I know this is opening A can of worms ... But who has the best ,clearest easiest to separate fish from brush sonar units ... I have a humminbird but ,,,I have heard lorance or garmin have the best down imaging now is this true?
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I know this is opening A can of worms ... But who has the best ,clearest easiest to separate fish from brush sonar units ... I have a humminbird but ,,,I have heard lorance or garmin have the best down imaging now is this true?
Definitely going to open a can of worms with that question. Many opinions and everybody's setup is going to be a little different but I'm happy with my Lowrance units. This shot was taken with my HDS9 on the bow using an HDI transducer.
As you can see I was in about 7 feet of water and moving slow. You can see the crappie in the stakes showing up as bright white dots. They were tasty. Attachment 215616Attachment 215617
That's one of those personal preference things, like blonds, brunettes or red heads. My advice is figure how much you want to spend, then look at the units with the features you want in that price range. When it comes to screen size bigger really is better.
I like my Lowrance LSS 1&2 xducer running on my HB ...
Oh wait ... I'm the only one who can run that combo ...
So I guess my opinion doesn't count ...
:yikes :scratchhead
Rickie
Do plenty of research and buy the unit that you feel would suit your needs best. If you have you're heart set on one brand and somebody talks you into buying another brand, then you may never be happy with it.
I really like HB dedicated DI !
Rickie you're just to stubborn to completely switch. White Flag IconQuote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
You can't really go wrong choosing a brand. Spend your time figuring out screen sizes and features you want. That's where you can make the real mistakes.
CatFan is dead on !!
I think Lowrance having the best DI was from some years ago, when they had units with dedicated crystals for DI and didn't get the DI image from the SI input. Humminbird brought out the ONIX series just to compete with Lowrance's dedicated DI crystal (IMHO).
My unit is DI only (Elite 5 DSI) and is no longer made. It was superseded by the same head unit, but with 2d imaging added in (Elite HDI series).
This is the best screenshot showing fish that I've taken to date :
Attachment 215675
Most other screenshots, and even the images on the screen when I'm fishing, will show single fish as simply white dots (much like the larger white dots above the "fish shaped" images in the screenshot above).
Can't say for sure, but I'd think that a larger screen would enhance the potential for getting better fish images. My unit only has a 5" screen, plus it's several years old ... so there's been ample time for competition between the major brands to upgrade the technology.
... cp :kewl
Ljones, YOU DID NOT SAY WHAT KIND OF HUMMIMBIRD U HAVE,IS IT A DI OR SI, I HAVE A LOWRANCE DI AND HAVE A HB 859 DI AND ALSO A HB 998,THE TRUE HB859 DI WILL MATCH LOWRANCE DI .IT TAKES A TRUE DI TO MATCH ANOTHER TRUE DI,HOPE THIS HELP
You guys are talking over my head, I like Garmin for me, that's the point, they should fit you. Check them all out before you buy.
I have 2 898 hd SI units,, genec so your saying if I had a 859 di I would get better di images than I will on the 898 hd SI units ? If that's correct Sounds like i sould be selling one of my 898 hd si units
The DI images you are getting from your SI units are much less detailed and clear than a true DI (859) will give.
YES, MY 859 DI ,I SOMETIMES RUN BESIDE MY 998 SET ON DI AND THE 859 WILL SHOW A MUCH BETTER PIC,SOMETIMES THE 998 DI IS GOOD BUT IT IS NOT LIKE TRUE DI,THE 998 IS TAKING 2 SLANTED PIZZER AND COMPUTING THEM TOGETHER ,WHEREAS THE 859 STRAIGHT DOWN PIZZER GIVES U A MUCH BETTER PIC.WHEN I GO OVER A BRUSH PILE I DO NOT STOP IF THE DI DO NOT SHOW FISH IN IT AND USUALLY NOW I CAN TELL IF THEY ARE SMALL CRAPPIES OR NOT,BUT MOST OF THE TIME I WILL CHECK TO VERIFY MY INTERPRETATION
got a few more questions does the 859di use the standard sd card or the mini ?.... Also does it have 2 d sonar and a map?.... What is the difference between a 859di and a 859ci di ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
Standard SD card. It does have 2D and mapping, altho you will have to supply the Lakemaster card, or whatever brand you use. It does have 2 slots so you can have a map card plus an SD card
Is the 859di and the 859ci di the same unit ?
The correct model name is 859ci HD DI Combo ...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
Humminbird | 859ci HD DI Combo
Some advertise the incorrect model name ...HB has no control on how dealers label their advertisement model ... Or I should say HB chooses not to spend the resources to double check all dealers and how they label the products ...
"8" (as the first digit) stands for 7" inch display size series ...
"5" (as the second digit) stands for non-si ...
"9" (as the last digit) stands for year series 2014-2015
"c" stands for color display ...
"i" stands for internal GPS antenna ...
"HD" stands for LED backlighting ...
"Combo" stands for chartplotting/sonar Combo ...
Rickie
Vic,is correct.But that doesn't mean that the humminbird si units are not capable of producing quality di.They just lack the downward looking piezo. By rotating an si transducer.I was able to obtain di , quality that I believe is very close to the humminbird onix (which has the best di of all.compared to the Garmin and Lowrance units) http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...pskq719l0d.jpg.http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...spqt8m9kv.jpeghttp://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...sv24840ka.jpeghttp://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...pskx7iac1g.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by vic n
So,answering your question about seeing fish.All of the units with a dedicated down looking piezo would produce a picture similar to this one,showing the crappie and other fish along with structure.http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...pssocmtadx.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
I AGREE WITH KOMOS THAT ONIX HAS THE BEST DI AND THAT HB WITH A SLANTED DUCER WILL PRODUCER A GOOD PIC,I DID IT FOR A WHILE UNTIL I GOT THE 859 AND PUT IT ON CONSOLE WITH MY 998,DID NOT LIKE FLIPPING SWITCH BECAUSE I THEN WOULD NOT HAVE SI WHILE IT WAS ON WHEN I FLIP IT BACK TO SI, BUT SLANTED DUCER MATCH MY 859 OR MAYBE A LITTLE BETTER,THANKS RICKIE FOR THOSE NUMBERS,HAD FORGOTTEN THAT
KOMOS, I NOTICE THAT ON YOUR ONIX FIRST PIC AT 2.7 MPH THE FISH IS LONG UP AND DOWN WHILE OTHER PIC AT 1.6 THEY ARE ROUND WHICH APPEAR TO BE THE BEST SPEED FOR DI,YOU ARE GOOD WITH THOSE UNITS AT PRODUCING GREAT PIC,WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON BEST SPEED,I REALIZE WE HAVE TO TEST OTHER SPEED FOR DIFFERENT DEPTHS,BUT U HAVE ALREADY LEARN MORE THAN MOST SO GIVE US SOME KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT U LEARN IF U DON'T MIND,THANKS. BY THE WAY ALL PIG WERE GREAT
The Onix pics look great. Here is a picture with humminbird DI off a 798 with a non-HD transducer. The light arrow is an egg sinker going down. The red arrows are fish. Not the best picture, but it's doing what the unit is made for.
Kosmo. What do you mean by rotating the SI transducer ... Are you saying turn it around backwards ? Thanks you guys for all the information
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...2-02115609.jpgok.Here's a shot from a cheaper unit.it has a dedicated di piezo. You would be able to see the same fish as in the Onix picture that I showed.now the picture would probably be not as clear,but you would still see them. ( the screen is much smaller.using the 2d on this unit would make seeing fish easier )Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
Kosmo .. What about rotating the SI transducer for better di comment you made .. Could you elaborate on what you mean
A lot of our members really do a lot of experimenting with the different units and transducers. They have put Lowrance transducers onto H'bird units and vice versa. When most of us mount transducers, we do it according to mfg's instructions...but not these guys!! :biggrin They will rotate a transducer from an SI unit...not by reversing it...but turning the bottom of the transducer from looking straight down to angling about 45° left or right. Rickie even has a mount with 6 or 7 transducers mounted and he will switch back and forth to get really neat pics of different itemsQuote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
LJONES,WE MOSTLY DID IT JUST TO DO IT.IT INVOLES USING A SI DUCER AND DOING AWAY WITH LEFT PIEZO AND THEN SLANT DUCER ,BUT U HAVE TO HAVE A HB SWITCH.UNLESS U LIKE TO EXPERIMENT THEN I DO NOT RECONMEND TO DO IT,JUST SOME OF US ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH WELL ENOUGHT. YOUR 898 WILL LET U SEE FISH IN THE BRUSH OR UNDER DOCK WHICH IS ALL ONE NEED TO FIND FISH,MAY NEED A LITTLE ADJUSTING.I CAN SEE ON MY 998 ANYTHING THAT MY 859 SHOWS JUST NOT QUITE AS CLEAR,ALWAYS ANOTHER'S GRASS YARD LOOKS BETTER
Shots taken on HB 859DI
I think,generally a slower speed is better.the last to pictures are more interesting,I think.the 998 is running at a faster scroll speed.which is stretching the structure,making it a bit more blurry, but this helps to see down in the structure (also makes the screen update faster) Here's ping pong balls at 3mph and scroll speed at 4 or5.scroll speed will also change the size of fish arches on 2dhttp://i826.photobucket.com/albums/z...psbczmb4pz.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by genec
Rotate the SI xducer 60° to get the "side pointing" SI piezo to point straight down ...Quote:
Originally Posted by Ljones
This "aims" the strongest part of the sound pulse straight under the boat ...
Strongest part of the sound pulse = stronger echoes = better displayed DI images ...
http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...psc69ceb32.jpg
This will give better DI images in the HB SI units ... (Even tho the SI image will not be correct with this rotation) ...
Read this ... All of it ...
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/side-...experimenting/
And this ...
Ehrler's use of XNT-9-DI-T transducer with 1198?
Rickie
I have used
HB898ci si
Lowrance HDS8
Raymarine Dragonfly6 and A98
Garmin 7608
Both Raymarine has best Di
then the HDS8
then HB898ci si
then Garmin
From what I have seen the Onix beats them all
Best 2d is Garmin 7608
Both Raymarines
HB898ci si
Low HDS8
Humminbird is my choiceAttachment 216202crappie loaded under the tree
Attachment 216203walleye on the side of creek channel