Garmin Fishfinder 240

[drgbanks]

1975 O'day 22. This device was on the boat. Once i get it ready, I'll be sailing on lakes at least for the first year. Do I need this fishfinder?

 

[dlochner]

Are you going to fish?

Is the transducer under the cockpit? If so it is a terrible place for it. Fishfinders and depth sounders (basically the same technology) like nice clean bubble and turbulent free water. Behind the keel is not turbulent free. The water flowing around keel will create some turbulence which will interfere with the pinging the depth sounder does.

If you don't connect the fish finder, leave the transducer. Removing it will leave a hole and repairing the hole correctly is probably a bigger job than you want to tackle now. There are articles on how to do that on the West System epoxy website.

 

[dLj]

What do you have for a depth finder if not that fish finder? I'd want to at least have a depth sounder of some sort. If you don't have one, use that one for the time being and see how well, or not, it works. Then decide as you know your boat more.

dj

 

[drgbanks]

I don't fish! Maybe I should, but I'm not into it. In the future I'd want a navigation system.

 

[dLj]

I don't fish! Maybe I should, but I'm not into it. In the future I'd want a navigation system.

I don't fish either. But you will want a depth gauge. If the boat doesn't have one, that fish finder will work for that. It doesn't matter it's called a fish finder... If you have a cell phone, you have a navigation system, or at least you can easily make your cell phone one...

dj

 

[ShawnL]

I have a fish finder on my catalina 22 -- only use it for depth, but it was inexpensive and works well for the sailing we do. I'd love it if it was a full navigation unit, but we don't really need that.

 

[drgbanks]

How can I test this fishfinder?

 

[jssailem]

Put the boat in the water and power it up. The transducer needs a water medium to work.