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Posts: 470
| Hey all,
Looking at upgrading my boat electronics (the Humminbird Pirahnamax ain't cutting it anymore...) I'd prefer a Lowrance touchscreen unit and Xi5, but both my wallet and wife prohibit that. That being said, I am looking at the Humminbird 800 series units with my current Minn Kota V2. I am looking for something that has GPS function and Ipilot linkage to make the boat control a little easier.
So what's the question? I've got a couple...
How important are things like side imaging and down imaging? Something that we (Muskie Fishermen) would really need? Worth the extra money? Same questions with 360 imaging.
Any input on the HB 800's would be appreciated, I'm interested in your opinions and experiences.
Thanks in advance,
RandalB |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | Side imaging openned a whole new world for me. I'm unfamiliar with the Lowrance options for side imaging but know I love the bird si. And being able to have trolling motor steer and stay on course at selected depths while using lakemaster maps in conjunction with the bird and ipilot is awesome. When you get good at si, you can see the muskies on screen and figure out where to cast. Most people under utilize the technology and just cast without looking. Being a guide and often looking at screen while clients fish has changed my perspective about using electronics. Down imaging is nice but it has it's place and time for using over regular sonar view. Another nice feature is being able to place an icon on things you see on si, backing away or letting area rest and then casting to it. The technology has made fishing much easier but they still gotta bite and you still have to use right presentation.
Edited by Sunshine 8/4/2014 9:58 AM
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | Randal,
I may add that the 360 technology is awesome but pricey. My tournament partner has it and I do not. You're adding $1500 to the equation but it is great. Some guys here have figured out how to attach the 360 to their Minn Kota Terrova avoiding the expense of the additional brackets or use of the Fortrex. I'm not sure if you really gain much having it located on front vs transom. But that's a whole other discussion. Both side scan and 360 are meant to be used at 5 mph or less. 360 works great standing still also. I can not speak about the 800 series because I have the 1199 on dash and 959 on bow. They are also networked via Ethernet. They share waypoints, transducers and screens. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Sunshine - 8/4/2014 8:46 AM
Side imaging openned a whole new world for me. I'm unfamiliar with the Lowrance options for side imaging but know I love the bird si. And being able to have trolling motor steer and stay on course at selected depths while using lakemaster maps in conjunction with the bird and ipilot is awesome. When you get good at si, you can see the muskies on screen and figure out where to cast. Most people under utilize the technology and just cast without looking. Being a guide and often looking at screen while clients fish has changed my perspective about using electronics. Down imaging is nice but it has it's place and time for using over regular sonar view. Another nice feature is being able to place an icon on things you see on si, backing away or letting area rest and then casting to it. The technology has made fishing much easier but they still gotta bite and you still have to use right presentation.
Spot on. Side imaging is pretty incredible. I've got an HDS 7 and it works great. It really is a game changer. I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. |
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