The new Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 126 is the biggest and baddest in its line of charts. It has a lot going for it – great connectivity, an intuitive user interface with some awesome software features that you won’t find anywhere else.
The improvements over the “Plus” line come from better hardware, while some of what made us liked about it’s older cousins remain. Unfortunately one thing that really turned off was still present in this new product: The lack-luster performance when casting or reeling-in your catch with only 1 hand on rod and reel which makes fishing more difficult than before due to slower response time times – something you’ll have no problem remembering if ever find yourself up against an active fish.
Technical Specifications and Details
Model
Sonar- Maximum Depth
Imaging-Range
GPS
Transducer
Screen
Maps Included
Memory Card Slots
ECHOMAP Ultra 126
2300 ft. (fresh) 1100 ft. (salt)
200 ft. Down*
500 ft. Side (UHD Side 125 ft.)
Internal, High Precision
GT54UHD-TM
12”, 1280 x 800 pixels, WXGA, LED backlit
Garmin Worldwide Marine Basemap
2 MicroSD
Garmin Echomap Ultra 126 SV Key Features
We think that the hardware in this 126 is an improvement over what was present on past models; it’s because there has been so much progress made and room to grow with all of our future needs.
Display and Interface
You’ll be really pleased with the big screen on your new Ultra fish finder, which makes it easy for everyone in a boat to see exactly what’s happening right before them. The display is 1280 x 800 pixels and offers excellent target separation as well.
The backlit screen makes it easy to use no matter what the conditions are. You can go fishing during cloudy days, rainy nights or even when there’s foggy air and still see your readings clearly on this device because of its anti-glare feature.
The big advantage to getting such a screen is that you can display multiple pieces of information simultaneously with enough separation between them. For example, our favorite feature on most modern chart plotters happens to be combination views – this allows for split screens and makes it much easier than before when looking at your sonar readings alongside side vessel info.
The interface of the Ultra 126 is somewhat impressive, with its combination touchscreen/keypad. We love it and hope this becomes a standard – whether you agree or not depends largely on your preference for touchscreen. The joys associated from using an interface like these are that if one gets wet (which inevitably happens), then there’s still accessibility in terms using keys on their own instead.
CHIRP Sonar
CHIRP sonar is the latest and greatest technology available to consumers. For years, this powerful tool was something of a military secret you don’t want your enemies figuring out how accurate it can be! But with new leaks coming from all over (even NASA!), there are plenty more people aware now than ever before: enough that they’re willing take on any challenge for their hobby or job without feeling too overwhelmed.
Know how sonar works? Regular old fashioned traditional ones send out one frequency and it bounces off objects to return, where they interpret what those readings were using principles like Doppler effect. But CHIRP sounds way more complicated than that: They’re sending out multiple frequencies such as 425-285kHz which provides you with many advantages; these different ranges allow clearer pictures of your surroundings so there are no missed particulates or threats.
CHIRP stands for Chirp IMaging Ranging Finder, and it’s an incredibly useful tool when searching for objects in the water. CHIRP can penetrate much deeper than other methods because its high frequencies allow you to see farther away with greater accuracy.
Mapping
Chartplotters are great because they fill the role of two devices: a fish finder and GPS. When you need an enthusiast grade product like this one, there needs to be high precision internal map-based positioning system – not surprising given that ECHOMAP is their name! The Ultra has just what we were looking for with its internally mounted maps which make navigating on waters easy as pie without having worry about getting lost or running out battery power in between recharges.
The fish finder and GPS combo units are more exciting than ever before. With these new technologies, you can use your transducer in tandem with the navigation system on board of a boat or ship while using it to create sophisticated maps that include contours tracing over water surface topography.
Garmin has a variety of map options available to get you on your way. The basic bundle comes with Garmin’s Worldwide Marine Basemap, which covers all major oceans and coastal areas; for an extra couple hundred dollars (or pounds), BlueChart’s Lowrance charts can be purchased as well in order to offer more detailed information about lakes & rivers nearby Freshwater fishing locations.
Networking
Wireless networking is a big game changer for fishermen. The ability to connect your phone, laptop or other chartplotters with the fish finder means you no longer need an Ethernet cable just make sure it has WiFi capability. This makes using these devices much easier and less tedious than before as well because there’s nothing stopping us from being able stay connected while out on our boat(s). One company that understands this concept perfectly would have be Garmin; they produce some amazing products like active captain (their app) which helps users track marine life.
Captain your charts with ActiveCaptain, now you can store all of the lakes on cloud storage. This means that if it is Lake Vü or another map pack from Garmin you’ll be able to access them anywhere and transfer over for use during fishing trips which will save time because once prepped in advance they’ll take up less room than preparing everything at once. You could even send friends copies via email letting him know what spots might have been productive last week but aren’t sure about this upcoming weekend having a scouting party ahead troubleshooting potential problems before tournaments & big days.
The community feature of Quickdraw is an excellent way to find and download maps from other anglers. It’s free, which means that you won’t have any worries about paying for this service. We’ve seen some great communities pop up as well they really appeal not only our sense adventure but also help us feel like we can be helped by others on their journey too (and in return helping them).
SideVü and ClearVü
We all know that today’s high end fish finders are mostly focused on imaging – people aren’t as enthused about using traditional sonar anymore, because you don’t get as clear a view of structure and bottom. Those who haven’t tried it before will be blown away by how useful this new technology can be when they first use their unit! So let’s take a look at what type or technique is offered by these ultra-high tech gadgets.
The SideVü on this thing is fantastic, one of the best we’ve ever used. When you’re using UHD side imaging with 125 feet per side and incredibly crisp clear detail from all kinds or structures at your feet without having to look down into water too much it’s pure bliss. The lower frequency mHz setting will also allow for readings up 500 ft away which may come in handy if fish are lurking somewhere off screen but not sure where exactly just adjust accordingly when finding that perfect spot.
Conclusion
The ECHOMAP series is a trusted line of fish finders that have been around for many years. The latest model, the 102c ,offeels very similarly to its predecessor but comes with some upgrades including an even larger screen and improved user interface which we love! It also includes SideVü-which provides incredible accuracy when searching underwater as well as providing data on where you’ve caught before so no matter what type or size animal it will always give us everything needed right there at one glance.
The ClearVü imaging system is a great way to help you find fish, but it’s not the best part about this product. We’re hoping that Garmin finds another way of doing lower-cost underwater imagery because we know what people want in their budget fishing machines.
Whether you’re an enthusiast fisherman with other Garmin products, or are looking for fantastic side imaging the Depth is sure to please. It’s not going be great if what we want from our depth finder device isn’t in there though so avoid this one unless that specialization suits your needs better.
