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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Best Compact Value
A straightforward sonar and GPS unit for kayaks, jon boats, and small boats.
Best All-Around 7-Inch Fishfinder
A capable sonar-first choice for anglers who want a useful 7-inch display without moving into a full chartplotter system.
Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade
The mapping step-up for buyers who need confident navigation as well as high-quality scanning sonar.
Best Side-Imaging Upgrade
A current 9-inch imaging platform for anglers ready to build around serious side imaging and boat integration.
Best Premium Expandable System
A larger-boat platform for buyers who want premium sonar, mapping, networking, and a serious expansion path.
[rwp-review-recap id=”0″] The Standard Horizon HX370S shares the same control layout as the more expensive HX500S and HX600S, though it is bigger and heavier. It also has a larger display screen. The HX370S has a top-mounted on/off/volume control and side mounted pushbuttons for push-to-talk and squelch. Seven pushbuttons on its
The Standard Horizon HX290 is part of a total revamp of the Standard Horizon lineup. It is an affordable entry level marine VHF handheld radio that floats and features glow-in-the-dark gasket around the case. Buy this Standard Horizon floating handheld VHF radio here. The HX290 ships the radio, AC and
The Standard Horizon HX280S is an inexpensive entry level handheld that was recently introduced by Standard Horizon. The unit features a tough polycarbonate case that measures 2.3 inches wide by 5.3 inches tall and 1.2 inches deep. The HX280S ships with an automatic AC charger that requires just seven hours
The Standard Horizon HX270S controls the basics with a single top-mounted twist knob for on/off/volume. A side-mounted pushbutton selects squelch, it can be increased or decreased by using the front panel mounted up/down pushbuttons. The other six front-mounted pushbuttons control transmitter power selection, channel changing, weather band selection, and scanning.
The Standard Horizon GX5500S Quantum packs the most powerful audio system weve found in a marine VHF radio. This top-of-the-line unit has an alphanumeric keypad, a large dot matrix display screen, and very good transceiver performance. The GX5500S can connect to as many as two optional remote microphones and be
The Standard Horizon GX5000S Quantum is a brawny marine VHF radio with a powerful audio system. Fully one-third of its large front panel is designated as the speaker box. The GX5000S can connect to an optional remote microphone and be used with an optional voice scrambler. It also has the
The Standard Horizon GX3500S Quantum marine VHF radio has a large front panel that is fitted with an alphanumeric keypad used for data entry and functional control. Three hefty rotary knobs control volume, squelch, and channel selection. On the left side of the radio front panel the alphanumeric keypad shares
The Standard Horizon GX3000S Matrix is a burly radio with a large front panel footprint and an outsized display screen. This Standard Horizon marine VHF stands at the upper end of mid-priced radios but has features usually only found on top of the line units. The GX3000S can connect with
The Standard Horizon GX2360S Quantum is a brawny marine VHF radio with a large, 9.1 inch by 3.5 inch front panel. Three hefty rotary knobs control volume, squelch, and channel selection. Fully one-third of the faceplate is used for the speaker box; this obviously plays a role in the high
The Standard Horizon GX2150 is the latest edition of marine radio to combine full VHF functionality with an internal marine AIS receiver. The package uses a single standard marine VHF radio antenna for both VHF and AIS communications making it a plug and play replacement for most marine VHF radio
The Standard Horizon GX2100 is one of the first marine radios to combine full VHF functionality with an internal marine AIS receiver. It needs only a single standard marine VHF radio antenna for both VHF and AIS communications. This Standard Horizon radio is also capable of storing and navigating to
The Standard Horizon GX1280S Matrix has a moderately sized front panel fitted with a large display screen and rotary channel selection knob. This Standard Horizon marine VHF is capable of interfacing with the companies optional voice scrambler and can connect to a remote microphone. Performance We found transmitter power output
The Standard Horizon GX1500S Quest X is a mid-level competitor in the Standard Horizon marine VHF radio line up that sports the largest display screen in its class. The GX1500S can connect to an optional CMP25 RAM+ remote microphone or VH-310 handset. When connected to one of these remotes the
The Standard Horizon GX1150 Eclipse is the latest iteration of entry level marine VHF radio from this prominent player in the marine electronics arena. This Standard Horizon radio ships with the radio, front panel attached microphone, owner’s manual, tilt mounting bracket suitable for dashboard or overhead use, mounting hardware, and
The Standard Horizon GX1100S Eclipse DSC+ is a compact inexpensive marine VHF radio that carries the Class D DSC rating of much more expensive fixed VHFs. A low battery warning message appears onscreen to warn you when the power input to the radios falls below a certain voltage. This radio
The Standard Horizon GX1000S Eclipse is a compact easy-to-operate no-frills entry level marine VHF radio that does the job of communicating for very little money. Some scanning options, backlight adjustment of brightness and contrast, turning weather alert on or off, and setting time location and offset are accomplished by entering
You will find a number of Standard Horizon GPS chartplotters and combination chartplotter fishfinders, as well as chartplotter VHF radio combos on the marine electronics market today. As a builder of a variety of marine gear Standard Horizon is the one maker that has combined a VHF radio with a
The Standard Horizon FF525 black box sounder adds high-power dual-frequency fish finder capability to a long list of Standard Horizon multifunction displays, including the CP- and CPV-series, neither of which is equipped with their own internal sonar. We used a large-screen Standard Horizon CP1000C chartplotter display and a Standard Horizon
The Standard Horizon FF520 black box sounder is an add-on component designed to provide sounder data to a number of Standard Horizon chartplotters, including the CP and CPV units, which are not equipped with an internal fish finder. We used a Standard Horizon CP180 chartplotter display and an Airmar P58
The Standard Horizon CPV550 features a massive 12-inch color screen and will do about anything but cook dinner. It’s a full-function chartplotter packed with a VHF and a number of bonus capabilities. Plus, it has the ability to hook up to an optional black box sounder and AIS receiver. The