Thinking about making a switch

[LWINCHESTER2]

I used an Airmar TM150 along with a GT50 on my Garmin and the TM150 was better. I had comparison pics somewhere but I'm sure Photobucket took them down

You could be right. I should know but I don't. When I did a head to head, side by side comparison of the GT15 and the TM150 I found no difference.

I'm very reluctant to say one transducer is better than another without looking that them both showing the same things at the same time. I've pulled the GT50 off the boat as I just don't see the same usefulness of side imaging as others being that I use the PS30. In the spring when our fish are shallow I do find side imaging very useful for showing me fish that even the PS30 misses because of its dead spot at the top of the water column. I have not found any brand to be better than another for showing me spring crappie from 0-30 feet whether roaming, near structure or on banks. That includes Hbird compact SI xd, LSS1, and the Garmin GT's. I just picked up a SonarHub with LSS2 xd off ebay for a song and I'll be trying it next spring.

[pab1981]

I have been a humminbird user for a while and am very impressed with the garmin units. I would be in the market for 2 units to replace a 1197si and a 998csi any help would be most appreciated.

I am not getting sucked into another debate with the guys that love to hate the Garmin's but suffice to say my experience with thousands of hours behind Humminbird core series units and Garmin's with Gt transducers are very different than their's. You may well be better off making a switch to a newer Hbird Mega with a down crystal or Lowrance but I do not agree at all that your images with your 1197 will be as good as a Garmin with a GT. Find Lwinchester's threads with the images compared to Lowrance and decide for yourself if you have got anything remotely as good with your old Bird. I doubt it, I saw very few with a 597, 797, 1198 or hundreds more hours with friends with 1197, 1198 linked to 898's. And I don't hate Humminbird for the record, I may switch back or add one just for Lakemaster.

I made the switch last year from a setup very similar to yours to a couple of Echomap's that I picked up very cheap before the lawsuit/Clearvu debacle and I would do it again every day that ends with Y. I have no problems finding fish, structure, and wood and distinguishing what kind of wood or cover crappie are holding on to establish patterns. The 2d will be better than what you are used to, haven't tried Panoptix yet so can't add anything to that.

What you really should be asking about is mapping depending on what type of waters you fish, it might not be important to you. Garmin gives you no choice in this area at this time and are great on some lakes and terrible on others. With Humminbird you have a little more choice.

[msn26753]

My experience with Garmin... I have a raymarine dragonfly with DI.. I wanted a good sideimage and needed something to make some Maps for the smaller lakes, bayous and oxbows I fish around here.. Boom, her comes the echomap.. I was really dissapointed in the DI.. Side image worked good, but DI did not.. I had the gt52 transducer.. After along talk with Garmin on the issue, it was determined something was wrong with unit.. So I ended up upgrading to 7607xsv with gtv10, gt30 transducer.. The DI works now.. Before it wasn't picking up half as good as dragonfly.. Now I haven't put them side by side yet, but it's coming.. The side image is working pretty well but I have some adjustments on settings I need to do.. I compared one picture I have of a friends huminbird SI with my Garmin echomap on SI and you would have to really be nitpicking if you could find a difference.. I'm eager to try some setting adjustments to try this new one out.. But I could tell a difference in DI as soon a I hit the water for a quick test run.. Long story short, for some reason, alot of Garmin bashers are just really bashing Garmin.. From what I can tell there's not much difference, but maybe saltwater versus freshwater, muddy versus clear, shallow and deep make huge differences.. I can tell you I fish stained to muddy water 5 to 30 ft deep freshwater... So try and overlook some of the bashing and get what you need.. Garmin has panoptix which alot of people love.. Quickdraws has been really good for me as well.. Don't forget about 2d.. It is very clear and pics up alot of fish.. Just my opinion, I'd hate for someone not to get Garmin because of some people bashing them...

[Larry3215]

The flip side of that coin is a power user like Troyboy who just sold at least $10K worth of top of the line Garmin gear - including all his Panoptix stuff - so he could replace it with Humminbird. All because he wanted better side and down images. He was even willing to give up Panoptix.

[guzenua]

The flip side of that coin is a power user like Troyboy who just sold at least $10K worth of top of the line Garmin gear - including all his Panoptix stuff - so he could replace it with Humminbird. All because he wanted better side and down images. He was even willing to give up Panoptix.

Just installed a HB Solix 15 Mega on the bow and a Solix 12 Mega at the console. Removed my 1199 and 859 from the bow and 998 from the console. Night and day difference. Unbelievable views. Love them.