Color display on Sonar - Is it necessary?

[dkuster]

Hi all,

I'm browsing through the websites looking at various sonar units.

The ones with greyscale displays are significantly less expensive than the
color units.

What are your opinions on color? Does it provide more information or make
it easier to tell whats going on beneath the boat? I guess what I'm asking
is, is it worth it?

Thanks.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Color really does tell you more- the color will tell you the density of an object and this helps tell if you are over rocks, brush or just junk suspended in the water.

Same thing for the bottom - I can tell rock from mud from sand from clay

Here is how it works:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21192

 

[justnortherns]

Hi all,

I'm browsing through the websites looking at various sonar units.

The ones with greyscale displays are significantly less expensive than the
color units.

What are your opinions on color? Does it provide more information or make
it easier to tell whats going on beneath the boat? I guess what I'm asking
is, is it worth it?

Thanks.

In my opinion, color is not worth it, but it depends on what you use the fish finder for.

I use a greyscale Garmin 140 that can more than adequately show me structure and depth changes. I don't need much else for fishing but others may appreciate the advanced information from color screens. But I'm happy with all the information I can get about the bottom of the lake for less than $100.

 

[BOB350RX]

I USED TO THINK THAT IT WASNT WORTH IT BUT I GOT A GREAT DEAL ON A COLOR SCREENED FF AND I LOVE IT DONT KNOW WHAT I DID WITHOUT IT, COLOR FROM HERE OUT FOR ME

 

[bulldog]

i HAVE HAD AND STILL HAVE BOTH AND THE COLOR ONE IS SUPERIOR.

 

[justnortherns]

Color is superior, definitely. Is it worth the premium? That is still debatable.

If you're a beginner trying to buy your first fish finder, I think greyscale is just fine, even preferred:

(1) It's better than what you had before, which was nothing.
(2) It's cheaper than the color units by a good margin.
(3) When you discover that you'll catch almost the same number of fish with the ff as without, you'll have wasted less money.................
(4) When the greyscale ff's are obsolete in a few years you can go right ahead and buy the color ff at the same price.