Humminbird 346c

[Frogsauce]

Anybody tried the Humminbird 346c? http://www.humminbird.com/Products/346c-DI/

Impressions?

[Turtle135]

Here is a review I wrote in another forum back in December of 2012
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I recently upgraded my fish finder from a PiranhaMax 150 to a Humminbird 346c DI.

A couple of people have asked me about the new unit so it's time to post up a review and put the information in one place.

Although I have had the 346 for a month and a half I am still somewhat mesmerized by the higher resolution and color while on the water. The color is a valuable upgrade. The color palette allows me to quickly determine if I am looking at weeds or wood and if the bottom is hard rock or soft mud. I could determine the same information with a gray-scale unit but the color seems to help me make those distinctions much more quickly.

The screen on the 346 is somewhat reflective. Much more so than my PiranhaMax screen. If someone had this unit mounted on the front deck of a bass boat they might have trouble with glare if they were not looking directly-straight at the screen in a bright environment. Since I have this mounted on my kayak a little over an arm's length away pointed directly at me the reflectiveness is not a problem. The screen is bright and I have no trouble reading it on a bright sunny day. If am standing I need to pivot the screen in my direction. Not sure if this reflectiveness is a common issue with color units.

The target separation is quite a bit above what I am used to. Cruising over some familiar bottom features I am seeing new details that I had never detected before. The screen is the same size as the PiranhaMax series units (3.5" on the diagonal). At the distance I view the screen this size seems adequate. If you are familiar with how fish finders work the information on the right hand side of the screen is "current" sonar information and everything to the left is just "history" of sonar information. So a screen that is merely "wider" just shows more history (a screen that was "taller" and had higher resolution would deliver more detail). At kayak speeds the history on the screen is enough for me.

On down imaging. I'm glad I have it now as I was very curious about the technology. More information is always better in my book. However I have come to the conclusion that it does not add a ton of valuable fishing information. I described it to someone like this: "With the color traditional sonar I could tell I was looking at a brush pile on the bottom, with the down imaging I could see the individual branches".

I am of the camp that uses a fish finder to look for conditions that "ought" to hold fish. I do not go looking for "arches" and trying to fish for those arches (fish symbols). I'm much more interested in changes to structural items, cover items and changes in bottom composition.

On how I have mounted the 346 to my Ride 115:

I used a piece of cutting board 6" x 4.5" and bolted on the Humminbird Base that comes with the 346. I cut a 1" hole in the cutting board to route the power and transducer cable up through the bottom of the Humminbird Base. My transducer arm is made from 1/2" PVC. Both the cutting board and the arm are mounted to the Slidetrax on the Ride 115 with an appropriate length bolt (with a PVC T or a PVC coupler as a spacer) screwed down into a "weld nut" that fits into the Slidetrax. The power cable goes down inside the kayak through a "liquid tight cord grip". My battery is enclosed in a tupperware inside the hull. Alligator clips attached to the power cable complete the power connection.

"Weld Nut" that fits the Slidetrax, McMaster-Carr P/N: 69915K51
"Liquid Tight Cord Grip" that seals the opening for the power cable, McMaster-Carr P/N: 69915K51

http://www.mcmaster.com/#

here is my setup:


transducer arm up:


the 346c DI in down imaging mode:


the liquid tight cord grip:


weld nut:


sonar image of a big tree in 55 feet of water:


down imaging view of the same tree:


a couple of fish hanging out by a piece of cover:

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the excellent detailed product review.

[Turtle135]

The one thing the 346c DI lacks is chart plotting. For some types of fishing that is a very valuable tool so you should consider that. For my type of fishing, chart plotting is not so critical, I'm more of a cover & structure largemouth and smallmouth bass fisherman.

[Frogsauce]

Thanks for the excellent review.

I use my Garmin handheld for GPS plotting and notes. It would be nice to combine the two, but not if I already have a solution.

[Cowpokey]

Thanks for the excellent review.

I use my Garmin handheld for GPS plotting and notes. It would be nice to combine the two, but not if I already have a solution.

There are more advantages to having them combined. On mine when I save a waypoint it also records current depth. Of course you could add that to your notes or enter it into the waypoint on the handheld.

[Frogsauce]

Yeah, handheld just gives me a single place to store all my location related stuff for fishing and hunting. It records depth, but you have to specify (I always just put the depth the fish was at when he was caught), temp, etc etc. It's an Astro, so I can also use it to track my dog when we are hunting and it will record his tracks, speed, barks, etc etc. Then if the wife comes along, I just attach the collar to her kayak, and it will track her as well.

[Cowpokey]

Yeah, handheld just gives me a single place to store all my location related stuff for fishing and hunting. It records depth, but you have to specify (I always just put the depth the fish was at when he was caught), temp, etc etc. It's an Astro, so I can also use it to track my dog when we are hunting and it will record his tracks, speed, barks, etc etc. Then if the wife comes along, I just attach the collar to her kayak, and it will track her as well.

You have it all figured out!

[Delicious Bass]

I have a 596c HD with down imaging... The slightly larger screen version of the 356c.

In retrospect, I would trade the down imaging for gps chart plotter.
After taking it out in various "terrain" (bay, tidal rivers, non tidal rivers, ponds...), I've found the down imaging is really not that useful. It's essentially as if you got a black and white display, with brightness down and contrast up. I think it also trades out a lower frequency sonar for an ultra high frequency.

Some caveats: I have the transceiver thingermabob thing mounted inside my kayak (duct putty water pocket method). So this may be interfering with the ultra high frequency sonar requires for DI. I may try it mounted outside on an arm one day... (No I won't. I'm too lazy).
Also, I have not yet taken it to a deep lake, like duckett or tridelphia. Maybe it will shine there.