Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

[Pontoonfoon]

just got it today and installed her..

a few .. issues..

THE HUGE ONE.. is my lake is not on it, it doesent even show any water where I am. So apparently I need to put a chart of my lake in it.. I tried searching a bit and the only thing I could find was $180 from navionics which was ALL of TX loaded on an SD card.. I didnt just spend $500 to spend $200 more, screw that, there must be other options... right? I have SD cards, i just need a map of my lake.. (Coleto Creek Reservoir)


another issue is this:

in shallow water everything looks great, in water over 15 feet or so, this is what I get...

thing is, im not using the transducer that came with the unit, I had a humminbird 150 installed, and am using that transducer.. im guessing i just need to switch it out to the new one???


next issue, the GPS, cannot figure it out.

EXAMPLE:

lets say i make 5 waypoints each 500 feet apart in the shape of a giant letter C.

I select to create a route.

add waypoints in order from 001 to 005.

save.

now i go to travel and select that route..

the navigation begins.. but instead of pointing me to the first way point, then the next, then the next.. it just directs me straight to 005, disregarding the other way points.. they are THERE and display, but the navigation does not seem to acknowledge their existence.

at first I though perhaps i was loading the track backwards, so i reloaded it as reverse.. but as soon as soon as I did that it said I was at my destination..

furthermore. there MUST be a way to get this thing to automatically put down way points say one every xxxx feet something.. its kinda stupid when plotting a path around the lake for me to have to sit there and keep mashing the MARK button 250 times...

 

[John_S]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

Unless you bought a model with built-in navionics, you only get Unimap, which only has an outline for most lakes. You will need to buy a Navionics Premium or Hotmaps (not platinum) or Lakemaster maps on SD. Make sure they have your lake before buying.

I have no idea what running a "150" transducer will do. Not familiar with any "150". Change to correct transducer. Also, register and download the latest firmware for your unit. Install on blank SD and download to your unit.

Sorry, I don't use routes, so can't help there. What does the manual say on creating routes?

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

Unless you bought a model with built-in navionics, you only get Unimap, which only has an outline for most lakes. You will need to buy a Navionics Premium or Hotmaps (not platinum) or Lakemaster maps on SD. Make sure they have your lake before buying.

I have no idea what running a "150" transducer will do. Not familiar with any "150". Change to correct transducer. Also, register and download the latest firmware for your unit. Install on blank SD and download to your unit.

Sorry, I don't use routes, so can't help there. What does the manual say on creating routes?

sorry, it was from a piannamax 150, sorry bout that..


I looked and they both use the same "standard" transducer, but im still going to install the new one, hopefully that will solve the issue.

thanks for the tip on registering and getting the updates

EDIT: well mine seems to be up to date, oh well.

Cabelas has Hotmaps for $99

Im in this ****ty mind set where if i had known before that i would have to buy this software, i wouldent have bought the unit, but now that I bought it, i pretty much MUST buy the software.. or all the money I already spend is wasted.

crapola.

 

[John_S]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

Make sure Hotmaps covers your lake. Hotmaps is mostly low resolution depth contours. If the premium has your lake in HD, might be worth the extra $50.

Make sure switchfire mode is set to "clear" and try turning the sensitivity down. How fast were you going when you saved the picture above?

 

[Expidia]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

I have the same unit. I also have the 797 SI c2 (side imaging model)
I paid $1000 for the 797 new in 2007.
Several months ago I picked up the 597 for around $436.

Who buys a $500 unit without knowing it only has a base map installed?

Go to Humminbird.com and download the manual if you don't have one.

Read it. That picture you show looks to me like it's reading correctly. What I see is a weedy bottom and the weeds are rising close to the surface (the green stuff) and the red is the bottom. Below the red is just echoes (ignore them).

Or the transducer is not working with that model. Call Humminbird customer support and they can tell you if the 597 is compatible with your unit.

If the ducer is working then that picture looks like what I described above.

They sell them without the maps to keep the price down since the chips may work in another unit if you ever upgrade. I moved my chip into the 597 and bought another chip for the 797.

They also sell your unit with a bundle that includes the built in map for another $100.

Re: the optional map. They are amazing in detail. I use the Navionics. Don't buy a new one for $149. Snag a few year old version off Ebay (the lakes contours don't change). They cover a region like a few states.

I bought a 2008 chip for $79 brand new in sealed package off Ebay about 2 months ago.
These chips can't be copied as you will fry them. But nothing wrong with buying a used one off Ebay or craigslist.

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

I have the same unit. I also have the 797 SI c2 (side imaging model)
I paid $1000 for the 797 new in 2007.
Several months ago I picked up the 597 for around $436.

Who buys a $500 unit without knowing it only has a base map installed?

Go to Humminbird.com and download the manual if you don't have one.

Read it. That picture you show looks to me like it's reading correctly. What I see is a weedy bottom and the weeds are rising close to the surface (the green stuff) and the red is the bottom. Below the red is just echoes (ignore them).

Or the transducer is not working with that model. Call Humminbird customer support and they can tell you if the 597 is compatible with your unit.

If the ducer is working then that picture looks like what I described above.

They sell them without the maps to keep the price down since the chips may work in another unit if you ever upgrade. I moved my chip into the 597 and bought another chip for the 797.

They also sell your unit with a bundle that includes the built in map for another $100.

Re: the optional map. They are amazing in detail. I use the Navionics. Don't buy a new one for $149. Snag a few year old version off Ebay (the lakes contours don't change). They cover a region like a few states.

I bought a 2008 chip for $79 brand new in sealed package off Ebay about 2 months ago.
These chips can't be copied as you will fry them. But nothing wrong with buying a used one off Ebay or craigslist.

regarding the tranducer image.

that reading was in water with no weeds and a hard bottom.. hence my concern.

it reads like that no matter where I am. if im in 10ft of clear water it reads fine.. drive into clear water thats 20 feet deep and it reads like the pic.

I put in the new transducer today but no test run yet.



I picked up a copy of hotmaps premium from Academy for $99 its the 09 model but oh well.

my lake is on there and i really like what I see now. I wish i could adjust the colors some, but oh well.

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

Make sure Hotmaps covers your lake. Hotmaps is mostly low resolution depth contours. If the premium has your lake in HD, might be worth the extra $50.

Make sure switchfire mode is set to "clear" and try turning the sensitivity down. How fast were you going when you saved the picture above?

I have premium now, it has my lake in "HD"

I have no idea what "switchfire" mode is.. i dont see it in the sonar menu.

also the picture was taken stationary, in clear water (no weeds/moss)

 

[John_S]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

I have premium now, it has my lake in "HD"

I have no idea what "switchfire" mode is.. i dont see it in the sonar menu.

also the picture was taken stationary, in clear water (no weeds/moss)

Switchfire is a marketing name for a relatively new feature. I would have thought they would have added it to the 500 series. The 700 series and above do. Try setting to advanced mode, and then check sonar options.

Most of the issue is that you are not moving. Sonar draws one row of pixels at a time and scrolls right to left. It will flatline. Turn down sensitivity to make until the clutter goes away. Also try adjusting surface clutter and other filters. You might be picking up noise.

The HD maps are good.

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

New transducer in, now this is what I get:

its only 11ft deep, clean water (no weeds/moss) but it gives me this odd double reading (reflection)

reducing sensitivity does not help, neither does adjusting surface clutter, neither does adjusting noise reduction.

it only does this when sitting still.



this is the most picky annoying to work with sonar i have ever had.

whats pathetic is its also the most expensive.

 

[John_S]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

A double echo is not that uncommon in shallow water and hard bottom. That causes allot of signal return. The signal that is returning to the transducer is refelected off the surface of the water and back down and creates the 2nd echo at twice the depth. Most of the time the 2nd echo is off the screen. In your case it has locked on to the 2nd one as the actual depth.

Call HB tech support for additional settings/adjustments recommendations.

 

[Pontoonfoon]

Re: Humminbird 597ci NEED HELP!!!

On thing i was thinking, was that I mounted the transducer so that it was LEVEL with the bottom of the boat.

wel its a pontoon boat so it does not sit level in the water, the back sits lower.

so when in the water the transducer is actually angled, quite a bit.

I will try adjusting it a little today to see if it makes a difference.