Need help from you boaters out there

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Cal Weldon

Cal Weldon

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Joined 2004
calweldonconsulting.ca
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#1
I am looking at getting a combination GPS chart system and sonar fish finder unit for my 18’ runabout.
Not new to boating but these things didn’t exist when I was younger.
Do any of you have experience and or recommendations?
I also want to know about the SD cards vs built in charts and yearly update subscriptions.

Yes, I am asking elsewhere, I just trust many of the people here more than strangers so anything helps.
 
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#2
Cal Weldon said:
Do any of you have experience and or recommendations?
Click to expand...
A lot of these techs and brands have consolidated and use a number of brands to sell differing versions of a base product. Most use issues happen due to cables and connectors as well as the mounting system. I have fished alongside and onboard many when I had two teams (series winning) fishing Bass style comps here, as well as while onboard with customers and club members on their boats. The tech itself is pretty reliable and similar across the brands

I decided to go with upper tier instead of a base product built up to a premium model for my 3.5m Smartwave and chose to flush mount to a console specifically built for this use. Can see fish pass wind on the trace!

Below is the set I picked up

1743840220536.png
 
#3
Running a 14ft tinner (Lund) with 25hp in Northwestern Ontario.

Just purchased this from Bass Pro Tsawwassen Mills before Christmas:

Garmin® ECHOMAP™ UHD2 7" 75cv with GT20​

Garmin is a reliable name brand. I did not feel the need for touchscreen as too busy driving the boat (Tiller). Buttons are good enough. 7 inch seemed like as small as I would like to go for navigating. Comes with the Canadian inland waters mapping that I need built in. I have no plans to do yearly updates to the mapping.

Purchased an SD card so that I can add my own depth sounding mapping if need be (smaller uncharted lakes).

Unfortunately I have not yet tested; only in my shop so can add nothing further.

Not sure if any coastal mapping was included.
 
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