Topic: 798 vs 898 vs 998 for Second Unit on TM

[Whistler]

Well, the subject sums it uppretty well, but before I get the usual "buy the biggest screen you can afford" answers I wanted to provide some reasons for asking this question in the first place.  So here goes.

I already own an 1198 which is installed at the console. Generally I expect that I will do all or most of my searching from that system so a lot of what I will be using the bow unit for will be returning to things that were marked at the console.  I expext to use it mostly for GPS, sonar and DI but am sure that i will use the SI as well.  That said I will be networking the bow and console units via Ethernet (a special Ethernet connector is required for the 798 I believe).

Cost is not a huge consideration here but I would like to get the best bang for the buck that I can. 

Here are some of the reasons I'm considering the 798 over the other two at the moment.  These are in no particular order. 

-- Cost bang for buck
-- higher on screen resolution (640x640=409600 pixels on screen for 798 vs 480x800=384000 pixels on screen for the 898 and 998)
-- LED backlighting (NOTE: I think that if the 998 was LED backlit I wouldn't even be considering the other two - Greg, if and LED backlit 998 is on the way please let me know)
-- integrated GPS antenna


Here are some things that worry me a bit about the 798

-- integrated GPS antenna
-- screen size. I have excellent vision but I am a little concerned about being able to see what I need to be able to see
-- power.  Both the 8 and 900 series advertise 1000 watts RMS as opposed to 500 watts with the 798 but I think that extra power is only for sonar and requires a special transducer to achieve. Is that correct?  If so then it really isn't a concern.
-- lower definition SI due to a less expensive shorter element SI transducer.  This kind of moots my earlier point about higher on screen pixel count but I believe I have the option of using one of the HD transducers with the 798. If so, is that something I could work out with HB where I send them the transducer the 798 comes with and then pay the difference to get the HD transducer like my 1198 has?  Greg do you know if this is an option?


I'd love to hear what others who have struggled with this decision have to say.

[wolfs4evr]

I have a 898 on the console and 798 on the bow.  I really wanted to go to a 998 on the console and move the 898 but being semi $$ conscious I went with the more cost effective route for me verse saving for a long time to go bigger.  As it turns out I am very happy with the 798 on the bow especially with it being a LED backlit unit.  I love that display so much more then the tft 898.  They are both good I just like how bright the 798 is and with it being on the bow and looking at it at longer distances IMO a LED backlit unit is a must for this exact application.

Pros for me:
- Cost
- Quick detach base.  I remove it whenever I trailer it and just popping it off the base and seconds is awesome.  No wires to mess with, etc, etc  plus you can rotate and adjust the angle of the unit in seconds verse really having to mess around to position it.
- LED backlit screen
- Ethernet does the rest.  I use the Ethernet for waypoint sharing, I get my GPS from the 898s puck, I use the transom transducer verse putting one on the TM and dealing with all the external wires.  My TM also has US2 and I have that wired up to the bow 798 but don't use it.  Nice that it is there and that I can share it on the Ethernet in case I ever damage my HD transducer I have some form of a spare ready to go with a couple pushes of buttons in the network menu.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Whistler,
 - I have not heard anything mentioned about the 898 or 998 display changing; so I don’t know if/when an LED backlight is coming for the 998.
 - What concerns do you have about the GPS Receiver in the 798ci HD Si unit?
 - I have seen where some have used a long arm on one of the RAM type mounts (or have made their own) that raises the 798 or similar unit upwards off the deck making the smaller display easier to see (and buttons on the unit easier to reach).
 - The power difference is only when using the 50kHz 2D sonar in the 898/998 units.  It has nothing to do with the Si sonar.
 - The HDSi transducer can be used with the 798ci HD Si unit.  Call the Humminbird Customer Resource folks about exchanging the CSi transducer that comes with the 809 unit for the larger HDSi transducer.  I believe that all you will pay is the difference in the cost of these but they could tell you for sure as well as what that cost will be.  1-800-633-1468

[Whistler]

Greg - the only concerns I have about the integrated GPS receiver are sensitivity and what happens if the antenna fails.

Thanks for the clarification regarding power.  That's what I thought.

I assume that only the 455 kHz, 200 kHz, and 83 kHz will work when using the HDSi transducer with the 798?

One last thing.  What is the target separation with the 798s native transducer and how much of an improvement could I expect using the HDSi transducer instead of the one it comes with?

[Humminbird_Greg]

Whistler,
The only time that you would see a difference in the sensitivity of the internal versus external GPS Receiver performance would be either due to installation (yours will be on the bow and therefore should be open to the sky and satellites) or if it were operating in a high noise environment.  The external GPS Receiver has some extra ground shielding that will not physically fit in the internal version.  Otherwise you should expect the same level of performance.  Personally I like the idea of being able to send the external GPS Receiver off to be repaired versus having to send in the whole unit to get the internal GPS Receiver repaired.  Good thing about the Ethernet connection is that if the internal GPS Receiver fails; you can select to use the external GPS Receiver of the 1198 unit until fishing slows done and you can bear to be without the internal GPS unit for a week or so while it gets repaired.

Yes, only the 455kHz Si sonar and the 200/83kHz 2D sonar will be usable by the 798ci HD Si unit with the HDSi transducer.

I have not been told that there is any difference in target separation between using the CSi and HDSi transducers.  Whether you will be able to see the difference in using the HDSi transducer may have more to do with your eyesight and how close you are to the 798’s display.  Some can see an increase in the definition of the 455kHz Si sonar and some cannot; so I don’t know if you will see the difference or not.  Now when you go comparing a screen snapshot from each on a (larger) computer screen, then just about everyone can see the difference.

Soretoe used to have some comparison pictures using both the CSi and HDSi transducers combined with an AS-Si-LR-Y splitter cable.  I sent him a message asking for these (I think he sent them to me before but I cannot locate them now... ).