JRC

JRC FF50

The JRC FF50 is a dual-frequency (50/200 kHz) unit putting out 600 watts of power. Developed from Japan Radio Company’s over 20 years of experience manufacturing high-end sonar, it comes with a high-definition, sunlight-viewable 6.5-inch TFT LCD water-resistant display. Internal software is the same as that used in JRC’s larger commercial-grade fishfinders. Capable of operating in either manual or auto mode, the FF50 has 10 depth ranges to a maximum depth of 5,000 feet. Suggested retail price is $1,799. Visit www.jrcamerica.com or call (206) 654-5644.

LOWRANCE

Lowerance LCX-111c HD

Long a leader in fishfinder technology, Lowrance this year introduced the LCX-111c HD. Actually a combination GPS/chartplotter and sonar, the HD model has a built-in 20 gig hard drive—the only combo system to our knowledge that has a large built-in hard drive. With a 10.4-inch LCD TFT screen and 600 by 800 dpi resolution, the LCX-111c is a beautiful display. One unique feature is “FishTrack,” which prints the digital depth above each fish marked, allowing you to adjust baits accordingly. Lowrance offers a variety of 50/200 kHz transducers that match up to the 111c. Power output is 1,000 watts, allowing it to easily read depths in excess of 1,000 feet. Suggested retail price is $2,549. Visit www.lowrance.com or call (800) 324-1356.

RAYMARINE

Raymarine C80

Like many marine electronics manufacturers, Raymarine no longer offers a stand-alone sonar/fishfinder, instead offering a variety of multi-function marine electronics that are fully integrated on one display screen. The Raymarine C80 is such a unit, with the ability to show 256 high-resolution colors on an 8.4-inch sunlight viewable display with excellent contrast at a wide viewing angle.

Adding Raymarine’s remotely mounted DSM300 dual-power sonar module to the C80 turns it into a high-definition fishfinder with a maximum depth scale of 5,000 feet (using 1,000 watts of power). The DSM300 power module automatically adjusts output power to a maximum of 600 or 1,000 watts depending on the transducer chosen. There’s a multitude of pre-set zoom ranges, or you can set your own zoom scale. Bottom Lock feature displays fish echoes directly above the bottom, while selecting Bottom Coverage Display will show you the diameter of the transducer beam where it meets the bottom, a feature especially helpful when bottom fishing. Another unique feature allows you to pause the screen over a particular piece of bottom while saving the spot as a waypoint. Suggested retail price of $2,820 includes Raymarine’s optional DSM300 sonar module ($780.00). Visit www.raymarine.com or call (800) 539-5539.

SIMRAD

Simrad EQ 44

The heart of the Simrad EQ44 is its transmitter that pumps 1,000 watts of power to an optional 50/200, 38/200, or 38/50 kHz transducer, allowing users to display depths beyond the range of many other sonars. All the expected features are here, including split-screen and zoom modes. An advanced white line feature helps distinguish bottom-hugging fish from the bottom, while the bottom expansion feature provides an unparalleled picture of the bottom. The 10.4-inch TFT screen is ideal for open boats or flybridges, and the company’s Seaview technology allows the display image to become clearer as the sun becomes brighter. In addition to the above transducers, Simrad has a host of other transducers available for the EQ44. Suggested retail price is $2,995. Visit www.simrad.com or call (425) 778-8821.

SI-TEX

Si-Tex CVS-833C

The Si-Tex CVS-833C with 8-inch TFT LCD display gives viewers outstanding daylight and nighttime viewing. Pumping 1,000 watts of RMS power to a 50/200 kHz transducer, the CVS-833C has eight range scales from 10 to 4,000 feet. A rotary switch facilitates quick mode changes as well as gain and range settings while a split-screen option displays normal and bottom view modes or dual frequencies. The FCV-833C also has a bottom discrimination mode that expands bottom images, while an A-Scope displays instantaneous imaging of fish echoes and bottom detail directly under the boat.

The CVS-833C is NMEA 0183 compliant and can be interfaced with navigation devices as well as optional speed and water surface temperature gauges, fish and depth alarms and is weatherproof. Suggested retail price is $1,899. Visit www.si-tex.com or call (727) 576-5547.

FS