Topic: 1kw transducer

[Kimbrey]

I don't think the advantage to the tm260 vs P66 is just a deeper depth reading.  According to some of the reviews I've read the tm260 is 50 times more sensitive at 50kHz and 13 times at 200kHz.  In theory you should be able to see a salmon at 50' better than with say the P66.  I'll let you know when I give mine a try this week.  Hope to leave for CQ tomorrow if I don't get jammed up here at home.

CHIRP sounds interesting.  Beside ducer the rest of the stuff sounds expensive or was the last time I looked.

Commercially or at least in my world of fishing the main sounder of choice is the Simrad ES70 (http://www.simrad.com/www/01/nokbg0240.nsf/AllWeb/2928D36857652582C125763F0049D99D?OpenDocument).  This is made by a different division of Simrad the stuff we would buy.  We run three ducers.  38kHz, 120kHz & 200kHz.  All are what are called a split beam so the ducers have several elements in them that will fire at different times during each pulse...if that makes sense.  I actually can see sole on the bottom with the 120kHz.  Haven't heard of anyone trying the CHIRP but it might not reach deep enough.  Though I have fished in 8 to 10 fathom 20 fathoms is shallow for us.

[Threeweight]

Hey now, us Oregon halibut fisherman have no choice but to fish deeper than 500'.  For the most part, our shallower areas are pretty poor in terms of #'s of fish produced.

That said, I use a 1000 kw Airmar and a 3-4 year old Garmin sounder w/ a 10" screen on my friends boat regularly, and I am not that impressed.  I think the ducer' could give fantastic target separation, but the older Garmin technology just can't display it very effectively.  To really get the most out of that transducer, you need a digital sounder and a high resolution screen.