Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv Review

Quick Overview

For many anglers, having high-tech equipment on board can set the fine line between finding fish and ending up with nothing at all.

Depending on what maps came with the device, it’ll let you navigate the waters without many problems.

If you’re new to fishing tech, you might think that getting a budget fish finder is enough for starters.

However, with some money, you’ll save more in the long run with a top-of-the-line device that won’t need any replacement.

This Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv with GT54UHD-TM Transducer review will discuss one of Garmin’s high-end fish finder and chart plotter combos.

About Garmin

Garmin is a multinational company that manufactures highly innovative and sophisticated consumer electronics.

Its merchandise includes wearable gadgets, sports and fitness equipment, recreational gear, and transport electronics.

Furthermore, its transport electronics department comprises equipment for automobiles, marine vessels, and aircraft.

While Garmin’s product list seems to cover a broad range of products, a big chunk focuses on marine electronics, including fish finders and chart plotters.

Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv With GT54UHD-TM Transducer Review

The Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv combines a fish finder and a chart plotter in one intuitive touchscreen device.

It is a high-resolution unit that features remarkable quality imaging, setting the bar high for all-in-one marine electronics.

Who Is This Product For?

This fish finder is an excellent device for people who enjoy being anglers while working their full-time jobs.

If you are one of them, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv will allow you to spend more time catching fish than looking for where to fish.

Conversely, if a low-end fish finder is doing you no good, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv is a perfect option for securing upgrades for years to come.

Although it can be a significant initial expenditure, it can end up being the best investment you’ll ever make for recreational fishing.

What’s Included?

If you get this ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv bundle, you will also receive the GT54UHD-TM transducer.

Moreover, the device comes pre-installed with maps comprising Garmin’s BlueChart G3 and LakeVu G3 sets for the US.

Other essentials include a six-foot power and data cable, a bail mount with a quick-release cradle, a flush mount, mounting hardware, and a protective cover.

Furthermore, the GT54UHD-TM transducer comes with a 30-foot cable, a transom mount, a mounting bracket, and corresponding mounting hardware.

In addition to all the hardware and accessories, the kit arrives with product documentation, instructions, and mounting templates.

Overview of the Features

The ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv is a 10-inch chart plotter and SONAR combo boasting high-end features to ensure the best fish finding and marine navigational experience.

Its physical dimensions are 11.6 by 7.7 by 3.9 inches, and it weighs 4.0 pounds.

The 10-inch touchscreen WXGA IPS display measures 8.5 inches wide and 5.4 inches tall, and it features a resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels.

However, full functionality requires using both the touchscreen and the control buttons.

That said, the touchscreen and keyed control integration offer a highly intuitive, user-friendly operation.

Since it has an IPX7 rating, the device can withstand submersion to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes.

• All-in-One Transducer

The included GT54UHD-TM is an all-in-one transducer capable of dual-frequency and dual-beam SONAR.

While it supports traditional CHIRP High-Wide, it also scans with Garmin’s ClearVu and SideVu.

Its maximum scanning depth is 2,300 feet in freshwater, but it can only scan up to 1,100 feet in saltwater.

Keep in mind that the depth capacity is always dependent on bottom composition and other water conditions.

This transducer has a bottom lock feature, SONAR recording, a memory bank, and a water temperature log and graph.

• Ultra-High Clarity Display

While using SONAR, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv lets you choose from high-contrast vivid color palettes to help you distinguish fish from underwater structures.

Additionally, the display allows automatic or manual backlight adjustments with nighttime and daytime color schemes.

If the 10-inch display is not enough to cover your SONAR scans, you’ll be happy to know that it scrolls from right to left to give you a complete view.

Aside from the crisp images, you will find the bottom depth, the water temperature, and the water speed.

The display has a large diagonal measurement of 10 inches. Plus, you can combine up to six different views having variable functions.

The four basic SONAR view styles include Fullscreen, Split-Screen, Split-Zoom, and Split-Frequency.

• Built-in Wayfinding

With the pre-installed BlueChart G3, you can use the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv to navigate US and Western Canada coastal areas.

The set includes charts of the East and West Coasts, the Canadian and US sides of the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Alternatively, you can navigate more than 17,000 US inland lakes using the LakeVu G3 maps.

If you need more maps, you can always insert up to two microSD data cards containing compatible charts.

In addition to the built-in maps and the allowable data inputs, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv can store up to 5,000 waypoints and 100 routes.

Furthermore, you’ll like that the device allows up to 50,000 track log points and 50 saved tracks.

• Chart Plotter Capabilities

The ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv provides different ways of viewing the preloaded maps.

Map views include Navigation, Perspective 3D, Fishing, and some specialized formats limited to purchasable map sets.

In Navigation mode, you can locate buoys, cables, lights, marinas, tide stations, and depth soundings.

With the 3D chart, you’ll have views from above and behind your boat to function as aids for navigation.

In Fishing mode, the ECHOMAP removes all navigational data, enhances the bottom contours, and provides a detailed view for target separation.

This device contains the Garmin Quickdraw Contours software, which allows you to create your own high-definition maps with one-foot contours.

Every map you create belongs to you, which means you can keep the data for personal use or share it with compatible devices.

The Quickdraw Contours software does not require any surveying experience.

Instead, all you have to do is add waypoints and let the ECHOMAP handle map creation.

• Connectivity Features

The ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv works well with the NMEA 2000 network.

This feature lets you see engine data, manage autopilot, keep a close watch on sensors, and access helpful information about your vessel.

Furthermore, it works with Fusion-Link receivers using the NMEA 2000 protocol.

With the NMEA 2000 network, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv can share data with other NMEA 2000 devices, such as VHF radios and onboard sensors.

However, you will have to purchase the connecting cables separately.

Conversely, the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv can also connect to the Garmin ActiveCaptain app.

It is a free app that you can install on your mobile device, pairing to the ECHOMAP through Wi-Fi connectivity.

With the ActiveCaptain app, you’d be able to access and update all of your maps through your tablet or smartphone.

What’s more, you can use your mobile device to purchase new maps for the ECHOMAP.

Another helpful feature of the ActiveCaptain app is its ability to forward SMS and phone call notifications to the ECHOMAP display.

This tech lets you get first-hand mapping information from fellow anglers or other vessels on the same network.

How To Get the Most Out of It

The ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv already offers support for LiveScope, Garmin’s latest technology in SONAR.

This fish finder and chart plotter combo works well with a variety of Garmin transducers.

However, you can only take full advantage of LiveScope SONAR if you get the Panoptix LiveScope LVS12 system.

While it can set you back another thousand bucks, it will make the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv several leagues ahead of the competition.

Alternative

If you’re looking for something from a different brand, Humminbird specializes in manufacturing devices that can go head to head with Garmin products.

One particular fish finder that can match the Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv is the Humminbird Solix 10 CHIRP MEGA SI+ G3.

Like Garmin, Humminbird also has in-house technologies for side and down imaging, automatic chart plotting, and multi-vessel networking.

Furthermore, the company employs CHIRP SONAR in most of its high-end fish finders.

Like the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv, the Solix 10 CHIRP MEGA SI+ G3 has a 10-inch touchscreen display, wireless connectivity, built-in GPS, and built-in mapping.

It uses dual spectrum CHIRP and its MEGA technologies for down and side imaging.

Plus, it has a standard transducer depth range of 1200 feet.

This chart plotter contains an internal GPS and Humminbird Basemap, which includes charts of continental US coasts and more than 10,000 lakes.

You can use these maps to identify hazards, contours, marinas, buoys, depth markers, day markers, and many more.

One of Solix 10’s biggest advantage over the ECHOMAP is its Cross Touch Interface.

This feature lets you control the device using just the touchscreen or the keypad.

Is the Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv a Good Buy?

This Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv With GT54UHD-TM Transducer review explains excellent feature offerings from the best that money can buy.

However, the GT54UHD-TM transducer is not Garmin’s latest transom-mount pairing for the ECHOMAP Ultra 106sv.

Garmin now has the GT56UHD-TM, which has the same three beamwidth options for down and side imaging.

Nevertheless, this transducer is a hundred bucks more expensive than what this pairing offers.

Moreover, its high-frequency SideVu complements the single ClearVu beamwidth.