Hummingbird 859ci HD DI KVD

joker58103

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Walmart has the Hummingbird 859ci HD DI KVD with a Navionics + chip on sale for $540 - seems like a good deal compared to the other places selling just a plain Hummingbird 859ci HD DI.

My question is - what makes the KVD version so much less? Everything I have read simple says the KVD is the same but comes with some tackle, red buttons, and a signature on front.

Did I actually find a deal?

I plan on using this in the Bow as someday I might upgrade to the I-link. I am looking for a console unit also and am on the fence between a Garmin 73SV Chirp and Helix 7 SI - any experience from the group with either?

Thanks so much!
 
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YATYAS

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859 DI HD is on sale at cabelas for $499. No navionics chip though.

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There is no functional difference between a KVD model and a non KVD model.
 

RustyTackleBox

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cabelas has a 959 ci hd in the bargain cave today also and it looks like a good deal... imo i would go with the humminbird i feel the 360 technology is the future of graphs and from what I've read the garmin's are not as clear and you can only see forward with their units not behind you also

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another tip... if you want to take it home today, stop in scheels and they will price match it for you if they have one in stock i got a 14' scheels rod with diawa sealine LC 3 47 reel combo last week because cabelas had their same combo with the cabelas rod and cabelas only diawa LC5 reel for less than what it would have cost me at scheels and they price matched it for me even though it was not an exact match (only difference is the LC3 has 3 ball bearings and the LC 5 has 5 and only sold by cabelas)
 

joker58103

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I believe the 859 from Cabelas is a refurbished unit?

The Bargain Cave 959 looks interesting!

I didn't know Scheelsls would price match Cabelas - that could have saved me some cash in the past. Thanks for the heads!

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I am a newbie here - first boat and all this is a bit new to me....what makes you like the Garmin unit over a HB or Lowrance?
 
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YATYAS

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The 859 DI and the refurbished 859 DI are the same price.

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I believe the 859 from Cabelas is a refurbished unit?

The Bargain Cave 959 looks interesting!

I didn't know Schools would price match Cabelas - that could have saved me some cash in the past. Thanks for the heads!

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I am a newbie here - first boat and all this is a bit new to me....what makes you like the Garmin unit over a HB or Lowrance?


The 959 at cabbalas does not appear to be DI.

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Go Garmin, it's a no brainer.

I have used HB for 3 years now and would not endorse them one way or the other. I don't own stock in HB or any competitor. People should look at their needs and budget and buy what works for them. If someone wants to use 360 sonar or i-pilot link the HB is the choice. Also should consider the maps; what is the preference and what map cards are comparable with the unit of choice. I am not sold on the chirp just yet. I can use the technology I have to find fish and structure.
 

RustyTackleBox

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there is pro's and cons to everything... I have a lowrance in my boat and I use it for 2D imaging (thats all it has) and also I have a humminbird onix for 360, side, and down imaging, i don't use chrip that much yet... I do like the mapping on the humminbird and the link to my trolling motor... I am still working out the kinks on my humminbird stuff but I am starting to recognize fish on it, I just got it all setup this spring so it's only been out 4 times

what steered me to the humminbird is the +link, 360 (i like shiny toys), and the ability to adjust lake levels and have it reflect on your map.
what steered me away from lowrance is the mapping... I fish sak 99% of the time and the navionics mapping sucks for sak because it was done in a very low year and never updated
 

ndfishin15

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I enjoy my HDS Gen2 Touch. Compared to other companies it is much easier to use in my opinion. The side scan and down scan work great and gives me what I need. I don't know which company is "better" but as long as I can see what im looking for im happy. Humminbird and Garmin both have revolutionary stuff for the bow with 360 and panoptix but I don't have experience with either so I wont comment. I haven't messed wit CHIRP either and don't know if its needed since I use my down scan for a better image anyway. The main downside to Lowrance is the price. You can usually do better with the other brands as far as the amount of features for the price although there has been some good deals for the HDS7 gen2 touch at scheels.
 

shorthairsrus

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Eyexer. Can I put a garmin on my dash use it for di si only have transducer on back next to my bird will it cause interference
 

RustyTackleBox

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Eyexer. Can I put a garmin on my dash use it for di si only have transducer on back next to my bird will it cause interference

it'll depend on the frequency's you are using... example: if i use my HB with chirp in the high range, i cant use my lowrance in the 200khz range... or if i use my HB chirp in the low range i cannot use the lowrance in the 83khz range... how ever you can adjust the chrip frequency so you can set it to like 201khz-255khz or something like that to keep the 200 clear for your other fish finder

i do not know about the garmin stuff if you can adjust their frequency... for the DI and SI i believe its like 800khz
 
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joker58103

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I did check out the Lowrance HDS7 gen2 touch and I did really like the way it operates. The touch screen was a really nice and convenient way to navigate the interface. How are the maps compared to HB and Garmin? I will mostly likely stick to 100 miles of Fargo so Ashtabula, Minnesota, and maybe Devils Lake areas.

I also got a bit confused on the models. There is an 7 TI modEl that sounded almost identical...
 
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ndfishin15

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I did check out the Lowrance HDS7 gen2 touch and I did really like the way it operates. The touch screen was a really nice and convenient way to navigate the interface. How are the maps compared to HB and Garmin? I will mostly likely stick to 100 miles of Fargo so Ashtabula, Minnesota, and maybe Devils Lake areas.


I haven't compared to HB or Garmin but lake insight is very accurate on Audubon and Darling and it at least shows the flats and sunken islands in Sakakawea so I'm happy with it. I know Sakakawea good enough to where I just use it to find a flat if there are no boats giving it away saving me some time. I haven't fished any other lake yet.
 

NDHick

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I just put a Garmin n Echomap 93sv on my dash. Will let you know more next week after I test. From the reading I did on walleye central and a few other message boards I was persuaded to go Garmin. Panoptix seems to be light years ahead of 360 for finding fish and watching the action.
 

NDHick

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Went out last night for about a half hour just to test after I got the transducer mounted. So far very impressed. The side scan and down imaging seem to be top notch. I really like the way the menu is set up also. The only thing lacking in my opinion is the map which my hummingbird map on my 998CI was about the same. Will be playing with the auto mapping more when I get time. Will hopefully have more info in the next week. The big water seems to have turned into a dead sea for now but will get out at least one day just to play with the new toy some more.
 


revolutionz

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If the budget allows, look into the helix 9 also if mapping is a concern...I got to play with the autochart live feature on mine this weekend and could see it being quite useful for mapping out areas you frequent to get a better idea of the contours. I managed to map a hole in the lake we were on that we knew was there but not on the lakemaster chip....it's there now thanks to autochart, and I can drive right to it!
 

eyexer

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I've had Lowrance, bird and now a Garmin. The Garmin is far easier to run, has a better GPS and the maps it comes with are great, won't need anything else. You can use any transducers together as long as they aren't close in frequency. I'm going to mount an older Vexilar Edge LC507 alongside my Garmin because I still have not found anything yet that comes close in regards to detecting fish, especially tight to the bottom. So I found a used one. The frequencies are fairly close on one of the two Vex ducers so I'll have to see if I can use the one. Garmin has been a leader in aircraft GPS since GPS came out. They have also been a top selling offshore unit forever too. They are just now really trying to bite into the freshwater market. I won't buy anything else but a Garmin unless one of the others come out with something staggering. Nobody in the world has had more problems or warranty horrors than Lowrance or Bird. Just spend some time on some of the electronics forums. And don't try to tell me it's because Garmin doesn't sell many units. When you add up the saltwater and freshwater together they probably outsell both bird and lowrance in total units. You probably won't find many if any of those two in saltwater boats.

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Panoptix is going to change trolling motor mounted electronics completely
 

BGH

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Now remember, if you plan on using the pre-installed transducer on your trolling motor, that transducer CANNOT do down imaging or side imaging. It can only do regular 2D sonar. So the DI is kind of pointless if you plan to do that



Walmart has the Hummingbird 859ci HD DI KVD with a Navionics + chip on sale for $540 - seems like a good deal compared to the other places selling just a plain Hummingbird 859ci HD DI.

My question is - what makes the KVD version so much less? Everything I have read simple says the KVD is the same but comes with some tackle, red buttons, and a signature on front.

Did I actually find a deal?

I plan on using this in the Bow as someday I might upgrade to the I-link. I am looking for a console unit also and am on the fence between a Garmin 73SV Chirp and Helix 7 SI - any experience from the group with either?

Thanks so much!
 

joker58103

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Now remember, if you plan on using the pre-installed transducer on your trolling motor, that transducer CANNOT do down imaging or side imaging. It can only do regular 2D sonar. So the DI is kind of pointless if you plan to do that

Thanks for the heads up - I have learned so much lately on how all this stuff works, mostly from guys like you on the forums...I sounds like to do what I want I need to network into a console unit? It all starts to get expensive fast. I might have to skip the dreams of I-pilot for now.

I used to consider myself sort of a techie...now I know how my grandparents felt trying to use a VCR!

I wish Hummingbird put out a fish finder for dummies guide...
 


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