Hello fellow fishermen and marine electronic enthusiasts.
Firstly I would like to say what a great source of information this forum is, I've spent hours reading various threads and have made a lot of my choices when choosing electronic equipment from information sourced here.
I run a commercial fishing/charter fishing boat in Europe. I mainly target white pollock (a member of the cod family), european seabass (similar to your striped bass though somewhat smaller). I am currently refitting a 30 foot fast boat with an inboard engine. The electronics in the boat were quite old fashioned so I am installing a furuno radar, WASSP F3 multibeam sonar, marine/industrial PC with two 24 inch screens in the wheelhouse and two 24inch screens mirroring on deck. The PC is equipped with Nobeltec/Timezero V5 software, I run all my equipment through this software.
In my previous boats I ran a DFF1UHD with an Airmar 265LH series transducer and either a DFF3D, or a WASSP on my last boat.
The DFF1UHD+265LH was very useful when I had a DFF3D for identifying and mapping bottom composition, sizing fish and positioning the boat with precision using the narrow beam of the high frequency. Most of these functions are somewhat redundant since I have started using the WASSP as I can use it to map shoals of fish and collect backscatter data and it gives a rough idea of where the bigger fish are in the shoal. The only time I would switch on the DFF1UHD since I installed the WASSP was for tracking my lure when rod and line fishing and for identifying certain species that looked too similar on the WASSP.
I have decided to install a 1 kilo HW transducer on the new boat. I'm hoping the larger cone will allow me to track my jigs/lures for longer than with the narrower H cone of the 265LH, especially when wind and tide make me drift in such a manner that I can no longer track my jigs/lures when rod and line fishing.
With this new boat I want to target Atlantic Wreckfish, a species you are quite familiar with in the United States.
I am having trouble choosing whether to go for a 175HW + 175M OR 275LHW OR a more powerful transducer (PM111LHW/R109LHW OR CM599LHW/509LHW).
As I wish to start targeting wreckfish I need a transducer that can work beyond the depth of a 1 kilo LHW (max depth 152m/500 feet). The WASSP reaches its limits in 200m/660 feet. The marks I will be fishing will be between 180-350m deep (roughly 600-1200 feet). In the interest of efficiency I will fish the shallower, 600ft deep marks more regularly but I do not exclude trying to go deeper than 1200ft someday.
I have installed my WASSP transducer in the keel and I do not like the idea of putting a second large 2-3 kilo transducer in the keel. I could squeeze in a 275 LHW but I am worried that the beam on the 1 kilo L frequency transducers is too wide to work with precision. The other option is to install a B175HW and a B175M. The advantage of this installation is that it will avoid adding a second bulge to the keel (which may create cavitation for the propeller and for the WASSP transducer which would be further aft). Second advantage is that the narrower cone will allow me to be more precise than with a 1 kilo L frequency transducer.The problem is that I am not sure the 1 kilo M transducer will be very efficient in 1200 feet of water.
A PM111LHW would have the advantage of a narrower cone on the L side but would create a second large bulge on the keel which I would like to avoid. An R109LHW would create a lot of drag which means slowing down, burning more fuel and may create cavitation.
I think a 509/599LHW may be overkill (do you agree?). Any of these bigger transducers would require a DFF3UHD (or FCV1900B) to be installed instead of a DFF1UHD.
SO !
Am I correct in choosing a B175HW + B175M instead of a B175HW + B175L (or 275LHW).
Do you think the B175HW + B175M would be a good selection or should I go for a bigger 2-3 kilo transducer?
Might it be a good idea to start with a B175HW + B175M + DFF1UHD and at a later date if I feel I am lacking power pole mount a larger 2-3kilo LH transducer to gain better deepwater capabilities and to cover most frequencies while avoiding drag when steaming? Could I run a WASSP, a DFF1UHD and a DFF3UHD off a single PC with Timezero or would I need to upgrade to an FCV1900B or add a second PC?
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, If there's any information missing just let me know.
Kind regards,
Breandan
Firstly I would like to say what a great source of information this forum is, I've spent hours reading various threads and have made a lot of my choices when choosing electronic equipment from information sourced here.
I run a commercial fishing/charter fishing boat in Europe. I mainly target white pollock (a member of the cod family), european seabass (similar to your striped bass though somewhat smaller). I am currently refitting a 30 foot fast boat with an inboard engine. The electronics in the boat were quite old fashioned so I am installing a furuno radar, WASSP F3 multibeam sonar, marine/industrial PC with two 24 inch screens in the wheelhouse and two 24inch screens mirroring on deck. The PC is equipped with Nobeltec/Timezero V5 software, I run all my equipment through this software.
In my previous boats I ran a DFF1UHD with an Airmar 265LH series transducer and either a DFF3D, or a WASSP on my last boat.
The DFF1UHD+265LH was very useful when I had a DFF3D for identifying and mapping bottom composition, sizing fish and positioning the boat with precision using the narrow beam of the high frequency. Most of these functions are somewhat redundant since I have started using the WASSP as I can use it to map shoals of fish and collect backscatter data and it gives a rough idea of where the bigger fish are in the shoal. The only time I would switch on the DFF1UHD since I installed the WASSP was for tracking my lure when rod and line fishing and for identifying certain species that looked too similar on the WASSP.
I have decided to install a 1 kilo HW transducer on the new boat. I'm hoping the larger cone will allow me to track my jigs/lures for longer than with the narrower H cone of the 265LH, especially when wind and tide make me drift in such a manner that I can no longer track my jigs/lures when rod and line fishing.
With this new boat I want to target Atlantic Wreckfish, a species you are quite familiar with in the United States.
I am having trouble choosing whether to go for a 175HW + 175M OR 275LHW OR a more powerful transducer (PM111LHW/R109LHW OR CM599LHW/509LHW).
As I wish to start targeting wreckfish I need a transducer that can work beyond the depth of a 1 kilo LHW (max depth 152m/500 feet). The WASSP reaches its limits in 200m/660 feet. The marks I will be fishing will be between 180-350m deep (roughly 600-1200 feet). In the interest of efficiency I will fish the shallower, 600ft deep marks more regularly but I do not exclude trying to go deeper than 1200ft someday.
I have installed my WASSP transducer in the keel and I do not like the idea of putting a second large 2-3 kilo transducer in the keel. I could squeeze in a 275 LHW but I am worried that the beam on the 1 kilo L frequency transducers is too wide to work with precision. The other option is to install a B175HW and a B175M. The advantage of this installation is that it will avoid adding a second bulge to the keel (which may create cavitation for the propeller and for the WASSP transducer which would be further aft). Second advantage is that the narrower cone will allow me to be more precise than with a 1 kilo L frequency transducer.The problem is that I am not sure the 1 kilo M transducer will be very efficient in 1200 feet of water.
A PM111LHW would have the advantage of a narrower cone on the L side but would create a second large bulge on the keel which I would like to avoid. An R109LHW would create a lot of drag which means slowing down, burning more fuel and may create cavitation.
I think a 509/599LHW may be overkill (do you agree?). Any of these bigger transducers would require a DFF3UHD (or FCV1900B) to be installed instead of a DFF1UHD.
SO !
Am I correct in choosing a B175HW + B175M instead of a B175HW + B175L (or 275LHW).
Do you think the B175HW + B175M would be a good selection or should I go for a bigger 2-3 kilo transducer?
Might it be a good idea to start with a B175HW + B175M + DFF1UHD and at a later date if I feel I am lacking power pole mount a larger 2-3kilo LH transducer to gain better deepwater capabilities and to cover most frequencies while avoiding drag when steaming? Could I run a WASSP, a DFF1UHD and a DFF3UHD off a single PC with Timezero or would I need to upgrade to an FCV1900B or add a second PC?
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, If there's any information missing just let me know.
Kind regards,
Breandan
