Top 5 Editorial Picks

Five current fishfinders chosen for distinct buyer needs—from compact value to a premium expandable system. These are editorial selections, not Amazon or reader ratings.

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  1. 1
    Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv Fishfinder with Transducer - 4-inch LCD Display - Easy-to-Use Scanning Sonar - Color Palettes, 11.2 Ounces (010-02550-00) | Transducer, 4-inch LCD Display, Easy-to-Use Scanning Sonar, Color Palettes, 11.2 Ounces 4 Inch STRIKER Vivid 4cv Transducer

    Best Compact Value

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 4cv

    A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.

    • CHIRP and ClearVü scanning sonar in a compact package
    • A sensible pick when you do not need a chartplotter or SideVü
    • Best fit for budget-conscious small-boat anglers
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  2. 2
    Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv, Easy-to-Use 7-inch Color Fishfinder and Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes (010-02553-00) | Easy-to-Use 7-inch Color Fishfinder, Sonar Transducer, Vivid Scanning Sonar Color Palettes 010-02553-00 7 Inch STRIKER Vivid 7sv Transducer

    Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder

    Garmin STRIKER Vivid 7sv

    A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.

    • CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar for fish and structure
    • Simple setup with a practical 7-inch screen
    • Strong value for most general boat anglers
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  3. 3
    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv with GT54 Transducer, 7” Touchscreen Chartplotter, Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland 7' Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland with GT54 Transducer

    Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade

    Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv

    The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.

    • Garmin Navionics+ U.S. Inland mapping and touchscreen control
    • Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and SideVü sonar
    • A better fit than STRIKER when charts matter
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  4. 4
    Humminbird XPLORE Series GPS Fish Finder MEGA Side Imaging+ & HD Touchscreen Display Transducer Included) 9-Inch Display

    Best Side-Imaging Upgrade

    Humminbird XPLORE 9

    A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.

    • MEGA Side Imaging+ and MEGA Down Imaging+
    • 9-inch display with touchscreen and keypad control
    • Recommended configuration: 9-inch, transducer included
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  5. 5
    Lowrance HDS PRO Fishfinder/Chartplotter with Smartphone Integration and Preloaded C-MAP U.S. & Canada Charts 10 Inch ActiveImaging HD 3-in-1

    Best Premium Expandable System

    Lowrance HDS PRO 10

    A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.

    • Active Imaging HD and C-MAP charting
    • Wide networking support for integrated electronics
    • Ready to expand with ActiveTarget 2 and the Lowrance ecosystem
    Check Price

Cobra HH475 Review

The Cobra HH475 is a mid-sized floating marine handheld VHF radio with 6-watts of power output, Bluetooth® wireless capabilities, and a few other unique features.

The black and orange case, made from UV-stable ABS plastic, is solidly constructed and measures approximately 5-inches high, 2.6-inches wide, and 1.5-inches thick. Overall height including the antenna is 12-inches. With the 1000 mAH lithium-ion battery pack install it weighs in at a svelte 9.5 ounces.

Cobra HH475 floating handheld vhf radio

Cobra HH475

The HH475 marine handheld VHF radio package ships with the radio, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC and DC chargers, belt clip, wrist strap, AA battery tray, and owner’s manual.

Buy this Cobra marine handheld VHF radio here.

The AC charger uses a drop-in cradle that will hold the radio or the battery alone and complete a charge cycle in about 5 hours. This charger shows a red light to indicate charging and green for a fully charged battery.

Radio Controls

The Cobra HH475 is the first floating marine handheld VHF radio I’ve seen with a rotary control. On the HH475 the top mounted knob turns the unit on/off and sets the volume. In my opinion, this is a welcome advance in technology.

A rotary control knob simply works better for certain functions and this is one of them, good on Cobra. An optional external speaker or microphone jack and the antenna also sit on the case top. The antenna on this radio is not removable.

Most other functions are controlled using ten front-mounted pushbuttons. Of course, there is also the standard side mounted push-to-talk button and just below that is the display backlight on/off and key lock button. Having easy backlight on/off switching is another nice feature of this Cobra radio. The key lock function allows the user to lock certain radio settings.

One button control is available for three levels of transmitter power selection, call tone, channeling up or down, weather channel selection, quick selection of channel 16 or 9, and some scanning options.

Six functions are set or switched using the setup menu. Here is where you’d access the squelch setting and choose your channel group. You can also turn off/on a number of tones, beeps, and alerts.

Scanning

Scan mo