Re: Fishfinder Choice
I recently installed an Eagle 480df in my nearshore boat..... Here's my prelim report that I made at the request of the seller....<br /><br />As you requested, I'm sending my thoughts on the Eagle 480df that I recently<br />purchased from you and installed on my boat.....This is a river test....Gulf<br />test will come in mid-April....<br /><br />The unit is a nice looking unit.....<br /><br />I didn't want to continue drilling holes in the transom of my boat so I<br />built an adapter plate from poly....plastic and mounted the transducer and<br />speed wheel on it.....<br /><br />Screen is plenty large ...... I don't need color....<br /><br />The transducer is large....On my first installation it actually acted as a<br />water foil and caused the boat to run unlevel.....I raised it ....now<br />OK......<br /><br />It works well at speed....My boat goes about 55 and it worked well.....<br /><br />Print on the menu controls pages is too small....Its readable in the comfort<br />of a driveway or on the lake but throw in some waves, sea spray, fogged<br />polaroids and it will be impossible to read...Print on Water depth, speed,<br />temp etc can be controlled but not the print that comes up on control<br />pages......'Goin' to the Dollar store and get some specs....<br /><br />Contrast control is difficult to get accustomed to using....<br /><br />Automatic sensitivity control is erratic.....I would see fish everywhere<br />....top to bottom....I'd know that wasn't true.......I will stay in manual<br />sensitivity control.....This is not new....I've never seen an automatic<br />sensitivity control that I really liked so never use it....<br /><br />The zoom features are pretty good........just effective.... and easy to<br />use.....<br /><br />The Split frequency page is useless.....Since it does not operate with both<br />frequencies simulatanously, I don't see any use for this feature....<br /><br />The river was really muddy and lots of debris so this may not be a fair<br />comment, but I had a lot of trouble trying to determine whether the display<br />was showing fish or some other echo.....<br /><br />I saw very little use for that thing on the right side of the screen ....I<br />think its called Fastrak....<br /><br />I think it has plenty of power output ....500 watts will cook the fish while retrieving...<br /><br />I was in about 50' depth so could get much experience from the two<br />frequenscies but I think the 50MHz will be good for searching for structure<br />while using GPS.....Once you get close, the 200MHz can help you see whats<br />there better....<br /><br />I think it is a unit that I will be pleased with after I get a comfort and confidence level...<br /><br />My fishing style is to find bait then find fish....I still don't know how<br />bait will appear on the screen..........I use GPS - with WAAS - and<br />depthfinder a lot to find fishing spots..........<br /><br />I'll update after fishing in Destin for a few days....<br /><br />Cl***, I was a sonarman in the USNavy and have a Masters Degree in<br />Electrical Engineering so I think I know what I'm talking about but I am<br />100% open to suggestions.....so, if you have comments please advise<br />me.......Its a big Gulf out there and 99.5% of it does not have any fish in<br />it....I need all the help I can get....<br /><br />curtis
