Lowrance - HDS & Side Scan?

[SmokinBarrel]

I will be in the market shortly for a Fishfinder, and seriously considering Lowrance over the Hummingbird 997 SI.

After speaking with an employee of Bass Pro, he said that Hummingbird has patent rights out through 2017 on for Side Scan technology. Therefore, if Lowrance comes out with side scan that's remotely close to Hummingbird's, then I'm sure a lawsuit may happen. So if true, I am nervous to purchase a Lowrance, because their side imaging may not be as good as Hummingbird's. My personal opinion, I like the Lowrance HDS models much better.

I am not sure what others have heard, but it'll be hard to pull the trigger on a Lowrance knowing that rumor.

[jim]

I would take with a grain of salt anything an employee of Bass pro or anywhere else told me about Patent rights.Side scanning sonar has been around for a long time both in civilian life and in the Navy so I doubt HB can stop anyone from using it.Lowrance intends to bring it out as an add on module with HD much as they did HD last year.Lowrance has been around a long time and I doubt that they would risk a patent infringement suit.Just like HD isnt a single concept that can be patented and others have already duplicated it.They intend to introduce it at the Miami boat show in July and have publicly announced it so keep your ears open and see if HB starts crying about it.I've been around a long time,since the first green box in fact and Lowrance has always been better than HB at everything.Hang on for a month and see what happens.Personally SI isnt all that great because you have to run at slooow speeds to use it and rough water causes problems also.:big_smile:

[Grimpuppy]

HB doesn't have a patent on side imaging. The name "side imaging" is trademarked by HB though. That is why Lowrance is calling theirs side scan. Anyway, when I read the actual patent, it dealt with the way it achieves side imaging, not the side imaging itself. The patent was for a single transducer that emits a side imaging beam out both sides and conventional sonar out the bottom and designed to be mounted on the transom of a boat. Most likely Lowrance's side scan will use three transducers, two side scan transducers for left and right and the third transducer that already comes with the HDS units for conventional sonar to get around the HB patent. I don't know if they can mount the side scan transducers on the transom without infringing on the HB patent. When it comes out if it isn't a transom mounted unit, then they must have felt it would still infringe on the HB patent.

I don't think I would shy away from the Lowrance because of the HB patent. Lowrance has enough money for patent lawyers to make sure they don't infringe on the HB patent. Especially since SC Johnson owns HB and Lowrance knows there isn't any shortage of lawyers in that camp.

[hunter]

Thought some of you would like this if you haven't already seen these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FKWuIfn5qA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CfwyPt3rP4