Best fish finders & depth finders according to redditors

We found 30 Reddit comments discussing the best fish finders & depth finders. We ranked the 18 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top Reddit comments about Fish Finders & Depth Finders:

u/0x05 · 15 pointsr/astrophotography

Quick video that shows it operating, and the basic interface modes (single-button operation):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mPij7eHOmo

I'm super happy with how well it worked on its very first test, considering how rough the polar alignment was (Polaris went behind my roof when I squatted to sight down the hinge line, so I made a educated guess at where it was). I'm currently living in the LA metro area, so light pollution here is about as bad as it gets, but at least it doesn't impact my ability to do star tests. Can't wait to head out to the desert and see what I can capture.

I posted a few months ago when I just had the mechanical components completed, and it goes into a bit more detail about the design I used [LINK]. The stepper motor is microstep-driven at 16 microsteps per full step, and 200 full steps per rotation of the drive shaft. 1 rotation of the drive shaft moves the camera platform by about 0.25 degrees. Therefore, each microstep rotates the camera platform by about 0.3 arcseconds. Step rate is approximately 50 Hz.

This past week I did all of the electronics:

  • figuring out a reliable power supply (big battery)
  • getting a breadboard setup that can safely deliver power to the motors and logic boards
  • programming microcontroller to issue timed pulses that drive the stepper motors (via a driver interface board), and handle other minor operations like electronic range limits, pausing, and rewinding

    The microcontroller board I'm using is a Sparkfun Arduino Pro Micro (5V, 16 MHz), which is based on the Atmel ATmega 32U4. I chose this for ease of breadboarding and the ability to program over USB.

    To calibrate the mount, I used a digital angle measuring cube to record the elevated angle of the mount as a function of turns of the threaded rod driveshaft (logged 138 points with a precision of 0.1 degrees). After deriving the ideal kinematic relationship between driveshaft and mount rotation angle (an arcsin function of driveshaft rotation), I did a curve fit to the data I'd recorded. What I ultimately wanted was a function that would generate a time value for when a pulse should be sent to the stepper motor. This was accomplished by adding in a sidereal tracking rate factor (360 degrees every 23.93 hours, or 7.292 * 10^-5 rad/sec), and accounting for the conversion from microsteps to drive shaft rotation angle.

    I then took the trigonometric equation and fit a 3rd-order polynomial to it for quick (~100 µs, much faster than I actually need) evaluation on the MCU, which isn't really made for hefty floating point arithmetic. The polynomial approximation theoretically will accumulate no more than 10 arcseconds of error at any time, so it should be an insignificant factor compared to polar alignment error.

    Using a timer on board the microcontroller, an outer loop sequentially calculates the time when each step should be made, while an inner loop waits for that time to arrive before pulsing the motor. The outer loop then calculates the next step time, and the process repeats until the preset step limit is reached. Some additional logic provides the ability to pause and resume tracking from a button input, and also reverse and "rewind" the mount upon request, returning it to its initial state.

    Here's a link to the Arduino code it's running:
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31090145/Step_Driver.zip

    And a calibration spreadsheet for tuning the mount:
    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31090145/step_cal.xlsx
u/shootingdolphins · 7 pointsr/boating

Depth ONLY - round 2" gauge that goes in the dash with a transducer that mounts on the back of the boat at the water line $119 - and less likely to get stolen compared to a GPS/Fish Finding unit - Cut a hole or reuse an existing gauge slot that's not purposed or ditch a silly one you never look at and throw this in there.
Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-DEPTH-FINDER-MARINE-GAUGE-HUMMINGBIRD-HDR-650-WATERPROOF-CUSTOMIZABLE/382917708467




Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-407860-1-Digital-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00417HG3W/








Alternative - in the same price range would be a dash mount Fish Finder / Lowarance Hook Series of depth + sonar kind of item with a transducer that goes on the rear / bottom of the boat - Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Freshwater-Fish-Finder-Saltwater-Electric-Boat-Fishing-Depth-Locator-Tracker/123733498253





Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-HOOK2-4X-4-inch-Finder/dp/B077PDL6GR

u/Evodius · 5 pointsr/bassfishing

> I am looking for a sonar that does fish finding, tracks my routes with a GPS map,

Any with GPS do this. the Lowrance Hook "X" series just have a super basic white basemap with no way to upgrade. The regular Hook series has upgradable maps.

Humminbird Helix units have maps you can buy, the base map isn't bad.



> plots the bottom contour of the lakes AND while records it (update the actual GPS map).

Humminbird has Autochart Live. You need to buy their "special" SD card to actually store the data, but it does hold 8 hours in the unit without needing the card. It shows up immeditely on the unit. Autochart Live has been the most accurate one I've seen so far. It plots vegetation and bottom hardness as well (I think the Garmin/Lowrance do this as well now).

Garmin has Quickdraw that you can just use any SD card to record to. It shows straight away on the unit. If you're looking to save some dough, even the cheap models have Quickdraw.

Lowrance has Genesis Live mapping, but I don't think it's availabel on their Hook units. It does the same thing. The Hook units can upload their sonar data to the Genesis website to create maps, but I don't think it's live on the Hook ones. Maybe someone who has a Hook can let me know. I think it's only the HDS and Elite units with live mapping.

u/dottieblue · 3 pointsr/RATS

Hi there. Congratulations on your new boys! I love Rex rats! I've been a ratty mom for over 12 years. I currently have 3 males, all dumbos, one of which is a Rex. The best advice I can give is to make sure to socialize your new babies and let them get used to you, your environment, as well as each other. (I'm glad to hear you got more than one!) Pouches are a great start for that, so you are definitely on the right track. I love playing around and interacting with my boys, but I also make sure to sit back and let them explore on their own, too.

Having a good cage is crucial. I recently got space pods and they love them! Having it be plastic instead of fabric cuts down on smell, too. I always make sure they have a bunch of things to chew on and play with. Make sure they have good bedding as well. I use recycled newspaper and crinkle paper.

Diet plays a big role. I feed my guys mostly Mazuri blocks and Oxbow with some vegetables (they love broccoli and frozen peas). I try to stay cognizant of treats, since they're mostly sugar and fat. (Males are prone to weight gain, so you gotta watch out.) Fruits work really well as a treat for training.

If you have any questions as you guys get adjusted, feel free to PM me.

(Also, sorry all the hyperlinks are to Amazon haha. It's what Google pulls up.)

Congratulations again :)

u/merlin211111 · 3 pointsr/kayakfishing

https://www.amazon.com/NOCQUA-Power-Battery-Pack-10-0/dp/B06Y1SS49M/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nocqua&qid=1563149459&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

Waterproof and lasts 5-6 trips before it runs out of juice so if you forget to charge it.

u/MyPoorLeftHand · 3 pointsr/kayakfishing

Engel makes some nice coolers with rod holders attached. I switched to that from a crate a while ago, totally worth it. 30qt fits my yak well. https://www.engelcoolers.com/cooler-dry-boxes.html Fits tackle boxes, but can also be used for food/fish storage. You can probably find them for cheaper if you shop around.

Definitely upgrade the sonar. https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Striker-Bbuilt-Fish-Finder/dp/B017NI17HQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=marine&ie=UTF8&qid=1521764204&sr=1-1&refinements=p_4%3AGarmin This is what I use. Affordable and accurate.

An anchor system, too. Perhaps a trolley setup for your yak. I installed one just in case, and I use it all the time. Sooooo nice to be able to post up on a good spot no matter the wind or current conditions. No fussing around, paddling after every 3 casts to stay on location.

Nice boat!

u/Smokingfatdoobies · 3 pointsr/kayakfishing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017NI17HQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_-7CnzbF69GA74

Thats the one i have, i have no complaints at all, i have transducer mounted inside of my kayak in a bit of duct seal (electrical putty). Temp reading is off by maybe a degree or so. Other than that it does everything i need it to do and then some. Plus it didnt break the bank. :)

u/Jackel1994 · 3 pointsr/Fishing_Gear

Im not affiliated with 1rod1reelfishing by any means, but i watch a ton of his stuff and hes an overall pretty good dude. He happens to be a fan of the Deeper fish finder and has made a review in the past.

see what you think of it

also if you fish on a boat instead of only on shore, they make this too!

u/AdamZax · 2 pointsr/kayakfishing

I use a lowrance Hook-3x DSI (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B016QVXTOA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8SSpzb2RCWKHN) and absolutely love it. I actually have 2, one on each kayak. It is a good size, easy to use, and the downscanning is very accurate and useful.

It's not fantastic at spotting fish, but it does pick them up often enough to be useful. Mainly though it just shows you awesome details about the structures and bottom underneath you and imo thats the most important part of finding good fishing anyways.

u/Samatic · 2 pointsr/kayakfishing

Heres my take on kayaks, you are gonna only live once and if you buy a crap kayak its going to be harder to sell someone when its time to upgrade. So go with what fits your personality. For me, I took one look at this kayak https://bonafidekayaks.com/product/kayaks/ss107/ and new without even testing it first I was sold. I do recommend you test yours first though. Most kayak dealers have a way to do this usually. I mean if your going to seriously take up kayak fishing as a hobby and get a fish finder all that do it right. Here is my fishfinder https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076W2N5TH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and battery setup https://dakotalithium.com/product/dakota-lithium-power-box-12v-10ah/?v=7516fd43adaa

Then do like wise and don't hold back my friend.

u/Gnardar · 2 pointsr/kayakfishing

Garmin 010-01550-00 Striker 4 Bbuilt-in GPS Fish Finder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017NI17HQ/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_-L21xbR9F1EYT

u/EBAR418 · 2 pointsr/IceFishing

Consider buying or borrowing a flasher of some type. Vexilar FL-18

u/superkamikazee · 2 pointsr/kayakfishing

Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+ - GPS Portable Wireless Wi-Fi Fish Finder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CQLVO5U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_q7L2BbWWVP08Y

u/thamayor · 2 pointsr/bassfishing

The 698 is part of the Core series from Humminbird that is being phased out. Cabelas was clearancing off the 688 Sonar/DI units recently at less than $300. You may still be able to find this deal at local stores.


The Helix line is the series that will be replacing the Core series. The Helix series feature color monitors. The Helix 5 is available in quite a few configurations (Sonar, Sonar/DI, Sonar GPS, etc.), and they aren't that expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-Helix-DI-GPS-Black/dp/B00MVYNXHK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453462178&sr=8-2&keywords=helix+5+di

u/minhvuco · 1 pointr/ElectricalEngineering
u/northeasternlurker · 1 pointr/Fishing

This has been great so far: http://www.amazon.com/Vexilar-SP100-SonarPhone-Transducer-Pod/dp/B00CJJBM66 I've used it a handful of times in my kayak and I have to say it was pretty awesome.

u/miketo3 · 1 pointr/Fishing

It's not $50 but I do have a Deeper fish finder that actually uses GPS and the build in transducers to map the bottom of lakes. It stores history so that you can go back to it later.

u/mythias · 1 pointr/bassfishing

I have a Vexilar Sonarphone SP200 that I've used on 2 trips so far. I connect my iphone and my samsung galaxy phones to it at the same time and they work great. You can also run Navionics GPS chartplotter / sonarmap software at the same time and make your own sonar maps and improve the public maps.

https://webapp.navionics.com/#boating@11&key=s%7Bp_GncqnV

This map of Applegate Lake had almost no detail on the right-hand creek arm's sonar map. After one pass down and back up it with Sonarphone + Navionics now the public Webapp map shows my improvements. I didn't try to cover the whole arm to get a full map, we just went down the middle and back out along the shores here and there so the detail is not as full as it should be.

https://www.amazon.com/Vexilar-SP200-T-Box-Smartphone-Finder/dp/B00CJJBMDO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1469767946&sr=8-2&keywords=sonarphone

That is the model that requires attachment to a 12V battery. They also have a model that has a self-contained battery and is a floating unit. There is a third model that is a transducer model but also has a built in internal battery.

It seems to be a very full featured setup for much much less than a self-contained GPS / sonar / chartplotter setup and its also very versatile. You can have up to 15 people I think connected to the unit at once over Wifi so you can share it with other people on the lake if you so wish.

You can download the Sonarphone app to your phone and check it out in Demo mode to play with all the settings and see how it looks.

I highly recommend it after my 2 trips using it. We'll see how it works out in the long run.

u/Kangaroo_eating_cake · 1 pointr/kayakfishing
u/reliseak · 1 pointr/GiftIdeas

For camping/fishing, what about fishing knives, this fish finder, or any yeti product?

For aviation, what about aviation themed whisky glasses, a model aircraft or drone, replica propellor, or a flight simulator.

There are also a lot of cool aviation themed lamps 1, 2, 3, 4

u/dnalloheoj · 0 pointsr/IceFishing

Gonna go a different route from the other guys. This isn't the exact one I have, but I'd look at Humminbird's Kayak line of fish finders instead of their ICE line or larger boat stuff.

The HELIX 5 looks like a good option at a good price: https://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-410210-1-Helix-Chirp-Finder/dp/B01M2VLBQF - or the NON-GPS Version + the Navionics App (15$ish, IIRC?) on your phone: https://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-410210-1-Helix-Chirp-Finder/dp/B01MCWIC5H?th=1

Just about any sonar you get nowadays will have a digital 'flasher' dial as one of the screen options and I've found it works just as well as a FL8/VX-1. On top of that, you can actually use it in open water because it has a normal 'sonar' just like you'd see on an open water boat.

Truth be told, I've ended up using the open water sonar more often than the flasher dial anyway. It gives you a little bit of 'history' so you can see what types of movements you were doing when you finally triggered that fish to raise up off the bottom and inspect your bait. Typically the open water sonar has a vertical column along the right side of the screen that acts exactly like a flasher would, so I just use that so I get both the flasher aspect as well as the history aspect.

You'll need to get some sort of a 'conversion kit' to make the flasher work properly for ice fishing, but that kit usually includes a carrying bag, mounting platform, etc, just like you'd get with an FL8 or similar, and shouldn't cost more than ~100$.