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Posts: 286
Location: Eagan, MN | I'm a little behind the times technologically speaking and have made the decision to up-grade the bow sonar/gps unit on my boat very soon. I plan to purchase the largest screen Humminbird sonar/gps combo unit made, with the intent to pair this up with a Humminbird 360 bow mount transducer. The console unit, a Lowrance Lcx 28, will remain in place.
My only requirements are that the graph have the largest screen available for my aging eyes and that the unit be compatible with the 360 Bow transducer.
If cost was not a factor, which model of the large screen Humminbird combo units would you purchase and why?? I'm trying to educate myself on these new Humminbirds and don't want to make a mistake in my decision. The more input I can consider, the better!
All feedback is welcome.
Brian |
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Posts: 94
| Ive had hummingbird units now for 8 years. I'm on my fourth unit, 2 from the previous boat and 2 on the new ranger. Really all I think you need is DI so an 1159 would work for you, and on their website it is compatible with the 360. You get the side imaging from the 360 and of course the down imaging from the unit. I did read some horrible reviews about the new Onix units on cabelas website last night. Maybe someone else that has one can tell us about them. Ive had an 1197 and 858, now I have the 999 and the 859 on my Ranger. I was going to go with Lowrance this time around because I like their sonar better, but in my opinion the mapping on hummingbird with the lakemaster maps is much better and out weighs the sonar. This is just my opinion |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | I have 2 1198 si I'd I was going to buy now I would buy the new onix that tuch screen is sweet. If price don't matter buy the best onix. Watch some youtube go to the store play with them ask questions. |
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Posts: 270
Location: SE WISCONSIN | I went with a 1199. the onix units are nice i'm just not a fan of touch screen's |
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Posts: 117
| Different take here--I dont know how you generally fish but I would NEVER again go with bow and console units that are not linked, and I dont think I can ever again get by without at least side-imaging on the console. Heres why:
I mainly cast, I dont ever troll. I fish mainly a +/- 300,000 acre lake, pretty big piece of water. I can identify likely spots in the big picture on a map and head there. i can scan these areas (a dropoff, sunken island, etc) with the side-imaging, and because Im looking at approximately 100-feet to either side I see a literal photo-like image of the bottom structure--including fish at times--over a massively larger area than I would if I had only down-imaging or traditional 2d sonar which really only looks directly under the boat. Ive found dozens of sunken rockpiles, old dock pilings, cribs, reefs, sunken islands, etc that dont appear on any map or chart using this, and its highly unlikely I would have ever driven directly over them to see and mark these features using anything but side-imaging sonar. Rockpile or crib 80' to the side...simply slide the cursor on the sonar over to it and mark it on the gps. And here's why it matters so much to me to have linked sonars...now I can turn the boat around and fish that waypoint from the bow deck using that sonar without EVER driving the boat directly over it. Theres lots of things you can do with these sonars that are cool, but this has added immeasureably to my fishing and I feel that linked side-imaging sonars is an absolute must-have for me now. I hardly ever use down-imaging, its intesting once in a while if I see something on the 2d and Im not sure what it is, but generally I see a lot more on the 2d than DI, so if any imaging-type sonar is used its the side-imaging. Im less adamant about side-imaging at the bow, so I might go for a 899 or 999 at the console and an 1159 or similar at the bow if thats where the big screen needs to be. I prefer my larger screen at the console' but money is an issue for me and my eyes are only 40-ish...i have an 898 at the console and 798 on th bow. Perhaps in the future bigger screens will make more sense but I opt for side imaging AND linking my units over anything else.
Edit--I dont know how 360 would affect this, but Id still want SI capability at the console and Id want that linked to the bow.
Edited by Macintosh 12/29/2014 10:35 AM
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Posts: 100
| The system on my boat is 1198 at the console, 798 at the bow, 360° transom mount, Minn Kota Terrova 101 with iLink.
I'd love to have the bow mount 360°...but it doesn't work with the Terrova (has to be a cable steer trolling motor, last I looked).
I put the 798 at the bow so it doesn't get in my way on the front deck (I fly-fish for pike and musky up there often).
If I were to do it now, I'd go 1199 console, 899 bow, and stick with the Terrova and transom mounted 360°
I really prefer the "hands free" (and foot free) fishing the Terrova w/ iLink brings to the table. It fits my style well. |
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Posts: 100
| The Onix are great, but have been a little buggy so far. |
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Posts: 286
Location: Eagan, MN | Further North, as of today, the 360 bow transducer only works with cable steer TMs which is why I put a Fortrex on my boat this summer. Brian |
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Posts: 100
| BrianF. - 12/28/2014 9:41 PM
Further North, as of today, the 360 bow transducer only works with cable steer TMs which is why I put a Fortrex on my boat this summer. Brian
Yep - that's what I was thinking.
I made the opposite call - I thought it was less important to have it a the bow than to have the features the Terrova offers.
That Fortrex is a great motor! |
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Posts: 286
Location: Eagan, MN | My understanding is that Humminbird is moving their core product offerings in marine electronics towards the Onix type system. That, together with some of the outstanding features of the Onix, having me leaning in that direction vs. the 1100 series, despite some of the bugginess. In terms of the bugginess, both internet searches and conversations with the guys at Thornes tell me these are getting cleaned-up with a series of firmware updates, another of which is scheduled sometime in early 2015. Seems that if you get a buggy unit, the best thing to do is have the unit replaced, which both Humminbird and Thornes appear to be more than willing to do. Thornes will also help me with the rigging for a reasonable fee. So, I think my decision is made. The only thing left is whether to pay extra for the Onix unit with sidescan capabilities, which doesn't, at first blush, seem necessary if I have 360 technology available to me. Am I thinking that through correctly? Brian |
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| Not a bird guy but I can tell you that 360 is nowhere near the same as sidescan. Two different animals. Sidescan is a must, at least to me, so it seems you will need both. |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | I would say it's up to you how you fish. The side is nice but if all you do is cast and you have the 360 you won't need the side imaging but if you troll you might want it. I like the side imaging but if i had the 360 I would not use the side. |
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Posts: 286
Location: Eagan, MN | Well, I don't troll. Personal preference I guess. So, if the SI needs some speed (I hear 4 to 5 mph is optimal) to really give you good info, and this unit will be on the bow where I'm rarely fishing more than 2 mph, then wouldn't this render the SI capability ineffective? That's my current thought, but I have NO experience with SI technology, so could be all washed-up on this. I don't want to miss out on SI opportunities, but don't want to spend the coin if the 360 takes care of my needs on the bow. Brian |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | Love my 1199 but if I bought today it would be an Onix. |
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Posts: 337
Location: Watersmeet, Michigan | Just me perhaps, but I so dislike the touchscreen on my phone that I couldn't dream of having one on my boat electronics.
Fr. K |
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Posts: 286
Location: Eagan, MN | Yooper, I hear you. Not sure how that is going to work, though the Onix has a push button option if one doesn't want to smudge-up their screen. Also, there are products that help keep the fingerprints down. Krystal Klear, I think. With my current LCX Lowrance units, water spots in a normal day of fishing require the bow screen to be cleaned off 3X a day, if not more. So, not sure how much more cleaning the Onix screen will require over and above what I'm used to. Hopefully, not a lot. |
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Posts: 117
| Side imaging needs movement--not sure how the 360 works. If you boat is stationary side imaging is useless though. 2mph is fine, 4-5 is a little fast in my experience, 3-4 has been optimal for me...however you can change the scroll speed to match boat speed so you can adjust this to a significant degree. One thing I will say is that hbird customer service has been fantastic for me, which is one of the reasons Im using their products. If you have a question call them--you'll get it answwered. |
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Posts: 270
Location: SE WISCONSIN | They are coming out with a non touch onix if I ever decide to upgrade the 898 on my bow I will put the 1199 there and get a non touch onix for the dash. |
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Posts: 100
| I have a buddy that put two of the bigger Onix units on a brand new Crestliner Raptor last summer.
We did the rigging ourselves (I've done dozens of boats).
Without maligning HB (I am a huge fan)...I'm glad I am running 1100 series units.
They'll ge tthe bugs worked out, I just don't want to be the guy dealing with the issues until they do.
360° is the cat's *ss. You can look at underwater structure you have not been to yet.
I was able to use it to ID and cast successfully to a few muskies last season. |
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Posts: 100
| 2 MPH will work fine with Side Imaging. Set your graph speed to 2. |
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Posts: 100
| 360° works fine sitting still. Great way to see the structure around you. |
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Posts: 63
Location: Maribel WI | Sorry to hop in on this discussion, but have a Hummingbird question. At a few other places on the net I saw people complaining that the Hummingbirds gps speed is not very accurate at slow speeds - <5 mph. Anyone have experience with this? Also looking to get a bird or Lowrance this spring.
Thanks |
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