Editor’s Note – This post is provided by Capt Pancho of Nassau, Bahamas The Garmin 640 is a semi-portable GPS unit with a 5.2″ touch screen pre-loaded with both US street maps and US coastal charts. The unit comes with 2 mounting configurations, car and marine, and can be added
| Highest Rated Fishfinders | ||
|---|---|---|
 | Humminbird Helix 5 CHIRP G2 | 4.8/5 |
 | Lowrance HDS 7 Gen3 | 4.7/5 |
 | Garmin Striker 7sv | 4.6/5 |
 | Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 73sv | 4.6/5 |
 | Raymarine Dragonfly 7 PRO | 4.4/5 |
Fish Finders: Unbiased Reviews
ComNav 1420
I purchased the ComNav 1420 autopilot for my 30-foot custom built cabin cruiser “Shadow Dancer”. As far as marine autopilots go the 1420 is a low end, basic marine pilot that still packs a big punch when complimented with desktop/laptop navigation system. In my particular case I use the ComNav
Marine Bilge Pumps Rated Under 400 GPH
Bilge pumps from three makers, Rule, Whale, and Shurflo each have a pump fitting this flow category; all are rated at less than 400 GPH. Both the Shurflo Piranha 380 and Rule 360, model 24 have vertically orientated motors and snap-on bases designed to mount on a horizontal surface. The
How We Test Electric Bilge Pumps
We gathered actual flow rates and power ratings on all the bilge pumps at two voltages while pumping water into a tank set five feet above the pump using saltwater. Each pump was mounted to our test bench and connected to a fuse panel using the factory wire leads. The
Marine Bilge Pumps Rated 500 to 625 GPH
Bilge Pumps from several makers fit this group. We tested a Shurflo Piranha 500, a pair of Attwood’s the V500 and V625, a Rule 500 model 25D, and a Whale SuperSub 500 model SS5012. Rule and Shurflo all have vertically orientated motors and snap-on bases designed to mount on a
Bilge Pumps Main Page
Our 25′ Contender test boat came from the factory with only one bilge pump. And even though a bilge pump is not marine electronics per se it is still an extremely important piece of marine electrical gear that we cover in our reports. After much research we determined this single
Best Marine Radio
Choosing the best marine radio for your situation depends largely on how you intend to use your boat, how much you are able and willing to pay for this important piece of marine electronics, and whether or not you will permanently install the radio. The marine VHF radio is the
Basic Boat Wiring Tips
An understanding of basic boat wiring is a necessity for any boat owner or operator. Any discussion with a marine technician will highlight the fact that often times a boat’s operational problems are related to its electrical system. When you install basic boat wiring, the distance from the power supply
Automatic Bilge Pumps
An automatic bilge pump combines a bilge switch and bilge pump motor in the same housing. We ran a pair of these units through our testing. We tested the Attwood Sahara 1100 and the Lovett 1200. Size and construction of these two units is quite different. The Lovett is by
Airmar 260 Review
Intro The Airmar 260 series is a 1-kW transducer available in a variety of configurations, including thru-hull, in-hull, and transom mount. The 260 is a beast whose size and performance dwarfs many of its more common and less expensive brethren like the Airmar P66. The transducer is the heart of
Garmin echoMAP 70s Review
| Rating | 4/5 |
The Garmin echoMAP 70s is a combination high performance chartplotter and fishfinder. The ultrafast updates make this unit ideal for shallow and inland water on any center console or bass boat. The echoMAP 70s has a seven inch WVGA touchscreen display. The display is crystal clear, allows great visibility in the daytime as well as nighttime
Lowrance Elite-5 HDI – Review
| Rating | 2.8/5 |
The Lowrance Elite-5 HDI features Dual Hybrid Imaging. This is a combination of two technologies, which are Downscan Imaging and Broadband Sounder. These technologies offer fishermen a great view of the water column and everything thats in it. The Broadband Sounder Technology is built into the new skimmer transducer which makes it easy to track lure action and mark fish arches.
Raymarine Dragonfly Review
| Rating | 4.5/5 |
The Raymarine Dragonfly 5.7 is a combination of GPS and fish finder, making it an ideal tool for those who want a bit more fishing success even in unfamiliar waters. At just over $700 at most retailers, it is still considered an affordable model, and is packed to the gills with features.
Garmin echoMap 50s Review
| Rating | 3.9/5 |
When it comes to choosing depth sounders and GPS, the top three choices are Garmin, Humminbird or Lowrance. Compact fish finders are the affordable alternative to 12-inch monsters that are very expensive. Garmin has been a market leader in marine GPS and handheld GPS technologies. The Garmin echoMAP 50s is an affordable combination of a well-calibrated depth sounder and GPS and is ideal for smaller craft.
Humminbird 398 SI Review
| Rating | 3.8/5 |
The Humminbird 398 SI comes with side imaging and down imaging capability in addition to a 3.5 inch screen with LED lighting. Also included is internal GPS chartplotting capability compete with built-in UniMap cartography. There’s also a card slot for when you want to add maps and save waypoints and a Tilt and Swivel mounting system.
Humminbird 598ci HD SI Review
| Rating | 4.2/5 |
The Humminbird 598si HD is a powerful GPS/fishfinder combo that makes a day of fishing easier than ever before. This device offers side-imaging to maximize your angling experience, giving clear information on where even the trickiest of fish are hiding. With its Dual Beam Plus Sonar and brilliant full color display, this unit is sure to bring a new level of excitement to the art of fishing.
Furuno FCV-627 Review
| Rating | 4.4/5 |
The FCV-627 is a high-performance digital fish finder that is mainly designed for use on small fishing and leisure boats. Furuno has made a name for itself for over five decades as a leading manufacturer of marine electronic equipment, as seen in the high-quality and user-friendly design of the FCV-627.
Lowrance Elite-7 HDI Review
| Rating | 2.9/5 |
For navigators of waterways of the world, Tulsa, Oklahoma based Lowrance introduces its Elite-7 Hybrid Dual Imaging (HDI) series, otherwise known as the Lowrance Elite-7 HDI. This device incorporates GPS capabilities with course plotting to make navigation and on-water pilotage an intuitive and effortless process. Like all electronics of this sort there is a slight learning curve that once over makes using the device a simple process.
Humminbird PiranhaMAX 165 Portable Review
| Rating | 4/5 |
Throughout the years, experienced anglers have appreciated the Humminbird PiranhaMAX fish finder because of its precise pinpointing of fish, its automatic alarm system and its user-friendly format. Now, the PiranhaMAX is available in a smaller, compact size, the PiranhaMAX 165 Portable.
Lowrance HDS-12 Gen 2 Touch Insight Review
| Rating | 5/5 |
The Lowrance HDS-12 Gen 2 Touch Insight is the largest marine navigational system from Lowrance that has an easy-to-use multi-function touchscreen display with the look and feel of a computer tablet or smartphone. It comes with everything long-time Lowarance High Definition System users expect and much, much more.