Topic: Need help on weather to buy or not

[coreyhkh]

Hey everyone I am in the market to replace a stock fish finder on a boat I bought. The current boat has a older grey scale Lowrance finder. I wanted a GPS and started looking at Hummingbird units. At first I was eying the 788ci HD DI then the 798 but I have read that its a bit small so now I am looking at the 898. Its a lot of Money so I don't want to get the wrong one I am just wondering how people find there and if it was worth the money and if its reliable.

Thanks for any feedback 

[calli1]

You will wish you had purhcased the 898 if your di purchase the 798.  For example, I owned a 898 for 10 months and when the deak came for me, I wanted the Biggest, Best and Baddest...the 1198.  So...using that example, go with the 898...it will be well worth the money spent.

[George]

coreyhkh

Humminbird's SI units are great, you will learn a lot from them regardless of the size, but as Calli1 stated you should get the larger unit.  You should purchase the largest you can afford.  I purchased an 1197 (purchased 2 years ago) unit, it took me 6 months to put the money together and I would do it again.  The larger screens improves the viewing details (especially if your eyes are not as good as they use to be).

George

[lcookie]

Go for the largest you can afford.  You will have no buyers’ remorse that way.  I had a 997 and later purchased a 798 to compliment it.  All the while I had the 798 I kept saying to myself you should have went bigger.  Luckily for me I was able to move the 798.  Now I have an 1198 to replace it.  NO BUYERS’ REMORSE now.

[FuzzyGrub]

The 898 screen while 7" diag compared to the the 798 5" diag, would seem to be a large change.   From screen shots I've seen of the SI on the 898, the data on the left side consumes most of the real estate, but maybe there is a way to shut that off.   I think Wayne did some analysis on that and is probably within a thread on this site.   Now, if you can swing a 900 or 1100 series, those screens do provide considerably more.   If there is a store nearby, it pays to look at an actual screen to help with the decision. 

[tjj]

Case in point.  I bought a 898cSI a few months back and wished I had gotten the 998.  Now looking for something on the bow.  So 798 or 998?  I think I will make the jump to 998 because of screen size.

I like the 1198 also but for my little 17' Tracker boat, that would look like a wide screen the the bathroom.  Maybe too big.

[George]

tjj

I have a 16 foot aluminum boat and believe me it is not too big.  I do not think you can go wrong with any of the HB units but bigger is better.

George

[ffmedic147]

The biggest you can afford the better like everyone has said. Some people think reference a big screen to people wanting to look like a pro but its not. A big sceen does make a difference. Small objects that you can see on the big screns are some of the most important objects you can find. i have a 998 and i cant really use the 4 way screen becuase i cant see the little details on the si. But thats all i could afford. When you get to the front of the boat a bigger screen gets to be even more important becuase when you stand up you are father from the screen sonar details and navionics seems to to be harder to see. just my observation.

[coreyhkh]

I did some thinking last night and I am going to go for the larger 900 series unit except I cant afford it now and need a unit asap so Iam going to go with the 500 unit with gps and down-scan unit I can save up enough for the larger unit.

[ITGEEK]

I have an 1997c on a 16 foot boat.
I wish the screen was twice as big.