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
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Garmin 198C Review

The Garmin 198C we tested came equipped from the factory with an external GPS antenna/sensor, an integral 500-watt sounder, and a dual-frequency transducer. It has an internal world map built-in to memory and uses Garmin BlueChart cartography to enhance map details.

The display unit case is just over 6-inches high, 6-inches wide, and nearly 4-inches deep.

garmin 198c chartplotter

Garmin 198c

Wiring for power, interface, and transducer leads hooks to the back of the unit with a single multi-pin twist-lock connector. The transducer branch connects to the transducer with another inline twist-lock connector.

A factory installed connector on the display unit end of the antenna cable makes connecting it a snap. Also, the 198C has tapped holes in the back of the case to facilitate flush mounting. Installation was simple and straightforward.

Screen Size and Viewability

The Garmin 198C screen is 3-inches wide and slightly over 4-inches high yielding a diagonal measurement of 5-inches. It has a resolution of 234 x 320 pixels.

At this resolution details are not as sharp as they appear on newer high resolution screens. It has thirteen levels of control for screen brightness and contrast. The brightness control range was adequate and the contrast control effective.

Best Prices on Chartplotter and Fishfinder Combos.

Two color palettes, sun or dark, can be selected from the map tab on the main menu. In daylight conditions, it showed some screen darkening when viewed with polarized sunglasses. Some intermittent screen fogging was noted in the center of the screen. We rated the screen good for both daytime and nighttime viewability. Pushbuttons and the cursor pad are backlit.

Operation

Most functions on the 198C are controlled through multi-layered menus. Hitting the menu key twice brings up the main menu with a long list of items in tabular format on the left side of the screen, selecting a tab opens another menu page where you can make and execute selections.

Waypoints

Waypoints can be saved at the boat’s position by pressing and holding the enter/mark key. This brings up a data box with waypoint