Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar

The Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar is one of the fish finders released in 2019. Similar to the other Deeper models (so far), it does not come with a control unit; it requires a smartphone or tablet as a control unit with the Fish Deeper app installed. It’s also important to mention here, that the Deeper CHIRP model does not have built-in GPS like the Deeper Pro+. It can still use the GPS receiver of your phone, though.

Key Features and Specifications

• App: Fish Deeper
• Sonar: Triple-beam CHIRP
• Frequency and Coverage:
  7° @ 675 kHz
  20° @ 240 kHz
  47° @ 100 kHz
• Depth Capability: 330 ft. (100 m)
• Transducer: Built-in
• Broadcasting range: 330 ft. (100 m)
• GPS: Uses phone’s GPS
• Mapping: Bathymetric maps

Unit construction and accessories

The Deeper CHIRP smart sonar is contained in a spherical water-tight ABS casing 2.5″ (6.35 cm) in diameter, weighing 3.2 oz (~90g). The casing has three attachment points and two attachment bolts are included with the unit. So, you will have to screw one into the casing, connect it to a tether or to a fishing line, and cast it into the water. The box also includes a neoprene pouch for your fish finder.

The top section of the casing is removable and there’s a rubber seal between the two to prevent water from entering the casing. The bottom of the sphere contains the transducer and a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. The box comes with a USB/microUSB cable which you can connect to the fish finder and to a PC or a charger. The box does not include a charger, though.

Next to the USB connector, there is a LED indicator that should glow green when the battery is fully charged. It also glows blue when the temperature is lower than 37.4° (3°C) which is too cold for the battery to charge. The battery charges pretty fast. It shouldn’t take more than 75 minutes to have it charged at 100%. Also, with the battery fully charged, your fish finder should be able to broadcast its WiFi for up to 6 hours.

Fish Deeper App

The Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar connects to your smartphone or tablet via the Fish Deeper App. This app is available for Android and iOS devices and it’s free. It only requires you to register, providing a username, email, and password.

Establishing the connection between the Deeper CHIRP unit and your phone is easier for Android devices. Once you cast the fish finder and open the app, you should be ready to use it. For iOS devices, there are a few extra steps. You will have to cast your fish finder into the water, then navigate to the tablet or phone settings, open the WiFi settings, and connect it from there. Nonetheless, the instructions manual provides step-by-step guidance on how to sync your Deeper CHIRP fish finder with your phone regardless the OS it uses.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Deeper CHIRP fish finder connects to your phone via WiFi. It basically creates its own WiFi hotspot to which you have to connect your phone. The maximum range of the WiFi signal is 330 ft. (100 m). This being said, once the connection between the fish finder and your phone has been established, you should be able to view the sonar data as long as you keep your phone within this range.

The app itself has a pretty versatile interface. It has quick launch buttons for the phone’s camera (which is quite neat if you want to quickly snap a photo of a fish you caught), a calendar, maps, weather, settings, and others. It also has a split-view function so you can see both the sonar and the bathymetric mapping in the same window, in split-screen.

Sonar features

As its name suggests, the Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar has CHIRP technology. It is currently the only castable fish finder with CHIRP technology. This allows it to modulate the sonar pulse over a whole range of frequencies which considerably improves target detection and target separation. As opposed to the Deeper Pro+, for example, which offers a target separation of 1″ (2.5 cm), the Deeper CHIRP model offers a 0.4″ (1 cm) separation. So, in case the sonar cone detects a few fish close together, it’s a higher chance it will show each fish target, rather than one single bigger target.

The Deeper CHIRP fish finder offers a triple-beam sonar. It uses three main frequencies, these being 100 kHz, 240 kHz, and 675 kHz. The exact CHIRP range for each one of these frequencies is not specified.

The built-in transducer casts three conical beams. Their coverage is 47° @ 100 kHz, 20° @ 240 kHz, and 7° @ 675 kHz. The maximum depth range (330 ft / 100 m) can be achieved with the Wide CHIRP beam, while the Narrow CHIRP beam offers you the possibility to get a better sonar clarity.

The Fish Deeper app offers several useful sonar features. First of all, it has a Fish Symbol mode. When this is on, the app will replace the arches of the targets interpreted as fish, with actual fish icons. You can also opt to view the depth of each fish target.

Amplitude Scope and Circular Flasher functions are also available with the Fish Deeper App. The Circular Flasher puts the sonar data into a ring format, showing the bottom and the lure inputs on the outer ring as red and green color lines. The Circular Flasher mode is great for ice fishing, as well as down-dropping. The A-Scope appears on the right side of the standard sonar. It is basically a vertical flasher. Its shows the activity caught by the most recent sonar ping.

Other notable features that we can mention here are the water temperature reading (the unit has a temperature sensor built-in as well), self-adjusting depth scale, bottom hardness, and sensitivity adjustment. Plus, the app also makes available a fish alarm and a depth alarm.

Navigation features

Similar to the Deeper Pro, the Deeper CHIRP does not have its own internal GPS receiver. However, it does have a bathymetric mapping application and in order to use it, it accesses the GPS built-in your phone. In order to use the bathymetric mapping feature, you will have to keep your phone in close range to the Deeper Pro unit, though. Therefore, it’s best to use the mapping feature from a boat or kayak, to make sure you will get a more accurate depth contour display.

The bathymetric mapping feature can be viewed in split-screen with the sonar. It offers the possibility to monitor the depth contours of your lake. You can also create waypoints for the best fishing spots or other points of interest. There is also a history feature so you can access unlimited data of the sonar imaging and recordings.

The Pros

• Compact construction;
• Free Fish Deeper app;
• WiFi connection type (better than Bluetooth);
• Quick access for calendar, weather, phone camera, notes, maps, sharing, and settings on the app interface;
• Triple-beam sonar;
• CHIRP sonar technology;
• Superior target separation (0.4″);
• Excellent depth capability – 330 ft;
• Excellent broadcasting range – 330 ft;
• Circular Flasher and Split-Screen functions;
• Fish Icons, Display Sensitivity, A-Scope, and Sonar Data Storage;
• Connects to the GPS on your phone;
• Bathymetric mapping function;
• Weather data function;
• Easy to use from the shore, from boat, or on ice;
• Long-lasting battery;
• Micro USB / USB cable included;
• Portable bag included;
• Two attachment bolts included.

The Cons

• The fishing line can snap and you can lose the sonar;
• You can’t use the internet on your phone while connected to the WiFi hotspot created by the Deeper Sonar;
• Deeper sonar arm mount is not included.

Summary

The Deeper CHIRP Smart Sonar is a castable fish finder that uses your smartphone as a control unit. It comes with a free and highly versatile app for iOS and Android. It offers triple-beam CHIRP sonar, with a depth range up to 330 ft., and a WiFi broadcast range of 330 ft. It also connects to your phone’s GPS and the app has a bathymetric mapping feature. In all, it’s a great fish finder for both onshore and boat fishing, affordable, and easy to use.