# A difference of $44.............opinions needed



## OSUdaddy (Oct 18, 2010)

As my Garmin 498 Chartplotter has terrible fish finder capabilities I will be installing a dedicated fish fish finder. We fish the central basin of Lake Erie.

I do not want to spend more than $300~$350 and have decided on one of two 

Hummingbird 596c HD DI for $349

http://www.thedigitaloasis.com/Humm...n-Imaging-Fishfinder_p_3838.html#.UhuUIdKsiSp

Or, the Hummingbird 596c HD for $305. 

[ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Humminbird-596c-HD-Color-Sonar-Fishfinder-407910-1-/350647523061?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51a43896f5"]Humminbird 596C HD Color Sonar Fishfinder 407910 1 082324032981 | eBay[/ame]

I am not too technically savy regarding fish finders but I want a unit that will meet my fishing needs (max 60 fow Lake Erie) and add some value to the boat when I sell it in a few years.

I am leaning towards the DI unit. Is this a no brainer?


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## Buckeye Ron (Feb 3, 2005)

OSUdaddy,
I am just starting to get use to my new Humminbird 858 HD DI unit, two trips now on lake Erie. If I had to do it over again, I believe I would have gotten just the HD and not the DI. I guess if your going to fish other lake besides the big E then the DI may be beneficial, but in my opinion and we all know what that can go into, I would stay with the HD unit. Save a few bucks for getting something else.
My 2 cents,
Ron


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## OSUdaddy (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks Ron. I have some folks telling me it is beneficial at times to use (the DI option) but not normally an option the use. I understand I can go to just HD mode or use split screen (not an option I like to use) and with the $44 difference between HD and HD DI leans me towards the DI.

I appreciate your feedback and I may end up changing my mind.


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## Tightlines (Jun 29, 2012)

I have the 1198. I also use my unit mainly on erie for perch and trolling for eyes. The hummingbirds are great units and i highly recommend them. As far as using the down image..... Well i dont. I have used it but i would rather just use the regular sonar. But im speaking mostly about lake erie too. I have used it on local lakes but i have Si too and thats by far the most detailed imo. But i would probably go with the DI if its just $44 more.


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## Shaggy (Oct 24, 2008)

I have the 798 SI unit and I use DI all the time along with regular sonar but I do it just to continually make comparisons. I believe on my unit the DI is 455 Khz like the SI so the DI doesn't see the same thing as the regular sonar because it's beam is narrower. That can be confusing until you understand what's going on. Where DI is nice is being able to see more detail than regular sonar can provide. A bush with fish in or close to it usually just looks like a mass of pixels on sonar but DI will be more specific. For $44 I'd go with the DI unit but I've never fished Erie. Good Luck!


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

I have the 597 ci hd di, and i love it. I wish i would have waited one more season beause they have the 598 ci hi di now and that has the down and side imaging.


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## powrguy (Sep 4, 2010)

Tightlines said:


> I have the 1198. I also use my unit mainly on erie for perch and trolling for eyes. The hummingbirds are great units and i highly recommend them. As far as using the down image..... Well i dont. I have used it but i would rather just use the regular sonar. But im speaking mostly about lake erie too. I have used it on local lakes but i have Si too and thats by far the most detailed imo. But i would probably go with the DI if its just $44 more.


I previously had a Lowrance/Eagle FishMark 320. Really not high-tech, but it sure was reliable and sufficient detail for Lake Erie. I don't (like others) see a need for DI or SI on Lake Erie, but that's just my opinion. If I was fishing bass in brush piles or around tree stumps, I might want it.

My Humminbird 788ci (not HD) has NOT been too reliable for me, so far. (I probably shouldn't be saying that, in case I want to sell it in the OGF Marketplace?)

I was having shutdown issues of the Humminbird, when starting the motor (the screen would blank out, and you couldn't re-set without removing the head from the bracket, re-installing, then powering up). Seems that the problem was common with this particular model, due to the cable connectors being retained by a metal clip, and not always making good contact. Bending the clip to apply more pressure is the supposed fix, but I'll find out next time I'm out in the waves and bouncing a bit. Additionally, it won't pick up the sonar clearly at over 12MPH, and I believe I'm gonna move the transducer neared the center of the boat. It's about 6" from the starboard chine now, so I'll move it about 24" toward the vee part of the hull, and see if it improves in certainly less-turbulent area than right now, I think.

For a fishfinder only, I'm probably gonna pick up a Lowrance Mark 5x Pro, black and white, dual-frequency, sonar only. Lowrance is bullet-proof, IMHO.

For perch and walleye, I just don't see the DI and SI being worth the extra $$$$. If I were a tourney fisherman, or charter boat guy, then the 10" screens and all the inter-connected/mapping/color, etc. might be necessary for me....for Joe Shmoe/weekend-warrior chasing elusive fish, less is better and cheaper!


:T:T:T


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