Garmin transducers

A

Alkas2710

Active Member
Feb 8, 2024
166
Boat Info
2005 40 express
Engines
8.1l Volvo Penta
Just upgraded to a Garmin 1243xsv and need to pick a transducer. I would like to use the chirp and side view the MFD offers but I assume if I wanted to do that I would need 2 transducers 1 on each side of the keel Was thinking of the Garmin gt56 thru hull being I boat in less than 100 ft of water most of the time. Are there any other options thanks
Al
 
I’m going to an electronics store tomorrow to get there opinion. I also am going to reach out to airmar and Garmin and see what they recommend. I was hoping to get side vue to work but it looks like you need 2 transducers. Thanks for the info I’ll let you know what they say
 
Alkas2710 said:
I’m going to an electronics store tomorrow to get there opinion. I also am going to reach out to airmar and Garmin and see what they recommend. I was hoping to get side vue to work but it looks like you need 2 transducers. Thanks for the info I’ll let you know what they say
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I have the GT23 - It's expensive and I'm not that enamored with it. It is not side view but does have Garmin's clearvu. Keep in mind that anything with a side view or Garmin's Panoptics the boat speed to view is limited to around 10 MPH.
 
ttmott said:
I have the GT23 - It's expensive and I'm not that enamored with it. It is not side view but does have Garmin's clearvu. Keep in mind that anything with a side view or Garmin's Panoptics the boat speed to view is limited to around 10 MPH.
Click to expand...
What don’t you like about it
 
Alkas2710 said:
What don’t you like about it
Click to expand...
In very shallow water, like 3 feet under the boat, it tends to not indicate the bottom. Sometimes it works just fine and others not. The depth flashes on the MFD's and other instruments. I've tried all frequencies and filters.
 
@ttmott Tom do you have two GT23's or one? The side view states it's limited based on where you place the transducer. I know you know that, but curious as two which configuration it's in?

I am going to order the GT30 that is for shallow water, here on the Chesapeake that's all there is.
 
Skybolt said:
@ttmott Tom do you have two GT23's or one? The side view states it's limited based on where you place the transducer. I know you know that, but curious as two which configuration it's in?

I am going to order the GT30 that is for shallow water, here on the Chesapeake that's all there is.
Click to expand...
I'm not aware the GT23M-TH has a side vu capability or that they could be installed as a pair.
I have a single vertical down transducer mounted in a fairing block under the forward area of the port engine. It's frequencies are 80 to 160KHZ (CHIRP Mid Band), 245 to 275KHZ or 445 to 465KHZ (ClearVU CHIRP). It's 600 watts maximum. It struggles in very shallow water and maxes out around 500 feet which shouldn't happen.

The installers did have to add an extension to the cable so I'm wondering if this is the issue. Regardless, I'm not happy with it's performance.
 
I have a 74 sx. Uhd not an expensive unit it came with the boat, but does have side view. I have know idea how to use it other than basic stuff
 
ttmott said:
I'm not aware the GT23M-TH has a side vu capability or that they could be installed as a pair.
I have a single vertical down transducer mounted in a fairing block under the forward area of the port engine. It's frequencies are 80 to 160KHZ (CHIRP Mid Band), 245 to 275KHZ or 445 to 465KHZ (ClearVU CHIRP). It's 600 watts maximum. It struggles in very shallow water and maxes out around 500 feet which shouldn't happen.

The installers did have to add an extension to the cable so I'm wondering if this is the issue. Regardless, I'm not happy with it's performance.
Click to expand...

My bad, I read your post to fast.

I currently have a BL744 triducer, 50/200 and it interferes with my TLM100 fuel senders. But my D800 smart transducer is fine.

The GT23 states it's optimized for deep water. I don't really care about side vue and only down vue. But want shallow water performance as the GT30 claims. I would think that translates to less power and hoping that won't interfere with the fuel senders.
 
Skybolt said:
My bad, I read your post to fast.

I currently have a BL744 triducer, 50/200 and it interferes with my TLM100 fuel senders. But my D800 smart transducer is fine.

The GT23 states it's optimized for deep water. I don't really care about side vue and only down vue. But want shallow water performance as the GT30 claims. I would think that translates to less power and hoping that won't interfere with the fuel senders.
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I would have thought the GT23 would be ideal for shallow water as well as deep due to it's capability to shift frequencies between high and low. But Geez - it seems I've been wrong a lot lately. Old age, I'm sure....
 
ttmott said:
I would have thought the GT23 would be ideal for shallow water as well as deep due to it's capability to shift frequencies between high and low. But Geez - it seems I've been wrong a lot lately. Old age, I'm sure....
Click to expand...

I am just going off of the spec sheet for the GT30/GT23 I was looking into that one as well.
Yeah, time marches on ...

CHIRP Trad/ClearVü optimized
for depth performance and rough
conditions. Provides picture-like
images of what is below your boat.
Contains fast response water
temperature sensor
 
Skybolt said:
I am just going off of the spec sheet for the GT30/GT23 I was looking into that one as well.
Yeah, time marches on ...

CHIRP Trad/ClearVü optimized
for depth performance and rough
conditions. Provides picture-like
images of what is below your boat.
Contains fast response water
temperature sensor
Click to expand...
Love it!
 
Skybolt said:
Garmin GT21M-TH, Garmin GT23M-TH and Garmin GT34M-TH or the Garmin GT30M-TH

Here is the selection guide: https://www8.garmin.com/marine/PDF/transducer_selection_guide.pdf

I have the same unit(s) and considering the Garmin GT30M-TH. It does traditional, down-vue and clear-vue and optimized for shallower waters.
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Just left a boat show and spoke to 2 garmin distributors regarding suggestions. They both said the chirp/sidevue Downvu will loose bottom at speeds above 5 to 10 mph. They recommend the traditional b60 if I want to read bottom at planing speeds. Can anyone confirm if that is true.
 
Alkas2710 said:
Just left a boat show and spoke to 2 garmin distributors regarding suggestions. They both said the chirp/sidevue Downvu will loose bottom at speeds above 5 to 10 mph. They recommend the traditional b60 if I want to read bottom at planing speeds. Can anyone confirm if that is true.
Click to expand...

I have heard from people with them that nothing above 10mph from sidevue, downvue is about the same maybe a little higher depending on the depth. But at some point in the next two months I will be able to tell you. coming out at the end of April to get the bottom done and ne transducer.
 
Skybolt said:
I have heard from people with them that nothing above 10mph from sidevue, downvue is about the same maybe a little higher depending on the depth. But at some point in the next two months I will be able to tell you. coming out at the end of April to get the bottom done and ne transducer.
Click to expand...
So which transducer are you going with. I'm all over the place with what I'm doing. I need to research the gt21 a little more seems like specs say it can do traditional 50/200 and chirp clearvu.
 
Alkas2710 said:
So which transducer are you going with. I'm all over the place with what I'm doing. I need to research the gt21 a little more seems like specs say it can do traditional 50/200 and chirp clearvu.
Click to expand...

Not 100% sure still, I am only wanting clearvu-downvu, but would love UHD downvu only. I could care less about sidevu. I primarily in shallow water, very shallow water here in the Chesapeake, rarely in water over 50' for any length of time. The problem is most transducer configurations translate into a transom mount, which I do not want either.

But to answer your question as to which transducer, I am considering these two GT34UHD-TH or GT23M-TH. I still need to compare them all again. Garmin's site doesn't make it easy. And there selection guide jumps around a bit too much for my liking.
 
I have a Garmin 74 SV UD HD eco map and at planning speed it always shows me bottom depth whether it be 20 or 180 but that's not with side view or anything, as long as I can see my running depth I think that's adequate
 
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