Better to leave on or turn off and restart?

[5150abf]

I catfish and will sit in a spot for maybe an hour at a time, is it better to leave the fishfinder on or turn it off and restart it when I am ready to move?

Garmin Echomap 50 GPS/sounder.

 

[tpenfield]

It's probably better for the fish to turn off the fish finder, but it may be better for you to leave it on

 

[GA_Boater]

If you're sitting on a spot, how do you know if the catfish are down there or have moved on?

 

[alldodge]

Hey dingbat have a comment here?

 

[MTboatguy]

Mine is on just about the whole time I am on the water and fishing.

 

[dingbat]

Energizing (powering up) is hard on any electrical devices.

You would’ve better off turning the sounder on at the dock and turning it off upon your return.

 

[poconojoe]

What is your concern? Draining the battery? Do you have only one battery? If so, add a second battery for peace of mind. Use an ACR so both are charged (when needed) by your running motor.
If you don't want to go the route of an ACR, at least use a battery selector switch.

 

[mike_i]

assuming you have proper battery capacity leave it on. if you don't have proper battery capacity that would be your number one issue to remedy.

 

[5150abf]

Not a battery thing, have 2 house and a starter with a VSR, just trying to get the most life out of the finder.

So I will just leave it on, didn't know if it was worse to let it sit on for 6-8 hours or turn it on/off 6-7 times

 

[Mikered3500]

I'm an avid catfish hunter, I like many others turn it on as soon as my boat hits the water and turn it off when it leaves .never had a fish finder drain a battery on my boats. And we sometimes fish 12-15 hours at a time if the weather is right . Hope this helps .

 

[5150abf]

Not about batteries, I have 2 house and a starter with a VSR to charge the house when I am running.

I am talking about making the finder last longer.

 

[mike_i]

leave it on

 

[MTboatguy]

Not about batteries, I have 2 house and a starter with a VSR to charge the house when I am running.

I am talking about making the finder last longer.

Actually the finder could have a shorter life if you are turning it on and off all of the time, just like computers and other electronics.