What is Hummingbird switchfire?

Their website is so illusive I can’t get a fix on what it is.

hl&sinker wrote:

Their website is so illusive elusive I can’t get a fix on what it is.

I fixed it for ya.

Did you watch the short video on the bottom of this page?
http://www.humminbird.com/Category/Technology/Switchfire/

It explains it as well as I could. I rarely use Max Mode, but there are times it can be useful, especially in deep water.

Fancy word for 2d sonar

I believe it uses both transducer angles at the same time. I prefer having mine turned off.

MARKETING!

My understanding is Switchfire gives you more of the RAW data your sonar is picking up. Why H-Bird doesn’t just have sensitivity settings that give you more range, we’ll that is probably just marketing.

On some lakes, I utilize Switchfire, others not so much. It kind of depends on how you like your sonar data displayed. I have found that if I crank up sensitivity in the non-switchfire mode, I can get a similar reading to if I crank down the sensitivity in switchfire mode. Again, probably just more of a marketing thing.

elk_addict wrote:

I believe it uses both transducer angles at the same time. I prefer having mine turned off.

x2 – as I’ve read it has to do with using 2 different cone angles.

Haven’t read the manual since last season so this may be wrong. It’s not a simple case of turning sensitivity up or not. You can chance sensitivity for different cone angles. You can use only the wide angle or only the narrow angle(max mode I think).

And yes, it’s a fancy marketing term as others have said.

Ron thankyou for the fix. Now to remember.
Thanks for the replies you all. I think I have the jist of things. A bit foggy because it seems it should be more than a sensitivity thing.
Maybe its a marketing thing to offset Garmin with their advancement.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC720StZgdcrn-Ldn7vY4v1g

Lots of good videos, check them out if any ?’s on sonar.

Cant remember where I saw it, but recall in Switchfire with the fish ID on, the individual fish will pop up in two colors indicating which cone angle they are in, the 200 or 83. Problem being no one who can read a sonar properly has the fish ID on. Perhaps im wrong.

I use Switch Fire when I am looking at schools of bait fish the Switch fire will pick out the bigger fish if there is any there, amongst the bait fish much much easier then just plain 2D.

Based on a few of the responses regarding turning it “OFF/ON” i questioned my own response. Even though i’ve never seen the word switchfire in my menu settings for the several years i’ve used it….
However, after looking at a few things. There is no “ON/OFF”. Switchfire is a marketing term for 2d sonar.

Within “Switchfire” i.e. 2d Sonar you have these options:
Max mode : Jumps the gain up considerably.
Clear MOde: Opposite of Max Mode.

I leave mine in Max and adjust sensitivity as it pretty much does the same thing.
You can also run a 200 or an 83khz beam, or both.
None of these options are anything but standard 2d sonar; just variations of beam and gain.
Nothing new in regards to 2D sonar except the marketing term “Switchfire”