Switching to Livescope

[Dirtyeggroll]

For anyone who has made the switch from Humminbird Mega Live:

1) What influenced your decision?
2) What have you liked or not liked about Livescope vs. Mega Live?
3) What setup did you come from (Helix, Solix?) and what are you using now?

[Mcjenson]

I didn't switch from mega live, but I did start with a livescope only setup to add to my existing humminbird graphs. After using the garmin for a while, I slowly made the switch to all garmin products. Just so much more rock solid reliable and easy to use. The humminbird software and processing power is a joke.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I didn't switch from mega live, but I did start with a livescope only setup to add to my existing humminbird graphs. After using the garmin for a while, I slowly made the switch to all garmin products. Just so much more rock solid reliable and easy to use. The humminbird software and processing power is a joke.

Thanks for sharing.

[jackdz1]

Two weeks ago I gave up on the Humminbird Mega Live and switched to a Garmin 126 SV, GMS10 and LVS34. In addition, I have Mega 360 connected to a Helix 12 G4N and two Helix 12 G4N's at the console. I switched because I couldn't see my bait with Mega Live and fish had to be 40 feet or closer to the boat. I have the Mega Live for a year and a half and tried EVERYTHING to make it work. After 2 weeks with the LiveScope, I wish I would have done this a long time ago. I have only fished with the Garmin products once, but out of the box it was light years better than the year and a half of tweeking I did with the Mega Live. I could run the range out to 70 ft and see my bait hit the water and fall to the bottom. I caught a handful of fish that were biting on the drop and I could see them.

[RMG63]

I switched from ML to LVS34, wish I had done it right from the start. Some guys have had good luck with their ML, mine was repeat problems for no explainable reason. 1 day it would work, next day it didn't. This happened multiple times with the fix from HB being "we know about that and its in the next software update". Kinda got tired of hearing that. Some folks have issue with the LVS34 black box but that black box is a processor that has something to do with the reliability and functionality of the unit. My LVS34 has never failed me ... not once. It would be great if a black box was not required like the ML but at least it works everytime I turn it on.
Had a 12" Solix G2 unit for ML, switched to a Garmin 8612XSV for LVS34. Between the new head unit and the change from ML to LVS34 is night and day. There is no comparison in image quality, target separation or anything else with the Garmin set up. It's hands down wayyy better than HB. Plus the 8612 unit is much more user friendly than the Solix.
I'm not here to bash any one product. To be honest, many people have complained about HB customer service. My experiences with them was nothing short of excellent, they were friendly, helpful (to some degree) and seemed to care about my problems. HB software updates to ML is a 50/50 deal, meaning it tends to fix a known problem at the expense of causing another somewhere else.

Again, these are my experiences. My ML was very unreliable. My LVS34 is not. In my opinion, the only thing HB has over Garmin/Lowrance is side imaging and some could make the argument over mapping, however I like my Garmin Navionics mapping just as much as my old HB Lakemaster mapping.
I originally bought into the HB "One boat network" philosophy when I bought my boat. In theory it sounds great, in reality that was not always the case.

Hope this helps. I have no affiliation with either brands, just my experiences.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Two weeks ago I gave up on the Humminbird Mega Live and switched to a Garmin 126 SV, GMS10 and LVS34. In addition, I have Mega 360 connected to a Helix 12 G4N and two Helix 12 G4N's at the console. I switched because I couldn't see my bait with Mega Live and fish had to be 40 feet or closer to the boat. I have the Mega Live for a year and a half and tried EVERYTHING to make it work. After 2 weeks with the LiveScope, I wish I would have done this a long time ago. I have only fished with the Garmin products once, but out of the box it was light years better than the year and a half of tweeking I did with the Mega Live. I could run the range out to 70 ft and see my bait hit the water and fall to the bottom. I caught a handful of fish that were biting on the drop and I could see them.

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you noticed an immediate improvement in usability and image quality upon changing.

Were you every able to see your bait with Mega Live? Or only fish.

I switched from ML to LVS34, wish I had done it right from the start. Some guys have had good luck with their ML, mine was repeat problems for no explainable reason. 1 day it would work, next day it didn't. This happened multiple times with the fix from HB being "we know about that and its in the next software update". Kinda got tired of hearing that. Some folks have issue with the LVS34 black box but that black box is a processor that has something to do with the reliability and functionality of the unit. My LVS34 has never failed me ... not once. It would be great if a black box was not required like the ML but at least it works everytime I turn it on.
Had a 12" Solix G2 unit for ML, switched to a Garmin 8612XSV for LVS34. Between the new head unit and the change from ML to LVS34 is night and day. There is no comparison in image quality, target separation or anything else with the Garmin set up. It's hands down wayyy better than HB. Plus the 8612 unit is much more user friendly than the Solix.
I'm not here to bash any one product. To be honest, many people have complained about HB customer service. My experiences with them was nothing short of excellent, they were friendly, helpful (to some degree) and seemed to care about my problems. HB software updates to ML is a 50/50 deal, meaning it tends to fix a known problem at the expense of causing another somewhere else.

Again, these are my experiences. My ML was very unreliable. My LVS34 is not. In my opinion, the only thing HB has over Garmin/Lowrance is side imaging and some could make the argument over mapping, however I like my Garmin Navionics mapping just as much as my old HB Lakemaster mapping.
I originally bought into the HB "One boat network" philosophy when I bought my boat. In theory it sounds great, in reality that was not always the case.

Hope this helps. I have no affiliation with either brands, just my experiences.

Thanks for sharing. I agree that the "One Boat Network" doesn't really apply to live imaging for bass fishing. I have Humminbird everything, including Live and really don't find any benefit in being able to link my Live to the network. It sounds like your biggest complaint has been the reliability of the equipment to have software issues.

[Mcjenson]

I switched from ML to LVS34, wish I had done it right from the start. Some guys have had good luck with their ML, mine was repeat problems for no explainable reason. 1 day it would work, next day it didn't. This happened multiple times with the fix from HB being "we know about that and its in the next software update". Kinda got tired of hearing that. Some folks have issue with the LVS34 black box but that black box is a processor that has something to do with the reliability and functionality of the unit. My LVS34 has never failed me ... not once. It would be great if a black box was not required like the ML but at least it works everytime I turn it on.
Had a 12" Solix G2 unit for ML, switched to a Garmin 8612XSV for LVS34. Between the new head unit and the change from ML to LVS34 is night and day. There is no comparison in image quality, target separation or anything else with the Garmin set up. It's hands down wayyy better than HB. Plus the 8612 unit is much more user friendly than the Solix.
I'm not here to bash any one product. To be honest, many people have complained about HB customer service. My experiences with them was nothing short of excellent, they were friendly, helpful (to some degree) and seemed to care about my problems. HB software updates to ML is a 50/50 deal, meaning it tends to fix a known problem at the expense of causing another somewhere else.

Again, these are my experiences. My ML was very unreliable. My LVS34 is not. In my opinion, the only thing HB has over Garmin/Lowrance is side imaging and some could make the argument over mapping, however I like my Garmin Navionics mapping just as much as my old HB Lakemaster mapping.
I originally bought into the HB "One boat network" philosophy when I bought my boat. In theory it sounds great, in reality that was not always the case.

Hope this helps. I have no affiliation with either brands, just my experiences.

Do you have a GT56 transducer? While mega SI is great, I think the GT56 is a touch better.

[RMG63]

Do you have a GT56 transducer? While mega SI is great, I think the GT56 is a touch better.

Yes sir, I do. It may be a toss up on SI but HB does make a good SI transducer.

[jackdz1]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you noticed an immediate improvement in usability and image quality upon changing.

Were you every able to see your bait with Mega Live? Or only fish.

When I first got the mega live (V1.130) I was able to see a spybait out to about 40 ft, but had a lot of interference. Each update removed more interference, but I lost the ability to see the bait. With V1.170 I was not able to see the A-rig beyond 20-30 ft. With the Garmin out of the box settings, I can see a 3/8oz silver buddy at 70 ft......and the fish eat it on the drop.

[Hydro870]

I switched from HB ML to Garmin LVS34 for the increased range, and ability to see baits and fish at a greater distances. I run both on my boat and I am not a fanboy of any brand. Honestly, HB Lakemaster is far superior to Navionics (used by both Lowrance and Garmin) on the lakes I fish, HB side imaging is significantly better than Garmin (Lowrance side imaging is now right there with HB), and HB menus are far more intuitive and user friendly, navigating Garmin is like running an old Apple 2 computer. All of these units do the job. I caught a lot of fish with HB ML, it did the job and after seeing the power of Forward Sonar, I just wanted the best so I bought the Garmin LVS34. The one thing that one brand has that no other brand does is 360 side imaging, 360 has been an incredible tool for me and HB owns it.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Thanks for sharing.

Having switched, do you think you could “get by” with Mega Live - or do you think there’s that much of a difference where it’s on a different level.

[Hydro870]

Thanks for sharing.

Having switched, do you think you could “get by” with Mega Live - or do you think there’s that much of a difference where it’s on a different level.

Well, HB Mega Live just won the Bassmaster Classic, so if ML can “get by” enough to win the Classic, it probably can on your boat as well. ML caught a lot of fish for me and worked quite well, I just wanted the absolute best and had the cash to burn, so I got a Garmin.

[Dirtyeggroll]

Well, HB Mega Live just won the Bassmaster Classic, so if ML can “get by” enough to win the Classic, it probably can on your boat as well. ML caught a lot of fish for me and worked quite well, I just wanted the absolute best and had the cash to burn, so I got a Garmin.

I watched the Classic and saw this. Gussy was using his live imaging more like 2D.

In your experience is most of the difference in range? Or is there also a big difference a closer targets, ~40’ or less?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion.