hummingbird sideimaging

[senkoskipper]

So does anyone have one of these units? How does it work compared to your traditional sonar unit? From what i have seen on the commercial, im already sold. I want one so bad. Al Linder said it best "Imagine 100 feet of water around you just sucked out"

[Central Bassman]

WHY??

[LABS4ME]

Humminbird is selling the units nationwide... isn't lakemaster more local region specific? If that is the case, they probably don't see the benefit to putting the money into producing a unit that reads both cards.... A number of calls from fisherman stating they won't buy a unit until it can read Lakemaster will change that. Also this is a guess and maybe way off base, but Lowrance could've entered into an agreement with Lakemaster to be exclusive to reading their chips... does Garmin's new GPS except Lakemaster?

I own a 797 not a 997, I hate when screens get over split. The 797 has too small of a screen for me to justify using the GPS when running the sonar. I will hook up the antennae and such for backup and the ability to utilize the pinpointing waypoints off the sideimaging screen, but for everyday GPS running I will still run my Globalmap. I've grown accustomed to my global map (and it's 7" screen)showing GPS location and my x-15 for sonar. I'm sticking with that type of set up right now. A full screen Global map (switching to a color unit) networked to a new 522 (that I basically had fall into my lap) on my bow and a new 797 to run on the dash for breaking down the structure on Cass.

I've never had a satellite lock problem with my Lowrances in the past. I know in the past they had issues with the internal antennaes, but I'm hoping that has been resolved.

It'll be June before I will be able to rig this up and play with it, but I'm excited to give it a try.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Scott K]

labs, now that you own the 797, do you wish you would have spent the extra ching and get the 997, for the bigger screen? Or is it just a waist of money?

[LABS4ME]

I haven't had a chance to use it yet... but with the dedicated GPS unit next to it (hopefully a Lowrance 6300 or 7200, last piece I'm still looking for), the 797 will be ample screen for sonar use only. If you are going to split the screen the 997 will be better.

I checked around and you can buy a Humminbird GPS unit (I believe it's the 755c) that takes Navionics cards and put it next to 797 and network it for half the money of a 997... I may still go that route... if I can't find an affordable Lowrance unit soon.

I only had one choice as far as units when I bought the Humminbird... brand new in the box from the pawn shop... $625.00. Too good to pass up. More guys oughta take advantage of pawn shops...

Good Luck!

Ken

[lookin4um]

I'm no expert with the electronics but I've been using one of these for a year and I'll try to give you my impressions. GOOD: 1. mount the transducer on the elec. trolling motor and you can sit at a stop, turn the motor in a 360 degree circle and get a dreat feel for what the structure is all around the boat. 2. It does show fish out to the sides although I'm not sure that the depth of the fish is all that accurate. 3. It is really great when entering a bay and you have the boat in the deeper channel down the center of the bay. Shows where the bottom rises on each side and where there are old smaller channels going off to right or left.

BAD: 1. When it registers a fish off to the side I suspect that a lot of times it is just a taller rock or thick weed all by itself against the further rise in terrain. 2. The only way to tell if the blip is a fish is to be at a dead stop and have the scrool rate turned up so you can see if the thing moves.

Actually I enjoy the ability to know more about the terrain under and around the boat. It's definitely not good at higher speed. While slow backtrolling you can follow a dropoff line or weed line really well.

[Scott K]

I have asked this before didnt get a good answer, you brought up being stopped and rotating it with trolling motor. Would this thing work if you dropped it down an ice hole and spun it around? If so, I could justify buying one?

[katoguy]

(Straight from HB engineering... spinning will distort the pic on the screen... gaps on the outside of the arc and duplicate information on top of itself on the inside of arc).

It is NOT meant for spinning. Straight trolling only. You will NOT get good reading if you mount the transducer on the trolling motor for the same reasons mentioned above. You will be dissapointed if you use it as a spinner.

If some one is looking just to see fish out to the side, sidefinders/side-scan is available. It is old technology (just a transducer shooting to the side). Sideimaging is new patented technology.

Google sideimaging or SI. You'll find the same info on other forums and message boards.

[Scott K]

Thanks katoguy, I was hoping for the other answer, as it would be an easier sale to the wife, that I can use it year around.

[Hookmaster]

I think it would work on the trolling motor or for ice fishing, just no continuousl rotattion. Turn it and stop, then wait for the image to stabilize, interpret it and turn it to the next position.

[katoguy]

Defeats the purpose of getting a picture of the bottom. If you want to use it as still pics and wait for fish to move in, feel free. I think it would be an expensive tool for this, though.