Fishfinder with DI... Useful?
 

I'm looking to get a FF very soon

I was wondering if the "down imaging" feature that both the Humminbird and Lowrance units offer, have been useful for those of you who have them

I'm more leaning towards the Humminbird model (598)

Someone told me that the DI feature drew the battery down while in use... true?

And that you can't see fish readings in the DI mode (but you can split the screen to run normal & DI simultaneously)

It does look interesting to me, especially for FW lake fishing



Thanks for your input

BTW, I just picked up a PA12 yesterday and excited to get it rigged and fishing :reeling:

DI or DSI are good for fishing shallow lakes and shallow areas near shore. If you want to get into some deeper areas and fish rockfish/ meter squid...a regular broadband sounder should be your choice.

Why not pick up a unit that has best of both worlds? I just had my inaugural trip with my new lowrance elite 5 hdi. It has down scan plus regular sonar. The reason I got this unit was so that I would not need to upgrade to dsi from traditional sonar or vice versa in the near future. If you are set on a hummingbird they probably have something comparable.

I have a DI unit and it took a long time on the learning curve to pick out fish but it does work .:cheers1:

Also, do some research and watch videos and testing for the unit you're thinking about getting. If you have any questions call lowrance and/or hummingbird directly. Their tech guys know their stuff. I almost made the mistake of getting the 83/200 ducer for my unit . Wasn't too sure if that was the right one. Called lowrance, they recommend the 50/200/455/800 for my unit and application.

Listen to this guy.

Ken

Let me start by saying that Down Imaging must be used in conjunction with traditional sonar! Down Imaging only will require a steep learning curve to interpret what your seeing and can be very frustrating.

I for one am a fan of down imaging/side imaging/360 etc. The more data points you have the better you'll be able to interpret what your looking at. Since you just got a PA12, she deserves a nice sonar setup. I used to have the 598 HD SI Combo on my PA12, but upgraded to the 798 to get side imaging. Down imaging was cool, but add side imaging and you've got a better picture of what's around you. Note, that DI/SI is basically limited to about 100' on the 598 and 150' on the 798. If you're spending your time fishing deeper waters, go with Lowrance to get the 50/200 transducer. Another plus for Humminbird is the software to playback your sonar data on a PC at home, including DI and SI footage. If you're a sonar geek you'll like these options, that's why I went with Humminbird.

My 798 has the same current draw as my old 598, which would lead me to believe there is no added penalty for Side Imaging on the compact combined transducer. My 9AH battery lasts all day with screen brightness at 10. However, there is no day two without a recharge.

After your purchase, search Doug Vahrenberg on Youtube and prepare to learn how to use your sonar. :)

Why not the 83/200?

Hey guys, thanks for your input. Good info.

Fishingfiend, I have been watching Doug Vahrenberg's videos on youtube
Very educational and convinced me to go with a Humminbird unit.
http://www.youtube.com/user/imonbass?feature=mhee
Good to know about the depth penetration with the different transducers
Kayak wise, most of my angling will be inshore.

Going with this unit: (597 ci HD DI) http://store.humminbird.com/products...9220796a9b96d4

83/200 is for shallower depths . And more geared for freshwater. I asked the same question to lowrance and told them where and what I was fishing. They answered question faster than I could ask it.