Thread: A little advice please????

Speckwick - you asked about the Humminbird GPS problem...

I'll do my best, it may or not be a big deal to you, just depends how picky
you are about stuff. First, the things ARE accurate, if you are really for
real on top of something and mark a point, those are good, legitimate
coordinates - the fun comes in when you try to get back over top of
that spot again after moving off of it. You know, you have a icon on
the screen showing the boat, and one showing your waypoint - well,
sometimes it's just the devil to steer one onto top of the other

The problem is the rate or frequency with which the screen redraws
or refreshes. It's easy just with the trolling motor to come in so fast on
a waypoint that you get out ahead of the GPS, it lags behind.
Me personally, I've got about used to it - I know when I get about "so close"
to a waypoint to stop and do something like get rods out or whatever...
give it a few seconds and it will catch up. The boat will almost come to a
stop, but the cursor will keep moving, showing you still closing in on the
waypoint. If you don't wait, when you show on top of the point and stop,
you turn your head then look back, and now you're showing 50 or 100' on
PAST the waypoint.

Some other folks don't like the way the pointer responds to direction changes,
but that doesn't really bother me. I do believe this is due to the same
problem (slowness) though.

On a side note, I haven't heard for sure, but I'm still holding out hope
that they already fixed this on the 798??? Waiting on someone who's
had exp. with both units to say.

If you want a good GPS don't buy the HB models. Garmin has the finest GPS systems and the response is super fast. The SI to me is a waste of time unless your looking for spots made by someone else. Make your own and then all you need is a good GPS and sonar and the heck with SI.
LOL

Thanks J White. That helped a lot. The way I usually fish I'm sure it wouldn't be a real big deal to me, but like you said hopefully that's been fixed on the 798. I've not heard anyhting on it either way.
fishordie, if you fish the same lake or lakes all the time, then yes the SI might be somewhat usuless after a while. But even then there are things you don't know about the lake bottom. And when you travel to a new lake, that SI would be nice to have. I don't have a GPS on the boat at all right now, so I guaruntee it's better than what I have. I think I'll probably end up getting the 798. If I hate it or Lowrance comes out with something that just blows it out of the water, I'll move the 798 up front and find a way to buy the new one when it happens. I haven't heard anything bad about the sonar on the HB. That's good I guess?

Hear SLOWGPS on all 798 also, 50 channel receiver does not help...........

Originally Posted by fishordie

If you want a good GPS don't buy the HB models. Garmin has the finest GPS systems and the response is super fast. The SI to me is a waste of time unless your looking for spots made by someone else. Make your own and then all you need is a good GPS and sonar and the heck with SI.
LOL

Naw...You put it out and I go find it with SI. Just like hunting Easter eggs. Fun,Fun...

Cane

Naw...You put it out and I go find it with SI. Just like hunting Easter eggs. Fun,Fun...

No Naw's about it, yes I agree first time is fun, its the 2nd & 3rd time U try to find it just using ur GPS system cause u got it marked on screen. Guess I'm goin have to figure out a way to hire u to put some smarts into my old brain. Maybe I just need to ship my 997 to, let u teach it cause lots fish people have tried on my 997 & it just won't -GPS-cooperate. It likes to go past & around several times......

Jax,

I talked to HB today. The service center now acknowledges the problem and stated to me they were working on it. :rolleyes:

HB is sending me a care package to work on the noise problems. Some units have this noise problem, some don't. HB acknowledges this problem and are sending noise kits to fix the problem.

If I ever get my boat back, I will begin to install the on board windows
xp based computer. I should be able to manipulate gps waypoints on the fly. This gives me something to do between my other something to do things.

I got it all on a wood board now, waiting for good weather to work out the bugs. You mighta seen pics of the rig.

Originally Posted by Cane Pole

Jax,

I talked to HB today. The service center now acknowledges the problem and stated to me they were working on it. :rolleyes:

HB is sending me a care package to work on the noise problems. Some units have this noise problem, some don't. HB acknowledges this problem and are sending noise kits to fix the problem.

If I ever get my boat back, I will begin to install the on board windows
xp based computer. I should be able to manipulate gps waypoints on the fly. This gives me something to do between my other something to do things.

I got it all on a wood board now, waiting for good weather to work out the bugs. You mighta seen pics of the rig.

Glad to see them acknowledge the problem up front. How long has this been hanging over their head? Do you think with the rumors about Lowrance and SI put some pressure on them to fess up or maybe just enough disappointment from their customers. I can't speak for others, currently don't own a humminbird but it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth as to how they handled it. I can't help believe that most folks would of accepted the problem better if they would of been upfront from the get go. Water under the bridge and we move on....

You just know that with the advent of Lowrance coming out with their SI they will remedy the situation very quickly.....gotta love competition.