Humminbird.

Easy to navigate through it and "one" transducer (lowrance has 2 transducers. Humminbird was smarter buy using one ducer! Fish cant hide from me..... I have been on many boats and tinkered with both. And, Bigger, yes, is better. IMO

I just bit the bullet, it leaves a mark. I went HB it seems to be more intuitive, whatever you end up with make sure you price it through David over at SHUTUPANDFISH, it was the best price I found and he was great to work with

Side scan...Humminbird gets my vote. I had a 997 and a 1197 and both have great side scan but if it were downscan...Lowrance would get the vote.

So, from what I'm gathering, Lowrance units are cheaper, but to get side scan you have to buy the LSS which then makes them more expensive than the HBs. HBs, you can buy the unit and pretty much be done with it. Am I on the right path?

That pretty much sums it up. But, IMHO, because Lowrance has a separate, dedicated side scan module/processor, those images are sharper and reveal more detail than the HB unit that has a sharred processor, producing 2D sonar as well as side scan images. (if I'm understanding the technology correctly). Again, for me, the couple hundred $ extra was money well spent. Just look at some of Keith Speer's screen shots he's posted in the "Show your Crappie Graph Pictures" thread.

When I saw the pictures keith posted on that site, I decided to buy a "real" unit....when I got to realizing I was challenged on the Lowrance unit (based on online video tutorials) I decided based on my own lack of ability to figure it out, I would rather spend my time fishing fishing instead of dealing with the steeper learning curve required on the Lowrance unit...so I got a Hummingbird...love it, and glad I got a good unit 898...I have put more fish in the boat in less time than I ever have...even found some of Keiths brush piles WITH FISH AT HOME...but out of respect for the man, so far have refused to fish them....either way, your OK...the hummingbirds are easier to learn and I guess a bit cheaper, the Lowrance harder to learn, and a bit more expensive....I have a buddy with a Lowrance 5 HDI...the screen is too small to be of any real use...and i get lost as a goose trying to change stuff around...probably just stay with HB's as I change boats...whatever choice you make get the RAM MOUNT....makes either of those units a breeze to install...and if you really want one...Shut Up and Fish sells both units and he has helped me through the learning curve process, WITH PATIENCE AND GRACE!

David at Shut up and Fish sold me the new HDS7 touch screen. I have it on the console mounted next to the HB 1197. Once I got the angle of the transducer parallel with the water line on the Lowrance I couldn't believe the clarity of the picture on side scan or down scan. I'm using the factory settings on the Lowrance and can't (as of yet) get the HB 1197 to come close to the clarity. I can't say enough good things about how David took the time to make sure I got what I needed.

Just my 2�.

I use to have a Lowrance and now have a Humminbird. Kind of like Chevy vs Ford. I like my HB 788ci, a lot.

Go buy one you like for the best price, hows that.

I bought a HB 997c SI out of the TFF classified & it is being installed on my Kat now. I stopped by the shop on my way thru today & was told that they'd be thru in the am. Can't wait to go play with my new toy.
I was advised to watch the classified & get a bigger unit with the $ amount I had to spend. That was some of the best advise I have been giving. I saved 1/2 of my funds, which allowed me to purchase the components to install it on my Crappie/catfish project boat also & I got a much larger unit!!!!!
Thanks again to, I believe it was Pepop for the advice

why?

And you won't be able to get the images on the HB you get on your Lowrance. Lowrance has he BEST images of the 2 units with out a doubt. HB is a little easier to work, due to having less options. If you get a HB, just don't ever look at someone's Lowrance, and you will be happy with your HB, it is a good unit. Just Lowrance has better images on the SI & DI.




keith

heres something everybody needs to keep in mind, unless your are viewing the 2d screen, its all computer generated images using a processor. Some people including myself, believe Lowrance tends to make everything look ": fishy".. when the viewer thinks everything is a fish, he gets excited and thinks, wow what a great unit. things arent always what they seem to be on side imaging or down imaging., Ive been tied up night fishing before and had large formations of game and baitfish going past the boat, and it looked like a tree branch going by on the down imaging. because of the orientation of the fish, and signaling, it fooled the processor and identified the various signal as a branch. and last but not least, take a look in the sonar pictures section in this forum, and compare some of the pics.. you will see that in the right hands, humminbird can get some very good images . and everything doesnt look like its a fish,.
also keep in mind, humminbird introduced side imaging, ... it was an add on for Lowrance..

In the days before digital streaming media there was a debate like this. Beta or VHS? Can't wait until the next big thing in fish finders to be released.

How well will the touch screens handle the elements? I fish in 100+ temps and recently in freezing temps.

I've been on four different boats with HB's and they all had problems at high speeds. Is that just a do it yourself installation problem?

No Doubt, Humminbird did introduce side imaging. The problem is Lowrance made it better. I've had a HB-1198-SI, and it does it's best work at 2-4 MPH, any faster than that and it get hard to make out an images.

Said I wasn't getting involved, but just hate to see anyone invest $1500-$3000 and find out he made the wrong decision, like I did. I really hope guys buy HB's, bcause I enjoy them NOT being able to find my Bamboo Piles.

I have a buddy that just bought a HB-1198-Combo. We went out a couple weeks ago and I had put out 3 buckets of Boo out. I even knew where it was within 20', and the depth it was in. We seaarched for 20 minutes, an couldn't come up with the location. The exact same problems I hd with mine, when I had HB.

My Lowrance just barely makes out the images, and if you are not looking close, you'll over look it even with my HDS-10. But the bottom line is I can make it out. HB's and Lowrance, both will make out the obvious, and hardwood structures. And for most fisherman, either will do you a great job. But when I invested in Side & Down Imaging, I wanted the best AVAILABLE view that was out there. And that what I got with the Lowrance.

HB are nice units for the money, andare a couple hundred dollars less than Lowrance with the LSS added to the cost. Do as leaning Post says and look at the SI-DI Thread at the top, and check out Keith Spears images, versus any of the HB Images.

Not trying to sway anyone off of HB. I would like you to buy one. That way I don't worry about you finding my Piles. But it goes against the way I was brought up to not voice the truth or at least as I see it. Now that I have told it again, let your wallet be your guide. Buy Hummingbird, I'll Appreciate It ......



keith

Clay I hope you get enough info from these guys to lead you to a decision. Beta had better image quality and a smaller cassette. VHS won out maybe due to marketing and better general public product acceptance.

Keith, if there are fish on the bamboo couldn't you see them with either unit Lowrance or HB? Ketchn and I put out some bamboo and found it repeatedly, albeit with some difficulty, using 2-D.

I managed to catch many, many crappie over the last year with a cheap 2-D fish finder. So I think it will boil down to your personal preference. Hope the unit you pick helps you catch more fish! Tomato (to-ma-to) or tomato (tom-ah-to)...lets call the whole thing off