During 2015 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, Garmin has introduced five of the 40 new products they intend to launch in 2016. The first magic word for 2016 is…Chirp (here’s what it is). This technology was on many of the products we’ve seen. Let’s see them in detail.
The new fishfinder Striker family
Traditional fisfinders, or based on Chirp technology, to end up with the most innovative ones, featuring Chirp DownVü and SideVü and integrated GPS: every gamer has their choice when they want to analyze sea bottom and mark the “hot spots” in order to get back in another moment. Thanks to the GPS, it is also possible to know not only the speed but also the leeway when drifting.
The Striker series will be available from January 2016 at a price ranging from approximately € 140 to 650 + VAT.
The new echoMap Chirp series
The new, combined echoMap Chirp chartplotter embeds the Chirp, Chirp DownVü and SideVü technologies. In addition, they feature the Garmin Quickdraw Contours function (see below) and can be linked through the NMEA 2000 standard, to visualize the engine data straight on the screen. This allows to have everything before your eyes without the need of a second monitor. The Chirp technology boasts a better resolution, more information available, limpid details and a clear overall vision. The echoMap Chirp series is available with 4, 5, 7 or 9 inches color display.
From January 2016, approx prices from € 270 to 1230 + VAT.
The new CHIRP transductors
The new transductors sport technical features and easy installation, forming a complete range ging from the portable unit (good for fishing in frozen water) up to the first Chirp internal one on the market. They are compatible with the new Garmin Striker and echoMap Chirp series, but also with the GpsMap series and with GSD 25 black-box system They include the Chirp tradizionale, Chirp DownVü and Chirp SideVü settings.
From December 2015, with a price range of € 130 to 650 + VAT:
The new Garmin Panoptix PS21 compact transductor
Thanks to the small size, the new Panoptix transducer can be mounted on a stand or an electric motor, so the LiveVü Forward technology can be used even when there’s lack of space. It gives real time images of what happens in front of the boat, and it’s ideal for smaller crafts and coastal or fresh water fishing.
Panoptix PS21 is compatible with Garmin GpsMap and echoMap Chirp chartplotters. I twill be available from January 2016 at an approximate price of € 940 + VAT.
Quickdraw Contours
It’s a new, completely free technology that allows gamers to trace their bathymetric charts. The result is immediately visible on the screen (compatible with Garmin chartplotters) and can be shared with other
Quickdraw Contours is pretty simple to use. Once it’s activated, users can check on their screen the navigation route and the bathymetric lines straight on the map. The new data are available for immediate use and can be shared with buddies without sending them to Garmin. Quickdraw Contours highlights the searched and unsearched areas to simply create a personal map of the interested zones. All the data can be saved on SD external stick or straight on the internal memory which hosts Garmin BlueChart g2 or BlueChart g2 Vision cartography.
This new feature is already on echoMap Chirp products, but a software update will install it on the whole echoMap and GpsMap range. More, it can be matched with any transductor, including the Panoptix range.
