Humminbird 788Ci Hd Di Combo

[zildjian]

I'm thinking about buying this unit. Does anyone have any experience with this unit? If so i'd love to read your pros or cons for it. Is it easy to setup? Is this worth the money?

I'm still undecided on the whole DI vs SI.

Thank you!

-Zildjian

[Wayne P.]

Any Imaging is better than no Imaging.

I prefer Side Imaging due to the coverage, especially in shallow water.

[slonezp]

I've got the SI combo on the console and next time I'd opt for a larger screen. FYI the SI combo also has DI.

[zildjian]

thanks guys for the comments. i didn't realize the SI unit had DI too. the screen is too small huh? what other unit would you consider in the humminbird series?

[slonezp]

It's a 5" display. I have a deep v and the finder is mounted behind the windshield. I couldn't go any larger without installing a ram mount on the side of the console. The 898 has a 7" display, 998 has an 8" display and the 1198 a 10.4" display. I recently remounted the transducer and couldn't be happier with the results. Key to getting good readings is proper transducer placement. Thanks for the advice Wayne P. The unit is pretty user friendly. Do you have a big box store you can go to, to look at the units? I'd recommend purchasing the unit online, you can probably get a better price.

[Quillback]

I've got a 798 in the bow, I've been doing a lot of drop-shot fishing over gravel flats in 20-35FOW, and I've come to heavily rely on it for this type of fishing. It does a good job of showing fish and bait on the 2D sonar. I haven't used the DI much, but might in the next few days as I hear the fish have moved out around cove mouths over deep submerged trees, so it might be a situation where the DI will come into use.

[Wayne P.]

No other unit on the market has the screen resolution of the 700 series units. BUT with the Side Imaging technology, screen width is most desired whether it is the 800, 900, or 1100 series.

Larger screens display stuff larger even though the resolution (pixels per square inch) is less.

The screen size is not all that important for regular sonar or Down Imaging since the display scrolls from right to left and is based on depth. The Side Imaging scrolls from top to bottom and you choose how much range to display on each side. That is where screen width becomes important since that deternines how large returns are displayed.

I have the 798ci SI and a couple of 1198c SI units. The 798 is OK for a console application, but a larger display is better at the bow since the unit is farther away from you and small details are hard to see from a distance. That will be very apparent as you get older.

Additionally if multiple views are displayed, the larger screens are better.

[zildjian]

i see i see. goes from $1,000 and some change for the 798 si to $1,499 for the 898 si. for $500 extra is all you get is 2" bigger screen? is there anything different from those two units thats worth the added $500? an for mounting and running all the wires, is it easy to do yourself, or have a professional do it? i have a cheap fish finder on right now, that actually came with my boat, but i only use it for water depth and temp. i really want to upgrade to a DI or SI unit that i can actually see structure and fish! but not sure if its worth the money... i really want to stay under $1,000. but having a hard time narrowing the best units down for the money.

for mounting the transducer, what happen with yours? you said if you mount it improperly you will get false readings or not true readings. how do you know when its set correctly?

thanks!

[slonezp]

The transducer has a breakaway mount. It would pop up while running in rough water, and I'd lean over the transom to pop it back in. Got frustrated so I screwed it down and the mount broke. 10 bucks for the new mount and 10 bucks shipping. I was also getting some interference on the port side. I relocated the transducer approx 1 1/2" above where it was located. It no longer pops up and the interference is all but gone. There are pretty explicit instructions on installation of the finder and the transducer. If you are somewhat handy there is no reason you couldn't do it yourself. What kind of boat?

[Wayne P.]

The units larger than the 798ci HD SI have a larger transducer and dual SI frequencies. YES the extra $500 is worth it.

You can easily stay below $1,000 for the 798c HD SI by shopping at a marine electronics dealer rather than a big box general sporting goods place like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc.

The 898c SI is being replaced by an upgraded model in December so the present model will be closer to $1,000 now.

[Wayne P.]

Another note: you can set your boat up with dual mount stations and have the unit at the console or bow. All you need is a transducer for the trolling motor and another power cord to have the data where you are on the boat. A second mount depends on which unit you get. The 798ci HD SI is the easiest to swap since it has a snap-on mount and internal GPS antenna and only takes about 10 seconds to switch postions.

If you need assistance with parts needed for any of the units just send me a PM with what unit you are getting.

[zildjian]

The transducer has a breakaway mount. It would pop up while running in rough water, and I'd lean over the transom to pop it back in. Got frustrated so I screwed it down and the mount broke. 10 bucks for the new mount and 10 bucks shipping. I was also getting some interference on the port side. I relocated the transducer approx 1 1/2" above where it was located. It no longer pops up and the interference is all but gone. There are pretty explicit instructions on installation of the finder and the transducer. If you are somewhat handy there is no reason you couldn't do it yourself. What kind of boat?

2011 Bass Tracker 190 PT TX

Pics are in my gallery

[zildjian]

Another note: you can set your boat up with dual mount stations and have the unit at the console or bow. All you need is a transducer for the trolling motor and another power cord to have the data where you are on the boat. A second mount depends on which unit you get. The 798ci HD SI is the easiest to swap since it has a snap-on mount and internal GPS antenna and only takes about 10 seconds to switch postions.

If you need assistance with parts needed for any of the units just send me a PM with what unit you are getting.

Thank You!

PM Sent

[ClackerBuzz]

The units larger than the 798ci HD SI have a larger transducer and dual SI frequencies. YES the extra $500 is worth it.

You can easily stay below $1,000 for the 798c HD SI by shopping at a marine electronics dealer rather than a big box general sporting goods place like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc.

The 898c SI is being replaced by an upgraded model in December so the present model will be closer to $1,000 now.

Wayne, I'm planning on buying the 385ci DI combo this winter (to use on my canoe and kayak in shallow water conditions). I found it on moodeals for $409. Do you know of any other DI units that are being replace that I should look at? What site do you prefer? I would like to stay under $500 so I believe SI is out of my price range. Also I'm worried about a 5"+ screen making the unit too big for my kayak. Tks

I just saw Humm has the 386ci DI combo on their site for $299. I can't see any difference between the two but I'd love to save $100!

Edited October 9, 2012 by ClackerBuzz

[Wayne P.]

Wayne, I'm planning on buying the 385ci DI combo this winter (to use on my canoe and kayak in shallow water conditions). I found it on moodeals for $409. Do you know of any other DI units that are being replace that I should look at? What site do you prefer? I would like to stay under $500 so I believe SI is out of my price range. Also I'm worried about a 5"+ screen making the unit too big for my kayak. Tks

I just saw Humm has the 386ci DI combo on their site for $299. I can't see any difference between the two but I'd love to save $100!

Send me an email to purdum43@aol.com and I'll answer those questions in detail.

[southtexasbassin]

Another note: you can set your boat up with dual mount stations and have the unit at the console or bow. All you need is a transducer for the trolling motor and another power cord to have the data where you are on the boat. A second mount depends on which unit you get. The 798ci HD SI is the easiest to swap since it has a snap-on mount and internal GPS antenna and only takes about 10 seconds to switch postions.

If you need assistance with parts needed for any of the units just send me a PM with what unit you are getting.

Thats a great idea!!!