Topic: Lowrance or Hum......buying advice

[deerok]

Hello everyone, glad to find this forum. Hope this is the right place for this.

I'm new to SI, and don't know what to buy. Been researching, but don't have the units to try out.

But a local store has a Lowrance HDS5 gen2 structurescan1 combo for $799 new, and I'm wondering if Humminbird has a model that matches this for image quality or even beats it for that price?

Il be fishing mostly less than 50ft freshwater.

Thanks

[Beaulieu80]

From all my friends who has other product and when comparing to my Humminbird 798 SI combo, both big brand has software bugs, good and useless features and so on...

It's like comparing truck F-150 to a Chevy 1500. One side say ford is better and other people saying chevy trucks are.

compare each group from both side and you will see that one or the other has more resolution by pixel than other,, or other has optional product like Autochart to create custom maps which I REALLY LOVE and fun to play with.

What I love about Humminbird is the easy of use X-menu, the design of the unit.

[deerok]

Thanks for responding.

Ya, it seems you're right. Although from comparing screenshots online, structurescan looks sharper. But perhaps that's just compared to Hums standard transducer, not their HD.

[Beaulieu80]

My unit has all of what high end unit can do from Humminbird.

gues what I use most of my time? GPS map and 2D sonar.

GPS is good to track route and save good spot to fish too. 2D sonar for depth and see fish. I use rarely all other features and some I will never use them.

AND like most of us, you fish to same lakes all the time so you know where are the good spots eventually.

For me, my sonar is a toy because I like to play with the menu and learn from it and create my custom maps.

[deerok]

What software are you using to make the maps?

I have about 4 lakes that I fish when I get the chance, but I just don't have the time to search everywhere on them. I'd like to know what is in the middle or deepest parts.

[Beaulieu80]

AutoChart from Humminbird. We have all north america lakes inside.

when you go fishing you save your navigation tracks from your GPS unit. export them to SD card and from you computer you generate the tracks into a custom map details. save it back to you SD card and put it inside the sonar.

when you go back to your favorite lake, you can now see depth and contour..etc...depth color.. helps alot

[deerok]

Ya that sounds pretty useful.

Have you ever tried the quadrabeam transducer on your 798?

[Beaulieu80]

very few do use that since the chance you will catch the fish at that distance when trolling or jigging

so no I do not have that. i don't see any need for that

[deerok]

Thought maybe since you preferred 2D sonar you'd prefer the same for side-image