Garmin Striker Plus 7sv

The Striker Plus 7sv is one of the newest units released by Garmin at the beginning of 2018, and it’s still available in 2020. It’s not much different from the older Garmin Striker 7sv when it comes to sonar features, but it does have several extra features over the older unit. For example, it has Quickdraw Contours and built-in Wi-Fi, which gives you the possibility to access the ActiveCaptain™ app.

The unit that we’re going to cover here is the part number 010-01874-00. This one includes the ClearVü/SideVü transducer.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 7.0″ diagonal, 800H x 480V pixel resolution, WVGA color, backlit
• Sonar: High Wide Traditional CHIRP, CHIRP ClearVü, CHIRP SideVü
• Frequency and Coverage:
  • 2D Sonar: High Wide CHIRP 150-240 kHz, 24°-16°
  • ClearVü: 455 kHz (425-485 kHz) 2.0° / 50° and 800 kHz (790-850 kHz) 1.0° / 30°
  • SideVü: 455 kHz (425-485 kHz) 2.0° / 50° and 800 kHz (790-850 kHz) 1.0° / 30°
• Depth Capability:
  • 2D: 800 ft (244 m)
  • DownVü: 250 ft (76 m)
  • SideVü: 500 ft (152 m)
• Transducer: CV52HW-TM (12-pin)
• Power Output: 500 Watts (RMS)
• GPS: High-precision, internal
• Charts: No
• Waypoints: 5,000

Sonar and transducer

The transducer included with the Garmin Striker Plus 7sv (010-01874-00) is the CV52HW-TM. This transducer is pretty much the same as the older GT52HW-TM, only it is the ClearVü model. It’s a plastic transducer, has 20′ (6m) of cable, a 12-pin connector, and integrates a temperature sensor.

The unit has three types of sonar. These are traditional 2D sonar, ClearVü, and SideVü. It uses CHIRP technology for all three sonar types, which comes with several advantages. To begin with, it provides better separation between targets, so it’s easier to distinguish between fish targets and vegetation or structure. Also, sonar images, whether they’re 2D or CV/SV, have less clutter. As opposed to the older DownVü technology, ClearVü provides slightly wider imaging and an overall better view of the bottom and underwater environment.

In case you’re wondering, this Striker unit is not compatible with Panoptix transducers, nor it has the Panoptix sonar technology.

The unit itself is capable of several sonar frequencies. It can use 50/77/200 kHz base frequencies for its traditional 2D sonar, and 260/455/800 kHz for its ClearVü & SideVü. However, with the included CV52HW-TM transducer, it can only use a High Wide CHIRP frequency with a CHIRP modulation between 150-240 kHz, and 455/800 kHz for CV/SV, the CHIRP modulation intervals being 425-485 kHz and 790-850 kHz.

When it comes to sonar beam coverage, for its traditional sonar the system uses a conical beam with a coverage of 24° – 16°. For SideVü and ClearVü however, the beams fan-shaped, only 1°-2° fore to aft, but wider side to side. For the 455 kHz frequency the side-to-side angle of one beam is 50° wide, while for 800 kHz, or 790-850 kHz, the beam angle is approx. 30°. For SideVü, the transducer uses two beams that can extend for several hundred feet on each side of the boat.

This Garmin fish finder offers a depth capability of 800′ (244 m) when using its traditional sonar. However, it paired with a 50 kHz transducer, it should be able to reach depths over 2,000′ (609 m). For its ClearVü, the depth specified for the transducer is 250′ (76 m), while for SideVü it is 500′ (152 m). The system should be able to maintain a decent bottom reading at boat speeds up to 30 MPH. However, the recommended speed for crystal clear imaging and a maximum of targets is up to 10 MPH.

As opposed to the older Striker unit, this one does not have the Sonar Rewind feature. However, it still has the other standard sonar features. Among them, we can count Flasher, Fish Symbols, Bottom Lock, A-Scope, Split-Zoom page, and different alarms.

Navigation features

The Garmin Striker Plus 7sv has pretty much the same navigation features as the Striker Plus 5cv that we’ve previously reviewed here. To begin with, it’s equipped with a fast and precise internal GPS. However, the unit does not have any charts, nor it can be upgraded with any charts as it doesn’t have a microSD card slot.

The unit’s GPS system allows you to mark waypoints for the best fishing spots or any other points of interest. The unit can save up to 5,000 waypoints in its memory. It shows coordinates for any point marked and for your current location. It can also calculate the speed of your boat.

The unit offers a track recording function and a route creation function. For example, you can create a route from your location to a certain waypoint, adding turns along the way to avoid obstacles. For the tracks, each recorded track plot can be re-traced and used as a route.

Although the unit doesn’t have any charts, it does have the Quickdraw Contours feature. The last year’s Striker units didn’t have this, only the echoMAP units, such as the echoMAP CHIRP 73sv, for example. Quickdraw Contours uses the GPS and 2D sonar information and gives you the possibility to draw maps with 1′ depth contours for the lake or body of water where you’re fishing. It’s estimated that the unit can save up to 1,500 hours of drawn contours, or up to 2 million acres.

A Depth Range Shading function is also available. It gives you the possibility to set color ranges on your recorded maps to become aware of the depth of a certain area at a quick glance. You can set deeper ranges to monitor how quickly the bottom depth changes within a specific depth range. While for inland fishing, a maximum of five depth range colors can help reduce map clutter.

Control unit features

One of the new features of the Garmin Striker Plus 7sv over the older Striker units is the built-in Wi-Fi module which allows you to access the ActiveCaptain™ app. With a Wi-Fi connection available, the unit can receive smart notifications, access the Garmin Quickdraw Contours Community to share maps and waypoints, get instant software updates, and more.

As its name suggests, this Garmin fish finder features a 7-inch diagonal display. It’s a WVGA color LCD display with adjustable LED backlight, offering excellent readability in direct sunlight and from the sharpest angles. It has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels delivering crisp-quality imaging for its sonar and navigation applications.

The unit is also IPX7 waterproof, which essentially means that can resist incidental water exposure with no problem and even complete immersions in freshwater.

The unit doesn’t offer NMEA or Ethernet support. It has 4-pin connectors for the transducer and power supply. Although the included transducer has a 12-pin connector, a cable adapter is included.

The unit comes with the classic tilt-and-swivel bracket mount. Flush mount and unit cover are not included.

The Pros

• CHIRP 2D, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar;
• CV52HW-TM transducer included;
• Capable of 50/77/200 kHz frequencies for 2D sonar & 260/455/800 kHz frequencies for ClearVü sonar;
• Dual-frequency sonar;
• Various sonar features such as Fish Symbols, A-Scope, Ultrascroll, Flasher, Bottom Lock etc;
• High-sensitivity GPS;
• Quickdraw Contours;
• Depth Range Shading;
• Can save up to 5,000 waypoints;
• Can show coordinates;
• Can calculate the speed of your boat;
• Integrated Wi-Fi and ActiveCaptainTM compatibility;
• IPX7 waterproof and LED backlight for better readability in direct sunlight;
• Easy to install;
• Affordable unit.

The Cons

• Unit cover not included;
• No microSD card reader;
• No NMEA support;
• Only transom mount for the transducer.

Summary

The Garmin Striker Plus 7sv is a fish finder equipped with 2D CHIRP, ClearVü, and SideVü sonar. It has a GPS plotter and the Quickdraw Contours feature which allows you to draw maps for any body of water, with contours of 1′. It includes the CV52HW-TM transducer, which supports all the units sonar technologies. Plus, it has built-in Wi-Fi and is compatible with the ActiveCaptain app. It’s an excellent unit for boats of all sizes, for both inland and off-shore fishing. It doesn’t support charts and doesn’t offer NMEA support, but on the other hand, it costs a few $100s less than a full chartplotter. In all, it’s a unit with a great price/value ratio.