Humminbird 997c - Side Imaging© Photos by Mark Miller © Hi-Res Source
Technology is really Grand these days, is it not? I reluctantly began searching for a new GPS due to my NorthStar 951xd getting a sunburn. It was really getting hard to see and I kept having to delete waypoints to make room for new ones since it only holds 1,000 waypoints. Anyway, in my shopping endevours I discovered that there is new side imaging technology out there and Humminbird was the only one making it available to the common "Joe" like you and me. I was a bit reluctant about how well it would work, but I had to try it. As you can see from these images, it is really some awesome technology and the reefs do not stand a chance now. Not only can you see the taller wrecks, but low profile rubble that is almost impossible to see on conventional sounders show up as a big white blotch on this instrument. In addition you can move the cursor over the center and place a mark at the location, although I am not completely sold on this accuracy yet. The unit's keys do not work nearly as smooth as the NortStar unit, but the side-imaging is a "must have". I have purchased all the cadillac chips for Charts and FishMapping as well as the NavPlanner Software. I still have some work to do with this unit, so I will save the heavy criticism for later after working with it more. Check back as I plan to add more images as I collect them.
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