Looking to up my electronics. I'm sure there are plenty of you guys out there using the new Lowrace color units. My dilemmna is this. With the new side scanning sonar out there (Hummingbird) with Hummingbirds picture-like views to the side of the boat...do you feel that unit would be a better choice now seeing the old style units see just whats under the boat? I want to keep it <$1000. Your comments on using these two types of units would help me in making my decision. Thanks for any help you could provide.

Stick with the tried and true either Furuno which I use and many of the commercial guys use or Raymarine for sounders. That side imaging is cool but I am going to give it some time to let others be the guinea pig with this new tool. If it is really that amazing rest assured other companies will get in on this for the recreational fisherman.

I like time tested reliability as much as the next guy but I have to say the detail that the new side scanning units provide is a serious motivator. I would love to see witch boulders in my favorite spots hold fish better. or weather it's a wreck or a sand bar. The only thing preventing me from getting one is the price. The cheapest side scan sonar out there starts at $1000 on up to $5000. I too am in the market for a new FF but I have decided to save up my money and hold out till the end of the season. hopefully by then the prices will have dropped a bit and I'll have a bit more money in the budget for the one I want (currently $1999.99)
That's just my thoughts. Go to a good shop and get a close up look at both types. A web site is not the best place to decide how to spend that much money.

I want one, and I want to get a second ducer, build a switch box, and rotate it :D

The side scan looks awsome. I usually go for the latest and greatest when I upgrade. This is purely an opinion but I don't think you would be disappointed.

If you read the old artical in the OTW it may have you leaning toward the new hummimgbirds,,I mean seeing structure at over 150 yrds...thats nutts and more fish too. It seems to me that when guys hear the word 'hummingbird' they think L-cheapo, like what many first time boat owners buy. If they made a sticker that went over the the name that said Lowrance or Garmin,,someone could make money off them stickers.:hee: I think if hummingbird lost that yellow stripe and had the box look they'ld sell alot more.
I think that new hummingbird is the cats @$$ but like others have mentioned lettum work the bugs out. If I could afford it I'ld own it.

We're looking at getting one.The detail is amazing,and the size of the cone(what you can see)is immense.With all the money we put into this,a few more dollars won't even be felt,but the difference hopefully will be.

the best analogy is that it's like shining a flashlight in the dark.

if in side-scan mode and the fish is facing the boat then you get much less of a ping then if it's sideways to the boat.

I had one of the first side scanners...
.and i can tell you from experience from a plugger's perspective...
that when you mark
a fish out to the side within casting range....
and you cast just beyond it
and reel the bait right to where you approximate the fish is.... and hook up
it's .... as good a feeling as sight fishing to fins breaking water.

It all depends... does the wife want a new kitchen counter as badly as you want a sidescanner. If you don't mind sleeping on the couch for a month or so, get the sidescanner ;)

Or get the wife one for mothersday. Tell her she can use it to watch the kids swim under the boat.