NAVICO ForwardScan Transducer

The transducer is connected to a Simrad GO5 XSE plotter. Since it's a very small device and wasn't one of the latest models at the time of my purchase, I asked customer service in advance whether everything was compatible. (They were also able to provide me with information about the cable length without any problems, so I didn't have to order an extension cable.)
The service was fast, competent, and friendly – that was already very positive.
The combo is used exclusively on inland waterways.

The price of the transducer naturally makes you think carefully about whether the investment will be worthwhile. Additionally, you'll have to cut through the hull if you can't use an existing one.

I'd been eyeing it up at boat shows for a long time. With the purchase of the Simrad plotter, I now had a compatible device, so I took the plunge.
In the displays at boat shows, and also here when introducing the transducer, a color 3D image is often used to illustrate how it works. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that on the output device! The display is "only" 2D.
The look-ahead function is available, but not as a 3D display. To be fair, the possible display is also shown. I just assumed beforehand that the user might be able to choose later.
That would be a nice gimmick; the promised functionality is actually there.

Here are my 3 biggest criticisms:
- Although customer service had previously promised this, the water temperature is not displayed. That's extremely annoying, because you test it in the water first and then don't hook the boat back up to the crane and replace or return the sensor. Especially since the included installation sleeve can't be easily removed.
- The software installation, or rather, the recognition of the sensor, was really annoying (possibly only with my device). After a lot of trial and error, I ended up having to select a different sensor in the software menu.
For this price, I expected absolute plug and play.
The manufacturer hasn't solved this well.
- There are often interference signals on the display. For example, with vegetation growth or in locks. The damping is adjustable in the software, but it also tends to reset itself, and then you have to fumble through the "tenth" submenu to stop the constant jumping back and forth on the display.

The included sleeve is made of stainless steel. It comes with a dummy plug. So if you want to remove the transducer for any reason, you can use the dummy plug to avoid making a hole in the hull. If the area is really easy to access and you're quick, you could theoretically remove the transducer in the water with the bilge pump running and then use the dummy plug to seal it. The manufacturer has specifically built a kind of self-closing flap into the stainless steel sleeve for this purpose. This minimizes water ingress – a clever solution.

Conclusion: Unfortunately, the price-performance ratio doesn't meet my expectations. I wouldn't buy the transmitter again.

Installed it before the 2021 season. Unfortunately had to find out that the water temperature was not measured and not displayed. Supposed to be fixed with an update, but haven't received an update.