# Simrad Go 7 experience



## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Anyone running a Go 7?
I'm looking to replace a defective Helix 7 and the Simrad is in my price range and it also has side scan. Whatever I purchase must have side scan. 
I know some people don't like touch screens and I understand why. 
I've seen the video where he's using FMT and I like the operation and layout. 
My lovely wife said she would spring for the FMT chip. 
Are there any reasons I should go Lowrance vs the Simrad? 
My budget is limited to the 7" models. 
Thoughts??


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## Gatorgrizz27 (Apr 4, 2015)

Egrets Landing on here has commented that the Lowrance Elite 7 Ti is a better unit, but I haven’t seen exactly why. I played with both the Ti and Simrad 9” units, they seem to have the same operating systems but I find the Simrad has more intuitive controls and the icons all look more modern for what it’s worth.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

Here’s the recent msg thread. See last post concerning why they say the Lowrance is a better option. https://www.microskiff.com/threads/fmt-n-s-with-simrad-go7.50491/#post-410948
I had purchased a Go7 shortly prior to that thread. I did look at and play with the units at the store and much preferred the Simrad. For me, I just didn’t like the way you had to use buttons on the Lowrance. Maybe I wasn’t trying the “TI” version that has the touch screen for most functions. I didn’t see them with FMT so wasn’t able to see what the “superior overlay” or “white bar” referenced. If I had maybe I would have made a diff decision.
Unfortunately the head cracked on my outboard and I haven’t had the opportunity to play with the new Go7 or my newly arrived FMT maps...
Anyone know where to get a good used outboard near Flagler?


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

I think it’s easier to zoom in and out on TI than on GO series when it comes to running FMT. I’ve only ran FMT track once so far since I got it but I see what he was talking about.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

I absolutely love my G07. The interface is great and very user-friendly, and I have never had an issue with the touchscreen. I have it hooked to NMEA2000 to display all of my engine data, as well as a navionics chip for charts. I ended up using a basic transducer and selling my sidescan transducer because I don’t have any use for a ducer like that since I’m normally too skinny to get a depth reading. Even with a basic transducer I still get 85hz, 200hz, mid and high chirp, and the detail is amazing. I almost like this unit better than my Garmin gpsMAP 10” I have on my center console. As for low range vs. Simrad, I would definitely go Simrad. I have gone through a lowrance HDS 5 and HDS 7 and I had reliability issues with both, plus I didn’t find them as easy to use or as detailed as the Simrad.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

GO7--no temp. w/ the total scan transducer
not really customize-able
screen is not 7" w/ the border u loose a 1/2"

great clarity.... touch screen work well..display looks high tech
I do like the unit


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

No temp? That's insane in this age of technology.
I do use temp to help decide fishing locations at times.


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## jcgeiss93 (Feb 28, 2017)

topnative2 said:


> GO7--no temp. w/ the total scan transducer
> not really customize-able
> screen is not 7" w/ the border u loose a 1/2"
> 
> ...





Mike C said:


> No temp? That's insane in this age of technology.
> I do use temp to help decide fishing locations at times.


I think you might be mistaken on this. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I have seen this happen on a few other Simrads If you go into settings>network>sources you can select the correct transducer and program it to send water temps. The GO7 is supposed to automatically identify which transducer you are using, but sometimes you have to set up specific info like water temp. I had to do this on mine for water pressure and fuel consumption on my Yamaha F70


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Water temps are everything in the ‘glades... Even my cheap old finder displays them...


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## Battfisher (Jan 18, 2016)

Mike C said:


> No temp? That's insane in this age of technology.
> I do use temp to help decide fishing locations at times.


I have a GO7 on my SM 1656 with NMEA connection, and it has always shown water temp. I have the standard transducer that came with the unit - not sidescan.


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## csnaspuck (Apr 2, 2013)

I have a GO7 and FMT and its everything I expected but now looking back I do wish I would go with the NSS evo2 and now maybe the evo3 only because it is a lot easier to zoom in and out on the FMT maps. Using that knob versus using fingers to zoom in and out is easier.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

jcgeiss93 said:


> I think you might be mistaken on this. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I have seen this happen on a few other Simrads If you go into settings>network>sources you can select the correct transducer and program it to send water temps. The GO7 is supposed to automatically identify which transducer you are using, but sometimes you have to set up specific info like water temp. I had to do this on mine for water pressure and fuel consumption on my Yamaha F70


I will double check but my buddy and myself found info. that stated that w/ the total scan trans. does not provide water temp.....I will try what u stated to be sure ..and will get back
thanks


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## 321nole (Jan 11, 2016)

topnative2 said:


> I will double check but my buddy and myself found info. that stated that w/ the total scan trans. does not provide water temp.....I will try what u stated to be sure ..and will get back
> thanks


interesting, I had the totalscan transducer with my GO and it provided the water temp..that is until the loch ness monster ripped it off my transom


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

OK.....I called Simrad and ...it does get temp.... but if u are running #57 or #58 op. system one has to go in manually and set it up to get temp to register>>>>it does not tell u this in the manual<<<<<< if u are running update#59 it is automatic.................GO FIGURE

Big thanks to JC.......


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Mike C said:


> No temp? That's insane in this age of technology.
> I do use temp to help decide fishing locations at times.


The unit even with the standard transducer has temp....

Get out of the arial chart mode and open up the bottom finder/echo/structure scan and it shows it in the corner of the screen.


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## Snookyrookie (Sep 9, 2016)

I have a go9 with the fmt chip and I love it. I also have the totalscan transducer and get temp on every screen, you have to go in to settings and have it displayed in the sidebar.


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## vantagefish (Jul 16, 2014)

As others stated you do get temp with the total scan. I had an issue with mine and had to navigate through some setting in order to get it to read; of the ducer isn’t plugged in the first time you turn it on (even to check power) you may have an issue with this. 
For the money I’d look into a remaining evo2 unit. Right in the same price range as a go. I run FMT charts on mine and couldn’t imagine not having the rotary dial for zooming and menu navigation.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Well, 
I compared the Lowrance 7 TI with the Go-7 and even though the Lowrance had interface compatibility with my Power Pole and my Motorguide XI-5, I bought the Go-7. 
The basic features were nearly identical but the screen on the Go-7 was much better in my opinion. Also, the user interface was much more to my liking. 

I bought the unit with the total scan transducer. I like having side imaging when dock fishing and while scoping out trout areas. 
Also, once in a while, I'll pull up over a wreck or some structure to soak a bait. 
FMT will work as well as I need it to with this unit. 
I really appreciate everyone's input in this matter.


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## matt146 (Aug 18, 2013)

I love my go7 but mine is flush mounted and the slot is on the back for chips. Kind of a pain to swap chips


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Dummy here was able to get it done. The procedural steps were not exactly rt....but we got there.I almost need glasses to see it.....but that seems to be an everyday problem
The manual does suck.


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## PeteS (Dec 30, 2016)

I have the GO9 with side scan and have not had any issues with water temp....


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## zmgsvt (Jun 5, 2009)

So go9 or nss7 for FMT?


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

I hooked the transducer into the unit on the second power up so Rebecca could see how it operates. 
Even though I had powered it up in the store minus the xducer, it recognized it right away. I did make sure to input the correct xducer on first power up. 
The temp reading works very well and I like having it on all screens.
Rebecca really liked the layout and operating of it. 
She also felt it was very intuitive.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I was told long ago by I think a rep for hummingbird to not use a transducer out of the water for long cause it can somehow damage it. Not sure if it's true, but being how expensive they are....


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## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

jcgeiss93 said:


> I think you might be mistaken on this. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I have seen this happen on a few other Simrads If you go into settings>network>sources you can select the correct transducer and program it to send water temps. The GO7 is supposed to automatically identify which transducer you are using, but sometimes you have to set up specific info like water temp. I had to do this on mine for water pressure and fuel consumption on my Yamaha F70


I updated my Lowrance and lost my water temp. Had to go into the settings and select my transducer model.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

The transducer wasn't an issue on mine, it was the power switch circuitry.
It either burned up or somehow got wet and then burned out. IPX rating be damned.
Either way 75% (3 Out of 4) of the Humminbird units I've owned crapped out in less than a year.

Here's a pic of the power circuit.

The worst part of the issue was the disappointment on Rebecca's face when I told her it was bad and what they wanted ($214.00 plus shipping and tax) to repair it. She did a bunch of research and bought it as a Christmas present for me.


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## AMiller (Mar 12, 2018)

Anybody run the nmea 2000 cable from your engine to the simrad go 7? I like the idea of getting rid of the gauges and going with a super slicked console. I know it will do rpms, speed, engine temps, fuel burn rates, hours, run time, etc. Will it split screen the gauges and the plotter? And is the gauge screen customizable, I really only need to see rpms, temps, water pressure on the fly?


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## Battfisher (Jan 18, 2016)

AMiller said:


> Anybody run the nmea 2000 cable from your engine to the simrad go 7? I like the idea of getting rid of the gauges and going with a super slicked console. I know it will do rpms, speed, engine temps, fuel burn rates, hours, run time, etc. Will it split screen the gauges and the plotter? And is the gauge screen customizable, I really only need to see rpms, temps, water pressure on the fly?


I've got the NMEA network on my Go7, connected to my Etec 40. I haven't set up fuel burn yet (had it for almost a year), but all of the other stuff is great. I'm pretty sure it's yes on the split screen with gauges and plotter, but I keep mine on plotter and sonar most of the time, and switch to gauges only when running.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Yes you can split screen. Its through the settings option and a long press, etc.
Don't know the specifics, but it is possible. 
@Battfisher 
Other than the start kit and engine adapter, did you need anything else to set up the nmea 2k?


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

To clarify,
I have an '08 F-60 and the digital gauge package. Does anyone know if the nmea cables are already present to the gauges?
Or, do I need the adapter and then run all new nmea connectors?

The entire system looks simple. Realistically they are just thru-put connectors to the Go-7. As long as the inputs are routed properly, then the output is the only thing to connect to the unit.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

topnative2 said:


> OK.....I called Simrad and ...it does get temp.... but if u are running #57 or #58 op. system one has to go in manually and set it up to get temp to register>>>>it does not tell u this in the manual<<<<<< if u are running update#59 it is automatic.................GO FIGURE
> 
> Big thanks to JC.......


If your running a GPS only with no transducer, like I do, you won't get water temps
I use a 7 lorance GPS only. Get my water temp via a small Lorance depth finder with a transducer


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## AMiller (Mar 12, 2018)

Mike C said:


> To clarify,
> I have an '08 F-60 and the digital gauge package. Does anyone know if the nmea cables are already present to the gauges?
> Or, do I need the adapter and then run all new nmea connectors?
> 
> The entire system looks simple. Realistically they are just thru-put connectors to the Go-7. As long as the inputs are routed properly, then the output is the only thing to connect to the unit.


You might have to check inside your cowling on the front of the engine for a connector labled nmea or gps or something like that. I know all the newer Yam's have them but not sure what year they started doing it.
If you already have a nmea 2000 backbone network than all you need is this cable...

https://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-Yam...8-1&keywords=yamaha+nmea+2000+interface+cable

the nmea backbone network is basically just some standard nmea2000 T connectors that connects to a 12V source.


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## Battfisher (Jan 18, 2016)

Mike C said:


> Yes you can split screen. Its through the settings option and a long press, etc.
> Don't know the specifics, but it is possible.
> @Battfisher
> Other than the start kit and engine adapter, did you need anything else to set up the nmea 2k?


I just ordered the basic Etec kit and it came with all of the components.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Battfisher said:


> I just ordered the basic Etec kit and it came with all of the components.


Awesome, thanks!


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Do the simrad units come ready to flush mount? Or do you need a kit?


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## ReelFisher (Mar 14, 2017)

The GO7 does not come with the flush mount kit, but you can buy one separately for like $30 at West Marine. The GO9 and up models do come with the flush mount kit standard. Don't ask me why that makes any sense...


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

Funny thing about flush mount. The Go-7 comes with a flush mount gasket, but not the backing piece.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Can you guys still see the screen well if it's flush munted? I love the clean look, but on a low profile console it would be near horizontal.


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## Mike C (Feb 27, 2017)

firecat1981 said:


> Can you guys still see the screen well if it's flush munted? I love the clean look, but on a low profile console it would be near horizontal.


If you go online and read the specifications page it will tell you the visibility in degrees of tilt from dead center. IIRC, left-right is >60 degrees. I don't remember the top/bottom numbers


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

zmgsvt said:


> So go9 or nss7 for FMT?


The NSS works more seemlessly with the FMT Chip, than the GO series, due mainly to the easy to grab control zoom nob on the NSS vs zooming a screen with wet fingers on the GO.

PM me for a referral to FMT.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

link for the 184pg. manual pdf.....enjoy

http://ww2.simrad-yachting.com/Root/Simrad-Documents/GO_XSE/GO-XSE_OM_EN_988-11105-002_w.pdf


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

AMiller said:


> Anybody run the nmea 2000 cable from your engine to the simrad go 7? I like the idea of getting rid of the gauges and going with a super slicked console. I know it will do rpms, speed, engine temps, fuel burn rates, hours, run time, etc. Will it split screen the gauges and the plotter? And is the gauge screen customizable, I really only need to see rpms, temps, water pressure on the fly?


One of the downsides of ditching motor specific gauges currently is that no outboard that I know of will display error codes on a Simrad, Lowrance, etc. Pretty much everything else works great though.

BTW if you have a Zuke with analog gauges, you don't even have to run cable. You are able to plug straight from the RPM gauge into the NMEA connector kit.

My total with GO7 XSE Total Scan, Suzuki digital gauge, NMEA Connectors, FMT chip and NMEA fuel gauge was $1500-ish. Everything is digital. I replaced the analog gauge hole with the Suzuki digital and the analog fuel gauge with a USB connector from Blue Seas.


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