Hi lads. I am looking at purchasing a boat and seeing as there are so many variations and cost and companies out there at the moment looking for some advice.
I used to own a Angling Technics Microcat which couldn't fault at the time but things seemed have moved on a bit since then.
I am looking at 1300 max
I would prefer one with a graphic sounder. Not that bothered about a GPS.
Like the look at the future Carping ones.
Just after some advice and pros and cons of each.
Thanks
Brent
I used to own a Angling Technics Microcat which couldn't fault at the time but things seemed have moved on a bit since then.
I am looking at 1300 max
I would prefer one with a graphic sounder. Not that bothered about a GPS.
Like the look at the future Carping ones.
Just after some advice and pros and cons of each.
Thanks
Brent
In reply to Post #1
In reply to Post #1
I looked at the Future Carping ones, the Baron in particular which has everything built into the handset for around your budget....I was close to ordering one but decided against it after speaking to a couple of aftersales Baitboat experts who said although the boats were very good the echo sounder graphics were akin to a 90'S Nokia
A couple of hundred more gets you an X Boat with TF500 fish finder....👍
I looked at the Future Carping ones, the Baron in particular which has everything built into the handset for around your budget....I was close to ordering one but decided against it after speaking to a couple of aftersales Baitboat experts who said although the boats were very good the echo sounder graphics were akin to a 90'S Nokia
A couple of hundred more gets you an X Boat with TF500 fish finder....👍
I know someone that had an Rt4 sold it to buy an X-boat that he says is a much better boat 
In reply to Post #4
I've got the X boat, love it, coupled with autopilot and fish finder, not the fastest, but great so far.
I've got the X boat, love it, coupled with autopilot and fish finder, not the fastest, but great so far.
Don't bother looking at anything else, buy an ND2 + their App and self fit a Raymarine Dragonfly to it and a speed kit. You can buy the Dragonflies and the speed kits from Fish Eye Camera ready to install which is a piece of pee to do, you then basically have a mini RT4. You could also buy the ND2 boat with an already fitted Deeper Chirp+ for £1100 or something near that all in. If ordering the Dragonfly, order by phone and get them to cut the plug off and solder the transducer wires to the board and tell them it's to fit an ND2 and not leave the transducer wires nutty long.
The problem as I understand it with the RT4's is the speed controller they use is very noisy and causes interference with echo sounders, the ND2's don't suffer from this problem.
The ND2's are a serious piece of kit, they are a lot of boat for the money, don't be put off by the price, ask the Fish Eye Camera guy what he uses all the time, it certainly isn't his RT4 or any of the other unnecessarily expensive boats he's got. The Autopilot feature on the App is the nuts; find a spot with your boat you like the look of, mark it as a spot on the App, send it back to the same spot or spots time and time again, so easy, unlike some of the clunky Autopilot/fish finder systems out there ala Toslon...80's Atari...lol.
£550 for the boat
£200 for the App
£50 for speed kit
£550 for a modded Raymarine Dragonfly
The problem as I understand it with the RT4's is the speed controller they use is very noisy and causes interference with echo sounders, the ND2's don't suffer from this problem.
The ND2's are a serious piece of kit, they are a lot of boat for the money, don't be put off by the price, ask the Fish Eye Camera guy what he uses all the time, it certainly isn't his RT4 or any of the other unnecessarily expensive boats he's got. The Autopilot feature on the App is the nuts; find a spot with your boat you like the look of, mark it as a spot on the App, send it back to the same spot or spots time and time again, so easy, unlike some of the clunky Autopilot/fish finder systems out there ala Toslon...80's Atari...lol.
£550 for the boat
£200 for the App
£50 for speed kit
£550 for a modded Raymarine Dragonfly
In reply to Post #1
There are a couple of FB groups (if you do FB) which are very interesting and can open your eyes a lot to what's available at decent prices. Matt from Fisheye is a very helpful chap.
Re the RT4, out of your price bracket new so pointless.
I would sit down and have a think about what you need over what you want. I'd agree fish finders/sonar have moved on but boats..hmm...not so sure, other than the fact there is more choice and thanks to China it can be a lot cheaper.
There are a couple of FB groups (if you do FB) which are very interesting and can open your eyes a lot to what's available at decent prices. Matt from Fisheye is a very helpful chap.
Re the RT4, out of your price bracket new so pointless.
I would sit down and have a think about what you need over what you want. I'd agree fish finders/sonar have moved on but boats..hmm...not so sure, other than the fact there is more choice and thanks to China it can be a lot cheaper.
In reply to Post #4
Gerry if someone is claiming the xboat is better than the rt4 they need to see a doctor or perhaps they have been reading the spammers from other companys and their arse lickers .It really isnt in fact its not even a comparison it might be better than some of the absolute gash knocking about but even the sb boats are better than the xboat.
Gerry if someone is claiming the xboat is better than the rt4 they need to see a doctor or perhaps they have been reading the spammers from other companys and their arse lickers .It really isnt in fact its not even a comparison it might be better than some of the absolute gash knocking about but even the sb boats are better than the xboat.
In reply to Post #8
interesting what didnt you like about yours then ? apart from slightly slower speed ?
interesting what didnt you like about yours then ? apart from slightly slower speed ?
https://www.carplounge.co.uk/rt4-baitboat/rt4-int.-1-baitboat/rt4-set-deals-configure-now/
RT4's are pretty close your budget Brent... Why would you pass up the opportunity to get one?
You'll only be looking at your makes one and be wishing you'd taken the plunge and got one yourself...
RT4's are pretty close your budget Brent... Why would you pass up the opportunity to get one?
You'll only be looking at your makes one and be wishing you'd taken the plunge and got one yourself...
In reply to Post #6
Having owned an RT4, mate has an x boat (used it a few times myself as well) and now the ND2 here's my thoughts
1. RT4 awesome but way too expensive unless you use it every week hard to justify the expense
2. X Boat very good boat and cheaper than the RT4
3. ND2 so far so good (maybe 4 trips all seamless) Cost effective and 9/10 of an RT4 at approx half the price
Choice as they say is all yours
Having owned an RT4, mate has an x boat (used it a few times myself as well) and now the ND2 here's my thoughts
1. RT4 awesome but way too expensive unless you use it every week hard to justify the expense
2. X Boat very good boat and cheaper than the RT4
3. ND2 so far so good (maybe 4 trips all seamless) Cost effective and 9/10 of an RT4 at approx half the price
Choice as they say is all yours
Iv had numerous boats angling technics,waverunner, carptecnics sb4 that is the best small boat on the market imho I still have this for short sessions but i bought a second hand RT4 with v3 autopilot mapping and dragonfly fish finder an wow what a boat. I would honestly recommend to anyone. My mate has the xboat with the Toslon tf740 and he is wanting to sell it to buy the rt4.
In reply to Post #1
I set myself a budget of £1200 max recently and was dead cert on the ND2 with a few added extras. If you're absolutely certain that £1300 is your max then go for the ND2. Or.. you could get a 2nd hand RT4 Exclusive boat. That's where I started going, but ended up at the Elements instead. The way I justified it was that it has all the latest tech and future proofs myself for the next 5-10 years. It can be a sloppy slope with buying a bait boat imo.
I set myself a budget of £1200 max recently and was dead cert on the ND2 with a few added extras. If you're absolutely certain that £1300 is your max then go for the ND2. Or.. you could get a 2nd hand RT4 Exclusive boat. That's where I started going, but ended up at the Elements instead. The way I justified it was that it has all the latest tech and future proofs myself for the next 5-10 years. It can be a sloppy slope with buying a bait boat imo.
In reply to Post #11
Re
Having owned an RT4, mate has an x boat (used it a few times myself as well) and now the ND2 here's my thoughts
1. RT4 awesome but way too expensive unless you use it every week hard to justify the expense
2. X Boat very good boat and cheaper than the RT4
3. ND2 so far so good (maybe 4 trips all seamless) Cost effective and 9/10 of an RT4 at approx half the price
Great feedback Spencer
nice to have an informed unbiased opinion by someone who has owned and used these boats
Re
Having owned an RT4, mate has an x boat (used it a few times myself as well) and now the ND2 here's my thoughts
1. RT4 awesome but way too expensive unless you use it every week hard to justify the expense
2. X Boat very good boat and cheaper than the RT4
3. ND2 so far so good (maybe 4 trips all seamless) Cost effective and 9/10 of an RT4 at approx half the price
Great feedback Spencer
nice to have an informed unbiased opinion by someone who has owned and used these boats
In reply to Post #7
Just to add to my post from before, would you consider a none built in sonar?
I have a basic RT4 with a Deeper Chirp mounted on the back, principally because I want to have the ability to use the Deeper on a rod or possibly a dingy and can't justify multiple sonars. At £250 odd quid for the Deeper, a bracket for £10 or so and the screen being a smart phone or tablet you probably already have, it might give you more freedom on your boat choice. Matt at Fisheye makes range extenders for the Deeper, I bought 1 on offer at £100, if you needed it, you can also diy a range extender for around £50.
Just to add to my post from before, would you consider a none built in sonar?
I have a basic RT4 with a Deeper Chirp mounted on the back, principally because I want to have the ability to use the Deeper on a rod or possibly a dingy and can't justify multiple sonars. At £250 odd quid for the Deeper, a bracket for £10 or so and the screen being a smart phone or tablet you probably already have, it might give you more freedom on your boat choice. Matt at Fisheye makes range extenders for the Deeper, I bought 1 on offer at £100, if you needed it, you can also diy a range extender for around £50.
In reply to Post #15
Cheers for all the advice lads top quality as always. Will have a look at the rt4 now as not considered these before.
Cheers Brent
Cheers for all the advice lads top quality as always. Will have a look at the rt4 now as not considered these before.
Cheers Brent
In reply to Post #15
The great thing about the Deeper is its mapping feature. To add mapping to my boat, very much like an RT4 or similar is that you have to have a GNSS injector which binds with your sonar = more battery usage. As of now, the Deeper can run at normal power for 8 hours and is just a simple case of charging from a powerbank separate from the boat.
The only downside of a Deeper is its lack of resolution. They are fantastic, I have one myself and thought of doing similar to what you're suggesting. If I wanted to later on retrofit with higher resolution like, say a Dragonfly, Carplounge [from memory] were asking for £1300, which quite simply is ridiculous.
Going from a Deeper to a low tier Raymarine is night and day. So much better and well worth the extra money.
On a slight tangent:
Is going from something like what I've got to an Element or even an Axiom worth the cost, I don't know. Side scan would be great for snags and getting a general feel of the topography, Real 3D, is that worth it whereby you can get a super clear idea of the topography, I don't know. The other thing with these types of high powered Chirp systems is battery usage. I'd be very interested to here how much these systems use battery wise from users once Raymarine release the update so as Element can connect via WiFi - Raymarine might have released their update and what I've said is redundant.
The great thing about the Deeper is its mapping feature. To add mapping to my boat, very much like an RT4 or similar is that you have to have a GNSS injector which binds with your sonar = more battery usage. As of now, the Deeper can run at normal power for 8 hours and is just a simple case of charging from a powerbank separate from the boat.
The only downside of a Deeper is its lack of resolution. They are fantastic, I have one myself and thought of doing similar to what you're suggesting. If I wanted to later on retrofit with higher resolution like, say a Dragonfly, Carplounge [from memory] were asking for £1300, which quite simply is ridiculous.
Going from a Deeper to a low tier Raymarine is night and day. So much better and well worth the extra money.
On a slight tangent:
Is going from something like what I've got to an Element or even an Axiom worth the cost, I don't know. Side scan would be great for snags and getting a general feel of the topography, Real 3D, is that worth it whereby you can get a super clear idea of the topography, I don't know. The other thing with these types of high powered Chirp systems is battery usage. I'd be very interested to here how much these systems use battery wise from users once Raymarine release the update so as Element can connect via WiFi - Raymarine might have released their update and what I've said is redundant.
In reply to Post #17
I had a full auto pilot Chirp before this basic boat and I have seen a RT4 with Raymarine in use, it is a fantastic bit of kit. I also asked Matt at Fisheye for a fitted price for RM in my RT4, sure it was less than half what CL want, but my boat has 2 years warranty to run so no point invalidating it just yet! I did ask CL for a towable self powered version of RM, much like the 1 they produce for commercial customers but my Mrs got me thinking.
Why do I need RM other than for my ocd of wanting to know
In 30 years I've never fished a water where a basic sonar wouldn't do the job, I'll rephrase that, where I haven't been happy with my results. I have absolutely no doubt that RM and newer versions might give you a edge on super tricky topographically challenging waters but are you fishing one or likely too?
Tbh, I think that is the 'hook's with a lot of 'add ons', bit like the condom/gun quote in alien, "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it", bit like the bait spirals I've yet to use or the battery upgrade that's sitting in a box 
I had a full auto pilot Chirp before this basic boat and I have seen a RT4 with Raymarine in use, it is a fantastic bit of kit. I also asked Matt at Fisheye for a fitted price for RM in my RT4, sure it was less than half what CL want, but my boat has 2 years warranty to run so no point invalidating it just yet! I did ask CL for a towable self powered version of RM, much like the 1 they produce for commercial customers but my Mrs got me thinking.
Why do I need RM other than for my ocd of wanting to know
In 30 years I've never fished a water where a basic sonar wouldn't do the job, I'll rephrase that, where I haven't been happy with my results. I have absolutely no doubt that RM and newer versions might give you a edge on super tricky topographically challenging waters but are you fishing one or likely too?Tbh, I think that is the 'hook's with a lot of 'add ons', bit like the condom/gun quote in alien, "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it", bit like the bait spirals I've yet to use or the battery upgrade that's sitting in a box
In reply to Post #18
Matt said he's doing Dragonflies fitted for £750, although he's not going to be doing any boats for quite some time due to how much work him and his team have on right now. He won't be doing an Element for some time due to Carplounge have an exclusive 6mths deal with Raymarine via the new App that's in development and not released for Element.
I've never had or felt the need for a bait boat, to the point I've always thought they're very Noddy. The water I'm on now has a mind bendig topography, seeing it as I have done via my sonar, it's stopped that annoying noise in the back of my mind of 'do you really need one with a fancy sonar'. Dependant on where the fish are, some of the ranges are staggering and I'll never be able to put a bait to fish showing casting at them + very low stock, no brainer for my specific needs.
All these things are personal. For me, as good as the Deeper is, I just found the resolution lacking. I found the fish icons confused things for me; I can make out pike and see shoals of baitfish with what I'm currently using and features are much more defined and clearer to comprehend, I never got that with the Deeper. Deeper Chirps are very good, I can definitely see their benefits like I was saying previously with their mapping feature, which I'll add makes it worth its money just for that alone.
Makes a lot of sense for you not to have anything put in your boat before the warranty ends. Would be daft to take the chance and have everything go south on you.
I got sick of sending my boat out holding binoculars in one hand and controlling the boat with the other. I'm currently working on a live feed camera setup so as I can watch a screen as I send it out instead of snaking all over the place. For those interested, I'll put up a mini blog/post of the bits needed and how I've gone about it. Essentially I've a decent cheap mini live camera + 5.8ghz transmitter mounted in a waterproof GoPro case bought off of Amazon for £11 + a separate small 12v 1800mah Li-Ion battery pack giving the whole thing power. It's pretty neat really. It comes to about £140 with the live monitor. Ha, RobocarpAngler....
Matt said he's doing Dragonflies fitted for £750, although he's not going to be doing any boats for quite some time due to how much work him and his team have on right now. He won't be doing an Element for some time due to Carplounge have an exclusive 6mths deal with Raymarine via the new App that's in development and not released for Element.
I've never had or felt the need for a bait boat, to the point I've always thought they're very Noddy. The water I'm on now has a mind bendig topography, seeing it as I have done via my sonar, it's stopped that annoying noise in the back of my mind of 'do you really need one with a fancy sonar'. Dependant on where the fish are, some of the ranges are staggering and I'll never be able to put a bait to fish showing casting at them + very low stock, no brainer for my specific needs.
All these things are personal. For me, as good as the Deeper is, I just found the resolution lacking. I found the fish icons confused things for me; I can make out pike and see shoals of baitfish with what I'm currently using and features are much more defined and clearer to comprehend, I never got that with the Deeper. Deeper Chirps are very good, I can definitely see their benefits like I was saying previously with their mapping feature, which I'll add makes it worth its money just for that alone.
Makes a lot of sense for you not to have anything put in your boat before the warranty ends. Would be daft to take the chance and have everything go south on you.
I got sick of sending my boat out holding binoculars in one hand and controlling the boat with the other. I'm currently working on a live feed camera setup so as I can watch a screen as I send it out instead of snaking all over the place. For those interested, I'll put up a mini blog/post of the bits needed and how I've gone about it. Essentially I've a decent cheap mini live camera + 5.8ghz transmitter mounted in a waterproof GoPro case bought off of Amazon for £11 + a separate small 12v 1800mah Li-Ion battery pack giving the whole thing power. It's pretty neat really. It comes to about £140 with the live monitor. Ha, RobocarpAngler....
In reply to Post #19
I got a camera with built in transmitter, batteries, charger, 5.8ghz monitor for around £50 from aliexpress. Made my own case out of carbon effect plastic sheet, it's rough n ready but it works.
I got a camera with built in transmitter, batteries, charger, 5.8ghz monitor for around £50 from aliexpress. Made my own case out of carbon effect plastic sheet, it's rough n ready but it works.
In reply to Post #20
It's pretty cool the things you can do now 🙂
I grabbed all the gear from eBay so I ended up paying more for what I've got.
What aerials are you using?
It's pretty cool the things you can do now 🙂
I grabbed all the gear from eBay so I ended up paying more for what I've got.
What aerials are you using?
In reply to Post #21
Camera and monitor all built in... Clover on cam and normal stick on monitor
Camera on the lowest power output has been used up to about 130-150 yards
Ouch just checked and cam price has doubled, i paid £16.25
https://aliexpress.com/item/32958853838.html
Monitor I paid £17.49
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32947828962.html
Camera and monitor all built in... Clover on cam and normal stick on monitor
Camera on the lowest power output has been used up to about 130-150 yards
Ouch just checked and cam price has doubled, i paid £16.25
https://aliexpress.com/item/32958853838.html
Monitor I paid £17.49
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32947828962.html
In reply to Post #22
Very cool
Have you got a photo of it on your boat?
Very cool
Have you got a photo of it on your boat?
In reply to Post #23
Seemingly not, I can't even find a picture I took when I first made the case / mount for it.
I'll try and dig it out and take a pic, it's rough n ready though
Seemingly not, I can't even find a picture I took when I first made the case / mount for it.
I'll try and dig it out and take a pic, it's rough n ready though
Here you go, basic little box case, battery slots in the back so nothing hanging out, velcro on the bottom for easy on and off the boat
In reply to Post #24
How are you able to tell how low your battery is, have you got an osd with a battery sensor?
How are you able to tell how low your battery is, have you got an osd with a battery sensor?
In reply to Post #26
I don't have a display but I have 5 batteries for the camera and just swap over regularly if using it. I decided to go small battery rather than bigger and longer lasting.
I don't have a display but I have 5 batteries for the camera and just swap over regularly if using it. I decided to go small battery rather than bigger and longer lasting.
In reply to Post #6
A couple of things I would like a bit more info on if at all possible.
Other than cutting the plug off and soldering the shortened transducer wires to the board is there anything else that needs to be done, range extender or anything ? (and of course the mounting of the transducer in the hull)
I presume its the Raymarine Dragonfly Pro5 (read this alot online that its used with the ND2) when i google one tho, its got a display screen is this the wrong version ?
Appreciate any input !
Cheers
A couple of things I would like a bit more info on if at all possible.
Other than cutting the plug off and soldering the shortened transducer wires to the board is there anything else that needs to be done, range extender or anything ? (and of course the mounting of the transducer in the hull)
I presume its the Raymarine Dragonfly Pro5 (read this alot online that its used with the ND2) when i google one tho, its got a display screen is this the wrong version ?
Appreciate any input !
Cheers
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