If you don’t want to spend a lot on a fish finder, and you’re interested only in basic sonar functions, the PiranhaMax series from Humminbird has exactly the units that you’re looking for. The 197c model is actually the most basic fish finder made by Humminbird. But even so, it offers quite an advantage when you’re on the water.
It’s a small unit, but with a TFT color display, 3.5 inches in diagonal, with a 240H X 320V pixel matrix. The screen is LED backlit which results in superior redability in direct sunlight or during night fishing.
The PiranhaMax 197c is not a deep water fish finder, but does have a depth capability of 600 ft. It features Dual Beam sonar, offering to sonar beams of 28° and 16°, operating on frequencies of 200 kHz, and respectively 455 kHz. The unit has a power output of 300 Watts (RMS).
Although it does not have a wide array of sonar functions, this unit does have Selective FishID+. This function gives fish icons to the sonar returns which meet a specific set of requirements, and are considered fish. It’s a useful feature especially for someone who hasn’t used a fish finder before. Of course, there is a fish alarm, which enables the unit to make a specific sound, when a fish target that corresponds to the alarm setting is found.
The box includes a transducer, so you don’t have to purchase one additionally. It comes with a XNT 9 28 T transom-type transducer. The transducer also has a temperature sensor built-in, which enables the head unit to display water temperature.
