JOYWEE Phiradar Fish Finder Review

Quick Overview

All anglers look forward to the excitement of reeling in a big catch.

However, none of them want to spend endless hours looking for a great spot to cast from.

The good thing is that various fishing tools today can make it easier to find fish.  

If you are in the market for one, this JOYWEE FF688C 3.5″ Phiradar Color LCD Boat Fish Finder review will help.

It will highlight the essential features of the Joywee FF688C, including its dual-beam sonar, glare-resistant display, and fish and depth alarms.  

Using this information, you can narrow down your options and be one step closer to the best fish finder for you.

JOYWEE Phiradar Color LCD Fish Finder Review

Phiradar is a Chinese company that has been designing, manufacturing, and exporting various electronic marine products since 2005.

It specializes in fish finders and digital depth sounders for different fishing applications, including boat fishing, kayak fishing, and ice fishing.

The Joywee FF688C is the company’s mid-tier offering for boat fish finders.

It is a step up over the non-color display of the FF668C but smaller than the FF788C.

In terms of market positioning, it is an entry to mid-level fish finder.

Who Is This Product For?

The Joywee Fish Finder from Phiradar is designed for professional anglers, hobbyists, and everyone in between.

It is very intuitive and easy to use but has advanced capabilities that you usually find in more expensive brands.

It does not matter if you are going to the river, the lake, or the sea.

As long as you are fishing from a boat, this device will get the job done for you.

It can detect fish of various sizes and even tell you how far below they are.

The Phiradar Joywee Fish Finder offers the ideal balance between cost and value in terms of price point.

There are other cheaper brands, but few of them will offer this amazing fishing tool's features. 

What’s Included?

Each product package comes with the following items:

• One control head
• Once transducer
• One power cable
• One user manual

Overview of the Features

This JOYWEE FF688C 3.5″ Phiradar Color LCD Boat Fish Finder review is not complete without discussing the key features of the fishing tool.

We will look at each one closely to help you decide if this is the right option for you.

• Display

The Joywee Fish Finder features a 3.5-inch display.

It is a bit small for a non-portable option, but every square inch of the screen is prime real estate.

It has an 18-bit depth, which means that its colors can transition faster.

Its flat-panel thin-film-transistor or TFT LCD has a resolution of 320x240.

Each pixel is illuminated individually to give sharper and brighter images.

It also refreshes more quickly, which means that the movements it will show will be smoother.      

You can read the display of the Joywee Fish Finder easily, even under direct sunlight.

The display is also bright enough for use in the dark.

You will have to make quick decisions based on the information on the screen, so this is something that you will appreciate.

If you want a bigger screen, you can try other options like the Garmin Striker 4 Plus or the Humminbird Piranhamax 4.

However, if you can live with the 3.5 inches, you will get more than your money’s worth.

• Dual-Beam Sonar

The Joywee Fish Finder emits a dual-beam sonar, which means that you get two cones.

The smaller cone has a higher frequency of 200 kHz. It has a greater resolution but offers less depth.

The bigger cone is at 83 kHz. It allows you to see deeper but at a slightly lower clarity.

Each beam has its time and place, depending on the underwater structures and the depth of your fishing spot.

Having both will make your life easier.

What is more, the Joywee Fish Finder comes with an anti-interference mode.

It eliminates the interference from underwater vegetation, which will come in handy if you use the device on a lake.

With all these features in one device, you have the edge over any fish target.

• Bottom Tracking

This sonar fish finder from Joywee offers bottom tracking function in both auto and manual zoom mode.

With this feature, you can keep your bait at an ideal distance even as the depth of the water changes.

This will allow you to fish consistently close to the bottom.

• Stop Chart

The sonar unit continuously sends and receives sound pulses.

That means the screen will keep scrolling even if the unit is not moving.

When this happens, there’s a chance that you will see several fish icons even if there is actually only one fish.

The Stop Chart feature prevents this from happening, giving you a more accurate live feed of what is happening below.

• Ease of Use

With the Joywee Fish Finder, you can easily switch the readings between meters and feet.

Some anglers are more comfortable using the metric system while others prefer English, so this feature is very useful.

The device has a multi-language menu setting, including English, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, and Danish.

So in most parts of the world, anglers can use the Joywee Fish Finder in their native language.

When it comes to identifying fish targets, the icons are clear and very visible.

That means you won’t miss out on any chance to reel the next big one.

You can set an audible fish and depth alarm, loud enough to get your attention without scaring the fish away.

• Versatility

As mentioned before, Phiradar designed the Joywee Fish Finder for anglers of all skill levels.

Beginners and enthusiasts will only need a short period of familiarization to get the most out of this fishing tool.

The controls and user interface are intuitive and very effective.

At the same time, the Joywee Fish Finder is packed full of features that experienced fishers need.

It has a dual-beam sonar that can get depth readings at an extensive range.

It can show you the bottom contour and even give you accurate temperature readings.

You can use the bottom tracking function with both auto and manual zoom.

It is not portable and does not have GPS capability, but all its other features make up for these shortcomings.

• Accuracy

The Joywee Fish Finder has a range of 0.6 meters to 300 meters.

It provides depth readings with 1/10th precision and offers several levels of sensitivity settings.

How To Use the Device

• If you are ready to use the fish finder, press and release the power key to turn it on.
• It is the lower right button of the keypad, which is right below the 3.5-inch display.
• The screen will initially say it is loading for a few seconds, after which the device will start to work.
• The Display View will show various information like depth, temperature, bottom contour, fish depth, sonar frequency, and the fish icons.
• You can press the zoom button at the upper left of the keypad to magnify the bottom signal. 
• Pressing it a second time will take you back to normal operation.
• The Sonar Zoom View is split into two windows.
• The left one shows the zoomed view, while the right shows the full range view.
• On the right window, you will find the Zoomed Preview Box.
• It shows which part of the full range view is on the zoomed window.
• It also tracks the bottom in the full range view.
• To activate the Stop Chart function, press the power key once.
• Doing this will stop the screen chart on the main screen.
• Press the power key again to recover the screen chart.
• If you want to switch between frequencies, press the V/Esc button at the upper right portion of the keypad.
• The menu system has three tabs: Sonar, Setup, and Advanced.
• Press the menu key once to activate it.
• Press the menu button again if you want to switch from one tab to another.
• The Sonar tab allows you to access the sensitivity, depth range, fish symbols and depth, depth cursor, and simulator.
• The Setup tab will show you settings like backlight, volume, units, and chart speed.
• The Advanced tab has the sonar chart mode, surface clarity, noise rejection, and language settings.
• Once you are done using the device, press and hold the power key.
• When the Shutdown notification appears, release the button, and it will turn off.

Alternatives

The Joywee Fish Finder is a budget-friendly tool.

However, if you are looking for an even more affordable option, try the Humminbird Piranhamax 4.

It has the same color TFT display but is a bit bigger at 4.3 inches.

It also uses dual-beam sonar.

You can get the portable version of the Piranhamax 4 or the one with down imaging, but for a higher price.

Verdict

The Phiradar Joywee Fish Finder can offer great value for your money.

It is easy to use and can show you everything you need to be more successful on the water.

It has several features that you usually see in more expensive brands.

If you are in the market for a reliable but affordable boat fish finder, this is a great option.