Interface your GPS to your Fish Finder

Use an NMEA cable to interface your GPS to a compliant fish finder so you can mark fishing holes.

If you have a handheld GPS you might be able to interface it to a fish finder and see the GPS data right on the fish finder screen. In some cases you can mark a spot right on the fish finder and the spot will be stored in the GPS unit so you can find that elusive fishing hole in the future.

The trick to getting them tied together is the cables. You must have a cable for the GPS unit and for the fish finder. The Humminbird Matrix series of fish finders has a cable available called a GPS Connection Cable. The cable for the GPS comes from the manufacturer. Any NMEA compatible will work.

The cable from Humminbird has a connector on one end and bare wires on the other end. It comes with instructions on how to cut and splice the cable for the GPS so it will work properly.

The key is that both units are NMEA compatible. NMEA cables use the same number of wires and will send data encoded in a format that both units will understand.

Humminbird also sells a series of cables that are already made for several popular handheld GPS units.



Once they are interfaced you will have a larger screen to view the GPS on and be able to collect and display data easily.



If you can hook a worm, find your way back from your favorite fishing hole in the dark and fish in the rain, you can splice a few wires and make this work; it is not a big deal.



Of Course Humminbird is not the only company that makes a GPS interface for a fish finder, Garmin provides the same capability in the Fish Finder 250.

Humminbird connection kits
This is a link to Humminbirds list of supported NMEA cables.

GPS Connection Kit
GPS Connection Kit for the Garmin Fishfinder 250 with a description

Topic Tags: fish finder, garmin fishfinder 250, gps connection, GPS fish finder, humminbird GPS, humminbird GPS connection kit, humminbird matrix 37

Understand the differences

There are three types of GPS Fish finders. Chart Plotter Combos, Track Plotter Combos and Stand Alone Units. Know the difference and avoid the hassle.

GPS Fish Finders are fish finders that have integrated Chart Plotters or Track Plotters. Knowing the differences can save you time and money.

Fish Finder Chart Plotter combos like the Lowrance LMS-332c shown here (often referred to as GPS Combo Units) are fish finders that have an integrated chart plotter. A chart plotter differs from a track plotter in that it has a map that displays with the GPS tracking data. It allows the user to see where they are in relation to different GPS and will also display the track the user has taken.

Fish Finder Track Plotters like the Humminbird 737 shown here, are combination fish finder and track plotter. The track plotter plots the movement of the user and displays it on the screen; it does not have a map and receives the signal from either a GPS or from a GPS receiver that can be purchased. The Humminbird Matrix finders have the ability to receive the GPS signal from a handheld GPS through a NMEA cable. These cables are available to adapt to any GPS that has a NMEA cable.
Both units come in LCD monochrome display or color. Color screens are nice if you have trouble with glare. Of course if you have the funds you should by a stand alone GPS Chart Plotter and a separate Fish Finder. If you are on a budget or do not need the unit more than three or four times a month then the combo units make a lot of since.

Navionics.com - FAQ Section
You can learn more at this site, they have a good FAQ section that will help you understand more about Charts.

GPS Fish Finder Information
More information on GPS and fish finders

Topic Tags: chart plotter, fishfinder, fish finder, gps fishfinder, gps fish finder, humminbird matrix 37, lowrance lms-332c, track plotter

Get the right Fish Finder or GPS Fish Finder - Part Two

Fish finder and GPS fish finder come in many flavors. Make sure you know your options. In part two I will review two more important features, power and depth capabilities.

Fish finder Power

Power is rated a couple of ways by fishfinder manufacturers.
Output power levels are often quoted as peak pulse power, peak-to-peak pulse power, RMS power or average power. (Root-mean-square, RMS power is an engineering measurement means for equating the total energy in an alternating current waveform to the average or heating power in a direct current circuit.) ~ Chuck Husick
The important thing to remember (generally speaking) is that the deeper you need to see, the more power required. Salt water also affects the power required, it will reduce the effective depth at which the finder will operate.
Power will effect the depth a finder can operate to. The more power, the deeper the fishfinder (depth finder or sonar) will operate. Power also helps give a sharper image of pings on the screen. For shallow water fishing, most any fish finder has the power you need.
Fish finder Depth
Depth capability is a function of both power and the transducer sensitivity. Bronze through hull transducers generally produce better results for sounders (fish finders) that need to see deep bottom structure. The expensive bronze transducers will go deeper and see better than an inexpensive transom mount transducer operated on the same fishfinder.

Practical Sailor
Article on fish finders


Fish-Lectronics
Fish-Lectronics carries inventory of parts and accessories for the following brands; Lowrance, Eagle, Humminbird, Garmin, Vexilar, BottomLine, and Raymarine.

Topic Tags: depth finder, fish finder, fish finder power, fish finder sonar, fishfinder transducer, fish finder transducer, rating fishfinders, transducer

Fish Finder – Get the right price performance Fish Finder or GPS Fish Finder – Part One

Fish finder and GPS fish finder come in many flavors. Make sure you know your options. In part two I will review two more important features, power and depth capabilities.

Fish finders and combination, or Combo GPS Fish Finders come are designed to meet certain needs by their manufacturer. There are five primary features that all fish finders have that you should review before you make your purchase. We have already reviewed the transducer selection process, so the next two blogs will focus on the other four features.

Display Pixels
Generally speaking, the more pixels on a display screen the better. The exception to the rule is color. If you are in the market for a color finder you will find that a 5-inch screen with a colored screen will be more expensive and have fewer pixels than a monochrome LCD unit will. The color screen is still a better choice (if you have the bucks to spend on it) because it offers such great separation and anti-glare capabilities.

A display with 128x128 pixels will be grainy and will not offer much detail whereas a 480x480 pixel display will offer great resolution and smooth contours on the screen.


Screen Size
The larger the screen, the more expensive and the easier the screen is to see. This is especially important with Combination GPS Fish Finders because you will want to split the screen for viewing.

In the next blog I will review the other two primary features, power and, depth in part two.

Fish finder and Combo Emulators
You can download and run fish finder and combo unit emulators on your PC

GPS Chart-plotter Mapping
Great resourse at Garmin for learning about chart-plotting and GPS

Topic Tags: Eagle GPS, fishfinder, Fish finder, gps fishfinder, gps fish finder, Humminbird Matrix, Hummingbird matrix, lowrance GPS, Marine GPS, review compare Fish finder

Marine Electronics – Buy the right Fish Finder Transducer Mount – Part Two

There are six different types of transducer mounting options. Choose the right fish finder transducer mount or you will waste your investment - Part two.

Choosing the right transducer will improve the efficiency of your fish finder. The other four types of transducer mounting options are: Shoot through hull, through hull, trolling motor mount and ice fishing mount.

Shoot through hull transducers are generally installed with epoxy. Most boat owners have these transducers installed by experienced installers. Shoot through hull transducers can only be installed in fiberglass or plastic hulls. The first layer of the hull is routed out and the transducer is cemented in place with slow setting epoxy.

Through hull transducers, are also installed by experienced installers. Installation requires a hole to be drilled in through the hull and installed with flanges and sealants. This type of transducer is used primarily on larger vessels.

The trolling motor mount transducer is mounted in two ways, with a large metal band clamp or installed in the motor itself (purchased with the trolling motor).

Conversion brackets are available from Humminbird, Eagle, Lowrance and Garmin that will convert transom mount transducers into both portable and trolling motor mounted units.

Ice transducers have special mounting brackets which assist the fisherman in keeping the transducer level.

It is worth mentioning that it is possible to float a transducer in standing water in the bottom of the boat. Most of the transducers can be installed this way with very little loss in efficiency including transom mount, trolling motor mount, portable mount and shoot through hull transducers.

Other Resourses for transducer information
How to site on boating and boat maintenance

Tips on Transducers
Helpful Frequently Asked Questions on the Garmin Site

Topic Tags: eagle transducer, fishfinder, fish finder, garmin transducer, humminbird transducer, lowrance transducer, portable transducer, transducer mounting bracket, transom mount transducer

Marine Electronics – Buy the right Fish Finder Transducer Mount – Part One

There are six different types of transducer mounting options. Choose the right fish finder transducer mount or you will waste your investment.

Once you decide on the type of fish finder transducer that will meet your fishing needs, you must decide what type of mounting option you want to use.

There are six types of transducer mounting systems. The most popular transducer mounting system is the transom mount transducer that comes standard with most fish finders sold by Humminbird, Eagle, Lowrance and Garmin. These transducers are often referred to as skimmer transducers and are mounted just below the waterline to the transom of the boat using a metal bracket supplied with the transducer.

Another popular transducer mounting system is the portable suction cup mount. This type of mount can be used to mount the transducer on the transom when the boat is moving or moved to any other point on the boat when the boat is stationary. Humminbird, Eagle Lowrance and Garmin all make portable suction cup conversion kits for their transducers.

Typical Portable Kit (Humminbird in this example)
In part two of the transducer mounting system I will cover the other types of mounts and their use.

Garmin Marine Manual Download
Visit this link to read about Garmin transducers and mounting systems for each unit they make.

Transducer Holders & Brackets
Visit this site for special transducer mounting options including brackets and holders.

Topic Tags: eagle transducer, fish finder review, garmin transducer, humminbird transducer, lowrance transducer, portable fish finder, suction cup bracket, transducer bracket, transom transducer