Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv

The ECHOMAP UHD 73cv is one of the Garmin fish finders and chartplotters released at the beginning of 2020. As its name suggests, it’s a bit bigger than the ECHOMAP UHD 63cv that we’ve already covered here, and offers Panoptix compatibility among other extra features. Also, as opposed to the older ECHOMAP Plus 73cv, it has UHD sonar capabilities and comes with the new UHD transducer. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-02334-01.

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: LakeVü g3
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracklog: 100; 5,000; 50,000 points (50 saved tracks)

Sonar and transducer

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv is equipped with the new Garmin UHD sonar and CHIRP sonar, and includes the new GT24UHD-TM transducer. The unit itself also supports 77/200 kHz transducers, and 50/200 kHz transducers featuring dual-beam possibilities. It is also compatible with Panoptix transducers, such as the PS22-TR. It is not a SideVü unit, though, so it does not support side imaging sonar.

The included GT24UHD-TM transducer is equipped with a transom mount, it has 20′ (6 m) of cable and an 8-pin connector. It also integrates a temperature sensor while the unit can display water temperature as well as a water temperature graph. Of course, since it’s a UHD transducer, it offers superior target separation and detail to the older GT20, or GT23.

The GT24UHD-TM transducer uses two beams, one for 2D CHIRP and one for ClearVü. For 2D CHIRP, the system uses a frequency interval between 150-240 kHz and a variable conical beam with a coverage between 24°-16°. In other words, this is a High-Wide CHIRP beam. Also, its maximum depth capability is 800 ft. (244 m).

For UHD ClearVü, the CHIRP frequency interval is 760-880 kHz, while the transducer beam has an oval shape, with a considerably wider coverage than the 2D CHIRP one. Its coverage is 0.94° (fore/aft) and 60° side-to-side. Also, its depth capability is 200 ft. (61 m).

The unit itself comes with the full range of standard sonar features. The list includes Bottom Lock, Amplitude Scope, Fish Symbols, Sonar Recording, Sonar Rewind, Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, and more.

Navigation features

First of all, the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv is equipped with an internal GPS antenna. It has a 5Hz GPS receiver which means it can provide position updates 5 times per second. It has a skyview mode for the relative position of the GPS satellites in the area. It has GLONASS and Galileo data and supports WAAS and EGNOS data for position augmentation. It also has a GPS speed function.

The unit has waypoint creation, route creation, and track plotting functions. You can create and save up to 5,000 waypoints in its memory, and up to 100 routes. It also has the Auto Guidance feature for improved route planning. It can also save up to 50 tracks with up to 50,000 points for each track.

Since it’s one of the new 2020 Garmin fish finders, the ECHOMAP UHD 73cv includes the U.S. LakeVü g3 charts. The LakeVü g3 is the new lake chart platform released by Garmin at the beginning of 2019; they have integrated Navionics data. They offer freshwater coverage, presenting more than 17,000 U.S. U.S. lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in high detail with up to 1′ depth contours. This chart platform has features like Depth Range Shading and Shallow Water Shading, features that can be very useful for navigation. It also has Auto Guidance, a feature that offers the possibility of safe route planning, showing you the general path and nearby obstacles at a safe depth.

Of course, the unit is also compatible with BlueChart g3 and BlueChart g3 Vision coastal charts, and the LakeVü g3 Ultra. It does not support Navionics chart cards though.

Although the LakeVü g3 charts are enhanced with Navionics data, this chart platform does not have the SonarChart tool like other chartplotters pre-loaded with the Navionics+ charts. However, it has its own depth contours recording feature – Quickdraw Contours. This application allows you to reveal and record the depth contours of the lake you are scanning in order to create your own personalized charts. You can also load your Quickdraw Contours charts to the Quickdraw Community to access from anywhere, or download other maps made by different users part of this community.

The SailAssist page is also available with this Garmin unit. The sail assist features include laylines, enhanced wind rose, heading and course-over-ground lines, time to burn before the start, and the race times. Also, the unit supports AIS data, DSC data, and is ActiveCaptain compatible.

Control unit features

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv is equipped with a 7″ WVGA color display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 400V. It has integrated LED backlight and is also IPX7 waterproof which means it can support incidental water exposure.

The unit has both keypad and touchscreen navigation. It basically responds to the same touch commands as any tablet or smartphone, but you can also navigate through its menus and access its functions from the keypad on the right. It has a user-friendly interface; you can customize its homepage with the application combos that you use the most for quick access. 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.

This Garmin unit has NMEA 0183 ports and is NMEA 2000 compatible. Therefore, you can connect it to an already existent NMEA network on your boat so it can communicate with other boating instruments such as AIS units or DSC-capable VHF radio units, or share data or transducer with other Garmin fish finders.

The unit also has built-in wireless connectivity. This means you can sync it with your smartphone via the ActiveCaptain app for up-to-date feedback on various points of interest, chart updates, data back up, or accessing the Garmin Quickdraw Community. The ActiveCaptain app can also push smart notifications from your phone to your chartplotter display.

A microSD card slot is also available on this Garmin unit. It can be loaded with cards up to 32 GB capacity. Therefore, you can either load it with BlueChart or LakeVü g3 Ultra card or with a blank card for data backup.

Finally, the box includes the quick-release mount, a flush mount, and a unit cover.

The Pros

• High-Wide CHIRP 2D sonar;
• UHD CHIRP ClearVü sonar;
• Supports 50/77/200 kHz standard sonar frequencies, and 260/455/800 kHz ClearVü frequencies;
• Supports dual-frequency (50/200 kHz or 77/200 kHz);
• UHD ClearVü transducer (GT24UHD-TM) included;
• Supports Panoptix sonar and transducers;
• 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 LakeVü g3 charts for inland coverage;
• Quickdraw Contours;
• Depth Range Shading and Shallow Water Shading;
• Auto Guidance for route planning;
• Compatible with various other chart types, such as BlueChart g3 Vision or LakeVü g3 Ultra;
• Supports AIS and DSC-capable VHF radio;
• MicroSD card reader (1 slot);
• SailAssist features;
• ActiveCaptain compatible;
• Touchscreen and keypad navigation;
• Wireless connectivity;
• NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 compatible;
• Unit cover included;
• Quick disconnection (tilt-swivel) and flush mount included;
• Easy to install.

The Cons

• Does not support Navionics charts;
• Trolling mount for the transducer is not included.

Summary

The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 73cv is a fish finder and chartplotter offering UHD ClearVü sonar, 2D CHIRP sonar, GPS, and LakeVü g3 mapping. It includes the new GT24UHD transducer for UHD ClearVü and High-Wide CHIRP. It also has the Quickdraw Contours function, NMEA connectivity, and wireless connectivity via the ActiveCaptain app. It’s an excellent unit for a wide array of boats, designed for lake fishing, but can also be used off-shore if paired with a deep-water transducer and BlueChart g3 mapping.