Does anyone know what Lowrance plans are (if any) to produce a Side Image unit like the Humminbird 997 SI.

I was talking to Lowrance customer support are few weeks ago and told them I like the Humminbird 997 Side Image and ask if they were going to get into that. He said he had heard they will be coming out with some kind of add on module for the LCX series for what he called 3D image (he said 3D, not picture quality images of the bottom and structure).

I like and want the Humminbird side image capabilties. But if Lowrance is comming out with something (especially if it's just an add on module, and I would think an new different tranducer), then I might wait for Lowrance.

Appreciate if you let me know what you know,

Mark,

I am with you. I have had two lowrance units on my boat since 1995 and I dont want to change. However, the side imaging is impressive. I wish someone from Lowrance would let us know before we switch and regret it.

I believe that Humminbird has a patent on that technology.

It must be a pretty complicated concept, it seems they would find a way to come up with something just a little different to get around the uniqueness (is that a word?) of Hummingbirds patent.

Side scan sonar is over 50 years old. I can't see how they could have the patent on it. I think I saw where they had a patent on attaching the transducer to the boat, which appears rather lame to me.

I sure hope Lowrance would not try 3D again. I owned 2 Eagles that had 3D sonar and it was useless. I later owned a high end Humminbird that had 3D and it was just as useless. Humminbird still uses that same concept.

Im pretty sure that the company that came out with the SI that Humminbird is using brought it to Lowrance first who turned it down. Some one correct me if im wrong, but I think thats what I heard a few years ago.

I asked this same question to a Lowrance Rep at the Arlington show Saturday and his response was I do not know. He said Lowrance looked into the SI several years ago but did not get enough interest to continue with the program.

Well I have been to the HB factory and talked with a few of the people about the technology (just informal stuff). They have put a lot of time and effort into it getting this out there. I don't know about what patents they have but it may be hard to "duplicate" without some legal issues. This seems to be a big seller right now for them so I would imagine they will fight to keep it as long as possible.

Sounds like I'm going to be a humminbird customer.

Yes Side Imaging has been available as a towed behind transducer. If you do a Patent Search Humminbird has a patent on attaching the transducer to the boat. So any Side Scanning Sonar would have to pass that patent. Humminbird has had the technology for several year but it was not brought to market until Johnson Outdoors purchased Humminbird a couple years ago.

It's amazing technology.

Got a patent number? There are many patents concerning side scan sonar just since 1976.

I think also since Humminbird figured out how to use the vertical sonar depth for the math to determine distance out to the sides, which is a big factor when you want to waypoint stuff off to the sides.
WarrenMN

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Pars...22&s2=sonar&OS="side+imaging"+AND+sonar&RS="side+imaging"+AND+sonar

This is the link to the Patent Pending application on the US Patent Website for Humminbirds Sonar imaging system for mounting to watercraft

Thanks!

It's interesting what you can come up with when browsing through patents. On a search for Humminbird I found this:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parse...d&RS=Humminbird

This appears to be the concept for 3D Sonar used by Humminbird and Eagle. The patent is held by Lowrance.

Lowrance better hurry up. Like the 70's gas shortage and imported cars, once the change is made its hard to recapture the customer.

Lowrance brought the technology out several years ago and it was ahead of its time and didn't catch on. It took side scan pictures I was told. I not sure what the unit was,but I was told that Lowrance would not have a unit any time soon.

I wish that was not true. I really think that the units are too expensive for the average guy that doesnt'fish but only once or twice a month. The other thing that I don't beleive that people understand that it's not magical and going to find fish for you, its only going to find places where the fish should be.

There's no magic but it will see at least 20 times the area that a 2 dimensional depthfinder will. The 3d also makes the bottom look like what we see above land so its a more user friendly environment.

The high priced Lowrance units are as high as the highest Humminbird. If you can afford either you are faced with the choice of which to use. Lowrance is far ahead in having a more polished look and I like the 2d readouts of the Lowrance but they do not have the capability to give near the amount of information that the Humminbird units do.