Topic: 898Si Visibility

[Fishfor5]

I've had my units since September and haven't had a chance to get them completely dialed in. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to set the unit up to get maximum structure visibility? I can see structure on the unit and can usually identify what I'm looking at but it doesn't seem to be real clear. I hear people talk about being able to identify fish on the SI part but I can't seem to get mine clear enough for that.

Also, when I'm running on plane the sonar part doesn't seem to work real well. I can't rund wide open because the depth doesn't read correctly. Anyone else have that problem?

Thanks,

[Wayne P.]

A general rule of settings for SI is keep the boat speed as slow as it can go. The longer the SI beam is on an object, the sharper the image will be.
Set the screen scroll speed close to the GPS speed (3 for 3 mph). Set it one setting higher to make stuff look bigger in length like fish and slower than the boat speed to get the sharpest images.
Use the Enhance/Sharpness setting to make fish stand out, the image will be grainy looking for other stuff, but it helps with fish.
Set the SI range to about 3 times to depth to get a larger size image on the screen. Use a lesser range to get even larger images of objects.
Think of the SI Sensitivity setting as you would a brightness control for a TV.
Pick a color pallet that looks good to you based on the amibient light.

Getting satisfactory depth readings at speed with that large transducer is tough even under ideal mounting conditions. It takes a perfect location and perfect mount position.
If you have a thin fiberglass hull like most bassboats, the ideal setup is a shoot thru transducer for 2D high speed depth and mount the SI transducer on the transom above the hull bottom for protection from hitting possible objects, but will be submerged when idling.
Post a picture of your transom from a low shot aft and a side shot for analysis by those that have done it.
Visit the Bass Boat Central web site forums for suggested settings, examples of images, and mounting techniques. The Side Imaging Group on Yahoo is another good reference site and dedicated to Humminbird SI.

[RGecy]

Fishfor5,

Welcome to the forum.  Without having to send you to another forum, please feel free to read some of the post here.  You will find a wealth of information and images dedicated to Humminbird Side Imaging.   

Certainly check out the Frequenty Asked Questions and Articles and Tutorials Section in the forum.

Here is a great one to start with: http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=333.0

Depending on the size of the fish, the SI range setting will be very important.  A good rule of thumb is 3 to 4 times your depth.  Consistent boat speed and keeping a straight line are also very important.  3-4 mph should give you some very nice images.

The best recommendation I can make is to go out and make a few recordings of different areas with some structure or vegetation where you know fish will be hanging out.  Go back home and play back the recordings on your unit.  Pause the recording and then go to the express menu and mess with the SI settings.  You can change the color, sensitivity, contrast, and sharpness while its paused.  You will be able to see your image change and what seetings are working the best.

There are several different things that can affect the quality of the image as well.  If the water is warm, you may get suspened particles, silt, animal life etc that will affect the clarity.  Thermoclines can also cause some issues.  And depending on your setup, turbulence coming off the hull will have some affect as well.

As for your depth issue when running on plane, post some images here of your transdcuer installation for us to take a look at.  Straight on and from the side as well as an overall shot of the transom would be good.  You may just need to lower it slightly to get it below the air bubbles and turbulence coming off the hull.

Hope that helps and look forward to some images,

Robert
Forum Admin