North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Hi all

I'm lookin for a new sounder/chart plotter. Was thinking a HDS12 all a long but have started looking around a bit and now I'm not sure!

Fish mostly rivers (only 420 renegade) am currently running a lowrance atm but it doesn't have structurescan or downscan. It's also only a Hds5 so want s bit more screen to play with.

Who used what and liked what? Simrad looks good. Hummingbird could talk to my ipilot and the new 360 looks interesting as well. Lowrance I'm hearing seems a bit slow in these later models?

Any info would be appreciated

Cheers

Chris

New Humminbirds have instant mapping built in .

I'm a fan of lowrance/simrad and they're both proven brands up here. Good luck!

Humminbird all the way.
Had my 798SI for 6.5 years and still going strong.
Nothing else for me!

Has anyone had a play with a HB Onix?

If you can afford it, go Simrad mate. Since your looking at a HDS12, then you got a bit of coin to spend. I run a coupe of NSS9 evo2's and there awesome.
Iv'e had a little bit to do with HDS's and the Simrad's seem like the next level. Very easy to use, screen resolution is awesome.
I haven't used the high end Hummingbird stuff though, so I can't comment regard on them.

Simrad did catch my eye. Look well finished, have only seen them on the net tho. Kununurra does have much in the way of display stock! Who stocks them in Darwin?

Hds12 is huge for a tinny...i have a raymarine a78 that even with split screens is fine it's 7"..bl..dy fine bit of kit! 12" is like sitting in front of a computer screen I do agree that 5 is too small but I reckon you'd struggle to mount a 12" screen without it getting in the way in a tinny that size. Not having a go mate just my opinion..

garmin have some pretty fancy stuff out now, a mate back in SA just put the 12inch in his boat has CHIRP down and side scan and is waiting for his transducer to come from the states for 3D forward sonar
the pictures look impressive, not sure on $$

I agree a 12 is huge for a tinny, but I want to buy one that will see me out of this boat into the next (bigger) boat as well. I've had a measure of my console and the 12 will fit, just loose the use of the cup holder. I'm not 100% on what size screen I want just want the right bit of kit to last me a while. Its tricky to decide when you cant just go eye ball them all

i run a hummingbird easy to use and is great for what i do.
ill be sticking to them in the near future.

I'm planning on an Onix8SI come tax return. The mapping has sold me & the fact that whatever I map doesn't become Navico data two years after I've gone to that effort. 2016 tax return I may consider the addition of the 360 transducer depending on whether my wife gets wise.