Brand New Old Model Garmin FF 100 .....Use it or Sell it?

iamslotman

Cadet
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
24
I purchased a used 20' boat and it came with a brand new in the box Garmin Fishfinder 100 (Not Blue or Echo) complete with all wiring and transducer in the box. The previous owner received it as a gift in 1998 and never opened it. Still has a $199.99 price tag on it. I don't know if I should bother installing it or should I try selling it for whatever I can and put the money towards something newer with a bigger screen and better resolution? I will be fishing in Moriches Bay which in not very deep and I have never used a fish finder before. Has anyone had any experiance with this unit? I am not looking for a lot of bells and whistles, but I have poor eyes and I don't want to install it and make it worthless to resell if it doesn't do much. If I was to buy a new one I would be looking to spend only about $300 and hopefully get a bigger screen. So many I look at give depths to 2000 feet. I don't have the balls to ever go outside the inlet with a 20' boat so paying for extra power seems a waste. Also this boat only uses one bayyery and when I see some units rated at 400 watts.... is that meaning a second battery is needed just to power the electronics? thanks obviously I am new to this.
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: Brand New Old Model Garmin FF 100 .....Use it or Sell it?

The old unit isn't worth much, and the same price now will get you a far better unit.

After saying that, it will work, but for bad eyes a newer unit with better lighting is the way to go.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
15,417
Re: Brand New Old Model Garmin FF 100 .....Use it or Sell it?

So many I look at give depths to 2000 feet. I don't have the balls to ever go outside the inlet with a 20' boat so paying for extra power seems a waste. Also this boat only uses one bayyery and when I see some units rated at 400 watts.... is that meaning a second battery is needed just to power the electronics? thanks obviously I am new to this.
The advertised depth figures are bogus.

The power to bounce a signal off the bottom in X number of feet of water is one thing....a transducer capable of detecting the returns and converting them into usable signal at those depths is something altogether different.

400W is the output, not the power required to power the unit. The unit probably draws about the same as an am/fm radio.
 
Last edited:

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Re: Brand New Old Model Garmin FF 100 .....Use it or Sell it?

...400W is the output, not the power required to power the unit. The unit probably draws about the same as an am/fm radio.

+1 ^^^

The 400W spec is the power of the pulse and not the power input of the unit.

It is like saying a .22 pistol sound level is 140dB and a Commercial Airliner taking off is 130dB.
The .22 is 10 times louder but not continuously.

The Fishfinder 100 Specs state 2400W Peak, 300W RMS, and 7W input.
Or less than 1 Amp; about the same as a radio.
 
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