help me choose a transducer

[used2sail]

My transducer has been gving me fits all season. Recently i was on the phone with Raymarine customer support and we workex through a bunch of settings changes ad system resets all while i was sending pictures to the tech so he could see what i was seeing. The net results was my transducer is finished and I need to replace it. I presently am running a raymarine E127 display and a B744v transducer. I'd like the new set up to be able to identify bait and game fish from shallow depths in Casco bay out to about 300' . I've been researching on my own and it seems like the airmar 265 with the supporting module to drive it would do all that . My question tot he group is are there other choices that I should be looking at. What about the low/ high versus the low/medium versions of the 265, which is better for my planned use? what about shoot through versus through hull ? Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Your 744 thruhull has a 2" thread. It' fairing is 13.73" long. It is an old fashion "traditional" CW 600W transducer.

A 265 has a 1" thread and its fairing is 22" long. It is CHIRP 1000 Watt. Its huge. It is more suited to very large boats.

You would have to fill and redrill. I've done it. Not terribly complicated if you have fiberglass experience.

The B765 (LH or LM) is a 600W CHIRP model that will fit the old hole from the B744. This is your easiest replacement if your e127 has CHIRP and is compatible.


I'm not up on the Raymarine brand but I think your e127 has built in chirp capable down scan?
Does it have sidescan capability ? That is an important question. You might be in that zone where your gear is a generation too old to be adding new things to it...
There are Raymarine brand CHIRP thruhulls out there for down/sidescan. They too will require fill & drill.

Your other choice is to get a transom mount replacement and leave the 744 where it is. Or you can cut a big hole for a B175..

When looking on AIRMAR site always look at the Specs and dimensions.

 

[used2sail]

Skunk, great information on the size differences , very much appreciated. The E 127 is the generation before the axiom series that are current. I think my unit is 2014 ish, the sounder module that is internal is for non chirp, basic transducers and is 600watt. For anything more demanding id have to go with a external sounder module, i think a CP 470 is the one I'd need, and run the data through the network switch . I was planning on needing some type of external module to support a more technically advanced sonar / fishfinder set up.

 

[luckydude]

Airmar 185hw is what I use and I'm happy with it. Loses bottom at speed at 400-500 feet, gets it back when I slow down.
I've got a clearvu garmin that I have yet to learn how to use but it is on my list.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Skunk, great information on the size differences , very much appreciated. The E 127 is the generation before the axiom series that are current. I think my unit is 2014 ish, the sounder module that is internal is for non chirp, basic transducers and is 600watt. For anything more demanding id have to go with an external sounder module, i think a CP 470 is the one I'd need, and run the data through the network switch . I was planning on needing some type of external module to support a more technically advanced sonar / fishfinder set up.

Make sure your e127 is capable of displaying and has menus for chirp and sidescan before committing to external box you can’t use You might be better off to get new mfd with built in sonar

 

[used2sail]

Luckydude, I'll take a look at the 185 HW as well.