Help for info on a 360 as a SI image use

[hankll]

Contemplating a 360, based on a YouTube video I watched. I don't know very much on any of the new fish finders and I would like to upgrade to a SI type finder. Based on the video it appeared to be a good 360° image all around the boat. If it's a good choice for a once in a lifetime upgrade, other than the Garman Panavision, what's the general opinion of you more experienced on the higher electronics of the newer finders. I don't want to be buying a barely understandable unit. My wife will think I just spent a bunch of money for a finder that is too hard to interpret. If I can't understand setting it up for finding fish, it's only gonna make her belittle my choice If we aren't finding and bringing fish aboard, there would be a not so useful factor that would be hard to defend. Help needed out there...

[Wallace]

The 360 can do si the range is limited to about 100 ft per side. To each his own but for my money it’s a 360 with a mega helix 10. I shallow fish mostly from 4 to 25 ft of water. I would not trade my 360 for anything . It’s great for fishing off shore, and finding bait.
Once you learn how to use it you’ll see fish. With all that said all the expensive equipment in the world is useless if you don’t learn how to use it.

[Wallace]

One last thing the 360 has much improved my catch ratio And really that’s what it’s all about

[Wayne P.]

The 360 is an Ethernet accessory, not a regular transducer that connects to the transducer port.
Since is it is an Ethernet device, any unit model can support it if that model has the Ethernet connection.
That means a 2D-only unit, a 2D/DI unit, or a 2D/SI unit will support it.
Additionally it can be used as a Side Imaging transducer for all three of those model types--360 is Side Imaging that rotates.

This is a rock building foundation using Side Imaging and 360:





The blue dots are GPS waypoints.

[Bstandiford]

I love my 360! I did benefit from understanding side imaging first. If you already understand SI then 360 is a breeze. I have the Helix 12 just for 360. Thanks to Wayne P.

[stratos4life]

I'm waiting to see if they will be releasing anything at icast this year. Do any of you believe they will?

[skeeter james]

How can a 360 give a side image? All I ever got was the 360 images. Which was great for putting you exactly on foundations and things..

[Wallace]

It can do just side imaging but you have to change the settings on the page where you chose what tanducer/gps puck you want to use.

[Wayne P.]

In the Network menu for SI, if you choose the 360 as the source for SI instead of the unit and the 360 is powered, it will orient the two Imaging piezos left and right (home) and will function as a SI transducer.

[Champriders]

I have a Helix10 DI unit as my bow unit so are you saying I can use 360 on that unit? I have been holding off on 360 thinking I had to upgrade to an SI unit for it to be compatible.

[Wayne P.]

I have a Helix10 DI unit as my bow unit so are you saying I can use 360 on that unit? I have been holding off on 360 thinking I had to upgrade to an SI unit for it to be compatible.

Read the first paragraph in post #4.

[grandbassslayer]

Contemplating a 360, based on a YouTube video I watched. I don't know very much on any of the new fish finders and I would like to upgrade to a SI type finder. Based on the video it appeared to be a good 360° image all around the boat. If it's a good choice for a once in a lifetime upgrade, other than the Garman Panavision, what's the general opinion of you more experienced on the higher electronics of the newer finders. I don't want to be buying a barely understandable unit. My wife will think I just spent a bunch of money for a finder that is too hard to interpret. If I can't understand setting it up for finding fish, it's only gonna make her belittle my choice If we aren't finding and bringing fish aboard, there would be a not so useful factor that would be hard to defend. Help needed out there...

I would gladly trade my 360 for Garmins livescope.

[Capw]

I would gladly trade my 360 for Garmins livescope.

If you fish deep a lot, that may benefit you. If you fish shallow quite a bit, Livescope will be useless if it reads anything like the original Panoptix. You would have to pry my 360 out of my cold dead hands before I gave it up.

[moetorola]

Contemplating a 360, based on a YouTube video I watched. I don't know very much on any of the new fish finders and I would like to upgrade to a SI type finder. Based on the video it appeared to be a good 360° image all around the boat. If it's a good choice for a once in a lifetime upgrade, other than the Garman Panavision, what's the general opinion of you more experienced on the higher electronics of the newer finders. I don't want to be buying a barely understandable unit. My wife will think I just spent a bunch of money for a finder that is too hard to interpret. If I can't understand setting it up for finding fish, it's only gonna make her belittle my choice If we aren't finding and bringing fish aboard, there would be a not so useful factor that would be hard to defend. Help needed out there...

Hank,
Here is a video using both bird 360 and garmin Panoptix Livescope (which is what I think you meant by Panavision).

Bird 360 cannot and will never give you what panoptix livescope can, and vise versa. Different tools for different situations.

Meeee.....I would get Garmin Livescope and never look back!!!

[wakeeater]

I have owned 2 360s. the first eventually broke twice. I decided to buy another instead of pay to fix it again. the second broke and I threw in the towel. it was nice to have, but didn't increase my catch rate. It was more of a distraction while fishing than anything else. some people love it, I liked it..but don't miss it and after $3000, wish I never bought one. my side imaging and ultrexx has done more for me than anything else I've ever purchased.

[Wallace]

To each his own. I am the complete opposite . A 360 will always be on my boat.my catch rate went up big time.