Chartplotters
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv review
Quick answer
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv is a $999.99, 7 inch touchscreen chartplotter with a GT54 transducer, preloaded Garmin Navionics+ US Inland charts covering over 18,000 lakes, and a port ready for LiveScope live sonar. The catch: its cartography stops at the coastline, so coastal anglers need the separate 74sv instead.
The Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv is the volume seller in Garmin's chartplotter line for a reason: a 7 inch touchscreen, a GT54 transducer already in the box, Garmin Navionics+ US Inland cartography preloaded, and a port ready for LiveScope the day a buyer decides to add it. At $999.99 it sits squarely between the Striker Vivid line and the flagship GPSMAP units.
This review is built from Garmin's published specifications for the 73sv and its closest siblings, plus the recurring themes in verified owner reviews of the unit. Every figure below traces back to a manufacturer listing.
On this page
- What comes in the box that the Vivid line does not
- Published specifications across the ECHOMAP UHD2 line
- The catch: cartography stops at the coastline
- Budget down or step up inside the same line
- 73sv against the size below and the size above
- Why the 73sv is the pick if live sonar is coming later
- Screen size is measured diagonally, and the cutout is bigger than that
What comes in the box that the Vivid line does not
The 73sv ships with a GT54-TM transducer, which reads CHIRP traditional, ClearVu and SideVu, the same three sonar modes as the Striker Vivid 7sv. The real difference is cartography: Garmin Navionics+ US Inland charts, covering more than 18,000 lakes with contour detail down to 1 foot, come preloaded rather than left to Quickdraw Contours to build from scratch. The touchscreen is the other headline addition, replacing the Striker line's keypad only interface.
Published specifications across the ECHOMAP UHD2 line
Garmin sells the UHD2 chartplotter across several screen sizes and two cartography regions. The table below lines up the inland versions most freshwater buyers compare against the 73sv.
The ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv is the smallest UHD2 screen that ships with a GT54 transducer and a LiveScope ready port, at $999.99.
Published figure A published engineering, regulatory or manufacturer figure. It does not change because somebody disagrees with it.
| Model | Screen | Transducer | Touchscreen | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECHOMAP UHD2 53cv | 5 in | Not stated in listing | No | $449.99 |
| ECHOMAP UHD2 63sv | 6 in | GT54-TM | Yes | $849.99 |
| ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv | 7 in | GT54-TM | Yes | $999.99 |
| ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv | 9 in | GT56-TM | Yes | $1,299.99 |
The 53cv drops both the touchscreen and the sv sonar suite; it is a budget entry point rather than a smaller 73sv.
The catch: cartography stops at the coastline
Garmin sells the 73sv with US Inland charts, covering lakes and rivers, and a separate 74sv with US Coastal charts covering tidal water instead. They are otherwise the same unit at a similar price. Anyone who fishes both a home lake and a coastal trip during the same season needs to check which cartography region they are actually buying, because the wrong one leaves the boat navigating open water on Quickdraw Contours instead of a real chart.
Budget down or step up inside the same line
Buyers who do not plan to add live sonar and want to save $150 should look at the ECHOMAP UHD2 63sv, which carries the same GT54 transducer and the same cartography on a 6 inch screen instead of 7. Buyers chasing screen real estate for a split view of chart, sonar and eventually LiveScope should step up to the ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv, which trades the GT54 for the higher resolution GT56 transducer along with the larger screen. Anyone fishing tidal water instead of lakes should buy the coastal ECHOMAP UHD2 74sv rather than the inland 73sv covered here.
73sv against the size below and the size above
| Specification | Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv | Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 63sv | Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $999.99 | $849.99 | $1,299.99 |
| Screen size | 7 in | 6 in | 9 in |
| Transducer included | GT54 | GT54 | GT56 |
| Cartography | Garmin Navionics Plus US Inland | Garmin Navionics Plus US Inland | Garmin Navionics Plus US Inland |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Every figure above is the manufacturer own published specification. Where a maker does not publish a figure the cell reads "not published" rather than carrying an estimate, because on ratings and currents an estimate that reads as a specification is a safety problem rather than a gap.
Why the 73sv is the pick if live sonar is coming later
The 73sv's port and processing headroom are built to accept a Garmin LiveScope system without replacing the head unit, which is not true of the Striker Vivid line. A buyer who wants live sonar eventually but cannot justify the full cost this season can buy the 73sv now, run it as a conventional chartplotter, and add the LiveScope black box and transducer in a later purchase without starting over on the display.
Screen size is measured diagonally, and the cutout is bigger than that
Like every touchscreen chartplotter, the 7 inch figure on the 73sv is the diagonal measurement, not the width or the height, and the flush mount cutout in a console is larger than the visible glass to make room for the housing and gasket. Buyers replacing an older unit should measure the existing cutout before ordering rather than assume a same size screen from a different brand will drop straight in. The screen size calculator linked below converts a diagonal figure into the actual width and height to check against a console.
How we chose
We did not test this equipment in person and we never claim to. Picks are researched from manufacturer specification sheets, published engineering and regulatory figures, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. Every pick is matched to a real thrust rating, a real published amp draw, a real capacity or a real conductor size rather than to a price bracket, and it is placed in the tier where its published capability actually belongs. We rejected the unbranded flood that dominates several of these search results, because a lithium pack whose management board is the only thing between a cell fault and a fire, a breaker protecting a battery cable, a life jacket and a bracket holding a two thousand dollar motor to the bow at highway speed are all parts whose failure has a consequence nobody can walk away from. Where a figure is convention rather than a published standard we label it that way, and where a manufacturer does not publish a figure we leave it out instead of estimating it.
Sources
- Garmin published specifications for the ECHOMAP UHD2 53cv, 63sv, 73sv and 74sv
- Garmin published specifications for the ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv
- Verified owner reviews of the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv on major retail listings
Frequently asked questions
Does the ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv include LiveScope?
No. The 73sv is a chartplotter with CHIRP, ClearVu and SideVu sonar built in through its GT54 transducer. LiveScope is a separate purchase, the GLS 10 black box and an LVS transducer, that connects to the 73sv's existing port. The 73sv is designed to accept that upgrade later, not to include it out of the box.
What is the difference between the 73sv and the 74sv?
The sonar hardware and screen are identical. The only difference is cartography: the 73sv ships with Garmin Navionics+ US Inland charts for lakes and rivers, while the 74sv ships with US Coastal charts for tidal water. Buyers should choose based on where they actually fish, not on price, since both sell for a similar amount.
Is the ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv a touchscreen?
Yes. Garmin's published listing describes a bright, sunlight readable touchscreen display on the 73sv, a step up from the keypad only interface on the Striker Vivid line. It also retains physical buttons for some functions, which several verified owner reviews note as useful with gloves on or in rough water.
What transducer does the ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv use?
It ships with a GT54-TM transducer, which supports Garmin traditional CHIRP, ClearVu and SideVu scanning sonar. That is the same transducer included with the smaller 63sv. The larger 93sv steps up to the higher resolution GT56-TM instead.
Does the ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv work with a Force trolling motor?
Garmin's published listing states built in Wi-Fi connectivity that lets the 73sv wirelessly connect to a compatible Force trolling motor, to create and follow routes, navigate to waypoints, control speed and check battery life from the chartplotter screen. That feature is shared across the UHD2 line, not unique to the 73sv.
How many lakes does the preloaded chart cover?
Garmin states its Navionics+ US Inland charts, preloaded on the 73sv, cover more than 18,000 lakes with contour detail down to 1 foot in many of them. Coverage depth varies by specific lake, and Garmin's own listing does not guarantee 1 foot contours everywhere, only that the capability exists across the covered lakes.
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Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published engineering and regulatory figures, manufacturer specifications and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are boating convention rather than published standards, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Marine electrical work is not house wiring. Use tinned, finely stranded marine cable, size it for voltage drop and for the ABYC E-11 ampacity table rather than one or the other, and put overcurrent protection within seven inches of the battery positive terminal, because everything between the post and the fuse is unprotected. A lithium battery needs a charger with a lithium profile. Never load a boat past its capacity plate, and remember that canoes and kayaks carry no federal capacity plate at all, so their stated capacity is the manufacturer own figure. Wear the life jacket, and treat early season water as the hazard it is: cold water immersion takes your breath and then your hands long before it takes your core.