Questions about 1198 and switching from lowrance

[Rippin Bite]

I currently have been running the Hds 10, & 2 hds 8's i like it but sure am interested in the 1198. is the sonar 200 k as good as the hds for picking up fish??
Also is it easy to link 3 units together?
Bow- linked just for way points
Console- with down and side and reg sonar
Stern--- with down and side and reg sonar (wife sits backwards and must watch her screen at stern) I like it for when im back trolling also.

i want 1198 at console and stern and bow a 998" screen
i see the price is about 2799 for the 1198 with down & side imaging
I would like to link them like the hds units but not sure about hummingbird.
do i have to purchase another 2799 package to just get the 1198 .
sorry for all thesee questions but am totally lost with humming bird,
i am just in the process of rigging a new boat soon.

[nicko]

Having done the same thing about a year ago, here is what I can tell you. I moved from lowrance LCX-110 and 111c to an 898 on he bow and an 1198 at the console.

You can easily link units. The hds series as well as all the new birds are linked via Ethernet. If you just use 2 units, all you need to do is run the cable between them. Very easy. You can share like for like resources. What that means is that if both units offer the function, you can share it with others. You cannot share
SI with a unit that does not offer SI. That's why I went with the 898 at the bow.

With that said, you can share all waypoints between units. I say share, because they don't automatically transfer yet. Maybe someday, but if you set a waypoint on one unit, it will pop up on the other. They can be transferred via SD card if you want.

All sonar is shareable as long as both units support the technology you are sharing. All gps pucks are shareable as well.

If you want to use more than 2 units, an Ethernet switch module is required ($200).

When I'm bass fishing I'll run a bow and console unit. When I walleye or salmon fish, I'll run both units at console when I troll using one for sonar and one for maps. I use the short 2 foot cable to link both units at the console and I can do it all using the sonar and gps from the 1198. Maximum flexibility.

As for sonar performance, I see them as being fairly equal on 2D, SI the bird is better, DI, who knows. I'd say both get the job done. I like the menu system on the bird better. As far as customer support, well you can
Read posts here to decide. Bird is pretty darn good.

Let me. Now if you need more info. Glad to share. All this is on my 1800 prov.

Nick

[Jason Halfen]

Originally Posted by nicko

With that said, you can share all waypoints between units. I say share, because they don't automatically transfer yet. Maybe someday, but if you set a waypoint on one unit, it will pop up on the other. They can be transferred via SD card if you want.

Nicko, waypoints I set with my 1198 are automatically displayed on my 1158DI that is networked by ethernet. That shared waypoint on the 1158DI shows up ringed in green.

[Jason Halfen]

Originally Posted by 208prov

I currently have been running the Hds 10, & 2 hds 8's i like it but sure am interested in the 1198. is the sonar 200 k as good as the hds for picking up fish??
Also is it easy to link 3 units together?
Bow- linked just for way points
Console- with down and side and reg sonar
Stern--- with down and side and reg sonar (wife sits backwards and must watch her screen at stern) I like it for when im back trolling also.

To link 3 units together, you'll need to use the 5-port ethernet hub. That will allow up to 5 ethernet accessories (fish finders or other equipment) to be connected simultaneously.

[LWinches]

I think Nicko did a good job with his description. I switched from Hbird to Lowrance. I think Hbird SI performs better than Lowrance. I think Lowrance does a better job on downscan than Hbird down imaging. Lowrance has the edge on networking and sharing of information. The 2D is a different story. There is a dramatic difference in 2D performance. Some aspects are purely personal preference and others relate to flexibility. While the structurescan/sideimaging is useful, for me the 2D performance has a higher priority. Hbird's ping rate algorithm is great but consistently malfunctions at 150', pinging so fast that it makes its own interference and it is not manually adjustable. I can manually adjust the ping rate on HDS. Hbird spec's their 2D performance at -10db and Lowrance at -3db. This means the both 200 & 83 kHz cones are significantly wider on Lowrance than Hbird even though both are promoted as 20 and 60 degree cones. The sensitivity adjustment on Lowrance makes it even wider. Since I prefer a wide cone this suits me well. Those preferring a tight cone will be happier with Hbird. For an apples to apples comparison, taking the adjustments into account at 200 kHz I would put Lowrance at 35 degrees and Hbird at 15 degrees. The Lowrance is more flexible on the 2D when you are using multiple units. You can set one transducer to 200 kHz and the other at 83 kHz and avoid interference. Then any unit can look at whatever you want. Hbird pings both transducers at 200 and 83 no matter what you set them to look at. The interference is near certain since you can't adjust the ping rate. I've criticized them for years for this and as yet they have failed to address such a simple issue. For Hbird you must set multiple units to use the same transducer to avoid interference. Everybody that fishes does not agree that it is advantageous for different transducers to point in different directions and are quite happy for everybody in the boat to be looking through the same transducer and seeing the same thing.

Neither company provides the best of all worlds, 2D, side viewing, and multiple unit use. If the side viewing is of the highest of priorities for you, I'd go with Humminbird. If the 2D holds the highest priority or multiple unit flexibility, stick with Lowrance.

[Rippin Bite]

Originally Posted by LWinches

I think Nicko did a good job with his description. I switched from Hbird to Lowrance. I think Hbird SI performs better than Lowrance. I think Lowrance does a better job on downscan than Hbird down imaging. Lowrance has the edge on networking and sharing of information. The 2D is a different story. There is a dramatic difference in 2D performance. Some aspects are purely personal preference and others relate to flexibility. While the structurescan/sideimaging is useful, for me the 2D performance has a higher priority. Hbird's ping rate algorithm is great but consistently malfunctions at 150', pinging so fast that it makes its own interference and it is not manually adjustable. I can manually adjust the ping rate on HDS. Hbird spec's their 2D performance at -10db and Lowrance at -3db. This means the both 200 & 83 kHz cones are significantly wider on Lowrance than Hbird even though both are promoted as 20 and 60 degree cones. The sensitivity adjustment on Lowrance makes it even wider. Since I prefer a wide cone this suits me well. Those preferring a tight cone will be happier with Hbird. For an apples to apples comparison, taking the adjustments into account at 200 kHz I would put Lowrance at 35 degrees and Hbird at 15 degrees. The Lowrance is more flexible on the 2D when you are using multiple units. You can set one transducer to 200 kHz and the other at 83 kHz and avoid interference. Then any unit can look at whatever you want. Hbird pings both transducers at 200 and 83 no matter what you set them to look at. The interference is near certain since you can't adjust the ping rate. I've criticized them for years for this and as yet they have failed to address such a simple issue. For Hbird you must set multiple units to use the same transducer to avoid interference. Everybody that fishes does not agree that it is advantageous for different transducers to point in different directions and are quite happy for everybody in the boat to be looking through the same transducer and seeing the same thing.

Neither company provides the best of all worlds, 2D, side viewing, and multiple unit use. If the side viewing is of the highest of priorities for you, I'd go with Humminbird. If the 2D holds the highest priority or multiple unit flexibility, stick with Lowrance.

You summed that up perfectly for me, I like my 2 d sonar way better. I dont like that 2 ft long transducer that lowrance has for structure scan so i'll go with out. i trust my 2 d 100%....