Garmin Ice Transducer

I’m looking into using my Garmin Echomap plus 63cv for ice fishing this year. On Garmin’s website there are 2 transducers that will work for this unit. One transducer is their HW (high-wide) series with a 24-16 deg cone angle. The other one is their HN (high-narrow) series with a 16-8 deg cone angle. The HW transducer also comes in a ice fishing conversion kit, where as i would have to buy the case, transducer, battery, charge ect. separately if i would go with the HN. What cone angle is everyone using when going fishing or do you wish you had a larger/smaller cone. Thanks

I have the GT10 HW that I use in conjunction with livescope on an Echomap Plus 93sv and like it a lot.

Curtis your topic gives me some food for thought as well. I’ve been thinking of getting an ice package for my 73sv.

But looking at the ice bundle (pack, cords, ducer) with the gt10 ducer is $400. Unreal. When a guy can buy a 53cv entire ice bundle with gt8 ducer for $350 I wonder how much better the benefit would be with the gt10?

@Mr.Beads,
I looked at that as well. I think because you have the 73sv, your kit comes with a larger case, battery, and the gt10 transducer. With that being said am not sure that justifies 2x the price. The thing I keep seeing with other traditional ice fishing units from Humminbird, Marcum, and Vexilar is that the cone angles are really all over the place (15-21, 8-20, 9-19, 12). I personally would have liked if garmin had the 8-20 as that is a good balance.

@Kayl,
When you use your GT10 do you switch between the 2 cone angles or do you find yourself just using the 8 or 16 deg angle?

The deeper the water that you normally fish. The more you should want the more narrow cone. If you fish in mostly in 30 ‘ or less the more you want the wider cone.

As a side note I have the gt8 and almost never use it. Preferring the view on the down vu of the panoptix ps22.

Thanks @papaperch. I think I’m most likely going to fish in 30′ or less. The part that I’m struggling with is if I fish next to structure the bottom might become too undefined as the large cone angle will show a false bottom. With either unit I think I would use the 16 deg angle the most, I just wonder if it would be more beneficial to have an 8 or 24 angle as an alternative.

In 30 foot of water or less you are going to have plenty of signal strength from the transducer. The wider the cone, higher degree , the more of the bottom you are going to see. The CHIRP frequency is going to provide a clear picture. One of the advantages of CHIRP is being able to show individual fish. Where as the fixed frequency will just show a large blob.

The 8HW ice ducer is the one you want which is the 16-24 one. The 10 is more expensive but is better suited for say 60 foot and deeper.

A real sharp drop off is going to show a false bottom on any unit with any transducer. I move away from drop either going shallower or deeper until false bottom disappears. A 20 degree transducer is going to read about a 10′ circle in 30 ‘ of water. An 8 degree transducer maybe 3-4 foot circle. You want to cover as much area as you can.

That 63cv plus is a great little unit only reason I have to use bigger screen is because of 72 year old eyes.

I’m not sure the 8hw works the same, but wirh the gt10hw, you can dial the angle in increments between 7-16 degrees. While in chirp, it’s about 10 degrees (I think)?

From reading various forums, many stated they primarily used the 8hw set to 16 degrees. I rarely use my vex 19 degree ducer, more the 12, but mainly the 9; so, I figure the narrow would be more useful overall.

Fishwater- deep water narrow cone good
shallow water wide cone good

I can’t speak for the forums you are reading. Why would you want to cover less area in any situation ? In a dark room would you hunt with something with a flashlight or turn on the overhead light ? Same principle.

The only time I would use a narrow beam is if the water is deep enough to weaken the transducer’s pulse. Like the op I rarely fish deeper than 30′. I set the 8hw at 24 degrees and leave it there.

How to tell if deep enough to use narrow beam ? When it can’t read your lure.

papaperch wrote:

Why would you want to cover less area in any situation ? In a dark room would you hunt with something with a flashlight or turn on the overhead light ? Same principle.

To reduce clutter fishing in weeds or maybe avoid a false bottom on a steep break? Or, focus on your lure and not the guy’s next to you? The dark room analogy is overly simplified imo. 16 is wide enough, the narrow is a finer tool to guage any response you’re looking for.

If I am guilty of over simplifying. You are guilty of over complicating. If you have a cluttered screen. Chances are your gain is set too high.

But to each his own maybe they will come out with a 2 degree transducer to really let you focus.

Fish and papa you both have interesting insights.

This illustrates what I am talking about. Fish is right but only for a small percentage of fishing locations. My suggestion about the broader beam would be for well over 90 percent of the time.

You won’t be disappointed with a gt10 that uses 7-16 degrees and chirp.

I use chirp most of the time, but if I’m in less than about 10′ I’ll manually switch over to 16 degrees.

I can see both baits in 10′ of water with holes about 2′ apart (4-5′ of coverage with a 16 degree, even though the math says 2.8′).

So I just ordered a Garmin ECHOmap 73cv and will need to order an ice ducer for it. It looks to me like the 16 Degree cone is used most? I very rarely fish over 50′ of water ice fishing so thinking the 16-24 cone would be a good choice?
On a separate note has anyone mounted a 7″ Echomap to a Marcum Shuttle?

Shawn U wrote:

So I just ordered a Garmin ECHOmap 73cv and will need to order an ice ducer for it. It looks to me like the 16 Degree cone is used most? I very rarely fish over 50′ of water ice fishing so thinking the 16-24 cone would be a good choice?
On a separate note has anyone mounted a 7″ Echomap to a Marcum Shuttle?

I’d go with the GT10 myself. Don’t buy a Marcum shuttle. Go with an Energized Outdoors 12aH lithium for your lightweight power source and buy a Clam flasher bag to put it in. Add a ram mount and some cutting board and you’re good to go.

So there is a new option from Garmin since this discussion started: It is called either GT-6 or “Dual beam IF” It is supposed to support beam angles from 15-45 degrees and be compatible with Echomap units. It is what they ship with the Striker 4 ice kits, according to what I can read.
I bought one for shallow water fishing in the spring, where my GT-8 has trouble seeing the baits I put down 2 holes each 2 feet off to the side of the center hole where I put the transducer.
Has anyone used this transducer that can comment on it’s trade offs vs. the GT-8?

I have a small ice kit I believe it’s the gt8 ducer I would sell if someone is interested.

I have the GT10 Ice bundle, bought at Scheels during the Ice Sale for $320. Last night was the maiden voyage and I was very impressed. My understanding is the GT10 is best for deep water, GT8 is more shallow. For any MN fishing either would be enough. No interference on my Vex with the Garmin operating, much more quiet, waypoints a click away, understanding fish behavior more apparent. Hope my Vexilar enjoys dark, quiet corners.