Thread: Project "HB Donut"

I emailed humminbird and called their customer service about the "Donut" issue. Their response is the "donut" will be there if you are below 1 mile an hour. I asked if you drifted a half mile away at less than .5 miles an hour would the gps show your previous location with the donut or the new location with the donut. Their response was that it would show the new location with the donut. Is this True?

Badaxed, I think that is correct. I don't think there is an issue w/ the GPS losing your position, just with losing the tracking arrow. The unit will show your speed as you drift slowly but you lose that tracking arrow which shows you where you are in relation to your waypoints or contour lines, whatever you are trying to position the boat on. Unless you are supplementing your expensive HB with a cheap marker buoy or a functioning GPS unit, you will have problems.

CanePole and others have indicated that this is a programming issue that can be corrected, apparently HB's directional tracking algorithms stop at speeds below .5-.6 mph, this could be corrected and put on the next firmware update if they finally listen to us......Most other GPS units already do this.

I'm not much of a Crappie Fisherman so I consulted the expertise of Charles Bunting - CrappieMaster Pro and Humminbird user about this "Donut" he says to him it's actually something very beneficial because it shows the boat is slowing down. The "Donut" still moves and is tracking and one of the great features is that you can drive the donut over the waypoint and know you are dead in the brush pile and your baits are excatly where they are suppose to be. He said he used this feature to Win the National Points Championship for Crappie Masters.

He did tell me most rush or move too fast into their piles and is not a good catching technique but you need to move the boat with the position the donut is showing you until you circle the waypoint. It does move but does so slowly because you are moving very slow. The other thing he said was as you approach your waypoint keep zooming in as far as you can go and it helps to track movements. And don't rush the boat and it will get you dead on the waypoint.

He's been running a GR-16 and hooked thru the InterLink and only getting 1 time per second refresh rate. I got him the information to speed up the refresh rate and he was really excited and said that should help him be even better of Humminbirds GPS. But he said the "Donut" has been beneficial to him and the way he uses GPS and has been very a very important component in his success on the National Crappiemasters Trail.



I know Charles and his son Travis and they speak nationally on Crappie Fishing and I would consult with him as an Expert with Crappie Fishing Techniques and How to get the most out of your Humminbird. Go visit one of his seminars and learn how he uses Humminbird GPS...might be beneficial and may have an advantage others don't offer.

Just trying to help by learning how Crappie Anglers fish and use GPS versus bass fishermen.

That's the first time I have heard the "Donut" was useful. I would rather see the direction of my boat than the donut.

One man's trash is another man's treasure Maybe it would be nicer it if the donut was "an available option" for the one guy who seems to enjoy it instead of being the only option.

BTW, this is being painted as a crappie fishermans problem. I do a lot of bass fishing and it probably bugs me the most when I'm trying to hold on a point or submerged brushpile that I want to cast to for bass. I basically deal with the problem by running a Lowrance on my bow but I would prefer to be running an HB with a GPS that performed equally up there so I could share waypoints in real time with Interlink. Currently, if I want to mark brushpiles with SI at the console running the outboard motor, I have to go home and transfer them to the Lowrance with Navplanner2 before I can have them readily available on the bow with a GPS that allows me to hold my spot.

Again, I've said this many times but I just feel like a fool out there running a 4 figure depthfinder and I'm using buoys and coming up with fixes to mitigate this inferior GPS design, please get it fixed HB......

Originally Posted by Doug Vahrenberg

I'm not much of a Crappie Fisherman so I consulted the expertise of Charles Bunting - CrappieMaster Pro and Humminbird user about this "Donut" he says to him it's actually something very beneficial because it shows the boat is slowing down. The "Donut" still moves and is tracking and one of the great features is that you can drive the donut over the waypoint and know you are dead in the brush pile and your baits are excatly where they are suppose to be. He said he used this feature to Win the National Points Championship for Crappie Masters.

He did tell me most rush or move too fast into their piles and is not a good catching technique but you need to move the boat with the position the donut is showing you until you circle the waypoint. It does move but does so slowly because you are moving very slow. The other thing he said was as you approach your waypoint keep zooming in as far as you can go and it helps to track movements. And don't rush the boat and it will get you dead on the waypoint.

He's been running a GR-16 and hooked thru the InterLink and only getting 1 time per second refresh rate. I got him the information to speed up the refresh rate and he was really excited and said that should help him be even better of Humminbirds GPS. But he said the "Donut" has been beneficial to him and the way he uses GPS and has been very a very important component in his success on the National Crappiemasters Trail.



I know Charles and his son Travis and they speak nationally on Crappie Fishing and I would consult with him as an Expert with Crappie Fishing Techniques and How to get the most out of your Humminbird. Go visit one of his seminars and learn how he uses Humminbird GPS...might be beneficial and may have an advantage others don't offer.

Just trying to help by learning how Crappie Anglers fish and use GPS versus bass fishermen.

This is bunk and you don't have to be a expert crappie fisherman to use a gps.

Originally Posted by Doug Vahrenberg

I'm not much of a Crappie Fisherman so I consulted the expertise of Charles Bunting - CrappieMaster Pro and Humminbird user about this "Donut" he says to him it's actually something very beneficial because it shows the boat is slowing down. The "Donut" still moves and is tracking and one of the great features is that you can drive the donut over the waypoint and know you are dead in the brush pile and your baits are excatly where they are suppose to be. He said he used this feature to Win the National Points Championship for Crappie Masters.

He did tell me most rush or move too fast into their piles and is not a good catching technique but you need to move the boat with the position the donut is showing you until you circle the waypoint. It does move but does so slowly because you are moving very slow. The other thing he said was as you approach your waypoint keep zooming in as far as you can go and it helps to track movements. And don't rush the boat and it will get you dead on the waypoint.

He's been running a GR-16 and hooked thru the InterLink and only getting 1 time per second refresh rate. I got him the information to speed up the refresh rate and he was really excited and said that should help him be even better of Humminbirds GPS. But he said the "Donut" has been beneficial to him and the way he uses GPS and has been very a very important component in his success on the National Crappiemasters Trail.



I know Charles and his son Travis and they speak nationally on Crappie Fishing and I would consult with him as an Expert with Crappie Fishing Techniques and How to get the most out of your Humminbird. Go visit one of his seminars and learn how he uses Humminbird GPS...might be beneficial and may have an advantage others don't offer.

Just trying to help by learning how Crappie Anglers fish and use GPS versus bass fishermen.

Doug, I definately appreciate your imput ....and especially your willingness to pass this "Donut" issue on to HB....that says alot about your belief in the HB product and process...even when the "Donut" doesn't really affect you or your fishing techniques...

One thing we have proven with "Project HB Donut" is that the "Donut" issue is not just some small gripe by a few guys that don't know how to use or utilize their Sonar/chartplotter units....

The posts have been offered by real everyday fisherman...and they are here now...documented....on the internet...for all to see...

This "Donut" is not industry standard....we have video documented proof that Lowrance and Garmin show the "boat directional tracking icon" down to 0.1mph....

That's all what we are asking for...just make our HB units do what the other guys do....

It's not rocket science to write adequate algorithm calculations into the HB software to eliminate the "Donut"....Lowrance and Garmin do it ..and nobody asked them to.....

We will very soon have video documented proof in a comparison video with the HB, Lowrance, and Garmin units side by side operating at 0.1 to 0.5mph.....

Everyone will see without question what the Lowrance and Garmin units will do...while the HB will not....

Then, potential new Sonar/chartplotter buyers can see for themself which unit they would rather buy...

And that is the real issue here...

Not only do "slow technique fishing" HB owners need a " boat directional tracking icon" down to 0.1mph ...but also...

We are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that potential new buyers are buying Lowrance and Garmin....SIMPLY because of the "Donut"....

So ,If HB decides that losing customers to the competition is not enough reason to bring their chartplotting units up to industry standards...then I truely wonder about HB statement that they are a "Customer oriented" business...

Rickie Culp

I am game for the slow troll duel. Bring your HB experts. I just an old man too. .4 mph and below.