Humminbird 899 or 998

[jvm1]

I'm thinking of upgrading this spring. Saw the new models but have read bad reviews about their GPS jumping when trolling slow. Apparently humminbird only guarantees the accuracy for the new units if you are going over 3 MPH.

Also read the 899 does not come with the HD transducer.

For that reason i'm thinking of going with an older model. Has anybody had any problems with those? I'm thinking the 998.

[thatoneguy]

I have an 898cSI that has worked flawlessly for me the past few years.

[reddog]

898 HD and the 899 are different animals now.

898 came with the HDSI 180T transducer and had 455 and 800 Kz Si options.

899 comes with the compact 445 khz only. It can be upgraded though,for a cost.

898 comes with a external AS GRP gps module, 899 comes standard with a internal gps module.

You can upgrade the the internal to an external puck.

The processing speeds are faster in the 899, but the processing speeds with the 898/998 are good enough to run Lakemaster chips. Any other add on feature, may slow the unit down though.

For the most part, the 898 and 998 have been good models. I would not update software past 6.49 with these if 2d sonar is important to you..

[h8go4s]

I'm thinking of upgrading this spring. Saw the new models but have read bad reviews about their GPS jumping when trolling slow. Apparently humminbird only guarantees the accuracy for the new units if you are going over 3 MPH.

Also read the 899 does not come with the HD transducer.

For that reason i'm thinking of going with an older model. Has anybody had any problems with those? I'm thinking the 998.

I doubt that any consumer targeted GPS system guarantees accuracy at low speeds. There are too many variables involved.

[jvm1]

Is the external GPS antenna better?

I found they have a transducer exchange program, $75 dollars to upgrade the transducer.

What lake cards do you guys use with this unit? Is the navionics platinum option worth it? If yes then I guess i need to go with a 900 unit

[reddog]

I dont believe there are enough of the new units with internals out there to truthfully say how good the internal is yet.

[bassfshin24]

I have a 998c and an 858 HD for a year now and both have worked perfectly. If I was you I would go for the bigger 998. I wish I would have just saved a litte more money and gotten another 998.

[yoppdk]

Couple years ago I upgraded my boat to a 898cSI. I got a great deal on it at the time, so went with the smaller screen. Later I found I could outfit the unit for ice fishing also which turned out to be a great idea ... using the gps w/Lakemaps on the ice has been great. You may be able to do so with larger units also, but the larger size is not a plus (in my opinion) when on the ice - I prefer mobility and portability.

My unit has been great ... no gps issues or jumping around. I also preferred the internal antenna simply due to simpler (I think) installation. Side scanning (in the boat) has been extremely helpful in finding structure.

[TyGuy02]

I love my 998. No issues here, but just that I have struggled to get the correct transducer placement. It's an amazing piece of electronics!

[jvm1]

I ended up going with the 899. Upgrade to the HD transducer was $65. Can't wait to try it.

Now who wants to take me fishing so I can learn how to read this unit?

Looks like there are a lot of videos in you tube. Also found a DVD/download called the technological angler. Has anybody tried that? is it worth it?

From watching a few videos it looks somewhat simple to understand but I guess time on the boat and trial and error might be the best training tool.

[arcticm1000]

I bought the DVD/download called the technological angler. I think it is good. It helps put the pieces of the puzzle together.

This you tube video is similar to what you will find in the DVD/download:

He just came out with the current one. It is version 1, he is working on version 2 and 3. When they are available I will buy them too.

[reddog]

jvm,

There is nothing like spending time in your boat watching it all unfold in front of you. All the videos in the world cant compare to being in your boat, on your home water, watching what you thought the bottom looked like over your points, rock bars, weed beds. Obviously videos help shorten the learning curve. If anything, videos and pictures show you what can be expected for performance out of your unit, if you install the transducer in the right spot initially, and are willing to tweak it to find the sweet spot.

Sending you a Pm..

R

[gregg52]

I doubt that any consumer targeted GPS system guarantees accuracy at low speeds. There are too many variables involved.

I dont get that .... how does the I pilot work ,I was told you need hummingbird

to get it to follow a certain depth

And I certainly aint going to be trolling over 3mph

I never had no problem with my 520c at slower speed

[h8go4s]

I dont get that .... how does the I pilot work ,I was told you need hummingbird

to get it to follow a certain depth

And I certainly aint going to be trolling over 3mph

I never had no problem with my 520c at slower speed

[BOUNCED]

Does the 899 have a flasher mode?