Finder Refined
If you thought digital technology peaked with NFL games and the two-hour Sports Illustrated swimsuit television special, wait till you see how it renders fish. Furuno’s FCV620 fishfinder can separate gamefish from the bait balls they’re harassing-and gives the angler a clear view of what’s going on below the boat. The unit adapts to angling conditions by changing the power of the “ping” automatically for optimal performance, then runs the bounce back through a digital filter that also helps eliminate the echoes and clutter directly beneath the transducer. With 600 Watts RMS power, the FCV620 provides detail down to 2,500-foot depths on its full-color 5.6-inch display. Operator-selectable frequencies of 50 and 200 kHz work with a dual-viewing mode to let anglers analyze targets with images from each frequency side by side. The unit sells for $895. Furuno; (360) 834-9300; www.furuno.com
First Course
Many anglers locate and work the fishing grounds with a chart plotter, living with a split screen to see the fishfinder. The solution: a cost-effective standalone plotter like the Eagle Intellimap 642c iGPS. It has all the features of a combo-unit plotter, but it stays on the job and out of the way when the sounder is marking targets. A WAAS-enabled, 12-parallel-channel GPS with a built-in antenna pinpoints the boat’s position on a bright, backlit five-inch display. The Intellimap 642c iGPS comes with a one-year warranty and sells for $570. Eagle; (800) 324-1354; www.eaglesonar.com
Super Dome
Many high-end boats sport full-blown entertainment centers, but how often can you really watch that Jaws DVD? The Raymarine 45STV brings satellite television programming aboard. The automatic 45STV finds the satellite and keeps the signal clear, even in rough seas. The 18-inch-diameter dish supports multiple receivers-the crew can watch the game in the saloon while the helmsman gets the weather report. Ready to connect to the receiver of your service provider and the largest flat-screen you can find, the 45STV comes with an antenna control unit and sells for $5,400. Raymarine; (800) 539-5539; www.raymarine.com
