sounder/fish finder use is based on transducer quality

[bill.ness]

isn't the ability of the sounder/fish finder based on the quality of the transducer
so that a stronger narrower beam is better for discrimination or is the sounder more important. I am looking to go with the dsm300 and the r99 transducer with the c120, i will be fishing in very deep water in alaska and don't want to get this part wrong. any feelings on this electronic paring. bill

[Nomans]

YES YES YES! Too few people understand that a good transducer and a good installation are absolutely critical. I would much rather use an inexpensive Furuno 600L with a properly installed B260 transducer than a 582L with a transom mount P79 single element.

There aren't a lot of R99s out there, so I'm not sure you will find much first-hand experience. But it is certainly designed for your intended use of deep water, high resolution use. Do you already have the C120? You might be better off with a Furuno NavNet with the BBFF3 sounder module, which will supply enough input power (switchable 1,2,3 kW) to take full advantage of the R99. The DSM300 has a maximum output of 1000W, while the R99 can handle 2000W. You will get better deep water performance with the full 2000W power from the Furuno sounder module, which I am told also has a "cleaner" signal and better receiver circuitry.

I am personally not a fan of the Raymarine sounders, though they do have their strong advocates. A Furuno BBFF3 is about three times the cost, however.

[Beuford T. Justice]

Now that's exactly the kind of totally unbiased input I really like to read.

[elflacoloco]

If you are looking in deep water you want to use a 50khz transducer.
Do not waste your money on a 2KW, 3KW transducer. 1KW good transducer is plenty enough. Either use an Airmar B260 or a Simrad combi. The rest is dressing. The transducer is everything. the Furuno
national sales manager stood up in a meeting and stated the best picture he has ever seen on a Furuno depth sounder was with a Simrad combi transducer.

flaco loco

[Nomans]

Simrad has a different design philosophy than Furuno (or Raymarine). They use higher sensitivity receivers and require less power. So a Simrad unit with 1000W driving a Simrad combi transducer is great in very deep water. That would be a very good option to consider as well. But depending on what you mean by deep (I assume over 1000 feet), with an R99 transducer you would be better off with 2kw output power in the sounder. And yes, at that depth you would be using 50hz.

[gotumon]

The B260 (1KW)transducer on that C series will be the ticket for your fishing. I used one last year on a C 120 and the 1kw unit worked like a charm.

[Mumblerone]

We're mounting a R99 on a 32' Boston Whaler Outrage with the Raymarine E120 and a DSM300 Sounder.* Will give a full report plus PIC's in about three months when the ice is gone!

[elflacoloco]

the main reason a simrad combi is difficult to use is because of its' size and price. This transducer is hand made in I believe either Norway or Denmark. There is not other transducer on the market that will come close to its' sensitivity. After all, being able to recieve and process the weakest return signals is what you are looking for.
Like i stated before, throw a few nut shells overboard and see if you see them on your screen. The proof will be in the picture.

flaco loco

[gotumon]

I never tried the nut shells but I do know that a ping pong ball on a weight 1 foot off the bottom in 100 feet of water shows up on the C series screen as a recognizable target.

[elflacoloco]

Steve,
Of course it is going to show up because correct me if I am wrong isn't the ping pong ball full of air like in air bladder of a fish. Try the nut shells or a big weight. Take the big weight on one of your reels and let it over the side and see if you spot it going thru your screen.

gotumon - 3/14/2005 8:01 PM

I never tried the nut shells but I do know that a ping pong ball on a weight 1 foot off the bottom in 100 feet of water shows up on the C series screen as a recognizable target.

[gotumon]

Elflaco,
I can see the bank sinkers of the folks on my boat in 80 feet as they drop and when they lift them off the bottom and actually watch a diamond jig rise and fall in midwater as well. I see the fish on the screen, tell my anglers to drop till I say stop, and stop them when I see the jig in the right area. Phenomenal! I can also see the fish and weight as the follks reel them up. Of course, they have to be below the boat as opposed to being out away from it. I still have not tried the nutshell thing, but as I said, I will try it this year. I was thinking, since the swim bladder of a fish has air in it, a ping pong ball is a pretty good test. I am looking for fish and the unit does print a target for each fish's swim bladder.

[dogfather]

The transducer is the key to a good fish finder setup. I have an R199 in-hull on my boat hooked to a Furuno FCV-1100. It is truely AMAZING. I can mark fish at 40 knots at 300 feet. That's no lie. Spend your $$$ on the best transducer you can afford.