Side Imaging or Down Imaging

[MLR]

Who has what, and which do you use most?

I am thinking about buying a new unit and looking for feed back on down imaging or side imaging. (I don't plan on dropping big $$$ for both)

[beachburger]

I have a H'Bird on the console and use the side imaging way more than the down imaging. If I had a second one on the bow, I'm sure I'd get more mileage out of the down imaging.

I believe the H'Bird units with SI also have DI so it's not necessarily one or the other but i stand to be corrected. Not sure about the Lowrance units.

HTH,
Doug

[Matt_Stothers]

Both is the answer. Doug is right, the newer Humminbird units have both side imaging and down imaging. The side imaging is an excellent tool to find structure and contours off the sides of your boat and then it can broken down and better examined with the down imaging.

Just remember that the further out the SI is shooting the worse the resolution, so when you find an area of interest you need to adjust the distance out from the boat that the beam is shooting. The closer to the boat, the better the resolution.

Obviously depending on depth you may want to scan a wider area or if you're hugging the shore you may want a wider scan on one side etc. but this should get you started.

[bl8ant]

I use my side imaging most when looking for/at structure and regular down firing sonar to look for fish.

[steve-hamilton]

when is "front imaging" coming out?

i mean, as a troller, i dont care what is beside me....and down imaging is just a fancy way of telling what is below the boat....

front imaging would be the best.

see what is up ahead, then change accordingly.

[MLR]

when is "front imaging" coming out?

i mean, as a troller, i dont care what is beside me....and down imaging is just a fancy way of telling what is below the boat....

front imaging would be the best.

see what is up ahead, then change accordingly.

could you turn the transducer 90 degrees ?

[Hookup]

SI is more often used than DI in my boat.

If you have to make a choice, go with a unit that just does SI.


For many reasons I believe Lorwance is better than HB.

I own two HB units (the 788ci and the 798ci SI). I like the HB, but the Lowrance did networking correctly and does data import/export correctly (well as far as DR. Depth is concerned). Those feature are more "cool cause you can play around", which I like to do...

Both units seem to do an equally good job, not having owned a lowrance I cannot speak for sure... but from what I've seen in ppls boats it looks good.

The HB works nice for sure... the 798ci with side & down imaging is pretty cool and you will not be disappointed.

I believe that the entry price for both is similar with HB being a bit cheaper, and you get DI included, whereas Lowrance is a bit more expensive and you would have to buy the Down-Scan hardware to get that function.

[beachburger]

i mean, as a troller, i dont care what is beside me

I am anything but a troller but if your lines were way back there wouldn't side imaging be useful to let you know of structure so that you could change course immediately to get the lines nearer or over the structure?

[steve-hamilton]

i dont do much "contour" trolling....

it's a situation of finding bait....

and yes, i guess, if you found bait off to the side, you could try and send your inlines out further, or in tighter....

but in general, most will mark the "side bait" (or fish) on their finder, and move back through it....

it would make so much more sense to me to see a front image, then react accordingly.

I'm sure it'll come out, as the next "big thing" soon enough.

For a smallie guy, offshore structure is great on the SI. But for the troller, not so great.

[beachburger]

I'm sure it'll come out, as the next "big thing" soon enough.

No doubt. The Visa will be ready.....

[C5]

I was hoping that one or several of the local experts would put on a seminar this winter to look at the whole spectrum of new technologies.

I need to update both units on the boat this year as the X 1-5 is a bit long in the tooth:)

A expert review on dide and down imaging and networking would be awesome!

[C5]

I was hoping that one or several of the local experts would put on a seminar this winter to look at the whole spectrum of new technologies.

I need to update both units on the boat this year as the X 15 is a bit long in the tooth:)

A expert review on side and down imaging and networking would be awesome!

[toobinator]

I have some great pricing on the Humminbird 798 and 1197,(5"and 11" screens resectively), both with side imaging and down look. I also have some of these units on display so that they can be fired up and you can play with them. Numbersof these units are restricted to what I have in stock. I am also expecting a load of Humminbird 788's in soon too at clearout pricing.

Ed

[eye-tracker]

Forward scanning sonar has been on the market for many years, mind you it is not really used in recreational fishing market due to the high cost and complexity of the transducer installation.
I have been in a few large cruisers and commercial vessels that run forward scanning sonar. It is very similar to reading a radar unit.


-s

[steve-hamilton]

high cost and complexity...

in other words, the next big thing.

give it two more years.