Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 166sv 16" Combo GN+, No Transducer

The ECHOMAP Ultra 2 166sv is the 16-inch flagship of Garmin's angler-focused ECHOMAP Ultra 2 chartplotter lineup, sized for serious bass, walleye, and inshore sport-fishing boats where the captain wants the biggest possible chartplotter at the helm. The 1920 by 1080 full-HD IPS touchscreen with keyed-assist physical buttons works equally well with wet hands at the bow and with gloves on at the console. The keyed-assist layout is the right answer for an angler-grade chartplotter where the touchscreen handles waypoint placement and pan-zoom while the physical keys handle the operations that need to work reliably regardless of glove or moisture.

This SKU specifically ships without a transducer. The chartplotter has the built-in sonar electronics for CHIRP, Ultra HD ClearVu, and Ultra HD SideVu, but the actual transducer is a separate purchase. That makes sense in two situations. First, you already have a Garmin transducer on the boat and don't need a second one. Second, you're planning a thru-hull or pocket-mount transducer install for offshore deep-water work and don't want to pay for the GT56UHD-TM transom transducer that you wouldn't use. When you pair this chartplotter with a transducer, you get the full 600 watts of single-channel CHIRP at 70, 83, and 200 kHz plus Ultra HD ClearVu and SideVu at 260, 455, 800, 1000, and 1200 kHz.

Live sonar comes through the network. The Garmin Marine Network port on the back accepts the LiveScope LVS34 transducer for forward-looking real-time sonar or the Panoptix PS70 thru-hull for deep-water live sonar. Neither is included in this bundle (they're separate purchases), but the chartplotter is fully ready for them when you decide to add either one. For most bass and walleye anglers the LVS34 with a trolling-motor barrel mount is the right next step. For deep-drop offshore work the PS70 is the answer. Either one networks through the Marine Network Ethernet cable on the back and shows up as a sonar page.

Navigation is built around the Garmin Navionics+ chart pack pre-loaded on the unit covering US Inland lakes and Coastal Canada waters. That's the right chart set for the vast majority of North American anglers running this chartplotter, with bathymetric contours, navigation aids, hazard markers, and Auto Guidance+ route planning built into the chart data. For higher-detail mapping the optional LakeVu g3 Ultra, BlueChart g3 Vision, and Navionics Vision+ upgrades layer additional features (satellite imagery, relief shading, high-density contours) on top of the base Navionics+ data. Quickdraw Contours runs in the background and builds custom bathymetry maps of the waters you fish in real time. The 10 Hz multi-band GPS receiver pulls from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou constellations with WAAS sub-meter accuracy where available.

Connectivity covers the angler workflow. Bluetooth voice command lets you adjust sonar settings, switch waypoints, and control compatible Garmin Force trolling motors without putting the rod down. HDMI output mirrors the chartplotter to a second monitor or TV for tournament live-streaming setups or for sharing the picture with crew. Garmin Marine Network supports up to eight networked units across the boat, plus NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 for engine data, autopilots, and Fusion-Link audio. Wi-Fi handles ActiveCaptain pairing, software updates, Quickdraw map sync, and cloud waypoint backup. ANT+ pairs with wireless sensors and the Garmin SmartWatch series.

The unit is 16.9 by 10.5 by 3.14 inches and weighs 9.5 pounds. IPX7 waterproof rating handles spray, rain, and the splash you'll get on a bass boat. Power input runs 9 to 18 volts DC at 3.9 amps typical draw, which works on most 12V house batteries without a converter. The box includes the chartplotter, the power cable, the bail mount, the sun cover, the flush-mount trim caps, mounting hardware, and the documentation. No transducer is included. Plan on a chartplotter mount at the helm or the bow plus a separately purchased transducer install for the sonar capability.

One thing worth knowing about the 16-inch ECHOMAP versus the 16-inch GPSMAP chartplotters in the same screen size. The ECHOMAP Ultra 2 lineup is engineered around the angler workflow with the transducer in the box, the touchscreen and keyed-assist interface tuned for fishing operations, and the Force trolling motor integration up front in the menu structure. The GPSMAP 1623xsv at the same screen size targets cruisers and sport-fishing boats with the multi-engine NMEA 2000 integration, the J1939 heavy-diesel ECU support, and the SailAssist features tuned for cruiser-racers. Both run 16 inches of full HD touchscreen, both run the same UHD ClearVu and SideVu sonar, but the menus and the workflow are tuned for different boats. Pick the chartplotter that matches how you actually use the boat rather than the spec sheet alone.