Fishfinders and fishfinders

[Slackdaddy]

Wanna keep it simple, but I want everything

Realy don't want to "wire" my yak, so looking for a FishFinder with the following:
1a) must be water proof
1) internal batteries
2) transducer? clip on? or maybe mount in the hull and have a pig tail hanging out?
3) Cheap? relitive?
4) GPS? not a must, but why not, good for marking spots.
5) Color or BW

The internal batteries is the biggy, is less someone can tell me their junk?

really just want a color screen cadillac that runs 12 hours of a single AA for $95

Let me know your thoughts,
Slack

[Memory Maker]

Good Luck

[Grilled]

i might be mistaken but not sure you will be able to find a fishfinder with internal batteries. even if you do, i dought that you will get 12 hrs on a single AA batery.

my recomendation would be to get a regular fish finder and use a AA battery pack if you dont want to use a 12v lead battery. you can find eagle cuda's and humingbirds in your price range. installation is really not that complicated but this would be the easiest route to go.

[mmanolis2001]

Your probably not going to find a unit with a GPS for less than 250 dollars unless you find a used unit. I would also avoid a internal battery. You can get a alarm battery (12 volt 5 amp hour) for pretty cheap and make a waterproof battery box with a Tupperware for next to nothing. For a quick and easy transducer install Use GB duct seal.

If you want battery life go with a B/W unit. I can get 10 trips out of my Eagle Cuda 350S and 12V 5amh battery on a single charge. That's with the GPS running and the unit on every trip. I bet you could go much longer with a Piranha Max Hummingbird unit.

Some people run their units off 8 AA batteries but i feel its much easier to spend the time to rig it with a larger battery with a waterproof box. The cost difference is not that much and you will have much more run time.

Look into the Eagle cuda and hummingbird 300 series units for good cost effective choices.

If you buy too cheap you will buy twice.

[Slackdaddy]

Thanks for the responses.
I'll listen to experiance and scrap the internal batt option, should be able to find a LiPo battery to run it.
I'll either go basic as cheap as I can, knowing it will be upgraded in a year or 2, or get the color screen with GPS and mapping.

Slack

[ictalurus]

I don't know if I shell out for a lithium battery. I have a simple black and white unit, no gps, and I run it off a 3.5ah battery. It weighs 3lbs, which isn't that noticeable with all the other crap I carry.

[mmanolis2001]

don't spend the extra money on the LiPo battery. The sealed lead acid alarm batteries are fine and cost less.

I have the following battery and it has served me well for 2 years.
http://www.atbatt.com/product/23017.asp

If you get a color unit with GPS go with a battery like this.
http://www.atbatt.com/product/23038.asp Or http://www.atbatt.com/product/23021.asp

[Redfish12]

I have an 8 amp cabelas battery that I use with a humminbird 550 and 170 (swap from boat to boat) and I think I have only charged it 3 times in two years! I'm still on my charge from Jamaica Bay and it is running strong. Both fish finders are black and white so they do not pull much juice.

I'd say start simple. The biggest advantage will not be actually marking fish but instead marking depth changes where fish should be. In most places I fish a lot I have the depths memorized so even with out the ff I know if I am in 14 or 20 ft and adjust. I rarely ever actually mark and catch fish. Except croaker, usually when you see them on the bottom your rods blow up. I'm a fan of Humminbird units, they are waterproof (mine have been submerged and splashed often and never had a problem with the plugs!

Lots of good how to's on here for installs so check the old posts in dry dock.

[Grilled]

i went all of last year without ever charging my ff battery. i have one of those cabela's batteries also. my first set up was with 8 AA batteries and it was pain to replace or charge them every other outing.

[DOGFISH]

Wanna keep it simple, but I want everything

Realy don't want to "wire" my yak, so looking for a FishFinder with the following:
1a) must be water proof
1) internal batteries
2) transducer? clip on? or maybe mount in the hull and have a pig tail hanging out?
3) Cheap? relitive?
4) GPS? not a must, but why not, good for marking spots.
5) Color or BW

The internal batteries is the biggy, is less someone can tell me their junk?

really just want a color screen cadillac that runs 12 hours of a single AA for $95

Let me know your thoughts,
Slack

[Slackdaddy]

Looked at the small sealed lead acid batts, so if their "sealed" no need to put them in a drybox??
Probobly get the $79 Hummingbird grayscale and a 12v 2.2A lead/acid sealed batt. I should be up and running for under $100.00

Slack

[mmanolis2001]

The internals of the battery is sealed. It will still short at the terminals. I would suggest at least a Tupperware container and in line automotive type fuse and holder. Better to blow a $1 fuse than a $100 unit.

[medicyaker]

I have a Hummingbird 160 that I bought at BassPro that is self contained. it comes in a "bag" (not a good name for it) and has a battery in the bag that includes a mount to put your Fishfinder (included) and to secure the battery in the mount behind the fishfinder. The Transducer that comes with it can be mounted via a suction cup(included) or you can permanantly mount the transducer as Surfdog helped me with inside of the Hull. This system is meant to be portable unless you mount the trransducer permanantly somewhere. The battery has held a charge at least 9hrs. The drawback is that the screen is small and B&W. There is a better version of this same model and has a larger B&W screen as well as a Color monitor. The B&W one is the 560 model and I think the Color one is the 570. Not sure of the model #s but BassPro has a decent selection of portable Fishfiders. I think the 560 or 570 also has a GPS feature but i'm not sure. Hope this helps you a bit.
Tom