Topic: Poor display with polarized glasses

[Colt45]

Had a weekend on the water with my new 998csi.  Installed 2D thru hull for running on plane.  Also have Navplanner2 for my PC.  I really like the SI sonar but having problems viewing the screen in bright sunlight while wearing polarized glasses.  I have to tilt my head 45 deg to the left to get a good view - or remove the shades.  Fishing salt water in Florida just about makes good polarized shades a necessity.

I called HB Support and they said they were aware of the situation that's why they added to new color pallets.   Why not just fix the polarization issue??

Anyone else having issues with polarized glasses?  I settled on the Amber2 display on the sonar and experimented with the various color pallets but no joy.  Just have to remove my shades.  Ugg.

[plastikboot]

Hi Colt,

the problem is not with HB. All lcd-displays send out polarized waves themselves and when you look with polarized sunglasses at it you can be lucky when the polarization  is the same direction.
But when you cross the polarized lcdsignal with your sunglases at a 90 degree angle the signal won´t get through at all (or almost at all). That`s what polarization is supposed to do - only let one direction of the waves throug and block the other 90 degree waves out.
You can search for a polarized sunglass with the right direction in the polarization by testing them on your display. When you turn them 360 degrees the picture will go from perfect to almost invisible 2 times.

Aquatically yours

plastikboot

[Colt45]

Well, my sunglasses (prescription tri-focals) work just fine when viewing a Garmin or Lowrance.  It's only the HB that gives me a problem.

[George]

Colt45

I have to change my viewing angle with polarized glasses to view the screen clearly.   I suspect that this may be true for all  polarized screens (not sure).

George

[Colt45]

A friend on the Keys bought a Garmin and when viewed with Polarized glasses the screen was virtually unreadable.   She took it back to West Marine and they refunded 100%.  She contacted Garmin and they acknowledged a batch of units were defective and had recalled them.  She purchased another 'good' unit and it is great.  Apparently the screen overlay has to be oriented correctly.

But we're not concerned here with that model but our beloved Hummer.  I think HB  needs to add another QC step to their manufacturing process to test viewability with polarized lenses - seeing as how we all wear them in one form or another.

If anyone is having an issue, please contact HB Support so they will be aware.  They can't fix something they don't know is causing issues.

Try this test.  Take your polarized glasses inside and look at your flat screen TV set - it uses the same display technology.  Holding your glasses horizontally view should be normal.  Try rotating the glasses up to 90 deg from horizontal and see what happens.  Your best view should be with the glasses in the normal wear orientation.  Now try the same test with your HB.

Please let me know.  If I'm the only one having problems, they maybe I can return my unit for another.

Thanks guys.  Tight lines!

[Wayne P.]

I just did that test with my 798 and my TV. I used 3 different polarized glasses and with each one, the TV would black out at the 90 degree and 270 degree turn of the glasses. With the 798, the screen will black out only when the glasses were turned 45 degrees clockwise--past 45 degrees and 360 degrees after that point the screen was clear.
The orientation of the Humminbird polarization is definately wrong.

[Colt45]

Thank you!  At least now I know I'm not nuts. 

Pls let Support know.

"service@johnsonoutdoors.com"

[Wayne P.]

I already sent them a message and asked why the polarization is canted instead of horizontal.

[Colt45]

CORRECTION - the Humminbird Support email I listed above is invalid.  It was given to me by Tech Support on the phone but does not work.  The Support web site shows "'service@humminbird.com'.  Just sent another, maybe this one will go through.