Click to View the Full Thread

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Garmin fish finder mA??
 
Author Message Text
Jezbo
04/16/2018 04:26PM
 
Having a heck of a time finding anything on Garmin Echo grayscale products, older models, and their mA draw. Called to customer support and they say ALL models 100s-500s only dray 1 amp per hour. That is impossible for a GPS/plotter 550c to be the same as a Echo 100. Does anyone know what their 150s or 200s draw?
 
Savage Voyageur
04/16/2018 05:33PM
 
I think you need to tell us your exact model number. I see there is a few screen sizes and models.
 
04/16/2018 08:55PM
 
Specifically then


echo 150
Echo 151
Echo 200


I’m looking for mA draw per model.
 
Savage Voyageur
04/16/2018 09:39PM
 
Jezbo, I looked up your 3 units you posted and they all say 1amp just like you said. I also find this hard to believe. This could be for a couple of reasons.


1) These units could be old technology, or circuitry. I bought a Garmin 12XL when the first came out, it was a real power hog. I could only get 8 hours on a set of batteries. The next Garmin I bought they improved the electronics and that one went 12 hours. My current Garmin Montana gets 19 hours on a set of batteries. So they have clearly improved the technology, the ones you are looking at is clearly old in the sense of electronics. I can’t even remember when I saw a grey scale screen, they all are color nowadays.


2) the 1amp power rating they list might be measured at startup. After it is running the reading would drop. I just went through this with my Lowrance Hook unit. It has a power rating of 1.1 amp. I contacted the company and they said that after the spike of 1.1 Amp my unit runs at a steady reading of .74 Amps. I’m running color large screen, GPS, navigation, downscan imaginary, sonar, temp so it’s still pretty high. If I were to make a scientific wild a$$ guess, I would say your Garmin Echo 150 would be pulling less than .5 amps. This is because you are only running sonar, maybe temperature, on a 8 grey scale. Hope this helps.
 
trailcheif
04/17/2018 08:54PM
 
I have a Garmin Echo 151dv and it draws 130 mA with with the backlight on. I’ve put a meter on it.
 
Jezbo
04/17/2018 10:16AM
 
Thanks for the info. I think I'm just going to go with a hummingbird piranha series 175 or 180 because I know they only draw 100mA. Actually spoke to Garmin this morning and he is on the development team and is going to bring forward the idea about a small amp draw black and white model with good resolution. No one makes them so it might be a good idea. Anyway thanks for the input .
 
Jezbo
04/17/2018 10:44PM
 
Awesome. Thank you. So you can cut that in half without the light running.
 
MagicPaddler
04/18/2018 02:11PM
 
Not exactly what you asked but this gives suits of similar types.