Garmin Striker Plus 4

The Striker Plus 4 is one of the most affordable Garmin fish finders at the moment (if not the most affordable). Although it’s one of the units released in 2018, it is still available at the moment. To be clear, this is the 010-01870-00 model, the one that also includes the ClearVü transducer. Also, as opposed to the older Striker 4 model, this one has the Quickdraw Contours feature.

Key Features and Specifications

• Screen: 4.3″ diagonal, 480V x 272H pixel resolution, QSVGA color, backlit
• Sonar: Dual-frequency CHIRP
• Frequency and Coverage: 2D Sonar: 200 kHz / 15° and 77 kHz / 45°
• Depth Capability: 1,900 ft (579 m)
• Transducer: CHIRP 77/200 kHz
• Transmit power: 200 W (RMS)
• GPS: Internal
• Charts: No
• Waypoints: 5,000

Sonar and transducer

Since it’s a basic Garmin fish finder, the Striker Plus 4 also includes a basic transducer. This is the Garmin Dual Beam model capable of using the 77/200 kHz frequencies. However, the unit itself is capable of four frequencies, these being 50/77/83/200 kHz, but in order to use the 50 kHz and 83 kHz frequencies, you will need a different transducer.

The included Dual Beam transducer is temperature capable. It features 30 ft (9.1 m) of cable and has a 4-pin connector. It only has a transom mount, but with a bit of improvisation, you can also use it on ice. Users have reported that it is able to detect the bottom and track fish even through several inches of ice.

Evidently, the system uses CHIRP sonar technology. However, the CHIRP pulse modulation is not specified. CHIRP sonar is superior to standard single-frequency sonar as it provides imaging with less clutter and a better separation between fish targets, or fish and vegetation.

The transducer uses conical sonar beams. Their width is 45° @ 77 kHz and 15° @ 200 kHz. Also, this transducer has a depth capability of 1,900 ft. (579 m).

The Garmin Striker Plus 4 (2018) doesn’t have ClearVü sonar. However, it does offer all the other standard 2D sonar features. To begin with, it has the Flasher mode for ice fishing. This standard sonar view puts the information on a circular depth scale indicating what’s beneath the boat, or directly under the transducer. Depth is indicated by the scale inside the ring, while the sonar info flashes on the ring when it is received. The colors correspond to different strengths of the sonar returns.

Fish Symbols and A-Scope are also available. Fish Symbols is a feature that replaces the fish arches with fish icons, while A-Scope is a vertical flasher that indicates the information caught by the most recent sonar pulse.

Among other features, we can count Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, UltraScroll, Auto Gain, Bottom Lock, etc.

GPS features

The Garmin Striker Plus 4 features a basic internal GPS plotter. The GPS system doesn’t use any charts, while the unit cannot be upgraded with any conventional charts. It shows your current coordinates or the coordinates of a marked waypoint on a blank surface. It can also measure the speed of your boat.

The unit can save up to 5,000 waypoints in its memory, and there are several icons to choose from in order to make your waypoints more suggestive. There is also a track recording function and a route creation function.

As we’ve just mentioned, the unit doesn’t have any charts but does have the Quickdraw Contours feature. Quickdraw Contours uses the GPS and basic sonar data to draw the depth contours of the lake, river, canal or body of water where you’re fishing. Therefore, you can create your own fishing maps with the most up to date 1′ depth contours. The unit can record up to 2 million acres of contours.

Control unit features

As opposed to the older Garmin Striker 4, the new PLUS model features a slightly larger and brighter display. Its display is 4.3″ in diagonal (up from 3.5″). It has a pixel matrix of 480V x 272H, it’s a QVGA color, and integrates LED backlight. Users have reported that you can read the display without any trouble in direct sunlight with the brightness set at 80%.

The unit is IPX7 waterproof. This means it can withstand rain or splashes with no problem. It has 4-pin connectors for the power cable and transducer, and the cables create a tight seal so the water shouldn’t damage the metallic parts of the connectors if they’re plugged in properly. Evidently, since it’s a basic unit, it doesn’t offer NMEA support, nor does it have Ethernet or a microSD card reader.

The unit’s current draw is 12V: 0.23A, so this being said, you can use a standard 12V 7Ah battery to power it up. With the brightness on the highest settings, a battery of this sort should last for over 24 hours.

A standard tilt-swivel mount is included with the unit. The box doesn’t include a unit cover, though.

The Pros

• CHIRP 2D sonar;
• The unit is capable of using 50/77/83/200 kHz base frequencies;
• 77/200 kHz CHIRP transducer, temperature capable, included;
• Various sonar features such as Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Ultrascroll, Flasher etc;
• High-sensitivity GPS;
• GPS speed;
• Quickdraw Contours;
• Can save up to 5,000 waypoints;
• Larger display than the older unit (4.3″ up from 3.5″);
• Easy to install;
• Affordable unit.

The Cons

• Unit cover not included;
• No NMEA port.

Summary

The Garmin Striker Plus 4 is a small fish finder unit with a basic GPS plotter and the Quickdraw Contours feature. It includes the basic Dual Beam transducer, which is capable of using 77/200 kHz. It’s an excellent unit for small boats and with a bit of improvisation, it can also be used on the ice. And finally, it’s one of the most affordable CHIRP fish finders with GPS that you can find at the moment, currently priced for less than $150.