So i’ve narrowed down my sonar choices to the Humminbird 899ci HD SI or the 999ci HD SI. For those who had one or both of these screen sizes (7″ vs 8″) is it truly worth the $500 price difference?
I appreciate honest opinions..
In all honesty, I don’t see the purpose of the the 99 series. The imaging won’t be any better than the 98s in the sizes you’re looking at. In fact the 898 might be better since it comes with the same ducer you would get with 999.
Would a faster processor be nice, yeah. Is it necessary, who knows. Maybe HB has plans for the 99 series that recquire more speed, or power. If using it for general purposes, I don’t see the need for the 99.
Now, if you wanted to take your system to the highest levels they can go, then I think the onix 8 would be the way to go, as this will be the system most of the new tech. will be going to.
My concern would be sinking money into a system, that may not offer anything more than 98s offered.
Sorry, saw your other post comparing 998 vs 999. I still leave the post for your consideration.
Another note: the 899 comes with a different SI ducer than the 999. The 999 having the better of the two. Make sure you factor in the ducer upgrade into the price difference.
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In all honesty, I don’t see the purpose of the the 99 series. The imaging won’t be any better than the 98s in the sizes you’re looking at. In fact the 898 might be better since it comes with the same ducer you would get with 999.
Would a faster processor be nice, yeah. Is it necessary, who knows. Maybe HB has plans for the 99 series that recquire more speed, or power. If using it for general purposes, I don’t see the need for the 99.
Now, if you wanted to take your system to the highest levels they can go, then I think the onix 8 would be the way to go, as this will be the system most of the new tech. will be going to.
My concern would be sinking money into a system, that may not offer anything more than 98s offered.
Sorry, saw your other post comparing 998 vs 999. I still leave the post for your consideration.
Another note: the 899 comes with a different SI ducer than the 999. The 999 having the better of the two. Make sure you factor in the ducer upgrade into the price difference.
Different ducer? What’s the main differences? thanks for the heads up!
It’s my understanding that the 899 ships with the XNT version SI ducer. The 999 ships with the XHS SI ducer. The XHS version is the one shipped with all 98 series, and is touted as a better ducer. The major difference between the XNT and XHS are: The XHS has longer elements, which typically translate to crisper imaging. Also why the LSS2 (longer than LSS1) offers better detail than the LSS1.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but the XNT may not be 800kHz compatible, as I believe the 899 isn’t either.
The 898 is 800khz compatible and is shipped with the XHS ducer.
The 999 ships with the XHS ducer and is also 800khz compatible.
The 999 will offer more than 899 other than screen size. It’s your job to determine if 800khz and 1″ in screen size is worth it.
Personally, I would opt for the 998 at it’s lower price point than even consider the 899. But if the 999 is in the running, I would seriously look at the ONIX8, as it will have more tech support for a longer duration, and allow you to stay competitive longer.
I bought last year and had narrowed it down to the 898 and 998. I had 2-3 clerks at Cabelas all standing around helping me debate. The main differences they boiled it down to were 1 inch bigger screen and the 998 slightly brighter (an advantage on a sunny day). I didn’t think that was enough to justify the $500. Then the following week everything went on sale and the 998 was the former full price of the 898. So I bit and bought two 998’s. Had it been a $500 difference would have stayed with the 898’s because I don’t think the difference is huge.
For 1″ added to the screen and its a little brighter it definitely is not worth an extra $500.
Dollars for one person is different to another person. I just got out below the Wi river dams and was able to use my brand new 999 hd si. I loved it. I also used it next to my upgraded 788c with a new quadrabeam transducer. Within their mutual respective coverage ranges they mimiced each other. It helped me understand and interpret the side imaging signal. The units were comparable when reading fish, but the 999s down and side imaging were fantastic at showing structure. I was asking myself the same question and for me the 999 was the way to go.
Joe, In my honest opinion, yes, it is worth the extra coin.. I have seen far too many people spend what they thought was their top budget amount and buy a screen that matched their budget, only to come to find out that after they learn how to read SI, they either upgrade their screen size and move the lesser unit somewhere else, or sell the lessor unit and buy not one size larger, but two.
I started out with a 997. I now own a 1197 and an 1198. I was 100% happy with my 997, till I rode with someone with an 11 series.
I think Id have a 1399 or a 1799 if they made it 
Ive said since day one. Figure out what screen size taps the budget, then order the next size up. It only hurts when you give them your credit card. After its delivered and installed, I can just about guarantee that you will have no regrets about jumping one step up in screen size, or if you do, it will be because you didnt go full size.
This conversation hurts…. I’m running with an “old” basic unit. The mouths in my wallet want out so bad. Just told the wife we couldn’t upgrade the kitchen, this is going to be a hard sell. I need someone who just bought a really good unit, that wants that bigger unit reddog.
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This conversation hurts…. I’m running with an “old” basic unit. The mouths in my wallet want out so bad. Just told the wife we couldn’t upgrade the kitchen, this is going to be a hard sell. I need someone who just bought a really good unit, that wants that bigger unit reddog.
How about if we worked out a deal where it came with the kitchen? 
The ultimate kitchen upgrade would be to install a ram mount for the new 1199 hd si so you can manage your waypoints using your PC and HumminbirdPC right there in the kitchen while the little lady prepares dinner.
Thanks for the honest replies! I’m ruling out the 11xx series simply because I don’t want a “TV” on my console. I also don’t want the top of the unit to be higher than my windscreens. The 9xx series is as big as I’ll go…
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