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Thread: DI versus SI

  1. #1
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    Default DI versus SI


    Tell me if I am thinking of this the right way... The way I see it, unless you are into tournaments, side imagining is more of a luxury than something the average fisherman really needs. Honestly the only time I can see a real benefit would be on a river searching for catfish hiding underneath an under cut bank. In deeper water DI seems like it would be the best choice for picking apart cover, in other words, if the water is deep enough for me to run my outboard in shouldn't I be able to use regular sonar and DI to see what is going on down there? The reason I am asking this is I am trying to talk myself out of dropping almost as much as I paid for my boat on electronics to put on my boat! Ha ha
    Chris

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    DI and SI have their uses, I use the SI mostly when I'm looking for new places. If I find something intresting I mark a way point then idle over it with the DI to get a good look at it. The DI gets used the most, usually on a split screen with 2d while fishing. In real shallow water the area a depthfinder sees is so small it's probably useless, never tried the SI in real shallow water.

  3. #3
    rnvinc's Avatar
    rnvinc is offline Crappie.com 2016 Man of the Year * Member Sponsor
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    DI will show what's under the boat and out to the sides a few feet...

    SI will show what's under the boat, out to the side 100+ feet ...and which side of the boat...

    SI cannot be matched in it's ability to show bottom coverage/fish....and which side of the boat that cover/fish is residing...

    SI is mainly a "search and find" tool ...where DI is a "pick apart the structure" tool...

    Each is as different as a "Phillips screwdriver" vs a "Torx screwdriver"...

    "Basic function" is the same in each (sonar function and/or screwdriver function)...

    Each's "job task" is completely different...

    Which "job task" tool (SI vs DI) benefits your fishing style can only be determined by you....

    Rickie
    Last edited by rnvinc; 02-15-2013 at 09:59 AM.
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    and the more shallow the water, the less effective (in terms of area scanned by the sonar) it will be.
    GO BIG ORANGE !

    I meant to behave, but there were just way too many other options available at the time.

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    Thought long and hard on this issue and read a lot on this site.I am going tomorrow to get HB798 HD SI unit with 2 mounts and TM tranducer so i can switch unit from console to front.
    I chose 798 0ver 598 because if i like the unit i am going to get 2nd unit either another 798 or even 898 if i feel i need the bigger screen. the 598 is not compatablre sharing info with 898 model.
    appreciate any pro or con on what i am doing.I have Triton TR20 glass boat with Lowrance Black White in dash finders front and back currently that came with this 2000 yr boat.
    Finally scraped up enough money to upgrade and think the SI on a unit is worth it.
    Last edited by crappies nightmare; 02-15-2013 at 11:44 AM. Reason: add more info

  6. #6
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    Sounds like a wise decision. Just a suggestion I would get with Scott at Hi- Tec and get one of his mounts for the front of the boat. Get finder up so you can see better and easier to make adjustments and mark waypoints.
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by justinp61 View Post
    DI and SI have their uses, I use the SI mostly when I'm looking for new places. If I find something intresting I mark a way point then idle over it with the DI to get a good look at it. The DI gets used the most, usually on a split screen with 2d while fishing. In real shallow water the area a depthfinder sees is so small it's probably useless, never tried the SI in real shallow water.
    Quote Originally Posted by rnvinc View Post
    DI will show what's under the boat and out to the sides a few feet...

    SI will show what's under the boat, out to the side 100+ feet ...and which side of the boat...

    SI cannot be matched in it's ability to show bottom coverage/fish....and which side of the boat that cover/fish is residing...

    SI is mainly a "search and find" tool ...where DI is a "pick apart the structure" tool...

    Each is as different as a "Phillips screwdriver" vs a "Torx screwdriver"...

    "Basic function" is the same in each (sonar function and/or screwdriver function)...

    Each's "job task" is completely different...

    Which "job task" tool (SI vs DI) benefits your fishing style can only be determined by you....

    Rickie

    Both of these gentlemen are spot on with their responses. Sidescan is for searching, downscan is for confirmation that it's worthwhile to spend time fishing the cover or structure you found.
    Is sidescan a luxury? Possibly, but it is a time saver. Since my time on the water is extremely limited, I consider it a necessity.

    Just my two cents worth...
    -LP

    2007 Skeeter ZX-20 Bay / Yamaha 150 VMax
    Lowrance HDS-8, 7, & 5 with LSS-1

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by justinp61 View Post
    DI and SI have their uses, I use the SI mostly when I'm looking for new places. If I find something intresting I mark a way point then idle over it with the DI to get a good look at it. The DI gets used the most, usually on a split screen with 2d while fishing. In real shallow water the area a depthfinder sees is so small it's probably useless, never tried the SI in real shallow water.
    Why choose? If you have the means get them both. I have HDS system, units fore and aft with LSS & ethernet to help share info.
    None of it's really necessary but I wouldn't trade any of it and go backwards.

  9. #9
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    My only suggestion would be if you get the 798 make sure it's the HD so it will have the Ethernet connection. You'll need that after you use it a while and upgrade to a bigger screen and want to connect them. Just my 2c worth.
    The sweetest of all sounds is (Get the nets that's a 3 lb'er)

  10. #10
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    If I had to choose between the two it would be side imaging. I use side imaging every time I go fishing.
    Quote Originally Posted by crappies nightmare View Post
    Thought long and hard on this issue and read a lot on this site.I am going tomorrow to get HB798 HD SI unit with 2 mounts and TM tranducer so i can switch unit from console to front.
    I chose 798 0ver 598 because if i like the unit i am going to get 2nd unit either another 798 or even 898 if i feel i need the bigger screen. the 598 is not compatablre sharing info with 898 model.
    appreciate any pro or con on what i am doing.I have Triton TR20 glass boat with Lowrance Black White in dash finders front and back currently that came with this 2000 yr boat.
    Finally scraped up enough money to upgrade and think the SI on a unit is worth it.
    I would get the 898 HD first, my first unit was a 797c2 SI then later bought a 997. I didn't know how much detail I was missing with the smaller screen.

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