fish finder ????

I know this question has probably been asked before but I am looking for some help on some depth finders. I am looking at the Humminbird Piranha Max 20 or the Eagal/Lowrance 245ds. I am sure some one out there has or has used these units, witch in your opinion would be more water prof and more reliable. Thanks for all the help in advance.

Pat R

That is easy.

1.  Stay the hell away from piranahs (and humminbird in general in my opinion).
2.  The Eagle 245ds is the consensus best buy on this site.

'Nuff said.

(If you want all the gory details that result in those points use the search function).

MolBasser

Thanks, did the search you are right lots of gory detail. I think I will go with the Eagle.

Pat R

I think I will go with the Eagle.

Pat R

Me too...that and a new high back seat are on my list for Santa. 

I'm VERY happy with my high back seat (now that I got a PFD that I can wear with it).

You can't go wrong with the eagle 245ds.

MolBasser

Whats wrong with Matrix 17 ( Hummingbird ) ??? .........Danglin

I (and others) have had reliability issues with Humminbird.

It may function fine (while it functions).

MolBasser

Interesting .....Thanks.............Danglin

We have had great luck and performance with any of the matrix 565 type ffs from Humminbird...the Pirahnas do SUCK.  The 245 DS is THE bargain pick, but not as nice as a Matrix 17.

Oooh, I was all set to get the Eagle 245DS, but with that quick disconnect on the Matrix 17, I may have to give that a good look. My problem is I share my boat with another guy who doesn't really fish, and the fact that we store our yak at a buddy's house (he lives on the Petaluma River by highway 37) and we basically share the use of 3 Kayaks. This means I don't want to leave my FF on the boat when I am not using it, as the others won't really use the FF and it will just get in the way.
  My question for anyone who has the Matrix 17, is the mounting base pretty tough? Can it get wet with the FF not in place and not suffer too much? We use our yaks with Kiteboarding kites and they get really wet, so I'll need something that can handle the water.
  Or might I be better off with the Eagle and just disconnect it completely when I am not using it?
 Or any other suggestions?
  Thanks.
Chris

Earlier in the year, I upgraded my Humminbird 535 to a Matrix 17 and couldn't be happier. The dual beam and the large screen was a big selling point to me. I've had it for almost a year now and I have not had any problems with it at all. And yes, the mounting base is pretty sturdy. I  apply CRC on the connection to prevent corrosion build up.

I have the Matirx 17 and like it alot.  It has made me a much beter fisherman.

   Ive just started to consider having my "vision" expanded as well, but I have some concerns and Im not sure if they are valid or not.
After installing a FF, is it easy to reconfigure your boat for times when you know there is the high likely hood of getting swamped or dumped?   or is the FF permanently mounted?
And how well can the Matrix 17, or any other FF, handle being submerged in the event of  a "incident"?
Im also curious about how much weight will I be adding to my boat. I prefer if all of my boats are surf worthy and Im not quite sure if a FF is  for me.
Thanks for the  education.

 

I totally flipped over launching the first time I has mine installed and it is still working fine.  It has a 1 yr warranty and is rated waterproof.  I also spent the extra $ (not too much maybe $30) on the West Marine 3 year fix everything or replace warranty figuring I would be putting it through hard use rolling on rocky beaches etc. but it has held up well so far.  I have used it at least once every week since last spring and it had been very wet several times.

Awesome info, thanks for the input!