my depth sounder just went t/u and the buget only accepts one new electronic for the boat since I mostly fish silvers between pp and shipwreak I was thinking of getting the black box and liveing without the depth sounder for a year
what do you think? am I begging for lost d/r balls are just no blackmouth next year?

with my luck this will either mean a poor silver run or an awsome king run.

Have'nt found need for a blackbox yet. Go for the F.F. My .02

Chasers right on the money. I have boated a lot a fish with out a black box, but you gotta know the depth and where the bait balls are. Go with the FF! You may also want to take a voltage reading reading on your downrigger cables. If you are already running between .6 and .7 vdc, you are in the Zone as it is and a Black box really isn't going to do anything for you.

Get a fishfinder first.

A depth finder is a MUST...A black box is a BUST

I run an alumaweld intruder in the salt I have been thinking of getting the black box,but you guys bring up a good point that it might not be needed.who or where do I take it to get it tested thanks.

My downriggers run 7-9 depending on the eletronics I run great for dogfish they school on the ball all the time I catch fish ok but I need very clean zinc's to drop the voltage and still must run my gear back about 40-50 feet some times more. but I guess you guys are all agreed I'll get the sounder and that means the blackmouth season is doomed

I would go with the FF first... Regardless of the BM, you'll still want to know depth. Once the sun is on the water in the summer, I am on the bottom...

Even if you are running natural (.6-.8) there will be times that you'll want to run the wires lower- Summer fishery..

Just my .06

The depth finder is a must have for fishing downriggers unless you like snagging the bottom alot.

Loomis,
To check your boat to see if you need to consider a black box or not is easy to do and you can do it yourself. All you need is a digital voltmeter that will read DC. Get out on the water and drop your downrigger ball about 10 feet. Ensure everything in the boat is shut off including the motor and then measure your voltage with the negative voltmeter lead on the negative terminal of the battery and the positive on the downrigger cable. You should read between .6 and .8 volts dc. Then start your motor and turn on all your electronics that you would normally be running and your voltage shouldn't change more than a half a volt or so. If it does you need to check your grounding on your electronics that you have installed. And if all of the those readings that you make are within .6 to .7 volts DC, in my opinion (emphasize opinion) you don't need a black box.

I will also add that I was at the Sportsmans show in Puyallup and went to the Downrigger Fishing Seminar held by Tom Nelson from Salmon U. I told him that my results from the above test had me at .67 Volts DC with all my electronics on, and he also said that I probably didn't need a black box.

One more thing to keep in mind is that those voltage readings will vary slightly from day to day depending on certain conditions around you such as other boats around you or your zincs aging and many other factors that can slighty vary that voltage.

Hope this helps.