Deeper Pro Smart Sonar

The Deeper Pro Smart Sonar is quite similar to the Deeper Pro+ that we’ve already covered here, but does not have a built-in GPS receiver. So, in order to create maps, it has to use your phone’s GPS. So, in order to create bathymetric maps with it, you have to keep it in close range to your phone. But on the other hand, the sonar features, broadcasting range, the app, and the box contents are the same as for the Deeper Pro+.

Key Features and Specifications

• App: Fish Deeper
• Sonar: Dual-beam
  Frequency and Coverage:
  55° @ 90 kHz
  15° @ 290 kHz
• Depth Capability: 260 ft. (80 m)
• Transducer: Built-in
• Broadcasting range: 330 ft. (100 m)
• GPS: Use phone’s GPS
• Mapping: Bathymetric maps

Unit construction and accessories

The components of the Deeper Pro smart sonar are contained in a spherical water-tight ABS casing, 2.5″ (6.35 cm) in diameter, with a weight of 3.5 oz (100g). 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 it.

The Deeper Pro fish finder integrates a lithium-ion rechargeable battery and a USB cable is included with the unit. The top section of the spherical casing is removable, allowing access to the USB connector. An adapter is not included with the unit, so you will either have to use one that you already have or connect the fish finder to a PC or laptop. 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.

With a fully charged battery, the Deeper Pro sonar should be able to emit a WiFi signal for at least 6 hours. The unit automatically turns on when it is cast into the water, and also automatically turns off when removed from the water.

Fish Deeper App

The Deeper Pro fish finder does not include a sonar display unit like regular fish finders. It uses your smartphone or tablet for that purpose. It connects to your smart device 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.

For Android devices, the connection is simple. Once you cast the fish finder and open the app, you should be ready to use it. For iOS, 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. The manual provides all the information for this, though.

As we’ve mentioned above, the Deeper Pro smart sonar connects to your smart device via WiFi. It actually creates a WiFi hotspot to which you connect your phone. The maximum broadcasting range is 330 ft. (100 m).

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

First of all, the Deeper Pro fish finder is equipped with a dual-beam sonar that operates at 90 kHz and 290 kHz. The built-in transducer casts two conical beams with a coverage of 15° @ 290 kHz, and 55° @ 90 kHz. The sonar does not have CHIRP technology, so the transducer casts only one sonar pulse; it does not modulate the pulse over a frequency range like CHIRP sonar fish finders. But nonetheless, the unit still provides an excellent target separation of 1″ (2.5 cm). The maximum depth range is 260 ft. (80 cm) which can be achieved with the 55° / 90 kHz beam.

The Fish Deeper app offers quite a few useful sonar features and functions. To begin with, it has a Circular Flasher mode that can be viewed in split-screen with the regular sonar. 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.

Along with the Circular Flasher, the app also has a vertical flasher or an Amplitude Scope feature. The A-Scope appears on the right side of the standard sonar image and shows the activity caught by the most recent sonar ping.

A Fish Symbol mode is also available. This feature replaces the fish echoes (which normally appear as arches) with fish icons. The icons can be smaller or larger depending on the size of the detected target. It can also indicate the depth of each fish target.

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

As we’ve mentioned above, the Deeper Pro sonar does not have its own built-in GPS like the Deeper Pro+ model. However, it can use the GPS application on 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 mapping feature can be viewed in split-screen with the sonar. It enables you to instantly monitor the contour detail, depths, and locate the best fishing areas. The app also has a history feature so you can access unlimited data of the sonar imaging recordings and bathymetric map logs.

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;
• Dual-beam sonar;
• Excellent depth capability – 260 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 Pro Smart Sonar is a portable and castable fish finder that uses your smartphone or tablet as a sonar display unit. It comes with a free and highly versatile app for iOS and Android. It offers dual-beam sonar, a depth range up to 260 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, versatile, and easy to use.