Depth/Fisfinder

Rcornbleet

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I have a 2013 2550 rcl. Want to replace the original Garmin echo 100 depth\fish finder that is mounted in the dash console. It is no longer functioning and is a discontinued product. After researching, I found the Garmin striker 4 possibly would be the best size for a proper fit in the dash. Also, hoping I don’t have to change out the transducer. I believe the existing transducer is compatible. Anyone experienced this same dilemma?? Any thots or suggestions would be appreciated!!…
 
Hello all. I bought a used 2021 (13 hours) 20SSR Tri-Toon earlier this Summer. Love to boat so much I am selling
my Malibu. Anyway, this toon has the Garmin Striker 4 which I like, but, for some reason the speed only displays
about 1 out of every 5 times out on the boat. I have not had any luck on Google trying to figure this out. Do
I have a setting wrong or something? Any hints or suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks,
Rocky6767


BEnnington.jpg
 
I've noticed the same thing with our Garmin unit. The only way I can force it to show speed is to move to the display where I can set the range; no need to change the range but, it reliably shows speed on that screen.

So far I've not been impressed with any Garmin. In addition to the issue raised here about speed, mine will just quit showing depth for a while, then start again. My buddies boat has a similar Garmin that, once it triggers a low depth alarm, the only way to reset it is to power cycle the unit.

Oh, nice looking boat BTW :)
 
Nice boat and Mercury. I don’t know anything about the Garmin’s, but hope you get some answers and solutions. Maybe a bad batch of new units? Anyway, just wanted to say congrats on your boat. Looks nice!
 
I've noticed the same thing with our Garmin unit. The only way I can force it to show speed is to move to the display where I can set the range; no need to change the range but, it reliably shows speed on that screen.

So far I've not been impressed with any Garmin. In addition to the issue raised here about speed, mine will just quit showing depth for a while, then start again. My buddies boat has a similar Garmin that, once it triggers a low depth alarm, the only way to reset it is to power cycle the unit.

Oh, nice looking boat BTW :)
Thanks for the reply and the compliment. Oddly enough, these are the colors we would have picked had we ordered a new boat. That NEVER happens! Can you explain further what you mean by "move to the display". Is there a speed page that I haven't found?
 
I have also had the same issue with the speed. Like bike says, if you just hit the directional arrow and move it, it shows the speed. I have not messed with a low depth alarm yet...
 
I don't have access to the Garmin right now but we will be taking it out of moorage for the winter in the next few days. Just going from memory though, if I tap the menu button there's an option that takes me to a screen where I can manually set the depth range for the the sonar, it's normally set to Auto. That screen shows almost the same screen as the main depth screen except for the manual settings buttons on the top, this screen always shows me the speed.

Once I have the boat home, I'll get more specifics and post back.
 
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Haha, not to add another log to the thread hijack but generally speaking these Garmin units are well received for what they are - low budget option for those not needing many bells and whistles. My guess is the VAST majority of issues have to do with initial setup or menu options, not a failure of the unit itself so troubleshooting using the manual should yield results. Contact customer support as option 1b.

Garmin is not alone with the occasional glitches however - my previous Hummingbird had all sorts of gremlins in it especially when voltage slightly fluctuated, and my buddy's Lowrance units will be finding the bottom of the lake soon if he has to reset it one more time.

My mid-level Garmin ($2k) has performed exceptionally well. You generally get what you pay for so keep expectations low if running a $100-150 unit - they should work at any price point, but if these were flawless they would probably charge more!
 
There's a VAST difference between flawless and flawed, lol.

The difference between entry level and top level units with most products is the feature set, not these expensive ones work and the cheap ones work most of the time, or just when they feel like working.
 
I would agree that applies in many cases, but with these chartplotters my experience is the more expensive units do in fact tend to be more reliable and last longer. Many guys I've fished with over the years have had high-end MFD's that are 15-20 years old and are just tanks, running strong in harsher environments like charters out on the ocean. They appear over-engineered to withstand the use and demands of those consumers vs. some of the cheaper models that often end up on smaller watercraft like kayaks. A guy that buys a $1000 watercraft isn't going to put a $1000 graph on it, so at that $150 price point it's likely has to have some design tradeoffs.

My $400 Hummingbird caused me so much trouble I ditched it. Now with a more expensive Garmin I couldn't be happier. It's a data point that may prove nothing at all and people can disregard if they so choose.
 
I have had very good luck with the garmin echomap 43cv. Don't know if it is the same size as what you have already cut in your helm. But for the $300 it works perfect for me and came with navionics charts which was a plus
 
Just an FYI… We replace our garmin with the Go5 Simrad. Worth every penny. Somewhat of a pain to get just right for the transducer, but works well. Had for 2 years now.
 
I finally took some time to watch some youtube videos and I was able to create my own home screen
showing speed, water temp, voltage, depth and time of day. Wish I had taken the time to do this
3 months ago LOL
 
I have a 2013 2550 rcl. Want to replace the original Garmin echo 100 depth\fish finder that is mounted in the dash console. It is no longer functioning and is a discontinued product. After researching, I found the Garmin striker 4 possibly would be the best size for a proper fit in the dash. Also, hoping I don’t have to change out the transducer. I believe the existing transducer is compatible. Anyone experienced this same dilemma?? Any thots or suggestions would be appreciated!!…

Did you ever find a solution?
I'm currently going through the same thing, however I have the Echomap 50s. Everything but the maps functions on this unit which is frustrating.
 
Did you ever find a solution?
I'm currently going through the same thing, however I have the Echomap 50s. Everything but the maps functions on this unit which is frustrating.
Went with the Garmin striker 4. The connections are compatible and is a near fit. Just had to make some small modifications on dash
 
I have a 2013 2550 rcl. Want to replace the original Garmin echo 100 depth\fish finder that is mounted in the dash console. It is no longer functioning and is a discontinued product. After researching, I found the Garmin striker 4 possibly would be the best size for a proper fit in the dash. Also, hoping I don’t have to change out the transducer. I believe the existing transducer is compatible. Anyone experienced this same dilemma?? Any thots or suggestions would be appreciated!!…
Yeah, I actually watched a few you tube videos on how to create my own personal home page. On that home page you can display
several items that are important to you. I chose speed, water temp, time of day, voltage, and depth.
 
Similar issue with a Garmin 101 on our 2015 24SLX. Garmin support said the Striker 4 had to use the new transducer with the new finder.

The Striker 4 had the same pinout connections and keyway slot as the OEM Garmin 101. Tested compatibility with transducer. Connected the power and transducer cables to the new Striker, powered up the finder, and within about two minutes the unit synced with GPS and I had time, temp, position, fish displaying.

I removed the non-funtioning 101 unit from the console, cut a piece of plexiglass painted to match console, then used hole pattern from the 101 casing to fasten cover to console opening. Fed cables through a slot in plexi to connect the Striker xables to unit. Works great and it's nice having the color (instead of mono) display.
 
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