Humminbird Help??

So if you had to choose between a 898 and a 997 what would you choose? I am worried about buying an older model due to the fact it is older technology. I am told though with the updates the technology is basically identical. I am not really worried about the screen size as much as the technology being the latest and greatest. Any opinions??

The 898 will have an updated PCB (printed circuit board) and processor relative to the 997. It will also come with an ethernet port (for future networking) and a video out jack, like the 998 and the 1197.

Currently, the 898 and an updated 997 (or new 998) will sport the same software package and features.

If you can find a clearance 997, you’re getting a LOT of technology for the price!

Thanks Jason. Does the 997 have networking capabilities?? What would you do with the video out jack?? Does the updated PCB add anything that the average user would notice??

Some guys, especially on the great lakes, use the video out jack to be able to display the screen on a TV or LCD screen in a different part of their boat. Passengers in the back of a larger boat, well separated from the bridge, appreciate the ability to see what’s going on. I’ve also seen it used in a seminar setting, such that the video out jack was used to project screen captures that correlate with the presentation.

The differences in processor speed or performance won’t be that noticeable to the casual user. The only instances where I think that most people will see a difference will be the chart re-draw rate and the speed with which screen captures are written to an on-board SD card. Hardware issues are things that *may* come into play in future generations of software. We’ve seen an example of this recently with Down Imaging and the 797. That model, out of production for more than a year, didn’t have the on-board memory to support the full release of Down Imaging. The initial approach was to exclude the 797 from the DI release, but it was decided instead to re-write the DI code to accommodate the capabilities of that, now legacy, unit. Humminbird is dedicated to providing software updates for units long out of production, as long as the hardware in those units can handle the updated code.

The 997 can be networked just like all the other HB units are….through an Interlink system. That is not an ethernet-based system. Having said that, the move by HB to include ethernet ports in the full family of larger-screen fishing systems (1197, 998, 898) certainly points to future networking via ethernet.

Does that help??

Thanks Jason for all of the help! I really want to get a SI Humminbird just debating and your knowledge was greatly appreciated.

Jason, I was under the impression that my 797c2 could not be updated for the down imaging, but after reading your post it sounded like maybe I can get it now. Can I, or do I have get a newer unit? Thanks

The 797’s most recent software update DOES include Down Imaging. Download for free and enjoy!

Jason – Thank you for your very helpful descriptions here. You really make a lot of sense and know your stuff.

Thanks again