Tell me about the HD units.
What does HD stand for when dealing with Lowrance?
I saw a large screen unit at Reeds that was HD, picture was very clear but that was simulated.
They carry a pretty hefty price tag so I’m wondering what’s so special about them.
Wade……….you around?? 
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Tell me about the HD units.
What does HD stand for when dealing with Lowrance?
I saw a large screen unit at Reeds that was HD, picture was very clear but that was simulated.
They carry a pretty hefty price tag so I’m wondering what’s so special about them.Wade……….you around??
They have a new, brighter screen. They have a built-in broadband sounder. They now have the 83/200khz transducer for freshwater fishing. They are compatible with the soon-to-be-released Structure Scan (side imaging) option. They will be able to run the Navionics Turbo charts when those are released in the future. They can run 3D mapping, and the INSIGHT models have pre-loaded 3d mapping. I still find the Lakemaster or Navionics maps to be the best quality maps out there, even over the Insight mapping. The sonar has several settings to help deal with various water conditions, such as stained, clear, cluttered, etc. The menu system is new, and will take some time to get used to. One should expect to spend some time with the manual and some time on the water before using the new units in live action. I will also “warn” that the many of the new units need a software update in order to run Navionics charts. There was an overlap in the release of the units and the correct software update was not ready when the units were released. That update should be available this month. There are other features also, too many to mention. However, here are some helpful links:
HDS Revolution – VIdeo and more details on these HDS unit.
Lowrance HDS units at Jolly Ann Marine. Discount pricing can be viewed in the shopping cart. Some units are in very limited stock right now. Email me with questions. 
I beleive the HD stands for Hold Da wallet open.
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I beleive the HD stands for Hold Da wallet open.
That too! 
Doesn’t HD stand for High Definition?
I really enjoyed my HDS-5 last Friday on p-4. 1st time on the water with the new unit. One thing that I did notice with this unit over my Hummingbird, was that I didn’t have to take my UV sunglasses off to veiw the screen. It was just as clear with or without the sunglasses. Tracking of my route and setting waypoints was relatively simple. With just a little time going over the menus and remembering which did what, it became pretty simple. I believe it was a great addition to my boat and a great benifiet to my fishing enjoyment. Good luck with your new HD unit….. 
Structure Scan (side imaging)…..any idea when this will be released?? Will you need to order a new transducer??
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Doesn’t HD stand for High Definition?
Yes, it does.
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Structure Scan (side imaging)…..any idea when this will be released?? Will you need to order a new transducer??
Last I heard was that it will be released late summer or this fall. It will be an add-on, and my understanding is that you will need the new component, a free software update, and the SI transducer. I am guessing that the transducer and the new component will come as a package.
I understand that a lot of folks don’t want to wait for the release of the StructureScan add-on but want side imaging now. To those folks, I say, Humminbird.
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Structure Scan (side imaging)…..any idea when this will be released?? Will you need to order a new transducer??
Last I heard was that it will be released late summer or this fall. It will be an add-on, and my understanding is that you will need the new component, a free software update, and the SI transducer. I am guessing that the transducer and the new component will come as a package.
I understand that a lot of folks don’t want to wait for the release of the StructureScan add-on but want side imaging now. To those folks, I say, Humminbird.
Wade,
I’ve seen the demo versions of the side imaging, but is it really that great of a technology? By that I mean does it have exponential advantages over traditional sonar? IS it replacing the traditional sonar or is it a compliment to it?
Wade do you handle Hummingbird and do they also have a high def unit? How big is the screen?
HB offers 3 units with Side Imaging: the 798 (new for 2009; 5″ screen), the 997 (8″ screen), and the 1197 (10.4″ screen). No reason to wait for side imaging technology that already exists in a proven platform.
I ran the predecessor to the 798 (the 797) for about a season, and will be rigging up a new 997 in the next couple of days. That’s the amount of confidence I have in the Humminbird product, technology, and customer service.
Wade does carry the full Humminbird line. No finer source of those units, in my opinion!
Thanks Jason, I’m not looking for side imaging at all. Just a unit with a big clear screen for these old eyes. 
HB also offers a big-screen, non-side imaging unit: the 1157 with a 10.4″ screen.
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Wade do you handle Hummingbird and do they also have a high def unit? How big is the screen?
Brian, Jason is right on. We do have the Humminbird units, the full line up. Here’s a look at the 1157C.
Even though you aren’t necessarily in need of the side imaging, the Humminbird 997C is a good option to consider. It can run as a regular sonar unit, but also has the SI feature if needed.
Another option would be to run two five-inch units side by side, such as the Humminbird 788C. Humminbird also makes a really nice stand alone GPS unit, the 786Ci.
I guess it really depends on a guy’s budget, but there are a lot of good options.
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Structure Scan (side imaging)…..any idea when this will be released?? Will you need to order a new transducer??
Last I heard was that it will be released late summer or this fall. It will be an add-on, and my understanding is that you will need the new component, a free software update, and the SI transducer. I am guessing that the transducer and the new component will come as a package.
I understand that a lot of folks don’t want to wait for the release of the StructureScan add-on but want side imaging now. To those folks, I say, Humminbird.
Wade,
I’ve seen the demo versions of the side imaging, but is it really that great of a technology? By that I mean does it have exponential advantages over traditional sonar? IS it replacing the traditional sonar or is it a compliment to it?
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I’ve seen the demo versions of the side imaging, but is it really that great of a technology?
Yes, it is. But don’t take my word for it. Ask the anglers who have been using it for the past year or two. They can tell you how great SI is.
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IS it replacing the traditional sonar or is it a compliment to it?
It’s a compliment to regular sonar. Most SI units (well, all of them that I know of) have the ability to display SI or regular sonar returns on the screen. So, they can act as an SI unit or a regular sonar unit.
So I’ve been seeing a couple Lowrance issues on here the last few days. Couple that with the fact that the new HD units need software updates just to run Navonics chips AND the lack of side imaging technology yet. Are Hummingbird the units to go with? Is Lowrance going through a rough moment in time here?
The choice of locator brands was an obvious one for me this winter…I made the switch to Humminbird.
Not only is the side-imaging technology proven by years of refinement and use in the market, but Humminbird units also offer advantages not related to SI.
For example, did you know that in the two 5-inch models (Lowrances’ HDS-5 and Humminbird’s 798c-SI (or its non-SI equivalent, the 788ci)), it’s Humminbird’s screen that actually has more pixels? The HDS 5’s 5″ screen is 480 x 480 pixels (230400 total), while Humminbird’s 5″ screen boasts 640 x 640 (409600 total, or 78% more than the HDS-5). More pixels in the same area = better definition and better target separation on the Humminbird unit.
I was visiting with a guy late last week that has always seemed to be pretty knowledgeable when it comes to fishing and especially electronics.
He is salesman, but he is a guide also. He sells both Humminbird and Lowrance. We were discussing the HD units and the Structure Scan that is coming. He said the HB side scan is nice, but his understanding was the Lowrance product was going to be unbelievable. He has not yet seen the technology first hand, but was told the HB sidescan is like “a flashlight throwing shadows,” whereas with the Lowrance, you are going to be able to see the structure.
I’m going to have to wait to see both products before making my decision.
JD
More pixels in the same area = better definition and better target separation on the Humminbird unit.
Just an FYI, actually, that’s not quite accurate.
The difference now is that the Lowrance HDS units use a High Definition digital signal.
A good analogy that everyone can understand is switching from regular cable TV to High Definition cable TV. Even on the same TV with the same pixel count, HDTV provides a much cleaner picture with far more definition. It works the same way with sonar units, these Lowrance HDS displays are super clean and sharp!
I’ve had an HDS-5 on the ice for 16 days, and an HDS-10 on the boat for 5 days now, so I’m still learning their capabilities, but so far I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen. It’s a big step forward for Lowrance, and a real improvement over the LCX Series.
Jim Carroll NPAA #13
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Jim, that is a terrible analogy IMO and only confuses the matter. Lowrance HDS is not a derivative of HD TV formats. Both Lowrance and Humminbird are more similar than they are different in their display technologies. Looking at native screen resolution is a good place to start, far better than getting lost in the nomenclature.
That is correct. Amount of pixels is independant of HD display. HD basically clears up the pixels that are present. More pixels allows for better (finer) image resolution. Humminbird’s display of more pixels in the same display size is superior to the Lowrance HD in the same display size. Now if they both were 640X640 AND the Lowrance was HD. Then the HD would win.
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That is correct. Amount of pixels is independant of HD display. HD basically clears up the pixels that are present. More pixels allows for better (finer) image resolution. Humminbird’s display of more pixels in the same display size is superior to the Lowrance HD in the same display size. Now if they both were 640X640 AND the Lowrance was HD. Then the HD would win.
Then the Lowrance is superior and “wins” in the larger screen models? The HDS-10 with a 10.4″ screen has a pixel count of 600X800. The HB 1197cSI with a 10.4″ screen has a pixel count of 600X800.
The “low-end” model (if there is such a thing with either of these products) is the only one that the HD resolution is lower. The intermediate products have differing screen sizes, so I don’t know for sure which is better. I imagine you could figure the pixels per square inch to compare apples to apples, I just didn’t do it.
I didn’t say it was a derivative of HDTV cable technology. What I did say (or meant to) was that a digital signal will be superior to analog when displayed on screens with a similar pixel count. Again, the quality of the input signal absolutely does matter, as anyone who has both HD cable and regular cable channels on the same TV can attest. Check out a Lowrance HDS installed on a boat in the water and you will see what I mean. The screens are superb.
Jim Carroll NPAA #13
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Jim, one brand isn’t anlalog and the other digital.
Actually, that is incorrect. The Lowrance HDS system uses digital broadband sounder technolgy, the other unit you mention does not. It’s the quality of info to the display (digital signal processing) that makes the most difference, read about it here:
http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Marine/HDS-High-Definition-System/
Jim Carroll NPAA #13
I need to find fish to make a living. At speed, in waves, in muddy water, in weeds, in wood, in rocks etc. Spend a day on the water with a Lowrance HDS unit, you’ll SEE what I mean.
Jim Carroll NPAA #13
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I need to find fish to make a living. At speed, in waves, in muddy water, in weeds, in wood, in rocks etc. Spend a day on the water with a Lowrance HDS unit, you’ll SEE what I mean.
Jim Carroll NPAA #13
I’m not a pro, but here’s my 2 cents….
In shallow water, once you “see” them with a downlooking sonar, you more than likely just spooked them off the structure. Thats where SI (either brand) will play a HUGE role…. You can locate fish as well as structure, mark the fish and/or structure, and fish the spot without EVER having to be directly over it, or even close… Within casting distance, and your ready to rock without getting too close to the fish.
Its amazing the fish, baitfish and structure you can identify based from the SI (more photo-like image) vs traditional down sonar. That group of what you thought were possibly suspended crappies (on down sonar) just became the branches of a tree on the SI. And the SI will show you individual fish within those branches if they are there. Or you can find (and mark) cribs up to 100 yards away to either side of the boat, then zoom in on them and see if they are actually holding fish, or if you should go find another crib…. All without every actually going over the top of the structure.
Talking to guys with SI now, I wouldn’t say that they feel that SI totally replaces traditional down imaging.. However, if you were to tell a guy who uses SI that he could only use one or the other (Side Imaging vs down sonar), I would bet that a LOT of guys are going to get rid of the down sonar and keep the SI!!!
I’m excited to see what Lowrance will have to offer this fall, their products have generally been good to me… Its too bad they aren’t releasing any screenshot examples yet(why is this – If they have a great product only a few months from release, wouldn’t you want to show a few images of what it can do and get people juiced up for it??) I couldn’t wait, though, so I bought the 997. I just mounted it the other day, and will try to get out on Wissota in a week or two. CAN’T WAIT to get those first images! I have done a lot of research before buying the unit, and the added benefit of the SI seems astounding.
One thing I really would want updated, though, is HB unit compatibility with Lakemaster chips. Navionics is OK, but a few of the lakes I fish (e.g., Rainy Lake – 1′ contours) – Lakemaster’s products is uncomparibly superior. Still gotta use my Ifinder if I want to run Lakemaster chips, but I guess thats ok…
Search from some HB screen shots on the web… yahoo groups has a good side imaging group with tons of images from everyday fisherman… Incredible stuff!! Some of my favorites (besides the shots of big pods of walleyes) are the images of sunken ships, whales, and crocodiles on the SI.
Whittsend
Welcome to the Humminbird family, Whittsend. Give me a wave next time you see me on Wissota. Those cribs will just hop off the screen when you see them….great big white squares, can’t miss ’em.
SI will do only one thing for you…it will change the way you fish.
Just another tidbit I found about the HB resolution and pixel count… (copied from http://www.xumba.scholleco.com/viewforum.php?f=6 )
“But, just a little tid-bit: the Humminbird units actually record up to 3700+ bytes per channel left and right, per ping in the .SON file depending on Range. So recordings you playback on the computer are usually much sharper than what you see on the screen.”
Might not do much good while you are fishing (as far as getting sharper images than what screen pixel count will allow), but you can record the images, take the SD card back to your computer, and really get a good, sharp image, – then study specific areas, points, structure, etc in-depth in clearer detail on your home computer if you wanted to…
Whittsend
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Welcome to the Humminbird family, Whittsend. Give me a wave next time you see me on Wissota. Those cribs will just hop off the screen when you see them….great big white squares, can’t miss ’em.
SI will do only one thing for you…it will change the way you fish.
Thanks, Jason… Can’t wait to get out there!!! 
I assume that in your own experience, all of your images show exactly as advertised..?? Everyone I’ve talked to that has one raves about it – and says the screenshots you see online are exactly what you can expect.. Again, I CAN’T WAIT to get out there and see what it can do… 
Mike
Will the Lowrance Side Imaging be a plug an play upgrade or is is going to be “for another $400, you can own the software to upgrade your Lowrance HD.”
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