Home Forums Fishing Freshwater ????? livescope information ?????

[size:14pt][/size]I am very new to the livescope an Panoptix's thing. I am trying to figure out a lot of things about it like, is livescope and Panoptix's the same thing or two total different things? I am not sure what i really need to use it. Do i need the regular transducer as well as the Panoptix's transducer? It will be used on a total different pole and not put on my trolling motor. Where is the best place to buy one from that isn't gonna cost me a fortune or is the best price for the value? What size would be the better one the 10" or 12"? What model is better? What do they mean when they mention the plus when talking about it all? Any help would be great if ya can give any.

Kimmie I can give you a few words of what I know. The Panoptix live scope system is all the same system made by Garmin.
I’ve talked with reps being I’m in the business and even at my cost it’s a spendy deal.
The unit on your dash can be 10” 12” whatever as long as it is compatible to the transducer and also accepting of upgrades which are really the newer transducer capabilities that are coming.
They do make a transducer that goes on your trolling motor. You only need the one. Mount to the boat whatever.
I took a ride with a rep last year on devils lake. Real impressive electronics but for the price he suggested I wait, they are coming down of course and bigger advancements are in the works.

The guy made the mistake of telling me the price ahead of time. That made me gloss over the details a lot. Wowed I was but for the time being I’ll stay with my Helix units. I really don’t know where a good deal can be had I just know if you go to cheap you can be outdated and spending heavy not far down the road.

Hopefully others here can correct anything I got wrong?

Osky

Fishing is my main passion in life, and I’ve been playing with Electronics for a long time, But I’m on the fence with all the new forward looking units,

Reason being, So many options, so many different setups, so many different mounting options,

Lots of questions for me at this point, Not to mention fairly large start up expense,

I’d suggest you find a dedicated forum for your particular unit and absorb all you can there,

Facebook and other sites can/will have specific forums.

Thanks OSKY The information you told me is very appreciated and helpful and i'm still waiting for now just finding out all the information before i do go head into something im not sure about.

Thanks Kenneth i am still looking into all of the information an stuff. I appreciate the response all is helpful.

Each company has their own version of forward facing sonar…. Lowrance, Humminbird, and Garmin…. I have the Humminbird version (mega live)….. depending on what type of fishing you are doing is weather or not you need it…. MY opinion. I’m a bass fisherman and fish deep reservoirs for spotted bass…. If I was primarily a shallow water guy like in the south or the delta here I don’t think it’s as beneficial…..I know guys who fish crappie swear by it…. I don’t know about other species or techniques.

Some say one is better than the other…. Ford vs. Chevy 👍

As for mounting…. They all use their own transducer…. You can either mount it to the trolling motor or there are various companies that make a separate pole mount that you can swivel where ever you want…. Just remember, it only looks where you have it pointed.

…. Humminbird did just come out with “active target” which mounts the transducer on its own pole and will “follow” the trolling motor until you see something you want to look at….. from there, you can lock it and move the trolling motor however you want and the transducer will stay locked on target via the built in gps.

As for a screen, you only need a screen that is capable of reading the transducer…. I already had the newer version of Humminbird’s on my boat so I only had to buy the transducer.

Cost??? Good luck…. They are heavily regulated by the manufacturer so you aren’t going to see any huge savings unless it’s an older, out dated unit…. Best to hope for is free shipping…. The warranty is all handled by the manf and you sending it in if it needs repairs so I wouldn’t worry about where you buy it from unless you have a REALLY good local dealer that can help with setup, etc. the guys at my local dealers can barley run a cell phone so I knew most of my learning was going to be on YouTube. Good luck

Kimmie I’d add this.
The day I took the “demo” ride the rep was showing me all the marks on the screen, they moved some, yardda yadda. I honestly was expecting more detail considering we were talking about a 4-7k at retail purchase.

My Helix and other brands Ive seen do much the same especially with side scan options. Maybe my expectations were too hi that day who knows.
I do a lot of fly in guiding and take my Helix and a couple of Dakota batteries and once I get hooked up on the boats they supply I can run wide out and read my graph as I go seeing much, not all, but much the same as what that panoptix showed me as far as fish. Structure wise I’m seeing very similar as well. I’m doing that for well under 1500.00 all in.
I’m not trying to burst your bubble just giving you the thoughts from the back of the boat, which is where guides live.

Osky

Osky, first of all…. Your helix is just the screen… if it’s gen 3 or newer it is mega live compatible…. Just need to buy the transducer for about 1200 or so.

The 4-7k I’m sure is for a complete Garmin setup.

I will also say this…. They require somewhat constant adjustment of the sensitivity and contrast….. maybe once a day…. Maybe 15 times a day….. there is also no way it will be useful at any speed over basic trolling motor speed….. yes 2d, side imaging, and down imagining might be of use at around 5 mph but not FFS…. Not what it was intended to do.

I have the full Garmin package. Very big learning curve to be useful. Doesnt work well in rivers

thanks appreciate the info. i haven't set my heart on any as of yet just looking at the whole thing an different brands and sizes.

i totally understand what you mean and about price and all. i have been saving up for this for a little while, just don't want a 8 thousand price thing that i won't be able to use and can't update or needs updated all the time.

i will be using it mostly for crappie fishing and in lakes an creeks. i live about 5 mins from the mighty mississippi but have reg fish finder for the catfish here.

i know that you have to adjust a lot off an on, but i also was told that unless you have the UHD versions of the screen that they are not able to update them anymore. yep i know it will cost at least $3,000. or more due to it being a whole complete setup as i don't have it at all. it will only be trolling speed and in creeks or lakes.

I’m aware of that Hard…again with what I aim currently using I don’t want to go in any deeper either knowing things are changing so fast.
From what they offer in this area, 4K was kind of the base system and yes 7k was all the current bells and whistles. I was just trying to give a basic view I’m not savvy enough with that equipment to offer any more.

Osky

Don't buy it

what do you mean by don't buy it? don't buy what? and why?

I don't feel it is worth its cost

Have you ever been invited to someones house and the t v is on in the same room you are seated.
And your host seems more interested in the t v than conversing with you.
Well thats what this reminds me of, some guy with his face and attention glued on a screen, and oblivious to all else going on around him.
I live in Florida, and im pretty much strictly a Crappie fisherman.
The vast majority of the lakes here are shallow, with depths not exceeding 10 feet or so.
I watch youtube videos of guys who are very successful fishing weedbeds, brush piles, downed trees along the shore,
etc.
Yet some of them have also gone this route as well, staring at a screen and verbally coaxing a fish to take their jig.
Thats a turnoff for me, which is exactly what i do with the video.
Some of us just cant get enough techknowledgy, and some of us want only to know how deep the water is, and if there any bait schools in the place we happen to be.

The technology is pretty amazing and very clear from the units I have looked at both the ice fishing bundle and bow mounted on bass boats. I have notice that the people who own them seem to be glued to it rather than fishing. Think it would be a useful tool for locating crappie and suspended bass in deeper water. I'm pretty good with the 2 Lowrance fish finders on my fishing boat and don't think I'll go the forward facing route at least not now.

How well would live scope work if you were drift fishing a shallow river just below a dam?
We drift fish areas like I mentioned for catfish often and our Helix basically just shows the depth and bottom.