SI or DI

[Ketchup]

With Bass Pro having their spring sale this coming weekend, I'm finally going to buy the new Garmin for the boat. Being probably the least knowledgeable electronics guy you will meet, I'm looking for experiences from you electronic experts that use them often.  I've got a lot to learn on this issue. 

 

New unit will be the Garmin 73sv. Regular price is $999.99 and sale price is $550.00 so can't pass it up. Been wanting to try Garmin so here's my chance. 

Questions:. Currently have a Humminbird 688DI at the console. Great unit and new also. My delima that I need answers for is, if you had 1 unit with DI and another with DI and SI, which would you have at the console?

 

Also would size play to your decision on location?  688 is 5" and 73 is 7". 

[J-Doc]

Look at the sticky in the General Discussion forum for screens hits and interpretations thread. You can scan through that thread and pick up quite a lot of good info there.  

 

As for where to put it, that's easy.  You want side imaging at the console. The boat has to be moving at a decent speed (1.5mph+) in order to get a pretty clear picture on side imaging and down imaging. Less than 1mph is a bit "blurry" and less than .5mph is definitely blurry and sitting still is nothing but a blur. 

That's for both down and side imaging. 

So I use side imaging all the time on the console.  I have an HDS10 and I have 4 screens showing gps, sonar, side imaging and downimaging. I can switchaikovsky to several screen views I've preset and I use side imaging to locate structure, bait, or large schools of fish. I rarely see bass on side imaging. It's just harder to see them unless they have some good size to them.  If they are suspended and big, I can see them but I'm usually scanning 160ft+ out both sides so they look like dots. In shallow water at 50-8ft out, yeah, you can see them better. 

If it were me, I'd use your old graph for primarily sonar and a GPS map on the bow for your existing waypoints and side imaging on the console to locate "stuff" and to give yourself a bigger view of a map or sonar when at the console. 

I won't say I never use side imaging on the bow because I do. But it's usually when I'm moving to new targets along the bank or just trying to"find some fish" in an area without having to crank the big motor and move around. 

[J-Doc]

 

[Ketchup]

As always, thanks J. 

[J-Doc]

[grizwilson]

Si on console, both my units are si but rarely use the si up front, use the console lots.  Hear the Garmins are great.....

g

[Blll]

Interested too in your take on Garmin. They seem to be the rising star right now. Still learning my HB SI but console placement seems the right move. Wow! That is a huge savings at BP. Take the time to let their guys show you the bells & whistles of the unit. Time well spent but real world use on the water is best. I still have not seen many of the type screen shots J-Doc posts. My shallow learning curve will be addressed this spring for sure. 

Good luck!

[J-Doc]

3 hours ago, Blll said:

I still have not seen many of the type screen shots J-Doc posts. My shallow learning curve will be addressed this spring for sure.

Thank you. 

I cheated. 

I bought the Doctor Sonar DVDs while waiting for my boat to come in when I ordered it last year.  10 week build time

I had already started learning more of the basics but some simple explanations from Doctor Sonar made it all "click" in my head. 

 

I leave mine on or near auto most of the time by the way. I don't tweak the settings by much.