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| I am considering buying a humminbird 797 c-2 with the side imaging. Do any of you have this model. What is the good and bad? | |
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Posts: 364
Location: Kentucky | Jeff,
I have it on the console and have been very happy with it. I'd rather have the 997 for the larger screen, but the 797 fits the budget. Keep in mind this was my first leap to a color sonar let alone side imaging so I don't have deep experience to compare. If you do a search for "humminbird" you'll find some threads with info, but my opinion:
Good:
side imaging: I've used it on home lakes in KY and in IN and LOTW. It's a little sensitive to speed depending on your boat and configuration, but for me works great at 4-7mph. I've found lots of nice structure and learned familiar spots better taking a little time to cruise them. It takes a little time to learn the quirks of interpreting the image (mostly distance and shadows) but it's not rocket science. If you hit a spot you know really well, it takes no time at all to recognize the features in the image. Some guys use one on the trolling motor but that's a bit more complex to interpret while fishing.
default mount: I had planned on a RAM mount but liked the default just fine. One button detaches the unit for easy storage and it also rotates 180 degrees so I can see it from the bow. OK, I have to squint a bit but I can use the built-in Navionics maps to hover over a deep point.
maps/menus: Not the HD Navionics version but the Gold is good enough for me. The menus are simple and customizable so I narrowed them down to 4 or 5 configs that display the combo map/sonar screens I use the most.
adapter: do a search on eBay and you can find an AC adapter that plugs into the unit. You can sit on your couch and check out lakes and manage your routes.
Weathersense: are they still offering the free Weathersense module? It was easy enough to hook up. Not a necessity but nice to see barometric trends over recent days.
Bad:
high speed function: depending on the installation, some guys' transducers lose the bottom at high speed. This is not unique to Humminbird but the larger transducer can contribute to this problem and also some roostertail. I'd done my research, so I put my trans on a $10 acrylic mounting board. Glad I did since I did have a roostertail when in the "correct" location. Moved it up some and problem solved at the expense of a greater range of speed for side imaging (only a few mph). I also bought the A-B switch and a shoot-thru-the-hull transducer that I mounted in the bilge of my Tuffy Renegade. This setup works great. All functions of the 797 work on either A-B in the event you forget to flip over... with the obvious exceptions of side imaging on one (A) and high speed on the other (B).
screen size: I hesitate to list this, but for me it's not as bad as I thought. Bigger screens are always preferred, but the image resolution is great even on the small screen.
transducer size: the 797 trans is smaller than the 997 but still about half the size of your palm. Not a big deal but you do want to think about the best spot to mount it so it works best. There's a Yahoo group where they help with that, or post here. If I can do it, anyone can. Like I said, it's also sensitive to speed and wave conditions, but at slow speeds I get a nice side image both sides of boat.
one MMC slot: not a big deal to me since Navionics Gold 2006 is built-in. As the maps age, maybe I'll cry about having to swap chips, but the price was right.
Well, this turned into a book. Sorry for the long post. Hope it helps! | |
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Posts: 86
| I've got the 797 with the Navionics bundle built it. Awesome value for and extra $200. Reeds has them on sale now, I just picked up the 787nvb for my bow and will interlink them. I've got the high speed kit as mentioned above so high speed performance isn't an issue. I've used it here in Kentucky as well as Canada. Screen size is a little small but with the Side Imaging I typically run it to one side or the other as I'm scanning a bank, or hump or weedline, etc. so I get more coverage shown on the screen. If I'm headin' back a holler' then I'll scan both sides simultaneously. Oh, the nvb allows the card slot to be freed up. I've got a 2gig SD card in there to record screen shots or a SI scan like it's video.
One of my favorite features is that if you see a "spot" off to the side while scanning with the SI you can move your curser to it and mark it with the GPS, come back around and fish the "exact" spot you marked, and you were never physically over it. Pretty cool.
My biggest gripe is my own impatience. When I'm on the water I want to fish not cruise an area at 4mph to hunt for the spot on the spot........hmmmm maybe I just figured somethin out!!!
Good luck with whatever you end up getting. | |
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Posts: 90
| i run the 997 which is similar, but can't help you when it comes to what it is like to use that screen size. Just remember that unless you get the biggest you will end up wishing for the bigger size. I know I do.
pros- if you have a waypoint that you want to fish around or get to, you can target it and there will be a bullseye that forms around it with each ring being how far you are from the spot. The closer you zoom in the smaller the distance.
pros- when running the navionics chip you can change the coloring of the depth contours. Want to run a rock spot at 9ft, you can make the blue water go out to nine, go over to a deep milfoil line and run that at 19, then change the coloring back. This only really works with the 1ft contours and make sure you remember how deep you leave it.
Pros- the side imaging is sweet. Play around with the amount to the side you want to scan to. I currently run off to the side between 75-100ft to get the best picture. Found a couple of sunken boats with it this way.
cons- possibly that you cant run the lakemaster chip, depending on the lakes you fish this could end up hurting you
cons- no built in moon phases like lowrance
cons- cant put the estimated position error on any screen like lowrance, mine seems to stay within 15ft no matter where I stand, but it would be nice to know if it gets worse without having to go to that screen
pro/con- when running you get an arrow pointing you in the dircetion you are heading which is really nice, but when going under 5mph, it doesn't quite read and you just have a circle where you are.
pro/cpm-like rolex says you will find yourself cruising a lot more looking at spots to see how they lay out. Hurts the numbers now, but the knowledge will help you down the road.
pro- waypointing spots on the side imaging. awesome.
Running two transducers like sputterbug says is smart. I run a tiller and top out at about 34mph so its not a huge problem for me, but going faster it wont read. as is going to the yahoo groups deal. Really cool pictures. Especially the search and rescue where they show the scuba diver standing on the bottom.
If you fish the MN/Wi area, save the $200 and buy the chip, 1ft contours cant be beaten.
If you fish Tonka there is a roller coaster around Diamond Reef, pretty cool. | |
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| Does anyone have a problem losing power to the GPS when traveling on the ocean or the Gulf. Its seems that the slightest bump makes the GPS lose power and go dead. We are constantly trying to fit the connection back together the whole time we are on the water. We have a G3 and bought the Humminbird GPS with it. It will be two years ago this June and we have has this problem with the GPS since day one. Our boat dealer tells us it strictly has to do with the GPS and that the boat connections are fine. Any suggestions? | |
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Humminbird 797-C2