Post by Barrett Jones on Jan 10, 2010 15:58:49 GMT -6
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This is an overall review of installation, gps use, fish finder use, and tips on the water.
I have owned many different models of gps/sounder combos over the years in boats and kayaks. One that stands out to me the most is the Lowrance M68 for various reasons. This is a compact color unit that in my opinion is a great addition to any kayak.
1. Installation:
Everything needed for installation is included in the box from Lowrance besides marine goop or silicone. The first thing you want to do is map out the best location for the mounting of the display and there are many ways to go on this. The mount the unit comes with has three holes for mounting with screws or bolts (stainless recommended) and the base swivels up and down easily and the head unit cane be snapped out of it very quickly for storage. Ram Mounts also makes a base so you can attach the mount to it and have your unit swivel 360 degrees. For most applications this is the way to go. You can also flush mount the head unit for a clean look to hide wires and such. Wiring is very easy as well. The power cord and the transducer cable are all in one so you have one cable running to the head unit. The cable end pushes into the back of the unit lining up one way only. I recommend putting some dielectric grease on the head unit plug and the cable end to prevent corrosion as the pins are delicate. If you mount the head unit above deck the cables have to be run into the hull so a penetration will have to be made. Some people just drill holes but I am picky on this. You will need to drill a hole large enough to get the plug through to the head unit. I drill a hole just a tad larger than the plug to start. After I drill the hole I take a soldering iron and melt the edge around the hole to make sure cracks or splits never start from that location. There are many different covers you can put over the hole to dress it up once the cable is through. I use a stainless clam shell that mounts with three #6 stainless screws or bolts. I like to fill the hole with clear silicone and fill the clam shell and when it is tightened down it will mash silicone into the hole and out the sides. I just clean up the silicone after as I know I have a waterproof seal now and peace of mind with no leaks. Now for power hook ups. This unit runs on 12v power. I recommend the larger model as with a color display you will use more power. An easy way to keep your power supply dry and setup for ease of removal there are a couple of items needed. I like a tubberware container and top and some 3m extra strength Velcro. Velcro the battery down in the container and Velcro the container down in a spot in the hull that is easy to get to. Next you need to make a penetration in the top to run your power cable to the battery. Install the inline fuse provided with the unit on the positive (red) and use a heat shrink butt connector (pink is the size). Next you will need two blade connectors and these are made with heat shrink as well. Please fill the connectors with dielectric grease and also the inline fuse as well. Attach to your battery and you now have a powered up M68. Now it’s the fun part! Transducer time. You need to find a place in your kayak bilge that is always in the water and flat. Once you find that spot your transducer will be glued in that location. You will need sandpaper and Marine Goop or 3m marine clear silicone for this task. First take sandpaper and roughen up the area where the transducer will be adhered and then wipe away all dust. Next you need to mock up the installation to see if the transducer will stand up or not. Set the transducer on the spot and see if the cable makes it fall over or twist. If it does you will need something to hold it down once we use the silicone. I like to use a generous amount of silicone for this. Squeeze a bunch on the bottom of the transducer and also in the spot in the hull. The part of the transducer where the bolt goes through for boats needs to face to the bow. When you have the silicone ready mash the transducer down hard enough silicone squeezes out all around the transducer. Make sure the transducer will not move and leave the kayak alone for a day. This silicone has to cure and if it moves you will get air bubbles in the silicone and your fish finder will not work. This step would have to be repeated. Upon return the next day it is time to clean up the wiring. Tie wraps are the best bet for this. The easiest way to make it neat is coil up the excess transducer cable and tie wrap it to your scupper tube along with the power cable. Now your installation is complete! Testing time!!!! The only way to test the fish finder is on the water as the transducer will not read through air. You can test the gps function of the unit now though and play around with it with all the functions.
2. Gps/Plotter use:
This function of the M68 is very useful for kayak fishing or kayaking in general. The M68 has a built in map of the United States that has pretty good detail for coastal, lakes, marsh, and river areas. When the map page is accessed the arrow will be your location on the map and you can zoom in or out for your preference of detail. The two most used functions of the mapping feature are tracking and waypoints. With the tracking feature the gps will leave a bread crumb trail on the map whenever you move. You can also name certain tracks for different reasons and different outings. This feature works great for marsh fishing as you can always follow your track back and get home safely. With the waypoint feature you can mark spots on your map and name them. If you catch redfish in a spot you can mark it on your map, name it, it will save the depth of water, and you can also write a comment in if you like. Next time you go fishing you can look up your waypoints and your gps can track you to that position.
3. Fishfinder/Sounder use:
This function is a very useful function for finding structure, drop offs, hardness and softness of bottom, and most of all FISH!!!!!!! The shining function of this unit is the color display and it is great for the fish finder function.
A) Structure:
While paddling along the sounder is constantly pinging signal down to the bottom and a return echo comes back to the transducer to give you a reading. If you paddle over structure it will show you the rise on the bottom. After using this unit for awhile you can depict between shapes of different objects that is helpful. You may also zoom in on the bottom for more detail.
B) Drop Offs:
I use my sounder plenty looking for drop offs. Drop offs usually hold fish and a difference in water temperature. You will easily see this on the display just like looking for stucture.
C) Hardness and Softness Of Bottom:
The build of the bottom will be different colors since we are using a color display. This is the best part of having a color display. The harder the bottom the more red you will see on the bottom. You can actually tell if you are paddling over a soft mud bottom and then paddle over oysters. This is a great feature for finding fish. You will also be able to find grass as grass will be a thick bright color over the bottom.
D) Finding Fish:
First thing first, turn off the fish symbols as they are totally useless and for display purposes only. Fish symbols will show up as arches, the thicker the arch the larger the fish. You will be able to see fish holding along the bottom and structure. I use this function more in winter time to find fish suspended off the bottom in cool water in holes. Once you get a hang of your fish finder it is a great tool.
Overall I have been very pleased with my Lowrance M68. It works great and has never skipped a beat to this date. Mine stays flush mounted in my kayak and has been rained on, pressure washed, been out in the sun for days, and covered in fish slime! I can read the display easily in direct sunlight and actually dim the light at night as its too bright. If interested in the Lowrance M68 www.southshoremarineservices.com carries this unit along with all the accessories as mounts and silicone. I hope I have been helpful with this review and I you enjoy many days out on the water.
Barrett Jones aka swamppro
This is an overall review of installation, gps use, fish finder use, and tips on the water.
I have owned many different models of gps/sounder combos over the years in boats and kayaks. One that stands out to me the most is the Lowrance M68 for various reasons. This is a compact color unit that in my opinion is a great addition to any kayak.
1. Installation:
Everything needed for installation is included in the box from Lowrance besides marine goop or silicone. The first thing you want to do is map out the best location for the mounting of the display and there are many ways to go on this. The mount the unit comes with has three holes for mounting with screws or bolts (stainless recommended) and the base swivels up and down easily and the head unit cane be snapped out of it very quickly for storage. Ram Mounts also makes a base so you can attach the mount to it and have your unit swivel 360 degrees. For most applications this is the way to go. You can also flush mount the head unit for a clean look to hide wires and such. Wiring is very easy as well. The power cord and the transducer cable are all in one so you have one cable running to the head unit. The cable end pushes into the back of the unit lining up one way only. I recommend putting some dielectric grease on the head unit plug and the cable end to prevent corrosion as the pins are delicate. If you mount the head unit above deck the cables have to be run into the hull so a penetration will have to be made. Some people just drill holes but I am picky on this. You will need to drill a hole large enough to get the plug through to the head unit. I drill a hole just a tad larger than the plug to start. After I drill the hole I take a soldering iron and melt the edge around the hole to make sure cracks or splits never start from that location. There are many different covers you can put over the hole to dress it up once the cable is through. I use a stainless clam shell that mounts with three #6 stainless screws or bolts. I like to fill the hole with clear silicone and fill the clam shell and when it is tightened down it will mash silicone into the hole and out the sides. I just clean up the silicone after as I know I have a waterproof seal now and peace of mind with no leaks. Now for power hook ups. This unit runs on 12v power. I recommend the larger model as with a color display you will use more power. An easy way to keep your power supply dry and setup for ease of removal there are a couple of items needed. I like a tubberware container and top and some 3m extra strength Velcro. Velcro the battery down in the container and Velcro the container down in a spot in the hull that is easy to get to. Next you need to make a penetration in the top to run your power cable to the battery. Install the inline fuse provided with the unit on the positive (red) and use a heat shrink butt connector (pink is the size). Next you will need two blade connectors and these are made with heat shrink as well. Please fill the connectors with dielectric grease and also the inline fuse as well. Attach to your battery and you now have a powered up M68. Now it’s the fun part! Transducer time. You need to find a place in your kayak bilge that is always in the water and flat. Once you find that spot your transducer will be glued in that location. You will need sandpaper and Marine Goop or 3m marine clear silicone for this task. First take sandpaper and roughen up the area where the transducer will be adhered and then wipe away all dust. Next you need to mock up the installation to see if the transducer will stand up or not. Set the transducer on the spot and see if the cable makes it fall over or twist. If it does you will need something to hold it down once we use the silicone. I like to use a generous amount of silicone for this. Squeeze a bunch on the bottom of the transducer and also in the spot in the hull. The part of the transducer where the bolt goes through for boats needs to face to the bow. When you have the silicone ready mash the transducer down hard enough silicone squeezes out all around the transducer. Make sure the transducer will not move and leave the kayak alone for a day. This silicone has to cure and if it moves you will get air bubbles in the silicone and your fish finder will not work. This step would have to be repeated. Upon return the next day it is time to clean up the wiring. Tie wraps are the best bet for this. The easiest way to make it neat is coil up the excess transducer cable and tie wrap it to your scupper tube along with the power cable. Now your installation is complete! Testing time!!!! The only way to test the fish finder is on the water as the transducer will not read through air. You can test the gps function of the unit now though and play around with it with all the functions.
2. Gps/Plotter use:
This function of the M68 is very useful for kayak fishing or kayaking in general. The M68 has a built in map of the United States that has pretty good detail for coastal, lakes, marsh, and river areas. When the map page is accessed the arrow will be your location on the map and you can zoom in or out for your preference of detail. The two most used functions of the mapping feature are tracking and waypoints. With the tracking feature the gps will leave a bread crumb trail on the map whenever you move. You can also name certain tracks for different reasons and different outings. This feature works great for marsh fishing as you can always follow your track back and get home safely. With the waypoint feature you can mark spots on your map and name them. If you catch redfish in a spot you can mark it on your map, name it, it will save the depth of water, and you can also write a comment in if you like. Next time you go fishing you can look up your waypoints and your gps can track you to that position.
3. Fishfinder/Sounder use:
This function is a very useful function for finding structure, drop offs, hardness and softness of bottom, and most of all FISH!!!!!!! The shining function of this unit is the color display and it is great for the fish finder function.
A) Structure:
While paddling along the sounder is constantly pinging signal down to the bottom and a return echo comes back to the transducer to give you a reading. If you paddle over structure it will show you the rise on the bottom. After using this unit for awhile you can depict between shapes of different objects that is helpful. You may also zoom in on the bottom for more detail.
B) Drop Offs:
I use my sounder plenty looking for drop offs. Drop offs usually hold fish and a difference in water temperature. You will easily see this on the display just like looking for stucture.
C) Hardness and Softness Of Bottom:
The build of the bottom will be different colors since we are using a color display. This is the best part of having a color display. The harder the bottom the more red you will see on the bottom. You can actually tell if you are paddling over a soft mud bottom and then paddle over oysters. This is a great feature for finding fish. You will also be able to find grass as grass will be a thick bright color over the bottom.
D) Finding Fish:
First thing first, turn off the fish symbols as they are totally useless and for display purposes only. Fish symbols will show up as arches, the thicker the arch the larger the fish. You will be able to see fish holding along the bottom and structure. I use this function more in winter time to find fish suspended off the bottom in cool water in holes. Once you get a hang of your fish finder it is a great tool.
Overall I have been very pleased with my Lowrance M68. It works great and has never skipped a beat to this date. Mine stays flush mounted in my kayak and has been rained on, pressure washed, been out in the sun for days, and covered in fish slime! I can read the display easily in direct sunlight and actually dim the light at night as its too bright. If interested in the Lowrance M68 www.southshoremarineservices.com carries this unit along with all the accessories as mounts and silicone. I hope I have been helpful with this review and I you enjoy many days out on the water.
Barrett Jones aka swamppro