humminbird side imaging

[BigEbass]

Did I mention it 's ....... friggin ' awsom ! ?

Even though not new the technology of side 3 D imaging has improved so much in the years that if it weren 't for the hefty price tag ( which is about what I paid for my fishing tub ) I would certainly have jumped all over one already, the level of detail is incredible, the fact that you can "see" something that you didn 't even know it was there is just priceless.

Needless to say that the BoatMonkey has been hollering at my ear since a buddy of mine got his and I had the chance to see it in action. :

In this case the BoatMonkey just took the place of his evil twin bro and it 's making me save some dough to get one. No tackle purchases until the Feechin Machina has one of them 3D finders. :-X

hahaha - ditto man - I had been very interested in this before when I saw some pictures in a magazine or two, but after seeing it at the BJCC in birmingham last weekend at the expo - the boatmonkey is also on my back.  I am starting to get out on my boat on my waters by myself more - used to ride around with my neighbor and he usually sticks to spots he knows and rarely "deep" structure - I intend to get this technology on my humble fishing boat so that I can learn structure faster (I do understand it is not optimal for seeing fish per se).

I am moonlighting this thursday and friday night (6pm-10pm) at CVS (I am a pharmacist) - I will quickly save up - PLan on buying it when I visit my inlaws in NJ in april - will take a quick trip to delaware and buy it (no sales taxes there  )

I really need to read up though on what unit in specific I will want for myself (lowrance vs. hb and size and all that jazz)...

But I am encouraged to take the dive at this point based on what seems to me pretty postive remarks by everyone across the board.

CANNOT WAIT TO GET ONE - I just know that I will instantly become a pro with it....just kidding

[I Love BassResource]

A bunch of guys are placing the ducers on the trolling motors instead of on the consoles.  The pic below was actually taken from the trolling motor, at very low speeds. Its a lowrance unit instead of a bird, but you get the general idea.

[BigEbass]

That looks awesome - hey everyone - I have tried to go to that yahoo forum but it seems to be more geared towards people that already have one.  Where do I go to learn which one I should buy and which specific unit would be fore me? Including lowrance vs. Humminbird....?

[Wayne P.]

BigEbass, you won't find too many unbiased opinions of what is "best"---kind of like the Ford/Chevy thing.

Your best option is to visit a retailer that carries one or both units and see for yourself and then determine how much you want to spend to get that technology. The Lowrance version has the least time on the market so the available information is not as saturated as the Humminbird version that has been around for a few years.

The top of the line for each brand to get equal features is within $100 of each other and that is about $3,000.

[Paul Roberts]

A bunch of guys are placing the ducers on the trolling motors instead of on the consoles. The pic below was actually taken from the trolling motor, at very low speeds. Its a lowrance unit instead of a bird, but you get the general idea.

That image is a mind-blower. Am I seeing fins on those fish??

[I Love BassResource]

Yeah, the image is pretty impressive.  I'm not gonna start a HB vs Lowrance war, but I've researched it long and hard.  I had an HB unit on my rig last year, needless to say I now have an HDS8 sitting in my console.  The current HDS units are producing some incredible imagery.

[Dogface]

but I've researched it long and hard. I had an HB unit on my rig last year, needless to say I now have an HDS8 sitting in my console. The current HDS units are producing some incredible imagery.

I am asking the same questions as BigEbass for the same reasons.

I would spend the extra money for the HDS if it were worth the extra money.....So dick do you think the HDS is worth another $600?

[I Love BassResource]

Yes I did and yes I still do.  I'll be posting screen shots as I collect them.  It's pretty amazing, the picture quality blows me away.

[Dogface]

Thanks dick

I looked at both at Cabela's. The demos always make the units look better and both looked great there but the HDS screen shots I see on the web look better to me than the HB.

[BigEbass]

I have read through some of these forums and it is very much back and forth guys....why is it back and forth so much....perhaps cause both of these units to a great job....

I dont own one YET, but my assessment based on tons of the images put out there is that lowrance images look overall "cleaner".....but one post on another site asks the more important question - how does this slightly better clarity mean catching more fish - winning more tournaments?? I have seen some great images of stuff from both brands and I am convinced this is a cannon vs. nikon like argument.....

Will both the lowrance or HB units pick up what we would see as a suberged log, rockpile, stump, roadbed, railroad track (there are some in lay lack I learned from one of my patients today), etc....will they not both essentially find the creekbeds, ditches, drop offs that surround as as we are searching?? This is a question I pose, not because I know the answer - I have seen the individual images all over the net now, but I will let someone answer this question.

Again, my intention in buying one of these units is to cruise an area of my local waters and find pertitinent structure, mark it, then fish it....Does it matter one unit can resolve a #12 swivel better than the other or a tennis ball better than the other?? Perhaps for the moste elite of the elite you could make that argument?? But for a lowly basser like me that has no clue about all that stuff underneath me - I am certain both will reveal more than enough?? Again, that is my thoughts so far in all this mish mosh of reading.

I plan on doing what was stated before - go to my local store - look at em - price em out - and make a decision and roll with it - I did it with my SLR last year - bought the nikon never looked back - I am sure this will be the same....

Having said that, the one group of loud voices I have seen on these sites were people ticked at lowrance's customer service - but I am not sure how far to take these individuals issues and was it just a transient thing....??

My head is spinning just thinking about it....

I will add this quetions too that adds to the oringinal question:

For someone buying into one of these deals - what all stuff are we going to have to buy - multiple tranducers? cables? etc??

Also, what screen size do people recommend - I am tempted to splurge and get something moderate in size - but it tacks on huge to the cost - I am wondering if the smaller one for my purpose will serve me fine (perhaps get the small one for my console to start and later get a big un for the bow )?

wow, sorry, totally hijacked the thread - please disregard if you would like to - but hopefully my questions are others as well at this time....

[BigEbass]

Also the bass pro shops guy today when I called and spoke briefly with him was leading me away from lowrance toward HB...he was concerned about a lawsuit goin on that HB has against lowrance? Patent? and possible if they lose, concerns about what would come of that as far as warantees - I think he was likely wrong in this thought - set him strait for me people?

[Wayne P.]

One thing you can be sure of, is the units on the market now are already obsolete in each company's development departments.

By the time the lawsuit is settled, any present unit will be way past the warranty period and obsolete, so that should not be a concern.

[BigEbass]

Thats the annoying thing about technology  >

[Dogface]

Thats the annoying thing about technology >

And now that there is competition between HB and Lowrance the technology will take off as they fight for our money.

[bear7625]

My son has the HB 798c SI and he loves it. HB also alows you to update the software in your unit and now have the downward imaging available for update. The only thing you have to do to get updates is register the unit.

I have always prefered Lowrance over HB because of a problem I had with one of their paper graphs. I believe HB tried side imaging in the past with the old SideFinder. They seem to have alot of the bugs worked out. Lowrance and HB will always be competing against each other, so I'm sure will keep seeing new things in the future.

[Wayne P.]

bear, all the 2010 mfg units have the Down Imaging and Switch Fire feature included.

The Side Finder was a Bottomline product and that company is now owned by HB. That is why the Fishing Buddy is now a Humminbird unit instead of Bottomline. I used to have a Bottomline Side Finder that came with two transducers and a switch to choose which direction to use (down or horizonal). The Side Finder is not even close to what Side Imaging and Structure Scan is. The Side Finder used/uses the same transducer as regular down looking sonar which has a cone shaped pulse.

[Jim Grouch]

Here's a cool little short movie clip showing the HB unit in action. Check it out.

http://www.myoutdoortv.com/show-microsite-fishing/hank-parkers-outdoor-magazine.html

Click on Humminbird Article

[BigEbass]

Cool video!!  Man I cannot wait to get it - looking to buy one in april.

[Jim Grouch]

Cool video!! Man I cannot wait to get it - looking to buy one in april.

Let me know when you are ready to purchase. I can get you a good deal on them. -Jim