Transducer Recommendation

[Nameless Fish]

Picked up a new boat and need to add a transducer to it. Currently the previous owner had a Garmin 8012 to a GCV10 scanning sonar module to a GT30 transducer. As far as I can tell there is no option for traditional sonar with his setup. I’d like to keep the GT30 setup for side/down view(and Ethernet hub capabilities of the GCV10) but add traditional sonar to this setup. Boat will be 95% used for salmon trolling. 

[Yankee Troller]

I think you would need a sonar module (GSD 24) for the traditional sonar which makes it a network transducer. I assume the 8012 has two Ethernet ports on the back? If so the GCV is probably using one of them. You'd connect the GSD 24 to the other.

[Nameless Fish]

2 hours ago, Yankee Troller said:

I think you would need a sonar module (GSD 24) for the traditional sonar which makes it a network transducer. I assume the 8012 has two Ethernet ports on the back? If so the GCV is probably using one of them. You'd connect the GSD 24 to the other.

 

What a pain it is having to add all of these modules to this 8012. A simple Y cable on my old 93sv UHD and I had a GT30 and B60 transducer giving me side/down/traditional sonar. All for the same price as what just the modules cost for the 8012. I'm assuming I'm going to need to buy a transducer on top of the GSD24? The 8012 has 4 network ports on the back.

Edited August 25, 2025 by FishingFool34

[Yankee Troller]

24 minutes ago, FishingFool34 said:

 

What a pain it is having to add all of these modules to this 8012. A simple Y cable on my old 93sv UHD and I had a GT30 and B60 transducer giving me side/down/traditional sonar. All for the same price as what just the modules cost for the 8012. I'm assuming I'm going to need to buy a transducer on top of the GSD24? The 8012 has 4 network ports on the back.

 

Yes, that does not include the transducer. This is why I don't sell units with out sonar (xsv). 

 

You could list all that stuff that came with the boat on EBAY and buy a new 1243xsv or 93sv/106sv and do exactly what you did before.

[Nameless Fish]

1 minute ago, Yankee Troller said:

 

Yes, that does not include the transducer. This is why I don't sell units with out sonar (xsv). 

 

You could list all that stuff that came with the boat on EBAY and buy a new 1243xsv or 93sv/106sv and do exactly what you did before.

Boat also has Garmin xHD 18 radar, NMEA 2k network for Reactor 40 kicker AP and Suzuki engine management, it's also somehow connected with the Fusion marine headunit (I haven't looked into this yet). Will the echomap line of units support all of that?

[Yankee Troller]

23 minutes ago, FishingFool34 said:

Boat also has Garmin xHD 18 radar, NMEA 2k network for Reactor 40 kicker AP and Suzuki engine management, it's also somehow connected with the Fusion marine headunit (I haven't looked into this yet). Will the echomap line of units support all of that?

 

So ECHOMAP isn't an option becasue of the radar.

 

GPSMAP 1243xsv would be the way to go. That will run the radar, AP, get your engine info (which is N2K), and play your Fusion (this uses N2K as well, but can also add Garmin Network to transfer album artwork from the radio to the head unit).

[Nameless Fish]

2 hours ago, Yankee Troller said:

 

So ECHOMAP isn't an option becasue of the radar.

 

GPSMAP 1243xsv would be the way to go. That will run the radar, AP, get your engine info (which is N2K), and play your Fusion (this uses N2K as well, but can also add Garmin Network to transfer album artwork from the radio to the head unit).

Ok, how about this one... Say I remove the 8012 and the GCV10 from the dash and install something like a 943xsv or 8610xsv (cash is a little tight after the boat purchase) there instead. I could then use the GT30/B60/Y-cable setup like I had on my old boat? Could I use the 8012 on the rear deck to display and control sonar/AP/radio (basically everything besides the radar)? Or do I still need both the modules to display any type of sonar on the 8012?

Edited August 25, 2025 by FishingFool34

[Yankee Troller]

Once you buy an XSV model you can use your 8012 as a duplicator screen for sonar. Connect them with a Network cable and they will share everything. I'd also connect the new unit to the N2K Network.

[Nameless Fish]

6 hours ago, Yankee Troller said:

Once you buy an XSV model you can use your 8012 as a duplicator screen for sonar. Connect them with a Network cable and they will share everything. I'd also connect the new unit to the N2K Network.

Ok one last hypothetical for you… the 8012 is flush mounted into the dash and I’d like to keep it there. Say I buy a 943xsv for the back deck. I then add a b60 I already have to the 943, and add the 943 to the n2k network and Ethernet it to the 8012. Would that work to display sonar (traditional and down/side) and allow access to everything on the n2k network at both units?

Edited August 26, 2025 by FishingFool34

[Yankee Troller]

11 hours ago, FishingFool34 said:

Ok one last hypothetical for you… the 8012 is flush mounted into the dash and I’d like to keep it there. Say I buy a 943xsv for the back deck. I then add a b60 I already have to the 943, and add the 943 to the n2k network and Ethernet it to the 8012. Would that work to display sonar (traditional and down/side) and allow access to everything on the n2k network at both units?

 

Yup as long as the 943xsv in the back of the boat is turned on.

 

I can drop ship one to you if you'd like. $1400 + tax. The transducer would be $300 + tax.