Humminbird SmartCast RF15 Wireless Remote Fish Finder

Other products by Humminbird

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 6 inches ; 3.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00070KN0A
• Item model number: 4063501
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,832 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Marine Electronics > Fishfinders

• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 1, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Humminbird Smartcast RF15 is a fishfinder designed for the recreational angler ready for a step up from traditional fishing and offers an unmatched level of convenience. This fishfinder may be small, but it has plenty of built-in capabilities, and can provide you with the ultimate in portable sonar in a simple, rugged package.

The Smartcast RF15 utilizes a traditional, single-beam 90-degree sonar to deliver ultra-wide coverage equal to twice the water depth up to 100 feet deep. Vital information is displayed on a big, 3.875-inch display with 160x132 lines of resolution, in a true four-level grayscale that delivers clearly better images of the bottom, fish and structure. The large, easy-to-see digital readout includes a backlight for night fishing, and is powered by eight AA (not included) batteries. This system is designed to be waterproof, and has a 100-foot operating range allowing you to easily travel around without losing your signal.

The Smartcast RF15 comes with a waterproof, programmable Advanced RSS (remote sonar system) for either Channel A or B operation mode, as well as a rugged carrying case with a non-skid bottom and RSS storage. The new illuminated, advanced RSS includes water surface temperature, typically lasts for 500 hours of in-the-water usage, and allows you to purchase replacements that are available on the manufacturer's web site, as well as at your local tackle dealer and major outdoor retailers. The Smartcast RF15 features one-touch menu navigation that allows you to easily control FishID+, depth range, fish alarm, and sensitivity, as well as Wet Switch technology that maximizes battery life by automatically shutting down when the Advanced RSS is out of the water. For those who like to travel light and go fishing anywhere and everywhere, this system is the perfect companion.

What's in the Box
RF15 control head, advanced remote sonar sensor, portable carry case, and operation manual.

Product Description

You not only get the advantages of the SmartCast system--the ability to find fish and structure wherever you cast, up to 100 feet in any direction--you also get a big 3.5 diagonal, 160V x 132H pixel portable display with 4 level grayscale technology for more bottom and structure detail. With one-Touch menu navigation you have instant access to all the advanced features, including Fish ID+, depth range, fish alarms, sensitivity, display contrast and more. The new advanced Remote Sonar Sensor(RSS) has an ultra-wide 90 degree beam, with up to 120 feet of depth capability. Wet Switch technology maximizes Remote Sonar Sensor life by shutting the RSS down when it's out of the water, giving you up to 500 hours of use! All in a portable design with an integrated handle and protective case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great device for learning to fish, January 7, 2005

By	Jesse Skeens (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Got this as a gift for Christmas when I was shopping with the wife at BassPro here in Orlando. I had been researching these units for a few days after reading about one online. The fact that I could cast out from the shore appealed to me so I chose one of the smartcast models. BassPro had the RF10 on sale and the R15 was the price I had expected the R10 to be so I went with the R15. It includes grey scale and water temp as part of the upgrades from the R10 series.

Over the past two weeks I've taken the R15 out to 4-5 lakes around my area to test it out. Provided I do a nice steady retrive a smooth display of the bottom is presented. I have also seen a fair amount of fish on the display using the Fish ID function. From what I have read on various newgroup posts this feature should generaly be turned OFF. Instead one is supposed to learn how to identify fish using "raw" sonar returns. So far I have not seen any "fish arches". I have a feeling I might need to be in deeper water for this to occur.

Overall the detail is nice and there are four options for displaying the 4 gradations of grey in ordet to highlight either weak or strong returns. One of the limilations of using this near the shore is that is does not do well with shallow depths. It lists 2 feet as the minumum but even depths of 3 feet and a bit more seem to confuse it, giving false returns. I have not tested its actual ability to recognize a return as a fish yet. I say this becuase so far I have not taken my tackle out, just the fishfinder in order to concentrate on learning it. I think I will try adding some bait to a line and attaching this to the small hole provided on the bottom of the RSS to see if it will show any fishing coming up to check it out.

I have had the unit lock up here and there, but unpluging the power cable and reinserting it and then turning on the unit again seems to have solved it. The other day I was getting some weird temp readings, it went from 40F and then back to the correct temp of 71F a few times. I also expienced an anomoly with the display. When set to "Black" mode for bottom detail the unit was only displaying 10H/6V pixels of resolution. Not sure what was up with that and I haven't tested it since then. Perhaps its a battery thing.

Overall I'm really happy with the unit. Sure is nice to be able to see contours of a lake as well as know if fish are in the area. Although the Fish ID might not be perfect you at least know that if nothing is showing on the screen at all to move somewhere else so as to not waste time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hummingbird Smartcast RF15, November 26, 2007

By	N. Stamboliev "niclas" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Recently purchased a SmartCast RF15 with channel A remote sonar and additionally a channel B remote sonar

The RF15 display is big and looks fine. Yet I found it inconvenient to bring around the fishing rod and the RF15. The options with wrist or rod seem better for portability and easy of use.

Did not see a way to save certain settings to persist across RF15 switch-off. For example I would like to have different than the default depth range or channel, yet it seems this is not possible.

The biggest problem - remote sonar RF40-B on channel B does not work, even after I change the channel on the RF15. No idea why. The remote sonar on Channel A, which comes with the RF15 is working perfectly.

5.0 out of 5 stars I seems to work. I think the lake has few fish due to a past drought., December 28, 2009

By	Donald J. Brooks "Duck" (Powder Springs, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I picked this finder because a friend had one and liked it. I have been going to a state park with it. I do see fish at times trolling with the trolling motor at Speed 1 but, never caught a fish where the finder said they were. I have only been in the one lake with it. I am still learning how to use it.