hummingbird 798ciHDSI combo

[brantley moats]

I have a question for Hummingbird Greg and/or anyone else who has experience with this. If you could only afford one sonar with side imaging/down imaging/gps combination where would you mount it on the console or the bow? I have read that the details on the Hummingbird 798 ciHD SI Combo screen using side imaging is too small to read if it is mounted on the bow. Also difficult to read in full sun since the sun will usually be shining down onto the the face of the unit.. I have also read that for side imaging you need to be moving at least 4 to 10 mph. It seems the more I read the more confusing this gets. I may have to just bite the bullet and step up to the 898cSI Combo. I also have a regular sonar without gps on the boat. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Brantley

 

[Richard James]

I have the 798ciHDSI on my 2004 Nitro 898DC and I have it mounted near the console--not in the console, but on the side. I have a 598 DI Combo mounted at the bow (trolling motor). I'll never mount any more units directly into the console because of washing the boat and the possibility of condensation building up from washing and humidity.

 

[Jason Brown2]

I have a humminbird 798 HD SI on the bow of my Z7. I haven't really had an issue with the sun, but I will tell you i'm in the process of buying something larger and moving the 798 to the console. To me, the 5 inch screen is just to small. I'm having a hard time over the 898 or 998. I know it's only 1 inch difference in screen size, but is the extra several hundred dollars worth that 1 inch?

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

My advice is to get the biggest, baddest unit and put it at the console. If you can only afford 1 unit there then you can split screen your GPS, SI, DI, regular sonar or whatever your unit comes with. I have found that standing on the front, unless you put a very large screen up there, most all of them are too small to see fish specks in SI mode. The only thing I need is linked GPS so that you can navigate to the waypoint while on the TM. Most of your SI time will be in the drivers seat trying to carbon up your motor:lol:

 

[Bob G.]

I'm saving my pennies for an 1198c SI Combo. My Lowrance at the console does not always boot up and the xducers are not set up right. Whoever rigged my boat did not do a good job.

 

[TrepMan]

I think it really depends on the lake you are fishing and the style. I used to have the 798cSI on the console and 587csi on the bow (they are still on the boat with the new owner).



But what I realized is for my styles of fishing and the lakes I fish, other then trolling looking for suspended baitfish to troll through for stripers, I used the DI on the bow to stay over suspended structure spooning deep fish or jigging. I almost never used the SI on the console. So I put a 5 inch unit on the bow of the new boat, and really want a 8-9 inch unit at the console, but not with DI/SI just the GPS and basic fish finder capabilities running down the lake. But that's just my style and experience. Maybe that's why I still have a day job!! LOL



Trep

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Brantley,

I think that you can see from the replies that what others think you need or what they use may or may not fit your style of fishing. I agree with Toxic in that you should buy all the display that you can afford. It does make seeing those smaller sonar returns on any of the sonar a bit easier which sure doesn

 

[Wayne P.]

Some Allison boats have a post mount for 10" sonar units built into the bow. It is about 2' tall and retractable.



It is called E-ped: http://www.allisonboats.com/content/bass-boats/e-ped/

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Now that is just plain cool!



Greg Walters at Humminbird

 

[Eddie Payne]

Okay that e-ped is cool. But did anyone else watch it and find it creepy that it was a guy's hands doing the demo? He's been watching too much Let's Make a Deal!



And Wayne, where do you find this stuff??



As to the 798 size units, I initially had one in the console, overall I was pleased with it. Then I got a 997 and moved the 798 up front. Being 6'4 it was too small to use SI there. Now I have the 997 up front and a 998 on the console, I like it. Although with that said, I use the SI less up front and may sell the 997 and go with an 858 or 958 up front.



Like others said, get the biggest you can afford, you will be glad you did.

 

[Wayne P.]

E5Zero, I find that stuff, because I see it in person and know its source.

I saw the E-ped in use at a sports show last year or the year before. It was called to my attention by an Allison owner I know.



One more thing, I use SI at the bow 100% of the time, I may add other views for some presentations and to get another perspective of a subject. I find fish and fish for them as I am searching for them. I basically "sight" fish all the time.

Being able to see what is away from under the boat is the benefit of Side Imaging, it's all about the coverage. Side Imaging shows the water column and what is in the water column under the boat and what is on the bottom and above it as far as the SI range setting is.

If you have Side Imaging and don't use it at the bow, you are missing out on one of the best fishing tools you can have. It is unequaled for shallow water use. It will show what is away from under the boat as far as the range setting is if the bottom is flat enough and the transducer is not buried in the lake bottom. A very positive function for bed fishing no matter what the water clairty is.

 

[Eddie Payne]

Wayne you are the man!



I guess for me the SI on the front has been a tool I should use more, but have not. I fish a lot of structure on open water lakes here in Texas, most of my time I am working off of waypoints found with the console unit.



Hopefully I get more time on the water this year to really get into the units even more.