Side Imaging
It’s all in the details. Gain a 180 degree side-to-side perspective on the
world below the surface with remarkable Humminbird® Side Imaging®. In an
instant, the ultra-thin beam scans the area up to 240 feet to the left and right
of your boat location—for total coverage of up to 480 feet. The return image for
each slice is then added to the images taken immediately before and after to
build an incredible view of the lake bottom. You can then magnify the detail of
the image with the zoom feature or mark the GPS location of promising cover or
structure directly on the screen.
Side Imaging's high-frequency beams reveal structure, cover, and contour changes
with crystal clarity. The images are so real you might think it’s a camera, but
it’s not, so it doesn’t matter how murky the water is.
How to Read Side Imaging
Understanding a few simple concepts will help you grasp the detailed
images of Humminbird Side Imaging and make you a master of the lake or sea
bottom. Compare the screenshot and diagram to help visualize how Side
Imaging works. We’ve included several callouts to explain what you’re
seeing. Remember, Side Imaging is a history of what you’ve already passed
by.
A- Boat Location
The position of your boat in relation to the on-screen image. The
on-screen image is a history of what you have passed over.
B- Water column
The dark blue area shows structure, cover and activity between the surface
and lake bottom.
C- Bottom Profile
Reveals depth and terrain directly beneath the path of your boat.
D- Flat Terrain
Neutral shades of blue represent flatter terrain.
E- Descending Terrain
Dark shades of blue represent descending terrain.
F- Rising Terrain
Lighter shades of blue typically represent terrain rising from the bottom.
Sometimes, very hard bottoms appear as a whiter shade.
G- Fallen Log
The shortened horizontal shadows indicate cover very close to the bottom
of the lake. The angle of the shadow gives away the orientation of the
log.
H- Standing Timber
Objects standing off the bottom directly below the boat will appear in the
water column. Structure to the left or right of the boat will appear as a
clearly defined bright shape with an adjacent, dark sonar "shadow." This
shadow is not caused by light; rather it's the lack of sonar return
because the object has already reflected the sonar energy. Generally, long
shadows indicate the object is tall, and small shadows indicate something
is short. It's important to note the shadow will often tell you more about
the object than the primary sonar reflection.
Visualizing Side Imaging
Reading the image produced by Humminbird Side Imaging is easy. Simply
visualize the screen folded in half down the middle (behind the boat).
Then, fold the image again at the lowest point of the water column. The
dark blue area provides a visual representation of the water column and
lake bottom directly below your boat.
Understanding the Beam
Humminbird Side Imaging Sonar uses a razor thin beam to take a “sonar
snapshot” of the area up to 240 ft. to the left and right of your
location. The return image for this slice is then added to the images
taken immediately before and after to build an incredibly detailed view of
the lake bottom.
Bridge Pilings
Submerged bridge pilings on lake bottom.
Finding Bait
Side Imaging reveals balls of bait that you can use when targeting
where fish are feeding.
Mark Waypoints
See something interesting like the sunken sailboat shown here? Save its
exact GPS location as a waypoint on your Humminbird Imaging screen for easy
return trips.
Zoom
Enable the zoom mode to hone in on the tiniest details. Here, we’re able to
identify predators feeding on baitfish in the water column.
Split Screen
View multiple Humminbird sonar technologies at once for a complete picture.
Here, we’re able to see this wreck from several angles for optimal lure/bait
presentation.
Range Lines
Enable range lines to judge the distance between your boat and underwater
objects. Here, we can easily see the main hull of this wreck is 27 feet from
our starboard side.
Contour Mode
Use Contour Mode to remove the water column. Note how this submerged
railroad track now appears as though we’re looking straight down at it from
our boat.
Color Palette
Adjust color palette, sensitivity and sharpness to match conditions,
enhance detail and target fish species. Changing color schemes helped shed new
light on this cover.
Mega Imaging
Look closely. You've never seen anything like new MEGA Imaging™. Delivering
nearly 3X the output of standard Side Imaging®, this groundbreaking technology
takes fishfinding into the megahertz frequency for the very first time. It's
indisputably the clearest, sharpest sonar image ever-brought to you by the
undisputed leader.
MEGA Imaging has you covered from multiple angles. Choose MEGA Side Imaging
for an incredible view to the left and right of your boat. Opt for MEGA Down
Imaging® for a crystal clear picture below your boat. Both technologies are
built into HELIX® 12, 10 and 9 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G2N models.
higher frequency means greater clarity
Some of the best fishing happens in depths less than 125 ft. And that's where
the high frequency beam of MEGA Imaging shines brightest. In MEGA Side Imaging
mode, you'll have coverage out to 125 ft on either side of your boat. For depths
in excess of 125 ft and coverage out to 400 ft to either side of your boat, the
blended beam gives you traditional Humminbird Imaging clarity.
Zoom in to reveal a single fish and its shadow.
Note the individual stones surrounding this bridge.
A bicycle is seen here on the edge of a submerged swimming pool.
Observe the school of fish holding over this debris pile in zoom mode.
Humminbird Down Imaging
Sometimes, to catch fish, not only do you have to think like one, you've got
to see like one. Get a fish-eye’s view of what’s happening below your boat with
Humminbird® Down Imaging®. These incredible images are created with high
frequency sound waves emitted in ultra-thin slices. The sonar returns from these
waves produce a “portrait.” As you patrol the water, you’ll watch fish, reefs,
timber, brush, bridge pilings, rocks, and any other structure or cover pop with
stunning detail.
Understanding Down Imaging
The detailed images of Down Imaging are created with high-frequency sound
waves emitted in ultra-thin slices. The sonar returns from these waves produce a
"snapshot" of what's below your boat.
SwitchFire / Down Imaging
This view provides complete understanding of what exactly is going on below
your boat. Quickly identify cover and structure with Down Imaging, while using
SwitchFire® to locate and target fish. Together, they take the guesswork out of
sonar fishfinding.
Down Imaging / Side Imaging
Get a complete 180 degree view. Down Imaging provides incredible detail
directly below your boat while Side Imaging® extends 240 feet to either side
of your boat. These two detailed images are unlike anything you've ever seen.
Down Imaging / Charts
Use the split screen feature to view you lake charts with the Down Imaging
sonar simultaneously.
Down Imaging / SwitchFire / Side Imaging
Don't miss a thing with these three Humminbird technologies working
together. Use SwitchFire and Down Imaging together for a stright down view,
while Side Imaging reaches out to both sides.
CHIRP Sonar Technology
Conquer the Full Spectrum
Only Humminbird lets you view low, medium and high CHIRP ranges, either
individually or all at once. Dial in a specific kHz, search a defined range or
cover the entire spectrum—it’s up to you. Because it uses a broader range of
frequencies, Humminbird CHIRP also delivers extreme target separation, lower
noise and richer, higher-resolution images and the power to reach depths of
10,000 feet (3,000 meters).
Your fishing arsenal isn’t limited to one or two lures. No sir. It’s filled with
options. Imagine your Humminbird® as a tackle box. You have a wealth of tools at
your fingertips, each with its own job. And think of Humminbird CHIRP as yet
another lure, with a specific task: showing you fish that other forms of SONAR
cannot.
Improved Fish Detail
Nothing fishy here.
With CHIRP, you can tell the difference between a sport fish, a baitfish and a
weed based on the finely detailed arches.
Greater Clarity
Don’t miss a thing.
Thanks to the precision of CHIRP, you can clearly identify subtle structural
details, like bridge cables, that can clue you into where the fish are.
More Target Separation
No more “blobs.” In
traditional 2D SONAR, it can be difficult to tell where one object begins and
another ends. That’s not the case with the target separation of CHIRP.
Reduced Noise
Filter out the
nonsense. CHIRP sweeps multiple frequencies to eliminate confusing noise and
interference. For example, see separation between fish and brush.
Unmatched Precision
Dial it in. CHIRP
allows you to select individual frequencies, enabling you to see the smallest
details. For instance, monitor your jigging action on screen.
Increased Depth
Get to the bottom of
it. By blasting more energy below the surface, CHIRP SONAR can take you to
extreme depths with greater accuracy.
All forms of CHIRP are not created equal. While competitors were flooding the
market with technologies that barely qualify for the term, Humminbird was
developing and perfecting a true Broadband CHIRP worthy of its innovative
legacy. We did not cut corners—with full broadband capabilities built into our
HELIX™ 12 Series CHIRP models. And while our competition picks just a few
frequencies for you, we give you full spectrum capability, plus the power to
select your own start and end frequencies.
Superior Data Processing
Unless you have a PhD
in SONAR interpretation, raw CHIRP information is meaningless without the
right software to connect the data points. Humminbird’s CHIRP Processing
Engine uses proprietary algorithms to more efficiently compare and crunch
CHIRP data, instantly drawing an easy-to-understand image.
More Pulses
Traditional
transducers put you on hold, wasting valuable time “charging up” before each
SONAR pulse. Humminbird CHIRP transducers are engineered to minimize charge
time, firing off more pulses in a given period of time. More pulses mean more
information and improved target separation.
Greater Power
By bouncing more
energy off the bottom, Humminbird CHIRP is able to provide more detailed
returns, especially in deep water.
Ultra-Wide Broadband
Some so-called CHIRP
SONAR products only sweep a narrow range of frequencies, giving you a very
limited view of the underwater world. By comparison, Humminbird CHIRP unlocks
your transducer’s full CHIRP capability, scanning its widest possible band of
frequencies. With more frequencies to compare, Humminbird’s CHIRP Processing
Engine can more effectively filter out noise, delivering a clearer, more
precise picture
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