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Posts: 1
| I'm going to upgrade my electronics this spring on my Skeeter sx-180. I've always had Lowrance units and was leaning toward the HDS-7. After researching I haven't heard many good things about LOW quality or costumer service. I talked with a salesman at my local Gander Mountain and he strongly suggested Humminbird. He is also a muskie fisherman and claims he can see muskies on structural elements with his HB Side Imaging unit.
Can anyone else confirm this? Seems to good to be true.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
I |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | The likelihood of actually being able to catch a muskie on your Side Imaging is not that great with either unit. The side imaging isn't necessarily a tool to look for fish, but more or less to better understand the structural elements your fishing. However, I've seen images from the HDS where getting the big balls of baitfish scanned are possible and do happen.
With that said, both units are good and are pretty evenly matched. The Lowrance customer service has at times been less than stellar, that's not been a hidden secret by any means. But, take into consideration how many more Lowrance units are out there compared to Humminbird. Lowrance has been the top dog for 30, 40 years? Humminbird finally within the last what, five years has a unit that can even be remotely be compared to a Lowrance.
I would suggest looking both units over closely, run through the menus and see what you think. If you know of anyone that has a Lowrance HDS and a newer Humminbird, ask them to take you out so you can play with it a bit. Nothing beats actual experience with something like new electronics.
Bruce "Doc" Sampson, one of the best when it comes to electronics. He's got a ton of good info on the new HDS units and StructureScan. Here is the link:
HDS Link:
http://www.hightechfishing.com/hds.html
StructureScan Link:
http://www.hightechfishing.com/structure.html |
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| here's a link to an interesting article showing a muskie on a Humminbird Side Imaging unit while trolling. after spotting the fish the angler quickly adjusted his lure depth and caught the muskie...
http://www.jasonhalfenoutdoors.com/muskies.html
there's tons of good info about the HBird units there on Jason Halfen's website.
i can't wait to get my new Humminbird SI out on the lake this spring!
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Posts: 458
| I have a Humminbird 997c SI and this forum (see link) has been a great help to me and I really like the unit.
http://www.xumba.scholleco.com/index.php?sid=502d3b981561ec222f2e45...
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Posts: 233
Location: Iowa | I'm in the market for a couple graphs and I'm leaning towards the hds. I've spent a couple of hours at bass pro playing with both. I like the set up and features of the lowrance better. They seemed like it would be easier to learn since I have a experience with lowrance products anyway.
Jeremy
Edited by jwelch 3/7/2010 8:15 PM
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Posts: 99
| I made the switch from Lowrance to Humminbird SI, it is easy to learn to operate, I am glad i made the switch would not go back.
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I'm sure LOW and HB both make great units and I have run Garmin for the past 5 years w/o issue. This winter I started thinking Garmin, then was leaning toward LOW, but finally settled on HB. Customer service was an issue as was price in determining my final purchase. For me, though, when I came across these three new features on Lakemaster 2010 chips exclusive to HB, my decision was made. I just ordered my 1157c that I will run on the bow and am eagerly waiting it's arrival. I just got all my Garmin waypoints loaded onto my laptop in preperation to convert them to HB format. The video below details three exclusive HB/Lakemaster 2010 features: water level offset, shallow water highlight, and depth range shading. Check these features out...
http://www.idofishing.com/videos/viewvid.php/Number/825744/lakemast...
It is not an easy choice, to be sure.
Best luck and enjoy the journey!
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| I have spent a fair amount of time trying to decide between the Low and the Bird. If after countless hours I am right here are some of the following thoughts:
The Lowrance uses digital technology vs analog so it should be crisper.
The Lowrance waypoint/icon system is way better than the bird.
I think the sonar is clearer.
I think the downscanning is better.
On the bird they have had side imaging out longer
The lake master highlight feature is nice
I like the screen layout.
In terms of customer service I have called both low and bird tech lines and had great help from both. Not sure why everyone is dissing low?
Either decision would be good. I am going with Lowrance as to me it has more options that will help me catch fish. (waypoint/icon system) The side imaging may or may not put more fish in the boat, but for the troller locating structure to troll around may be like cheating. |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I'd be interested to know how the lWO waypoint/icon system is better than HB.
Thank you,
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I went through this last fall when my 25C, which was probably six years old, crapped itself. It was either time to continue on with Lowrance or go HB. I stayed Lowrance. Customer service since Navico got involved has suffered a bit, but it's like TJ says, you hear more about it because of the sheer numbers of Lowrance units in the field. It also bears mentioning that around the internet, there's plenty of horror stories about HB service and shining stories of Lowrance service, and not just from Linda Colt either. (I'm not sure what her status is at Lowrance right now, last I heard of the incident, she was still in limbo, but it may have been rectified one way or the other by now.) Customer service with either company can go either way.
I personally think either unit will serve you fine. Personally, and talking to those that know more about it than I, I believe that Lowrance has better base technology and is a better platform overall. But that's not to say that HB is way behind in second place or is inferior, but Lowrance is king for a reason....IMO.
Be glad that either way you go, you'll be set up nicely. If you have the opportunity to sit in a boat rigged with each type of unit, I'd for sure try that. Get some real world hands-on time other than on display units at Cabela's. |
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| The new HDS units joined the rest of the GPS world and only have waypoints. Now you get 5,000 waypoints instead of 1,000 wpts and 1,000 icons.
Hbird is redesigning their waypoint management system on their units and it should be out as a software upgrade this spring. It could be really cool (it is supposed to let you bring up only wpts for a lake or area instead of having them all on the screen and adding symbols) or could be as helpful as insight mapping on inland waters if it is as the bird's rep explained to me ("you can bring up all of your musky spots!") |
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| I have yet to play w/ one but I thought you could lay down Icons on the new HDS units just like you could on the pre HDS Units? The way you placed icons down on the older units seemed about as simple as easy as it gets..why would they mess w/ a good thing if they did?
I know one thing, if you have the pre hds units and you want to upgrade switching all your icons over is a pain from what I have heard. basically I won't be upgrading for that simple reason |
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| They got rid of icons because they aren't as accurate as waypoints, you can't name them or search for them within the units and confuses people who start out with something other then a Lowrance where an "icon" is the symbol for the waypoint and not something seperate. They were a neat way to get around the memory limitations for the older units without hurting processing time and now they have 5,000 waypoints.
Dropping a waypoint is just as simple as dropping an icon. Hit the waypoint button twice and you are done. If you want a different symbol hold the waypoint button down, a pop up comes up, highlight the symbol and hit waypoint the second time and the unit will continue to drop that symbol until you select a different one.
Transferring your old icons onto the new units is simple. Save them to an mmc card, plug the card into an HDS, load them up and the unit does it for you. Now if you wanted to turn your icons into waypoints without an HDS so you can transfer them to Humminbird or a different competitor that is a little more of a hassel, but it can be done. |
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| Jon, so say I have a lake with 1000 icons...zero waypoints...and there are about 6 or 7 different icons used to make up the 1000...when I go and transfer that file to a new HDS unit if I upgraded, wouldn't it transfer them as 1000 waypoints and I would have to go into each one of the 1000 and switch them to the icon they were?
that is where I am having a hard time thinking I need to upgrade as I have about 6 or 7 lakes in MN, each with it's own file...some of the lakes have 1000 icons used...
talk about a pain if I had to switch 6000 waypoints to the icons I used....
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| When I found out the HDS units only had waypoints, I worried the same thing. So what I did was made a chip with about 25 icons (different symbols) last year, put that on an mmc card from a friend's x25, took that card and loaded them onto an HDS and the symbols transferred over the same as what was on the x25, they just had a waypoint number beneath them.
Now this was right when they came out and Lowrance did basically rewrite all of the software on the units to let them run a Navionics card so maybe it changed, but I can't see Lowrance screwing that up.
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | I have been using HummingBird side imaging sonars since 1995 and they have spotted many Muskies for us. Muskies show up as a series of fish symbols on the older units, but they do show up. We have caught many Muskies sighted by the side imaging sonar. Mostly we see them in deeper water along the deep edge and sometimes in open water where one would not expect them.
We once had a five Muskie day when the fish were suspended in 40 to 45 ft of water. The fish were suspended less than ten feet deep and the sonar spotted them along with the schools of baitfish they were chasing. Were it not for the side finder, it is very unlikely that we would have casted there and even more unlikely that we would have started throwing topwaters at that depth. Luckily the side finder was on and the screen lit up with "stackers", as we call Muskies.
I hope to upgrade to one of the new side imaging systems someday. But, like most everyone else, its hard to justify a fish finder upgrade when there are more important things to spend the money on - like the mortgage. 
Edited by Herb_b 3/9/2010 12:38 PM
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| BN- My previous answer got me thinking about the software rewrite, so I asked a buddy who knows his Lowrance stuff and he also wasn't sure, but was thinking that they do transfer, but won't keep the symbol. So, I will try to get a hold of a HDS unit later this week and try uploading icons only. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Here are some images taken by a buddy of mine today with the HDS StructureScan and DownScan. He had the Humminbird and Lowrance side by side. The digital Lowrance showed today he said. The one image is from 70+ feet of water, with fish 60 feet down.
Edited by TJ DeVoe 3/9/2010 6:14 PM
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | TJ- I really can't see how you can say Lowrance is better than Humminbird. Actually, it's probably a wash! Where are the HB's side by side's? - Probably can't happen because of interference. The choice is really probably going to come down to personal preferences. There is no doubt this new technology is changing fishing. HB was here first w/SI and and Lowrance came out w/down image first, but even that is also highly questionable as HB is sueing them..... To me it's all a matter of perspective. It's also a matter of learning to interpret what you are seeing on the screen.
I laugh when guy's say Lowrance was here first - I have an HB fasher! Who was first with flasher's? They are all good, if you understand them!
In late Oct 2007(you were at that MF outing) I was fishing with Spencer Berman on a lake to be named in Northern WI with my HB 997SI, and we went over a mid-lake hump and I told Spence - "that's a good muskie" . I turned the boat around and came back over the spot. Spence casted his 2 lb'r bulldawg out and had the fish up on the first or second cast - an accident? You ask Spencer! Actually I think I said to Spencer when we went by the fish: "That's a 4' fish!" - I don't think it was an accident.
Embrace the technology, and learn to use it!
Have fun!
Al
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Al, I didn't say Lowrance is better. You are right though, it comes down to user preference.
However, from what my buddy told me today, the HDS was much crisper and some of the features of the Lowrance are much more user friendly on the HDS, especially the DownScan feature of the Lowrance. He said, in order to get the optimum performance out of the Down Imaging of the Bird, he had to tweak a lot compared to the DownScan of the HDS.
My buddy actually had two people from a popular retail store near the cites out with him today for some training, and that's why he had the Hummingbird in the boat also. They were doing side by side comparisons. The guys that were in the boat with him know their stuff, and know it very well. These guys aren't ones to lie when it comes to electronics. The two guys are about the most unbiased towards one or the other as anyone I know when it comes to electronics. Why? They both run a Bird and an HDS in there boats. As sales associates, they have to know both units, inside and out!
We'll have some video of the differences this spring and early summer. |
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| Cowboyhannah, in reguards to how the waypoint system is better on lowrance I will try to explain. Brad Nelson and Cory Painter wrote an article on waypoint management in musky hunter magazine last summer. On the Lowrance hds unit a person can go into the icon system and change it and turn off the number/name indicator. For example I can select a weed icon and turn off the number for it. Now I can drop weed icons all day long without my screen being cluttered by numbers attatched to those weeds. I can then switch to a different icon and put then number id back on and all future waypoints will have a number with the new icon I selected "ie a fish icon with a number" With the Hummingbird unit a blue dot with a number will appear with a number. I can then manually change that to a weed with a number. However the very next icon I drop will once again be a blue dot with a number. It would take a ton of time to have to go to the waypoint manager on the Hummingbird to switch each icon. I would sooner be fishing than changing icons all day, not to mention that each icon will have a number. Hummingbird does not yet have this ability in any of their units yet.
I really don't have a brand loyal preference and would like to go with the Hummingbird, but I don't have the time to be working on the computer manually labeling and charting each icon to then re-program back into the unit.
For Brad Nelson the hummingbird might be a viable option - although very time consuming- for your situation with the old lowrance units and your icon/waypoints. I think you could put them on the computer and manually convert each one over and label them for use with the hummingbird.
I think down the road hummingbird may have an advantage with being able to connect with the i-pilot, but that is just speculation.
I plan on going with Lowrance because the waypoint system that Brad and Cory wrote about works better with the lowrance. I also like what I feel is a crisper display. I also prefer the sonar look of the lowrance better. The screen overlay on the bird shortens the screen because it covers over the reading. Lakemaster also has some neat 3d effects for the lowrance units. This can be handy for observing structure and ravines in a lake.
Hummingbird lakemaster has some neat features as well.
I would have prefered to go hummingbird, but the bottom line for me is that I feel the lowrance has more advantages and so that is the way I am going.
Sorry about the rambling. Hope this info is helpful |
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| Fact is Simrad which is a sister company to Lowrance has had side viewing down viewing forward viewing and back viewing sonar since 1982.... So the technology is nothing new to the marine field. Simrad makes the Transducer that finds shipwrecks in the ocean that transducer runs just over a million dollars.
This tread is always so funny to read!!
So seeing Lowrance had the first Flasher does that mean they have the only sonar rights...... Humminbird is suing cause they are worried that Lowrance is going to outsell them..... After seeing both first hand I can say that the Lowrance has a more defined image.
Its a ford chevy debate and the best is to jump in a boat and compare the two and make your choice from that. Also if your retailer can't answer questions on operation of the unit I wouldn't buy it from them!!
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Posts: 676
Location: Wisconsin | One big advantage Lowrance has over Humminbird right now, with the SS or SI, is Lowrance can be networked with that one transducer into three units. Meaning, if you run a HDS-7 and a 5X up front, each can be ethernet networked into the StructureScan transducer via the expansion box and you would see SS on both screens. And any HDS can see the signal where as the HB units, you have to buy a SI unit.
Both units are excellent and very close in features, mapping, etc. If you plan on building a network in your boat, the Lowrance network is much more robust than the Humminbird (with HB having one advantage with the ability to link to Cannons). That will probably change because one company can not let itself slide on this battle.
Why I prefer Lowrance is for the customizations that can be done to set up the locator to how I want to see it, easier to get to screens, Sonar tends to be better, mapping has been stepped up and now has the same Lakemaster shading as the HB does with the new HDS Chip, and networking as stated. There customer service is less to be desired for sure, but I can overlook that.
Now, for HB, I do like the Navionics loaded units which are better in detail than the Insight units. Insight is not where it should be with detail. HB can network Downriggers which is nice. There customer service is top notch and communication from the company is better, and if they do (and a big do) come out with MinnKota communication, that will be a big advantage. But right now, I would say the advantage swings to Lowrance. |
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| The down scan on lowrance is a hardware application with a dedicated crystal for downview.
Humminbird is a software application which takes the left and right and essentially photoshops a downview together. |
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Posts: 202
| I have been using Humminbird for 4 years and have been very satisfied. The Side Imaging is awesome you have 480 feet of coverage from side to side. Also new for this year is Down Imaging and and SwitchFire which gives more detail. For more information go to http://www.humminbird.com/
Captain Doug Kloet
http://www.dougkloet.com |
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| from what I have seen and heard of the 2 so far..I think the Lowrance is the way I would go if/when I upgrade..I think their sonar is clearer and the structure scan they have looks a touch better...I don't like the fact that they basically made all time and effort I have put in mapping numerous lakes with icons a waste of time since all those would be turned into waypoints in converting them and it would take me countless hours to re-do....engineers I tell ya!
this stuff looks pretty amazing and I can't wait to see what improvements are coming in a year or 2...
Anyone get the new side imaging stuff in Madison I'd love to sit in the boat for an hour and check it out
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| for me, any differences in the display are relatively minor. keep in mind that the display quality offered by both Lowrance and Humminbird is light years beyond an x15 or x17 that was the cat's meow just a short time ago.
i switched to Humminbird 4 years ago and i've ran 7 different gps/sonar combo units in that time, across the spectrum of size and price: 787 (twice), 788 (twice), 917, 967, and 1157; i've not yet used side-imaging.
the two main downsides i experienced were not being able to use LakeMaster map chips, and the somewhat cumbersome icon system. they've upgraded to include being able to use LakeMaster chips now, and i'm hoping that the new Waypoint Management system will improve the use of icons.
http://www.humminbird.com/company/media/press_release.aspx?id=1284
every one of those units i've owned has worked flawlessly: good display, distinct sonar returns, and accurate mapping. they came with software that worked right out of the box and can even show me what's going on in shallow weeds. they also have had good weather-proof seals that didn't leak if the unit was used outdoors.
quality leads to loyalty, which is why i've already bought my new units for this year's rig: a 788ci combo on the bow, and an 1197c Side Imaging unit in the back.
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Posts: 90
| Just went and loaded up my old Lowrance waypoints/icons to an HDS8 and the icons transferred over and their symbols stayed the same. They all got auto-named as ICON, but my shallow rock piles were all yellow X's, edges of unmapped reefs were blue X's and weeds were weed symbols on the HDS just like they were on my old x25.
Jon
Edited by veha45 3/16/2010 4:44 PM
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Posts: 253
Location: On the water | I just bought a Hummingbird 597ci, my first gps/sonar color unit. It was easy to hook up, transducer and power cord, gps has internal antenna, that was it. I haven't used it yet, but on the simulator it looks great. It is easy to program and operate. Thats what I was looking for. Only time will tell. Good luck to all. Tom |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Just got my 1157c last night. Uploaded all my Garmin waypoints and converted them to HB data points. Stoked to get on the water with the big screen and 2010 Lakemaster chip up front for some precision boat control! |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Just got my 1157c last night that is going on my bow. I am stoked to get on the water with the big screen and 2010 Lakemaster chip up front. Boat control, boat control, boat control... |
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Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | OK...bringing this one back...
I am contiplating an HDS. Like Brad, I too have bazillion icons.
This has been touched on but I still have a couple more questions to clarify.
I am understanding that you can download your icons from your old Lowrance to your HDS unit and you can then see them on the HDS.
Questions:
1. Do you have to go in and turn off the number for EACH icon? Or do they transfer and look just like the icon on your old unit but they are now waypoints?
2. Are the same icon symbols used on the HDS for waypoints? I used a lot of different symbols for various things and want to make sure a green X is a green X, a Mountain (I use for specific rock piles), a bridge (I use for a crib) etc all transfer over.
3. Jon, you said that they are all just renamed ICON. I am assuming the name is not shown on the screen, just when you click on them.
Right now the icon issue is my BIGGEST concern, like Brad, I don't want to spend HOURS transferring over each little Green X I have
Cory Painter |
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Posts: 131
| i just upgraded from a low 111hd to an hds10 2 weeks ago. i was able to save my trails and waypoints to an sd card and upload all of it to the new unit with no issues what so ever.my waypoints and icons are identical to what they were on the 111,spot on.i have been using it on the mississippi river in dirty water and have been very impressed with it's fish finding ability.i even "side scanned" some old shoreline rip-rap that showed several fish. so, i locked the terrova with i-pilot on the 'spot on the spot" and caught 4 healthy 23,24,26 and 27 inch walleyes!now if only i had a power net.gotta love technology! |
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| your icons will be turned into waypoints....
chris |
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Posts: 720
| Both units are very nice to look at. I think there is on glaring difference between the two companies. Like Jackson just said Lowrance customer services is not even close to Hummingbirds. Its the custumer service of Lowrance that made me switch years ago. The sad part of this is I don't see Lowrance doing anything to change that. Stuff breaks and a good company will fix and stand behind their procuct promptly and without hesitation. Something Humminbird takes that issue very seriously. |
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