Simrad Cruise 7

In 2019, Simrad has released the Cruise series of fish finders. As opposed to the XSE GO units, the Cruise units only offer minimal sonar and navigation features, but on the other hand, they are more affordable. In this post, we’re going to cover the Simrad Cruise 7, part number 000-14999-001.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 7″ diagonal, 800H x 400V pixel resolution, LED backlight
• Sonar: Dual-beam CHIRP sonar
• Transducer: 000-0106-72
• Frequency and Coverage:
  200 kHz / 22°
  83 kHz / 52°
• Max. Depth Capability: 1,000′ (305 m)
• Supply Voltage: 10 – 17 VDC
• Power Output: 500 W (RMS)
• GPS: 1 Hz, Internal
• Maps: US Coastal and WorldWide Basemaps

Sonar and transducer

The Simrad Cruise 7 offers basic traditional CHIRP sonar. Differently put, it does not support structure scanning sonar, such as DownScan or SideScan, similar to the Simrad GO7 XSE, for example. The unit is only capable of two frequencies, these being 83 kHz and 200 kHz. The exact CHIRP intervals are not specified, but as a general idea, this fish finder system is capable of High CHIRP and Medium CHIRP. It does not support 50 kHz transducers. Also, even though its sonar is dual beam, it does not have the dual-frequency feature. In other words, you won’t be able to use both beams simultaneously.

The unit comes with the standard skimmer transducer 000-0106-72. This is a plastic transducer with a transom mount, 20 ft. (6 m) of cable and an 8-pin connector. It also integrates a temperature sensor, and the unit can indicate the water temperature at the depth of the transducer.

The included transducer uses two conical beams with a coverage of 22° @ 200 kHz and 52° @ 83 kHz. The maximum depth capability can be achieved with the 83 kHz beam is 1,000 ft. (305 m), which is not bad even for off-shore fishing.

Although it offers basic sonar, the unit makes available most standard sonar functions. Among them, we can count A-Scope, Bottom Lock, Split Zoom, Auto Range, Noise Rejection, and more. Several alarms and sonar recording features are also available. The unit can record the sonar log in its memory or on a separate memory card.

Navigation features

Although the Simrad Cruise 7 doesn’t offer advanced navigation features such as Radar support, AIS support, Radio data, or Auto-Pilot, it does offer the basic requirements of a chart plotter. To begin with, it has a 1-Hz internal GPS receiver. It supports EGNOS, WAAS, and MSAS for differential position correction. It also has a GPS speed function, so based on the GPS input, the unit can calculate and display the speed of your boat.

The unit also has waypoint creation, route creation, and track plotting functions. It can save multiple waypoints in its memory and you can customize each waypoint with different icons to make them more suggestive. Once you have saved several waypoints, you can always connect them to create a route. The track plotting function allows you to record each trip, and convert the trail into a route with added waypoints if necessary.

The Trip Intel page is available with the Simrad Cruise 7 as well. Trip Intel offers a graphical representation of your trip on the charts as well as various other trip data such as distance covered, time spent on the water, maximum speed, average speed, and more. It also keeps a historical record of your trips, so you can compare data if necessary.

In terms of charts, the unit has the Simrad US Coastal and Worldwide basemaps. These are basic charts but offer pretty decent information. However, the unit is also compatible with C-MAP charts and Navionics charts. And if you opt for a Navionics+ chart card, it also supports the SonarChart feature which gives you the possibility to create your own bathymetric maps.

Control unit features

As its name suggests, the Simrad Cruise 7 features a 7-inch display. Its pixel resolution is 800H x 480V, it has LED backlight (1,000 nits) offering excellent angle readability (70°/70°/70°/70° left, right, bottom, top). It is also IPX6 and IPX7 waterproof which means it should resist heavy sprays of water, incidental water exposure, and even immersions in freshwater up to 1 meter.

Unlike the Simrad GO XSE units, the Cruise 7 model does not have touchscreen technology. The navigation through its menus and applications launching is done exclusively via the keypad on the right. It has buttons for Home, Menu, Exit, MOB, Cursor (Arrow Keys), Zoom (Rotary Knob), Enter, Quick Waypoint Creation, and Power. Its interface is highly intuitive and easy to use. Its homepage has preset split-screen pages and quick access for settings, storage, waypoints, trip intel and more. The split-screen modes can be viewed in a horizontal or vertical format.

The Simrad Cruise units aim to offer a minimum of navigation and sonar features at a lower price, so they don’t have networking features. This being said, the Simrad Cruise 7 does not have NMEA or Ethernet ports. It only has a microSD card slot which can be loaded with a Navionics or C-MAP card for improved charts and navigation awareness. You can also use a blank microSD card for sonar logs and data backup.

Finally, in terms of mounting, the box includes a classic tilt mount and unit corner clips. In-dash mounting kit and unit cover are not included.

The Pros

• Dual-beam sonar 83/200 kHz;
• Medium CHIRP and High CHIRP;
• Dual-beam skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor included;
• Multiple standard sonar features such as Fish ID, Bottom Lock, Split Zoom, A-Scope, various alarms, Auto Gain, Noise Rejection, etc;
• Sonar Recording function;
• Internal GPS (WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS capable);
• Preloaded with US basemaps;
• Compatible with Navionics and C-MAP charts;
• Supports the SonarChart feature from Navionics;
• Trip Intel Lite page;
• Waypoints, routes, and tracks;
• MicroSD card slot;
• Pre-defined split pages for quick access;
• Easy to install;
• 2 years warranty.

The Cons

• The unit cover is not included;
• No networking features;
• No structure scanning sonar.

Summary

The Simrad Cruise 7 is a fish finder and chartplotter that offers CHIRP sonar (83/200 kHz), GPS, and basic US charts. It comes with a transom skimmer transducer that supports both frequencies. The unit does not have NMEA, Ethernet or other networking features. It’s very easy to use, has a very intuitive interface, and it’s keypad operated.