Furano Graphs

[Bob G2]

Anyone use on of these? I am thinking of a Furano 600C for salmon fishing,... main console graph unit. Find that my current X-85 doesn't cut it for salmon trolling and the reports on current X-15,18, and 19's are putting me off on Lowrance.
Notice that Furano is a favorite with salt water anglers.

[j9f]

I had a Furuno on my last boat, the 582L. I was a great unit in my opinion. No problem marking the bottom in 400 FOW moving at 40mph on Lake Michigan with the 200 Mhz transducer. I primarily ran the low frequency transducer while trolling. I could mark bait, suspended fish and all four balls. You can select any scale in increments of 10 so you mark the maximum area on your screen. Sometimes I would run the split screen in shallower water. Don't run it in auto though, you need to adjust the gain manually. I would definately get the transducer with a temp sensor. You can also hook into the NEMA on your GPS and chart your position.

I am not sure how the 600 works, but I think it is similar.

[Bob G2]

Thanks, I was considering that unit also. If you hook in a NMEA 0183 cord, can you have the plotter display on a split screen? Also,dumb question, do you need to have a plotter GPS to feed into it in the first place?

[j9f]

You don't need a plotter GPS, you just need the NEMA input hooked to the GPS. I never really used the FF to plot. I didn't see the point. There is a way to have the GPS data, speed, direction, etc. displayed at the same time as the sounder is running. I think it was at the top or bottom of the screen. I don't remember it being able to display your track, but I never tried. It was more or less a NAV screen which told you your heading, where to turn, ETA, etc.

[Matrix]

Check out the new color unit Humminbird Matrix sonar/GPS 97. It meets all your requirements at 500 RMS watts and dual frequency operation and Hot Maps card capability. It even identifies what fish was maked on what frequency. Great unit at 849.00....cheaper on the internet.

[Erie bud]

There is no way that unit is identifying fish, unless it also sells swamp land....

Bud

[j9f]

Huh? It marked excellent arches on Lake Michigan. No little picture of a fish on that FF. I do like the Raymarine I have now better for Erie (so far). The Furuno is a more difficult to read on Erie. I'll be docked on Lake Michigan in a week..... we'll see how it stacks up to the Furuno over there.

[Matrix]

READ my post AGAIN Erie Guy REAL slowly and carefully, I never said what specie of fish it identifies. I said it would identify What cone beam picked up the fish, the 200KHZ or the 83KHZ. See that word "frequency". If you are confused on what was meant instead of jumping to conclusions, ask the poster. Don't you think if a new sonar ID'd the specie of fish you would have heard about it by now?

[Bob G2]

Matrix, have you used this unit for salmon fishing? I will have to check it out, but I still remember that the old paper graph units did not pump out as much wattage and still marked fish superior to LCD units. On my buddies boat, he is still running a King Paper graph, also a Sitex LCD. The old paper graph marks downrigger balls, and lots of fish(baitfish and salmooons) that the LCD just flat out doesn't pick up. So, I am looking for something that appproaches the sensitivity of a paper graph, but since my boat is an open cockpit type, CRT displays are out. Thanks.

[Matrix]

BobG2,

Does tracking a jig at 40 feet with 2 1/2 inches of separation get you excited. I don't think there are many guys using or even considering this Matrix 97 on this Walleye Central board because most think the walleye sonar world revolves around Lowrance as I did once upon a time. I had a post on the Matrix 97 awhile back and got little feed back on who had one. I was a Lowrance user for 16 years with the dual Freq Eagle 9500 and a dual freq LMS 350A and after I learned the Lowrance went to a 12 degree 200KHZ beam in their dual freq tranducers with no split screen capability until you got to a 1200.00 unit. I switched to this Matrix 97 and so far in has worked flawlessly. I have the "Quadrabeam" transducer that gives you a 90 degree total look with 2 additional 455 KHZ tranducers that can look out to the side up to 160 feet in addition to the the 200/83KHZ but haven't used it yet. I am using the standard "Dual Beam Plus" transducer frequency with a 200KHZ 20 degree cone angle and the 83KHZ 60 degree cone angle. Works real nice. The 256 color 5.5 diagonal screen marks baitfish schools REAL PEachy Keen. Screen resolution is 240V x 320H horizontal which is exactly what the LMS X18 is running. As far as the 83KHZ cone picking up downrigger balls I haven't tried it but it has a 60 degree cone and most low freq units have a 37-45 degree cone angle so I am 99% positive the 83KHZ would track downrigger ball nice too. GO look at the features below.

http://www.humminbird.com/products.asp?ID=381

[Bob G2]

Perhaps Hummingbird has cleaned up their act, as they may have seen where they were becoming a non-item in harder core fishing circles. I think when they bought Zercom(wasn't it?), they acquired some good technology. Anyways, the proof is in the pudding they say, and it would be interesting to see what it can do picking up salmon and alewifes. I have heard it said, though I can't attest to it, that salmon and alewifes have a different body density and air bladder configuation that makes it more difficult for them to be picked up on screens? Who knows. How well does the GPS work? How good are the depth lines? I know it is one thing to go play with them on simulator mode at Bass Pro, and another thing with on the water performance, but you definitely stoked my curiousity about this one. Besides, I could use some Cabelas' gift certificates to purchase it. Thanks.

[Matrix]

BobG2,

Hi there. The GPS works great 12 channel WAAS. It locked up in a couple minutes while I was sitting in my living room. The depth lines can be turned ON or OFF. I have marked schools of shad and smelt real nice also. I got the HotMaps cartridge for Michigan and it works peachy keen too. Don't think you will have any problem marking the alewife or salmon since my old 350A NEVER had any problems marking them nor did my Eagle 9500. A big old salmon hook gets marked pretty darn easy by 99% of most sonars. I would bypass Cabelas and BP on the price of 849.99 I got mine from an authorized retailer in Kansas shipped UPS to my Door for 745.00. I even called Humminbird about some minor plastic scratches on the transducer's face and they sent me a brand new transducer in 3 days without me having to send in the scratched one no question asked. I got a 15.00 dollar Humminbird accessory computer cable for the Matrix 97 and downloaded a software upgrade from the Humminbird's website with absolutely no problems. Smooth and easy. With the proper extra cord you can plug in your hand held GPS but since I have Humminbird GPS receiver and since I do not own a handheld GPS I have not purchased that optional cord. I am eager to see what this "Quadrabeam" transducer can do. The Matrix 97 can also be used with the side scanning "Wideside" Transducer but at this time I just have the standard "Dual beam" and an optional "Quadrabeam" tranducers. The built in GPS mapping software has all the major and secondary streets and highways built in for the entire USA plus coastal areas. Good detail on the Hotmaps Region 11 lake maps for Michigan. I did purchase the optional paddle wheel speed sensor. The temperature sensor in built in the dual transducer and comes standard with the unit. Somebody at Humminbird put together a real winner of a unit in the MATRIX 97. I recommend you go to the Humminbird website and download the complete owners manual and take a couple days to read the through like I did. I knew about ALL the features before I even bought it