Hi all,

I have an old Eagle portable fish finder that I was considering getting a new battery for and hauling with us once or twice a summer, but it is a fair size and would be pretty heavy and awkward to carry.

I am wondering if anyone here has any advice on these inexpensive (50 to 150) units they sell now that come with a hand held device and a wired floating transducer. They also have wireless transducers that will sync with your cell phone as well.

I have never seen these until today.

Any advice, especially from anyone who has used any of these, would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Rick

Rick
I have a Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C which is hand held and has a wired transducer. I use 4 rechargeable AAA batteries in it. It has worked fine for me, $100.00. I also ordered the case and the suction cup transducer mount.

Carl

We use Deeper fish finders. You just bring the transducer, throw it over the side and use your cell phone as the screen. One brick charger will keep it going all week.

ockycamper: "We use Deeper fish finders. You just bring the transducer, throw it over the side and use your cell phone as the screen. One brick charger will keep it going all week."

I have not used one of these cell phone transducer systems, but I do have some questions. So as I understand it you need to charge both your phone and the transducer? How much run time do you get before you need to recharge? Do you have any issues seeing your phone screen in direct sunlight? My biggest fear would be losing my phone, which I also use to pair with my Zoleo. As the father of a teenager who has lost a phone in the lake while ice fishing, I know they do not float and even with insurance there is the real loss of data/photos and it is quite a hassle to replace.

I do see the appeal of having an everything device in your phone, but at the same time I like the redundancy of separate devices from a security standpoint. Though I bring my phone on trips, I am a bit old school and carry a separate pocket camera I use for all my photos while out on the water. I used to bring a Garmin GPS, but I have switched over to using my Lowrance Hook 4 which has charting and custom mapping instead. Again, I could use my phone as a GPS, but it just feels too risky to me to use my $8xx+ phone, insured or not, when I can use a cheaper device which was designed for water use. For me the redundancy is worth the extra weight. Just my view, not saying it is right for you.

Rick00001967, I am not sure what Eagle fish finder you have. If you have a Cuda, those old black and white units are pretty efficient as the screen is small. Lowrance/Eagle made a number of these units and they are all quite similar and use the same transducer. The last Lowrance B&W model was the X-4 and X-4 pro which debuted in 2010. I would recommend one of of these units if you just want basic functionality to find fish holding structure. You can often find these units second hand on marketplace for very little money.

As stated, I run a Lowrance Hook 4, but it requires several times more power to run than the B&W units mentioned above, around .25 amps. It has GPS charting and allows me to record my sonar logs and do custom mapping. I am into that, but I understand it adds complexity and is not for everyone.

If you want just a simple unit that you can buy off the shelf, I would probably go with a Garmin Striker unit. It has a color screen, but is smaller, so still relatively efficient on power and a very capable unit.

For the concern about the phone, attach a strap to it. They make little loops that stick out of your phone case through the charger port. Then you just attach a lanyard or a retractable strap to the loop and the other end to you or your vest. Most of the new phones are waterproof now so dropping is the only real concern I have and this should take care of that.

We all keep our cell phones in the waterproof sleeves with lanyards. That way you can use it, look at it, and it is always available. If you drop it, the case floats.

RedLakePaddler: "Rick
I have a Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C which is hand held and has a wired transducer. I use 4 rechargeable AAA batteries in it. It has worked fine for me, $100.00. I also ordered the case and the suction cup transducer mount.


Carl"

The Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C the most efficient, turn-key way. Your phone running with screen on full-time at full brightness while essentially streaming will die pretty quickly. Just try it at home streaming a moving to see.

I use a Scotty comb clamp & transducer arm + RAM mount for the unit.

RedLakePaddler: "Rick
I have a Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C which is hand held and has a wired transducer. I use 4 rechargeable AAA batteries in it. It has worked fine for me, $100.00. I also ordered the case and the suction cup transducer mount.


Carl"

that looks like some of the ones i was looking at. i cannot find any info on this one that says you can use lithium rechargeable batteries. does your manual say that is not a problem? i am just not sure i have any of those. lol my chargers and batteries are all AA i think

8 AA batteries gives you 12v. A suction cup and a $100 unit and you are in business. I mount mine on a clamp.

RedLakePaddler: "Rick
I have a Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C which is hand held and has a wired transducer. I use 4 rechargeable AAA batteries in it. It has worked fine for me, $100.00. I also ordered the case and the suction cup transducer mount.


Carl"

never mind. i found a manual online just to confirm lithium batteries are ok to use.

Rick00001967, I am not sure what Eagle fish finder you have. If you have a Cuda, those old black and white units are pretty efficient as the screen is small. Lowrance/Eagle made a number of these units and they are all quite similar and use the same transducer. The last Lowrance B&W model was the X-4 and X-4 pro which debuted in 2010. I would recommend one of of these units if you just want basic functionality to find fish holding structure. You can often find these units second hand on marketplace for very little money.

i honestly have no idea what model it is. it must be 25 or 30 years old. the fishfinder and battery stores in its own plastic case with a handle. then you remove the fishfinder and it mounts to the top of the case with the lid closed. the battery is one of those ones they use in back up lights in buildings for when the power goes out. yes it certainly had a b&w screen, but too big and heavy to be carrying around in the bush.

ockycamper: "We all keep our cell phones in the waterproof sleeves with lanyards. That way you can use it, look at it, and it is always available. If you drop it, the case floats. "

I've tried that but they are never clear enough to take good pictures through the sleeve. The main use of my phone in the boundary waters is as a camera so something that makes high quality photos impossible defeats the purpose. I just end up taking the camera out of the sleeve to take the picture, which is also the moment when my phone is most at risk.

Now, If my phone was only a clock or in this case, a display for a wireless transducer, then yes you are correct that a floating sleeve would be a good option. you could even use the lanyard to attach the phone on a pack or something where you can see it.