It’s not a GPS or a chartplotter, it’s a dedicated fish finder.
Taking a fishfinder into the area of a lake or the sea that you have fished in for years is like fishing it for the first time again.
With the Piranhamax 4 Di, you could change the way you fish. With all its features you’ll never guess where the fish are.
You go from fishing blind and using your senses to knowing what’s beneath the surface and if there are any fish worth stopping for.
But what makes the PiranhaMax 4 Di one among the best fish finders for small boats or kayaks? Can it really increase my fishing success?
If you’re looking for answers that would make you confident in your choice, continue on reading my PiranhaMax 4 Di Review.
Things To Think About Before Buying A Fish Finder
The Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di will show you what’s lurking beneath the surface of the water, whether it’s fish, a nice depth change or a random piece of structure fish might hang out on.
This model offers a fantastic upgrade to the older models in the PiranhaMax series.
The awesome sonar technology that comes with the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di will show you what’s below with excellent detail.
It even features a depth alarm, fish ID, a fish alarm, and a battery alarm to make sure you never miss a trick.
The depth alarm is as straightforward as you can imagine. The fishfinder sounds an alarm when it hits a particular depth or if you’re about to hit a low depth area.
The fish alarm is an exciting feature that will sound when the transducer detects a fish, and you can even set the size requirements like small, medium and large for the alarm to ring.
It means that if you’re looking for a large catch, you can set it on large and the fish alarm goes off if it detects a large fish.
Advantage
Fish finders like the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di are a great thing to buy if you go fishing on a small boat, a fishing kayak, or if you own a large boat and want a dedicated fish finder.
If you’re looking for a fish finder and GPS with a chartplotter all rolled into one, with a wider screen size, more advanced features and can be used on big boats, then the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di isn’t for you.
You’ll want a unit with a bit more punch to it like the Humminbird Helix 9.
Before you go off and start looking on the market to buy a fish finder like the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di, there are some considerations you need to review and think about to be sure you’re getting the right fish finder for you.
Here’s a list of what you should consider.
- Is Humminbird a good brand?
- Does Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di have GPS?
- Does the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di come with a transducer?
- How do you install it?
- Is it expensive?
- What sonar does it come with?
- How durable is it?
- Is it portable?
- How good is the display screen?
- What’s the display size?
- What useful features does it have?
- Does it have any advanced features?
- Can it identify fish?
Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 DI
A dedicated fishfinder that is affordable, portable and gives awesome sonar imaging.
Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 DI
The Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 DI Overview
This fish finder is designed to provide you with a picture of exactly what’s going on under the surface with a depth capability of 600ft deep.
It’s not a GPS or a chartplotter, it’s a dedicated fish finder.
Value
The best things about the Piranhamax 4 Di are its affordability, portability, and the awesome imaging sonar technology that comes with it.
The unit features dual beam plus, and down imaging sonar – which for the price is quite astounding.
Display
The images it shows you on the crystal clear display screen are so detailed.
You can look at a 2D picture on these fish finders and then switch into down imaging sonar mode to see everything in 3D.
It makes it easier to see fish in the area for fishing prospects, and maybe it even makes it almost too easy.
If you’re new to fishfinders, all the details on the display could be confusing. To help you out, here’s a detailed guide on how to read a fishfinder. Be sure to check it out.
Portability
You can put this unit on a kayak, small boat, large boat, and simply take it home at the end of each day, that’s how portable it is.
This is thanks to the swivel mount for the display and the transom mount XNT 9 DI transducer.
You can easily just take the unit on and off any vessel you mount it to.
Durability
Another great thing is that the Piranhamax 4 model features durability.
The display screen is built inside a shock-absorbent case and it’s rated to IPX7 waterproof standards. This means it can handle incidental water exposure and can be submerged at a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes and be fine.
Pros
- Durable and waterproof build
- Portable and can be used on kayaks and small boats
- Comes with dual-beam and down imaging sonar
- Shows excellent detail down to a depth capability of 600ft
- Has a crystal clear display screen that you can read in direct sunlight
- It’s easy to use for anyone
- Comes with fish and depth alarms
- Affordable for everyone
Cons
- There is no CHIRP sonar included
- Target separation is only average
- There is no GPS included
Features & Benefits
Display
The Piranhamax Di comes with a 256 color TFT LED-backlight display screen. It’s not the biggest screen size in the world at 4.3 inches but it has 70 more pixels than other fish finders in its class with a 480 x 272 pixel matrix.
A pixel matrix of 480 x 272 makes the 256 color TFT LED-backlight screen incredibly clear and easy to see, even in direct sunlight.
When you’re looking for fish, they’ll come up clear as day on this unit’s display, all thanks to its 480 x 272 pixel matrix.
Humminbird even says it is 20% bigger screen and has 70% more pixels than their previous models.
Power, Depth, And Sonar Frequency
The Piranhamax 4 Di features a power output of 2400 Watts peak to peak and 300 W RMS which is more than enough to run the sonar frequencies needed to give you accurate readings down to 600ft.
The unit features multiple sonar frequencies of 200 455 kHz that it uses to give you 2d sonar with dual beam plus down imaging (di).
Frequency
The Piranhamax Di model can send out waves at 200 kHz or 400 kHz depending on which beam you intend on using.
Lower frequencies such as 200 will penetrate deep to 600 ft and are used for 2d sonar while higher frequencies like 455 kHz are used for the di to give you more detail but will only reach a max depth capability of 320ft.
Sonar
The Piranhamax 4 Di unit offers a dual beam sonar with down imaging but does this really mean?
Dualbeam
The benefits of dualbeam are huge when you’re fishing.
It’s one of the best features you can have on fish finders.
Dualbeam makes it easier to find fish and is designed to provide a means to then focus on what you’ve found.
What is Dualbeam?
Dualbeam means that the Piranhamax 4 Di can send out two different beams of sonar at different widths and you can pick which one is best for you
As we discussed above, the sonar can send out a beam at both 200 455 kHz frequencies, and each sonar frequency is for a different purpose.
200kHz and 400kHz
The transducer uses conical sonar beams for these two frequencies.
The conical sonar beams operate at 28 degrees for 200 kHz and 16 degrees for 455 kHz.
200 kHz sonar frequency is used for giving you a wider beam and therefore covers a larger area beneath the surface, it’s ideal for finding fish, structure, and contours.
400 kHz is used for a narrow beam where you want to focus in with DI on structures you have found using the wide beam. This helps to take the guesswork out of the sonar interpretation.
2D Sonar
The 2D sonar features with conical beams on the Piranhamax 4 Di fish finders are excellent.
You can switch between narrow or wide beams as you choose and it’ll show you exactly what’s underneath you with deadly accuracy on the excellent pixel matrix of the screen.
Temperature Sensor
In 2D sonar mode, the temperature sensor will also let you know how hot or cold the water is.
You program Fish ID mode to provide you with better target separation and set any fish and depth alarms you may want the fish finders to remind you about.
Down Imaging (Di)
The down imaging features on the Piranhamax 4 Di fish finders make fish ID a piece of cake.
When you turn it on, suddenly you go from 2D sonar to a 3D almost photo-like sonar of what’s beneath you.
This allows you to know exactly what you’ve found down there, and if there is anything hanging out on it – whether it’s an area worth fishing.
NOTE
It’s one of the most useful features of the unit and is perfect for bottom fishing or when you’re trying to find lurking bass or crappie in a big lake.
Zoom
When in either of the sonar modes, you can zoom in to x 3 to get a larger image of your fishing prospects or target.
This exciting feature will let you work out if what you’re seeing is a fish or not on the screen.
It’s one of the best features to use when you’re unsure of exactly what you’re seeing.
Transducer
The Piranhamax 4 Di unit comes with an XNT 9 DI T transducer which is what allows all the magic to happen.
For the price it the XNT 9 DI T transducer is excellent, it’s what allows the unit to use dual beam, and down imaging, plus it also contains the temperature sensor that gives you those all-important water temperature readings.
Mount
The PiranhaMax 4 Di comes with a swivel mount and the XNT 9 DI T comes with a transom mount making the XNT 9 DI T transducer simple to add to any vessel, just hook it up to the transom with the included mount to start fishing and you can even take it home when you’re done for security or to use on another vessel the next day.
Social Proof
I have been looking at all the reviews I could get my hands on trying to find out how much and if everyone loves these sounders.
After looking at a Humminbird Piranhamax 4 Di review, the results of the reviews are quite positive.
Alternatives
It’s always a good idea to review some alternatives before you jump in and buy something on the market like this Humminbird, so I have rustled up a few to look at.
Humminbird Piranhamax 4
The first alternative we’ll review is the Humminbird Piranhamax 4, it’s exactly the same as the di version but a little more affordable and comes without down imaging and a different transducer.
Here’s a summary of the differences.
The Piranhamax 4 is:
- More affordable price
- Comes without down imaging
- The unit features an XNT 9 28 transducer
If you don’t need the down imaging features and want to save a bit of cash looking, the Piranhamax 4 is a great option.
Humminbird Piranhamax 4 PT
The next alternative we’ll review is the Humminbird Piranhamax 4 PT.
Again, it’s exactly the same as the di version but comes without down imaging, is a little more affordable, and has a different transducer that comes with a suction mount for portability.
Here’s a summary of the differences:
- Has a more affordable price
- Comes without down imaging
- Features an XNT 9 28 transducer
- Comes with a carry case and a suction mount for the transducer for easier portability
If you know you’re going to be hopping from vessel to vessel often and don’t need the down imaging features, the Piranhamax 4 PT is one easy to use product worth looking at.
Garmin Striker 4
It’s a more affordable unit and this unit comes with GPS and CHIRP sonar technology which the PiranhaMAX 4 Di does not.
Garmin Striker 4
The last alternative we’ll review is the Garmin Striker 4. It’s not the best fishfinder/GPS combo but it has more than enough features.
It’s a more affordable unit and this unit comes with GPS and CHIRP sonar technology which the Humminbird does not.
Plus it can go deeper, to 1600ft but it does have a smaller screen of 3.5 inches.
The Garmin Striker 4 is:
- More affordable price
- Comes with GPS
- Includes CHIRP for more detailed sonar
- Goes much deeper to 1600ft
If you’re looking for fish finder with GPS and fish in lakes deeper than 600ft, you might want to consider the Striker 4, plus it has more accurate sonar with CHIRP for more detailed images.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading my Humminbird Piranhamax 4 di review.
I hope you found this Humminbird PiranhaMax 4 di review useful.
Finding the right sounder for your needs is key to your fishing success and yes, this is a great fish finder for a small vessel or for those who love fishing from a kayak.
PiranhaMax 4 DI
Hopefully this Humminbird Piranhamax 4 di review has shown you how great it is.
This sounder will show you everything under you with all the detail you will ever need thanks to the dualbeam sonar and excellent transducer, be worry free from incidental water exposure, it will give you alarms like if you’re about to hit a low depth area, plus you can easily move it from vessel to vessel.
It’s a one-stop-shop for finding fishes that’s an excellent value for its price, accurate, and portable, there isn’t much more you could ask for.
If you want a unit with side imaging, check out my Humminbird 999ci HD review.
Happy Fishing!
Please feel free to share this Humminbird Piranhamax 4 di review around with your buddies, and if you’re looking for a water vessel to mount your fishfinder, check out my review of the best fishing kayaks under 1000 dollars, along with a wealth of other fishy information.
