Posted: February 1, 2012 | Tag: Electronics
I’ve been hearing about the new “CHIRP” sonar, and I’m interested in upgrading to one, but I’ve been told the through-hull transducers they use are huge — almost 2 feet long and about 50 pounds. I’m worried that something this big on my boat’s bottom could be enough to affect handling. Have you heard of any issues like this?
While massive multispectrum transducers such as the 23-inch-long R509LH are big enough to throw some boats out of kilter and are recommended for vessels larger than 40 feet only, don’t stress too much about this problem. Airmar recently came out with a full lineup of new Spread Spectrum and CHIRP transducers that offer a lot more options, ranging from pocket-mounted to transom-mounted to in-hull transducers, of many different sizes. In fact, there are now 24 different models to choose from. The biggest ones still offer more range and flexibility, but you no longer need a 50-pounder to get Spread Spectrum/CHIRP.