Fishing enthusiasts who frequent online discussion rooms might encounter dialogues to the effect that the fishfinder manufacturer, Si-Tex, is owned by the Japanese marine electronics firm, Koden. It was once the case, but no longer. Koden purchased Si-Tex in August 2009.
But, the former president of Si-Tex, Ted Bodtmann, bought Si-Tex back from Koden in May 2011, with Si-Tex designated as Koden’s North American sales representative.
Si-Tex doesn’t make a large number of fishfinder models. But, they do have quality products that fit most every budget. The smallest Si-Tex example uses a color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen. Tuning is kept simple through the use of a single rotary knob.
Since digital processing is used, unwanted sonic clutter is filtered to result in an extremely clear picture.
A nice advantage of Si-Tex fishfinders is a distinct sound that comes from the product whenever a target is displayed onscreen. Different tones are used for assorted fish types and schools of fish. It means that you can be away from your fishfinder, yet know when it “sees” fish below your boat.
An automatic mode can be selected which adjusts the settings on the screen to best match lighting conditions at a given moment outside. With an anti-reflective coating, the Si-Tex screen is viewable at most every angle, from the cloudiest skies to the brightest sunlight.
Though priced relatively inexpensively, this Si-Tex model possesses characteristics normally reserved for expensive fishfinders.
One such luxury is a zoom selection, which can move your visible screen from 10 feet, or 3 meters, to 650 feet, or 198 meters, in a matter of seconds. Another “high-end” feature involves variable color palettes that include white, black, four shades of blue, three shades of green, or night, as the display screen color.
Through the memory in this unit, you can store up 10 screen images to take you back to that perfect fishing spot. Just one touch can bring back your stored screens.
Si-Tex also manufactures fishfinders crafted for the serious fisherman seeking professional-grade, or even commercial-grade standards. One Si-Tex unit penetrates to depths of 4,800 feet, or 1,463 meters. Another measures depths from 10 feet, or 3 meters, to 6,000 feet, or 1,829 meters.
Like the earlier model, these come with a color LCD screen that sports an anti-reflective coating to give you full sunlight viewing capabilities. A high-speed computer processor equals the fast display of fish on your screen. And, as is the characteristic of all Si-Tex products, it is thoroughly surrounded in a waterproof case.
The professional-grade Si-Tex fishfinder can be matched with a high-frequency transducer to pick out fish down on the bottom in depths that weren’t detectible by “sounders” made in past years. The nice aspect about this pro-grade unit is that you can select the transducer that best matches the species of fish you seek the most, your fishing methods and the bottom that you see the most when you go fishing.
At the very top end of the Si-Tex offerings is a 15-inch, or 38.1-centimeter, LCD charting system that includes a GPS and Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) receiver. With two remote video ports, you can connect video cameras, or add a second station by including a standard video monitor. Include an optional radar sensor and you’ve not only got a GPS fishfinder, but there’s also radar on your vessel through this Si-Tex unit. The navigational capabilities seem unlimited.
Si-Tex manufactures quality marine electronics that fit anything from the smallest fishing boat to a larger sea-based vessel. So, when you buy a Si-Tex product, you’re placing top-rated marine electronics in your boat.