Down Speed & Temp

[Viking Ship]

In the market for down speed and temp probe. Been looking at all of the players: Moor, Cannon, Fish Hawk, Depth Raider. Looking for input from the group, especially concerning analog vs. digital. Pros/cons of coated cable vs. transducer.

Thanks in advance for the opinions.

[rolmops]

I love my fish hawk X4,but there is a lot to be said for the Moor Sub troll with the coated cable. The X4 digital has a slight delay(I don't know why) transferring the info,while the Sub troll has a very clear analog display and with proper maintenance of the cable connections it is just as good as the X4. Last years amateur winner of the pro-ams used a subtroll.

The one you feel most comfortable with is the one you should buy.

[Blue Heron]

I have a fish hawk on the big boat and a depth raider on the little boat. While they both work fine I find the coated cable/antena of the depth raider to be a less desirable solution( I dont really have any heartburn over mounting a transducer). That said I think its really a matter of ecomonics . IMO if you can afford it go with the fish hawk the new X4 is rock solid

[Jack]

I was in the same boat . Ended up buying a DR on E-bay refurbished with a 1 year waranty for $329.00 almost half the cost of the X4 . The unit looks like new. You have to keep watching for them if your interested because they seem to go pretty quick. People seem to love what ever unit they own . For me it ended up being about $$$$ .

Good Luck !

[GAMBLER]

Fishhawk X4 all the way. No coated cable. If the rigger dies you have the probe on, you can move it to another rigger. Try that with a Depth Raider ot Subtroll.

[stoneyxc]

bought the x4 last year, love it, but it is the first one i have had so dont really have anything to compare it to.

[Mickey Finn]

Fishhawk X4 all the way. No coated cable. If the rigger dies you have the probe on, you can move it to another rigger. Try that with a Depth Raider ot Subtroll.

Why would a rigger die? Doesn't everyone run Scottys?

But seriously, what's the dislike with the coated cable? Every once in a while you have to reterminate the cable but with the price of the probes, I'd do that no matter what brand I was running. Don't let anyone scare you off by the coated cable. It's a non-issue. If you want the X4, thats fine. They are great but you can get what you need with the DR or the Subtroll. Put the extra money into a better sonar I'd say.

[holy mackerel]

I have owned both analog (moor)and digital (fish hawk). I replaced the fishhawk 840 on my old boat with a moor for a couple of reasons. The digital readout would never settle out, always jumping up and down. The second reason was the fact that the probe has has to be in the cone angle of the transducer which limits your shallow use and can be a problem fishing heavy currents. These issues may be better on the x4, I don't know.

When I bought my present boat (2005) it came with a Moor (which I would have purchased anyways) and I am using the same cable it came with, no issues.

I do not leave my probe all day long, only drop it when needed. It is on a dedicated rigger, and I fish with the other three.

I also have a analog surface speed (Osprey, from Moor) beside the subtroll and would not give up either one of them.

Not affiliated with any of the companys mentioned, but have been using down probes since inception.

[GAMBLER]

Coated cable has to be replaced after heavy use from the coating getting worn off. Just another expense.

[Mickey Finn]

I use mine a lot. I've had it on there for a few years. The only place the coating had any problem was the foot or so next to the probe. Never had to replace the cable. As I mentioned I reterminate it once or twice each season. Maybe it depends on what kind of rigger the probe is on. Some have better pulleys than others. Mine is on a Scotty. Anyway, I'm just saying you can get down speed and temp without having to spend that much money and they work fine. Although I haven't had to replace my cable, I could put a new one on every year for a whole lot of years for the difference in the price.

[Tim Bromund]

Coated cable has to be replaced after heavy use from the coating getting worn off. Just another expense.

and regular rigger cable doesn't ever have to be replaced???? You're REALLY stretching there Brian. I'm replacing my DR coated cable this spring after 5 or 6 seasons, hardly the overly burdensome negative you are trying to make it out to be.

Tim

[GAMBLER]

The original Cannon cable is still on all 4 of my Cannons after 8 years of service. Not a stretch it is a fact that coated cable has to be replaced if the coating comes off. Just trying to give the guy a Con about coated cable. He asked for our opinions so he is getting my opinion.

[Mickey Finn]

Well Viking Ship, I knew this is exactly where this thread would head when you asked the question. It has gone there every time someone asks that question. So you have some opinions about the coated cable. Some from people who use it and some from people who don't. Obviously, we don't care which one you choose. It's your money. They all work fine. When I was trying to decide if the coated cable was going to be an isuue, I went to the guys who use them, not the ones who don't. I figured they would know better.

[Blue Heron]

Like I said above - I have a Depth Raider and a Fish Hawk - I run them both - and I have previously run a Moor - they all work well.

The issue with the DR is not that the coated cable wears out - if you take care of it - it will take care of you . But the DR does require an antenna on the rigger - even thats not a big deal - my biggest dislike is that the coated cable suffers significantly more blowback .

You cant go wrong with any of them so it all comes down to what you are most comfortable with

[Mickey Finn]

I think my DR must have a lighter rated cable than I have on my other riggers because with the coating, its about the same diameter as my non coated cables. If I don't have the probe on, the blow back is the same. That smaller cable did concern me but it has been fine so far. As I mentioned, I do retermintate it once or twice each year and I only use crimpless terminators.

[momay4000]

Viking Ship,

I run a Subtroll and have had it on my current boat for the past few years and I transferred it from my previous boat after two years of use. I am on my second probe (lost one three years ago). In my opinion, the coated cable argument is a bit ridiculous - I have a few small nicks in the coating every year and it runs fine down to 150' without any issues. I have had the same COATED cable for the past three seasons. I also think the blowbacl from the coated cable is mostly from the probe itself - not the cable.

I have never personally run any of the other products but I have been on other boats with a Depth Radier and it seemed to have issues picking up signal.

Subtroll Pros: awesome customer service at MoorElectronics, parts and probes are easy to find, do not need to mount any tranducers on your hull, relatively inexpensive unit, installation is very easy, display is easy to read day or night

Subtroll Cons: occasionally has issues with picking up signal over 150' down.

Viking - any of these units will be fine - the most important thing is find what is in your budget and what you feel comfortable with. Also, even more important is understand that there can be variations in downspeed from each manufacturer (i.e. 2.4 mph on a Subtroll might not be the same as 2.4 mph on a Depth Raider).

I hope you'll have fun with your purchase, but please don't discount the Subtroll or Depth Raider simply based on a coated cable argument.

Good luck - just my two cents,

- Chris

Disclaimer - I do not have any financial or personal ties to any of these manufacturers

[Jack]

While we're on the subject of coated cable . Anyone have a preference on what type of ball retriever to use on the cable ? Scotty vs Cannon .

Thanks JT

[Mickey Finn]

While we're on the subject of coated cable . Anyone have a preference on what type of ball retriever to use on the cable ? Scotty vs Cannon .

Thanks JT

I have Scotty riggers and I had the Scotty retrievers. Someone on this site pointed me to a place where I could get retrievers that have a pulley on them that will allow the Scotty stop bead to pass thru them. I put one of those on and it worked fine. I also think it would put less wear on the coated cable than the cannon type ones. However, once I got the hang of tipping up my Scotty boom to rig it instead of using the retriever, I discovered I didn't need a retriever. If I can remember where I got it, I'll post it under this thread.

[Mickey Finn]

While we're on the subject of coated cable . Anyone have a preference on what type of ball retriever to use on the cable ? Scotty vs Cannon .

Thanks JT

I have Scotty riggers and I had the Scotty retrievers. Someone on this site pointed me to a place where I could get retrievers that have a pulley on them that will allow the Scotty stop bead to pass thru them. I put one of those on and it worked fine. I also think it would put less wear on the coated cable than the cannon type ones. However, once I got the hang of tipping up my Scotty boom to rig it instead of using the retriever, I discovered I didn't need a retriever. If I can remember where I got it, I'll post it under this thread.

This is the one I bought. Not sure if this is where I got it or not. Go to this link. Its the last item on the bottom of the page:

http://www.traxstech.com/Planer_Reels_-_Masts.html

[Tim Bromund]

While we're on the subject of coated cable . Anyone have a preference on what type of ball retriever to use on the cable ? Scotty vs Cannon .

Thanks JT

I have Scotty riggers and I had the Scotty retrievers. Someone on this site pointed me to a place where I could get retrievers that have a pulley on them that will allow the Scotty stop bead to pass thru them. I put one of those on and it worked fine. I also think it would put less wear on the coated cable than the cannon type ones. However, once I got the hang of tipping up my Scotty boom to rig it instead of using the retriever, I discovered I didn't need a retriever. If I can remember where I got it, I'll post it under this thread.

This is the one I bought. Not sure if this is where I got it or not. Go to this link. Its the last item on the bottom of the page:

http://www.traxstech.com/Planer_Reels_-_Masts.html

Interesting, the Scotty auto stop beads fit through that pulley OK??? That's good to know.

Tim

[Mickey Finn]

Yes they do.

[Jack]

Thanks Mickey !

JT

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

I have used Fish Hawk products for many years. The new x-4 is an improvement over what I felt was a great product before. Solid and trouble free. The new probes battery life is incredible.

[LongLine]

I run a Sub-T. Blowback with 150Lb isn't bad. However the 210Lb has wicked blowback.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[scrimmy]

I have run both the fish hawk and the dr on my charter boat. Both work well while the fish hawk eats 9 volt batteries. Did loose a probe of the DR a couple years back. That problem was fixed with the purchase of 300lb coated cable. 9 Volt battery will last all season on the DR