What's everyone running for a combo of electronics?

[Reel Northern Bass]

Looking to make a significant upgrade to my electronics very soon here, but man oh man is there a ton of options out there, and honestly it's overwhelming to try to start narrowing it down. So, hoping you guys can give me some insight on what you use, what you like or don't like, etc, because strangely enough, I trust all of you and appreciate your thoughts & opinions. Except maybe Jerry's thoughts. Those scare me.

My biggest want is side imaging. There's a lot I have been able to accomplish with my Lowrance Elite-7's (I think they're the Hook series now), but I really want to get better and more efficient at breaking down what I fish. I believe side imaging is that next upgrade I should have to accomplish that.

Depending on what it will all cost me, I'm looking to do three graphs total. Two graphs at the wheel so I can have side imaging, down imaging (or whatever that's called now for each respective brand), and then a chart for navigation. Then one at the trolling motor with just down imaging. And of course, everything I need to go with it. While it would be nice to have some massive screens, I'm happy with the 7 inch screens, which I know will help me save a considerable amount of money.

Thanks for the help, guys.

[FTMS]

I just did what you are thicking of last winter. I went with (3) HDS 12 Gen 3 simply since the Carbon's had just come out and I figured I could get left overs reasonable. The 2 that are at the console are running a map and 2d sonar the other one is running down scan and side scan. If I am running the river I will through up 3d instead of down scan. The bow unit is running a map, down scan, and side scan. The side scan on the trolling motor works decent but you have to remember every time you turn the trolling motor or if you are not moving it throws the image off.

[A Wood]

So on my old boat last year I had a mega 9 with SI at the console and a crappy 798 hdsi at the bow. My new boat this year came with 2 hds3 9's at the console and a hds3 12 at the bow. Originally I thought of just changing back to hummingbird but figured I would give lowrance a chance. Well after a summer on the hds units I can say that though I really like them I think my hummingbird units were more user friendly and the SI does not even come close to my mega unit. If you want side imaging go hummingbird. I think this winter I am going to substitute a unit or 2 and add hummingbird back on. PM me if you want because I could write a novel on what i liked and disliked on each.

[jprovencher80]

I'm running a Garmin Echomap Plus 93sv on the bow and console. They're networked through the Garmin GCV20 UHD sonar black box. Also installed the Steadycast heading sensor for more accurate boat position relative to waypoints. Running an Ultrex TM with a Garmin transducer
with DV / Si and Chirp.

[TMG]

I've been waiting to see what lowrance is coming out with.
Looks pretty interesting so far.

[yanknbass]

good luck with whatever you choose, but talk with redneckyankee= Steve, he can help you and may have a deal or 2 as well.

[BassFishin Electronics]

I’m running a Lowrance Carbon 12 at the console and Carbon 12 at the bow and a Garmin for Panoptix. I used to run 4 units but just found it was too much and unnecessary. I can do everything I need to with a 12 at the console instead of 2 9s. It’s double the wiring, mounts aren’t cheap, and it’s that much more drain on your battery. As far as brand it really depends on what you want out of your units. Things are really up in the air right now with side imaging as Lowrance just released these new units so we will know more about that in a few months after guys start using them. Right now Humminbird has the best side imaging however I can’t stand their user interface and prices seem to be higher. Raymarine is hands down the best built and offers the best warranty and repair. They are also very easy to use and the processor is super fast. Lowrance is good all around but their warranty and customer service sucks. I have a bunch of used Lowrance units and always have different options coming in. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help

[Reel Northern Bass]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I appreciate it.

So my biggest desire is side imaging, and from MOST everything I've read so far, Humminbird is the best with that so far. But, I already have two Lowrance Elite-7's (the original Elite's, now they're the Hook series). I can do down imaging with those if I get the right transducer, so I'd really only need to add another graph capable of doing side imaging, and everything else needed to add that, and get the units to all talk to each other.

Adding the one extra Lowrance unit would likely be my best bet as it would be the cheapest route to go. I can still use one of my Elite-7's on the trolling motor with a new puck to get down imaging. It's not a huge screen, but I've been getting by just fine using it with it split screened between sonar and my map when fishing deeper spots. Then I could still use the other just for my map/navigation at the wheel, and whatever new one I get for SI and DI as well.

So I guess my next question is...with the CURRENT offering of what Lowrance and Humminbird have, and this is excluding the newest thing that Lowrance just announced, just how much better is Humminbird's SI capability/quality over Lowrance? Specifically just that aspect, I'm not too concerned about the UI or anything else just yet.

[BassFishin Electronics]

Heres my take on side imaging and Im sure others have different opinions. Side imaging has never been a tool for me to actually see fish. I use side imaging to identify offshore structure/transitions that I think will hold fish. Ex. if Im side scanning 30' of water for 500 yds and then all of sudden I see a change in bottom with rock then Ill waypoint. I dont see the fish there first 90% of the time unless they are really stacked. Then I will stop and fish the area for 20-30 min and see if I mark anything with 2D. Sure down South ledge fishing and stuff they do stack up and get in visible schools but on most of the lakes we fish up here thats just not the case. The other useful tool for side imaging is finding bait balls. This allows me to see them off to the side instead of being right over top of them. In your case if you don't want to overhaul your entire boat with new electronics then your cheapest route is going to be a HDS 7 Gen2 or Gen 3 touch with a LSS 2 transducer. You can then connect this to the other units with NMEA and share waypoints. A 7" screen is kind of small for side imaging. The bigger the screen is the more you with be able to see and distinguish what you're actually seeing. Side imaging is very angle specific sometimes and you may go by something one way and think its nothing, then get a little closer at a different angle and find its a big tree. Theres a lot out there for Lowrance units right now as guys are offloading them to upgrade because the Carbons dropped in price and the HDS Live units were just released. I have several HDS 7 gen 2 and HDS 9 gen 2 units right now if youre insterested as well as LSS 2 transducers. Im not trying to sell you on what I have because I will sell it regardless, just letting you know the offer is there and I should be able to give you a fair price. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

So to sum up, side imaging is absolutely a critical tool for me and an absolute necessity. However, you do get out what you put in. Meaning you will have to spend some time behind the wheel to really learn how to use it and how to break areas down.

Steve
781-361-5801

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I appreciate it.

So my biggest desire is side imaging, and from MOST everything I've read so far, Humminbird is the best with that so far. But, I already have two Lowrance Elite-7's (the original Elite's, now they're the Hook series). I can do down imaging with those if I get the right transducer, so I'd really only need to add another graph capable of doing side imaging, and everything else needed to add that, and get the units to all talk to each other.

Adding the one extra Lowrance unit would likely be my best bet as it would be the cheapest route to go. I can still use one of my Elite-7's on the trolling motor with a new puck to get down imaging. It's not a huge screen, but I've been getting by just fine using it with it split screened between sonar and my map when fishing deeper spots. Then I could still use the other just for my map/navigation at the wheel, and whatever new one I get for SI and DI as well.

So I guess my next question is...with the CURRENT offering of what Lowrance and Humminbird have, and this is excluding the newest thing that Lowrance just announced, just how much better is Humminbird's SI capability/quality over Lowrance? Specifically just that aspect, I'm not too concerned about the UI or anything else just yet.

[Reel Northern Bass]

Heres my take on side imaging and Im sure others have different opinions. Side imaging has never been a tool for me to actually see fish. I use side imaging to identify offshore structure/transitions that I think will hold fish. Ex. if Im side scanning 30' of water for 500 yds and then all of sudden I see a change in bottom with rock then Ill waypoint. I dont see the fish there first 90% of the time unless they are really stacked. Then I will stop and fish the area for 20-30 min and see if I mark anything with 2D. Sure down South ledge fishing and stuff they do stack up and get in visible schools but on most of the lakes we fish up here thats just not the case. The other useful tool for side imaging is finding bait balls. This allows me to see them off to the side instead of being right over top of them. In your case if you don't want to overhaul your entire boat with new electronics then your cheapest route is going to be a HDS 7 Gen2 or Gen 3 touch with a LSS 2 transducer. You can then connect this to the other units with NMEA and share waypoints. A 7" screen is kind of small for side imaging. The bigger the screen is the more you with be able to see and distinguish what you're actually seeing. Side imaging is very angle specific sometimes and you may go by something one way and think its nothing, then get a little closer at a different angle and find its a big tree. Theres a lot out there for Lowrance units right now as guys are offloading them to upgrade because the Carbons dropped in price and the HDS Live units were just released. I have several HDS 7 gen 2 and HDS 9 gen 2 units right now if youre insterested as well as LSS 2 transducers. Im not trying to sell you on what I have because I will sell it regardless, just letting you know the offer is there and I should be able to give you a fair price. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

So to sum up, side imaging is absolutely a critical tool for me and an absolute necessity. However, you do get out what you put in. Meaning you will have to spend some time behind the wheel to really learn how to use it and how to break areas down.

Steve
781-361-5801

Thank you again, Steve! What you said is exactly how I intend to use SI as well, to better break down/understand a lot of the waters I already know, or think I know well, and to help break down new water a bit more easily.

I like the sound of getting the additional Lowrance, purely for the cost savings at this point, and because it will still get the job done. It may not be the best for SI, but it's still going to be damn good, and that's all I need. Plus, instead of buying 2-3 new HB's, I can spend a little less and still get one 10" or 12" HDS unit, to make it better for SI. And thank you again for letting me know you have extra units for sale, I'll be happy to give you a call on them soon. I've seen the other posts from people here that I really trust and they've all had great things to say about you and your business.

I'm hoping to have this all squared away with a few options of what I want to get in the next week or two, and get the ball rolling on buying stuff at the end of this month. Trying to time it all with a "new to me" boat purchase at the end of October/early November. Hopefully end October though on that, would like as much time in the boat as I can get!

[A Wood]

So I guess if I were you and you plan on running your lowrance then I would get a comparable lowrance unit that you can add in and network.
I will tell you right now the side imaging will not be as clear as hummingbird but being able to network them and save waypoints is huge. No matter which way you go, once you figure out how to use side imaging you will be shocked at all the off shore things you have been missing....

[Reel Northern Bass]

lol I'm all over the place with this. A lot of it revolves around how I'm going to use the cash I have for down payment, and how I want to finance this boat.

As of this moment (because who knows how I'll feel about it tomorrow as I look at more options), and because of pricing I'm seeing, I'm leaning toward getting a Humminbird Helix 10 Mega SI and then a HB Helix 7 DI. The boat I'm buying already had the module needed for side imaging, and has a 798 at the wheel. I need to figure out where the heck I can mount another 10" unit, but this gives me the better option (that I can afford) for side imaging, and three of the same units so I can share waypoints across everything. I'll take most of the cash I was going to use as down payment and just go buy the electronics that way instead of rolling them into the loan. Again, I think that's what I'll do. Right now, that sounds like the best value from my available options as far as buying brand new. I'm not against going with gently used though.

[FTMS]

One thing to remember with HB is it does not share map info. The newer units are suppose to so that might affect which units you want also.

Side imaging is great but there is a lot of info in that image so the bigger the screen the easier it will be to figure it out. Nothing like running down a shore line 40' out and seeing roocks, logs and stuff that you had no idea it was there.

[Reel Northern Bass]

One thing to remember with HB is it does not share map info. The newer units are suppose to so that might affect which units you want also.

Side imaging is great but there is a lot of info in that image so the bigger the screen the easier it will be to figure it out. Nothing like running down a shore line 40' out and seeing roocks, logs and stuff that you had no idea it was there.

Wait, really? So for example, what I'd like to get is a Helix 10 with SI, and put it right beside another HB unit that will just have the map on it. If I marked a spot on the Helix SI unit, and tall of the graphs are interlinked...the waypoint won't show up on the unit with just the map on it?

[FTMS]

Waypoints are link but you can only veiw your map on one unit at a time.

[Reel Northern Bass]

Waypoints are link but you can only veiw your map on one unit at a time.

Ah okay, I understand what you meant now, and yes you're right. I will have to buy a separate map card for each unit if I want to be able to see the map on them, which kind of sucks since they're like $150 each, but it is what it is.

[FTMS]

It is not that big of a deal, but it is. Like i said i think they corrected that with the newer units. There are other things about the HB that i don't care for but it is all small stuff.Any way you look at it it will be an upgrade from what you have now. I think that i have gotton used to mine enough that i can see fish on the side scan if i pay close attention to it and have all of the settings right. Doesn't mean i can catch them though.

[Reel Northern Bass]

As I understand it, Lowrance has the same issue as well. If you want the map on any unit, even if they're interlinked, whatever unit you want the map to show up on has to have a map card.

Ugh, here I go again with flip flopping. Had a lengthy discussion with the wife and friends about it last night to get more insight on what people use and what they prefer. Of course, happy wife happy life wins out.

There's more to it than that though. I'm frugal anyway, so getting just the one HDS unit for SI, plus the module to make it work, would be the cheapest route to go. I already have two Elite-7's one with a map card and about 1500 waypoints on it. The boat I'm buying has an Elite-7 with the Down Imaging transducer already on it, setup on the trolling motor. I think I'll be able to get the best bang for my buck by finding a gently used HDS unit for the wheel and make it work with the two Elite-7's I already have, and sell off everything else to help offset the cost of getting it all installed, new brackets, etc.

[A Wood]

No I dont think every lowrance unit needs a card but the unit you have the card in needs to be on to be shared by the network to the others. I only have 1 map card for 3 units. If I shut that one unit off I lose all my mapping on the other units.

[FTMS]

Lowrance, you only need one card. I have a card in one of my console units and i can veiw in on my bow unit.

You also don't need a module for SI just a total scan transducer.

I am probably heading to Newfound on Sunday if you are interested in trying out a set up.