You do a great job explaining the basics. I too am brand new using a fish finder. Hopefully, I can increase my catch rate using the tools you taught. Thoughts of this make me hungry for fish!
Being a absolute newbie (days old) this video helped!. When learning about adding the open water transducers from the small manual that came with the bundle, your explanation for the GT8 and GT15 were very helpful in what I’m going to look for in the future with this new unit. Thank you again! 👍🏻👍🏻
I bought a Gt8HW_IF, it worked for bit and now the screen keeps re-setting and I can't make it stop. I bought it for ice fishing with my striker 4. Went back to factory settings and still the same thing. I'm not sure what I did...
*This is on my boat. Works great Nice bright display even in direct sun which is something I was worried about. Its a small displayood layout on the buttons. It has good accuracy and resolution for an entry level sonar. Low battery drain even on the brightest setting. I mounted the transducer on the transom following the directions and screwed the bracket directly to the boat. Worked fine. No issues. I wish the manual was a little better but whatever. I figured out how to do the things I need it to do. I think this is the best value out there. I'm very happy with it.*
I am sure you will love it when you get it out on the water and give it a try. Hope you get out to fish....lots of places seem to be going on lockdown now and no fishing.
Thank you for great information, the standard transducer it works at 200W and the gt-15 it takes 600W it means if you upgrade your system from standard to gt-15 you are battery will drain faster, you are going to get around 1/3rd of the time which you were getting before upgrading.
Explained very well. I love hearing about the tech behind these devices. Thank you so much for the time you spent on our channel. You rock. Also be careful there is a bug right now that looks like you are not following someone. But if you go to their home page and if it shows you are, then you are.
You know I had had a similar problem with some channels I follow not showing up as notifications when they post. It seems I have to unsubscribe and re subscribe to fix it.
I’d like to add the GT8HW-IF is also compatible. It is the ice fishing transducer. I use it on my striker 4 and it is a significant improvement over the supplies transducer. It’s cable is very flexible , even at 0 degrees it stayed flexible. The foam that comes with it is much better and keeps the cone shaped transducer level. If you are going to ice fish. I’d recommend picking up that transducer.
Very good addition and super true...not much ice were I am at, so I never really think about it. I get a lot of requests for some ice fishing info, but it's rare I get out on the ice anymore.
agree - the ice transducer has benefits over the standard chirp (boat) unit (that can also be used for ice fishing). The ice ducer is easier to hang flat, comes with a better float, and has that 85 kHz range (vs. the 10 kHz range of the boat ducer).
Glad you found the info useful....just looked at the little icon above this post on my screen and it says you have been subscribed over 2 years....it really has been awhile your like a OG sub man
Thanks for the video - answered a lot of questions that you'd think Garmin would have more information on! I will add that this information is true for both the Striker 4 and Striker 4 Plus.
Great info,,might start with standard chirp till I learn how to read them, I fish the river 60 to 80ft deep, been wanting to get one and see if one of these will help me find fish.thanks for breaking it down for us
For the majority of people the standard chirp transducer will work fine....unless you have to have to have the best then the higher end transducers are a giant leap forward. If you have any trouble seeing the fish a few things to play with on your unit is the frequency selection and scroll speed.
I just bought the Gamin Striker 4 CHIRP Sonar Kit. It will be arriving between January 27-Feb 3rd. First, I would like to say you did an amazing job with the tutorial. Very Very good video. I Kayak fish and Ice Fish in Michigan. With what comes in the box will it work for both Ice fishing and Kayak fishing? Never used a fish finder before... Thanks again. Great video. I am now subscribed.
I have seen people use the standard transducers for ice fishing before, so yes it will work, might just need a bit of extra work to get it right. Garmin also makes a ice specific transducer that is kinda cone shaped as well. The CHIRP transducers are pretty big, so that could also be an issue on the ice
Question: Doesn't the watt rating dictate how much "power" or "energy" is being transmitted? Does chirp frequency actually put more "energy" into the water or is it the same amount of power spread out through the frequencies?
Hi I have purchased a Striker 4. I am very happy with the way it performs, however i did notice after a short period of time there was a definite fogging on the inside of the screen. This would come and go depending on atmospheric conditions. Then after washing the boat down including rinsing the Striker with water from the hose, not high pressure, just running water, a couple of the keypad buttons wouldn't work. I sent it back to Marine Deals, the supplier and was informed they had tested it, it worked ok, submerged it in water, retested it, it worked ok. The fogging on the screen was not actually water inside the unit it was moisture in between the screen and the front cover. ok being the trusting sole that I am, I accepted the explanation. Well the next time I washed the boat and got the sounder wet, same thing happened so I opened it up and found water in behind the keypad and no double layer of glass/whatever screen, moisture on the inside of the screen is inside the unit. I dried everything of and reassembled it with a smear of silicon grease on the main seal and around the edges of the keypad. The next time I went fishing it was raining and what do you know after a short time out in the rain it was so fogged I couldn't see the display. Is this normal, am I expecting too much, luckily so far the only water ingress has been fresh, not salt. But it is only a matter of time before the water fresh or salt will damage the electronics. The unit obviously leaks probably through the keypad. Am I the only one with this problem?
Hello Excellent video and one of many. I have a pontoon boat and will mount the transducer on the left pontoon. I mainly want to see what is under the boat and what is up ahead as I have already dinged my prop. Will this show under and to the front by mounting this in the rear or is there another trick? Some points are shallow with tree stumps and I would like to see them in advance
Great video as usual - thanks for creating. Is there any reason why you would ever use the less precise non chirp settings as opposed to the chirp settings? Are there any advantages for using standard, non chirp settings? Thanks.
I get this question a ton...I should do a video coving this exact topic, but in general I like non chirp for really dirty water or water with alot of debris
@@1Cast1Fish Right on, thank you very much for the follow up - makes total sense. All your videos are really well made and totally understandable. Thanks for the posts!
You talk about the GT 8 and GT 15. But my unit came with the G20 transducer, and is much larger than the ones you've shown. Can you give an overview of the G20?
The GT 20 is just the base model CHIRP transducer with the addition of Clear VU. The higher end transducers GT8 & GT15 simply are more powerful...they can be used deeper and provides much more detail in your images. All Chirp transducers on principle work the same.
thanks for the info, hope you keep making more you have really help me with my striker 4. wish you could make some on the sriker7sv having a time with it, my 4 seems to out do it. thanks again great info and keep them videos coming.
Thank you so much for your videos. Lots of great info and very well done. I fly fish lakes from a float tube and rarely fish water deeper than 30 feet. I am going to go with the Striker 4 Plus CV that comes with the GT-20 transducer. Will the chirp at the 70kHz and the GT-20 transducer be the best for the shallow water fishing I do or should I pick up the GT8 transducer?
The stock transducer will be plenty for your type of fishing use the lowest Chirp frequency setting you have available since the beam will be wider...perfect for shallow water.
Thank you for the details on the Garmin Chirp. I am a first time buyer. Most places he’s that and pull out the $1,000 fish finders. I am seeking one to put into my 15’ jon boat. I would rather go as cheap as possible incase someone yanks it or I damage it.
Hey there, I just bought a Striker 4 yesterday because of your videos and I had a question. When would you want to use regular sonar over CHIRP, and when would you want to use 77 kHz over 200 kHz?
Great informative video man.. I have a Seadoo Fishpro, based in New Zealand and occasionally fish deep (200-350m) The unit seems to work really well as last time out I was in 270m and the unit had no apparent problems.. the default setting is Chirp and the beam angle according to the screen is 17deg.. would you suggest any alternate manual settings when going deep or just leave it in auto, scroll speed is auto also - transducer is GT15IH
I am a big fan of the "If it isn't broke don't fix it" mentality...if its working great I would leave it. You could play with the gain a bit and see if that helps or hurts.
Appreciate your content. Good presentation. I have a question about the gps way points mode. I was thinking that the shoreline would be represent on the unit? Also the brown and blue wire are another sensing unit?
Yeah the shoreline would be a big plus, but that requires a type of mapping card or preloaded mapping. Some higher end model have these features and they can be very useful. The Brown and Blue wires are just for communication...for 99% of installs they are not needed, and for the 1% that use them I would have bought a higher end unit if I needed those features.
You can see the thermocline with the Garmin Striker...however what a lot of don't realize is that in many lakes depending on the time of year and other variables a distinct thermocline may not actually be present. A thermocline generally will show up as a area of "noise" in a line somewhere within the water column across the fish finder screen (not top or bottom noise). The thing to remember is that since it will show up as a noise signature normally, you want to be careful about setting your noise removal setting to high, as it can remove the thermocline as well. Hope this helps
Thanks for your videos. I am generally fishing in water under 20 feet in depth. Will I benefit from buying an SV unit vs CV if cost is not an object? Also, what is the chirp setting you recommend for under 20 feet?
I would go SV the side imaging capabilities really helps with determining in what direction the fish are located. I would also get the biggest screen you can afford. For 20ft you want a wide Chirp band
Would you recommend using this when going out in the ocean? I have a boat club. I used Bass Pro shop portable mount. The clamp wasn’t big enough so i used a c clamp from Home Depot. It eventually fell off and my transducer was dragging the the water. Any recommendations for clamping it temporarily when using a boat club?
I think you can buy better temporary mounts for these applications. As far as transducer, most temporary mounts do not do well with higher speeds, so I guess depends on the types of boat you are using as well.
which transducer would you go with, the lake i fish is 5 to 33 foot deep, lots of drop offs and 85% of time crystal clear like 4 to 6 foot down, after a rain lite to medium stain thanks for your videos and really enjoyed them.
You could spend the money for a upgraded CHIRP transducer, but for your conditions honestly you are going to be just fine with the standard transducer and select a CHIRP frequency like CHIRP 77kHz.
I am new to fish finders, and first off great video! My question is that if the CHIRP puts more energy into the water, why would you want to use the single frequency option? Also, what is the difference between the low range and high range frequencies? Are they each used for specific structures or depths?
I use the standard non-Chirp when there is a lot of debris in the water since the chirp is very sensitive and picks up the debris more. Check out my videos on sonar frequency to explain the high and low...much better explanation in those videos than what I can type here trust me.
I wish i could see such a video about the new garmin units. thinking of getting one but its hard to tell whats the difference between them and i don't want to read 3 months to find out : )
I hear you on the reading part....wish I could get my hands on some newer units...thing is right now it seems like technology is advancing so fast, once you get a new unit its practically obsolete...plus with all the ad on's you could spend $5,000 in sonar real fast
Great video! In fact, all of them are very informative and well done. You are clearly the expert in this area. A couple of questions after viewing all of them: I have an inflatable kayak that I'm looking at using for some still fishing and want some ideas on how to mount both the Striker and transducer since drilling into the hull isn't an option and there are air bladders on the kayak floor. I think I can float the transducer, but I am not exactly sure. Second, I wear polarized corrective lenses in the sun and wonder about reading the screen as polarized lenses don't usually play well with things like Android phones and camera screens. Have you worn polarized glasses when using the Tracker and were there any readability issues? Third, is the screen size and resolution difference really that significant between the Striker 4 and 4 Plus/cv? I'm looking at the 4 Plus cv because of the larger screen, but I am somewhat discouraged by the diminished resolution, and I really don't need all the mapping features. I think that's it for now. I really appreciate your guidance.
Some really great questions and I can definitely see you have done some homework...so here it goes. 1. Since the hull is air bladders the inside the hull mount will not work since the soundwaves do not transmit through the air gap properly. Honestly I do not have a really great idea how to make this work other than a mount that swings over the side and into the water....the only issue with floating will be the waves and spinning...this again will mess with your images. What model kayak do you have that may help me come up with an idea as well. 2. Polarized glasses never work well with any screen like this...even on my $2000+ dollar units on my boat the issue is still there. The viewing angle will help a lot, so experiment. There are newer (very expensive) fish finders that are addressing this issue, so at some point it may trickle down to basic models. 3.The resolution is awesome on all the models, so no worry there. I personally like the Plus and Plus CV for the bigger screens.
@@1Cast1Fish Wow! Thank you for responding! Since writing my questions, I went back to the retailer wearing my sunglasses and looked at the screen of the Plus 4 and Plus 4cv. Wish I could have evaluated the Striker 4 as well, but the only model they had was in the portable kit so that was a no-go. Also, I figured if I have trouble seeing small images (like on a cell phone), a smaller screen will not be my friend. With my polarized Rx sunglasses I was able to read the screen on both units very clearly. I hope that doesn't change in bright sunlight, so if it does, I'll be sure to let you (and others) know. Regarding the kayak, it's an Aquaglide Chinook 90 and the two side bladders are about 10" wide. I was seriously going to use the float supplied in the Portable Fishing Kit (bag, battery, charger, base with cable storage and float) and hope that it worked. The reality is this: if I can get to the fish and see the fish, there's no way I'll actually be able to hover over the fish in an inflatable kayak, so this whole exercise is more about spotting the area in which they are schooling and hope that some are hungry enough to bite. I usually troll for kokanee, but I will be jigging for them this time. I've seen a couple of videos using PVC to thread the transducer wire down to the water. One guy noted how the PVC just floated up on the water as he gained speed (that won't be my issue), but I think I can solve the problem by attaching heavy-duty velcro to the pipe and kayak. Failing that, there's always duct tape... Wish me luck! And thanks again for your response and you fantastic videos!
I checked out some pics of that kayak and it seems you may be on the right track for finding a way to use the transducer most effectively. Half the fun sometimes is figuring it out and inventing some new or un thought of way to make it work. Give the float a try and see how it works for your type of fishing...it could be workable....and I always love PVC and duct tape, lol....plenty of great PVC contraptions on many kayaks. Good luck and if you have any questions let me know.
@@1Cast1Fish Hi, it's me again. The Striker Plus 4cv hasn't arrived yet, but the portable fishing kit did and I had a chance to assemble the base unit and charge the battery, hence my next and probably dumbest question so far: I think this has an F1 or F2 battery and the connectors from the Garmin charger connect well enough but are ridiculously tight. I was able to disconnect and reconnect just to see if it might loosen over time, but the change wasn't significant. Is that normal? Also, when I look straight down onto the charger connectors, they are flat on one side and the two edges curl in toward the center forming the other side, like a sideways "B". Is there a right and wrong way to connect them to the battery other than the obvious red-red, black-black connection? I wasn't sure if the flat side of the charger connector should be up and the curled side down or vice versa, or if it even mattered at all. Whichever way I try it, I still need to jiggle the connector until I can get it separated from the battery. My first inclination was to try using pliers but I thought that might be a bad idea. As always, I really appreciate the guidance provided by my very own Garmin expert! Thank you so much!
Sorry it took so long to reply, but comments within the same comment tend to get buried and lost sometimes. Its much easier to start a new comment sometimes since I will see it easier. So the connectors are very directional in how you push them in...they are made to line up one way. The connectors shape should match the fish finder plug in shape. Most even have a small nub that helps you line this up. If you forced the connectors in the wrong way you could have easily damaged the pins....so double check them. Also the connectors are a bit tight....this is so they seal up well so water can not get into them, but they should easily pull out by hand...not pliers. Hope this helps and any questions feel free to ask...(in a new comment) so I see it easy and can get back to you quicker.
Hey thanks for the great info. Once you identify fish, do you ever really know exactly where they are? Or you now just have a good idea that they are around you. Thanks
It will vary...figure out how big your sonar cone is at the depth the fish is located....now when you see the full arch you know the fish is no longer in that cone....so now you know it is at least "X" distance away. Now this is where it gets tricky with alot of variables such as sonar scroll speed, boat speed, fish speed and direction, ect. It is really a educated guess, but I tend to figure if the arch is on the far right of the screen, then the fish is likely just outside the cone, middle of the screen, multiply cone diameter by 2 for distance....and far left...multiply by 3. This is not all exact, but it is how tend to guess.
@@1Cast1Fish Thanks, this makes sense, and I'll try and practice and get a sense of it. Sounds like you think they move right to left? I have my transducer hanging over the right side of my kayak.
Great video! I've got the striker4 cv. I'm having trouble getting clear images and see a lot of mirror imaging / garbage on the screen. My Ontario inland lakes are all quit tea stained and I find the best setting is 77Khz to have a chance. (Depths 20-100 ft : usually in 60ft range). Gain is set to low to help clean up garbage. Any tips?
If the water is full of debris, there is not much you can do other than adjust the gain on these units. You may try different color pallets to see if that helps as well.
I've got a recently purchased striker 4 that I am using on an inflatable, one man pontoon boat. I have the standard transducer but think I could do better. After reviewing your video I'm thinking a GT8 transducer? Fresh, still water, never over 50 feet deep. Am I on the right track or wasting my money. Probably spend 60-80 days a year on my boat. TIA
If I was a salesman I would say BUY BUY BUY...lol....but honestly for you probably will not notice a huge difference that makes the change worth the extra money. Now if you you were fishing down to 100ft or do a lot of open water trolling, then it may have some benefits.
Hi. I've seen quite a number of vids on sonar stuff, and almost all shows on reading sonar while on the move. Maybe, u can teach me on how to best use sonar while the boat is anchored, baited or bottom fishing setup. Maybe little bit on the setting so i can see my bait down underneath, and those fish swimming into the cone at what dept.. thanks.
When you are using the contour mapping feature, what is the best sonar set up? I was wondering if the lower frequency/ wider beam angle would mean getting more mapping done for fewer 'passes'?
Question: In your opinion, is it worth investing in an entry sonar such as the striker and buy a better transducer or buy a higher sonar and not upgrade the transducer. Mostly kayak fishing but a few fishing days in a boat in large reservoirs.
The bigger question is how much money do you want to spend :) Honestly for my kayak outings I use the Striker 4 and the standard transducer...this is on small lakes that are not all that deep….the Striker 4 does have a basic Chirp setting you can choose and it does make a difference IMO. If I was going to spend a limited amount of cash though I would get a bigger screen size over a new transducer or upgrade to the Striker CV models and such with contour line mapping.
1Cast 1Fish Thanks for the quick answer. I’ve to replace an old broken sonar. I’m hesitating between the striker 4plusCV, mostly to get the charting capabilities for regular lakes. However, if I get lucky and find a discounted sonar with Side Imaging up to 2x the price , I will consider it as I’m switching lakes regularly and would like to find the fish quicker SI and do more vertical fishing DI.
I was happy with the stock transducer for my CV4, GT 20 i think. Maybe the GT-8 would serve my bottom fishing in coastal waters better. I'll have to look into it a bit more. Also Garmin NZ is showing it at NZ$299, double the amount. Our dollar must really suck at the moment. Anyway, interesting.
Would have been nice to see an actual demonstration. I still don't know which to use when. Or with such a low res screen as striker 4 if you could even see any difference.
Hello, I just purchased the striker 4 and plan to use it in ponds 10 foot deep or less. What setting do you recommend for that depth? Thank you for your help
Hello friend , i hope that you are verry well , i have a question about the finshfinder garmin striker plus 4cv ordered from usa , they have french langage and metric unites like meter and C°...? , cordialy .
Unless you are fishing very deep water (100+ft) I would stick with the standard transducer. The others really shine in deeper water or faster trolling.
What is the average depth of a lakes in the US ? In Ky the deepest lake is 249 feet . Norris lake in Tennessee is 210 feet . Fontana lake in NC is 440 ft . I think the 800 foot GT8 would be the max needed in the lakes in the US.
I think these chirp transducer really shine in the deeper water lakes and oceans where you may fish 100+ ft down. The thing to remember I sthat these are max depth levels listed by the manufacturer under ideal conditions...so if they say 800ft then really I trust good info down to about 500-600 ft maybe.
Yes it would work, but IMO if I was running a 26’ boat I would step up in screen size and features. Possibly a 7 series minimum, but that’s just my opinion.
Is there any situation you would use the standard 77/200 khz frequencies instead of the 77/200 chirp? I would think you would always use chirp but it this correct? Thank you!
I have a Garmin Striker 4. I'd like to get a little more out of it. Since both are relatively the same price would I be better off upgrading the transducer to GT8 or buying a Striker Vivid 4 with clear view using the GT20 transducer?
The newer high powered CHIRP transducers are nice...but I would recommend a larger screen if using them to get more out of them. The Vivid is a nice upgrade over a standard Striker 4 though.
Thank you for your video, great information. Im getting ready to purchase one, in your opinion, do you think it is worth upgrading to the GT8 transducer. I plan to put this in a kayak if that helps
Confused regarding the other transducers: I thought lower hz meant a wider cone, but you’re saying the opposite with these other two transducer s you can buy. Is this correct?
In general the lower frequency will be the wider cone angles, however every transducer is designed and built a bit different. For example if I have a Lowrance and a Garmin transducer both using 77 kHz, they may have slightly different cone angles. This is the same with the high end Garmin Chirp transducers as well...just a tad different than the standard offering.
I have the Garmin 842sx not sure about the (+) My questions are,, I have chirp with downscan but want to add sidescan on my unit. Can I "add another transducer" to the unit without removing the other one, and how much, where, and which transducer am I looking for?. Will the new transducer have all the current features this one has as well? Thanks!
I would give Garmin a call, since when dealing with this type of thing, it can be very unit specific and I would hate to steer you wrong since I am not familiar with that unit. Sorry I could not help more.
I'm surprised nobody on UA-cam has tried this to see if it works, but do you think it is plausible to use a chirp like this as a forward looking sonar?
If you install a transducer from a Garmin Striker 4cv on a Garmin Striker plus 4, will the ''Clear view'' effect like the Garmin Striker 4cv have? Thank..
What about power consumption? I have a big battery, but no onboard charging. Is there a noticeable difference and how much is that difference? Does chirp use 2x the power that non chirp does? More? Less? What about the other transducers, do they increase even more? There has to be an increase, doesn’t there?
On the Striker 4 there is no noticeable difference. That's because even though the transducer is a Chirp transducer the band is relatively small compared to dedicated Chirp transducers.
Unless you fish very deep water 50+ft alot, the standard will most likely do you just fine....unless you have a ton of spare cash and just want the best :)
To find cone size you need the frequency (Sonar cone angles) and the water depth (How big the cone will be) Deeper water will be a larger cone since it has more room to expand.
I have a Garmin Striker Plus 4 and was wondering if it is the same head unit as a striker 4CV. What I really want to know is could I upgrade the transducer on my plus 4 to a CV transducer or if not is there another transducer upgrade I could go to from the one that came with the unit. The one I have is the basic one with chirp. I looked online but was unable to find any definite answer to this.
I honestly do not know on this one and would hate to be wrong. I recommend calling Garmin Support...they are pretty good at helping with these types of questions.
@@1Cast1Fish just curious where you got the +/- 5kHz info from as I have been searching everywhere for this with no success. And the Garmin customer service evenn told me that the dual Beam does not CHIRP.
@@1Cast1Fish the GT15 has 600w, I think it is too much for the striker 4 which has a power of 200w. I use the classic transduser 77/200 and I see targets at 60-70 meters very well. Thanks for the information !!
Just got a 4CV, also bought the GT 8, was on lake yesterday playing around and SOMEWHERE/SOMEHOW I hit a button to change my transducer but I couldn't remember it was a GT8 while I was on that screen. NOW I have NO idea where I was, can u point an old man in the right direction please? Thanks
Ok...do this....go to your traditional sonar, hit the menu button...now scroll down to and select sonar setup...scroll to transducer type....and select your transducer.
Quick question for you. I run a Striker 4 plus in a small 12' tin boat. Depending on if its just me or if im fishing with a friend, the angle of the boat is affected. Is there a way to know that the level of the transducer is correct? I have the locking bold just tight enough to be able to adjust the pitch if needed but it wont move on its own. Can you let me know of a way to ensure its correctly pitched to be parallel to the water?
@@1Cast1Fish thanks for the reply! This is what I have been doing to troubleshoot. My question is more "is there a good way to ensure the angle is correct once on the water?" When I have adjusted it, I would first eyeball it to level setting and then shifted a click up or down, looking at the depth reading and ultimately stopping the adjustment when the lowest depth was showing. Woukd this be correct? Thank you and keep up the great vids!
I am novice in the use of garmin striker 4 .The first time i tried to use it ,yesterday,it was a complete failure The indications were fluctuating aroud 40 f depth regardless of the real .Should i had made some adjustment befor i used it?
I have a question: if I got the striker 4 ice bundle package and it has the cone as the transducer is that considered the DUAL BEAM when you select your transducer type in the settings?
The ice transducer has a bit different cone angles I believe....not real verse on the ice side since I do not get ice to fish here in VA. It is dual beam though, so yes it should work
Just got my Striker Plus 4 and watching your videos. On my Frequency screen I only see "Chrip, 150kHz, 200kHz, or 240kHz". I don't see anything for a CHIRP200.
@@1Cast1Fish just the standard transducer that came with it. When I check the sonar settings all I see is "Chrip, then 150kHz, 200kHz, and 240kHz". None of the others have CHRIP in front of it. That's why I'm a little confused.
@@PudgyPastures Might need to give Garmin CS a call...I may be missing something, but I believe it should be different options. I have never used a Plus, but it should be the same transducer as the base model just with addition of Quick Draw Maps.
My Garmin striker 4 show fish shapes and labels them by number such as size 1 through 6. I am assuming size 6 are the bigger fish. What I am curious is how do I know how big each fish size is?
I saw your other question, but I don't recall mine labeling the fish by size. The only numbers I see are the depth of the fish. What model do you have and how old is it?
You do a great job explaining the basics. I too am brand new using a fish finder. Hopefully, I can increase my catch rate using the tools you taught. Thoughts of this make me hungry for fish!
Glad it was helpful!
Just bought a garmin striker 4 and have found all of your videos extremely helpful. Thanks for being clear and concise in them! Subscribed 👍
Great to hear! Thank you
Thank you for making this video! You answered questions i didn’t even know i needed to ask as i research fish finders.
Plenty of good info here to help learn and make a good decision on a fish finder....glad this helped.
Being a absolute newbie (days old) this video helped!. When learning about adding the open water transducers from the small manual that came with the bundle, your explanation for the GT8 and GT15 were very helpful in what I’m going to look for in the future with this new unit. Thank you again! 👍🏻👍🏻
Glad it helped! Thanks
I bought a Gt8HW_IF, it worked for bit and now the screen keeps re-setting and I can't make it stop. I bought it for ice fishing with my striker 4. Went back to factory settings and still the same thing. I'm not sure what I did...
*This is on my boat. Works great Nice bright display even in direct sun which is something I was worried about. Its a small displayood layout on the buttons. It has good accuracy and resolution for an entry level sonar. Low battery drain even on the brightest setting. I mounted the transducer on the transom following the directions and screwed the bracket directly to the boat. Worked fine. No issues. I wish the manual was a little better but whatever. I figured out how to do the things I need it to do. I think this is the best value out there. I'm very happy with it.*
Glad to hear you are happy with it...if you ever have any questions, I would be glad to try and help
Thank you for simplifying all of this sophisticated tech info for me, I appreciate it. Cheers.
Glad it was helpful!
I got my first garmin last black Friday and I'm super excited to start using it this fishing season. Nice video man I subbed
I am sure you will love it when you get it out on the water and give it a try. Hope you get out to fish....lots of places seem to be going on lockdown now and no fishing.
Thank you for great information, the standard transducer it works at 200W and the gt-15 it takes 600W it means if you upgrade your system from standard to gt-15 you are battery will drain faster, you are going to get around 1/3rd of the time which you were getting before upgrading.
Yes, it will definitely use more battery...and I would not recommend a in hull mount like I have shown in other videos.
This was a very good video which answered questions I had that the Garmin website couldn't answer as clearly and quickly.
Glad it was helpful!
Explained very well. I love hearing about the tech behind these devices. Thank you so much for the time you spent on our channel. You rock. Also be careful there is a bug right now that looks like you are not following someone. But if you go to their home page and if it shows you are, then you are.
You know I had had a similar problem with some channels I follow not showing up as notifications when they post. It seems I have to unsubscribe and re subscribe to fix it.
I’d like to add the GT8HW-IF is also compatible. It is the ice fishing transducer.
I use it on my striker 4 and it is a significant improvement over the supplies transducer.
It’s cable is very flexible , even at 0 degrees it stayed flexible. The foam that comes with it is much better and keeps the cone shaped transducer level.
If you are going to ice fish. I’d recommend picking up that transducer.
Thanks
Very good addition and super true...not much ice were I am at, so I never really think about it. I get a lot of requests for some ice fishing info, but it's rare I get out on the ice anymore.
agree - the ice transducer has benefits over the standard chirp (boat) unit (that can also be used for ice fishing). The ice ducer is easier to hang flat, comes with a better float, and has that 85 kHz range (vs. the 10 kHz range of the boat ducer).
Great explanation. I never really bothered digging into what the difference was. Now I know!👍💯
Glad you found the info useful....just looked at the little icon above this post on my screen and it says you have been subscribed over 2 years....it really has been awhile your like a OG sub man
Love your Garmin Striker 4 videos! Can't wait for your upcoming video on navigation and use of waypoints! Cheers, and God Bless!
Glad you like them! Thank you
I get a boat, this is my go to channel. Good job finding your groove 👍
Thanks buddy....you ever get one....I will be waiting for an fishing invite :)
That’s a great tutorial my friend. Lots of great information. Thanks so much for the explanation. Left a big 👍 from the North.
Adrian
Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed and found the info useful
Thanks for the video - answered a lot of questions that you'd think Garmin would have more information on! I will add that this information is true for both the Striker 4 and Striker 4 Plus.
Yes, this is accurate for the Plus model as well....the CV uses a different transducer. Glad you find these videos helpful
Great info,,might start with standard chirp till I learn how to read them, I fish the river 60 to 80ft deep, been wanting to get one and see if one of these will help me find fish.thanks for breaking it down for us
For the majority of people the standard chirp transducer will work fine....unless you have to have to have the best then the higher end transducers are a giant leap forward. If you have any trouble seeing the fish a few things to play with on your unit is the frequency selection and scroll speed.
CHIRP will make it easier for you to read it!
I just bought the Gamin Striker 4 CHIRP Sonar Kit. It will be arriving between January 27-Feb 3rd. First, I would like to say you did an amazing job with the tutorial. Very Very good video. I Kayak fish and Ice Fish in Michigan. With what comes in the box will it work for both Ice fishing and Kayak fishing? Never used a fish finder before... Thanks again. Great video. I am now subscribed.
I have seen people use the standard transducers for ice fishing before, so yes it will work, might just need a bit of extra work to get it right. Garmin also makes a ice specific transducer that is kinda cone shaped as well. The CHIRP transducers are pretty big, so that could also be an issue on the ice
Question: Doesn't the watt rating dictate how much "power" or "energy" is being transmitted? Does chirp frequency actually put more "energy" into the water or is it the same amount of power spread out through the frequencies?
Hi I have purchased a Striker 4. I am very happy with the way it performs, however i did notice after a short period of time there was a definite fogging on the inside of the screen. This would come and go depending on atmospheric conditions. Then after washing the boat down including rinsing the Striker with water from the hose, not high pressure, just running water, a couple of the keypad buttons wouldn't work. I sent it back to Marine Deals, the supplier and was informed they had tested it, it worked ok, submerged it in water, retested it, it worked ok. The fogging on the screen was not actually water inside the unit it was moisture in between the screen and the front cover. ok being the trusting sole that I am, I accepted the explanation. Well the next time I washed the boat and got the sounder wet, same thing happened so I opened it up and found water in behind the keypad and no double layer of glass/whatever screen, moisture on the inside of the screen is inside the unit. I dried everything of and reassembled it with a smear of silicon grease on the main seal and around the edges of the keypad. The next time I went fishing it was raining and what do you know after a short time out in the rain it was so fogged I couldn't see the display. Is this normal, am I expecting too much, luckily so far the only water ingress has been fresh, not salt. But it is only a matter of time before the water fresh or salt will damage the electronics. The unit obviously leaks probably through the keypad. Am I the only one with this problem?
I would call Garmin if it's under warranty still, or send it back to the store you got it from, this should not be happening...something is wrong
Hello Excellent video and one of many. I have a pontoon boat and will mount the transducer on the left pontoon. I mainly want to see what is under the boat and what is up ahead as I have already dinged my prop. Will this show under and to the front by mounting this in the rear or is there another trick? Some points are shallow with tree stumps and I would like to see them in advance
This would not be a good option IMO for navigating hazards in a waterway.
Great video as usual - thanks for creating. Is there any reason why you would ever use the less precise non chirp settings as opposed to the chirp settings? Are there any advantages for using standard, non chirp settings? Thanks.
I get this question a ton...I should do a video coving this exact topic, but in general I like non chirp for really dirty water or water with alot of debris
@@1Cast1Fish Right on, thank you very much for the follow up - makes total sense. All your videos are really well made and totally understandable. Thanks for the posts!
@@paulcasadio thank you very much...hope you are enjoying the channel
You talk about the GT 8 and GT 15. But my unit came with the G20 transducer, and is much larger than the ones you've shown. Can you give an overview of the G20?
The GT 20 is just the base model CHIRP transducer with the addition of Clear VU. The higher end transducers GT8 & GT15 simply are more powerful...they can be used deeper and provides much more detail in your images. All Chirp transducers on principle work the same.
thanks for the info, hope you keep making more you have really help me with my striker 4. wish you could make some on the sriker7sv having a time with it, my 4 seems to out do it. thanks again great info and keep them videos coming.
If I ever get ahold of some other units I will definitely make some videos with them too....glad these are helping
This is so great! I watched all your videos! You thought me so much!
I love reading comments like this....awesome to hear....thank you
Expect, who two speel 🤣🤣
Thank you so much for your videos. Lots of great info and very well done. I fly fish lakes from a float tube and rarely fish water deeper than 30 feet. I am going to go with the Striker 4 Plus CV that comes with the GT-20 transducer. Will the chirp at the 70kHz and the GT-20 transducer be the best for the shallow water fishing I do or should I pick up the GT8 transducer?
The stock transducer will be plenty for your type of fishing use the lowest Chirp frequency setting you have available since the beam will be wider...perfect for shallow water.
Thank you for the details on the Garmin Chirp. I am a first time buyer. Most places he’s that and pull out the $1,000 fish finders. I am seeking one to put into my 15’ jon boat. I would rather go as cheap as possible incase someone yanks it or I damage it.
This would be a great option, or get the fish finder put on a Ram Mount and just remove it when you are done fishing.
1Cast 1Fish, great idea. I am just catching up on your full line of tutorials on the Garmin Stricker 4.
Awesome...any questions let me know...just be sure to start a new comment with any questions so it don't get lost in other comments
Hey there, I just bought a Striker 4 yesterday because of your videos and I had a question. When would you want to use regular sonar over CHIRP, and when would you want to use 77 kHz over 200 kHz?
I use Chirp almost exclusively...as for the frequency 77 for shallow water and 200 for deeper
great tutorial, chirp sonar sure raised the bar.
It really has...it is amazing how clear the image returns are with chirp
Great informative video man.. I have a Seadoo Fishpro, based in New Zealand and occasionally fish deep (200-350m) The unit seems to work really well as last time out I was in 270m and the unit had no apparent problems.. the default setting is Chirp and the beam angle according to the screen is 17deg.. would you suggest any alternate manual settings when going deep or just leave it in auto, scroll speed is auto also - transducer is GT15IH
I am a big fan of the "If it isn't broke don't fix it" mentality...if its working great I would leave it. You could play with the gain a bit and see if that helps or hurts.
Appreciate your content. Good presentation. I have a question about the gps way points mode. I was thinking that the shoreline would be represent on the unit? Also the brown and blue wire are another sensing unit?
Yeah the shoreline would be a big plus, but that requires a type of mapping card or preloaded mapping. Some higher end model have these features and they can be very useful. The Brown and Blue wires are just for communication...for 99% of installs they are not needed, and for the 1% that use them I would have bought a higher end unit if I needed those features.
Excellent job explaining this stuff!!!
Glad it was helpful!
that is very interesting, you did a great job on describing the CHIRP sonar
Thank you...it is pretty interesting how far sonar has come over the years
Excellent videos, sir! Tons of good info that not all of us know. Keep it up and thanks!
Glad you enjoyed, thank you
Great info! Do the upgraded GT 8 & 15 work through the kayak hull your do they need to be mounted into the water? Thanks from a new subscriber.
They will work great...the only transducer types that seem to have a few issues are side imaging and down imaging transducers.
Great informative video, question, how much of an improvement would a GT8 transducer make? Is it really noticeable and worth the upgrade?
Really depends on your fishing type...shallow waters...not so much....deep water 50+ ft you will start to really notice the differences.
Great video as is all of your others on the Striker. If I only fish in 6-12 feet of water, o should be using the 200 MHz correct?
I would use the 200 kHz for 6-12ft for the best view....sounds like you got it
Have you been able to see thermocline with striker 4cv? If so what settings did you use?
You can see the thermocline with the Garmin Striker...however what a lot of don't realize is that in many lakes depending on the time of year and other variables a distinct thermocline may not actually be present. A thermocline generally will show up as a area of "noise" in a line somewhere within the water column across the fish finder screen (not top or bottom noise). The thing to remember is that since it will show up as a noise signature normally, you want to be careful about setting your noise removal setting to high, as it can remove the thermocline as well. Hope this helps
Very detailed explanation
Thank you
Did you post examples of the difference in the transducers in use? Garmin needs to give you some big bucks
This video probably in the most in depth I have at the moment on the difference between transducers.
Thanks for your videos. I am generally fishing in water under 20 feet in depth. Will I benefit from buying an SV unit vs CV if cost is not an object? Also, what is the chirp setting you recommend for under 20 feet?
I would go SV the side imaging capabilities really helps with determining in what direction the fish are located. I would also get the biggest screen you can afford. For 20ft you want a wide Chirp band
Would you recommend using this when going out in the ocean? I have a boat club. I used Bass Pro shop portable mount. The clamp wasn’t big enough so i used a c clamp from Home Depot. It eventually fell off and my transducer was dragging the the water.
Any recommendations for clamping it temporarily when using a boat club?
I think you can buy better temporary mounts for these applications. As far as transducer, most temporary mounts do not do well with higher speeds, so I guess depends on the types of boat you are using as well.
Very well demonstrated!! I think i like the chirp version.. Thanks for the information and comparison
It definitely makes things much more clear and easy to see
which transducer would you go with, the lake i fish is 5 to 33 foot deep, lots of drop offs and 85% of time crystal clear like 4 to 6 foot down, after a rain lite to medium stain thanks for your videos and really enjoyed them.
You could spend the money for a upgraded CHIRP transducer, but for your conditions honestly you are going to be just fine with the standard transducer and select a CHIRP frequency like CHIRP 77kHz.
@@1Cast1Fish thanks for info
I am new to fish finders, and first off great video! My question is that if the CHIRP puts more energy into the water, why would you want to use the single frequency option? Also, what is the difference between the low range and high range frequencies? Are they each used for specific structures or depths?
I use the standard non-Chirp when there is a lot of debris in the water since the chirp is very sensitive and picks up the debris more. Check out my videos on sonar frequency to explain the high and low...much better explanation in those videos than what I can type here trust me.
Thanks I`ve never used a finder so this makes me understand better
Awesome....glad it helps...plenty of videos here to help with fish finder basics
First, THANK YOU for all of this information!!!! Will the Striker Plus 4CV also work with the GT8HW transducer?
Thank you....The CV model has a different transducer ...so in short, no it will not work.
I wish i could see such a video about the new garmin units. thinking of getting one but its hard to tell whats the difference between them and i don't want to read 3 months to find out : )
I hear you on the reading part....wish I could get my hands on some newer units...thing is right now it seems like technology is advancing so fast, once you get a new unit its practically obsolete...plus with all the ad on's you could spend $5,000 in sonar real fast
Great video! In fact, all of them are very informative and well done. You are clearly the expert in this area. A couple of questions after viewing all of them: I have an inflatable kayak that I'm looking at using for some still fishing and want some ideas on how to mount both the Striker and transducer since drilling into the hull isn't an option and there are air bladders on the kayak floor. I think I can float the transducer, but I am not exactly sure. Second, I wear polarized corrective lenses in the sun and wonder about reading the screen as polarized lenses don't usually play well with things like Android phones and camera screens. Have you worn polarized glasses when using the Tracker and were there any readability issues? Third, is the screen size and resolution difference really that significant between the Striker 4 and 4 Plus/cv? I'm looking at the 4 Plus cv because of the larger screen, but I am somewhat discouraged by the diminished resolution, and I really don't need all the mapping features. I think that's it for now. I really appreciate your guidance.
Some really great questions and I can definitely see you have done some homework...so here it goes.
1. Since the hull is air bladders the inside the hull mount will not work since the soundwaves do not transmit through the air gap properly. Honestly I do not have a really great idea how to make this work other than a mount that swings over the side and into the water....the only issue with floating will be the waves and spinning...this again will mess with your images. What model kayak do you have that may help me come up with an idea as well.
2. Polarized glasses never work well with any screen like this...even on my $2000+ dollar units on my boat the issue is still there. The viewing angle will help a lot, so experiment. There are newer (very expensive) fish finders that are addressing this issue, so at some point it may trickle down to basic models.
3.The resolution is awesome on all the models, so no worry there. I personally like the Plus and Plus CV for the bigger screens.
@@1Cast1Fish Wow! Thank you for responding! Since writing my questions, I went back to the retailer wearing my sunglasses and looked at the screen of the Plus 4 and Plus 4cv. Wish I could have evaluated the Striker 4 as well, but the only model they had was in the portable kit so that was a no-go. Also, I figured if I have trouble seeing small images (like on a cell phone), a smaller screen will not be my friend. With my polarized Rx sunglasses I was able to read the screen on both units very clearly. I hope that doesn't change in bright sunlight, so if it does, I'll be sure to let you (and others) know. Regarding the kayak, it's an Aquaglide Chinook 90 and the two side bladders are about 10" wide. I was seriously going to use the float supplied in the Portable Fishing Kit (bag, battery, charger, base with cable storage and float) and hope that it worked. The reality is this: if I can get to the fish and see the fish, there's no way I'll actually be able to hover over the fish in an inflatable kayak, so this whole exercise is more about spotting the area in which they are schooling and hope that some are hungry enough to bite. I usually troll for kokanee, but I will be jigging for them this time. I've seen a couple of videos using PVC to thread the transducer wire down to the water. One guy noted how the PVC just floated up on the water as he gained speed (that won't be my issue), but I think I can solve the problem by attaching heavy-duty velcro to the pipe and kayak. Failing that, there's always duct tape... Wish me luck! And thanks again for your response and you fantastic videos!
I checked out some pics of that kayak and it seems you may be on the right track for finding a way to use the transducer most effectively. Half the fun sometimes is figuring it out and inventing some new or un thought of way to make it work. Give the float a try and see how it works for your type of fishing...it could be workable....and I always love PVC and duct tape, lol....plenty of great PVC contraptions on many kayaks. Good luck and if you have any questions let me know.
@@1Cast1Fish Hi, it's me again. The Striker Plus 4cv hasn't arrived yet, but the portable fishing kit did and I had a chance to assemble the base unit and charge the battery, hence my next and probably dumbest question so far: I think this has an F1 or F2 battery and the connectors from the Garmin charger connect well enough but are ridiculously tight. I was able to disconnect and reconnect just to see if it might loosen over time, but the change wasn't significant. Is that normal? Also, when I look straight down onto the charger connectors, they are flat on one side and the two edges curl in toward the center forming the other side, like a sideways "B". Is there a right and wrong way to connect them to the battery other than the obvious red-red, black-black connection? I wasn't sure if the flat side of the charger connector should be up and the curled side down or vice versa, or if it even mattered at all. Whichever way I try it, I still need to jiggle the connector until I can get it separated from the battery. My first inclination was to try using pliers but I thought that might be a bad idea. As always, I really appreciate the guidance provided by my very own Garmin expert! Thank you so much!
Sorry it took so long to reply, but comments within the same comment tend to get buried and lost sometimes. Its much easier to start a new comment sometimes since I will see it easier. So the connectors are very directional in how you push them in...they are made to line up one way. The connectors shape should match the fish finder plug in shape. Most even have a small nub that helps you line this up. If you forced the connectors in the wrong way you could have easily damaged the pins....so double check them. Also the connectors are a bit tight....this is so they seal up well so water can not get into them, but they should easily pull out by hand...not pliers. Hope this helps and any questions feel free to ask...(in a new comment) so I see it easy and can get back to you quicker.
Great explanation! Would you recommend this or the CV version of the Striker?
Always buy the most fish finder you can afford, so if you got the coin...go CV
Great work on the editing
I'm wondering why you don't have more subs
I appreciate that, thank you
Hey thanks for the great info. Once you identify fish, do you ever really know exactly where they are? Or you now just have a good idea that they are around you. Thanks
It will vary...figure out how big your sonar cone is at the depth the fish is located....now when you see the full arch you know the fish is no longer in that cone....so now you know it is at least "X" distance away. Now this is where it gets tricky with alot of variables such as sonar scroll speed, boat speed, fish speed and direction, ect. It is really a educated guess, but I tend to figure if the arch is on the far right of the screen, then the fish is likely just outside the cone, middle of the screen, multiply cone diameter by 2 for distance....and far left...multiply by 3. This is not all exact, but it is how tend to guess.
@@1Cast1Fish Thanks, this makes sense, and I'll try and practice and get a sense of it. Sounds like you think they move right to left? I have my transducer hanging over the right side of my kayak.
The fish can move any direction around the boat. The screen however only shows a 2d image that moves right to left (new to old data)
Thank you again for these excellent videos.
Thank you for watching
Great video! I've got the striker4 cv. I'm having trouble getting clear images and see a lot of mirror imaging / garbage on the screen. My Ontario inland lakes are all quit tea stained and I find the best setting is 77Khz to have a chance. (Depths 20-100 ft : usually in 60ft range). Gain is set to low to help clean up garbage. Any tips?
If the water is full of debris, there is not much you can do other than adjust the gain on these units. You may try different color pallets to see if that helps as well.
Awesome info buddy! Thanks for sharing as always!
Thank you man
Is there anyway to increase the size of the water depth on striker plus 4 ?? on striker 4 the reading is way larger than plus 4 . thanks
Not sure since I have the regular Striker 4....I would look in the readout menu and see if the option is hidden there.
I've got a recently purchased striker 4 that I am using on an inflatable, one man pontoon boat. I have the standard transducer but think I could do better. After reviewing your video I'm thinking a GT8 transducer? Fresh, still water, never over 50 feet deep. Am I on the right track or wasting my money. Probably spend 60-80 days a year on my boat. TIA
If I was a salesman I would say BUY BUY BUY...lol....but honestly for you probably will not notice a huge difference that makes the change worth the extra money. Now if you you were fishing down to 100ft or do a lot of open water trolling, then it may have some benefits.
@@1Cast1Fish Thanks for the honesty-maybe just need to do a bit more tinkering with the various adjustments
That half the fun....is the tinkering and finding what works best for you and your waters.
Hi. I've seen quite a number of vids on sonar stuff, and almost all shows on reading sonar while on the move. Maybe, u can teach me on how to best use sonar while the boat is anchored, baited or bottom fishing setup. Maybe little bit on the setting so i can see my bait down underneath, and those fish swimming into the cone at what dept.. thanks.
I do have a great vertical presentation video planned
@@1Cast1Fish thanks. Really appreciate it.
When you are using the contour mapping feature, what is the best sonar set up? I was wondering if the lower frequency/ wider beam angle would mean getting more mapping done for fewer 'passes'?
The wider angles will cover more area and also map a bit faster...it won't be a crazy speed difference, but it will be a bit faster.
Question: In your opinion, is it worth investing in an entry sonar such as the striker and buy a better transducer or buy a higher sonar and not upgrade the transducer. Mostly kayak fishing but a few fishing days in a boat in large reservoirs.
The bigger question is how much money do you want to spend :) Honestly for my kayak outings I use the Striker 4 and the standard transducer...this is on small lakes that are not all that deep….the Striker 4 does have a basic Chirp setting you can choose and it does make a difference IMO. If I was going to spend a limited amount of cash though I would get a bigger screen size over a new transducer or upgrade to the Striker CV models and such with contour line mapping.
1Cast 1Fish Thanks for the quick answer. I’ve to replace an old broken sonar. I’m hesitating between the striker 4plusCV, mostly to get the charting capabilities for regular lakes. However, if I get lucky and find a discounted sonar with Side Imaging up to 2x the price , I will consider it as I’m switching lakes regularly and would like to find the fish quicker SI and do more vertical fishing DI.
I was happy with the stock transducer for my CV4, GT 20 i think. Maybe the GT-8 would serve my bottom fishing in coastal waters better. I'll have to look into it a bit more. Also Garmin NZ is showing it at NZ$299, double the amount. Our dollar must really suck at the moment. Anyway, interesting.
You will definitely see an improvement with a dedicated Chirp transducer, but also it may be more beneficial to look at a bigger sonar screen as well.
I usually bass fish lakes sometimes go to the ocean will the transducer that comes with it be fine
Yes it is a great stock transducer
1Cast 1Fish cool thanks
Would have been nice to see an actual demonstration. I still don't know which to use when. Or with such a low res screen as striker 4 if you could even see any difference.
It does make a difference, even with the smaller Strikers, however it is more noticeable on a larger screen, or deeper water.
Hello, I just purchased the striker 4 and plan to use it in ponds 10 foot deep or less. What setting do you recommend for that depth? Thank you for your help
Check out my videos on frequency and cone angles, you will likely want to use the wider 77 kHz selection...and use Chirp
@@1Cast1Fish ty
Hey no problem, any questions just ask
Hello friend , i hope that you are verry well , i have a question about the finshfinder garmin striker plus 4cv ordered from usa , they have french langage and metric unites like meter and C°...? , cordialy .
I could type alot here, but if you wait until Friday, I have a brand new video coming out that explains exactly this question.
Is the cone angle adjustable on the gt8? I'm fishing rivers and shallow lakes. Can I widen the angle?
Yes you can chose the sonar frequency which changes cone angles and coverage
Just bought a Striker Vivid 4cv. It comes with a GT20-TM transducer. How does this compare to the GT8 and GT15?
Unless you are fishing very deep water (100+ft) I would stick with the standard transducer. The others really shine in deeper water or faster trolling.
What is the average depth of a lakes in the US ? In Ky the deepest lake is 249 feet . Norris lake in Tennessee is 210 feet . Fontana lake in NC is 440 ft . I think the 800 foot GT8 would be the max needed in the lakes in the US.
I think these chirp transducer really shine in the deeper water lakes and oceans where you may fish 100+ ft down. The thing to remember I sthat these are max depth levels listed by the manufacturer under ideal conditions...so if they say 800ft then really I trust good info down to about 500-600 ft maybe.
Awesome Paul!!! Now we need to take it out for some field tests 😁
I am ready
@@1Cast1Fish Amen buddy 👊💪
I see these mostly installed on kayaks. Wouldn't this still work on a 26' boat?
Yes it would work, but IMO if I was running a 26’ boat I would step up in screen size and features. Possibly a 7 series minimum, but that’s just my opinion.
thanks you for your youtube it help me out a lot . i insall my garmin on my jetski today
That's a pretty cool way to fish...I am sure a Jetski is a ton of fun.
Question. What would make you use the 77 vs 200 mghz? I guess there are different applications for each
Check out class #5 I talk about frequency selections ua-cam.com/video/ZG-B2Y_s8Z8/v-deo.html
Is there any situation you would use the standard 77/200 khz frequencies instead of the 77/200 chirp? I would think you would always use chirp but it this correct? Thank you!
Chirp 99% of the time...non Chirp for very dirty water with lots of debris...such as a lake after fall turnover...or a river after heavy rains.
Very informative! Thank you for sharing this information. 👍
Glad it was helpful!
I have a Garmin Striker 4. I'd like to get a little more out of it. Since both are relatively the same price would I be better off upgrading the transducer to GT8 or buying a Striker Vivid 4 with clear view using the GT20 transducer?
The newer high powered CHIRP transducers are nice...but I would recommend a larger screen if using them to get more out of them. The Vivid is a nice upgrade over a standard Striker 4 though.
Thank you for your video, great information. Im getting ready to purchase one, in your opinion, do you think it is worth upgrading to the GT8 transducer. I plan to put this in a kayak if that helps
Unless you are fishing 100+ ft of water, then honestly no...the stock more will be more than adequate.
Confused regarding the other transducers: I thought lower hz meant a wider cone, but you’re saying the opposite with these other two transducer s you can buy. Is this correct?
In general the lower frequency will be the wider cone angles, however every transducer is designed and built a bit different. For example if I have a Lowrance and a Garmin transducer both using 77 kHz, they may have slightly different cone angles. This is the same with the high end Garmin Chirp transducers as well...just a tad different than the standard offering.
I just got the striker 4 portable today. Can I update the garmin 4 to have the clear vu? I bought the wrong one. Or should I just upgrade it
No you can not upgrade it, sorry....you will need the unit with Clear Vu
I have the Garmin 842sx not sure about the (+)
My questions are,, I have chirp with downscan but want to add sidescan on my unit. Can I "add another transducer" to the unit without removing the other one, and how much, where, and which transducer am I looking for?. Will the new transducer have all the current features this one has as well? Thanks!
I would give Garmin a call, since when dealing with this type of thing, it can be very unit specific and I would hate to steer you wrong since I am not familiar with that unit. Sorry I could not help more.
I'm surprised nobody on UA-cam has tried this to see if it works, but do you think it is plausible to use a chirp like this as a forward looking sonar?
It does not work that way, but I actually see this question a ton...I honestly think I will make a video on it :)
If you install a transducer from a Garmin Striker 4cv on a Garmin Striker plus 4, will the ''Clear view'' effect like the Garmin Striker 4cv have? Thank..
If you use a Clear vu transducer on a non Clear Vu unit, you will not get Clear Vu
How I can change manual the frequency on garmin 4 CV ? I want to use traditional with 145 kHZ frequency.
The frequencies are preset, you can not manually adjust to other frequencies other than the preset options.
Would this unit be useful for skinny waters when sometimes you’re at only 2 feet depth in water?
Yes for the GPS...but in general to use sonar to get decent results I like 5+ ft of water. But it will be good to let you know depths
Can I use it for ice fishing and would it show my ice jig?
Yes, and Yes with the correct settings, you want the gain set higher and the screen scroll to ultra. Those are good starting points for the ice.
What about power consumption? I have a big battery, but no onboard charging. Is there a noticeable difference and how much is that difference? Does chirp use 2x the power that non chirp does? More? Less? What about the other transducers, do they increase even more? There has to be an increase, doesn’t there?
On the Striker 4 there is no noticeable difference. That's because even though the transducer is a Chirp transducer the band is relatively small compared to dedicated Chirp transducers.
1Cast 1Fish cool man, sets my mind at ease. My striker4 gonna be here friday
I am going to install the striker 4 on my kayak would the standard transducer be adequate or do you think I should upgrade to a stronger transducer.
Unless you fish very deep water 50+ft alot, the standard will most likely do you just fine....unless you have a ton of spare cash and just want the best :)
@@1Cast1Fish thanks I will only need about 30-40feet tops my kayak is not designed for deep water
You should be good then
Thanks for the tutorial.
You're welcome!
If I upgrade to the GP8 transducer how far out to the side will my cone be and is there still a way to see the size of the cone? Thanks
To find cone size you need the frequency (Sonar cone angles) and the water depth (How big the cone will be) Deeper water will be a larger cone since it has more room to expand.
I have a Garmin Striker Plus 4 and was wondering if it is the same head unit as a striker 4CV. What I really want to know is could I upgrade the transducer on my plus 4 to a CV transducer or if not is there another transducer upgrade I could go to from the one that came with the unit. The one I have is the basic one with chirp. I looked online but was unable to find any definite answer to this.
I honestly do not know on this one and would hate to be wrong. I recommend calling Garmin Support...they are pretty good at helping with these types of questions.
1Cast 1Fish thank you for the reply, that’s what I’ll do
No problem, sorry I could not help
Great video explaining what Garmin did not...
Yeah not many people actually know what the "Chirp" really means on the factory basic transducer. I do wish the info was more readily available.
@@1Cast1Fish just curious where you got the +/- 5kHz info from as I have been searching everywhere for this with no success. And the Garmin customer service evenn told me that the dual Beam does not CHIRP.
I got the info from calling Garmin and talking with the Tech people, not customer service.
@@1Cast1Fish okay thanks for the info!
I love fishing but never have any luck at it, maybe something like this will help.
Knowing how to use a fish finder definitely is a step in the right direction to catch more fish
high clarity , target separation... wow this Gt15 so accurate.
It is a sweet transducer
@@1Cast1Fish the GT15 has 600w, I think it is too much for the striker 4 which has a power of 200w. I use the classic transduser 77/200 and I see targets at 60-70 meters very well. Thanks for the information !!
how do you get to the frequency area on the unit, can't seem to locate it. Does the transducer need to be attached? This is a pre install question
Are you asking how do you go through the menu to select what frequency you want to use?
Just got a 4CV, also bought the GT 8, was on lake yesterday playing around and SOMEWHERE/SOMEHOW I hit a button to change my transducer but I couldn't remember it was a GT8 while I was on that screen. NOW I have NO idea where I was, can u point an old man in the right direction please? Thanks
Ok...do this....go to your traditional sonar, hit the menu button...now scroll down to and select sonar setup...scroll to transducer type....and select your transducer.
Quick question for you. I run a Striker 4 plus in a small 12' tin boat. Depending on if its just me or if im fishing with a friend, the angle of the boat is affected. Is there a way to know that the level of the transducer is correct? I have the locking bold just tight enough to be able to adjust the pitch if needed but it wont move on its own. Can you let me know of a way to ensure its correctly pitched to be parallel to the water?
I adjusted mine by reaching over the back with the boat in the water.
@@1Cast1Fish thanks for the reply! This is what I have been doing to troubleshoot. My question is more "is there a good way to ensure the angle is correct once on the water?"
When I have adjusted it, I would first eyeball it to level setting and then shifted a click up or down, looking at the depth reading and ultimately stopping the adjustment when the lowest depth was showing. Woukd this be correct?
Thank you and keep up the great vids!
Joel Koepfler set up a level at the rear of the boat and mark the bubble location and then match it on transducer. Small 6” level works fine.
I am novice in the use of garmin striker 4 .The first time i tried to use it ,yesterday,it was a complete failure The indications were fluctuating aroud 40 f depth regardless of the real .Should i had made some adjustment befor i used it?
How is your transducer mounted?
I have a question: if I got the striker 4 ice bundle package and it has the cone as the transducer is that considered the DUAL BEAM when you select your transducer type in the settings?
The ice transducer has a bit different cone angles I believe....not real verse on the ice side since I do not get ice to fish here in VA. It is dual beam though, so yes it should work
Just got my Striker Plus 4 and watching your videos. On my Frequency screen I only see "Chrip, 150kHz, 200kHz, or 240kHz". I don't see anything for a CHIRP200.
What transducer are you using? I believe it should be Chirp 77, Chirp 200, 77, and 200 options.
@@1Cast1Fish just the standard transducer that came with it. When I check the sonar settings all I see is "Chrip, then 150kHz, 200kHz, and 240kHz". None of the others have CHRIP in front of it. That's why I'm a little confused.
@@PudgyPastures Might need to give Garmin CS a call...I may be missing something, but I believe it should be different options. I have never used a Plus, but it should be the same transducer as the base model just with addition of Quick Draw Maps.
my gpa bought a boat used w two striker 4's, how can i tell which traducers are on the boat if they have been upgraded?
They might have the tag still on the cord...if not then you can look online at the different models and compare the pics to what you have.
My Garmin striker 4 show fish shapes and labels them by number such as size 1 through 6. I am assuming size 6 are the bigger fish. What I am curious is how do I know how big each fish size is?
I saw your other question, but I don't recall mine labeling the fish by size. The only numbers I see are the depth of the fish. What model do you have and how old is it?
@@1Cast1Fish I don't know the model number I just bought it second hand it's about a year old