Side imaging/down imaging advice

[kickingfrog]

Thinking about upgrading my unit this year. Really like the SI/DI that's now available even in the 6-7 hundred dollar range.

 

Wondering what your experiences have been with these units? Not really looking for: this brand v that brand, but more just general impressions and do-it-your-self installation of the "fancy" transducer.

Edited March 6, 2016 by kickingfrog

[aplumma]

If you are structure fishing and looking for specific ledges or sunken objects then they are worth there weight in gold. I use the lowrance HDS 7 gen 2 and it works great. I will say the features of the gen3 are worth buying even though they are more expensive. The advances in the systems are going into hyperdrive and features are being added every few months. The ability to see things abstractly will determine if side scan will be helpful. I have shown people it in operation and read it to them and they see the features and some just see streaks and blobs.

 

 

On a side note Garmin has been found in violation of patents from navico

 

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/12/federal-agency-rules-garmin-violated-navico-patents/

 

 

Art

[chris.brock]

I bought a Helix 5. I don't find DI useful at all and SI isn't what I was hoping for. I wouldn't bother with them. JMO.

[Freshtrax]

I'm also thinking of upgrading to side imaging to help with finding bait on the big lake, How far out will it side Image?

[aplumma]

http://www.onthewater.com/applications-side-scan-sonar/

 

 

Here is a few examples of side scan and a tutorial.

 

Art

[ecmilley]

my hds 8 gen2 will scan out 120-140 ft each side of boat and with the mapping program can make my own charts .

i use it and its awesome at finding thosr=e spots on the spots. used to have many a succesfull fishing day.

also found a 100 ft long steamer sunk in sturgeon lake in perfect detail

[BassMan11]

Have 2 units both with down imaging. I find it beneficial when looks for structure and you can really tell what things are when its dialled in properly. I can't comment on the side imaging but I probably wouldn't go any smaller then a 7" screen for that application. Might be tough to read.

[cram]

Not sure I'd upgrade my entire unit if the intent is just to get SI (it's not *that* good), but if you're upgrading anyway it's probably worth it.

The transducer needs to be placed perfectly (with good sideways clearance both ways) so measure twice (or 5 times) and cut/drill once. Recommend you get one of the plastic boards for the back of your boat so that you're not drilling multiple holes if you need to move it.

Edited March 6, 2016 by cram

[Consigliere]

I think side imaging is helpful in in seeing lots of bottom. Easy to find transitions, see breaks and breaklinrs fish are using, follow a weed bed etc. I have not found it useful for actually seeing fish but that may be a bit smaller screen and an older unit (hummingbird 987). Got mine used a few years back the same price as just regular sonar new so no risk. It is cool to see something of to the side then add a marker on screen and it puts it on the map right on the spot for you.

[Paudash]

Great things to have but unless you have someone how to set them up correctly and then how to use them correctly expect to spend a lot of hours learning.

[RangerGuy]

I would look really hard at what Garmin has to offer. These units are amazing and the new mapping software has some very good features.

 

We were going to upgrade our boat this year until the dollar tanked LOL!... I took along hard look at them at the boat show, I was very impressed!

[landry]

I have the HB 899 unit.

Love it.

SI is very useful if you are looking for deep structure, bottom transitions and larger fish like catfish or big walleyes. It is easy to install (use a transducer board) and learn how to use.

I would not go smaller than this screen. There are some good deals out ther on these units now.

DI is useless on the SI/DI models from HB. The DI on dedicated DI units is far better. This is because the SI models do not have a dedicated DI sonar crystal like Lowrance does.

Spend the extra and get a bigger screen or just stick to basic sonar or sonar/DI model though.

[John Bacon]

Not sure I'd upgrade my entire unit if the intent is just to get SI (it's not *that* good), but if you're upgrading anyway it's probably worth it.

 

The transducer needs to be placed perfectly (with good sideways clearance both ways) so measure twice (or 5 times) and cut/drill once. Recommend you get one of the plastic boards for the back of your boat so that you're not drilling multiple holes if you need to move it.

 

I was speaking to one the guys at LeBaron's. He said that the side imaging may not work on all boats because you cannot always get a clear path on both sides of the boat.

[Garnet]

The Garmin is awesome and the price is staggering.

 

With all SI and DI if you don't turn it on it will never work. And that sounds simple but you will be amazed how ,any never turn it on never work at to understand what they are looking at.

[JoshS]

I love SI for mapping out structure and throwing down way points then going back over them with the trolling motor. It's amazing for that. You can clearly see structure and drop your waypoints on the best looking part. Then you have it all mapped out for your casting run. Much more effective and faster than mapping structure while you're going over it with a down beam.

 

Guess it depends on your fishing style though. Might not be as useful for some. Hard for me for me to trust marking fish on it as well, but I hear from others that it can be useful for that too.

[grimsbylander]

I have Lowrance HDS7 and HDS9 Touch...I can tell you this...if you buy any unit with these features and don't do your homework to learn how to set it up, use it AND interpret the images, you will log on here in September and say it's a waste of money. If you want to see what your missing, go for it and do it right. Personally, I love it. I can cruise across a point at 10kph scanning out 120ft per side, and drop waypoints on rocks, boulders, logs, whatever. Instead of fishing the "point" I'm fishing structure on structure.

Edited March 7, 2016 by grimsbylander

[landry]

What he said^^^^^^

[grimsbylander]

Maybe not the best examples but this is all I have:

 

 

 

^^^ This is old concrete pilings I found about 30 feet away from a bridge. Some time many years ago the old bridge was replaced and this is what is left. In the left screen, the white line is the boat path, the black area on both sides of it is the water column straight down and the blue areas are the 120 ft. scanned areas. Note: Not only do you see the concrete well but also the rocks, logs and weed growth around them. If you look at the right side of the screen, you can see the reflection of the handrail of the existing bridge.

 

 

^^^^^ This image is less exciting but relevant. In the bottom left corner of the blue area, you can see the remains of a downed tree that is no longer visible along the shoreline. The main branches have broke off and whats left is a small brush pile (just above the "80" on the screen). What's noteworthy here is it was bare visible on the downscan and you'd just never see it on regular sonar.

 

Rob, hope this helps you a some. I've seen your pics so if you every want an on-water demo.... LOL

[grt1]

i have side imaging on my humminbird, it is really useless. i can see bumps that show boulders when i'm over reefs but when i look for objects, like trees and stumps, nothing shows up . to me, it is just another gimmick.

[manitoubass2]

i have side imaging on my humminbird, it is really useless. i can see bumps that show boulders when i'm over reefs but when i look for objects, like trees and stumps, nothing shows up . to me, it is just another gimmick.

Well you need to be around trees and stumps for them to show up lol.

 

Also have to have your unit fine tuned just like anything else.

 

To each their own but I find it incredibly useful

[landry]

It's definitely not a gimmick if u fish deep structure and if u take the time to set it up and learn to use it properly.

It is not a necessity though. Sonar and GPS are.

[cram]

If you get the 899, it comes with a smaller non-HD transducer. You can trade it in (Humminbird is in Burlington) for a larger, HD transducer for a fee (50 bucks or something like that). I don't know how much of a difference there is between the images, but might be worth checking out if you end up picking that one up.

 

Edited to add -- the trade off is that the larger transducer is supposed to be a little more finicky and harder to get tuned in relative to the compact transducer. Either way it's not rocket science.

Edited March 7, 2016 by cram

[JoshS]

i have side imaging on my humminbird, it is really useless. i can see bumps that show boulders when i'm over reefs but when i look for objects, like trees and stumps, nothing shows up . to me, it is just another gimmick.

 

If nothing shows up, it's either not there or you might need to play with the settings. Even with basic stocked settings you can see trees and stumps easily. Get a feel for it scanning dock posts.

[kickingfrog]

Thanks for the replies, and keep them coming.

[aplumma]

Copy and paste from another website.

 

ITC Rules In Favor of Navico in Patent Infringement Lawsuit

Egersund, Norway– Navico – parent company to the Lowrance brand – announced today that the International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Garmin Ltd. DownVu™ scanning sonar products violate Navico’s patents for DownScan Imaging™ technology. This ruling reverses an initial determination issued by an Administrative Law Judge this past July, previously announced by Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN). In addition, this is the second adverse ruling in two weeks by the ITC that finds that Garmin is violating sonar patents.

The ITC DownVu ruling prohibits Garmin from importing, selling, advertising, and aiding or assisting distributors or retailers in selling all its infringing DownVu products, including the echo, echoMAP and GPSMAP products with their respective transducers. Specifically, the Commission has issued a Cease and Desist Order barring Garmin and its distributors from selling, or aiding others in the sale of, these products and has also issued an Exclusion Order directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reject their importation.

While all ITC orders have a 60-day period before taking full effect, the ITC has ruled that Garmin must post a bond equal to 100 percent of the value of infringing products, when they sell from inventory or import any of these products into the U.S. during the 60-day review period.

Further, any Garmin products claiming to feature a “design around” solution are subject to ITC or U.S. Customs approval in order to confirm that such an alternative solution does not likewise violate Navico’s patents. As of this writing, Garmin has not initiated the process of submitting alternative designs.

Garmin could file an appeal with a U.S. Federal Court in an attempt to challenge the factual conclusions or show the law was incorrectly applied by the ITC; however, in the meantime, the importation and sale of Garmin products featuring DownVu technology are subject to the ITC ruling.

“We are extremely pleased that the ITC has ruled in our favor,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO, Navico. “We have invested considerable time, effort and resources to develop and bring (Our DownScan Imaging) to market. Our patents are designed to protect that investment.

“We offered our competitors the opportunity to license our technology and incorporate it into their products for the benefit of their customers – and many have. This offer was also made to Garmin, but they declined – putting everyone who sells their products in a difficult position. The situation is unfortunate for many dealers and distributors in the marine electronics marketplace, but we will continue to vigorously defend the intellectual property that protects our position in the marketplace.”

The International Trade Commission is an independent governmental agency in Washington, DC responsible for addressing patent infringement disputes relating to goods that are manufactured abroad and imported into the United States.

Art