Garmin 923 xsv

[Stewy]

Looking to buy a garmin chart plotter for the rib.

They don't come with a transducer and there seems to be 100s to choose from....

Has anyone got one and can recommend a transducer? Dont really fish. So doesn't need yo be really fancy.

Saw this one. But pricey

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Garmin...MaApDMEALw_wcB

[Pikey Dave]

If you’re set on the 923xsv then you’re not going to get a “cheap” transducer, or included charts for that matter. It’s a high end MFD that’s aimed at the system builder. It has powerful graphics & processing capabilities, so is intended to do more than show basic depth data. Depending on what you actually want to do, basic navigation?? Then there are better value bundles available. If you’re dead set on that range of MFD, then be prepared to get your hand in your pocket.

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

If you’re set on the 923xsv then you’re not going to get a “cheap” transducer, or included charts for that matter. It’s a high end MFD that’s aimed at the system builder. It has powerful graphics & processing capabilities, so is intended to do more than show basic depth data. Depending on what you actually want to do, basic navigation?? Then there are better value bundles available. If you’re dead set on that range of MFD, then be prepared to get your hand in your pocket.

To be honest, it's just one I liked the look off. I was going to pair it with a garmin 215i ais vhf etc.

But yes just need something for basic navigation and something that will connect to an engine.

It's so hard trying to pick something.

[Pikey Dave]

It all depends on how deep your pockets are & how good your eyes are. Personally I like my toys so tend to go OTT for what I actually need ( it’s taken Mrs Pikey a long time to understand the difference between “need” & “want”). If you want a nice big screen, and who doesn’t?, then you end up paying for stuff you don’t need. I haven’t yet come across a big screen plotter that doesn’t come with all the extra bells & whistles. In your case, most NMEA2000 plotters, I.e “mid range” will do what you want & you’re likely to find a bundle deal that will include a chart package & transducer. These plotters will almost certainly connect to the Garmin VHF (personally I’d choose ICOM or Standard Horizon) and your engine, depending on age & model. Engines tend to be the most problematic bits of kit to add to a NMEA network. I reckon for around the £700 mark, you should be able to pickup a decent setup.

[jonp]

The commercial boat my daughter skippers has just had the 923 xsv's removed, which had a pretty short life considering the price of them. Both had the screens delaminating and touch screen failures. These however were used on a daily basis and started to delaminating at around 3yrs old.

I have an 8412 and an 8410 which in my opinion are very overpriced when you compare to the echomap series. My 8410 screen cracked the front glass when removing the extremely tight protective screen cover and the screens aren't covered under warranty. I sanded down the 8412 cover to make it less prone to cracking another screen.

For my daughter's private rib I fitted an echomap ultra 105 which in hindsight I now wish I'd put in my own boat. Her's came bundled with a GT54UHD which picks up bottom at high speed and still shows bottom along the continental shelf in around 300m of water. In shallow water the 1200khz sidescan frequency will show clearly small fish off to the side of the boat in the shallows and the 455khz frequency shows good sidescan definition of structure and larger fish in depths of 50-60m.

On my boat I have a through hull airmar HW175, Garmin gt51 and a panoptics ps30 as I enjoy fishing and diving, so need to fish both structure and fish. But again the outfit my daughter has would have done almost as well, without glass screens and high cost.

Transducer placement is the key to high speed soundings, so don't rush into just sticking it anywhere or get someone who doesn't know what they are doing fit yours.

I use the G3 vision charts in both my units and my daughters, which can be a bit costly but in my opinion worth it. The same charts can be purchased in other formats or simply used on a phone or iPad etc, however these will be limited to phone reception.

Will you be dash you mounting or fitting using the bracket ? Both have merit, however I like the fact that using the bracket allows you to choose the angle the screen faces. Also with the echomap there's a simple clip that allows the head unit to be removed from the boat if you are ever in an area security might be an issue. If using those clip brackets, just make sure you clip back in place correctly, the clip needs to click firmly closed.

[Stewy]

It'll be flat dash mounted.

This seems a good deal, although it's a discontinued model.

This would save roughly £600 (plus more for navionics) over buying the 923 and gt56 transducer

[jonp]

I remember seeing somewhere that the UK gets charged the most on these electronic units, so I can't say it's good value but it will certainly do the job well. However, here we would pay less than that for the latest model with the current exchange rates. In comparison it cost the equivalent of 750 Uk pounds for this when it first came out.

[Stewy]

Yes we get shafted for most things in the UK

Think I've narrowed it down to the

Garmin echomap or the Simrad go9 xse

Swinging towards the Simrad as its advertised as a MFD and the engine I'm looking for is a Mercury, so handy for vessel view.

[jonp]

Ive owned several Simrad evo units as well as skipper small commercial boats with simrads, all of which have been quite problematic. If you tend to use your boat in clam water and won't get the screen wet, then the Simrad may be ok for you.

Ive found they shut down, possibly an internal safety mechanism, when you hit heavy seas. Also the touch screens can be very touchy, to the point the 16in screen on the abalone boat I drive won't work for the owners fingers but does for mine. There are features I really like about Simrad but having owned the EVO top end of their line, Im now put off them. The dive boat I also sometimes drive started with lowrance, then simrad but now gone over to Garmin which has been running without fault for 4yrs.

[Chris Caton]

I fitted at Garmin 92sv a couple of years ago with a Garmin GT15M in hull transducer, I'm not keen on having the transducer on the transom and didn't want to drill any mounting holes, the in hull transducer works fine, gives depth etc at speed and is easy enough to fix in place inside the hull as long as you can get access to the hull

[jonp]

Originally Posted by Chris Caton

I fitted at Garmin 92sv a couple of years ago with a Garmin GT15M in hull transducer, I'm not keen on having the transducer on the transom and didn't want to drill any mounting holes, the in hull transducer works fine, gives depth etc at speed and is easy enough to fix in place inside the hull as long as you can get access to the hull

You don't have to drill the transom when using transom mount transducers. Ive been putting these on boats for several years and not had one fail.

[Chris Caton]

that’s a neat solution, but my Revenger 715 has got an engine well so I would still need to drill through the transom to get the cable onto the transom