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Written by
Larry Stark, Founder / Main Editor
Professional fisherman, who loves to review new fishing gadgets.
With superb features for inland waters, the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv comes as the most affordable portable fish finder unit. Fishermen can use the device to catch fish whilst kayaking, boating, ice fishing, or shore fishing.
Unlike other traditional sonar fish finders, the Vivid 7sv screen helps you locate the fish and also records information about the lake where you fish, so you can navigate better. As part of its great features, there is also the fish symbol ID that notifies one when fish is nearby.
Perfect for beginners and experienced fishermen, the Vivid 7sv can land you the big fish you’ve been after. Read this Garmin Striker 7sv review to learn all about this fish finder.
Table of Contents
Garmin Striker 7sv Review: An Overview
| ⭐ Rating: | 4.2 ★★★★★ |
| 💵 Pricing: | Budget |
| 🖥️ Screen size: | 7 Inches |
Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv is practical and weighs only 1/2 pounds. It comes with a 3.6 by 6.1 inches screen (7 inches diagonally) and a high-end 800 by 480 pixels resolution that allows for clear and detailed images regardless of the season.
This fish finder comes with an implemented rechargeable battery of 12 volts 7 Ah that lasts between 4 and 5 hours. Once powered, the GT52 transducer creates sound waves up to 77,200. And once it reaches 455 kHz, it generates clear images of the lake landscape.
The 7sv fish finder comes with a flexible base that lets you angle the device for the best usage. The GT52 transducer comes with a transom and trolling motor support, too, which makes this device suitable for boating trips, too.
Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv: Technical Specification
- Screen size: 7 in
- Display Type: WVGA display color
- Imaging: Side imaging, down imaging
- Transducer Type: Trolling motor mount, transom motor mounts
- Transmit Power: 500 W
- Sonar Frequency: Traditional sonar -- 50/70/200 kHz Chirp Mid + High; Down imaging sonar -- 260/455/800 kHz; Side imaging sonar -- 260/455/800 kHz;
- Maximum depth: 2.300 ft freshwater; 1,100 salt water
- GPS Type: Internal
Reasons to Buy the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv
- Super affordable. The device costs only $520, but you can get it for less than $500 on a flash deal or using a discount.
- Works for Big Fish and Small Fish Anglers. The 7'' diagonal display offers a high resolution that vividly depicts and showcases smaller and bigger fish.
- Built-in GPS. Use this feature to find charters or find your way around the best fish!
- ActiveCaptain Feature. Likely the best feature of the Garmin Striker Vivid 7s. You can sync a smartphone to it and control the device from there.
Reasons Not to Buy the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv
- No maps. Without a map, this fish finder misses out on a fantastic feature, though it offers GPS in turn.
- No touchscreen. Instead of the quite useful touchscreen, this device resorts to manual use, a downside for many tech-savvy users.
How Does Garmin Striker 7sv Perform in Practice?
As part of our Garmin Striker 7sv review, we paid special attention to searching how the device performs in actual use. It is labeled as the one of best modern fish finders, and one of the most affordable fish finders at that.
But, what essentially makes Garmin striker 7sv a high-quality fish finder is the SideVu technology that generates side imaging of 250 feet, alongside the option to inspect the bottom structure.
Adjust Your Settings Right
Typically, anglers almost never zoom the 250 feet but adjust it between 50-150 feet, enough to spot and bait schooling fish. The device uses a traditional sonar, whereas its screen resolution is set to 800 pixels and provides maximum clarity for users. The only thing to remember is to set the transducer at 1.5 mph and level the tilt mount to achieve greater fish arches and good side-view imaging.
The only downfall performance-wise is the 7sv’s mapping, although the GPS does part of the job as an alternative.
Display
Our Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv review would be incomplete without a mention of the device’s great display. Through it, you can capture all angles below the surface, which makes the Striker 7sv one of the best fish finders for ice fishing. You can also use the device for shore fishing or in shallow waters. The device records the entire lake bottom and allows you to notice and avoid potential predators threatening your fishing experience.
A Special Feature
What makes the Garmin striker 7sv display special is its combo-view feature. With it, you don’t need an extra device to gain a full lake scope since the fish finder offers side and downward imaging, among other options. All of this can be seen on a single screen instead of you needing to install adjacent apps.
Interface
While the Garmin Striker 7sv’s display may be superb, its interface lacks some key features.
In doing our Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv review, we discovered the touchscreen is the prime concern for users since most anglers prefer touchscreens to touchpads.
Not All Is Lost
At the same time, the Garmin striker 7sv touchpad is not half as bad and comes with designated buttons to help you steer around the lake. The touchpad is also super-easy to use and includes arrows, a special button to adjust the waypoints, as well as a power and a select button. Additionally, you can customize the brightness of the backlight for better visuals.
Mapping
We cannot dodge the fact that there are no maps implemented in this exceptional fish finder. Still, despite the fact it lacks maps, the Garmin Striker 7sv doesn’t leave the map locator feature empty and introduces the Quickdraw Contours feature, which gives you the option to draw out the entire underwater structure.
Instead of using a map here, the 7sv fish finder implemented a GPS feature which, in combination with the device’s transducer, allows the Garmin striker 7sv to create your route and waypoint map, similar to pre-made charts.
Speaking of charts, the ActiveCaptain option is another feature worth mentioning in our Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv review. It allows you to both create maps and share them, as well as download other charts for free. This way, you will never wander off in new fishing waters.
Sonar
The Sonar feature is another quality factor we have to feature in our Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv review. There are three Sonar features supported: the Garmin CHIRP traditional sonar, the CHIRP ClearVü, and the CHIRP SideVü scanning sonar.
A compatible transducer comes with a unit that can showcase it in various ways. This CHIRP High Wide transducer is a classic in other fish finders, too, and sends multiple frequencies in a pulse, whereas basic transducers only send per-pulse frequencies.
With the CHIRP sonar, you have a range f 150-240 kHz, meaning you get the most accurate readouts that help you target fish better and more precisely. The CHIRP sonar settings stand at default when you first use the device. Ideally, you want to set the zoom and range accordingly so you can enjoy a full lake scope.
If you’re up for ice fishing, you can always use flasher mode.
Networking
The networking option of the Garmin Striker 7sv offers only WiFi and Bluetooth. This unusual networking limitation is due to the fact that the brand wants its users to operate it on the ActiveCaptain app instead of other devices or apps.
If you have other Garmin gadgets already, you can sync this beyond good 7sv fish finder with the other device. To do this, use the Data Sharing Cable or connect the devices’ blue and brown wires together. Demanding as it may sound, this is far simpler to do in practice.
Who is the Garmin Striker 7sv for?
The Garmin Striker 7sv is the best fish finder device for many anglers, beginners to pros. This is due to its expansive features, its enhanced visibility, and its fair price. With a handful of options to help you make the most out of your fishing trip, this fish finder delivers results. Also, the device is fit for anglers fishing in all weather conditions – sun, wind, storm, fog, etc.
Given the boost in visibility the device offers, you get a clear-as-day underwater view, including maximum depth, water temperature, and other lake data practical for ice fishing, jigging, or stationary fishing. Add the built-in GPS to the mix, and the Garmin Striker Vivid 7sv is more than worth its cost and will last you for years.
Serious anglers will benefit the most from this particular fish finder staple since it is practical, multifunctional, and advanced enough to get you all the fish in the pon. We hope this Garmin Striker 7sv review helped you understand the basics and what to expect – happy fishing and until next time!