The speed function wasn’t operative at the time of testing.
Temperature data was supplied and read by each machine and appeared accurate. It’s an Airmar Triducer capable of supplying speed and temperature in addition to sounder data. Performance testing was done in warm (85-90° F) salt water using the glassed-in thru-hull transducer installed in our test boat. All machines were operated simultaneously, side by side in simulator mode, and adjusted for the best possible display during each viewability test. The night rating was also done on the water in the test boat. For the day rating, we viewed each machine on our test boat from a normal operating distance in full sunlight, shade, and with and without polarized sunglasses. Hence, each machine was given two ratings for “viewability,” one for day and one for night. To make ongoing testing as consistent as possible, we set up this evaluation along the same lines as our previous monochrome sounder test.Ī sounder is of little use if you can’t see the screen easily and clearly under all conditions. The four fishfinders we tested are the Furuno FCV-600L, the Garmin 320C, the Lowrance LCX-18C and the SI-TEX CVS-106L. In fact, all the units we tested actually fall into a $700 to $900 range. Our two selection criteria for this test provided that each unit must have a color LCD screen and be priced from $500 to $1,000. Even selecting a more expensive thru-hull transducer will still keep you under the $1,000 mark on many units.
Today it’s common to find a technically refined color sounder with a speed- and temperature-capable transducer for under $1,000. Most electronic devices continue to improve as their prices drop-same goes for the color fishfinder. The latest color LCD screens, which utilize a Thin Film Transistor, can be read in any lighting condition. There’s another reason to go color: Their viewability has improved dramatically over the past few years. If you’re a fisherman, they can help you tell the difference between your prey and a rock, and even sometimes distinguish between species of fish. How does that additional information translate into an advantage for the user? Additional gradations on color screens make it easier to differentiate between hard and soft bottoms, protrusions on the bottom like ledges and wrecks, and other things that go bump in the night. A monochrome screen might be able to display four to eight different shades of black-gray-white that our eyes can recognize, while a color screen can show 16 or more distinguishable colors. Why the change to color? Simple-they supply more information. This month we’ll look at four units equipped with color LCD screens. In that article we covered six monochrome sounders priced under $400. Our last fishfinder (scanning sounder) review was about a year ago, in the December 2002 issue.
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