Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv

The Striker Vivid 4cv is one of the new Garmin fish finders released in the second part of 2020. Although it’s not much different than the older Striker Plus 4cv, it has the Vivid ClearVü sonar which offers several extra color palettes. It also comes with the GT20 transducer, not the CV20. For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-02550-00.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 4.3″ diagonal, 480V x 272H pixel resolution, QSVGA color, backlit
• Sonar: 2D CHIRP & ClearVü
• Frequency and Coverage:
  CHIRP Sonar: 200 kHz / 15° and 77 kHz / 45°
  ClearVü: 455 kHz / 2.5° x 53°, 800 kHz / 1.6° x 29°
• Depth Capability:
  CHIRP Sonar: 1,900 ft. (579 m)
  ClearVü: 750 ft. (228 m)
• Transducer: GT20-TM
• Transmit power: 300 W (RMS)
• GPS: High-sensitivity, internal
• Maps: No
• Waypoints: 5,000

Sonar and transducer

Although it’s one of the smallest and most affordable Garmin fish finders, the Striker Vivid 4cv still supports quite a few frequencies, including 50/77/200 kHz for standard CHIRP sonar, and 260/455/800 kHz for ClearVü. It’s also dual-beam capable; this means that if the unit is paired with a dual-beam transducer, you can run both sonar beams and view the returns in split-screen.

This fish finder system includes the classic GT20 transducer which supports both standard CHIRP and ClearVü. This transducer comes with a transom mount. It has 20 ft. (6 m) of cable with a 4-pin connector. It also integrates a temperature sensor.

The transducer uses two conical beams for standard CHIRP. Their coverage is 15° at 200 kHz, and 45° @ 77 kHz. The maximum depth for the 2D sonar that can be reached with this transducer is 1,900 ft. (579 m), when using the 77 kHz beam.

For ClearVü, the transducer uses two oval beams. Their coverage is 2.5° x 53°@ 455 kHz and 1.6° x 29° @ 800 kHz. The maximum depth that can be reached by the ClearVü sonar with this transducer is 750 ft. (228 m). Also, in case you’re wondering, the CHIRP intervals are 455 kHz (435 – 475 kHz), and 800 kHz (800 – 840 kHz).

Even though it’s a 4-inch unit, the Striker Vivid 4cv offers most of the standard sonar functions of the other models. For example, it has the Fish Symbols feature, A-Scope, Depth Line, AutoGain, UltraScroll, Split-Screen Zoom, various sonar alarms, and more. It does not have Sonar Recording or the Temperature Graph features, though.

Of course, since it’s one of the models of the Vivid series, its ClearVü application has 7 new color modes. Each color option can be useful in its own way depending on the underwater environment you’re scanning, offering the possibility to see the fish better in relation to the bottom or structure.

Navigation features

The Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv has a built-in GPS plotter application. This offers the possibility to view your current position, mark waypoints, plot your course, or create routes. However, the unit does not have built-in charts and does not support charts. So, the whole GPS imaging appears on a blank background.

Although the unit does not support charts such as LakeVü or BlueChart, it still does have the Quickdraw Contours feature. This application uses the 2D sonar and the GPS data to reveal and record the depth contours of the lake you’re scanning. Therefore, you can create your own fishing charts.

A depth range shading feature is also available. It offers the possibility to select up to 10 depth ranges. Therefore, you can set color ranges on your map to show the water depths where your target fish are currently biting, or you can set deeper ranges to monitor how quickly the bottom depth changes within a specific depth range

The unit does not have Wi-Fi or a microSD card reader, so you cannot access the Garmin Quickdraw Community with it in order to download Quickdraw charts or upload the one you have created with your own unit. Also, since it’s a pretty basic unit, it does not support external GPS, AIS, radio data, or other boating instruments.

Control unit features

The Garmin Striker Vivid 4cv features a 4.3-inch display with a vertical, 480V x 272H pixel layout. It’s a color display with LED backlight for improved readability in direct sunlight. It is also IPX7 waterproof so it can withstand incidental water exposure.

The unit doesn’t have touchscreen technology. The navigation through its menus and accessing of its functions is done exclusively from the keypad on the bottom. However, its interface is user-friendly and highly intuitive. It also offers split-screen possibilities, so you can work with two applications at once.

Since it’s one of the most basic Garmin fish finders, the Striker Vivid 4cv does not have any networking features. It does not have NMEA ports or Ethernet, and lacks the wireless connectivity which is only available with the 7-inch Vivid units and above. It only has two connectors, one for the transducer, the other one for the power cable. It also lacks a microSD card reader so data transfer is not possible.

Last but not least, this Garmin fish finder comes with the standard tilt-and-swivel mount and the transducer has the standard transom mount. The box does not include a unit cover.

The Pros

• Standard CHIRP sonar;
• ClearVü sonar;
• 7 new color palettes for ClearVü;
• GT20-TM transducer included;
• Dual-frequency sonar – which means you can use both 2D beams simultaneously;
• Supports 50 kHz;
• Various sonar features such as Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Ultrascroll, Flasher, Bottom Lock etc;
• High-sensitivity GPS;
• Quickdraw Contours;
• Depth Range Shading;
• Waypoint creation, route creation, and track recording functions;
• Can show coordinates;
• GPS speed and GPS heading functions;
• IPX7 waterproof and LED backlight for better readability in direct sunlight;
• Easy to install;
• Affordable unit.

The Cons

• No microSD card reader;
• No wireless connectivity.

Summary

The Striker Vivid 4cv is one of the most affordable fish finders from Garmin. It offers standard CHIRP sonar, ClearVü sonar with the new Vivid color palette, basic GPS, and the Quickdraw Contours feature. It includes the GT20 transducer for both 2D sonar and ClearVü. It’s an excellent unit for a small boat or kayak, for both lake fishing and off-shore fishing.