Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
Two seperate frequencies is a different issue than two at the same
frequency which is what I assumed the OP was talking about.

Correct, my original post was assuming they'd be the same frequency. My
experiences with the Garmin units was they can provide either separate
transducers for 50mhz, or 200 mhz, or a combination single transducer
with both frequencies. The unit can be set for either or both, depending
on the needs.

I am no electrical engineer, but as I understand it, the 200mhz was
better suited to the shallower depths, while the 50mhz was more for the
deeper depths. Given most all boating will be in less than 20 ft, with
the occasional voyage to maybe 75-100 (Boca Grande).

Time to start Googling and reading.

Tom - i am curious to know what units you are using and what is your
overall satisfaction with it/them. If you were to outfit your boat
again, would you pick the same one? Same manufacturer? Or completely
different?

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:37:40 -0400, DownTime
wrote:

Tom - i am curious to know what units you are using and what is your
overall satisfaction with it/them. If you were to outfit your boat
again, would you pick the same one? Same manufacturer? Or completely
different?

I wouldn't buy anything other than Raymarine. I've always had good
service (although in the past, they had some issues, but I never
experienced them), quick turnaround on repairs and every time I had an
issue, I received solid advice from experienced technicians - which I
haven't need much of except for an installation that I screwed up on
the last Contender I owned. Strictly my fault, but they stood behind
the unit and replaced it with a new one.

Raymarine - it's as simple as that. :)

Having said that, Furuno makes good gear as well as Si-Tex, Simrad and
Standard Horizon.

It all depends on your price point.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
I wouldn't buy anything other than Raymarine. I've always had good
service (although in the past, they had some issues, but I never
experienced them), quick turnaround on repairs and every time I had an
issue, I received solid advice from experienced technicians - which I
haven't need much of except for an installation that I screwed up on
the last Contender I owned. Strictly my fault, but they stood behind
the unit and replaced it with a new one.

Raymarine - it's as simple as that. :)

Having said that, Furuno makes good gear as well as Si-Tex, Simrad and
Standard Horizon.

It all depends on your price point.

I've liked the looks of the Raymarine line. A friend in the UK works for
company which supplies parts to Raymarine. I intend to look at them as
my first choice. If it helps me catch more fish, price is of no concern.
It simply raises the cost per fillet.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:37:40 -0400, DownTime
wrote:

Tom - i am curious to know what units you are using and what is your
overall satisfaction with it/them. If you were to outfit your boat
again, would you pick the same one? Same manufacturer? Or completely
different?

I wouldn't buy anything other than Raymarine. I've always had good
service (although in the past, they had some issues, but I never
experienced them), quick turnaround on repairs and every time I had an
issue, I received solid advice from experienced technicians - which I
haven't need much of except for an installation that I screwed up on
the last Contender I owned. Strictly my fault, but they stood behind
the unit and replaced it with a new one.

Raymarine - it's as simple as that. :)

Having said that, Furuno makes good gear as well as Si-Tex, Simrad and
Standard Horizon.

It all depends on your price point.


The Navigator had Raytheon (Raymarine) electronics. The depth finder was a
dual freq unit and worked well in shallow water.
I had an offset programmed into it, (boat's draft was 4.5') and it very
accurately let me know just prior to going aground when it read 2.8'.
Don't ask how I know how accurate it was.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:
"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:37:40 -0400, DownTime
wrote:

Tom - i am curious to know what units you are using and what is your
overall satisfaction with it/them. If you were to outfit your boat
again, would you pick the same one? Same manufacturer? Or completely
different?
I wouldn't buy anything other than Raymarine. I've always had good
service (although in the past, they had some issues, but I never
experienced them), quick turnaround on repairs and every time I had an
issue, I received solid advice from experienced technicians - which I
haven't need much of except for an installation that I screwed up on
the last Contender I owned. Strictly my fault, but they stood behind
the unit and replaced it with a new one.

Raymarine - it's as simple as that. :)

Having said that, Furuno makes good gear as well as Si-Tex, Simrad and
Standard Horizon.

It all depends on your price point.


The Navigator had Raytheon (Raymarine) electronics. The depth finder was a
dual freq unit and worked well in shallow water.
I had an offset programmed into it, (boat's draft was 4.5') and it very
accurately let me know just prior to going aground when it read 2.8'.
Don't ask how I know how accurate it was.

Eisboch



I have a Ray depthfinder on son of Yo Ho, attached to a through-hull
(not shoot through the hull) transducer. No offset, because it actually
is measuring the distance between the bottom of the hull and "the bottom."

The unit is fine, except its color screen is not nearly as good as the
color screen on competing Garmin units, in terms of how visible and
readable it is in bright sunlight.





--
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do
something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do
the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I
should do, by the grace of God, I will do.

— Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909)

"hk" wrote in message
news
Eisboch wrote:


The Navigator had Raytheon (Raymarine) electronics. The depth finder was
a dual freq unit and worked well in shallow water.
I had an offset programmed into it, (boat's draft was 4.5') and it very
accurately let me know just prior to going aground when it read 2.8'.
Don't ask how I know how accurate it was.

Eisboch

I have a Ray depthfinder on son of Yo Ho, attached to a through-hull (not
shoot through the hull) transducer. No offset, because it actually is
measuring the distance between the bottom of the hull and "the bottom."


Makes sense on a boat like yours. The Navigator's transducer was obviously
thru-hull amidships. The offset was to account for the rudders and 30"
diameter props.

Eisboch

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:12:58 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:37:40 -0400, DownTime
wrote:

Tom - i am curious to know what units you are using and what is your
overall satisfaction with it/them. If you were to outfit your boat
again, would you pick the same one? Same manufacturer? Or completely
different?

I wouldn't buy anything other than Raymarine. I've always had good
service (although in the past, they had some issues, but I never
experienced them), quick turnaround on repairs and every time I had an
issue, I received solid advice from experienced technicians - which I
haven't need much of except for an installation that I screwed up on
the last Contender I owned. Strictly my fault, but they stood behind
the unit and replaced it with a new one.

Raymarine - it's as simple as that. :)

Having said that, Furuno makes good gear as well as Si-Tex, Simrad and
Standard Horizon.

It all depends on your price point.

The Navigator had Raytheon (Raymarine) electronics. The depth finder was a
dual freq unit and worked well in shallow water.
I had an offset programmed into it, (boat's draft was 4.5') and it very
accurately let me know just prior to going aground when it read 2.8'.

I can't get mine to read accurately at any depth under 5 feet at all.
Even with the discrimination at max and sensitivity down under 30%, I
still get false returns. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever
had one that would read accurately under 5 feet.

I do know that the bow unit will read accurately to four feet, but
nothing past that.

Don't ask how I know how accurate it was.

You had to get out to use the telephone on the beach? :)

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:12:58 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


Don't ask how I know how accurate it was.

You had to get out to use the telephone on the beach? :)

Not quite. But I *did* find a handy use for a bow and stern thruster.

Eisboch