# Humminbird Side Scan Sonar



## Danno (Oct 17, 2007)

I have been reading up on the Humminbird's side scan sonar, thus far, I am excited by what I read. Unfortunately they hold the only patent and the prices of the units need to stablize. From what I understand Lawrance has come out with similar technology, but these two companies are in court order patent infringements.

Never the less, have any of you had experience (first hand operating preferred, not uncle George's neighbor brother said...) using the system. How differicult was it to adjust too, and is it worth the investment? Also I understand it is a depth limit of around 200'.

Please share your experience with this new technology.

Also any thoughts on their monochrome 3D sonar (I expect to see this in color in the near future).


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## Seegul51 (Oct 1, 2007)

I have the smaller model, use it for inshore and just outside the pass. Found it to be very useful along with the chart plotter and bottom machine. Very user friendly.


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## inshorecatch (Oct 1, 2007)

http://www.gdomag.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7354&sid=75804dc9edcee67ad76c20bbe0b7ba98

http://pensacolafishingforum.com/fishingforum/Topic132254-20-1.aspx?Highlight=humminbird

hope this helps looking at the same thing :angel


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## Red Fly (Jan 23, 2008)

So help me out on how to read this thing. Am I correct in believing that the center area is like where the transducer is, the dark area just off center line is the water just off the bottom, then you see the actual bottom line and everything else to the far left and right is what is left and right of the boat?

I run a separate GPS and Sonar, learn my lesson with a having a combo unit a couple of years back. I couldn't find a side scan unit that was not a combo on Humminbird's website, is there one?


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## wirebiter (Jun 4, 2008)

I have the Humminbird Sidescan. It works in up to around 130 ft in salt water and 150 ft in fresh. It still has the standard fishfinder that I believe works to 1500 ft. It gives great detail and you can see schools of baitfish very well once you know what you are looking for. They have a great video on their site that tells a little about reading the sidescan. I have the smaller one and I use the GPS as a installed back up to my Garmin and it is very accurate. They only make it with the GPS combo. Red Fly the dark area coming out from the center of the screen is the water column. Once you see the next line that is the bottom under the boat with a sweeping motion outwards. It is a little difficult at first, but the standard fishfinder split with the sidescan really helps to undserstand what you are seeing when you first start using it. I personally really like it and being a diver I can have an idea whats down there before I go. Hope this helps.


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## reefdonkey (Sep 30, 2007)

We have a 797ci2 on the boat and love it. The thing i like the most is the ability to move the cursor anywhere in the viewing screen and mark a spot while staying on your present course. I have run it going down the Gulf Breeze side of 3-mile and its amazing to see how the bridge rubble is situated on the bottom. Let me know if you ever want to take a ride and check it out. 



Nick


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## dpewitt (Oct 26, 2007)

These things look awesome. 2 questions: how are the GPS charts? Would this work for scanning under boat docks and bridges? How far away from the dock or bridge do you have to be to see under the whole structure?


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## thataway (Oct 15, 2007)

Check out the users forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sideimaging/



That tells the good, bad and ugly.


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## dpewitt (Oct 26, 2007)

So you can use the side imaging feature to locate structure out beside you boat, then move the cursor to that part of the image and mark that image beside your boat as a GPS waypoint? Even if it 200' feet away? If so, that's pretty neat stuff.


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## jimmyjams4110 (Oct 20, 2007)

There's some great Youtubevideos of people using the unit. 

Here's my favorite.


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## wirebiter (Jun 4, 2008)

> *dpewitt (2/13/2009)*So you can use the side imaging feature to locate structure out beside you boat, then move the cursor to that part of the image and mark that image beside your boat as a GPS waypoint? Even if it 200' feet away? If so, that's pretty neat stuff.


If I remember correctly it only goes out 150ft either side. That is what I have mine set on and I believe it is the max distance. But yes you can move your cursor to something on the sidescan and hit the mark button and you will get a waypoint at those coordinates so you can get a closer look. Pretty cool set up.


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## reefdonkey (Sep 30, 2007)

> *wirebiter (2/13/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *dpewitt (2/13/2009)*So you can use the side imaging feature to locate structure out beside you boat, then move the cursor to that part of the image and mark that image beside your boat as a GPS waypoint? Even if it 200' feet away? If so, that's pretty neat stuff.
> ...






It is around 150' depending on your surroundings and you can move the cursor anywhere in the viewing area and mark points. That is by far the best feature.


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## TIME TO FISH (Oct 2, 2008)

I just got the new 798ci si and it works great. I can spot a tire 100 feet to the side in 30 feet of water.


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## Hydro Therapy 2 (Sep 11, 2008)

I checked out these unit's but man a $1000, whew!!


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I have a 997 CSIin a center console boat and I love it. It's not very good while in turns but on a straight course it's awesome. The higher end transducer is worth the extra money. Check it out at Hummingbirds website.

http://www.humminbird.com/leading_innovation/humminbird-sonar/quadrabeam-plus.aspx


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## bamasam (Sep 27, 2007)

I didnt look at the model number but there was one at BP up here in Bham that I was looking at yesterday. It had an extra large screen and the simulation looked awsome but price was around $2800.

The guy at the counter said I could use my same chip from my Garmin in it and do an automatic transfer from the computer of all of my waypoints. Really nice unit and the simulation was great but would like to see it in actual operation.


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## FishVan (Oct 6, 2007)

I have the smaller 797ci with Navionics Gold Charts and really like it.I paid $1200 at West Marine, though I saw the same one their a month ago for $1000. Maybe they're coming down in price. The side immaging feature quit working after about 4months, Hummingbird repaired it with no charge.Idid pay shipping toJohnson Electronics in GA.

Overall, I'm satisfied with how it works.Be sure to get the one with the charts preloaded. The one problem I did have with it (see the bad below)...and Humminbird's response...willprevent me from purchasing anotherHumminbird product in the future. 

The good: You can see the bottom of the what your over as though you drained all the water away...well maybe not that good, but pretty good non the less. The GPS works well witht the maps overlayed. 

The Bad: I had major problems with rooster tail spaying water up the back of my new boat due to the large transducer. A boat with a deep V hull will experience this problem more so than a flats boat.

Apparently the rooster tail issue is a very common problem. One Humminbird is slow to acknowledge. I fixed it by following this link and fabricating a piece of aluminum to keep down the spay:

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=748009

My fabrication job does not look as good as the one in the above link, but it works. Will most likely have Breeze Fabricators make a nice one for me the next time I need any work done on something bigger.

Here are some screen shotsI took of three-mile bride. the first shows just the side scanning features while the bottom shows the split screen optionwith fish ID turned on.


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## Danno (Oct 17, 2007)

Just to update you, I didn't mention that I was in the process of replacing my Lowrance 525 combo with 2 separate units. I had already mounted a Hummingbird GPS loaded with charts on my boat (great unit)when I sent out the orginal posting. Unfortunately in talking with Hummingbird I have discovered that the side scan sonar is only available in combo units. Thus the reason for the $1000 price tag.

With the side scan success, I hope that others will continue to develop the technology and come out with separate side scan unit. My thoughts as a former bass fisherman who fished most tournments is that I never needed GPS, I knew the rivers and lakes that I fished, but a side scan sonar would have been great.


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