Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

I am in the market for a new fishfinder. I mainly fish deep waters of Lake Superior.

I am retiring (finally) my Lowrance LCX 27c, and because of this unit and Lowrance bad customer service I don't want to go back to the same brand.

Here in MN, the dominant brands are Lowrance and Humminbird, with Garmin being 3rd, but I would like to step out of the box, and hear about Furuno, Raymarine, and others.

Budget is not unlimited, I would like to stay under $ 1,000. Also for as interesting as Side Imaging it can be I am not interested in it, since I am not fishing structure, but temperature and water column.

I would like to get the best possible definition and sensibility.

What you guys have and/or suggest. Saltwater people please pitch in.

...and please let's don't make it a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge style discussion, thanks.

Re: Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

My boat had the same sonar on it when I bought it. I ran a Sitex for 5 years before that and the LCX just wasn't up to par. I sold the LCX and bought a Furuno FCV 585 with a 1kW transducer. If the price tag of the FCV 585 is a bit much for you, go with the FCV 620. A rock solid machine at a resonable price.

FCV 585
http://www.marine-electronics-reviews.com/furuno-fcv585.html

The Furuno FCV585 has all the capabilites you'd expect to find in the fish finder of this caliber. Combine that with outstanding performance and the big screen and you've got one of the best recreational sounders on the market today.

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FCV 620
http://www.marine-electronics-reviews.com/furuno-fcv620.html

If you really want out of the box look at the Garmin GSD 26 or the Simrad BSM-2 CHIRP sounders. Blows the socks of everything else on the market. Furuno is supposed to come out with their own CHIRP sounder sometime in the near future. Be forwarned, CHIRP is pricey. The transducer alone will set you back over $1K

Re: Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

Valv said:

...and please let's don't make it a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge style discussion, thanks.

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The way you have posed your question, that's what you're going to get. Begin your research by understanding that fish finder performance first depends upon transducer selection. You must first identify the style transducer which fits your boat's installation parameters. Then you need to select your price range, and understand that performance costs money. You need to know what's available in the mounting style that you have selected. Scroll down through this .pdf document from Airmar for a tutorial on transducer types and performance characteristics. http://www.airmartechnology.com/uploads/brochures/AIRMAR Transducer Guide 2009.pdf Once you have selected a transducer that meets your criteria, match it to the Ford, Chevy or Dodge of your choice. Nothing beats a test drive in the auto business, and the same holds true for fish finders ... to each his own.

Re: Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

Pez Vela said:

The way you have posed your question, that's what you're going to get. Begin your research by understanding that fish finder performance first depends upon transducer selection.

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I'll agree and disagree.
A good transducer will make a good unit perform better but?.you can?t expect to put racing tires on a Ford Fiesta and expect to win at Indy anymore than you can put a top of the line transducer on a junk head unit and expect much more than junk performance. It?s simply not going to happen. The design of the signal generator and the efficiency of the detection algorithm is what separate the good sounders from the mediocre and the bad. There are a couple of recognized industry leaders when it comes to sonar design. Ford, Chevy and Dodge are not one of them.

When it comes to electronics, there are a couple of things where price directly reflects the quality of the electronics inside the box. Stereo amplifiers and fish finders. are some of the best examples.

Re: Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

Algo... what? I'll have you know that my Chevy "sounder" allows me to hear "botts dots" at speeds that are illegal in most states.

Re: Fishfinder / Sonar which one is a good unit for deep waters ?

Pez Vela said:

Algo... what? I'll have you know that my Chevy "sounder" allows me to hear "botts dots" at speeds that are illegal in most states.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm

A unit's performance is not judged by what you can see, it's judged by what you don't see.