Britt, sorry to take so long to get back to you. I use the basic Aqua Vue Scout, with 60 ' of cable. there are 1 or 2 problems I have with it, & they would be the same with more expensive units too. !: You have to keep an eye on the keel weights, they can loosen up & fall off, locktite meght be the answer. 2: When the cover is folded up for storage it is able to touch the on-off switch turning the unit on. Drains the battery while you aren't using it, it happened to me a couple of times before I figuered it out. I leave the battery unhooked until I am ready to use it.
This year I want to hook it to the boat battery. I was disappointed at first, at my age I should know better, but I bought into the hype about seeing the whole area. Maybe if the water were gin clear I could, but as Tom & others have said, there are limits depending on water clarity. With clear water you could drop the camera & very slowly, no more than 2 mph, cruise around. This is, in my mind, not the most productive way to use the camera. If, while cruising you see something on your sonar, or if you want to explore a piece of structure you already know about, then the camera shines. Say you have found a point & have the basic shape down, you can then lower the camera & see the different features or cover on the structure. You have the ability to know if you are on bass or walleye, for all you deprived southerners, lets say catfish. You can tell what kind of baitfish, or if they are eating craws or gobies. With pratice you will be able to follow a weed line, and you can tell what kind of bottom. With the camera I have, & it is the 1 I see being sold on most units you are able to set the cord so the camera looks forward or looks down.
Rodney