Eagle 320C Color Fishfinder New Product under $200

New Product Information – Released Novemeber 2004

Eagle has just released the Eagle FishEasy 320C Color Fishfinder .

See details at the link provided.

The price for color is more affordable for Christmas!

Wade, have you changed the background lighting to “night time”? The one were the screen is black and the fish show up as green? I think in certian conditions (besides night fishing) this is a fantastic feature.
It appears that you might miss some structure though.

Did I tell you? This fall I was control drifting and came across an area that looked like my color sonar picked up fish laying on the bottom. Everytime I drifted through it showed the fish…I dropped the camera down expecting to see stired up bottom from the fish taking off….turned out to be clams! I found a new clam bed!

Hey…I was impressed!

Hard to believe how quickly manufacturers took the color technology from the outer reaches of pricing and found a way to incorporate it into their base level units. I wonder how long it will be before they start dropped greyline units all together?

I think greyline will be around for a while…I think you can still buy a B&W tv….can’t you?

Welcome back Mr H2…Holst. I’ll be looking for your pig fish pictures!

Hopefully they don’t drop black and white for along time so I don’t look outdated as I just replaced and updated my electronics a year or so ago.

Thanks, Bill

Wade,

I’m looking for a GPS. I pretty much decided on the Eagle Intelimap. Before I make this purchase, anything on the near horizon that will be in the same price range but in color???

Thanks!!

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The price for color is more affordable for Christmas!

Wade, have you changed the background lighting to “night time”? The one were the screen is black and the fish show up as green? I think in certian conditions (besides night fishing) this is a fantastic feature.
It appears that you might miss some structure though.

Did I tell you? This fall I was control drifting and came across an area that looked like my color sonar picked up fish laying on the bottom. Everytime I drifted through it showed the fish…I dropped the camera down expecting to see stired up bottom from the fish taking off….turned out to be clams! I found a new clam bed!

Hey…I was impressed!

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Color is nice isn’t it Brian. I haven’t played around with the different screen options much. I’m pretty much sticking to the basics and trying to master my reads. I’m afraid that once you get used to color there’s no turning back. Save some clams for me…

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Hard to believe how quickly manufacturers took the color technology from the outer reaches of pricing and found a way to incorporate it into their base level units. I wonder how long it will be before they start dropped greyline units all together?

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James, the prices are getting better and better for more advanced fishfinders now. This new Eagle color line will allow folks on tight fishing budgets to go color on both sonar and GPS this year. I think we’ll continue to see B&W units for a long while yet. They’ll continue to have a lower price point, and the bottom line is many consumers still want greyline – it’s what they’re comfortable with.

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Hopefully they don’t drop black and white for along time so I don’t look outdated as I just replaced and updated my electronics a year or so ago.
Thanks, Bill

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Bill, It looks like the manufacturers will be releasing “new” products nearly every year now, but maybe that will level off until the “next big thing” in electronics comes along. The rule with electronics is: Buy now, upgrade later. If we keep waiting for the “latest technology” we’re not going to have any electronics on the boat!

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Wade,

I’m looking for a GPS. I pretty much decided on the Eagle Intelimap. Before I make this purchase, anything on the near horizon that will be in the same price range but in color???

Thanks!!

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John, The Eagle IntelliMap 480 is pretty much in a price range all of its own as far as fixed-mount GPS goes. It’s a solid choice for the money. I will soon be listing a color Eagle GPS, The Eagle IntelliMap 500C Color GPS. At $399, it’s a good price for a color GPS, but obviously not in the range of the Eagle IntelliMap 480 GPS . The question is, is color worth the extra $75? You’ll get different opinions on that one but I really like the color mapping on my GPS, especially when running Navionics maps on the unit.

I am hoping to get the IntelliMap 500C in stock soon if you’re interested. Otherwise, we do have the IntelliMap 480 ready to go.

Thanks for all the questions guys.

Really? I can see sticking with grey if you’ve never used one I ‘spose. There are people that once using color they would prefer grey?

I’m no pro..and haven’t used all the equipment out there but for $75….I think it’s money well spent.

But then if I remember correctly…I order a grey this spring too…thinking ahh don’t need color…cha? was I wrong…IMHO of course.

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Really? I can see sticking with grey if you’ve never used one I ‘spose. There are people that once using color they would prefer grey?

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I was thinking the same thing except the best of the new color Eagle units are 320H X 240V where as the very affordable greyscale Fishmark 480 is (obviously) 480H x 480V. Considering that I will be using it on my trolling motor for fishing brush and rock piles, for the sake of target separation I am thinking of sticking with the greyscale fishmark 480. Yes, color is easier to read, but the screen resolution (and target separation) of the new units is barely better then my old greyscale Eagle Ultramap.

Actually I will be replacing the Ultramap with the new color FishElite 500C because the GPS features are far superior (color maps and media cards), but I guess I’m not sold on putting a new 320×240 color unit on the bow instead of a greyscale 480×480. Im not sure why I thought the new Eagle color units would be higher resolution because their more expensive Lowrance cousins are also 320×240.

Wade (or anybody else), what do you think about high resolution vs. color? (Just for sonar bow mount)

Thanks!

Dave

For $75.00 I’ll be going color because I do plan to use the Navionics chip. Thanks Wade!!!!

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For $75.00 I’ll be going color because I do plan to use the Navionics chip. Thanks Wade!!!!

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Good choice John!

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what do you think about high resolution vs. color? (Just for sonar bow mount)

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Ultimately, higher resolution in greyscale can’t do what color can do, even with a lower pixel count. If we think about what we are asking our fishfinder to do, it makes more sense. We want the fishfinder to provide us a “picture” of what lies beneath. Additionally, we’re trying to get a 3-D picture out of a 2-D screen. Color gives us more to work with, one more variable to add to the mix. Your eye is better able to pick up color differences if they are more distinct, rather than shades of grey. Color allows the unit to display strong signals as yellow, medium signals as red, and weak signals as blue. Also, with Lowrance color units, Use of the Bottom Tracking Color Mode changes the bottom to an arbitrary color which is not in the normal color spectrum (such as brown). This allows the unit to display suspended fish inside of structure for the best possible definition, detail, and accuracy. So, the general rule is to take color over greyscale, even if the pixel count is lower. However, the bottom line is that a guy has to do what he is comfortable with, and for some guys, that’s using a greyscale unit until they yank it from his cold, dead hands…

Thanks Wade. Makes perfect sense.

Please post the other color Eagles as they become available.

Thanks!
Dave

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Thanks Wade. Makes perfect sense.

Please post the other color Eagles as they become available.

Thanks!
Dave

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You bet Dave. Should be more coming soon…

Dave,

This year I’ve had the “opportunity” to use a 480, a 330c and ended up with a 19c. All with sonar.

Wade hit the nail on the head…
Although you can see the sharpness the 480 has over the 330c you can actually see more detail with the color…with color..you can’t miss it..with grey…it might be there, but you have to really look for it. I had the same question you have…side by side…the color has the edge over pixals.

The other piece I haven’t figured out is power. For lakes and rivers in the Midwest, do we really need 1500 watts? At what point does this high power become over kill and fluff? I seldom heard my x-65 in the back. With my 19, I can hear it snapping with the radio on!
I don’t think this effects the fish…but don’t know that for sure…yet.

You’ve sold me! Thanks for keeping me from making an expensive mistake. Its color from stem to stern!

Dave