Editor’s Note – A west coast commercial operator doing water sampling work provides an in-depth review of a Humminbird chartplotter. We bought the Humminbird 788ci for one of our work vessels. I would not recommend this Humminbird combo unit. We have Lowrance gear installed on our other vessels and I
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
Best Compact Value
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
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.
- 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
Best GPS & Chartplotter Upgrade
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
Best Side-Imaging Upgrade
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
Best Premium Expandable System
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
Fish Finders: Unbiased Reviews
Boat Electronics
Boat electronics have become part of the basic equipment on a vessel. Today, a boat without a marine radio and GPS seems as rudimentary as a household without a computer. Every mariner should also consider a VHF radio to be as vital as any single piece of marine electronics, even
Using Hot Melt Glue
I regularly use hot-melt glue to seal bundled wire cables, this stiffens the cable and makes if waterproof. I also use this methodology to seal antenna or any other coax connectors for radios. This should work well on a marine VHF radio antenna connector. Just melt some hot-melt glue on
Garmin Nuvi 360 Review
I’ve had my Garmin Nuvi 360 for almost 2 years. I don’t use it while boating but since it is so portable thought I would comment anyway. I reviewed a number of GPS product specifications before I purchased. The one feature I knew I wanted was bluetooth capability in the
Black Box Sounders Main Page
A black box sounder is a generic name for a marine electronics device that contains the electronic guts of a fish finder in a self-contained ‘black box’, most of the time the box is not actually black. They came into being in the early 1980’s when personal computers were first
GARMIN GPSMAP 76
Editor’s Note – This post was provided to us from D. Bell from Fort Myers, FL The Garmin GPSMAP 76 is a great handheld unit for boating. I kayak twice a week and carry this unit because it meets my navigational needs. It runs for over 12 hours on a
Garmin 640 Review
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
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.