Difference In Side Imaging And Down Imaging

[bassmaster8100]

Can someone explain the difference in down imaging and side imaging? Pros and cons? Looking to upgrade my electronics.

[Jig Man]

Down imaging is what I use for fishing to see brush, stumps, etc and see fish in it. Side imaging is more for finding stuff like ledges and brush piles fish only show up as small dots most of the time.

[soopd]

The side imaging can scan out to the side of the boat up to 240' I believe. It can help pinpoint structure or cover that is out to the side.

The down imaging is directly under the boat. It is useful at looking at brush tops and other things directly under boat. However, I like the traditional 2d sonar better for this.

Both have there uses but if I had to choose it would be side imaging. So much more you can look at with it.

[Wayne P.]

The Humminbird Side Imaging units in the Side Imaging view, show everything from the water's surface to past vertical under the transducer on both sides of the transducer-that is 180 degrees of left to right coverage. It also has a view that is more downward looking like regular sonar and the same left to right coverage.

Lowrance with the Structure Scan accessory has the same approximate coverage.

A Down Imaging or Down Scan unit has the downward looking imaging beam that has a width similar to the 2D sonar pulse.

An imaging beam is very narrow front to back and wide to the sides which is unlike regular 2D sonar that has a somewhat inverted cone shaped beam.

The max range setting for a Humminbird Side Imaging view is 360' and that is on both sides= 720' total coverage.

The advantage of the Side Imaging/Structure Scan is the horizontal coverage.

The Humminbird Side Imaging is especially useful in shallow water since it still will show that 720' in less than 2' depths. You don't have to be above fish or bottom features to see them.

[bassmaster8100]

Thanks for the replies guys side imaging sounds more like what I'm after. Any reccomendations on a side imaging unit? Im on a bit of a budget so probably whatever the cheapest model that has side imaging in a Hummingbird or Lowrance.

[Wayne P.]

The overall cost of a system is based on the display size. A new current unit in the smallest size will be about $1,000 retail.

What most find out is the larger displays are better for the imaging feature.

The reason for that is the amount of "real estate" that is recorded can be very large which makes individual returns very small on the screen. Bigger screens display stuff bigger.

My first imaging unit was the 5" diagonal screen, my next two have the 10.4" diagonal screen.

You can't go wrong with either brand, get the one that you are the most comfortable with. Visit a retailer that has the units on display and push some buttons to see which one you prefer.