What's Simrad Fish Finder Brand? What are they special about? We will find out.
Simrad and Lowrance fall under the same umbrella of Navico marine electronics. Simrad took to manufacturing pro fish finders and selling them commercially at fairly expensive prices.
In this post, we review the quality of service and compare the prices of Simrad fish finder with other fish finder brand, we also pick out the best Simrad fish finders and explore what makes them tick.
Rank | Image | Product Name | Sonar | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |   | - CHIRP sonar - StructureScan® HD imaging - ForwardScan™ sonar | - 7-inch - LED backlit | |
2 |  | - CHIRP sonar - StructureScan® HD imaging - ForwardScan™ sonar | - LED backlit - 5-inch | |
3 |   | - CHIRP sonar - StructureScan® HD imaging - ForwardScan™ sonar | - LED backlit - 7-inch | |
4 |   | - CHIRP sonar - StructureScan® HD imaging - ForwardScan™ sonar | - LED backlit - 9-inch |
What's Simrad Fish Finder Brand?
Simrad Yachting started off with radio communication products and branched out to other seafaring electronics. They now offer navigational systems, echosounders, radar and marine VHF radios too.
They excel at what they do because Simrad fish finders are the most intuitively designed units. Mostly featuring touchscreen, these are faster and more responsive than their Lowrance or Garmin counterparts.
Innovation (4/5)
Mostly featuring touchscreen, these are faster and more responsive than their Lowrance or Garmin counterparts.
Simrad units also host a number of high-end features like Radar support, extensive networking, TripIntel, ForwardScan etc. There’s no dearth of Simrad devices that can network with their fish finding units to provide chartplotting and bridging features.
Price (3/5)
Simrad fish finders are primarily designed for saltwater use but they also perform admirably in freshwater. It is widely agreed that Simrad units are built to last.
These are high investment devices and you need to ensure that they stay in top condition for their life.
Tech Supports (4/5)
The Simrad customer service is more empathetic to the cause of their sophisticated units and you get instant servicing.
Reviews (4/5)
Simrad offers larger screen sizes than Lowrance. And its touchscreens are also slightly more dynamic than Lowrance. Garmin fish finders have been stepping up their game in the expensive range, but they are yet to dodge Simrad out of the competition.
If you are a moderately well-versed angler and you are looking for a reliable fish finder with an eye on the future, Simrad can deliver. And it has plenty of options for professional fishermen too.
Best Simrad Fish Finder Reviews
2D CHIRP, DownScan and SideScan
If you want to go full-featured, there’s no better unit than the Simrad GO7 XSE fish finder is the way to go. This touchscreen fish finder boosts its spec with complete chartplotting and navigational abilities.
The large screen just makes everything look more vibrant and is easier to split. It also helps that its bundled with the TotalScan transducer. This one transducer gets you 2D CHIRP, DownScan and SideScan abilities. We call it a sweet deal.
This Simrad fish finder packs a very capable GPS antenna. With the various upgradable features, you can create your own maps with your own scans.
Imaging wading through some new waters with crystal clear photorealistic images of the underwater scene.
TripIntel, Wireless connectivity...
The very enigmatic TripIntel function is a cool feature that will pump up some professional anglers. Wireless connectivity just seals the deal for this unit to be on top of the best Simrad fish finders list.
There are number of small features in the spec which make life easy with the GO7 XSE. If your budget allows, this unit is pretty much unbeatable.
Radar support, Cruise Charting View and Satellite weather modules
If the GO7 walks the balance for both enthusiastic leisure anglers and professional ones, the Simrad GO9 XSE fish finder is definitely Pro material. It has a wide 9” touchscreen display over the 7” screen of GO7 XSE.
Another serious advancement is the Radar support. Hook it up with some Radio Units and Satellite weather modules and stay connected on the go.
The Cruise Charting View is a fun and useful feature for those people who are out in the water very often and far from the shore.
GPS Mapping, 2D CHIRP, DownScan and SideScan
This Simrad fish finder comes with the complete scanning abilities of the TotalScan transducer as well, just like the GO7 XSE. The highly responsive screen is much like those of the modern gadgets, just like the gadget-junkies want it.
It has the extensive GPS and mapping capabilities that keep track of your movement. Custom maps are another perk too. Wireless integration finally leaves nothing to desire in this unit.
CHIRP and DownScan
The Simrad GO5 XSE fish finder is the reasonably high-end unit that offers everything but the kitchen sink at the price. Bundled with an HDI Skimmer transducer, GO5 is capable of both CHIRP and DownScan.
But since the unit itself can be upgraded to include SideScan with the TotalScan transducer, these are marketed as a separate bundle. This particular model we review here overlays DownScan and CHIRP so that you don’t miss out on fish or clarity.
GPS, Navionics and C-Maps
A well-rounded Navigation feature includes both GPS and basic worldwide maps. If that’s not enough, you can extend to better mapping platforms like Navionics and C-Maps. GO5 retains the TripIntel feature from its pricier brother GO7 and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules built-in
We didn’t expect the unit of this size to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules built-in. But GO5 does. The touchscreen is very convenient unless you fish and operate fish finders with the same hand. Good news is that the screen responds to gloved hands too!
Automatic Identification System, TripIntel, GPS with Insight USA charts
The Simrad NSS7 evo2 Combo fish finder is a truly collaborative device. It brings together data from various displays to the helm, a feat even GO9 can’t achieve.
Hooking up a radar or an Automatic Identification System (AIS) with NSS7 takes it to pro territory. TripIntel feature for planning long trips based on your vessel statistics makes an appearance here as well. GPS with Insight USA charts help you navigate through all the chartered and some uncharted territories.
CHIRP, DownScan, SideScan, and ForwardScan
Surprisingly, this high-end Simrad fish finder does not come with a transducer. But this gives you the leeway to invest only as much as required for your scanning requirements. The unit itself supports CHIRP, DownScan, SideScan, and ForwardScan.
We suggest either the TotalScan or the HDI Skimmer transducer, both of which are excellent and compatible with the NSS7.
Wireless connectivity is built-in
Needless to say, the wireless connectivity is built-in. Networking possibilities are myriad with this unit including a video camera input that can take advantages of its 7” screen.
FAQ's:
1. GO7 XSE vs NSS Evo2?
The simple difference between GO and NSS Evo lines is that GO cannot network and NSS can. The GO7 XSE has no extra networking options and it doesn’t support SONAR hub or 3Dbox. It has a simple SD card slot and an NMEA 2000 port for connectivity. The evo2 can connect to radar or AIS without any hassles. It also has an Ethernet port. The GO7 XSE is a very capable unit that costs only half that of the NSS evo2.
If you don’t need networking features, the former is more than enough.
My name is Alex D. Allen, and I’m a professional fishfinder researcher and fishing enthusiast. You’re probably on my website in search of a fishing device that can help make your experience a lot easier and more productive; or perhaps, just trying to glean information to get a wider understanding of what fish finders are and how they can benefit you. Whatever your purpose may be, you’ve come to the right place.
