Vexilar SP300 T-Box Smartphone Fish Finder with Portable Case, Black

This might possibly be the coolest thing ever for cruising. When I'm entering a poorly charted anchorage, I can stand offshore with the big boat and then I can scount around in my dinghy with this and my gps-enabled tablet running Navionics Boating HD and I get an updated realtime chart complete with bathymetry! I take that back to the big boat and enter the anchorage with confidence. Works awesome in the Bahamas where some of the better spots take some exploration to get into.Only thing I've noticed is the charging indicator is a little unclear on what the charge status is. But who cares, really. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT.For years I imagined of creating just this product. Someone went ahead and did it and I'm so glad!Note that if you want to use an ipad, you'll need one of the cellular-enabled models to have the GPS capability you'll need.

Update: As a verified purchaser I can tell you these things. 1. There are no instructions with this unit. 2. There is not even a Quick Start Guide. 3. This will NOT connect to an iPhone 8, with Version 11 software.The connection to this unit is via WIFI, not bluetooth which presents some challenges. You need to find the PASSWORD. This is where lack of instructions and quick start guide become an issue. I had some conversations with their tech support, and was able to connect an old iPad to it but not an iPhone. I would go into iPhone settings and connect, but once the App was opened it would not connect. But thats not what I purchase if for, so it's going back.There is a good market for a fish finder like this, but Vexilar is not the one.

I don't particularly like writing negative reviews but I did not have too much luck with the T-Box. It has a lot of good things going for it and the concept is good, but for me, I had a not so good experience. When I received the box, I felt as if it had been opened. The box was a little battered and I just had a gut feeling. I used it for kayak fishing. I loved the fact that it's portable. The T-Box uses an app on your phone as the fish monitor. On the app, there is a battery level indicator. After initially charging overnight, the battery indicator on the app only showed half charge. After subsequent charges, it never moved from that position. Does it actually work as a fishfinder? Yes, it does it's job and using your phone as the monitor is pretty cool. Most phones do not work well in bright light. Expect to have to deal with that. Many times you just cannot hardly see your phone screen and you will have to try and shade it to see fishfinder. Also, make sure your phone or iPad is in a waterproof case of some kind. That will usually make it harder to see as well. You will need a backup power supply on board for your phone as well because the battery will discharge pretty fast. The most time usage I ever got from the T-Box was around 4 hours. After that, the battery died. After a few months, I sent the unit back to Vexilar for repair under warranty. I explained the problem. They sent it back pretty quickly. I charged again overnight and once again the battery level indicator on my phone only showed half charge. I was disappointed to say the least. Nevertheless, I turned the unit on and left it on. In about 3 hours it died. I will not be using it. I now own an anchor.

Did not work for my situation.

Victor's son posting- absolutely love it! it out tracks my humminbird 798 at speed and that's why I bought it. If you don't want to waste money on a separate finder for your console then this is the way to go. These big companies want you to jump on the newest stuff to get a larger screen, they charge $35-50 for simple cables and even more for extensions and network boxes. With sp series you can get the largest tablet you want, even connect your tablet to an HDTV if you really want huge :-) Everyone on the boat can see exactly what you are seeing and it just works, flawlessly, and inexpensively!

This product worked for a few months then corrosion took hold of the connections and it has failed. Doesn't seem designed for marine use at all, with steel components and connections that don't keep moisture out. Too bad, the idea is good... But I can't recommend this product.

Out of the box the WiFi would not connect to any of the three different types of phones and tablets. Called Tech Support, they told me to return it, no return through Amazon, so I paid $17 to ship it back to Northern Marine.

Can’t say enough good things. I preferred not to hard wire anything to my boat and I can use it whenever and wherever I’d like. It even makes it easy to identify weeds and obstructions for much better fishing. I’ve caught more fish since I’ve got this and feel safer as it links to a dual display with the navionics app. Navionics uses the data to identify the changing contours for safer and more accurate maps. Game changer