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| Starting to get serious about fishing this year and I'm hoping to get some help from the experienced folks here.
I am going to be upgrading a Hummingbird Wide 100 on the front of my boat. I have a Lowrance LMS-480 on the console. Hummingbird offers an excellent trade-in program so I was leaning to the Matrix 37. The other unit I'm seriously considering is the Lowrance X-67c. This is after my own research on old posts here and other internet sources.
One question that I really would like to understand is when the manufactures mention the following statement:
"4000 watts peak to power" & "1000 watts RMS"
The Matix unit is 4000 watts PTP and the X-67c is 800 watts PTP. What does this mean to me and should I be concerned with the difference in these numbers?
Thanks for the help....
Labs
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Member
Posts: 104
Location: Laona, Wisconsin | RMS is 1/8 of PTP. 4000 PTP = 500 RMS. |
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Member
Posts: 363
Location: Kaukauna WI | Labs
I have a article on sonar if you wish I will send you this will help you also I am not a expert but know that Marine General handles both units and may be able to give you a cross reference of answers if you want call them at
Marine General
1501 London Road
Duluth, MN 55812
800-777-8557
218-724-8833 |
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| Irishwebs-
I would like to read your article. Please e-mail me at: [email protected]
Thanks |
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Location: Rhinelander | The RMS and PTP ratings on the unit won't do as much for you as the screen resolution and the transducer cone angle. Both units are putting out more than you'll actually need if you don't fish extremely deep waters. All a sonar really does is bounce a sound signal off the bottom and everything in between, and graphically display those echos on the screen. The processor and screen have alot to do with the 'user friendly quality' of the unit. The cone angle will indicate how much bottom is covered by the return echo display, and generally speaking, the narrower the cone angle, the clearer the display, but most are so close now there is little difference. It's up to you to interpret the display, and the clearer and easier to see detail on that screen, the easier it is to interpret. |
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Member
Posts: 363
Location: Kaukauna WI | the article was written by Luke Morris at Lowrance not me sorry if I stated this wrong I have sent it to you thou
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| Labs:
Be careful with the specs on the Matrix units. Power level seems very good at 4000 PTP, screen size is d very good on the 37 (640 vertical pixels).
The thing to watch out for is "target seperation" or the distance two targets need to be apart before they show as 2 seperate returns and not one "blob"-very important in determining if you are looking at bait or gamefish and for "pulling" fish of the bottom. Target seperation is a function of vertical pixels, processer quality and transducer quality. Advertised target seperation for the Matrix unit is 2.5" which is not very good in todays sonar market. The X67c has target seperation of .5"!
The Matrix is also advertising 2.5" seperation based on a 640 vertical pixel screen, the X67c .5" on a 320 vertical screen, so if you actually compare relative seperation based on pixels, the Matrix would have 5" seperation compared to the .5" on the X67c.
Hope this helps a little.
Lance Valentine |
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| Thank you for the replies guys. Not sure if anyone knows this but if I go with the X67c unit for the boat can I, at a later date, buy the Ice Machine package (case, transducer, battery etc.)?
I'm sure I could rig something myself and just buy a small 12v battery and charger.
THanks again,
Labs |
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| Labs:
You absolutely can buy the ice pack and use your current unit. The pack is par # PPP-15I and includes a battery, charger, ice transducer, power cord, and transducer holder all packaged in a cordura zipper case.
Lance |
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Member
Posts: 116
Location: Germantown and Land O Lakes, WI | Peak to Peak is AC (think of an AC sign wave)
RMS (Root Mean Square) is DC
More power should translate into a better picture with a unit with a high degree of screen resolution. Example. A unit with 640 vertical pixels and 4000 watts ptp is going to have a way better picture than one that's 4000 w ptp and 240 vertical pixels.
Target seperation is probally the most key element to sonar. What good is a unit at 640 x 640 with 4000 watts ptp if it can't seperate fish from structure? Fish have a tendency to hold on bottom or rocks or clumps of cabbage etc etc. Alot of the time, you'll need to better understand how your unit operates in Manual Mode....sensitivity, gray line, auto zoom....all kinds of features on units these days that can better help you see what's down there. |
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| Lance Valentine - 1/18/2005 1:42 PM
Labs:
You absolutely can buy the ice pack and use your current unit. The pack is par # PPP-15I and includes a battery, charger, ice transducer, power cord, and transducer holder all packaged in a cordura zipper case.
Lance
Lance-
I can't seem to find anyplace that sells just the ice pack unit, including the Lowrance web page. Any place you could recommend would be appreciated. Also, excuse my ignorance, "par" means???? I assumed the PPP-15I is the package number with Lowrance.
Thanks for the help/
Labs |
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| Labs:
Was supposed to read "Part #". I can get you an ice pack through the place I work. They retail for $189.99. Let me know if I can be of any more help on anything.
Lance Valentine
[email protected]
810-629-2291 |
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