Well Bobby some guys still get by with really old Black Powder guns and get their game, but we have improved on that gun a lot and a long time ago. I am sure they can get by with that too, but if they ever get into a gun fight against someone with an AR 15, I would prefer being on the side with the AR, LOL! Both work, but one has a big advantage and it's the same with Sonar, we all use to get by with a flasher units, but why do that when you can get something that gives you a picture of what is down there. To each his or her own and I choose new Tech over old any day. I am thinking you fall into the same category as I do and we sill just have to suffer along with our kind of technology, LOL!

Try not to repeat what others had posted, but here is an example...
What I installed at the bow and fished with for the last few months since I got my boat working again:

This is what it you might expect to see: (note the brighter dots are fish clinching on the submerged timber... Sorry that I didn't take the pix from the micro sd card, but straight from my phone so it is NOT as clear as I wanted it)

You just can't get this detail with regular sonar

Been fishing for a while now without any electronic at the console, but that's about to change.... I got a new toy to install (hopefully today or by this coming weekend)
Although I can't afford the big HDS yet (I'm a Lowrance fan), I more than happy and GRATEFUL to have side scan soon...

Anything smaller is truly a waste of money. Hope your decision work out for you, but if I must repeat anything posted, the BIGGER the better as long as you can afford it!!!!
Good luck!!!!

The video out connections on the larger HB units allow you to hook it up to a television right? So if you put a large LCD TV on your pontoon boat you could possibly connect it to the fish finder while you are running it and watch it on a much larger display!

I have a wifi enabled television connected to the network at home. Fish finders are going that route. You can already watch television or a movie from the same screen your fish finder is connected to. Won't be long until those screen sizes get much bigger. iPad connectivity for fish finders is already available as well.

I love new technology!

Bobby you said it and I agree." I can catch a whole lot more with it."

I don't understand why someone would fish bridge columns, brush piles or standing timber for hours without knowing there is a fish down there. You can catch fish without DI or SI but, that was never was the point!

Maybe when I have 45 years or was that 54 years of fishing experience I will understand why.

Until then buy cheap gear! I guess????

sir the joke of the day comment was directed at me from you know who ...
I never meant to insult or harm anyone ....
just defending my opinion when the "shim" took it upon themselves to call me the joke of the day or my comment whatever the case may be ...
wasn't tryin to say anyhting about you in any way ...
sorry you misunderstood .....
skip has it rite ....
sum folks use a recurve and sum use a compound ....
both are achers .....

Well, my contribution to this thread (Oh Joy, Keith Is Here) would be to make sure that you buy the Name Brand that has the features that you are looking for. You can get SI from both Hummingbird and Lowrance. But they each have there qualities that they are better at. Before you make the investment, make sure of what is the most important to you before you pay.

HUMMINGBIRD has much better Chart/GPS System than Lowrance. It adjust on your screen much quicker than Lowrance. But they do not have the imaging on SI & DI that Lowrance has. HUMMINGBIRD is more user friendly than Lowrance.

LOWRANCE has a better imaging. My Unit is a HDS Gen-1, and a Gen-2 HD, which is higher quality than mine. The Chart/GPS is a little slower, and requires learning to use it.

I would suggest to find someone with both units, and ask for a test ride to see what the difference in the two. It is hard to change once you have invested your money.

SIZE - Get all you can afford. My brother make a 5" work just fine, and I have a 10" and a 7", makes things easier to see. Most people can't afford to many changes, so save a little longer, and get ALL the screen you can afford.

Just my



keith

Yeah!!!

I have a DI unit and it is insanely better than the 2D that I had. That being said, if I had the money, I would have side imaging in a heartbeat. You don't want anything without GPS. To me, you could get by with a 2D/GPS combo, but with each step up you are seeing more.

2D- You can see that something is below youand how tall it stands.

DI- You can see exactly what's below you and whether or not there are fish on it.

SI- You can see what is below you or to the left right, and also see if fish are on the structure.

360 imaging- You get a circular view of everything around you. I believe this would be the first that could show you what is ahead of you.

Your comment "down imaging does diddly best I kan tell ..."

Seriously was taken as a joke, I thought you were trying to be funny. I don't know what type of DI you have been using or what type of DI you have seen. All I am saying, is something is not right for you to make a comment like that.

If you, stick your head under water and look straight to the bottom......that's not......Down Imaging!

Now that was the joke of the day!

+1, the 360 is way awesome but way outta my price range as well

Save your money and pull up to a brush pile don your scuba goggles and look straight down for DI and sideways for SI

I will say this.... Sr. didnt think much of di si either for a long while. It takes more than a few fishing trips to understand the capabilities of these units. Some people have the misunderstanding that di/si will help you catch more fish. To me thats false. The units help you to locate fish, faster, while being able to distinguish the type of cover they are in or around. Di is a great addition to your fishing setup (if) you take th e time to learn to use it. I use a 798hb and a good friend has a 1198... my point is bigger is wayyyy better when youre looking at dots! Are the smaller units useless? No! I do pretty good with mine but my vision is also pretty good.

Dont buy before you check Dave at "Shut Up and Fish". Great guy and great prices.

Need a vote for ShecrappieKilla to take Ketchup out and show him the difference in 2d and Di and Si. I think this can be done, and who knows, a new friendship could evolve!

It would be a crappie [censored] whipping he would never forget.

It ain't going to happen, in my life time.

No harm intended, I am just acting in caricature.