Electronics upgrade

[Foul Hook]

Opening the wallet this off-season to install new electronics. I'm going with the Simrad NSS9 Evo3 system. I'm just not so sure about the transducer. I generally fish in shore out to the mudhole monster and glory on a good day, that being said I love wreck fishing so need a ducer that can lock on bottom. I know those depths aren't that deep from an electronics perspective, but I want something or things that will do me right from like 10ft out to 250ft. Any thoughts? Or experiences with different duces? I'm running a 23 ft Gulfstream. I was looking at the airmar tm175 or tm 275 for example, definitely want the chirp versions. Any help making a decision? Thanks Tony

[Gerry Zagorski]

Your machine is dual frequency right?? If so that gives you some flexibility to run it shallow or deep as long as you have the dual frequency transducer.

https://youtu.be/o3kmxpBD5Yk

[Foul Hook]

I hear that Gerry. And yes my machine is dual frequency. I don't know why I need the low frequency. The way I understand that is for very deep bottom fishing and seeing fish deep in a water column. I'm thinking of getting a high and wide ducer for the inshore wreck fishing and having the 3 in 1 simrad ducer for general purpose reading. Thoughts?

[pcheesesteak]

If you can fit/afford the 12", I highly recommend.

I went from a 9" to a 12" and the difference was huge for me.

[Capt. Debbie]

The frequencies create two distinctly different look down cones. So lets say in 20 feet of water the transducer in looking at a 15' circle. While that same freq in 200 feet of water is looking a 200 foot wide circle.

The deep frequency had a much tighter cone so that in 200-300 feet of water it is only a 50 foot wide on the bottom. Problem is, that it's narrow so can easily miss stuff not directly underneath it is shall water where the cone may only be a few feet wide.

And remember CHIRP stuff is digital smart processing by the machine trying to figure out what it is seeing. Not the transducer.

And true 3D is usually two transducer, like our own two eyes to get depth perception.

[Foul Hook]

I called the Airmar tech support today. Their technician said based upon my information I gave him he recommends the TM185M as a good all around transducer. Has anyone used this one? The Airmar site has a great tool for seeing how big of a cone you will get with any transducer at any depth. Pretty cool.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I’d take his recommendation since Airmar makes most of the ducers that come standard with most machines and they know what they’re doing. A few things that may or may not be important to you, if your machine is capable, a ducer that reads water temps not sure if the one he recommended does. I see your going for the transom mount which is fine. They likely sell a tilted element that’s a through hull and the nice thing about the tilted element is they don’t require faring blocks to sit level and don’t stick out from the hull. You do however need to know exactly where to install it on your particular hull. If you guess wrong you kinda screwed since you might not be able to read bottom at planing speeds.

[Capt. Debbie]

Whether transom mount or shoot-through, the location of the transducer is ABSOLUTELY THE KEY. CLEAN WATER.. not air bubbles.

Go as near keel as you can. Stay away from the chines. Planing boats are designed to get lift ( AND AIR) for less hydrodynamic drag and more speed. You ever see the chopped chines? That is for one purpose to get air under the hull, BUT..... You want to keep un-aerated water under under and near the transducer. The ideal location is well aft and as near the keel as possible.

My 14 foot tin crab warrior Heat Seeker with an older Lowrance FF shows me clean bottom at its max speed of about 25 mph over the bottom.

That's my two cents,

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I’d take his recommendation since Airmar makes most of the ducers that come standard with most machines and they know what they’re doing. A few things that may or may not be important to you, if your machine is capable, a ducer that reads water temps not sure if the one he recommended does. I see your going for the transom mount which is fine. They likely sell a tilted element that’s a through hull and the nice thing about the tilted element is they don’t require faring blocks to sit level and don’t stick out from the hull. You do however need to know exactly where to install it on your particular hull. If you guess wrong you kinda screwed since you might not be able to read bottom at planing speeds.

[hammer4reel]

The rep at simrad says their active imaging 3 in 1

Through hull to go with that is their SS175H-W 20 degree

[Foul Hook]

Originally Posted by hammer4reel

The rep at simrad says their active imaging 3 in 1

Through hull to go with that is their SS175H-W 20 degree

You Dan I've looked at the active imaging one and it does a good job from screen shots ive seen
Ultimately I would love to use the 3in1 ducer for everything but wreck fishing. Then use the TM185M for wreck fishing perhaps.