Humminbird 898 setup

[rainylakefisher]

So I'm just starting my second season with my HB 898. I love the GPS/Map Chip capabilities, but I feel like I'm missing out on some of the sonar capabilities. I think I need to 'dial in' the settings, adjust the transducer, etc... to maximize the machine's output. Here are a couple issues maybe you can help with:

I rarely get the classic 'arch' shaped echo you see on all the promotional materials. On Mille Lacs this past weekend, sonar echoss, that I was confident were fish, were more "broken" (i.e. gaps in between the beginning and end of the echo). Was it more than one fish? Is my ping speed too high or low?

The side imagine is really cool, but I think must have a high learning curve. I also don't believe I've got it set up exactly the way it should be. No obvious problems, but I don't get the high wuality images I see on the forum and other web sites.

Can you help? Any advice?

[thatoneguy]

A lot of it depends on the speed you're going and on the sensitivity settings. I tend to turn up my sensitivity a little higher many times, and it leads to fish showing as thicker marks. I think I have a screen cap of a pod of smallmouth I marked last fall on my chip...if I remember tonight (which is far from a sure thing!) I'll upload it so you can see what I mean.

This is my second year with my 898 as well, and I'm still learning it too. The side imaging I have dialed in pretty well, but I'm still fiddling with the DI and switchfire a bit. Nothing better for it than time on the water!

[BartmanMN]

I'm with you. An electronics tweeking class would be nice to help dial it in.

[TruthWalleyes]

Can you help? Any advice?

google "BBC Humminbird Image Interpretation"

Best resourse to answer all your questions about your HB.

HSO is not going to be nearly as helpful.

also, and i don't know if anyone said it above, but for a fish to give the "arch" it must pass through your cone.

[TruthWalleyes]

Side imaging:

Chart speed should be equal to GPS speed. 3mph = chart speed 3

Same thing goes for sonar.

If you have your chart speed faster than your boat, the fish will be "Stretched" A crappie could look like a northern. Opposite happens when chart speed is too slow.

I personally use only 200hz sonar, i dont mess around with 83. It seems to cut my chart speed in half when i switch to 83 or 200/83.

Sonar, run in max mode.

Adjust your surface clutter.

I typically run SI sensitivity at 10, contrast at 10, sharpness off. occasionally i'll turn sharpness on.

Set you SI side to side distance to 3x your depth. I like to break those rules and run between 40' and 150'. Depends on if i'm searching, or focusing.

Best thing you can do to figure out the proper settings, and i won't be the only one to say this; on any screen whether it be down, side, or sonar, move the cursor to stop the screen. Now play around with your settings until you get the picture your looking for. Then hit exit and continue on.

[reddog]

The only way youll learn how to use your SI capabilities, is to use it. My units rarely leave SI screen or SI gps split screens.. But, its been that way since day one for me.

There is nothing that a 2D screen can tell me that I cannot see on my SI screen, but there is tons of information that I can see on my SI screen that I cannot see in 2D.

Heres my online photos from day one, to current. You will see the learning shift from structure to fish as you progress thru the pictures..

http://imageevent.com/okoboji_images/hum...amp;w=0&p=0

[JohnMickish]

If you are looking for the clasic arch you will be disapointed. Hbird and Garmin display exactly what the CPU is seeing and not converting it into an arch. Have you seen any arch shaped fish? You will most likely see a "blob" with one side having more red than the other. Think of looking at a fish from the top, one end (head) has much more mass than the tail end and that is what you will see on the screen.

Not that every fish will be a blob, but for the most part they will not look like arches.

[thatoneguy]

If you are looking for the clasic arch you will be disapointed. Hbird and Garmin display exactly what the CPU is seeing and not converting it into an arch. Have you seen any arch shaped fish? You will most likely see a "blob" with one side having more red than the other. Think of looking at a fish from the top, one end (head) has much more mass than the tail end and that is what you will see on the screen.

Not that every fish will be a blob, but for the most part they will not look like arches.

Exactly - one of these days I'll put up some pics of a school of blobs; it makes a lot of sense once you see it.

[JohnMickish]

Take a look at Reddog's album. The blobs I talk about are very clearly displayed on his screen shots. Lots and lots of good info to digest there. With the DI/SI you will need to retrain your eyes and brain so that you can decifer what you are seeing. Many of Reddog's screen shots explan what is on the screen that will defintly help the learning process.

[clKiekhafer]

The only way youll learn how to use your SI capabilities, is to use it. My units rarely leave SI screen or SI gps split screens.. But, its been that way since day one for me.

There is nothing that a 2D screen can tell me that I cannot see on my SI screen, but there is tons of information that I can see on my SI screen that I cannot see in 2D.

Heres my online photos from day one, to current. You will see the learning shift from structure to fish as you progress thru the pictures..

http://imageevent.com/okoboji_images/hum...amp;w=0&p=0

reddog,

Thanks for posting your images and your interpretation of them. They help me understand what I see. Unfortunately for me in the waters that I fish and my location I don't have well defined objects in the water to help me set-up the unit, but I will keep trying.

Thanks Again!

[TruthWalleyes]

Just follow the steps i posted above regarding chart speed, SI width, etc and your images will look exactly as they should.

[clKiekhafer]

TruthWalleyes,

I'll set my unit up as suggested and give it a try the next time out.

From your experience is there one palette of colors that work better then others for you?

Others can chime in there is a color setting that you like for showing detail better than others

Thanks

[TruthWalleyes]

I personally only use blue.

Each color pallet will require different sensitivity settings FYI.

I will use Red/Green when searching for hard bottoms...Though it is easy enough on blue, i just switch to red/green at times for entertainment.

Amber is not a bad color either, just prefer blue.

Sometimes i will switch to amber if the sun is shining on the screen and blue is difficult to see.

[clKiekhafer]

I personally only use blue.

Each color pallet will require different sensitivity settings FYI.

I will use Red/Green when searching for hard bottoms...Though it is easy enough on blue, i just switch to red/green at times for entertainment.

Amber is not a bad color either, just prefer blue.

Sometimes i will switch to amber if the sun is shining on the screen and blue is difficult to see.

Thanks for all your help, I'm sure things will start to look better for me.