New Inexpensive Fishfinders for 2014: Garmin GCV10, Lowrance Elite CHIRP, and Humminbird 800
If you need a high quality but relatively inexpensive fishfinder-chartplotter that costs about $1,000 or less, 2014 brings a fresh new crop of choices from the likes of Garmin, Humminbird, and Lowrance.
Every time you blink there are new marine electronics hitting the market, which is why we constantly bring you articles like the 2013 Summer Marine Electronics Update, the late fall Simrad NSO EVO2 First Look Video, and now, this spring primer on new inexpensive fishfinders for 2014. Yes, there were plenty of high-dollar units also introduced to the world at the Miami Boat Show last month. But most of us will be more interested in these relatively low-cost units, which will prove useful to both freshwater and saltwater (inshore) anglers.
The Garmin GVC 10 is a black box which brings SideVu and DownVu to a range of units.
Garmin GCV 10
Just a few short months ago, we introduced you to Garmin’s move into the world of hi-resolution scanners (read Garmin Introduces Side-Scanning SideVu and Down-Scanning DownVu). Now the GCV 10, a black-box plug-and-play fishfinder, is ready for prime-time. This unit is compatible with a wide range of echoMAP and GPSMAP units—10 in all, including the also-new echoMAP 70dv ($1,099) which gives you standard sonar on a 7” WVGA touch-screen, without the GCV 10. (Check out the Compatible Devices tab on the GVC10 web page, to see the complete list). It brings side- and down-scanning capabilities to all of these units, at a MSRP 0f $599. It also comes with a DownVu/SideVu transducer, has three network ports so you can include several different units in the interface, and is rated waterproof to IPX7 standards. It puts out 500 watts of power, and claims a DownVu range of 750’ and a SideVu range of 500’. Like most other scanners of this genre, it works by broadcasting a fan-like beam at 455/800 kHz. These high-frequency beams take an MRI-like picture, as opposed to the more X-ray-like images produced by standard-issue fishfinders.
If you want DownVu and SideVu isn’t a necessity, you may also want to take a peek at the echoMAP 50dv. This unit has a five-inch VGA display, (480 x 640 pixels) and comes out of the box with DownVu built in. It also comes with pre-loaded chartography, and includes a transducer at its list MSRP of $599.
For more information on down-scanners versus traditional fishfinders, see Sonar Smack-Down: Traditional Fishfinder Vs. Down-Looking Scanner-Imager Vs. CHIRP.
Humminbird also has several new units this year, including this 899ci HD SI combo.
Humminbird 800 Series
The “big news” from Humminbird for 2014 was the introduction of the Ion and Onix systems, a pair of all-new MFDs. But these units don’t cruise through the same waters as the others we’re talking about today, starting at about double the “inexpensive” mark of $1,000. Enter, the 800 series. Humminbird dressed up its line of 800, 900, and 1100 units for 2014, and with a starting MSRP of $599 (for the 859CI HD Combo fishfinder/chartplotter), the 800 series fits right into our budget. Even the most expensive model, the 899CI HD SI Combo, with both down and side imaging, comes in under $1,000 (by one penny).
What’s surprising here is how unexpectedly competent these units are when it comes to expansion abilities. They can handle a 4kW radar, NMEA2000, expansion modules, a heading sensor, AIS, and iPilotLINK electric trolling motor autopilot. Screen size is also good for the price-point, at seven inches diagonal with 800 x 480 pixels. You’ll need to add a second transducer if you want 50 kHz capability and the unit can’t take Navionics Platinum nor C-Map (Navionics Gold/Hotmaps and Lakemaster are supported) but when you look at the overall package for the price, it’s hard to be displeased. Added bonus: this unit packs quite a punch, putting out 1,000 watts RMS.
This Lowrance Elite 7 CHIRP is another affordable fishfinders chartplotter combo, all new for 2014.
Lowrance Elite CHIRP
While we already liked the Elite 7 with DownScan thanks to its large seven-inch screen and robust construction (see Sonar Smack-Down), Lowrance has improved the unit by adding limited CHIRP abilities. This seems to be Lowrance’s answer to Raymarine’s Dragonfly, which is another form of “CHIRP light.” (Read Raymarine Dragonfly: A Whole New Breed of Fishfinder, for more info, and note that Raymarine has announced a new, larger, seven-inch version is in the works and will be on the market soon with pricing expected to be in the neighborhood of $1,000.).
The Elite 7 CHIRP costs $649 to $869 depending on which bundle you choose, and a five-inch version is available for $499 to $669. But its CHIRP capabilities are limited to a much tighter spectrum-sweep than full-blown CHIRP units (which are significantly more expensive), and it utilizes Lowrance’s standard Skimmer transducer, which wasn’t designed for use with CHIRP technology. When I saw the Elite 7 CHIRP and the 5.7” version of the Dragonfly side by side I thought there was a minor improvement in picture quality, though the difference wasn't exactly overwhelming. You can get a glimpse of the unit on the water, in this short video.
Have you noticed yet that we didn’t get into the chartplotter end of things, in the discussion about these units? That’s because they all incorporate comparable full-blown chartplotters and integrated GPS antennas. In fact, these days once you get over the $500 price range, the vast majority of the fishfinders have a chartplotter built right in. Just remember that on a five-inch screen it’s tough to see when you go to split-screen mode—much less trying a triple-split, so you can look at the fishfinder, the chartplotter, and the down- or side-scanner all at the same time. Because these days, even with relatively inexpensive fishfinders, looking at multiple views has become the norm. And we can expect this to continue. Until you blink... and then, who knows?
