New transducter time. Bottom contour or just depth & temp?

It's bottom painting time on my Grand Banks 42 and I want to get a new transducer to replace a long dead one from PO. My Garmin system currently picks up depth through a Raytheon Tridata standalone & its transducer. I would turn Tridata back to standalone and only use it if new transducer goes out (I know both can't be on at same time or they'll interfere w/each other).

So how many of y'all pick up just depth (& maybe water temp) vs how many pick up bottom contour too?

I could go simple transducer - depth & water temp. Or spend more and add a Garmin "black box", upgraded transducer and show bottom as well.

My Garmin on my 18' center console shows contour, but I find I mostly only use that for fishing. When I'm running I mostly just show depth on nav chart.

Thanks!

I run 3 transducers simultaneously. I have one that feeds a Garmin black box for multi color graphic display, and 2 that tie into the NMEA 2000 network. One of the NMEA 2000 units is in the very bow to alert me to shallow water when probing anchorages. The other 2 are closer to midship. All have temperature modules and internal offsets.

Ted

For what it’s worth, we’ve never been able to keep temperature sensors working for more that 3-4 years. That includes tri-ducers and standalone temp sensors. I’m not the only one who’s had issues. It’s nice data to have but I gave up replacing them.

O C Diver. I'm very much interested in your setup. Anyway I can get more detail? Both my electronics guy and Garmin website say you can't run multiple transducers as the frequencies will overlap and cause mis-communication to the Garmin displays.

FBoykin said:

O C Diver. I'm very much interested in your setup. Anyway I can get more detail? Both my electronics guy and Garmin website say you can't run multiple transducers as the frequencies will overlap and cause mis-communication to the Garmin displays.

Click to expand...

As long as the frequency difference is large enough and the transponders arent right next to one another (even then a few feet I believe is OK)...no issues.


https://www.theonlinefisherman.com/ask-a-captain/can-i-run-two-transducers-simultaneously-on-a-boat

We have two independent system’s, Furuno and Lowrance. The Lowrence has depth and a temp transducer and about 4’ away is the Furuno tri-ducer. The only issue is the Lowance at deep depths, greater than 800’, will cause interference on one of the 3 vhf radios.