Hummingbird - 597ci HD Combo - Good / bad??

[rambling raven]

Does anyone have any experience with the Hummingbird Sonar / GPS units? A friend of mine is looking at Model - 597ci HD Combo and asked me but I have never used any of their products - Good / bad ??

http://store.humminbird.com/products...b2614882653f19

If bad what would you suggest in a similar $500 price range for interior rivers and PWS?

[skydiver]

No personal experience, but I believe that Humminbird is made by the same manufacturer as Lowrance and is a lesser-quality product (than Lowrance). I like my Lowrance sonar.

[Kevin Turner]

I've had great luck with mine...

[Jonsboat]

No personal experience, but I believe that Humminbird is made by the same manufacturer as Lowrance and is a lesser-quality product (than Lowrance). I like my Lowrance sonar.

Take a look at http://www.navico.com/Our-brands/ the company that owns Lowrance and http://www.johnsonoutdoors.com/ the company that owns Humminbird. I see no connection?

I have owned both units, I alwayse thought the Lowrance was more user friendly but maybe thats because its what I cut my teeth on.

My Humminbird is a 797 w/ side imaging, its on the fish deck and I don't do alot with it, it's just setting there giving me depth info for downrigger control.

I have a Garmin up front and when I think to compare something I'm looking at against the Humminbird it is generally there just a different look.

[skydiver]

Yep, looks like no connection between Lowrance and Humminbird. Was going from memory. Or lack of it.

[AK2AZ]

Yep, looks like no connection between Lowrance and Humminbird. Was going from memory. Or lack of it.

Eagle is the plain wrapper version of the Lowrance line...usually new Eagle stuff is one line behind the new Lowrance stufff.

[Alaskan Koda]

skydiver is wrong. humminbird is equal to or better than lowrance. they were the 1st to develop high definition side scan which lowrance eventually came out with. problem with humminbird is the limited charting which is only costal, no inland waterways or topo for Alaska and no plans to add in the future making inland GPS worthless as a moving map.....

[270ti]

I don't see many Hummingbird FF/GPS being used in saltwater applications. I'd be curious to hear a review from somebody who really uses one. Seems like everybody makes a decent unit these days, and I'd go with the one with the best charts available. A good chip can cost up to $300 for a unit, BTW.

I just installed a Raymarine 57D on my 20ft boat. So far I like it, but haven't used it enough to really give it a good workout. I should have researched the chips a little bit more. It takes a compact flash, which is spendy.