Fishfinder Features What Is Important To You?

[Vanselena]

Hi folks,

 

I'm designing a new fishfinder and really would like it to be designed by fisherman. So if you could have any feature on a sonar unit, what would it be? Also what features do you find to be useless?

 

For me personally I prefer a big screen and big buttons for my fat fingers...lol. Things that annoy me are having to be a computer expert just to run my sonar unit, most of the features I never use because I can't find them,,,grrr.

 

How about you? Now's your chance to get it all out and if enough people agree then you will influence how your future fishfinder will look and feel.

 

Thanks,

 

Matthew

[Terry]

are you talking flasher or LCD

[Roy]

Are these going to have the 6" transducers?

[Entropy]

for LCD, detail and temps.

[FishHog]

automatic fish ID is an absolute waste if you ask me. I don't need to see little fish symbols, just show me the sonar return. Plus, why to these auto fish always swim in the same direction.

 

Automatic depth changes are OK, but they also need to reverse themselves. I hate when the unit switches to 60' depth, then I get back into 20 and am still looking at a 60' screen.

[setomonkey]

Decent sized screen and fast pickup of signal so you can motor to a new spot and be able to tell depth.

 

Mike

[Guest gbfisher]

Usless feature?...........fish ID!.....

 

With how fast they come out with new FF's and the fact that you have been talking about this FF of yours for years now. I can't see why I would ever buy another to replace the one I have now...unless it breaks or I do..... in that case I would buy another Lowrance. If I didnt break that is.

 

Good luck with yer ventures Vans. When are you putting it on the market?

 

[Photoz]

Hey GB . . . . you want I should hold a spot in line for you, to pick up Vans new flasher / fishfinder when he markets it? I was gonna go to the FL20 . . . . but I think I'll wait just a bit more!

[Guest gbfisher]

Hey GB . . . . you want I should hold a spot in line for you, to pick up Vans new flasher / fishfinder when he markets it? I was gonna go to the FL20 . . . . but I think I'll wait just a bit more!

 

 

OH MAN....that would be great!

 

Thanks Steve!

[Fang]

power

what a 1500 watt finder pick up is totally different than a 4000 watt

 

pixel definition - gotta be 480 minimum

 

dual transducer function narrow/wide cone

 

make the screen highly visible from all angles

 

5" minimum screen size

 

If you want to do something different, make the front all screen. put the adjustment buttons on the top or side of the unit. Buttons now take up way to much real estate that could be used for screen. Look at a computer screen and see how much the adjustment buttons take up.

 

1 button temp/speed control. Have it toggle through options as you push the button.

[misfish]

power

what a 1500 watt finder pick up is totally different than a 4000 watt

 

pixel definition - gotta be 480 minimum

 

dual transducer function narrow/wide cone

 

make the screen highly visible from all angles

 

5" minimum screen size

 

If you want to do something different, make the front all screen. put the adjustment buttons on the top or side of the unit. Buttons now take up way to much real estate that could be used for screen. Look at a computer screen and see how much the adjustment buttons take up.

 

1 button temp/speed control. Have it toggle through options as you push the button.

 

Ok I understood some of that,but lost metoggle through.

 

I do like the idea of a nice big flat screen.Maybe hook up a SPS for those slow days.LOL

[Vanselena]

The first unit will likely be an LCD.

[Fang]

press button once and speed shows up

press it a second time and speed and temp shows

press it a third and only temp

press it once more and temp disappears

 

I run mine on auto about 95% of the time so having to adjust at set up is not a big deal but one thing I wish my lowrance models would have is a fav settings switch where I could run on auto and then pop it into manual with last settings still there

 

Also I hate having to turn off fish ID and teunr on speed and temp every time i turn on my Eagle.

[bigfish1965]

A few things I would like to see...

• GPS split screen option select
  
• Better option navigation (two stage..show title then select to show options)
  
• Auto-depth select over-ride (someone else metioned this)
  
• Manual selection of max depth. maybe 5 ft increments
  
• 'Favourite settings' preselect. This way an angler could have a few presets ready...one for trolling , one for jigging, etc.
  
• Give up Fish ID processing power for more processing to raw sonar
  
• "Quick Mark" for the GPS...see a school and hit a single button that adds a quick mark on the GPS and assists in returning to that spot. Most GPS require a few steps to accomplish this
  
• Actual depth vs Map Info depth editing
  
• Dual transducer 3-D mapping
  

[Headhunter]

I'll keep this simple... how about a screen you can read from any angle! Also, how about a screen that you can see/read in bright sunlight. Or, a machine that can be updated on line with a simple usb connection to a computer for up loading any new s/w releases/upgrades/mapping.

HH

[Terry]

well ,lots of vertical pixels... horizontal is just history but it's nice to have some history

 

i say get rid of all the stupid bells and whistles..except people seem to buy the ones that sound like a slot machine paying off every time a weed floats by

[ccmtcanada]

I'd like one that has a boat attached to it...then I'd be looking to buy...retail should be under $200

Edited December 12, 2006 by ccmtcanada

[Fisherman]

How about a scratchproof screen, even when carefull you end up with a hazy screen after a while. Make the case out of a lighter colour, black in the sunlight can't be good for the electronics. Connectors should be non corroding. How about a transducer cable thats 5 feet, I always have a ball of spaggetti wrapped up in one corner. Good luck, hope to see a prototype.

[Chris Cross]

My new unit has a depth alarm, saved hitting bottom more than once.

Maybe a depth window. Where you get an alarm if you go to deep or too shallow.

CX

[Vanselena]

Great comments, please keep them coming!

[Ron]

 

[*]'Favourite settings' preselect. This way an angler could have a few presets ready...one for trolling , one for jigging, etc.

 

 

 

Now that is one feature I would really like.

 

I also like the idea of one button, my old... crap... I can't even remember the name of it. Someting tournament Pro something or other, made by Bottom Line.

 

Anyways it had one button, push to turn on unit, push again to go through options, turn dial to option, push to highlight option, so on....

 

Real easy to operate.

 

Another option I like is the "real time" display. Sure a flasher might be quicker but do you really need to have mili seconds? A 1/2 or 1 second delay is not bad.

 

Develop a transducer that will work as a through hull design for Aluminum boats.

[tschirk]

A speed / distance scale along horizontal access so I cann see how far back the target has passed behind the boat.

[Fish Farmer]

Go with the CRT instead of LCD it's a better definition. Have trolling speed speed in time GPS,

so you don't have the little wheel getting fouled up. Swivel base.

Just some info. There is going to be new things happening in the fish finder industry with in a year or two .

[Vanselena]

Farmer I agree with CRT having better definition and also updates faster. That being said we will likely be looking at having a CRT and LCD model.

 

Great posts, keep them coming!

 

Matthew

[tschirk]

input for underwater video camera option (full or split screen)

temp & depth probe for downriggers

Quick Disconnect, w Over sized gold plated connectors (no flimsey pin & socket that are pone to intemittent connection)

tilt/swivel base,

SD card slot recording & for firmware updates

HEAVY DUTY rubber boots on heavy duty (nick proof) cables

I love side scan on the new Huminbird if it dosent compromise fishfinding response

500+ wats RMS

600+ vertical pixels

Scroll back memory

split display - vertical or horizontal

Real bottom zoom 10-20 foot - using most vertical pixels

Thermocline finder

dual cone tranducer 40deg-192KHZ & 10deg-400Khz overlayed on same display

adjustable target alarm based on target density

No hassle warranty replacement policy (renewable annual contract)

USB port for device networking options (i.e. NEMA 0183)

32+ shade grayscale display for target density (color can be confusing), White LED backlighting

Bikini babe screen saver :-)

bottom zoom tracking with superior bottom/target seperation

NO COMPROMISE quality (mil spec)