Furuno or Hondex whats your opinion

[steveinak]

I'm going to upgrade the sounder and been thinking about Hondex? see a lot of maine boats with them but don't hear much about them in use anywhere else. I'm looking for a machine thats good at reading bottom and what its composed of, i'm not much concerned about seeing fish. So do i stick with Furuno or do i look into the Hondex machines??

 

[Lobsterman]

I'm going to upgrade the sounder and been thinking about Hondex? see a lot of maine boats with them but don't hear much about them in use anywhere else. I'm looking for a machine thats good at reading bottom and what its composed of, i'm not much concerned about seeing fish. So do i stick with Furuno or do i look into the Hondex machines??

A lot of the guys here love the Hondex sounder's they also run the Hondex plotters. They do have a good picture. But I like the Furuno I have the 585 and like it nice picture for hard and soft bottom.

 

[steveinak]

Thanks Lobsterman the thing i'm wondering about is how well the Hondex reads bottom in 100+ fathoms?? I was thinking of the same machine you have,585, but may move up to the Furuno 295 just wondering if its that much better of a machine than the 585? I already have a furuno gp 7000 plotter/sounder on the boat, its hooked up to a 600watt transducer and seems to read bottom well but the screen is to small so thats one reason i want to move up to another machine. I guess i should trade up to a 1kw transducer but hate spending the money if its not going to make that much difference.

 

[Downeaster]

Furuno. They're the last company standing - every other brand has since been purchased by someone else. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only brand allowing local service (in other words, they'll reimburse the shop without question or haggling). If you want any other brand repaired, plan on shipping it off. Regards transducers, you'll see many more 600W units than the 1000W due to price alone - respectively about $250 and $850. One nice feature about Furuno's transducers is that they're tilted internally so you don't need an angled fairing block (a flat block is needed, of course). Incidentally, we're talking about a big hole for the 600W and a really big hole for the 1000W. Money well spent as the stuff never seems to break.

 

[steveinak]

Furuno. They're the last company standing - every other brand has since been purchased by someone else. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only brand allowing local service (in other words, they'll reimburse the shop without question or haggling). If you want any other brand repaired, plan on shipping it off. Regards transducers, you'll see many more 600W units than the 1000W due to price alone - respectively about $250 and $850. One nice feature about Furuno's transducers is that they're tilted internally so you don't need an angled fairing block (a flat block is needed, of course). Incidentally, we're talking about a big hole for the 600W and a really big hole for the 1000W. Money well spent as the stuff never seems to break.

The transducer thats in the boat right now is a 1000w airmar so i'm covered for a good machine, in fact i picked up a new in the box Furuno 292 the other day, now i've got to figure where i'm going to mount it.

 

[tomy]

When it comes to fishfinding machine, Furuno is THE company ! You made the right choice.

 

[BillD]

Well Steve, you've got PLENTY of time to figure out how and where to mount it!! LOL

How bout some recent local "outdoor pics" showing the Alaska conditions up there ????

 

[Raider Ronnie]

The transducer thats in the boat right now is a 1000w airmar so i'm covered for a good machine, in fact i picked up a new in the box Furuno 292 the other day, now i've got to figure where i'm going to mount it.

Not sure what you are upgrading from.
I've got the 585 with a 1k tansducer (Airmar B260)
I was going to go larger and got to the 295 thinking I could use my 1K transducer, Both are 10 pin plugs for Furuno.
Can't do it.
Different transducer for the 295.
But the 1K transducer for 295 you can use with the 585

 

[steveinak]

Ronnie,
The boat came with a Furuno combo plotter/sounder i think its a 7000 model w/a B256 airmar transducer, nice unit just i can't see the small screen. I'm going to need some type of pigtail/splitter because it has 2 ducer plugs so i guess it can go from the 10 pin i have now to the 2 4pin plugs. The semperfi guy on THT told me he has the stuff i'll need to convert it, worse case is i have to buy a new ducer.

 

[steveinak]

Well Steve, you've got PLENTY of time to figure out how and where to mount it!! LOL

How bout some recent local "outdoor pics" showing the Alaska conditions up there ????

We've been getting snow every few days, not much 2-4 inches, got about 4 more last night. Not to cold out 20-30 most days. I'll get some pictures when i get away from the house but here's a few i have .

Freezing up on a cold day


A friend likes to get out and trap, he got this wolf about 15 miles from my place


da boat


road to my place


snow likes to slide off my tin roof, makes a "woof" sound when it hits the ground

 

[buckshot]

Such a beautiful animal to kill, hope it taste good.

 

[MDI45]

Steve a old timer i know here has a saying ...he sez...my valve cover says Caterpillar and my depth recorder says Furuno

 

[steveinak]

Such a beautiful animal to kill, hope it taste good.

Ya don't eat wolves you skin'em and make hats and coats out of them. The scavengers get the meat.

 

[steveinak]

Steve a old timer i know here has a saying ...he sez...my valve cover says Caterpillar and my depth recorder says Furuno

Good saying, mine says John Deere and i just ordered a new 'ducer for the Furuno 292 i picked up new in the original box. Now IF IT EVER WARMS UP around here i'll be able to do some boat work. Got out yesterday and brought home 2 cords of firewood for the shop, i'm beat.

 

[F/V First Team]

How can I get a Wolf Skull?

 

[steveinak]

How can I get a Wolf Skull?

Get wolf, cut head off, boil & clean skull !!
I'll look around for ya at the outdoors shows i'll be doing this spring, the Alaska Trappers Association has booths there also and they usually have skulls for sale.

 

[Wharf Rat]

Old Thread, New Bottom Discrimination Technology.


http://www.furuno.dk/fileadmin/files/Brochures/4_Echo_sounder/FCV-627/FCV-627_E_6Pa.pdf