NEW - Humminbird Units just announced - Details below !

[skid00skid00]

It's totally *expected* that significant advances in tech require *all* parts of the equipment to be updated.

Unless you understand nothing about tech, in which case the manufacturer is out to fleece you..

[sfw1960]

Yup....
All the manufacturers are doing it.
ALL about the sales and $$$$.

[bobcoy]

It may be only me but, I emailed support and asked "Now that we have a 2nd generation of Solix will we be eventually get a data management program for PC?" The response was...
Thank you for contacting Humminbird. We appreciate your interest in our products.
If you are referring to the HummobirdPC program.
No sir, the PC program for managing waypoints, tracks, etc. is still not compatible with the Solix series.

[InternationalMarine Brian]

It works fine with solix units. You just have to learn which icons are supported.

[bobcoy]

Really, Which are compatible?

[Tooltim]

Lowrance Livesight is compatible with Carbon. Who says it can't be done? Making existing hardware compatible is a choice during R&D. Sometimes possible sometimes not. I love Humminbird graphs but there seems to be too many marketing people in the kitchen. Short term thinking can hurt a brand built on loyalty.

[Royt]

Lowrance Livesight is compatible with Carbon. Who says it can't be done? Making existing hardware compatible is a choice during R&D. Sometimes possible sometimes not. I love Humminbird graphs but there seems to be too many marketing people in the kitchen. Short term thinking can hurt a brand built on loyalty.

I agree 100%. It is a choice that HB made not to make them compatible. If others can do it why not HB? Yes at times you have to do a complete makeover, I don't see allot of changes with the new Gen 3 units to warrant this. I must be one of those uneducated people that doesn't know electronis that believes they could be getting fleeced!

[Wayne P.]

I agree 100%. It is a choice that HB made not to make them compatible. If others can do it why not HB? Yes at times you have to do a complete makeover, I don't see allot of changes with the new Gen 3 units to warrant this. I must be one of those uneducated people that doesn't know electronis that believes they could be getting fleeced!

Email sent.

[sfw1960]

Email?
No fair!

[Cestratton]

If one had an Ultrex MDI would it still pair with the new units? Dont have either just curious since both are new.

Edit: just read each models features and yes they're compatible.

[pfisher]

Lowrance Livesight is compatible with Carbon. Who says it can't be done? Making existing hardware compatible is a choice during R&D. Sometimes possible sometimes not. I love Humminbird graphs but there seems to be too many marketing people in the kitchen. Short term thinking can hurt a brand built on loyalty.

All these responses just make me laugh on all the brands. Folks want to buy a unit and 10 years later it still work with all the new products. I work in the technology field and most folks understand that at some point things go out of favor due to advancements in tech. Only on fishing electronics forums, especially the ones on this site, do folks whine about it. Not a single person is making you stay with HB products.

You do understand that companies need to make money to stay in business don't you??

[Royt]

All these responses just make me laugh on all the brands. Folks want to buy a unit and 10 years later it still work with all the new products. I work in the technology field and most folks understand that at some point things go out of favor due to advancements in tech. Only on fishing electronics forums, especially the ones on this site, do folks whine about it. Not a single person is making you stay with HB products.

You do understand that companies need to make money to stay in business don't you??

I don't think you understand. My Helix 10 Mega SI unit is 1 year old.
My Helix 12 Mega DI unit is 2 months old with newest transducer offered by HB before this upgrade.
We are talking about new stuff, not stuff years old. HB could have made some stuff backwards compatible.
I understand the new units have hardware improvements inside the units to improve the amount of power required to property power the newest mega+ transducers, wish HB would have done a better job explaining, would have saved questions and whining, ��

[G4bama]

The electronics brands are just like the boat manufactures. All are on a upgrade every 2 year cycle because the consumer has shown that they are willing to shell out the funds, regardless of cost, to have the latest and greatest. Personally IMO HB has gotten left behind in the areas of WIFI and Bluetooth. Both of these techs are so simple to integrate today and both are used everywhere. Sure the HB units have Bluetooth but for texting and phone calls which is totally useless for the task at hand.

[jasonG]

The electronics brands are just like the boat manufactures. All are on a upgrade every 2 year cycle because the consumer has shown that they are willing to shell out the funds, regardless of cost, to have the latest and greatest. Personally IMO HB has gotten left behind in the areas of WIFI and Bluetooth. Both of these techs are so simple to integrate today and both are used everywhere. Sure the HB units have Bluetooth but for texting and phone calls which is totally useless for the task at hand.

I agree I really thought humminbird was going to go all in on WiFi/Bluetooth. Especially with their whole integration of I pilot and talon etcVery disappointed at this point

[idratherbeefishin]

All these responses just make me laugh on all the brands. Folks want to buy a unit and 10 years later it still work with all the new products. I work in the technology field and most folks understand that at some point things go out of favor due to advancements in tech. Only on fishing electronics forums, especially the ones on this site, do folks whine about it. Not a single person is making you stay with HB products.

You do understand that companies need to make money to stay in business don't you??

Exactly as Roy t described it's not that they have a new product , but at least make it work with units that are barely over a year old.

[jasonG]

Exactly as Roy t described it's not that they have a new product , but at least make it work with units that are barely over a year old.

Then sales wouldn’t be that great and the last thing we need as bird owners is more cables and adapters. That’s what’s so appealing with the new lowrance units with WiFi. They can wirelessly connect and share data within the network

[Royt]

I think that if they had made the newest transducer backwards compatible they would have sold allot of the new transducers to current Mega owners. Not sure how many current Mega owners are willing to buy a complete new unit when the Mega unit they have is almost new. I'll disagree with you on a need for an adapter if that's what is needed to upgrade to the newest technology, not ideal but cheaper than a complete new system.

[drawde]

Seems they are admitting last years models are junk! If you need a brand new FF one year later to receive the proper returns for sonar.

[Royt]

Humminbird makes good stuff, period. Just wish they would have rolled out this newest technology differently. Best side image in the industry period. Now it looks like their 2D and down image technology is as good or better than any other units out there period.

[bobcoy]

The rapid changes in technology can be fast and furious! Competition adds to the release before things are properly vetted. Too bad that the friendly companies have to start playing hardball to survive. It is what it is. We have to decide what we want and resist buying the latest and "greatest" and end up with problems and then to add insult to injury they come out with another new feature. Can be frustrating but need to learn the new game. I think the phones ever changing have changed the way we think. Why else would anyone change phones every year? I think I saw an iphone with a terabyte of memory for $1500!! Ramblings of an old man trying to keep up. Good fishing, Bob