Garmin 8612 just wow wow wow

Can I ask why you decided on Garmin as opposed to simrad lowrance or other brand. I still didn't get my upgrade and I am always looking for real world reviews and opinions.


I looked at the tutorial online and it does look great.

Can I ask why you decided on Garmin as opposed to simrad lowrance or other brand. I still didn't get my upgrade and I am always looking for real world reviews and opinions.


I looked at the tutorial online and it does look great.

I have both Garmin & simrad on the boat ..charting garmin is the best ..sounder simrad is a better unit...and I also have a lowrance unit its not that good..sonder is good not great & charts about the same ok not great..find it to load a bit slow so if you have a fast boat over 25kts not a good choice..

I'll jump in ..... I was sitex 80's 90's , switched lowrance. I am about to install a Humminbird Solix 15. I'll report back. Tony, we need pictures of the screen !

I got the Garmin to replace an old Garmin 3210
Screen

I love the gamin. Hd radar but the 8600 screen makes better

the wow was for the charting simply amazing
much better than anything I’ve ever seen

I have the new evo 3 with chirp and side scan and radar side by side with the Garmin and love the radar and the bottom machine
But the 8600s radar and charting are better

Right now the top of my list is the lowrance HDS live. I saw it at the NY boat show and I liked it. It was easy to use and had a great picture of the bottom. I was also looking at the simrad but it wasn't as user friendly, for me at least.

Since I really only fish mid sound the charting is not as high of a priority. I can get within a quarter mile without any machine and then just check the sounder for my spot if I had to.

I'll chime in, although I'm certainly no expert. My current boat was bought used and had a Garmin 4212 combo GPS/Sounder/Radar unit in it, much to my delight.

The new Garmin g3 BlueCharts do rock. Regrettably I have an "older", 7 year old machine so I'm limited to g2 versions, which are still nice and more recent than the NOAA ones. For example, while the standard NOAA chart only shows 2 docks in my neighborhood, the new g2 has every one, including mine, that has been built up to 2016. They also do a satellite photo overlay on land which is cool.

Since I'm far from a radar expert I won't comment other than it's nice to have it overlay the chart so radar integrated with your GPS has become a "Must Have" IMO if you spend most of your time inshore and want radar.

My sounder has a basic 250 KHz transducer which is more than adequate for my needs. AAMOF when fishing in the estuaries, I unplug the transducer if I need to use the GPS and/or radar while fishing in the river. I've had instances where sounder use has spooked the fish and since the 4214 is an integrated unit, if the GPS is on, the transducer is running. If I ever have the need for side-scanning, and/or CHIRP I'd go with a separate unit.

One final comment is my hatred of touch screens. None of my computers have them and fortunately neither does my Garmin. I can't even begin to imagine what a nightmare that would be with me and my fat, fish and bait dripping fingers. I make enough of a mess with fish guts on the Garmin's keys. I firmly believe that touchscreen electronics do not belong in the cockpit of a serious fishing boat, just not practical. They're probably fine on a boat that's primary purpose is NOT for fishing, and that is a very foreign concept for me...

I'll let you know after I get up and running ...... about how I feel regarding the touch screen. 🤓

I'll let you know after I get up and running ...... about how I feel regarding the touch screen. 🤓

No fair rating it when you're getting skunked, or if you tie a kitchen dish rag to the mounting bracket...😉

I have the touch screen about 7 years now would never go back to buttons.Boat dont leave the dock unless its fishin.

I have the 1042 & a 3210 on the big boat along with two simrad evo2 & the new touch screen...and a 4212 on the mako all great machines..

but still love my northstar for number fishing

No fair rating it when you're getting skunked, or if you tie a kitchen dish rag to the mounting bracket...😉

whoa ...... what are you trying to say Dom ?? 🤔

I like the rag hanging from the bracket Idea ........

I bought it for the radar but I love it for the reliefe

Two touch and 3 with buttons

soon to be 3 touch 2 buttons

I seem to prefer the touch screens

My current set up

My current set up

lol, that looks like my desk at work, save for the radios, it's hard to tell from the pics, are you using ss band radio?

No on the 1/2 day boat we dont

on the big boat with the 100 mile certificate
We got rid of SSB when the uscg allowed sat phone as a replacement

SSB on wood or glass boats is a real pita
As SSB requires a ground plane ( not just ground) but a large mass of metal to resonate off and I’ve never ever gotten it to work properly on glass or wood
To do it properly your supposed to mount a metal plate to the hull and use 3 inch wide ground straps from radio to plate

I’ve tried using the engines and failed

sat phones easier

I'll chime in, although I'm certainly no expert. My current boat was bought used and had a Garmin 4212 combo GPS/Sounder/Radar unit in it, much to my delight.

The new Garmin g3 BlueCharts do rock. Regrettably I have an "older", 7 year old machine so I'm limited to g2 versions, which are still nice and more recent than the NOAA ones. For example, while the standard NOAA chart only shows 2 docks in my neighborhood, the new g2 has every one, including mine, that has been built up to 2016. They also do a satellite photo overlay on land which is cool.

Since I'm far from a radar expert I won't comment other than it's nice to have it overlay the chart so radar integrated with your GPS has become a "Must Have" IMO if you spend most of your time inshore and want radar.

My sounder has a basic 250 KHz transducer which is more than adequate for my needs. AAMOF when fishing in the estuaries, I unplug the transducer if I need to use the GPS and/or radar while fishing in the river. I've had instances where sounder use has spooked the fish and since the 4214 is an integrated unit, if the GPS is on, the transducer is running. If I ever have the need for side-scanning, and/or CHIRP I'd go with a separate unit.

One final comment is my hatred of touch screens. None of my computers have them and fortunately neither does my Garmin. I can't even begin to imagine what a nightmare that would be with me and my fat, fish and bait dripping fingers. I make enough of a mess with fish guts on the Garmin's keys. I firmly believe that touchscreen electronics do not belong in the cockpit of a serious fishing boat, just not practical. They're probably fine on a boat that's primary purpose is NOT for fishing, and that is a very foreign concept for me...

As a rule I’d agree with that last part
But in my application they are very very efficient and intuitive to use
A lot of the machines with buttons are less than easy to function

in my case more so having
Garmin 8612 and touch and older 3210 buttons
Simrad touch evo 3 and an older nss with buttons
Northstar 60001 buttons

keeping track of what buttons to push could make u crazy

four years ago I upgraded to a Garmin 7612 with touch screen. I didn't want touch screen but was talked into it. I was told that any mess you make on the screen is easily wiped away. and my old unit had bait crust all over the buttons. couldn't get those clean without taking a q-tip or worse a toothpick to them. now I keep a small bottle of star write screen cleaner and microfiber rag on the boat. at the end of every trip a quick spray and two second wipe down and the unit is as shiny as new. I hope to NEVER go back to buttons. BTW my 7612 is great. im sure the 8612 is even nicer

I thought the 12 was amazing


then I bought the 16 to network it with

that was an error now I hate the 12 lol
H