My almost antique Hbird crapped out. Need a new setup for around $2000

At least that's what I'm hoping. I can't complain as it's untelling how old my deceased Hbird was but definately decades. I'm pretty sold on the brand given the longivity I see seems to outlast Lowrance IMO. I'm looking for a console and bow setup. Naturally I'd like a couple big 1198s or something but I am tryin to stick on a budget. I have some sway in my budget but my price point is around 2k. What I'm looking for is SI and DI capability and interlinked GPS capability if possible in the budget. I'm new to fancy new sonar and from what I'm seeing with the Hbird you get either SI or DI in a unit and not both like the Lowrance. If this is the case should I go SI console and DI bow mount? Also how are the Hbirds for networking such as GPS coordinates and such? My initial though was maybe a 798 SI console and 597 bow with DI. But I don't know and I'll try not to ramble too much folks so if you had around that much to spend, what units would you look into and how would you install them?

You will have to stay with the 700 series to interlink them the 597 is a awesome unit IMO I have the 597ci HD di on the console and a 581i on the bow. Good luck on your decision!!

For a few dollars over your budget, you can get a Humminbird 858c Di combo for the bow and a HB 898c Si combo for the console. Both units can be networked with a single ethernet cable to share waypoints.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.

Brian

RBeav is right: the 597ci HD DI unit is an awesome unit but cannot be linked to another unit. You would have to go with the 788ci HD DI unit if you want to link a smaller DI unit to another.

With our Side Imaging units you get both Side Imaging and Down Imaging sonar, but since the Di sonar is derived from the two Si beams; it is not as clear as a DI unit would be.

For the $2,000 price range you are looking at the 798ci HD Si and 788ci HD DI units. Be sure to buy the Ethernet connection cables for these:
two of the AS-EC-QDE adapter cables and
one of the AS-ECxxE cables (replace the “xx” with the cable length that you need): http://store.humminbird.com/category...thernet_Cables

The units will be able to share GPS Receiver data, waypoints and water temperature (no sonar sharing between a DI and non-DI sonar units).

If you wanted an Si unit at both ends of the boat you could go with two of the 798ci HD Si units and share full sonar between them. That would probably put you a little over the $2,000 mark though. I would contact the board sponsors and see if they will cut you a good deal on buying multiple units and cables.

Call Brian at BBG marine in the post above. He should be able to get you some decent prices. Call, don't surf, they can't post their best prices online.

I have a pair of 898's, one at the console and one at the bow. I like them, but similar to most folks, wished I'd had more money for a bigger screen.

Thanks for the input guys. I think I may roll with 2 798s and a cable. I would like bigger but it's a 16ft boat and I still currently have 20/15 vision according to my last Army PHA, lol.

the size of the screen has little to do with your eyes, imagine a football field on a 5'' or a 10'' screen. know try to see the fish. see my point, also the 98 series has both di and si. you could do two 898 and ehternet them together for $2500.

I haven't ordered yet and may do abit more thinking on going bigger. I went to Bass Pro to look at them size wise and the 898 does look pretty darn nice. It's not that I can't swing buying two 1198s even but I just have an awful time parting with money, hah. I like both of them. Guy tried to talk me into a HDS 5 and 7 combo for the price which I do like them but I've just saw alot more long lived Hbirds than any other brand.

Here's an "un-talked-about" image size phenomenon in SI discussions...(especially when deciding on screen size vs dollars)...
Structure image ratio size ...SI vs 2d

In my 1197:
A brushpile that shows as the size of a golfball on the 2d screen...shows as the size of a quarter in the SI screen...

In a 798:
That very same brushpile would show as the size of a quarter on the 2d screen...but show as the size of a peanut in the SI screen...

Structure images are roughly 1/4 size in SI as to what you are used to seeing in 2d...And if you "split" the screen... Structure images are smaller even still...

Buy the biggest screen you can afford...Unless you want to look at "peanut sized" brushpiles...

Rickie

Wood Duck,
Just curious here: what model is your almost antique Humminbird that crapped out on you?

it's an LCR 400. My dad's had it for longer than I can remember and it's always been left out in the weather when he had it all the years.

Wooduck, I would definitely go with at least an 898 the screen size makes a big difference! I got what I could afford at the time which was the 797 but when using my friends boats the bigger screen is much better. It is hard to make out beds on mine but the 997 and 1197 are so clear. I also like following tracks on the larger screens better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wood_Duck

it's an LCR 400. My dad's had it for longer than I can remember and it's always been left out in the weather when he had it all the years.

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Would that be an LCR 400 or an LCR 400ID?

The LCR 400’s were built way back in 1990.
The LCR 400ID’s were last made in 1993.

Your Dad’s unit is at least 18 years old if not 21 years old!

It's the regular LCR 400. I think he added it to the boat in around 91 or 92 a couple years after he got it.

If I could turn back the clock, I'd have bought an 1198 and the provisions to mount it at both the console and the trolling motor. When I got good and tired of disconnecting and reconnecting that thing, I'd have bought another.
But alas, I was young and naive.

In an average day out, where do you spend most of your time on the boat? I've owned both brands of SI/DI and the time I spend on the console is 10% of the time on the water. Just to add a different opinion, I'd go with the biggest screen where you spend the most time. If that means a 900 series on the primary and 700 on the secondary, then think about it. I wish I had bought a larger screen for my primary, and smaller for the secondary.

It really depends. If I'm trolling walleye, crappie, striper, etc the cockpit. Now when chasing muskies, smallmouth, and non trolling techniques for crappie on the bow. So it's really more a 50/50 split on my location in the boat. I Thought of just getting one big one and disconnecting but that would be abit of a hassle

Screen size makes a world of difference. Im in the process of selling my 9 month old 998 and bought the 1198 and although the 998 is awesome , the 1198 is a lot better. If money was the issue I would get the 1198 at the bow and a nice 2d for upfront for drop shooting or whatever!! Just a nice tall ram mount so you can get it high as possible for easier viewing. I got my 1198 for 2300 brand New so it might put you in the $2700 range but you won't regret it

Something funny to throw out there, last night it came back to life. couldnt see the screen really but if you had your head just right you could still read the depth!

If you want real high tech stuff, I got a couple of functional Lowrance X15 paper graphs you might wanna think about since you like the old amazing stuff.