Hondex plotters, sounders, and sonars keep it simple and get the job done. Jason Philbrook owns Navroc Marine Electronics in Rockland, Maine, and is the U.S. distributor of Hondex electronics. He has been building the brand in Maine and beyond since taking over from Bob Nelson in 2018. “We’re starting to get into New Hampshire and Massachusetts,” he says. “And we’d like to go further.”

According to Philbrook, the three big selling points of Hondex sounders and sonars are their ease of use, compact size, and, in the case of the sounders, their capacity to connect with TimeZero and Olex for bottom mapping. “They are really good for showing bottom hardness,” he says.

In terms of ease of use, Philbrook notes that the Hondex plotter, while lacking many of the add-ons of the major brands, is popular with lobstermen because they can easily make and later delete marks and tracks. “They move their gear frequently, and the Hondex lets them delete older marks and free up space on the screen,” he says. “Our biggest seller for that is the Hondex HDX-121 combination chartplotter/echosounder.”

For sounders, Philbrook notes that many fishermen like the HE 7300 because they can adjust the frequency for different transducers and produce bottom hardness data for bottom building software. “The newest sounder Hondex has is the HE-2910,” he says. “It’s similar in design to the HDX-121 but with more sounder features. It has CHIRP and three preset buttons so you can easily change the settings when you move from fishery to fishery.”

Being new, the HE-2910 is starting to move and garner appreciation from users, but Philbrook knows it will take time before he sees increased sales. “It takes a long time to build the market,” he says. “With Hondex, the machines are very durable. It can be 10 or 15 years before someone upgrades their sounder.”

For fishermen who also catch bait fish, Philbrook offers the Hondex 773 sonar. “When you’re looking for pogies, they don’t always come to the surface,” he says. “With the 773 sonar, you can see them when they’re deeper and see the shape of the school, so you can make a set and circle around them and get them.”

Again, Philbrook points out the simplicity value of the Hondex machines. “Simple and inexpensive,” he says. “You can get the sonar for $5,000, a tenth of the cost of the big systems. And our transducer tube is only three inches. So, it’s great for smaller boats.”

According to the Hondex literature, the 773 can scan for fish at up to four different angles at the same time, showing distance, direction, and angle to the fish. It also has an option for an electric hoist to raise the sonar easily.

Besides their simplicity, size, and value, Philbrook touts the quality of Hondex marine electronics. “These are rugged machines,” he says. For small boat fishermen looking for the most bang for the buck, Hondex may be of interest.