Electronics Experience & Preferences For A New Egret 189

Doodledog

Folks,

As you can see I have not posted much since becoming a member but I can tell you that I reference this site regularly as well as several others when I am trying to research a potential problem or need a solution. I live on Amelia Island and am in the process of doing the specifications with Frank for a new 2013 189. I owned a Grady White 300 Marlin for a couple of years and now have a Ranger 2410 Bay and a CS 18 JVX CC backwater skiff that I am going to sell and replace with the new 189 for my skinny water boat. For a thousand reasons, all of which I am sure you already know, I am really looking forward to the new boat.

I have always been a finicky electronics person on my boats. I have had Garmin 3000 units and currently have a simple 546s on the skiff. It's transducer is on the transom. My Ranger has a Humminbird 1198c SI with a shoot thru dual beam, through hull SI transducer and a third transom mounted quad beam on the back. I have had repeated problems, just like most folks, in getting a reliable ongoing depth reading when running at speed. I have actually managed to get the Ranger fully functional by using a Sternmate and a lot of testing. I get depth reliably past 40 mph. The CS Garmin, even with a Sternmate setup, still drops out periodically but I have learned to just slow down a little, regain bottom and move on. I can get readings in the low 30 mph speed range but usually lose them after a bit.

This brings me to my question. I can't really seem to find much information on what you Egret folks use for your electronics, where you put the transducers and how well they work at speed. Any tips you could share would be greatly appreciated, especially on transducer placement and reliability of readings, cone angles, etc..

I know that Frank can install anything and put it anywhere it needs to be but I am just not sure what to tell him. I can afford to buy what works which is why I am moving to an Egret.

Thanks for any help, information and insights you can give me. :crossed

Topwater Guy

I have asked Frank to install the Lowrance HDS-8 Gen 2 on the 189 build for me next month.

Doodledog

Thanks for your response. Have you or someone you know used it on an Egret before successfully or are your fingers crossed for good luck like mine will be? :crossed

FishinMcNut

Congrats on making an excellent choice for your new boat. It will amaze you in ways only an owner can understand...

I use the Airmar P79 shoot thru hull transducer on my pre-Frank built 189 Kevlar. It reads reliably at all speeds with very few exceptions. I like the clean install with nothing hanging off the back of the boat. Frank should recall exactly where mine is mounted (just forward of livewell drains). It is currently hooked to a Garmin 4208, which has worn out it welcome due to nagging connection issues. I call it "Sybil" for it's many personalities. Her time is limited...

Renagade69

Every Egret comes out of the factory with a spot to put a shoot thru the hull transducer. The coring is removed in this spot so it will work. I have the new Lowrance HDS Touch in my new 2013 rig and love it. I do loose bottom readings at high speeds (45 mph plus) but my boat is up on a pad at that point. I am more impressed with the new touch screen every day I use it. In the sun light you can see it easily with polarized glasses on.

Last-Cast

I just replace an older Garmin with the new 740 touch screen. I spend most of my time in Flamingo and the Garmin charts just seemed to be better back then and I just stayed with them. I kept the original transducer in the boat which is a shot through. Just like renegade had mentioned it's been inside and has been worry free since 1997. Obviously electronics have changed quite a bit since it was originally installed but I don't really worry about depth. The maximum depth in Flamingo is probably 12 feet at high tide. I do fish off of Miami and have no problem out to 400 ft with this set up. The ususal bait sites in Miami are no deeper than 75 feet and I can print bait.

Flatwater witch

I also have the Airmar P79 "in hull"which is in the bilge.
It is reliable. I do wonder if a bronze thru hull would have been better.
I didn't want another transom mounted transducer.So no side scan which is the new Lowrance/ Simrad technology.

Topwater Guy

Going into this Blind....so will let you know how it works out.

Doodledog

Thanks for all of the feedback so far. Basically I go into a new area at low tide and am slow and careful as I go. Then when I get home I take the track data from the Humminbird or the Garmin and clean it up a bit and use it as a track to that place going forward. I just reload to both units. Once I have a track laid out then I am more comfortable moving around at higher speeds as long as I can reassure myself that I am on my track and the depth is still good. Being able to reliably read depth at higher speeds is for my confidence factor.

We have six foot tides and lots of creeks and small rivers with bends and small channels to make sure you stay in. Lots of places go all the way to mud at dead low and the barely submerged shell beds are always a delight to get around.

I got off the phone with Frank a little while ago and he says that most of what he sees are the Garmins with a P39 Airmar. He only advocates in shoot thru hull because of potential scratches on thru hulls requiring their replacement. He also thinks that his "shoot thru" location they have engineered is safer than back transom too. So I will continue to do my due diligence. He didn't have anything bad to say about Lowrance or others just that all transducers are made by Airmar and he sees more Garmin than anything else. Again, thanks for all of the tips and feedback so far.

FlatsBoy

Go with the garmin and the Airmar shoot thru great combo!
That's what i have and the sonar works wonders for marking bait off shore and shallow running.

Renagade69

I think you meant p79 and not p39 Doodledog.

Couple of tips on transducer install. Make sure they do not bundle the wires together when they run them down to the rear of the boat from the console for the transducers. Electrical interference will clutter the screen some. I have to pull my wires out and run them opposite side the electric runs. Level the transducer with the way the boat sits and runs in the water and not the boat bottom. I took a cheap angle finder with me on my last trip from Harbor Freight and got a good average of the angle my boat sits in the water loaded normally. I will replicate it with the jack on the tongue in the driveway and then set my airmar up right along with the structure scan on my jack plate. Fish arches will show up correctly and smaller targets will easily show an arch when the ducer is reflecting straight up and down. When its not angled right there is allot of guess work of what you are seeing.

Egrets Landing

If the sonar is important to you and particularly if you have a desire or may develop one for side scanning hi res ability, don't get the garmin. The Navico product line, either the Lowrance or Simrad, is superior to Garmin on the sonar and particularly in shallow water. Garmin's user interface used to be superior but with the latest touch screen units, it is not really the case any longer. Also, the navico line lets you use their maps or you can also use the Navionics chips which is not an option for Garmin. As far as the transducers, go with the shoot thru the hull option. If you ever want the side scanning that separate transducer will have to go on the transom by current design.

Doodledog

Renegade69 you are absolutely right. I got my numbers mixed up. He did say a P79 that could or did also have a temp probe that they could mount somewhere appropriate. Thanks.

Doodledog

My wife and I were able to go out yesterday for a good sea trial and lengthy discussion with Capt. Tommy Derringer out of Devils Elbow south of St. Augustine at Crescent Beach. Frank gave me him as a contact. Tommy proved to be professional, on time, very personable and informative to talk to. He actually only uses a little Garmin 545s with a transom mounted transducer. He is of course a working captain and knows where he is taking people so fancy is not the order of the day for him. He did say that his next one will use a shoot thru the hull because he has popped his up a few times. His boat is three years old and looks brand new as you would expect. He has well over 1000 hours on his 150 ETEC HO and all is going strong. I talked to Frank this AM and a lot of the ideas Tommy gave me for options to add to a new boat have actually become standard now. I think the Egret decision is going to be a really good one.

At this point I am leaning hard towards the Garmin 740s with an XM weather hookup and an Airmar shoot thru hull transducer. I went down to West Marine in JAX and went over most of what is available and the 740s Garmin was pretty slick and seemed to have a quicker response time that most of the competition. I have a side image Humminbird 1198cSI on my Ranger and really don't get a lot of use out of that feature. In the backwater creeks and such I don't think I will miss it that much.

The production lead time is 7-8 weeks and we'll see how it goes from here. :crossed

trponhunter

I have a 740s - it is very fast - a really nice unit to operate. I like the garmin charts better than the navionics, so the Garmin works good for me. At the moment, I don't even have a transducer, as I'm mostly in pretty skinny water, but the sounder portion is definitely a lot weaker than the competing Lowrance or humminbird units.

poleposition

I love my 740s. I need a very clean read at 20 - 35 ft where the bait is very close to net eating structure...I can easily tell the difference between scaled sardines, threadies, sugar trout and structure.

Renagade69

Do not forget the VHF radio with DHS. The Garmin 2000 is nema 200 ready. I have that one on my old and new bird.

Flatwater witch

I purchased electronics through West Marine and purchased extended warranties. Anything wrong--grab a new one.
Price match through either BOE Marine or The GPS Store or Bethel

Doodledog

Thanks for all of the feedback. I am pretty stuck on using the Garmin 740s. I am also adding the XM satellite radio weather GXM51 and the shoot thru the hull Airmar P79. I am going to let Frank buy it and put it in so that it is done correctly and is in the right spot. G2 Vision Bluechart and it's all said and done. They reportedly have a cored spot to put a shoot thru transducer that works. If I have a problem I feel fairly confident that Frank will help me sort it out and if necessary get it replaced. An extended warranty would be nice, but in the past I have generally tried to avoid those because unless you abuse something it normally doesn't break that easily. Bad electronics, tv's, etc. usually show up pretty quickly as bad. That has at least been my experience in the past. I am putting a Garmin 300 VHF with a Metz Manta antenna on too. It is a little pricey but I have a terrible time reading the radio in sun with my tri-focals and with the 300 I can hold the mic in front of my nose so I can see the screen controls. Less stuff hanging on the console too.

I had the fortune or misfortune to own a cell phone repair business awhile ago and Best Buy was one of our customers. They actually made virtually all of their profits on handsets with the warranty and insurance programs. True story. Your broken phone was basically swapped for a rebuilt unit made up of other broken phones. They really loved to just "upgrade" you instead to a new one with a "new" service warranty. The electronics "warranty" business can be really colorful based on which side of the deal you find yourself. :mad

poleposition

I have that exact set-up including the GXM-51. You may want to send me a PM to discuss before it is built. I would consider a few tweeks to what Frank did.

Renagade69

That is a good VHF. I have the Garmin 200 with the same remote mic (GHS-10) as the 300 attached. It is so nice to not have to bend over in the console to operate it.

Doodledog

Well I took the plunge and ordered my first Egret, a 189 Kevlar, this afternoon. Frank says she will go in the mold next week. I need to thank everybody that offered input on this thread with a special thanks to Renegade69, poleposition and flats boy for their input on what to get and what to forget on a new boat. When I told Frank that there was a little interest in me starting a "build" thread he just laughed and laughed but did say he would send me some pictures from time to time so we will see if I actually get anything to report. I am looking forward to making it to the next owners gathering and meeting some of you in person.

FlatsBoy

I think he was laughing but crying more from telling him that we were helping you with your decisions on the options & placement of items!
Franks loves when we get involved building each others boats !!!!!!!!!!
Congrats can't wait to see our I mean your new boat!
:crowd

Renagade69

Congrats on the boat purchase. Flats boy is good at looking at pictures and finding things for Frank to do. Hehe.

FlatsBoy

Renagade69 wrote: »

Congrats on the boat purchase. Flats boy is good at looking at pictures and finding things for Frank to do. Hehe.

I aim to please!
:thumbsup

Doodledog

You guys are a real hoot. It is going to be great to meet you in person at this year's get together. I should have the boat by the middle of March so it should work out.

poleposition

Doodledog wrote: »

You guys are a real hoot. It is going to be great to meet you in person at this year's get together. I should have the boat by the middle of March so it should work out.

Some of us are persona non grata at the owners G2G based on our behavior and generally unagreeable disposition.