Garmin Striker 4 Portable

Although the Striker 4 is one of the Garmin fish finders released in 2017, it still wasn’t discontinued yet. There is also a newer version available, the Garmin Striker 4 Plus. It’s a CHIRP fish finder with basic GPS plotter (does not support maps). For reference, this is the Garmin part number 010-01550-10, the one that includes the portable kit.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 3.5″ diagonal, 480V x 320H pixel resolution, HVGA color, backlit
• Sonar: Dual Frequency CHIRP
• Frequency and Coverage: 2D Sonar: 200 kHz / 15° and 77 kHz / 45°
• Depth Capability: 1,600 ft (487 m) freshwater, 750 ft (228 m) saltwater
• Transducer: CHIRP 77/200 kHz
• Transmit power: 200 W (RMS)
• GPS: High-sensitivity, internal
• Maps: No
• Waypoints: 5,000
• Portable Kit included

Sonar and transducer

When it comes to the unit, this is the same Garmin Striker 4 that we’ve covered in our previous post. It’s capable of three frequencies, 50/77/200 kHz. It does not have ClearVü sonar and does not support 455/800 frequencies.

The bundle comes with the basic 010-10249-20 transducer, which supports only the 77/200 kHz frequencies. So, in case you want to use the unit’s 50 kHz frequency, you will need a different transducer. This transducer has 20 ft (6 m) of cable and integrates a temperature sensor.

As opposed to the Garmin Striker 4 (part number 010-01550-00), this bundle comes with a suction cup mount for the transducer, and not a transom mount. Also, the box includes a kayak in-hull mount. The transducer integrates a temperature sensor. Therefore, if you’re going to mount it in the water, via the suction cup, the unit should be able to indicate the temperature of the top water layer. Or, in case you’re ice fishing, you can drop the transducer in the water for as much as the cable permits, in order to get a deeper temperature reading.

The unit has two CHIRP modes, for each of the 77 kHz and 200 kHz frequencies. This means it can modulate the sonar pulse over a range of frequencies around the standard 77 kHz and 200 kHz (differently put, it’s capable of Mid CHIRP and High CHIRP), in order to provide a better target separation and clearer images, with less clutter. It’s also a dual-frequency unit, which means you can use both sonar beams at the same time. And speaking of beams, the transducer uses two conical beams, with a coverage of 15° @ 200 kHz and 45° @ 77 kHz.

The system’s maximum depth capabilities with the included transducer, are 1,600 ft for freshwater, and 750 ft for saltwater. It should be able to maintain a bottom reading at speeds up to 30 MPH. However, for the clearest images, with the most targets, the recommended speed is between 1-6 MPH. Also, users have reported that the suction cup of the transducer doesn’t hold too well at speeds over 15 MPH.

Just like most other Garmin fish finders, the Striker 4 Portable offers several standard sonar functions. Among them, we can count Fish Symbol ID, Flasher Mode for ice fishing, A-Scope, Auto Gain, UltraScroll, fish and depth alarm, etc.

Navigation features

The Garmin Striker 4 unit incorporates a high-precision internal GPS receiver, which allows you to mark waypoints to return to. Via the GPS system, it can calculate the speed of your boat. It can also show the latitude and longitude coordinates for your waypoints or your location.

One of the most important aspects to mention here is that this particular unit does not have any charts. It also does not have an SD card reader or a microSD card reader, so you cannot upgrade the unit with any charts. This basically stands for all the other available Garmin fish finders in the Striker series as well.

Its support for navigation is a blank sheet, on which you mark your waypoints for the points of interest that you would like to re-visit. The unit can store up to 5,000 waypoints, offering several suggestive icons that you can use.

Control unit & portable kit

The name of the units name Garmin Striker 4 is a bit misleading, as the unit’s display is only 3.5″ in diagonal. But nonetheless, it offers enough screen space to observe the fish targets, use the waypoint system and even observe both sonar beams simultaneously in split screen, in a vertical manner.

The display’s pixel matrix is 480V x 320H; it’s an HVGA color display type, with integrated LED backlight for a good readability in direct sunlight. It’s also IPX7 waterproof, which means it can withstand incidental water exposure. However, if fishing in salt water it’s best to wipe off the water droplets that may fall on it as salt may eventually damage the connectors.

As we’ve mentioned above, the unit doesn’t feature a microSD card reader, nor NMEA connectors. However, it’s possible to transfer waypoints between this unit and any echoMAP unit, via data cable.

When it comes to the portable kit, this bundle is basically the Garmin part number 010-12462-01. It includes a portable bag with base and handle for your fish finder system. As we’ve mentioned above, there is a suction cup mount, a kayak in-hull mount for the transducer, and a foam float to hold the transducer if you’re ice fishing. The kit includes a rechargeable battery and an AC charger for it. And finally, there’s also a tilt and swivel mount for the unit.

The Pros

• CHIRP 2D sonar;
• 77/200 kHz CHIRP and temperature capable transducer included;
• Various sonar features such as Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Ultrascroll, Flasher etc;
• High-sensitivity GPS;
• Can save up to 5,000 waypoints;
• Can show coordinates;
• Can calculate the speed of your boat;
• IPX waterproof and LED backlight for better readability in direct sunlight;
• Suction cup and in-hull mount kit for kayak are included;
• Portable case is included;
• Battery and charger are included;
• Easy to install;
• Affordable unit.

The Cons

• Unit cover not included;
• No microSD card reader;
• No NMEA connectivity.

Summary

The Garmin Striker 4 Portable is an affordable CHIRP fish finder, which comes with a dual-beam transducer and a portable kit with battery and charger. It’s also a GPS unit offering basic navigation features. It doesn’t have charts, doesn’t have an SD card reader, and cannot be upgraded with any charts, but this is one of the reasons it is considerably cheaper than the similar echoMAP CHIRP unit. It’s easy to install, remove, and operate, perfect for any small boat or kayak.