597 hb fishfinder

I am new on this forum but I can already say it is great! I am retiring in a few weeks and planning on getting more serious with crappie fishing. I am planning on some up grades to my boat. One of them is a good fish finder. I went looking for one hoping to find something in the $200 to $300 range. Well its been a while since shopping for a fish finder. Well after seeing DI I am now looking at the HB 597 ci HD DI combo. A little more than I went looking for. Man they have come along ways over the years!! Any way I will get to the question for your years of experience. For this amount of dollars is this the one I need to consirder or is there another one in that price range I should look at. The DI feature is what is really got my attention. Also I am planning on running a transducer from the TT and back of boat if possible. Thanks up front for your comments and input. Did I mention how much I am enjoying this forum!! LOL

Here are the specs for the HB 597ci HD DI Combo...
597ci HD DI Combo :: Marine Fishfinder :: Humminbird

"c" stands for color display
"i" stands for internal GPS antenna
"Combo" stands for GPS chartplotting

The 597 has 2 separate 2d sonar beams and 2 separate DI sonar beams...

Here is a depiction of the 2 DI beams (455kHz and 800kHz) and the two 2d beams (200kHz and 455kHz)...

Having a mental picture of the shape of the 2 different types of sonar beams (2d and DI) will help in the learing curve of getting the most out of the unit...

2d sonar beams are conical...
DI sonar beams are fan shaped...

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/45c336a5.jpg

Rickie

To run 2 separate xducers from 1 unit... You will need...a 2nd xducer, some extension cables, and this switch... TS3 :: Humminbird :: Transducer Switch

Rickie

I am also looking at this model..Would love some feedback from those who know because I dont!!! Any advice??

Thanks Rickie the diagram helps.

Rather than using a switch on mine, I'm getting a second "quick disconnect" mount so I will just move the head from the mount on the console to the mount at the bow. That way I have easy access and viewability whether I'm fishing up front, or motoring down the lake.

I love my 597

I sure like my 597 too. For that price range I think it was the best choice. One of the nice things about the 597 is it has the traditional 2d sonar and the down imaging. You can split the screen between both and there is no doubt if your seeing a baitball or a brushpile. The fish are a little tougher to see on the down imaging, they show as smaller white speck, but the more you get use to looking at it, the easier it gets. The 2d makes it easier to see the fish, so both types compliment each other. I believe Lowrance's unit at that price only has down imaging, but they say it's really good. The only downside you might have is once you get one, you'll wish you had scrimped and saved for another 6 months and upgraded to a sidescan with a larger screen. I guess it really just depends on how much you fish and how much money your willing to spend.