Have you heard about the Hummingbird 360 Imaging? This has to be one of the greatest innovations brought to the Hummingbird Fish Finders so far.
This new type of sonar technology works similar to the Side Imaging, but instead of offering images only to the right and to the left of the boat, it provides the angler with a 360 degree image of what’s under the boat. The circular view that you benefit from with the Hummingbird 360 Imaging has a diameter of 300 feet. This means you will have a clear view of the underwater environment, anywhere you look on a 150 feet radius from your boat, at any time.
Needless to say, you will have a much better overview of what’s underneath you than with any other Side Imaging Hummingbird fish finder. You will be able to see clearly, and with a much better accuracy, where the fish and balls of bait are, where to place your bait, or where to throw your lures, where are the sunken trees and bushes, humps or holes etc.
To benefit from accurate returns, Hummingbird 360 Imaging is best used while stationary or for trolling speeds up to 7 mph.
The Transducer Deployment System of the Hummingbird 360 Imaging Sonar is somewhat similar to the one used by the Hummingbird Fishin’ Buddy fish finders, however it’s much more advanced. It’s designed to be attached to the transom, the transducer is lowered into the water, below the outboard and bottom of the boat. This way, you will benefit from an unobstructed view.
The Hummingbird 360 Imaging technology is compatible with all the Side Imaging Hummingbird Fish Finders that have the Ethernet option. To be more specific these are: 1198c SI Combo, 998c SI Combo, 898c SI Combo. So, if you have one of these models, the 360 Imaging would be an awesome upgrade.
Anyway, this product hasn’t reached the market yet. The release is expected for the summer of 2012. The price will be a bit spicy though. The estimation for the price of this technology hover around $2000.