Lowrance Broadband? Humminbird HD?

[dh99]

Hi

I am going to be buying a new finder/GPS this year and I have some questions. I don't want to know about customer service just the capabilities.

1) What is the lowrance Broadband capabilities supposed to have that the others don't? What are the main advantages of having the broadband, forget about Side imaging, down scan, both the lowrance and the humminbirds can do this. If I look at it the lowrance and bird can do basically the same thing but the lowrance has this Broadband.

2) Humminbird claims to be HD, what is the difference between the HD and the normal sonars.

At the beginning I was thinking about an HDS Unit but then I need 2 transducers, cost me more. I am seriously thinking about a new 898C SI but still not decided.

Thanks,

DH99

[Bruce Samson]

In most situations you will not notice the difference in Broadband since you can’t compare on the water. I have noticed the target separation is better and the display shows targets crisper. The 2 pictures of suspended fish are crappies over 50 feet and probably whitefish over 80 feet. Bottom hardness changes are easier to see and large fish near a bait ball will show up as separate targets on the display.

[1625rebel]

Impressive pics Doc! If I can get my unit to display images half that good next season I'll be very pleased.

I don't know a lot about the Broadband, outside of what I could read on the internet. I tried to filter some of what I saw on Lowrane's website as marketing, but it's still seems impressive. From what I understand the units require much less energy going into the water because they can detect the return signal with much higher sensitivity. Also sounds like the unit can better detect fish in cover and close to bottom than some of its predecessors.

I also made my decision of Lowrance over HB for a few other things, but broadband was perhaps the biggest.

[Burr]

I purchased the Broadband unit that hooks up to the 'pre' hds units.

I was pretty frustrated with the performance of Lowrance Sonar, it was pretty reasonable to try the Broadband unit and see if improved a weak sonar.

For the most part - it was exactly what I was looking for. All of the sonar performance items were better. Some of them even seem hard to accomplish at the same time.

The 'gray lines' were better. Much easier to distinguish a difference in bottom composition.

The screen clutter cleaned up. Instead of running the gain to a level that left screen clutter on the unit, the clutter cleaned right up. I guess it would be unfair to say I marked more fish - maybe I was just on more fish??? Can say if it marked more, but the separation, and clarity were much better.

Bottom tracking improved at speed, as well as at fishing presentation. Didn't lose bottom signal as often.

In fact, I had planned to run broadband by moving an X-27 back to a console location, dedicated broadband, and run my 111 on gps. I liked the performance of the broadband so well, I purchased a 112 to go with it. (as disclosed in another thread, that is not going so well...).

Now, with all that good, I also want to emphasize how it's just an improvement over the standard Lowrance sonar. It's not the best sonar since sliced bread. Actually, it reminded me how sonars are supposed to work, and IMO haven't in recent years. It works almost as good as my Si-Tex CVS-106, only with a daylight readable screen, and minus the battery drain. Got me all the way back to where I was years earlier in regards to sonar performance.

The broadband renewed my confidence in Lowrance. I decided to not shop for another brand. Then...., well, I guess you asked me to skip that part.