Garmin GPS map 178c sounder/fish finder

I am plaining on puting this on my kayak, any body ever use it??

At $520 dollars you better get 2.  Sand and surf is no good on fishfinders.  They are made for boats and not Yaks.

Ken kickfish

The Garmin 178c looks like a sweet fishfinder, I drooled over one before ending up with my 383c. But I'd be very careful with such a pricey piece of electronics. Sand and surf won't be a problem at all though, because you will unmount and stow the head unit before every launch and landing, right? And invest in some of the CRC anti-corrosion spray for your contacts.

Scott

Sand and surf is a problem.....we are so low to the water.  I have Trinadad, Penns, Avet, Pro  Gears and Accurates (Reels) becomes great paper weights because of Kayak fishing.

Buy a $150 to $200 Fish Finder.  All you need to see the bottom and bait.  I got a $450 GPS that is on my life vest.  Good to have a compass, flashlight and radio on your vest.  Does you no good if you are drifting away from your Yak and all the things you need are on that Yak.

Ken kickfish

Ken, please re-read my post, and then explain to me how sand and surf will destroy the fishfinder head unit, if it is stowed during launchings and landings? And by stowed, I mean below decks, or in some sort of sealed container, whether it be a Pelican case or dry bag. Not just banging around in a crate.

Regards,
Scott

 

I'm with Ken, launching is not the only time salt water is an issue.  Those of us who have or currently paddle a prowler sit up to our necks in water  not to mention water over the bow, spray, fish slapping water at us....whatever, if you fish the salt its an issue.  I also happen to be a clumsy s.o.b. and have managed to drop my FF in the sand while trying to stow it before launching.....that must ony be me though 

Scott said it right, take care of your electronics properly and they will last a long time. I have a dry box where I stow my FF unit when launching and landing. After a day of fishing, simply rinse the FF unit with fresh warm water, pat it dry and leave it (indoors) to dry out. Treat your connections the same way and you'll have no problems. I've been using the CRC brand and never had problems with the connections on my Humminbird Matrix.

I have been leaving my eagle cuda 242 attached almost all the time. I did put dielectric grease in there. But I figure every time you open it up, you invite corrosion.

once my kayak rolled while on the wheels and the unit seems mounted low enough (SPTW compass shelf) that it didn't even touch the ground.

I got mine halfway through the season but used it quite a bit.  still workin!

Getting ready to fish takes so long, right now my battery is in my kayak and my FF is attached, I don't even detach it between trips.  I'm still slower than sixmhz but think how slow I'd be if I had to re-install my battery and fishfinder every trip!

J

Scott,

It is not only the head unit.  It is the wiring connections is the base that will mess you up.  Sand will get down there. I have had 4 units on my 2 yaks.  All humminbirds.  PiranhaMax, 535, Matrix 15 and 17.

PiranhaMax and 535 are dead.  The Matrix connections are going out and I may have to replace it with my spare.

Ken kickfish

I have left mine on through MANY surf launches including my relatively expensive Matrix 67.  When I'm feeling fussy I cover them with a plastic bag and a pony tail holder.  I have an unproven theory that they are more susceptible to contamination and intrusion with all of the connections unplugged and exposed.  I thoroughly rinse my stuff when I get home,and keep all of the contacts covered on a light coating of dieletric grease...bomb proof so far. 

I would however get a 383c instead of this unit though, it seems like a better value.  As soon as the xmas budget bludgeoning is over I am getting a 383c for myself.   

 

I use this unit.  I like it, but I will never buy a color unit again for a kayak.  It is nice, and I am sure once I figure it out, I will be able to read a mark as either being a fish of kelp.  The reason I would not buy another color unit is due to battery life.  Color units last at most 5 hours on a 12v 7amp battery.  They make a B&W version.  It is great to have the internal GPS all in one.

Chris

Holy-thats good info.  I looked at the specs for the 178c and it is a thirsty devil indeed...about 1.16 amps.  For comparison a Matrix 17 is around 0.250...less than 1/4th the draw.  I doesn't seem to be entirely the color deal, but more the unit.  The color Himminbird 383c uses 0.433 amps...about a 1/3 the draw of the 178c.  So in theory, with a 7 amp battery you should get:

28 hours with a Matrix 17
16 hours with a 383c
6 hours with a 178c

Something to think about!

Scwafish,

I was getting two decent 4-5 hr fishing trips out of a 4.5 Amp/hr battery with my 383c, so those numbers jive perfectly with real life.

Now that I'm getting more familiar with the unit, it is a breeze to determine kelp vs fish.  However, I'm still learning the ropes when it comes to "school of blues" vs "dense school of bait". Just ask Cafecraig about our experiences


Ken,

You make a good point regarding sand. I'll still stow the head unit, but will pay much closer attention to the contacts before plugging the unit into it's mount. Possibly using dielectric grease to fill the jack before use, or using a baggie type cover.



Regards,
Scott