with red/green/blue/white colourations. #The proper brands also help with species id, i.e. most Pearlys show up as a blue colour on most normal colour units. #Wouldn't know what I am looking at on a Lowrance other than an arch that is usually black. #Use an X-19C Lowrance on one boat and something the next step down on another boat. #Love the GPS though. #Have used a Matrix 87c Colour Humminbird and haven't they come a long way from the old Humminbirds. #It paints a picture like a proper sounder but they are still over $1,000 I think. #Hate the GPs side of it though. #Not sure on the new pricings and what deals are coming from the boat show but that unit is now superseeded I believe. # Oh yeh the new colour Navmans do an OK job and are little surprise packets. #Have read to 450-480m or so with one on 50Hz and done a bit of reef fishing with one and it was fine. #

[davo]

In simple terms it's all about target separation and definition. I have a Garmin 240 which is an older sounder with 240x240 pixels and up the front a Matrix 12 with the same pixels. The Humminbird kills it. The Garmin will show a blob of fish while the Humminbird will show individual targets. A school of bait on the bottom sometimes look like a bombie with the Garmin. I'm also looking at colour in this price range.

[SundownMarine]

Foggy,

We have a range of units under $1000 that are good colour units from Lowrance and Humminbird ,these are offshore units but are intermediate level sounders some are limited in their deep water use.
On the other hand if you want to get into a colour unit to gain some benefit from using a powerfull unit in colour then you need to expand your range a little.
The three that spring to mind have all been mentioned.
Raymarine DS500X or DS600X and the Furuno FCV-620 are the stand out units in that range.
All of these units are very good and have the best mix of power and display clarity in that price range.

Give us a call here for further information as this is a large topic best suited to a phone call rather than in text.

Sundown Marine.

[JB]

Well said smithy, i noticed the same thing with the lowrance colour units.

[davo]

How about some more sounder readings. That is the true test and make it for shallow water as well as deep.

[Smithy]

Done. Look in the sounder readings post locked at the top.