Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 72cv

The ECHOMAP UHD 72cv is one of the Garmin units released in the second part of 2019. It’s a fish finder and chartplotter featuring UHD ClearVü sonar, GPS, and charts. It terms of features, it is basically the same as the UHD 73cv that we’ve already covered, but comes preloaded with the Worldwide Base map. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-02333-01, the one that includes the UHD transducer.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 7″ diagonal, 800H x 400V pixel resolution, WVGA color, backlit, keypad & touchscreen
• Sonar: CHIRP Sonar, ClearVü
• Transducer: GT24UHD-TM
• Frequency and Coverage (with the included transducer):
  2D Sonar: 150-240 kHz / 24°-16°
  ClearVü: 760-880 kHz kHz / 0.94° (fore to aft) x 60°
• Max. Depth Capability (with the included transducer):
  2D Sonar: 800 ft (244 m)
  ClearVü: 200 ft (61 m)
• Power Output: 500 W (RMS) / 4,000 W (PTP)
• GPS: 5Hz, Internal
• Maps: Worldwide Basemap
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracklog: 100; 5,000; 50,000 points (50 saved tracks)

Sonar and transducer

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 72cv 010-02333-01 includes the GT24UHD-TM transducer. This transducer comes with a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable with an 8-pin connector. It also integrates a temperature sensor. Of course, the unit also supports many other transducers from Garmin, such as the standard GT20 or GT23, as well as the Panoptix PS22-TR, or the Panoptix LiveScope sonar box and transducer system. However, it is important to mention that since this is a ClearVü unit, it does not support SideVü sonar.

The included GT24UHD transducer only supports two CHIRP frequencies. For the traditional CHIRP sonar, it uses a conical beam with a variable coverage of 24°-16° at 150-240 kHz. Its maximum depth capability is 800 ft (244 m). For ClearVü, the transducer uses an oval beam with a coverage of 0.94° x 60° at 760-880 kHz. The maximum depth capability of the CV beam is 200 ft. (61 m).

Of course, the unit itself supports several other frequencies. For traditional CHIRP, it supports 50 kHz, and 77 kHz, also being dual-frequency capable. This means that if you equip it with a 50/200 kHz transducer, or with a 77/200 kHz transducer, it shows the imaging of both CHIRP beams in split-screen simultaneously. For ClearVü, it also supports CHIRP 260 kHz, and CHIRP 455 kHz frequencies.

The ECHOMAP UHD 72cv offers the full range of standard sonar applications. Among them, we can count Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Circular Flasher, Sonar Recording, Sonar Rewind, Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, and more.

Navigation features

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 72cv is preloaded with the Worldwide Basemaps. These charts show international and political boundaries, seas, oceans, major lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. They don’t offer extraordinary detail, but still, they’re better than a simple GPS plotter with a blank platform as the one available with the Striker Plus units.

The unit also supports various other charts from Garmin. The list includes LakeVü g3 and LakeVü g3 Ultra either for US or Canada inland waters, and BlueChart g3 or BlueChart g3 Vision.

The Quickdraw Contours feature is also included. This is a mapping application similar to the SonarChart from Navionics, or the Genesis Live feature available with the Lowrance Hook Reveal units. It uses the sonar data to reveal the depth contours of a body of water and draw them on the map. This way, you can create your own fishing charts for your favorite lake, if the included charts don’t cover it.

The unit is equipped with a 5 Hz internal GPS receiver. This means it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It supports GLONASS, WAAS, EGNOS, and Galileo data for position augmentation. It also has a GPS speed function which means it can calculate the speed of your boat based on the GPS data. The transducer, however, does not integrate a speed sensor.

Similar to the ECHOMAP Plus 72cv, the ECHOMAP UHD 72cv does not support Radar but does support VHF and AIS data. It is also compatible with the ActiveCaptain app. Therefore, if you have this app installed on your smartphone or tablet, you can plan your trip, and access the Quickdraw Community to download or upload maps created with the Quickdraw Contours application.

The SailAssist page is also available with this unit. It includes applications such as laylines, enhanced wind rose, heading and course-over-ground lines. They can help you gain a wind-maximizing edge, give you the possibility to see true and apparent wind angle and speed. A pre-race guidance page shows you the virtual starting line along with data fields showing laylines, time to burn before the start, and the race timer.

Control unit features

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 72cv features a color WVGA display with LED backlight and a pixel resolution of 800H x 400V. It is also IPX7 waterproof, which essentially means that it can withstand incidental water exposure and even immersions in freshwater.

The unit combines touchscreen and keypad technologies. You can either navigate through its menus and use its applications from the side keypad or via touchscreen. It has a user-friendly interface, highly intuitive, with homepage easy to customize with the application combos that you use the most. It also provides split-screen possibilities for up to four applications per view. For example, you can view the 2D sonar, the CV sonar, your maps, and another application of your choice at the same time.

Although the unit does not have a standard Ethernet port, it does have the Garmin Marine Networking port for the Panoptix transducer and data sharing. It is equipped with an NMEA 0183 port and supports NMEA 2000. It also has Wi-Fi networking, so you can connect it to your smartphone or tablet via the ActiveCaptain app. This way, you can download maps created via Quickdraw Contours from the Quickdraw Community, and even receive smart notifications from your phone on the ECHOMAP UHD display.

A microSD card slot is also available on the ECHOMAP UHD 72cv. Thus, you can load your unit with LakeVü or BlueChart maps, as well as transfer or backup data via microSD card.

Finally, this Garmin fish finder comes with quite a few accessories. The list includes the tilt mount with quick-release, flush mount, and the unit cover.

The Pros

• High-Wide CHIRP and UHD ClearVü sonar;
• Supports 50/77/83/200 kHz standard sonar frequencies, and 260/455/800 kHz ClearVü frequencies;
• Panoptix sonar capable;
• Dual-frequency capable;
• Data graphs and other sonar functions;
• Sonar recording and rewind;
• Multiple standard sonar features such as Bottom Lock, Fish Symbols, Split-Zoom, A-Scope, Circular Flasher, Alarms, etc;
• Fast 5 Hz internal GPS;
• Preloaded with the Worldwide Basemap;
• Quickdraw Contours;
• Shallow Water Shading and Depth Contours Shading;
• Compatible with various other chart types, such as BlueChart g3 Vision or LakeVü g3 Ultra;
• Enhanced Auto Guidance capable;
• Supports AIS and DSC-capable VHF radio;
• Touchscreen and keypad control;
• Intuitive, customizable, and easy-to-use interface;
• Quick disconnection (tilt-swivel) and flush mount included;
• MicroSD card reader (1 slot);
• SailAssist page;
• ActiveCaptain compatible;
• Internal WiFi module;
• NMEA 0183 outs, and NMEA 2000 capable;
• Unit cover included.

The Cons

• Does not support charts from Navionics or C-MAP;
• The trolling mount for the transducer is not included.

Summary

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 72cv is a fish finder and chartplotter offering UHD ClearVü sonar, traditional CHIRP sonar, GPS, and is preloaded with the Worldwide Basemap. It includes the GT24UHD transducer. It also has networking features such as NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Garmin Networking, and Wi-Fi. It is compatible with the ActiveCaptain app which allows you to download maps from the Quickdraw Contours community among other features. In all, it’s an excellent fish finder for both inland and offshore fishing and navigation, great for a wide array of boats.