Our field (from left to right: the Furuno FCV 600L, the Garmin 320C, the Lowrance LCX-18C and the SI-TEX CVS-106L) are shown mounted on our 25’ Contender center console.

Our last fishfinder article (October 2002) covered six monochrome sounders priced under $400. This time we looked at four units equipped with color LCD screens. Why the change to color? Simple—they supply more information. A monochrome screen might be able to display four to eight different shades of black-gray-white that our eyes can recognize, while a color screen can show 16 or more distinguishable colors.

How does that additional information translate into an advantage for the user? You might be able to distinguish between a fish and rock with a color screen but not a monochrome one. These additional gradations on color screens make it easier to differentiate between hard and…