Issue 48

Product Reviews

M265LH TRANSDUCER   (In-Hull 1 kilowatt CHIRP Transducer)

If you ask any serious Marlin or Big Game Fishermen which transducer is top of their wish list – they’ll point you to the Airmar M265LH Chirp-ready in-hull version. Airmar is one of the leading manufacturers of sonar transducers worldwide and Lowrance SA is an approved distributor of their products.

Why this transducer in particular? 

John Minnie explains, “It’s about how times have changed, the development in technology and the benefits of having a Chirp transducer (which changed the face of fishing in terms of depth) versus a traditional one – and pairing it with the latest in fishfinding technology.”

Most anglers, especially competitive anglers, want it all – detail, bottom tacking at speed, the clearest pictures of the water column, and to determine individual predators around a baitball or identify different pelagic species. It’s about being able to target Marlin, Bluefin or Yellowfin Tuna and other gamefish, at great depths and with total clarity. Anglers are looking to maximise the performance of their top-end fishfinders – which explains why the M265LH is proving so popular – it’s all about having the most effective transducer. Your fishfinder screen can only display what it receives from your transducer. John continues, “The M265LH can be paired with Lowrance’s hi-tech HDS Live or Carbon  units which have two dedicated Chirp channels to connect dedicated Chirp transducers.   They offer one port for low frequency and one for high frequency – which means both can run at the same time without compromising either. The resulting clarity and definition are unbelievable – you can clearly identify Marlin, gamefish and other species. It’s a real win situation, especially when it comes to competitions.”

The view you see on your fishfinder is greatly affected by the quality of your transducer and its power capability.  The more powerful it is, the “cleaner” the image with less clutter (SNR – signal to noise ratio), extra detail and more depth. The M265LH is a 1kiloWatt transducer that gives crisp, clear images of what’s under your boat.  No more guesswork involved – simply focus on your skill and catch those fish!

While most anglers are familiar with the three common frequency options: 200 kHz, 83 kHz and 50 kHz (and there are others) – we also know specific frequencies excel at detecting certain species of fish. For example, 60kHz is great for Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, 133kHz for Squid, and 175kHz for Cod and so on. The M265LH transducer offers all these and every other frequency in both the high and low bandwidths. This powerhouse transducer delivers excellent resolution, bottom definition, with bait and gamefish separation at all depths.

A seven-element, low-frequency selection operates between 42 and 65 kHz for exceptional deep-water performance. This makes all the difference, especially when it comes to Marlin fishing and finding other species which hide in the deep!

The high-frequency ceramic operates between 130 and 210 kHz with a narrow, 10° to 6°, bandwidth. This allows for incredible detail – perfect for separating structure and pinpointing the pelagic fish which are usually found around bait balls and structure. You really can’t get better when it comes to actually “seeing” different types of arches and identifying structure and bottom – thanks to the excellent resolution.

Talking of competitions – it’s a good time to think about changing your transducer ahead of the popular OET and Billfish tournaments around November. You still have a good few months’ practise in store and who knows – this game-changer could mean you’ll be a winner!

Or maybe it’s time to upgrade your old transducer? You may have upgraded your unit to a Live or Carbon but kept your old transducer- and therefore you’re probably not getting the  most from it. Remember that internal elements will slowly disintegrate over time – and these are the key elements of a transducer. So, it is important to change your single frequency transducer every 4 – 5 years (depending on the amount of usage) to optimise performance. A 1kWatt will last longer because it has multiple elements which means it doesn’t use the same element all the time. If the “wow” factor is just not there – M265LH transducer will make the world of difference.

Speak to John and the team at our Lowrance SA head office (031) 368 6649 – they’ll give you all the information you need and pricing!

Features

  • Depth only
  • 1 kW of power for great deep-water performance
  • Low frequency: 42 to 65 kHz
    • 25° to 16° beamwidth
    • Maximum depth of 914 m (3000’)
  • High frequency: 130 to 210 kHz
    • 10° to 6° beamwidth
    • Maximum depth of 304 m (1000’) 
  • 103 kHz of total bandwidth from one transducer
  • Covers popular fishing frequencies of 50 and 200 kHz plus everything else in the bandwidth
  • Plastic transducer housing and mounting tank
  • Also available as transom (TM265LH), thru-hull (B265LH), pocket (PM265LH), and cavity/welded-tank (CM265LH) mounts

Patented Xducer ID® technology

View M265LH Bottom Coverage

Designed for boats up to 11 m (36′) with solid fiberglass hulls – the M265LH is ideal for those not wanting to drill a hole in their hull. It includes a plastic housing which is aligned to the centreline and secured inside the hull then filled with nontoxic antifreeze. 

The transducer is inserted into the housing and adjusted to ensure the beam shoots straight down for maximum echo return. The antifreeze provides the best medium to transmit through the fiberglass and into the surrounding water. 

It is recommended that your transducer is professionally installed by an experienced dealer – but if you have the expertise to do so yourself – this guideline may be helpful.

WHY DOES FREQUENCY MATTER?

Selecting the best frequency for your specific application is very important. The good news is that once you know what frequency will work best for the type of fishing you do, there’s a transducer designed to maximise the performance of your sounder.

AIRMAR Chirp transducers are available in various frequency combinations: 

Dual Band:

  • Low/High (LH)
  • Low/Medium (LM)    
  • Low/High Wide (LHW)
  • Low Wide/Medium (LWM)  

Single Band:

  • Low
  • Medium
  • High 
  • High Wide

Low Frequency = Greater Depth (ex. 42-65 kHz)

  • Sound waves will not present as clear a picture of the bottom on the display, but will sound down in very deep areas where high frequency sound waves cannot reach
  • Provides greater depth range, wider beamwidth, and ultimately more coverage under the boat
  • Chirp signal processing technology used with AIRMAR broadband, Chirp-ready transducers provide more detail at greater depths and less susceptible to noise
  • Great for operating at high boat speeds

High Frequency = Greater Detail (ex. 130-210 kHz)

  • More sensitive to small targets and will send back detailed information which will display as crisp, high-resolution images on the echosounder screen
  • Best for shallower water and popular with anglers fishing at depths less than 1500 feet

Medium Frequency = The Best of Both Worlds (ex. 80-130 kHz)

  • Provides the ability to sound deeper than the high frequency, along with better resolution than the low frequency
  • Wider beam than the high frequency, achieving more coverage under the boat and greater opportunity to find fish Clear images at higher boat speeds

In-Hull 1 kW

Features Depth only

  • Hull Type: Solid fiberglass stepped,planing or displacement hull types
  • Plastic / Urethane transducer housing
  • Hull deadrise: Up to 30°
  • Engine type: Can be used with single or twin inboard,I/O, OB and jet drive propulsion

M265LH Low & High Frequency

  • Low—42 kHz to 65 kHz25° to 16° beam width Maximum depth 3000 ft
  • High—130 kHz to 210 kHz10° to 6° beam width Maximum depth 1000 ft
  • 103 kHz of total bandwidth from one transducer

M265LM Low & Medium Frequency

  • Low—42 kHz to 65 kHz25° to 16° beam width Maximum depth 3000 ft
  • Medium—85 kHz to 135 kHz16° to 11° beam width Maximum depth 1500 ft
  • 73 kHz of total bandwidth from one transducer

Bottom Coverage Relative to Frequency and Depth

Link to Online Magazine article: https://online.fliphtml5.com/znbnl/lnui/#p=6

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