Thursday, January 19, 2012

When buying a fish-finder is Garmin 300 or 400c the proper model correct for you?

By Jeff Orbinson


If you are searching for a sonar fish locator that has all the fantastic features of the high-end models at a much smaller price, then you don't have to look any farther than the Garmin 400c and Garmin 300c Fishfinders. With either of these two models, you will can find all the fish - and have a great time doing it! Each of these models will work in either salt or fresh water and, although the units are very close to the same, they do have some subtle differences, which I will outline in this product review.

While either Garmin Fishfinders work well in both lakes or oceans, the 400c is really exceptionaly strong in saltwater because of its capability to reach depths of 1500 feet with moment-by-moment accuracy. The 300c has the ability to reach an impressive 900 feet deep. The difference lies within the sonar equipment called transducers. The 300c uses a dual-beam transducer, while the 400c offers the ability to use both a dual-beam transducer or a dual-frequency transducer. Naturally, this can be confusing; let me see if I can explain it. The dual-beam (standard for 300c) uses a cone system that you can set to send out sonar beams at either 15 or 45 degree from the craft. Essentially, this allows you to see the contours of the river bottom and fish that are not directly under the boat. If I could draw a picture, it would look like a funnel with the small end starting at the bottom of the boat and the wide end on the bottom of the lake or river. The dual-frequency transducer (an optional for the 400c) sends out a single beam but has two settings: high frequency, which allows for higher resolution in deep water, and low frequency, which is suggested for shallower waters.

Each of these Garmin Fishfinder models has a 256-color, high-resolution (240 vertical by 320 horizontal pixels) display screen, designed to be readable even in bright sunlight. This means an fabulous color readout that is crystal clear, making it simple to distinguish fish from debris. The 300c screen is 3.5 inches and the 400c is 4 inches. Either has a night mode, which gives excellent readability even in low-light surroundings. And, talking about night viewing, the keypad on both units is backlit making it easy to operate at night without the use of another light source.

Both units has what is called, Ultrascroll. This gives you real-time sonar updates that show fish even when you are cruising across the water. No more missing a school or fish while you are heading to your favorite fishing hole! Another superb feature is called whiteline, which determines whether the bottom is hard or soft. It also allows you to distinguish whether the debris on the bottom is really a fish or just an old boot. Fish Symbol ID is standard issue on both Garmin 300c and 400c Fishfinders. This helps you to distinguish the different sizes of fish so you are not going after minnows instead of salmon. Also, both models come with A-Scope. This lets you to see instant data of fish passing through the transducer beam. Both of these striking sonars have an auto gain feature. This automatically sets the sensitivity on the sonar depending on the density of the water, or fish, and also has three settings to give you even more control. Both of these models also have audible alarms that can be turned on and off. They can be set to alert you of low battery power, shallow water (of any depth you want) and, of course, the presence of fish. This means no more surprise dead batteries, no more aggravating damaged props, and hundreds more fish in the boat!

Both units feature a split screen function allowing you to completely take advantage of all the moment-by-moment data these fish finders offer. Data such as the depth of water and its temprature, water speed for river fishing, voltage readings plus a host of other data. On the opposite side of the screen, you can view real-time fish traffic, including determining large from small fish, bottom density, and even the ability to tell if fish are nesting on the bottom. Both models allow you to zoom in on targets -- both 2x and 4x. Of course, if you just want to see the fish you can simply toggle the rocker switch and the split-screen is disabled. Both units also have the automatic settings save feature. Once you have your model dialed in, when you park the boat for the evening, just turn the unit off and your settings will be remembered.

This is where the Garmin 400c is set apart from the Garmin 300c. The 400c is CANet-compatible. CANet is a communication sytem that allows a faster transfer rate of information. This means you can share sonar data with other plotters in your boat making this part of your GPS system, not just a fantastic fishfinder. One satisfied customer said, "I have a Garmin GPSMap 496 and I use it right along with my 400c. The two units work together perfectly. Even way out in the middle of the seas I can never get lost!" Another customer says "I recently bought a Garmin fishfinder and was pleasantly surprised to find it works alongside my chart plotter." Where to find the Garmin 300c and the Garmin 400c for the best price is Amazon.com




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