The live scope is an advanced fish finder system designed by Garmin to provide anglers with a detailed view of what’s happening underwater in real time. It uses sonar technology to generate a high-resolution image on a built-in screen so fishermen can see fish, structure, and bait swimming below the boat. The live scope quickly became very popular after its release because of how much information it can provide to anglers about fish location, behavior, and identification.
For those familiar with the live scope, a natural question arises – is there an equivalent “hummingbird” version of this advanced imaging system? Humminbird is Garmin’s main competitor in the fish finder market, so it would make sense for them to develop a product to compete with the groundbreaking live scope. In this article, we’ll take a look at Humminbird’s alternatives and how they compare to Garmin’s live scope system.
An Overview of How the Live Scope Works
Before examining Humminbird’s options, let’s first understand how the Garmin live scope works. The key components of the live scope system include:
– A conical transducer that uses multiple sonar beams to scan water in a 360-degree view
– Capability for very high frequencies up to 2.4 GHz and rapid updates up to 60 times per second
– Advanced signal processing to generate a detailed image onscreen
– Display on a dedicated Garmin fish finder screen or integration into a chartplotter
– Support for Panoptix LiveScope transducers only
The combination of the conical transducer, high frequencies, fast updates, and specialized signal processing gives anglers a real-time view with excellent target separation and definition. The images almost look like live video instead of traditional sonar displays. This enhanced imaging allows anglers to see fish behavior like never before and precisely target individual fish.
The live scope transducer provides incredibly detailed scanning in a focused area directly beneath and around your boat. However, it needs to be mounted on a trolling motor to provide the full 360-degree coverage as you move. This focused scanning zone sets the live scope apart from traditional sonar beams that scan in wider conical area from the transducer straight down.
Humminbird’s Equivalent to the Live Scope
So what options does Humminbird offer anglers looking for similar enhanced imaging capabilities? The simple answer is that as of late 2022, Humminbird does not have an equivalent product to directly match Garmin’s live scope system. However, they do offer some products and technologies that provide enhanced real-time views and higher frequency sonar for improved target separation:
MEGA Imaging
MEGA Imaging represents Humminbird’s highest frequency sonar system, transmitting at up to 455 kHz. This is still below the live scope’s maximum frequency but provides much better target separation than traditional 83 kHz or 200 kHz sonar beams. MEGA Imaging displays on Humminbird units a real-time view of returns from these high-frequency scans. It does not provide the same 360-degree coverage as the live scope transducer, but does offer great definition for scanning directly below the boat.
MEGA 360 Imaging
MEGA 360 Imaging is Humminbird’s latest technology that comes closest to the Garmin live scope’s capabilities. As the name suggests, it combines 360-degree scanning with very high-frequency returns up to 440 kHz. This enables seeing a complete area around the boat with excellent target separation to identify individual fish.
MEGA 360 transducers first became available in late 2021 and integration into Humminbird units is still rolling out. While reviews indicate MEGA 360 provides amazing resolution, it still does not quite match the live scope’s performance for a few reasons:
– Maximum frequency of 440 kHz vs. 2.4 GHz for the live scope
– Slower image updates at 30 frames per second vs. up to 60 for the live scope
– More limited mounting options – MEGA 360 transducer must hang vertically beneath the hull
So MEGA 360 provides exciting capabilities but lacks some of the cutting-edge performance that sets the live scope apart. But this technology does appear to be Humminbird’s closest equivalent as of today.
SIDE Imaging, DOWN Imaging, and RIGHTVü 3D
Beyond MEGA and MEGA 360, Humminbird also offers other enhanced sonar technologies that provide expanded scanning and target separation vs. standard sonar:
– SIDE Imaging – Scans wide areas to the left and right of your boat with a very narrow but high-frequency beam. Provides a photo-like image of structure and cover along banks and ledges to either side of your vessel.
– DOWN Imaging – Uses a narrow high-frequency beam to provide better bottom contour detail and vertical structure definition directly beneath your boat. Improved target separation compared to standard sonar views.
– RIGHTVü 3D – Combines DOWN Imaging with traditional conical sonar beams to produce a three-dimensional-like view beneath your boat including structure, cover, and fish targets.
These technologies do provide benefits and more detailed information than a standard fish finder view. However, they lack the 360 scanning and incredibly precise live imagery produced by the live scope. So for an angler focused on tracking individual fish behavior in real-time, the live scope remains in a class of its own.
Live Scope Alternatives From Other Brands
Beyond Humminbird, are there live scope alternatives offered by other fish finder brands? Currently, no other company provides an equivalent 360-degree live view at the same extremely high frequencies and fast updates as the live scope.
Lowrance’s LiveSight and Raymarine’s RealVision 3D both offer similar looking displays of fish and structure beneath your boat. However, neither provides true 360-degree coverage, only faster standard sonar scanning aimed at producing an enhanced view.
In summary, the Garmin live scope remains unique in the market. Competitors are working toward similar capabilities, especially Humminbird with their MEGA 360 transducer. But as of late 2022, no other system provides the same sophisticated optical-quality view of fish behavior in real-time via a 360-degree scanning sonar. The live scope’s cutting-edge technology still appears to be a step ahead of competitors.
Key Considerations When Choosing a System
If considering an advanced imaging fish finder, either a Garmin live scope setup or Humminbird MEGA 360 system will provide amazing underwater views and fishing advantages unavailable from standard sonar. However, there are some key factors to weigh when choosing which system is right for your needs:
Sonar Frequency and Image Detail
The live scope’s higher frequencies up to 2.4 GHz provide better target separation and crisper images than Humminbird’s current maximum of 440 kHz. So for the most precise view of individual fish and structure, the live scope may have a slight edge.
Update Speed
The live scope updates the view up to 60 times per second compared to a maximum of 30 images per second for MEGA 360. This can contribute to a smoother, more real-time “live” view.
Transducer Mounting and Scanning Range
The MEGA 360 transducer mounts beneath your hull and scans in a complete circle around the boat. The live scope transducer needs to be mounted on your trolling motor to get the full 360-degree view as you move and steer. So MEGA 360 may provide slightly better convenience and coverage if you do not use a trolling motor. But both provide excellent area scanning capabilities.
Display Options
One current advantage for Garmin is the ability to view the live scope image directly on compatible chartplotter screens. Humminbird’s MEGA 360 integration into their fish finder/chartplotter combos is still slightly more limited.
Price
Garmin’s live scope requires an additional expensive transducer, while MEGA 360 capable transducers are more reasonably priced. So MEGA 360 can provide amazing views for less money than a complete live scope setup.
As with most technology purchases, your needs and budget will determine the best system. But both the live scope and MEGA 360 provide incredible live sonar views that are major game-changers for anglers. You can’t go wrong with either system for seeing fish, structure, and bait in amazing clarity.
Conclusion
While no other fish finder currently equals the unique, high-performance live scope system from Garmin, Humminbird’s MEGA 360 comes the closest to providing a similar real-time, all-around imaging experience. MEGA 360 lacks some of the cutting-edge technical capabilities of the live scope, but does give anglers an incredibly detailed 360-degree live view beneath the boat.
Between these two advanced systems and other enhanced sonar technologies, modern fish finders provide views of the underwater world that simply were impossible just a few years ago. Both Garmin and Humminbird are clearly working hard to give anglers that key edge to see fish better and ultimately boat more of them. So while the live scope maintains an advantage in precision imaging, Humminbird’s MEGA 360 is a true competitor coming close to delivering a similar experience. At the end of the day, both systems provide astonishing underwater views that are sure to make you a more successful angler on the water.