I was talking with a guy in California about his fishing boat and he commented that he had a portable fish finder that operated on AA batteries. I'd like to get something for my little 12.5' Lowe fishing boat. Who makes such a fish finder and what model is it?

here is one basspro sells

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=73436&hvarSearchValue2=550&hvarSearchValue3=416&hvarSearchValue4=00&hvarTarget=search&AFID=&sourceid=&cmCat=SEARCHRESULTS

Humminbird PiranhaMax10 Portable.  Runs on 8 AA batteries (buy 2 sets of rechargables), has a 15' cable and a suction cup transducer.  I've been running one for the last 8 months, like it pretty well.  It does the job.  Battery life is very good in warmer weather.  I've been running my current set of batteries for around 15 hours without a recharge.  Probably enough juice there for another trip, but I've got them recharging.  I also make sure to carry a spare set (or have raided my camera) because you never know when they'll crap out.

Humminbird also offers the 535 portable, but it requires two 6V lantern batteries and I doubt you can recharge those.

Cabelas offers several popular fishfinders in a portable package.  They come in a carrying case with a rechargable power supply.  But I like the ease of using AA's in the Humminbird.

I'm also a fan of the Piranha. I've had one for about 2 years now, fast setup and easy to use. Take Burley's advice on the batteries, go with the rechargeables, and keep an extra set in your pocket. Also, in cold weather I use a rubberband to  hold a hand warmer against the battery compartment.

Thanks you very much Gents. I want a portable for my little 12' Lowe fishing boat and I just couldn't remember the name of the finder that the guy I was talking to mentioned. It has to be the Humminbird Piranha Max because he mentioned the suction cup transducer. Thanks Burley.

I plan to mount a fish finder on my deck boat but I didn't want the hassles of going with a full bore finder for my little boat. The Piranha should do nicely. And, I will take your advice on the batteries Burley and Pops. I appreciate your help.

Thanks very much.

Tom

I think you can buy suction cup attachments for pretty much any transducer.  But the little PMax10 is a neat package.  Very easy to move around.  Easy to move around, I regularly take it on my friend's boat so I'll have something to look at in the back of the boat.

Two additional tips.  Buy a bungee cord long enough to stretch across the bench seat in your boat.  Use that to secure the finder to the seat when you're fishing.  It it pretty stable, but I like the added security of the cord.

Second, buy a small bungee cord to wrap around the fish finder when the transducer is stored in the base.  It has a little bracket for the suction cup, but it doesn't do a very good job of holding the cup in.  I wrap the small cord around the entire package and it holds everything together quite nicely.

It is a nice little package, don't know if you can beat it for $120.

Pops, love that tip about the handwarmer.  I'll have to give that a try this winter.  I was going through a set of batteries every trip back in the spring.

Thanks Burley

Just about every company offers a portable.I also use the Hummingbird Piranha 10 portable.It gets the job done.Battery life lasts a long time,and it is simple to use.

here is what i did with my Eagle fishmark 480 to make it portable.

i started with a Genz blue box.

dropped a 7 amp battery in it.

and mounted the 480.

the transducer is mounted on the trolling motor.

I have a fishinbuddy with the side view and clamp on mount.  Suction cups wont hold.

It was used about 5 times, works perfect, batteries are still fresh.   I will sell it if your interested.  PM me and we talk about details.

avid