Switching from Onix to Garmin

[Schins]

Panoptix should be incredible for ice fishing

[puhlw]

I’ll add my two cents. Side scan is for looking for structure. Panoptix for seeing fish suspended below or to the side of the boat. 2d see fish better that hug the bottom tight. DI I like running next to my 2d to help me tell what’s fish and structure. They all have their place. I will say panoptix doesn’t look like much but is pretty easy to use if the boats relatively still. If the blob moves around it’s a fish if not it’s something else.

[MonteSS]

Since you already have two excellent units that I assume you are comfortable with, I recommend sticking with what you have and adding a 93sv + PS22 to just use for panoptix only.

[LWINCHESTER2]

I just happend to remember that TroyBoy30 is probably lookin for bass that are much more likely to be near the surface or shallow and I am looking for walleye with are much more likely to be closer to the bottom and deep. The PS30 had a dead area near the surface that gets bigger the farther from the boat you look. With walleye running from 70-110 ft that's not a factor. But if I was looking for bass 20-30 ft deep way out from the boat the PS30 would not see them. SideVu and Side imaging would see them. Goes back to what MikeF and DonnieG were saying. It's not a one size fits all situation.

[TroyBoy30]

i never had any trouble seeing fish on the surface out to 120 feet with my ps31

[DrBobinMO]

I just took off (2) 7612's (1) 7610 (1) 7608 and a p21 pantoptix transducer off my boat to go with (2) Solix 15's and 360 on the bow.

Still being installed so I can't give an accurate assessment yet but made the switch because of the Mega imaging and I could also find so many more info threads and videos on using HB units than Garmins. This is my first boat and first graphs and I felt lost on what to do to run these things. Watched a bunch of easy to find videos on the Solix and feel I have a better understanding of them without even using it yet then I ever did with my other units

[LWINCHESTER2]

I just took off (2) 7612's (1) 7610 (1) 7608 and a p21 pantoptix transducer off my boat to go with (2) Solix 15's and 360 on the bow. .............This is my first boat and first graphs and I felt lost on what to do to run these things.

Very interesting. I'm not sure what your experience will tell us other than maybe what you consider the easiest to use or easiest to learn. On the other hand, TroyBoy30 has put in quite a bit of time using different brands and it sounds like he can give a pretty good analysis of how well who does what. As I have transitioned from Hbird to Lowrance to Garmin, I poured through the manuals, and used each unit for years. In my own mind I really feel like that I got the best performance out of each of these that they were capable of, when it comes to sonar performance.

I hope it works out for you and that you are happy with your new units but I can't be completely optimistic. The latest marketing from Lowrance on the Hook2 is that they are so simple to use all you have to do is turn them on. It's never that easy. Not saying you made a bad decision. That's your call for what you want and how you want to use them, but the more you put into learning all you can about the units you are using the more you can get from them. Dr. Sonar has made Lowrance a ton of money. In fact, I told him that the Garmin users needed him to make them videos too.

[MikeF]

just took off (2) 7612's (1) 7610 (1) 7608 and a p21 pantoptix transducer off my boat to go with (2) Solix 15's and 360 on the bow.

Still being installed so I can't give an accurate assessment yet but made the switch because of the Mega imaging and I could also find so many more info threads and videos on using HB units than Garmins. This is my first boat and first graphs and I felt lost on what to do to run these things. Watched a bunch of easy to find videos on the Solix and feel I have a better understanding of them without even using it yet then I ever did with my other units

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=859764

Read reply #5



New electronics are always exciting.
Good luck with the new units and I really hope you find them easier to use so that you can enjoy them.

[TroyBoy30]

you don't need no stinkin manual the menu system is not that difficult, it's simply different

[DrBobinMO]

I went into the local bass pro and played with the Solix after watching every video I could. I felt way more comfortable with it then I ever did with my Garmins. Not saying the HB is better, but I'm thinking the change is best for ME and the way I like to learn.

[MikeF]

Understood

I have not seen or run a Solix system and was curious for my own information on new systems.
Been reading various posts and found that comment about reading the manual.

Sometimes you just click better with a different system.

Left brain right brain kind of thing, who knows.

What ever you are comfortable with is key to exploring the system and enjoying it, rather than being frustrated trying to use it.

[dusty_allen]

I have a pair of Onix 10s, one SI, the other cross touch. They perform admirable for me, although a little complicated.
My son in law has a Garmin, and I like the simplicity of it as far as navigating around the screens. My first time out in his boat, I was able to figure things out rather quickly.

With the "game changing" reviews I have read about in regard to the Pantoptics, I am very seriously thinking of switching over to Garmen.

Since I have been running Onix 10s what models of the Garmen should I be looking at ?
Will need one to have one for the console and one for the bow.

I would really like to stay with around a 9" screen, tired old eyes can't see smaller screens.

Can the Garmens link so way points can be shared ?.

Also heard that the Garmen mapping system is not all that great, is that in reference to the on board system
?
And since they bought Navionics I assume those cards work in Garmen units, but will Lakemaster cards work ?.

The regular echomaps can share waypoints with a simple wire connection (speaker wire or garmins data cable) with each other. The new echomap plus will share waypoints and also transducers (when the update happens, supposedly Q1 2018).

The maps have been sufficient for me. I had navionics before and for my lakes the garmin maps have been comparable. My lakes are all HD scanned or whatever garmin calls it when it has the most detail available.

[Todd Driscoll]

The regular echomaps can share waypoints with a simple wire connection (speaker wire or garmins data cable) with each other. The new echomap plus will share waypoints and also transducers (when the update happens, supposedly Q1 2018).

Since the echoMAP Plus 7x/9x have a functional Ethernet-networking port, these specific units will share user data and sonar data via the Ethernet cable (not the High Speed Protocol provided by the wires on the PWR cable). Because of this, these 7x/9x Plus units will not share wpts with any of the older echoMAPs.

However, the echoMAP Plus 4x/6x products will continue to support this High Speed Serial connection to share waypoints since they don’t have Ethernet ports.

[stockrex]

I gots 2 Onix 10s, and I bought a Garmin 73,
I will probably use both, Onix to navigate and Garmin to fish.

I would go with 2 Garmins or 3 if you want pano.
I would go with 2 7s instead cuz then you can have dedicated screens for each item you want to see instead of splitting screens, the split is never the right size. I like the rectangular view of 7 inch and 2 of them is what i need,

Just share the transducer and you are good to go.