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Garmin Striker 7sv Review Updated 2020

Not sure if Garmin Striker 7sv is the right fish finder for you?

For quite a long time, anglers have had to rely on their wit, experience, and observation to find fish. Things have changed for the better thanks to the emergence of fish finders, allowing you to ‘see’ fish underwater, making fishing much easier.

With the extensive range of fish finders out in the market today, finding the perfect one can be quite challenging, especially when it comes to figuring out which one has the best features and functions like the sonars, flashers, echoes, transducers, to mention a few.

That’s why we have a comprehensive review of one of the top fish finders in the market; the Garmin Striker 7sv fish finder that gives you an in-depth look at all its features and everything else you need to know about this renowned fish finder. But before that, here is a fascinating fact about fish finders. Did you know that the fish finder was first invented in 1948 by two Japanese brothers called Kiyotaka and Kiyokata Furuno? Well, now, you know.

#1. Features – Garmin Striker 7sv Review

Launched back in 2016, the Garmin Striker 7sv is one of the first fish finders from Garmin. It is packed with amazing features that are guaranteed to help you make the most out of your fishing adventures. So, let’s take a more in-depth look at its features, shall we?

1. Design and Durability

Judging by its looks, the Garmin Striker 7sv has an excellent and durable design. It’s made from durable plastic material, which makes it withstand any environment. So, you do not have to worry about the device getting damaged if it bumps itself against your fishing rod, or any rocks in the water, or your boat. It weighs about 1.7 pounds, so it’s very lightweight and easy to carry in and out of the water.

The fish finder holds a water-resistant rating of IPX7, which according to most Garmin striker 7sv reviews, is way better than most other fish finders. The device is not affected by any water that is accidentally splashed or sprayed on it.

What’s more, it can be submerged in water up to one meter deep, for up to 30 minutes, thanks to the rubber gasket inside it that is firmly held by strong screws, preventing any water from getting to the sensitive parts of the device.

However, it’s essential to keep in mind that this fish finder is water-resistant, not waterproof. It can resist the penetration of water to some degree, but not entirely. The fish finder also comes with full mounting tilt-and-swivel brackets that allow you to point the fish finder to any direction, and a portable protective case, making it fit for kayak fishing. However, the case is purchased separately. According to most Garmin Striker 7sv reviews, this is quite annoying since the price of this fish finder ought to have covered everything including the protective portable case.

2. Display

Anyone familiar with fish finders can agree that a fish finder is as good as useless if it does not show all the information on its screen. Well, the Garmin Striker 7sv’s WVGA 7-inch screen takes care of all of that. A lot of data is collected by the fish finder’s GPS, Clear Vü, Side Vü, and CHIRP Sonar, so it would be difficult to display all that on the screen, but not for this fish finder. This is because it comes with a zoomable three-split-screen feature that allows you to all that data side by side.

The Garmin Striker 7sv fish finder has a pixel matrix of 800×400, which explains it’s crystal clear images. It also comes with an adjustable backlight that allows you to see everything displayed on the screen regardless of the weather condition or the time of the day.

3. CHIRP Sonar and Transducer

The Garmin Striker 7sv fishfinder takes absolute pride in this particular feature. Unlike the standard sonar that sends out one frequency sound wave at a time, the Garmin CHIRP sonar sends out multiple frequencies sounds at a go, ranging from low, medium, and high frequencies with the help of a high level 260/455/800 kHz transducer, which is much better than most standard 77/200 kHz transducers.

With the help of the transducer, the fish finder receives and interprets each of these frequencies, giving a more extensive range of information and clear images with clear and bright arches from all the data collected from inside the water, helping you to locate the fish quickly.

4. Garmin Clear Vü and Side Vü

Another feature that helps you get a clear picture of what is going on inside the water is the Clear Vü and Side Vü Sonar technology. Still, with the 260/455/800 kHz transducer’s help, the Clear Vü provides a full and clear view of whatever passes beneath your boat, while the Side Vü allows you to see what passes on both sides of your boat.

They also provide high-resolution images on your display screen, so you can easily tell the difference between fish and other objects and the different schools of fish inside the water.

5. GPS and Navigation

When it comes to GPS and Navigation, the Garmin Striker 7sv has got you covered. It is equipped with a high-quality GPS that allows you to mark every location you consider as a hot spot for catching your favorite fish, so you can easily return to that same spot the next time you go fishing.

Worried that you will scare the fish away with the speed of your boat? The GPS gives you the ability to monitor your speed, allowing you to lower your speed as you approach your fish hot spot. When it comes to navigation, the fish finder has waypoints that will enable you to view the water body’s surrounding areas. What’s more, you can also mark specific landmarks and easily navigate through whatever water body you are fishing in without the fear of getting lost.

6. Built-in Flasher

This is a handy feature, especially during any stationary kind of fishing like ice fishing and jigging. The built-in flasher clearly displays the bottom of the water body, helping you know if it’s muddy or rocky down there. It also shows you if there’s any fish present and if they are moving near or away from your bait, making the whole fishing experience much easier.

7. Max Depth capability and accuracy

This fish finder’s maximum depth reading is 1100 feet in salty water, and 2300 feet in freshwater, which according to most Garmin Striker 7sv reviews, is much deeper than other fish finders.

With its combination of CHIRP Sonar, Clear Vü, and Side Vü Sonar technology, and the high-level transducer, this fish finder is guaranteed to give you accurate information.

#2. Ease of Use and Installation

Garmin Striker 7sv installation is quite easy, since everything you need, together with the instructions manual is included in the box. When it comes to using the device, there is a lot to learn, especially about how the different function buttons work, but once you get the hang of it, using it will be easy. Let’s take a look at each of these function buttons and what their functions are, shall we?

1. Return button: This allows you to return to the home screen and causes the fish finder to return to the home screen when it has not been used for a long time.
2. Arrow keys: These buttons allow you to move the screen up, down, left, or right
3. Menu button: This enables you to open or close menus for the different pages on the screen.
4. ‘Ok’ button: This acknowledges or accepts the selected options on the screen.
5. Waypoint button: This displays and saves the current location you are.
6. Plus and minus buttons: These are zoom buttons that allow you to zoom in and out of the screen.

The fish finder allows you to move and delete some icons on the screen. However, there are some which cannot be removed. A specific ‘add’ feature will enable you to add other icons to the home screen.

#3. Price

The Garmin Striker 7sv fish finder comes at a very reasonable price considering all the advanced features it has.

What’s in the box

1. The Garmin Striker 7sv fishfinder.
2. A 260/455/800 kHz transducer
3. 12-pin transducer to a 4-pin sounder adapter cable
4. Transom and trolling motor mounts
5. A power cable.
6. A tilt mount.
7. Screws
8. Instructions manual.

*Check out our review for Best Fish Finder for Kayak

Conclusion

The Garmin Striker 7sv is the perfect fish finder for any fishing enthusiast, whether it’s your first time using one or simply looking to change from your current fish finder. With its advanced features like the three-split- screen zoom feature, it’s top-of-the-charts CHIRP, Clear Vü, and Side Vü sonar capabilities, not forgetting it’s numerous waypoints, the Garmin Striker 7sv is worth every dime you will pay for it.