Lowrance HDS vs. DSI

[45user]

So I got my HDS 5 GPS/chat plotter combo but I have no idea what I am doing. I'm looking at the pictures on the web stores of the screen shot of DSI unit it seems like it has a great view of the water.
What is the differences between HDS & DSI Unit?
Which is better? I currently have HDS5 with 50/200mhz transducer. Did I over do it?
Thank you for your help!
45

[Dannowar]

You over did it. Ill take it off your hands.

[ful-rac]

So I got my HDS 5 GPS/chat plotter combo but I have no idea what I am doing. I'm looking at the pictures on the web stores of the screen shot of DSI unit it seems like it has a great view of the water.
What is the differences between HDS & DSI Unit?
Which is better? I currently have HDS5 with 50/200mhz transducer. Did I over do it?
Thank you for your help!
45

No you didn't your just fine. Dsi seems to work fantastic for shallower water, but for overall use the regular broadband sonar is what I prefer. Although the dsi produces some amazing images...but like I said overall you made the right choice.

[45user]

Thank for the replies!
So on DSI, is it easy to see fish? What confuses me on HDS is the fish arcs its showing and how do you interpret that? How does bait fish and game fish differ on HDS unit?
Thank you again for your help!
45

[ful-rac]

Thank for the replies!
So on DSI, is it easy to see fish? What confuses me on HDS is the fish arcs its showing and how do you interpret that? How does bait fish and game fish differ on HDS unit?
Thank you again for your help!
45

Sure Dsi is easier to interpret than the traditional broadband, (ex. a bait ball looks like a baitball, and individual fish can be seen). But broadband gives you alot of information too, you just have to know how to interpret that information as well. Since you have colors on broadband it really helps out on determining how hard or soft the bottom is, and that's really important. As far as what fish or bait look like on your FF, your just going to have to keep using it and find out. Take screen shots and study them or post them up and let someone try to help interpret them for you.

[45user]

Sure Dsi is easier to interpret than the traditional broadband, (ex. a bait ball looks like a baitball, and individual fish can be seen). But broadband gives you alot of information too, you just have to know how to interpret that information as well. Since you have colors on broadband it really helps out on determining how hard or soft the bottom is, and that's really important. As far as what fish or bait look like on your FF, your just going to have to keep using it and find out. Take screen shots and study them or post them up and let someone try to help interpret them for you.

Thanks ful-rac for your replies!
Is there any instruction video or tutorials on the Internet somewhere?
Anybody?
Thanks again!
45

[Deamon]

Come on Tony...! Post up the Black Sea Bass that you were fighting and show us all what the beast looked like on your meter...please.

[kobra]

Check out you tube. There should be a bunch of tutorials.

[ful-rac]

Come on Tony...! Post up the Black Sea Bass that you were fighting and show us all what the beast looked like on your meter...please.

I can swear I have posted this several times....oh well..here we go again...

BSB Hooked and coming up.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/pksbshp/d33dfe79-e2c1-4f54-94f3-edb8bd1345e4_zps17cfc3d0.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/pksbshp/media/d33dfe79-e2c1-4f54-94f3-edb8bd1345e4_zps17cfc3d0.jpg.html)

Black sea bass checking out my squid jig gangion, note the 7 green lines, they represent the 6 individual squid jigs and a sinker on the bottom.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/pksbshp/0bd50af1-1c16-4fe1-9217-9418fb2d63cf_zpsd55f6514.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/pksbshp/media/0bd50af1-1c16-4fe1-9217-9418fb2d63cf_zpsd55f6514.jpg.html)

Little bit of squid on the bottom. (represented by the green)
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/pksbshp/41ee1820-ad9e-46b8-8d67-ba0b95923a12_zpse18d206c.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/pksbshp/media/41ee1820-ad9e-46b8-8d67-ba0b95923a12_zpse18d206c.jpg.html)

Heres an interesting shot, broadband, dsi, and sidescan side by side of a small school of baitfish at cabrillo.
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/pksbshp/shot77_zpsd3ce758d.png (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/pksbshp/media/shot77_zpsd3ce758d.png.html)


Just so you know that, seeing what things look like in pictures is no substitute for being on your kayak and in the water and studying your FF. You will learn alot more being on the water putting the time in than to have me or someone else explaining it to you.

[GregAndrew]

Hell, Tony can tell you what the baitfish had for dinner last night by the color of their fart bubbles with that contraption of his :D.

[45user]

Thanks for the pics!
Ok real dumb question here.. So I mounted the transducer on the ram mount on the side of my kayak (wet mount) and the image on my HDS is the straight below my kayak, right?
So if I see fish/bait fish on my screen that means the fish are Right below, correct?
Thanks again,
45

[mtnbykr2]

I have a customer that is running a Raymarine Dragonfly, it has split capability, the regular sonar screen is on top, and the dsi screen on the bottom, so you can see that, what looks like a bump on the ground appears to be on sonar, actually is a truck tire with some weeds growing around it...then a nice flat area all around that..."bump"...set the hook! ;)

[mtnbykr2]

Oh, Thanks for sharing Tony, very cool screen shots...:notworthy:

[salty pirate]

Thanks for the pics!
Ok real dumb question here.. So I mounted the transducer on the ram mount on the side of my kayak (wet mount) and the image on my HDS is the straight below my kayak, right?
So if I see fish/bait fish on my screen that means the fish are Right below, correct?
Thanks again,
45

yes

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/article/sounder-how-to-mark-wisch/

http://support.lowrance.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1001&PARTITION_ID=1&secureFlag=false&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=2967

[GregAndrew]

Thanks for the pics!
Ok real dumb question here.. So I mounted the transducer on the ram mount on the side of my kayak (wet mount) and the image on my HDS is the straight below my kayak, right?
So if I see fish/bait fish on my screen that means the fish are Right below, correct?
Thanks again,
45

Not really. Your screen is not showing you an image, but a whole bunch of slices of information over time. Each new vertical line drawn is what the FF picks up in the last interval. Tony's explanation of the BSB checking out his Squid jig might be confusing you. What you are really seeing is him sitting over his squid jig for a while then over a BSB. Also, while your transducer generally sends a cone shaped signal in one direction, it is not necessarily straight down. It can also encompass a much larger area than you might think.

[Big Wave Dave]

Thanks for all of the great info. My fish finder came with my yak and is not the technological wonder that you guys use... but someday, when I can get one that doesn't cost more than my yak, I will put this info to work.

[Deamon]

I can swear I have posted this several times....oh well..here we go again...

You may have...I don't open up all of your posts...:bigear:

[ful-rac]

Fishfinders scroll from right to left. What you see on the very right is what is under the boat/kayak right now, what's to the left of that, is what was. Like greg said what your metering may or may not be directly under your kayak but just in the sonar cone, the object/s could be off to the left or right, forward or back. 200khz is narrow beam and 50khz is a wide beam, 200 is generally used for shallow water and 50 is used for deeper water.

Confused yet?

[45user]

Fishfinders scroll from right to left. What you see on the very right is what is under the boat/kayak right now, what's to the left of that, is what was. Like greg said what your metering may or may not be directly under your kayak but just in the sonar cone, the object/s could be off to the left or right, forward or back. 200khz is narrow beam and 50khz is a wide beam, 200 is generally used for shallow water and 50 is used for deeper water.

Confused yet?

Confused? I'm overwhelmed haha
But it seems like all on your advices are making senses and giving some light bulb moment
Thank you!
45

[HiLife619]

@Fulrac you have a structure scan? I have a PA and was thinking of getting a Structure scan but just dont know where to put the transducer for it, I already have the transducer in the mount underneath for my ff, does that mean i have to mount the transducer for Structure scan in the hull?

[ful-rac]

Yes I do have structure scan, if you mount it it should be on an arm over the side, about a foot or 2 down.

[Deamon]

Great info! If you're not moving/drifting and a fish remains under your transducer, you'll get the prolonged squiggly line...


http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u217/pksbshp/0bd50af1-1c16-4fe1-9217-9418fb2d63cf_zpsd55f6514.jpg (http://s169.photobucket.com/user/pksbshp/media/0bd50af1-1c16-4fe1-9217-9418fb2d63cf_zpsd55f6514.jpg.html)


If you are drifing along and/or the fish just passes through, you'll get the upside down V...