Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

kinggabbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Nov 18, 2008
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I have an old Hummingbird Wide Eye C as my depth finder and I am having trouble identifying structure, bait fish, etc... The detail and resolution on these units is not great. Can anyone who has used one tell me what a ball of baitfish would look like or any kind of structure? Thanks for the help.
 

kinggabbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Nov 18, 2008
Messages
107
Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

Thanks for the reply. I have downloaded the manual and read it thoroughly. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be alot of help. I don't know what the C in the model name means either.
 

John_S

Rear Admiral
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Jun 21, 2004
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Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

Tell me a little about how you have been using it:

- General Water Depths
- Settings changed from default
- What you are seeing on the screen
- Type of transducer (side or standard down)


BTW: I don't have experience with the Wide Eye, but with similiar units of that vintage: Wide Optic & Wide Portrait
 

kinggabbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Nov 18, 2008
Messages
107
Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

I'm new to depth finders so I'll try to explain the best I can. I've mainly been using it to try to find structure underwater/on the bottom, bottom contours, and balls of baitfish. I have tried various settings on it that are not the default settings.
What I Have Seen:
-A line of something near the bottom (thermocline maybe?)
-Individual fish(looks like a fish with FishID on, like a dot or line of dots with it off)
-Various other splotches at varying depths in the water (structure, baitfish, I have no idea)

I am pretty sure the transducer is a down transducer. (Can one transducer show both down and side?)

Thanks for the help.
 

John_S

Rear Admiral
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Jun 21, 2004
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4,269
Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

Not sure what happened to the site last night, but it went down in the middle of this post, and it was lost.

I'm new to depth finders so I'll try to explain the best I can. I've mainly been using it to try to find structure underwater/on the bottom, bottom contours, and balls of baitfish. I have tried various settings on it that are not the default settings.
What I Have Seen:
-A line of something near the bottom (thermocline maybe?)

*I have not seen thermoclines near bottom. Usually some "middlish" depth over deeper water.

-Individual fish(looks like a fish with FishID on, like a dot or line of dots with it off)

*Yes, you typically will not see arches with low resolution screens and narrower or high frequency beam.

-Various other splotches at varying depths in the water (structure, baitfish, I have no idea)

*Splotches in the middle depths could be schools of baitfish. Unlikely to be structure. Structure will be close to the bottom, but it takes time to interpret the screen data. It is best to learn in clear water where you can see what is down there and compare to whats on the screen. The finder doesn't know what it is either.

I am pretty sure the transducer is a down transducer. (Can one transducer show both down and side?)

*Read the manual and look at what is installed. I saw that it has wide side capability, so wanted to make sure you weren't using that view.

Thanks for the help.

These older finders have relative low resolution screens, which will make for very "blocky" display. As water depth range increases, more and more detail is lost.

A couple of things to try:

- Turn Fish Id and alarm off.

- Turn up the sensitivity as high as possible. You may get dark screen or clutter at the top, but you will get me better definition at mid and bottom.

- Turn auto-ranging off. Set manually such that you can start to get a perspective to thickness of the bottom echo and determine soft from hard bottom.

- Try using zoom in split screen to get additional detail, when needed. I was able to use this to see jigging spoons while ice fishing, with these type of low res screens.

I hope this helps.
 

kinggabbo

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 18, 2008
Messages
107
Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

Thanks for the tips. I am going to try them out tomorrow. One thing I'm not sure how to set on the finder: How do use zoom in split screen?
 

John_S

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2004
Messages
4,269
Re: Tips on a Hummingbird Wide Eye C

Well, if I wanted to try one out tomarrow, I'd have to cut a hole in the water ;) It was -16F this AM. Enjoy the open water.

PS: If the manual doesn't describe it, maybe you unit doesn't have that capability.
 
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