Fish Finder Questions

[dsafety]

My nearly two year old Humminbird 215 has started having a problem. The good news is that I bought the extended warranty for an extra $10 which gives me a two-year, no questions asked replacement from West Marine.

They no longer carry the 215 so I need to select another model. The direct replacement is 160 which appears to be about the same unit with a larger screen. There is another model called Matrix 12 which is currently on sale at WM for $120, ($30 off). This model looks pretty good to me. You can add GPS plotting to the unit by attaching a GPS antenna, ($90). It is not color but has better resolution than the 215 or 160.

Does anyone have any experience with this unit? If so, please share your experiences. West Marine also carries Garmin. Is there something from Garmin in the same price range that would be a better choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Bob