How much better is the 56 over the 54 for side image and down? There are some good deals to be had for the 93 sv UHD with a 54, I am just wondering if forking out the extra cash for the 56 is worth it? I fish reservoir lakes around 60-70' deep, for bass and crappie, I am currently running a Humminbird 998c. It does pretty well, but I feel like a new Garmin would be quite an improvement, with either transducer. Just don't know if I should go all out or save a few bucks and be happy?
I do NOT have the GT56 but do have the GT54.....from the pics i have seen, GT56 has the edge over the GT54 no doubt......is it worth swapping and spending extra money, probably so but overall is it worth it to you. Your lakes are deep, do you fish that deep all the time or shallow?? I'd question if it would be better in deeper water......i think i'm going in circles with this....
If your unit is adjusted right, the GT54 is a great transducer and give great images.
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
2014 Phoenix 619 Pro / 2014 Mercury 200 Pro XS
Fishin you are thinking like me....I go in circles myself, meaning, I fish deep and shallow. In a days trip, I might catch fish in open water schooling in 20 feet over a 60 foot bottom, then I might go up shallow and fish 10feet deep brush...my intuition tells me to get the 56, but man you could buy a lot of tackle with the extra cash!
I have the 56 and am very happy with it. Haven't used a 54. There are new 54's all over the net and guys cant get $150 for them shipped....
Current price for a new 93SV UHD with a GT54 is $700. With a GT56, $1100. A $400 difference. However, you can pick up a new GT56 transducer for $360. You cannot make a bad purchase going with a 93/GT54 package. If you decide you want the GT56 afterwards, you won't be spending any more and if you're savvy with tax and shipping, you may even save a couple of bucks.
I've used both. On a 93, the difference is noticeable in sideview range and a little bit better clarity. On a 10" with better resolution, you will notice an appreciable and worthy difference.
Thanks for your input. I really appreciate your time, and am glad to hear from guys who have used both.Originally Posted by troutspinner
When I use the GT54 SideVu on 455, I am very happy with it, shallow and deep. Right now I am fishing water 70-130 ft deep. It works great.
http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread....1#post10140505
In the link pay attention to which transducer is being shown in the pics. There are a couple of the GT50.
When I use SideVu on the UHD frequency I like it down to 30 FOW. Beyond that I don't care for it on the UHD frequency.
I think the GT56/36 are Garmin's best combo transducers, by far.
The following link is shallow water screenshots but it could give you some idea as to the detail.
I agree with troutspinner the difference in range is major. Major because I fish deep water. The detail is also better.
http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1090599
Make sure you use the latest software. There have been noticeable improvements in the last couple of years.
My wife asks if I'm going to fish every day. I can't fish every day. Some days I might be sick.
I have the 36. 455 is its sweet spot. 800 is good shallow. The UHD performance is sub par compared to the 34 IMO. Maybe my 36 is underperforming on mega? The 455/800 works good enough that I probably wouldn’t bother with mega anyways……
If I looked good in spandex and my boats paint had glitter, I’d fish for bass.
Luckily the Crappie, Stripers and Tuna don’t seem to care.............. BigBry
I have both, the 54 on my force and the 56 on the transom... down imaging is pretty dang solid on the 54, and I have zero complaints, side imaging however it's hands down the 56.
Thanks for the input. I will be mounting the new unit at my console, Side imaging will be the biggest use. I am thinking I should go with the 56. It is more money, but over the long haul, probably worth it.
Something else, not sure what boat you have but keep in mind if you want sonar reading on plane you might want to consider the GT8/GT36 combo.....same as the GT56 but you have a shoot thru ducer in the bilge and the image ducer on the transom......
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
I have an all electric reservoir boat, so that won't be an issue. But I appreciate the input nonetheless.
Trolling motors, especially with digital maxymizer give some interferences on megahz from GT56, unfortunatley
Do both of these transducers work with the Gen1 Ultrex as far not being too big (long)?
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