iam new to all this and was wanting to see if anyone could help me decide what to get . a lowrance or hummingbird .I do have a terrova ipilot
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iam new to all this and was wanting to see if anyone could help me decide what to get . a lowrance or hummingbird .I do have a terrova ipilot
That is a loaded question as is. You need to go into more detail. Like how do you normally fish. Where, Depths? What do you expect to get out of a new unit? How much do you want to invest? etc.
I think if you do a search you will find threads on this subject.........It is a question guaranteed to stir up trouble.
The I-pilot doesn't make any difference unless you plan to replace the I-pilot with the link.
Both great technologies. Take your pick and you won't go wrong.
Each brand has strengths and weaknesses when the decision is simply H or L (or G or S or R or F or "eny-meny-miny-moe"...)
Let's start with the different sonar technologies in your interest spectrum...
*2d will give a "cartoon like" image of stuff under the boat...
*DI will give a "picture like" image of stuff under the boat...and out to the side a few feet...
*SI will give a "picture like" image of stuff under the boat...out to the side 100+ feet...and which side of the boat...
*GPS/Chartplotting will allow easier navigation and the ability to mark interesting pieces of structure that can be returned to in future fishing expeditions...
Price goes up for each added sonar technology...
Price goes up for extra "bells and whistles"...
Price goes up for bigger display...
What is your budget...??
Then we can decide which sonar technologies, added features, and display sizes that will fit into your budget...
Then we can see which brand offers those things you want in the price range you have...
Rickie
Both are great units. Birds side scan is best, but Lowrance down scan is best. Customer service used to be a knock on a Lowrance, but they've improved greatly. I had an issue with my 8 the other day and called them while still on the water. Representative stayed on the line with me and walked me through several trouble shooting measures until we got the problem resolved. Regardless of which you go with, buy the biggest screen you can afford.
not wanting to stir up trouble just wondering who's got what and why they picked it . thanks for the feed back
It's a Ford/Chevy thing, both have strengths and weaknesses. Decide what your budget is and then compare units in that range, compare apples to apples. The more features a unit has the more $$$ it cost, just like cars. Don't buy a $500 dollar unit and expect to get the same results a guy with a $2000 unit is getting. How do you fish? What are you looking for in a df? Will you need to network units later? The technology in these things is amazing.Quote:
Originally Posted by aslong27
I prefer Lowrance and have touch units along with a Gen-1 7. Until I got my first touch I thought it was more of a gimmick, it's not. Navigating the menus are so much faster, changes are easier. Plus they have the Structure Scan built in.
My advise, compare units in the same price range, if you know someone with these models see if they will take you out and see them in action. Put little stock in manufacturer supplied images or simulator images. Salesmen at the big box stores most of the time don't know what they're talking about. A lot of the complaints and knocks on either brand are self inflicted. People simply do not take the time to read their owners manuals, there is a lot of information in them, take them to the lake and push the buttons to learn the unit. As mentioned buy the biggest screen you can afford, you'll never hear anyone say "my screen is to big" :biggrin.
The best advice I have, once you buy whatever strikes your fancy. Get out on the water and enjoy it :fish.
One last thing, talk to some of the board sponsors, they will give you unbiased opinions and probably know more of the features than any of us on this board. I personally use Brian at BBG Marine, very knowledgeable and more than willing to help. His prices are great and his shipping is fast.
i agree with justinp61 and i bought my units from brian at BBG Marine a board sponsor:biggrin
If you like donuts get the HB
I had the HB 998 SI unit the side image is pretty good all and all the 998 is a good unit
Have the 788 DI unit not real impressed with it The internal gps not so good. Down image is ok. I added there directional gps antenna made it a little better I had unstable way points on the screen they could seem to help that the would rotate around I was told because boat was moving to slow I had a hard time trying to drive up to a marked way point
I have noticed they don't show this unit available on the sites that sell HB
If you want to spider rig or slow troll the HB will drive you nuts unless you like donuts
Rigged a new boat up this year went with the Lowrance touch 9 units. Put one on the bow and one at the console .
Wow!!! Super nice units side image is great down image is great so clear and very user friendly
Both have internal gps and I have no problem finding way points that I have stored very easy to save way points
Can't say enough about these units and I am no electronics wizard by no means
Keep in mind this is my opinion I am just telling you about my experience with these 3 units
For ease of use, affordability, and great customer service Humminbird hands down. They are all you need freshwater fishing. For a higher end and tech savvy unit, go with the Garmins they are the best in that price range. Humminbird invented and has best side imaging. Lowrance has a better down imaging. Garmins have the best of both worlds, but add ons are needed. I use side imaging to scout and down imaging/2d while fishing. I use Humminbirds.
In store guys will not know much, read a lot here.
Yes, get a Lowrance or a Humminbird.
I love donuts and I have two HBs :biggrinQuote:
Originally Posted by cajun fryer
Try a Lowrinbird
Or a Hummorance?
Or a Birdance
Careful...
I'm already running a LSS 2 on my HB ...
I call it the LowBird....:HandsClapping
Rickie
Rickie if you'll fix a harness we'll try your HB side scan transducers on my 12T.
Interesting idea...I'll put that on my list also...Quote:
Originally Posted by justinp61
But next on my list..
Building a Y cable to make that ONIX "all in one" xducer work on my 1197...
digital xducer...yeah right... We'll see....
:yikes
Rickie
Quote:
Originally Posted by justinp61
Yes please do this.:notworthy
I'll be one of the first to buy it if you can make it work :cheers2Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
Myself, I'm getting feed up with waiting for Bird to fix the software issues with the 998. Specifically the 83 hZ and fish ID problems.
They have had these known problems since last summer and have yet to address them. Instead they come out with new units before resolving old unit problems.
If I where to start new today, I would go with Lowrance or Garmin.
Actually, I may do it anyways and sell my 998 and 958 on eBay.
While you're working just go ahead and fix a cable for a Lowrance and we'll try it too.Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trout Bum
What are the problems? If i was going to swap I would definitely go with the Garmin. They are more bang for your buck, better gps, and sonar.
How do figure that? I have zero problems with my Point 1 hitting waypoints even at trolling motor speeds.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappielimits
Hitting waypoints shouldn't be a problem whether you are running HB, Lowrance, Garmin or any other brand.Quote:
Originally Posted by justinp61
For 83 or 83/200, just switch over to Dual Beam and you're good. Or, you can upgrade your software to 7.09 which seems to have improved the 83 frequency compared to other releases after 6.49.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trout Bum
I get the Dual Beam as a rube goldberg fix.Quote:
Originally Posted by BrownTrout
What about the fish ID and less than stellar fish arches. They both worked great on the old software but now :hatchet:
Garmin just so happens to be primarily in the navigation and GPS business. Any handheld can hold you on a way point, but Garmin has the best maps and some crazy features that put them way ahead of the game. The Humminbird autochart and the ability to map your own maps with your sonar returns including side imaging is the only thing they don't have. Their are many things that can affect GPS on a sonar unit such as other GPS, weather, mounting, etc. The Humminbird company tries to build affordable units with ease of use for fisherman to catch fish. Their heading sensor eliminates your problem, but is a cost not needed for most fishing applications. So, they did not add the $200 to the cost for everyone. It's all in what you want to spend.Quote:
Originally Posted by justinp61
I guess I am unaware of this problem cause I run a shoot thru hull dual beam on a Y cable. I also have updates. Sorry.Quote:
Originally Posted by BrownTrout
I have panavision on my boat.
Who's Rube Goldberg?:biggrin
These are 83/200 shots from 7.09.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/showt...0-update/page2
These are 83/200 shots from 7.09.
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/showt...0-update/page2
If any hand held GPS will hold on a waypoint, then how is Garmin's GPS any better than anyone else's? As far as the mapping goes I haven't seen any Garmin screen shots of KY or Barkley lakes so I'm not sold on that either. The new Garmin's may be the best thing since pockets on bib overalls, the last time they tried to get in the depth finder market it didn't go over well.Quote:
Originally Posted by crappielimits
I think all the newest GPS s will be better than the older ones.
Latest use more satellites and check 10x per second,vs 1 per second .
Not sure about a GPS holding a waypoint or the next best thing. Never heard of this. I am not a Garmin man nor am I advertising them. I fish Humminbirds, but state the honest fact that saltwater guides have switched years ago to Garmin, as they have proven to be better in their need. By no means is Garmin a new thing or the next big. They are just ahead of the game right now. The freshwater fisherman have just been so hung up on Birds and Rances that they are missing out on a better product as of now. I have saw all these units in action as I am blessed to be within an hour of the Gulf. Many of my deep sea fishing buddies have been using Garmin for years and I have been convinced they have superior sonar as of now than other said units. Check the features of their GPS as said above the accuracy of GPS is dependent on how many satellites you are capable of grabbing. When I talk about better GPS, I am talking about features, maps and usability. I am not a person to state to someone a unit is better than another based on my personal favorite (Humminbird), I hate to see someone spend money on something they don't get most for their money. I simply stated Garmin is out their and if you able to spend over $1500 they are who I would go with. This technology game swaps yearly if you are set on one company then wait a year or two and they will catch up. Even if they have to steal someone patent.Quote:
Originally Posted by justinp61
BrownTrout you are correct 100 %%Quote:
Originally Posted by BrownTrout
But I did have a ton of problems. HB service was great about trying to help me out Wiskers had the same unit and some of the same issues rnvinc and I have had many long text coversations trying to fix my issues. And I truley believe Ricky knows as much or more about HB units than the tecs at Humminbird and I don't mean they have bad tecs because they have a great service department
Just look at what he is doing now mixing the 2 Just anouther podunk idea
I also had noise from the trolling motor that Rickie helped me with.
All I am saying is a couple of buddies and I hooked up the new HDS 9 touch units and an Motorguide Xi5 and i have no problems
I have there LSS and a 2D ducer on the back of the boat hooked to the unit on the console I have a DI ducer on the trolling motor hooked to the unit on the console unit and I have DI on that unit I can see the console unit from the bow unit so I can see the si off the back of the boat on the front unit.
The thing that I will miss is if I had a problem with something I screwed up on my HB unit on the water I could call Wiskers and he could walk me thru it over the phone.
Or I would call or text Rickie and he would study the problem and come up with a way to trouble shoot it and then fix it.
Thats why I bought HB in the first place because I knew nothing about depth finders then and I needed help. And I dont know much more now.
Again This is my opinion on the Humminbird 788DI unit against the Lowrance HDS 9Touch units that I have now. Pretty much apples and oranges I know nothing about garmin or the Rayline or any other HB or Lowrance units.
My opinion is based on my experience with the units I have. After being around two of the 788di units I would not recomend them. Thats whay I am posting to try to help a guy out