The beef on the new Humminbird 997c Sonar Imager.

[Nemrod]

The data does record now on a chip. On the 987c it only allows a "SnapShot" which is like the pictures I displayed above. These are saved to a card and can be viewed on your computer or on the unit itself in play back mode. The new 997 has a video mode which in addition to the Snapshot allows continuous bottom recording--as a video--which can be played back on your computer or again the unit itself. That is the way I understand it.

A towfish---no way---don't wish to fool with that. The transducer works just fine. In "rougher" conditions the side to side rolling of the boat will distort and even ruin the imaging quality, the standard sonar will continue to work and you can go back on a better day. Your not going to find lost Spanish sailing ships full of gold with these, they are best used as a super capable sonar and GPS combo with the side scan ability to overview a dive site or even find new and interesting features to dive (or fish).

N

 

[SwimJim]

Thanks for the input guys. I am currently running an Eagle Ultra on my boat which for 2D isn't too bad. Of course you have to run directly over a target to see it. I have read about a schooner which is very close to my house thats reputed to be in 140 fow. I have been on my buddys fishing boat and seen the "Lump" on his sonar. Of course I had no GPS to mark the thing. I have spent many hours in the area looking for it to no avial thus far. That's why I'm seriously interested in the 987C and the 997 to give me a more detailed and wider swath of the bottom. As you see, this is why 100 fow doesen't make it for me, but 150 is a whole new ball game.
Business is slow right now and I really want to get to Florida the end of March to attend a vintage diving gig. But after that if things go well, I may invest in one of these units.

jim

 

[Nemrod]

quote:

"As you see, this is why 100 fow doesen't make it for me, but 150 is a whole new ball game."

Again, the depth capability of the 997 and 987 are the same, it is approximately 150 feet. I know I am not explaining it well but the limitations for both units are essentially the same. What the 997 offers is for an additional 200 dollars you get built in Navionics charts, video bottom record mode, slightly larger screen, an additional high frequency for better resolution in shallow water and close up detail. That is essentially it. The depth capabilty is the same. It is 150 feet. Below 100 feet both units start to run out of punch and the bottom is pushed way off to the side. You can vary the side scan distance on both units and this helps but it does not solve the basic problem of the increasing depth (water column) pushing the bottom further and further off the sides until eventually all you see is water and that happens at 150 feet approximate.

I have used mine through the summer and fall and I have scanned objects at well over 100 feet. Again, that wreck pictured above is actually at 90 to 110 feet, I dove it. The depth readout is less because we are upslope slightly.

In this Snapshot, the low spot--lol--is at about 140 feet. These are scans with the 987c at well BELOW the 100 feet you guys are stuck on--lol.

This is a scan of the area known as the Enchanted Forest in Table Rock lake. The slope--if you follow it down in this area which I have done is well over 150 feet. I was running diagonal to the slope toward the cliffs (shoreline) and then at the top of the scan turned parrallel following the bottom at around 90 to 100 feet. Note the trees down in the deep valley. That valley is running 130 to 160 feet and is not actually a valley but appears as such because I was tracking into deeper water--downslope and then came about to go back upslope. Side scan is a whole new world.

SwimJim, I cannot answer your questions as to if the 987/997 can find your lost schooner, I just don't have the answer for you--I suspect it can.

FYI, the 987 sold for right at 2,000 dollars as does the 997 plus 200 more for the maps. I paid 1400 for mine and was given a redeemable card for one free Navionics chart--because - I whined and cried and the retailer took pity after I showed him the early reports of the 997. They have them now at 1,200 last time I checked. There is a new small unit that Chuck provided a link to that may sell under 1,000 dollars.

N

 

[cobaltblue]

The story I got from Humminbird was that the new one is also digital. That should make the penetration better to deeper depths. Although I think they are rated for the same depth, I think the digital will make a difference in the quality of the deeper images.

 

[Bill51]

This is a scan of the area known as the Enchanted Forest in Table Rock lake. The slope--if you follow it down in this area which I have done is well over 150 feet. I was running diagonal to the slope toward the cliffs (shoreline) and then at the top of the scan turned parrallel following the bottom at around 90 to 100 feet. Note the trees down in the deep valley. That valley is running 130 to 160 feet and is not actually a valley but appears as such because I was tracking into deeper water--downslope and then came about to go back upslope. Side scan is a whole new world.

Great shot of the Enchanted Forest – let me know if you have any of the old Kimberling Bridge. Depending on water level, there’s one spot at the south end of the bluff straight west of the point where we hit the bottom of a few trees at 180’. It’s cold and dark down there.

 

[SwimJim]

Nemrod, you scan looks great. Judging by what I see here I think the unit would work. As I mentioned, I've seen the lump on 2D, or at least I'm pretty darn sure I did. It's just that I didn't have a way to mark it, ie GPS to come back to it. This lump is in the aprroximate reported area in 140 fow. It comes about 20 feet off the bottom and is quite long. The lake bottom in my area is pretty flat in general although those crazy glaciers did drop a house size rock here and there to make life interesting. I'll just have to see what the year brings. If I do find that sucker this summer, I'll post some pic's.

Jim

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The 797c2 is $999 at bass pro shops, $935ish at Broken Leg Dave's. That's for the
non-chart version. Neither claims to have it, so I suspect it's vaporware. But real
close to reality -- there's a PDF of the manual on h'bird's website.

 

[84CJ7]

The smaller unit will be unuseable as far as iam concerned, you need to zoom in on many things as it is. Get a big one, either a clearance 987 or a discounted 997 (Dont pay 2k for these things or the next one to come out will have you foaming at the mouth.)

I can't wait to see the next version of these actually (the 007?), but I dunno whether it will be evolutionary or revolutionary. Depends on what new tech comes around I suppose.

 

[Nemrod]

I don't think you can zoom in side scan but I am still learning. I seriously doubt you will see a 1097c in 2007, we are 2007---lol--and this is the NEW unit for 07. I expect the next hardware upgrade will be two or three years down the road with software upgrades for the 987 and 997 in the interim, they can be updated via PC. They are pretty sophisticated as they are.

I also, not to argue, think the smaller unit would work just fine, the screen is not that small and what you can do to enlarge the screen effectively is switch to a single side--right or left--- instead of both and shut down the downlooking sonar so the entire screen shows a left OR a right scan. Bigger is going to be more viewable, certainly, but many small boat owners will do just fine with the small unit, the 792c. N

edited to correct typos