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) 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
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Furuno FM4000 Review

The Furuno FM4000 marine VHF radio is the only recreational grade unit in Furuno marine electronics lineup. They do offer a full GMDSS compliant commercial radio as well but it costs about four times as much the radio featured here.

The FM4000 ships with the radio, detachable microphone, plastic tilt bracket suitable for overhead or dashboard mounting, a fused power cable, and owner’s manual. If you decide to flush mount this Furuno radio at the helm or elsewhere keep in mind you’d need to purchase the optional MMB-84 flush mounting kit or improvise your own mounting system.

furuno fm4000 marine vhf radio

Furuno FM4000

The radio front panel is not small, it measures 9.1-inches wide by 3.6-inches high.

When I include the rear cooling fins in my measurement I find the radio’s die cast metal chassis extends back about 6.2-inches from the front panel’s rear edge.

This is not a compact radio.

A flush mount step that varies between a quarter and half an inch in width runs around the face back. No gasket is provided to seal a flush mounted against water to pass between the radio and the panel.

The FM4000 is capable of using all US, Canadian, and International voice channels as well as receive all NOAA weather channel broadcasts.

Controls and Operation

The Furuno FM4000 has two rotary knobs located on the right side of the display screen, one controls audio volume and the other squelch level. Channel selections are made with a large rotary knob mounted below the display screen. Dedicated pushbuttons on both the microphone and radio front panel provide single button control for quick selection of channel 16 or 9. The microphone also has up/down pushbuttons to change channels.

The radio face also has four dedicated function pushbuttons located just below the right side of the display screen. These large pushbuttons select channel 16 or 9, weather channel group, transmitter power to high or low, and turn the unit power on or off.

The FM4000 has a full alphanumeric keypad in the middle third of the face. Most operations are controlled with a function key and one of the alphanumeric keys. Here’s an example: Pressing F then 1 selects the screen backlighting dimmer, F then 2 the memory function, F then 3 starts and stops scanning, etc. Other keys select the remaining functions, some of which include Dual Watch, Intercom, PA (Hailer), and Foghorn.

Certain settings and function controls are accessed via the Radio Setup menu. This is where you’d adjust display screen contrast, foghorn frequency, time offset, scan type, and several other items.

Buy this new Furuno marine VHF radio here.

Connectivity

The FM4000 will interface with a GPS chartplotter and display data onscreen using a NMEA0183 interface. When connected to a plotter