Was just curious if anyone here has hauled in the Garmin Panoptix for a trip. Thinking about bringing mine, but seems like a big pain to safely get it in. We base camp for a week at a time.

How many batteries do you plan on bringing? Seems like a hassel to bring something that would be useful for about 8 hours (most Li batteries) for a whole week's trip.

I’ve always said that if you want to haul it the go ahead. You better plan on bringing a few 12 volt batteries. Hopefully the batteries will be lithium.

I am in the same proverbial "Boat" when it comes to bringing my Helix 7. in September I have one lithium 8ah battery for it, and I'm not real excited about buying another one or dragging a lead acid along, but I am not Not sure it is worth the weight. Amp draw is 400ma at 5 brightness so MAX battery life would be 20 hours, more likely 15, but we are going into a lake that is unmapped so being able to use the Autochart live feature is tempting...

Our group of 3 canoes bring 3 locators. Each of us has a different brand and model. All run off 8 AA batteries and last for a full week of fishing.

We bring Deeper Pro fishing sonars. They charge with a USP cord. We bring a brick charger to charge them back up while out. We use the app on our cell phones for the screen. It works great and weighs almost nothing, and takes no batteries.

ockycamper: "We bring Deeper Pro fishing sonars. They charge with a USP cord. We bring a brick charger to charge them back up while out. We use the app on our cell phones for the screen. It works great and weighs almost nothing, and takes no batteries."

I love this thing. The battery life isn't the greatest, other than that it's perfect.

solution to the battery life for a Deeper sonar is simple. An Anker Power bank will recharge the Deeper, along with your cell phone and anything else all week. Anker powercore

ryebread26: "Was just curious if anyone here has hauled in the Garmin Panoptix for a trip. Thinking about bringing mine, but seems like a big pain to safely get it in. We base camp for a week at a time."

Well, RB26??? What are you going to do? Bring locator or leave it home?

Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school….

Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school….

can't imagine bringing is a fish finder/battery system that weighs more then my food bag and costs more the one of the canoes I paddle.

walllee: "Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school…."

What fish finder unit are you using? Have any pics of your setup?

Mine is the Humminbird PiranhaMAX 215 Portable. Also uses 8 AA batteries that last for multiple trips before replacing. And, I've ditched the suction cup mount and simply shoot through a puddle of water in the hull.

bobbernumber3: "

ryebread26: "Was just curious if anyone here has hauled in the Garmin Panoptix for a trip. Thinking about bringing mine, but seems like a big pain to safely get it in. We base camp for a week at a time."

Well, RB26??? What are you going to do? Bring locator or leave it home?"

well we decided that were probably not bringing it. no good way to pack it and its damn expensive and heavy ha. would be sweet to use it up there though.

walleyevision: "

walllee: "Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school…."

What fish finder unit are you using? Have any pics of your setup?
"

It’s a Lowrance X4, it just sits on the floor, no fancy set up…

ryebread26: "

bobbernumber3: "

ryebread26: "Was just curious if anyone here has hauled in the Garmin Panoptix for a trip. Thinking about bringing mine, but seems like a big pain to safely get it in. We base camp for a week at a time."

Well, RB26??? What are you going to do? Bring locator or leave it home?"

well we decided that were probably not bringing it. no good way to pack it and its damn expensive and heavy ha. would be sweet to use it up there though."

I only "find fish" with a locator when trolling for lake trout. Otherwise, it's just telling me depth and contour. Use your anchor to know the depth. And keep fishing!

I bring my Garmin 93SV Echomap Plus with the normal transducer but I wouldn't recommend bringing a Panoptix or the Livescope. You can try it and give me some input on how well it worked but I have attempted to use the Livescope just fishing in lakes in Iowa in a canoe and I have really struggled to make it worth the hassle.

It is already quite a bit of work to fish in the rear of the canoe compared to the front and imagine adding one more thing. If you add wind and waves it gets even more difficult.

I struggled with finding a good arm that would allow me to swivel the Livescope around that was hassle free. I tried RAM Mounts but couldn't find anything great. In addition to the above I also just had a tough time with managing the unit. Between messing with the anchor, keeping myself positioned, using a rod and a few other things I just didn't feel the "juice was worth the squeeze".

Don't get me wrong it's hard to fish without a Livescope once you use it but I just haven't found a great way in a canoe. Also, as others have said you will burn through a ton of battery using it and it may just not be a great option for wilderness travel.

lyontyl: "I bring my Garmin 93SV Echomap Plus with the normal transducer but I wouldn't recommend bringing a Panoptix or the Livescope. You can try it and give me some input on how well it worked but I have attempted to use the Livescope just fishing in lakes in Iowa in a canoe and I have really struggled to make it worth the hassle.


It is already quite a bit of work to fish in the rear of the canoe compared to the front and imagine adding one more thing. If you add wind and waves it gets even more difficult.


I struggled with finding a good arm that would allow me to swivel the Livescope around that was hassle free. I tried RAM Mounts but couldn't find anything great. In addition to the above I also just had a tough time with managing the unit. Between messing with the anchor, keeping myself positioned, using a rod and a few other things I just didn't feel the "juice was worth the squeeze".


Don't get me wrong it's hard to fish without a Livescope once you use it but I just haven't found a great way in a canoe. Also, as others have said you will burn through a ton of battery using it and it may just not be a great option for wilderness travel.
"

Curious as to your battery setup and run time with your Echomap 9. Do you mind sharing what you use? I have an Echomap 7 and am considering it for the mapping function and GPS, but I gotta believe it takes a ton more juice than my current black and white Striker.

Thanks!

walleyevision: "

lyontyl: "I bring my Garmin 93SV Echomap Plus with the normal transducer but I wouldn't recommend bringing a Panoptix or the Livescope. You can try it and give me some input on how well it worked but I have attempted to use the Livescope just fishing in lakes in Iowa in a canoe and I have really struggled to make it worth the hassle.



It is already quite a bit of work to fish in the rear of the canoe compared to the front and imagine adding one more thing. If you add wind and waves it gets even more difficult.



I struggled with finding a good arm that would allow me to swivel the Livescope around that was hassle free. I tried RAM Mounts but couldn't find anything great. In addition to the above I also just had a tough time with managing the unit. Between messing with the anchor, keeping myself positioned, using a rod and a few other things I just didn't feel the "juice was worth the squeeze".



Don't get me wrong it's hard to fish without a Livescope once you use it but I just haven't found a great way in a canoe. Also, as others have said you will burn through a ton of battery using it and it may just not be a great option for wilderness travel.
"

Curious as to your battery setup and run time with your Echomap 9. Do you mind sharing what you use? I have an Echomap 7 and am considering it for the mapping function and GPS, but I gotta believe it takes a ton more juice than my current black and white Striker.


Thanks!"

I paired up two 12 amp lithium batteries from Amped Outdoors. This summer they lasted me 4 days and I fished all day for most of those.

I'd never think of taking my 93sv with live scope to the BW. I even have it all in an ice fishing shuttle and still it's heavy and cumbersome unless you're doing very few portages. On my boat I've got the transducer arm attached via ram ball/arm so it would be pretty easy to make that work on a canoe. But again...not for me probably

I've got a 30aH lithium battery in the shuttle and I've never gotten close to killing it after 2 days of ice fishing before charging again.

I have a Helix 7 MSI/MDI I certainly would pair w/ that battery if I actually wanted a finder for the BW. Much less battery use and still get mega SI, DI, auto chart, etc.

walllee: "

walleyevision: "

walllee: "Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school…."

What fish finder unit are you using? Have any pics of your setup?
"

It’s a Lowrance X4, it just sits on the floor, no fancy set up…"

It seems Lowrance made two different X4 fish finders over the years (also a x-4 Pro). With 8 D batteries I'm thinking you have the older version.

The Hawkeye Fishtrax 1C will get you a better than basic setup for $150 and runs on 4 AA batteries that will last for the duration of a normal trip. No need to mess with bulkier D-Cells, 8 quantity, backup batteries, or recharging on power banks daily.

Pair with a small RAM mount for the unit and either a suction cup mount for the transducer or a Scotty Transducer Arm + Scotty Gunnel Clamp that makes for easy in and out with the transducer.

arnesr: "

walllee: "

walleyevision: "

walllee: "Mine holds 8 D batteries, run for two weeks, 10 hours a day…. Guess I’m old school…."

Mine is the one in the bottom picture…



What fish finder unit are you using? Have any pics of your setup?
"

It’s a Lowrance X4, it just sits on the floor, no fancy set up…"

It seems Lowrance made two different X4 fish finders over the years (also a x-4 Pro). With 8 D batteries I'm thinking you have the older version.










"

walllee: "Mine is the one in the bottom picture…"

I stand corrected. The X-4 you have is a very power efficient unit for use in a canoe. The D size batteries no doubt give you a longer boost in run time over AA batteries. For the price/weight of disposable batteries though you might consider upgrading to some sort of rechargeable lithium battery at some point. Myself, I power my unit(Hook4) with a Ryobi drill battery with a buck converter to bring the voltage down to 12V. LiFePO4 batteries are also coming down in price and are another good choice for a rechargeable battery.

I also use a Deeper. Recharge with a power brick, along with my phone and other electronics, including my Garmin Mini. I also have a small portable solar charger to keep my bricks charged. To me it is essential. Bricks run out, the charger has always kept me in power. I have to save the day for other campers who lost power and spent days paddling to find a place to recharge (in Woodland Carabou to call for flight out). If you are using electronics on a trip, get a solar charger!