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Looking at sonar stuff now and of course I keep seeing recommendations for the Eagle Cuda 168/EX. When I look to buy I don't find all that many, but what I do find at that price point is the Cuda 242. Actually, the 242 is $20 cheaper, at Cabelas, than the 168.
The 242 has almost identical specs. but a higher res. screen and a slightly higher power usage. 170ma for the 242 to the 168's 110ma.
[url "http://www.eaglesonar.com/Products/Sonar/Cuda168.htm"]The 168 at Eagle's site.[/url]
[url "http://www.eaglesonar.com/Products/Sonar/Cuda242.htm"]The 242 at Eagle's site.[/url]
Opinions? Thoughts on this?
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Rob,
I think the Cuda 168 is being phased out. I have seen it discounted and disappearing in many outlets. I have seen it as cheap as $69 in several places over the last several months.
The thing to watch out for in tubing is to get one with the the features you want without being a big battery drain so that you must either carry a mega battery (which isn't practical) or won't take you through a full day of fishing.
I don't have any recommendations beyond the Cuda 168 'cause that's what I have. The Humminbird I have on my boat would probably drain a small battery pretty quickly.
Surely somebody else can give you some good advice here.
zonker
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[black][size 3]Hey Zonker,[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]This may not help with the Cuda question too much as they are different manufactures, but it may give a little comparison. [/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]I don't know which Humminbird you have but, I use my large Humminbird Matrix(with all the bells and whistles - including GPS) on my pontoon boat and for ice fishing and I use a small 12 volt sealed battery. It lasts all day with power enough to spare that I use the same battery to inflate and deflate my toon. So, I think you would not have a problem with running your Humminbird.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]For tubing, I generally use my Fishing Buddy and Smartcast(If I need) because it has all of the features I need and it is a small self contained unit that is easy to deal with. [/size][/black]
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[cool][#0000ff]As others have suggested, the Cuda 168 and 168EX are being "phased out" and the replacement in the low-end lineup seems to be the 242. I have not yet acquired one, and it will probably be awhile before I have need of another sonar. I just bought two of the 168EX on closeout and they work great. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It looks like the 242 would be a great tubing sonar. Same features as the 168, including temp guage, but with a slightly bigger screen. The intro price of $79 also makes it a good buy for tubers and tooners that need decent sonar without having to pay for a lot of bells and whistles needed only by the boating fraternity.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For tubing sonar, I have liked the Cudas for their simplicity. Basically you just turn it on and let it run, without having to constantly fiddle with settings in order to get a good reading. Initially, you do need to play with the menu to set your personal preferences, but after that it is very simple.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]They are also very easy to set up for tubing and tooning. The skimmer transducer mounts easily on almost any kind of wood or PVC shaft. The base mount screws down on your choice of wood, plastic or other mounting medium. Lots of versatility.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I doubt that the slightly greater amp consumption would make a big difference. You should still be able to have a full day on the water, sonar running full time, on a standard 7 amp SLA battery. [/#0000ff]
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Fishhound,
Thanks for the suggestion with the Humminbird. Mine is a Matrix 37, also with the bells and whistles. I've run it on a full sized battery mostly and haven't tried a smaller one for a full day of fishing. At your suggestion I might give it a try.
I find the Fishin' Buddy to be suitable for shallow fishing for trout where the sidefinder is important. Whenever I'm fishing in deeper water I like something with a wider cone.
Tubedude's advice about sounds good.
zonker
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[cool][#0000ff]That's good info. I have seen the smaller batteries but have never bought any smaller than 5 amp/hours. I recently bought two of those at a freight closeout warehouse for 70 cents a pound. Cost about $2 each. I have been charging and using one of them for several trips now and as you indicated, they do not drop a lot in voltage after a normal fishing day (what's normal???). They weigh only about half what the "standard" 7 a/h battery weighs.[/#0000ff]
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[black][size 3]Hey Zonker,[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Mine is also a Matix 37. I also have the GPS and Smartcast options that came with it and use them both on my pontoon. Like you, My Fishin Buddy does quite well for tubing in the shallows and I do like the side finder and temp gauge features it has.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]From the others in this discussion, it sounds like I don't even need as much power for my Matrix that I have used with my 7a battery - No wonder it would inflate my pontoons then fish all day without any problems. Maybe I'll look into a smaller battery as well - not that I really need to - I have plenty of space.[/size][/black]
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Fishhound,
[cool]It sounds like great minds run in the same channels. Matrix 37, Fishin' Buddy, Smartcast.
I'll try the Matrix 37 with the smaller battery. I'm going Kokanee fishing in the next week or two so I'll try it then.
zonker
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