What happened to the whole, buy Mega Live and it's the best choice because we have the ability to do updates and it will get better and better and you won't have to buy a new transducer :)
Humminbird swore by that statement, which is why i kept my helix units. I was ever so slightly sus about that , but now im fullblown selling these units once i get a hand on a GPSUNIT this blackfriday…. They definitely lost me.
@@jimordway9287 that's OK, with all the network troubles hb people had with the old system, I wanted a standalone. One that I know works for forward facing technology. Plus garmin deals right now are WAY cheaper than what humminbird will be. Got a echomap 126 system for 4400 tax in Canadian dollars. PLUS the new hb won't link up with all the helix so it still not a complete system for network.
@@jimordway9287 True. Will include a GPS1022 screen in the shuttle package so that I have a set-up for ice fishing too. Bottom line is that Humminbird gave us a raw deal by not interfacing the Helix units with the new Mega Live 2 unit.
I don't have any issues with the garmin black box. Garmin is so reasonably priced, I just don't see Humminbird as even competitive when it comes to live imaging, and price. Humminbird had a chance to keep its custumers when they came out years after Garmthewas taking the market. However Humminbird went so high on price that the only people who are staying are the ones who already have ipilot link trolling motors. I have garmin and Humminbird. Updating the garmin is extremely easy, and humminbird is a nightmare and the apps never work
Fantastic news: I recently purchased a Solix G3 for the best mega DI and SI imaging. I was looking into a Garmin Livescope setup because the current version of FFS with Humminbird was inferior. Hopefully, the real-life reviews meet expectations. It will save me a lot of cash and the need to mount a second graph 🍻
New Head Unit requirements is likely part of Garmin/Lowrances next gen FFS too, will be interesting if they figure out how to eliminate the Black Box requirement...that's the game changer....
I 100% agree with that for FFS. Hummingbird would be hurting if they didn’t have the best mapping, the best sidescan, and 360. They also have the most reliable trolling motor I think.
Just subscribed - you answered every question I had since I bought my solix 10-3 a year ago. No black box needed- built into the unit. And now I will upgrade batteries 1st to get ready for a solix 12 on the front and wait for live 2. Thank you, and please reply back to me if I missed something 🎣🙌🏼
Sounds like they can now compete head to head on paper. Have to see some on water comparisons before I leave Garmin. For the new buyer good to have options. Interested to see what folks with current Hummingbird setups think.
Agreed, I'll be picking it up regardless and doing a bunch of side by side comparisons. I think Garmin will be tough to beat, plus let's be honest, it is VERY unlikely Garmin hasn't been working on the next best thing too. My money is on shortly after this is officially announced Garmin will swoop in with something new and even better. But regardless, competition is good for the consumer
Nothing like alienating your current bird users that were waiting for ML2 to go with their current graphs. 4-5k to get into new graph/ml2 versus 3500 or so for lvs34 and a graph.... Might as well just have a portable garmin setup and take it with ya ice to boat to boat. So much for One Network
100%. Bye Bye Humminbird, you screwed us Helix owners. If I have to buy a new graph to go with a new FFS, it's NOT going to be Humminbird. Not after having invested in a boat full of Helix units and then you pull this.
Thanks for the info... Are you (or anyone else) able to tell from the footage if Mega Live 2 will be compatible with the current TargetLock? ...wanting to know because I'm getting ready to buy one.
It is possible, can't wait to see some actual footage and comparison. I'll be getting one as soon as I can and trying to compare, but I'm hoping some 'testers' out there already have it and can show some footage
Awesome news! Getting ready to order a new 2025 Crestliner Bay 2000 boat and install all new Hummingbird electronics. I was on the fence with the MEGA live 1 but was going to go with 360. I'll be waiting for your follow-up video. I'm excited about the new MEGA Live 2 and the new Explorer Screens. WW
With what you know and what you've shared… am I understanding correctly that you dont believe the new explore series or apex models, will be able to be networked to a helix 10 msi/mdi g4n?
Was a die hard Hummingbird fan until they so far behind on live image now I’m all Garmin’s and have found so much more with the Garmin SI than I ever did with my Helix 12 gen 3 SI will never go back to hummingbirds!
The double ping sounds interesting, but I'd like to see it in action first. I love my Garmin but in deeper water on Lake Superior I get too much feedback.
Hopefully this can compete with Garmin to help drive down the pricing. I gotta believe however whatever Garmin comes out next (They already have the tech just waiting to release it) is gonna be pretty BadAss!!
I wouldn’t say it’s “Game Over,” but a great step forward for ‘Bird. Too bad they didn’t upgrade the screens to 1080 like the APEX, but then again that would up the price as well. Nonetheless- I look forward to playing with the Xplore units.
That stings when they tell your Helix 15 wont support a new Mega Live 2 that is struggling to just keep up with what Garmin already does well. Sorry to say I think my Helix 15 is going to go on marketplace and Im gonna be a Gamin convert. Evidently my $3k head unit is old news and I've had it a year, fool me once...
Most commenters seems to have a boat, but for people in kayak or float-tubes no black box is a big deal : place saved and less energy consumption is not a little thing
Garmin black box is tiny, my lunch box takes up more room when using it in a hire boat; doesn't use much juice either. Run mine off a 50ah lithium that's also running a 10" Echomap Ultra, lasts all day. You're talking crap, there's no issue at all.
Dang, not good to hear. I was in fact just talking to a pro fisherman a few weeks ago and he had the opposite opinion. Goes to show how different waters, fishing styles, and opinions all drive a different outlook on the tech. That is why basing as much as we can on real footage and data is better than people's opinions / perception. I probably shouldn't have included that in the video as it is an opinion of several, but not a black and white fact
@ maybe he knows more about it and how to set it up. My buddy has the same issue. In 10-50’ it’s outstanding. And I use prospective mode and can’t figure out how deep they are. I can see them and know where to throw. But the clutter is unreal.
This is where I would expect the pricing to be. They are so late with their gen2 they missed most of the opportunity. I get that the video said estimated pricing - but that'd be a huge miss for humminbird if it were true. Hard to convince me to give up what I have for those lower prices, let alone the higher range.
I have the original Mega Live and it is a disappointment. Returned to Humminbird three times and each time, the good folks at Humminbird replaced the transducer. My new boat has Garmin units with LVS34 and a Mega 360 that I will keep. I won't be looking at Humminbird for future purchases but, I do hope they have great success with their new products!
Yesterday I was on a water with mega live, the problem is that bait you can see clearly just from 10 meters (33ft). I was fishing with rapala peto soft bait 18cm (51 grams). It is a big bait and you can't see it. Now they declare 165ft forward range. It is hard to believe I hope it will be truth, we will see first tests on the water. Regarding me I will not buy it till I will not test it by myself.
Still unconfirmed, hoping soon to get an official announcement. I did have some new information come in (still unofficial) and pinned it as a comment, I'll keep that updated until the US announcement and then make an updated video soon after people can get their hands on them with more details
To say that LiveScope is know for clear imaging is just plain wrong. My LiveScope screen is always extremely dirty compared to my MegaLive. It does some things well, but providing a clean screen isn't one of them.
If people don’t know: Lowrance has the best waypoint management, hummingbird has superior sidescan, and garmin will always have the best ffs. It’s literally due to a back room agreement. So you always have to buy the brand that is best at a specific application. There are two people who do all the programming for all brands. Yes, they are trying to keep themselves competitive. It is shady as hell and not remotely moral. Welcome to today…screw you, pay us!!!
WTH is the big deal with a black box???? Hell I installed my black box under my deck and haven't seen it since. But I see with eye popping clarity out the box every trip.
A lot of my audience is in the ice belt so we ice fish in the winter. It adds a lot of weight to a unit that you ideally want to be portable to haul around
No, actually need to jump ship. They screwed loyal Helix users. Why would you stick with them if you need a new graph to go with a new FFS unit? Just go with Garmin then. Would be different if they didn't alienate a major portion of their user base.
nah.. i'm over mega live and humminbird. too much interference and too many adjustments needed to to work cleanly. no more updates that cause more issues than they fix.
Honestly, a whole list of promises and a few demo shots proves nothing to me. If they release a product, we all know humminbird reliability is iffy at best, and even early reviewers are saying at best it's close to equal to garmin. I think garmin has the LVS36 waiting to go if the competition catches up. I will say getting past the helix units is far overdue for humminbird. With todays technology we have no reason to buy $2000 units without touchscreen that bog down from too many waypoints or stored tracks. They needed way more processing power. Hopefully the xplore units are more reliable than the solix units.
Like usual everyone with mega live don't show actual live fishing with it because the picture sucks. Funny how there isn't a single pro or local pro who is winning with mega live lol
NEW DETAILS:
---------------------------------------------------
➤ *UPDATED PRICING* (Still unconfirmed, but being reported)
--- Mega Live 2: $1,499.99 USD
--- XPLORE 9 MSI+ CHO: $1,299.99 USD
--- XPLORE 9 MSI+: $1,499.99 USD
--- XPLORE 10 MSI+ CHO: $1,999.99 USD
--- XPLORE 10 MSI+: $2,199.99 USD
--- XPLORE 12 MSI+ CHO: $2,499.99 USD
--- XPLORE 12 MSI+: $2,699.99 USD
What happened to the whole, buy Mega Live and it's the best choice because we have the ability to do updates and it will get better and better and you won't have to buy a new transducer :)
Haha, evidently, they had a change of tone and new strategy as the old one wasn't working 🤣
Don’t forget the fact when they announced the release of mega live the video they dropped was not at all what the product looked like.
not only new transducer but you need a new unit as well 1200 more then livescope and not proven yet
Right!?! Fool me once
Humminbird swore by that statement, which is why i kept my helix units. I was ever so slightly sus about that , but now im fullblown selling these units once i get a hand on a GPSUNIT this blackfriday…. They definitely lost me.
As a Helix owner, this seals the deal: I am buying a Garmin LVS34Plus as a stand alone FFS package.
I sold my helix 15 and my mega live and bought garmin. So glad I did
I bought a live system...from garmin also.
Problem is you still need a Garmin screen as well. NO win deal. Also Garmin not work with
one boat network
@@jimordway9287 that's OK, with all the network troubles hb people had with the old system, I wanted a standalone. One that I know works for forward facing technology. Plus garmin deals right now are WAY cheaper than what humminbird will be. Got a echomap 126 system for 4400 tax in Canadian dollars. PLUS the new hb won't link up with all the helix so it still not a complete system for network.
@@jimordway9287 True. Will include a GPS1022 screen in the shuttle package so that I have a set-up for ice fishing too. Bottom line is that Humminbird gave us a raw deal by not interfacing the Helix units with the new Mega Live 2 unit.
I don't have any issues with the garmin black box.
Garmin is so reasonably priced, I just don't see Humminbird as even competitive when it comes to live imaging, and price.
Humminbird had a chance to keep its custumers when they came out years after Garmthewas taking the market. However Humminbird went so high on price that the only people who are staying are the ones who already have ipilot link trolling motors.
I have garmin and Humminbird. Updating the garmin is extremely easy, and humminbird is a nightmare and the apps never work
I have ipilot link trolling ulterra and still went Garmin. Can't beat it.
Great video Alex! Still think Garmin will remain on top in the FFS world, but will be fun to see how it compares to the Garmin.
Thanks, totally agree!
Fantastic news: I recently purchased a Solix G3 for the best mega DI and SI imaging. I was looking into a Garmin Livescope setup because the current version of FFS with Humminbird was inferior. Hopefully, the real-life reviews meet expectations. It will save me a lot of cash and the need to mount a second graph 🍻
New Head Unit requirements is likely part of Garmin/Lowrances next gen FFS too, will be interesting if they figure out how to eliminate the Black Box requirement...that's the game changer....
They will always be playing catchup to Garmin great video thanks for the knowledge
I 100% agree with that for FFS. Hummingbird would be hurting if they didn’t have the best mapping, the best sidescan, and 360. They also have the most reliable trolling motor I think.
Just subscribed - you answered every question I had since I bought my solix 10-3 a year ago. No black box needed- built into the unit. And now I will upgrade batteries 1st to get ready for a solix 12 on the front and wait for live 2. Thank you, and please reply back to me if I missed something 🎣🙌🏼
Sounds like they can now compete head to head on paper. Have to see some on water comparisons before I leave Garmin. For the new buyer good to have options. Interested to see what folks with current Hummingbird setups think.
Agreed, I'll be picking it up regardless and doing a bunch of side by side comparisons. I think Garmin will be tough to beat, plus let's be honest, it is VERY unlikely Garmin hasn't been working on the next best thing too. My money is on shortly after this is officially announced Garmin will swoop in with something new and even better. But regardless, competition is good for the consumer
Nothing like alienating your current bird users that were waiting for ML2 to go with their current graphs. 4-5k to get into new graph/ml2 versus 3500 or so for lvs34 and a graph.... Might as well just have a portable garmin setup and take it with ya ice to boat to boat. So much for One Network
100%. Bye Bye Humminbird, you screwed us Helix owners. If I have to buy a new graph to go with a new FFS, it's NOT going to be Humminbird. Not after having invested in a boat full of Helix units and then you pull this.
Garmin for the win. Price vs price and lvs34 vs mega live 2
Thanks for the info... Are you (or anyone else) able to tell from the footage if Mega Live 2 will be compatible with the current TargetLock? ...wanting to know because I'm getting ready to buy one.
So this might be comparable to what garmin already has out minus the black box.
It is possible, can't wait to see some actual footage and comparison. I'll be getting one as soon as I can and trying to compare, but I'm hoping some 'testers' out there already have it and can show some footage
*What are your thoughts on the Mega Live 2 and the Xplore series of screens?*
Awesome news! Getting ready to order a new 2025 Crestliner Bay 2000 boat and install all new Hummingbird electronics. I was on the fence with the MEGA live 1 but was going to go with 360. I'll be waiting for your follow-up video. I'm excited about the new MEGA Live 2 and the new Explorer Screens. WW
I have an Apex 19 ready waiting for it... Nice info, Tim
With what you know and what you've shared… am I understanding correctly that you dont believe the new explore series or apex models, will be able to be networked to a helix 10 msi/mdi g4n?
Was a die hard Hummingbird fan until they so far behind on live image now I’m all Garmin’s and have found so much more with the Garmin SI than I ever did with my Helix 12 gen 3 SI will never go back to hummingbirds!
How many Megalive 2 transducers can a head unit handle?
The double ping sounds interesting, but I'd like to see it in action first. I love my Garmin but in deeper water on Lake Superior I get too much feedback.
In Lake Superior do you use the LVS62?
@AlexTimm I have the lvs32. Do you think the lvs 62 would clear it up?
I just got the Garmin ultra 106 from a hummingbird helix 10 I’m not changing back over they took way too long
Hopefully this can compete with Garmin to help drive down the pricing. I gotta believe however whatever Garmin comes out next (They already have the tech just waiting to release it) is gonna be pretty BadAss!!
Exactly what I am thinking!
Do you think they are gonna release a new transducer, or just an update? Thinking about buying livescope right now while it’s on sale😂
After watching, its Garmin it is!
I wouldn’t say it’s “Game Over,” but a great step forward for ‘Bird. Too bad they didn’t upgrade the screens to 1080 like the APEX, but then again that would up the price as well.
Nonetheless- I look forward to playing with the Xplore units.
At these prices, better to just stick with Garmin.
No hdmi out on the xplore?
Yeah I’ll stick with my lvs 34. Already know this will be a let down/have issues
That stings when they tell your Helix 15 wont support a new Mega Live 2 that is struggling to just keep up with what Garmin already does well. Sorry to say I think my Helix 15 is going to go on marketplace and Im gonna be a Gamin convert. Evidently my $3k head unit is old news and I've had it a year, fool me once...
This explains the $800 drop in price or rebate, not sure which one it is, where I live for the mega live
Most commenters seems to have a boat, but for people in kayak or float-tubes no black box is a big deal : place saved and less energy consumption is not a little thing
Garmin black box is tiny, my lunch box takes up more room when using it in a hire boat; doesn't use much juice either. Run mine off a 50ah lithium that's also running a 10" Echomap Ultra, lasts all day. You're talking crap, there's no issue at all.
Most commenters that poo poo MLive 1 clearly don't know how to set it up and use it either.
@@mauricetoussaint7283 Really? If that brick isn't a big deal, why is Garmin working on a transducer that will eliminate it?
@@roadhouse8604 Kayaks are for girls.
Lowrance AT sucks in shallow water. I have it and when I hit a shallow flat I just junk fish. Because you can’t see a thing
Dang, not good to hear. I was in fact just talking to a pro fisherman a few weeks ago and he had the opposite opinion. Goes to show how different waters, fishing styles, and opinions all drive a different outlook on the tech. That is why basing as much as we can on real footage and data is better than people's opinions / perception. I probably shouldn't have included that in the video as it is an opinion of several, but not a black and white fact
@ maybe he knows more about it and how to set it up. My buddy has the same issue. In 10-50’ it’s outstanding. And I use prospective mode and can’t figure out how deep they are. I can see them and know where to throw. But the clutter is unreal.
As someone who has already got one ordered at $4100 for the mega live 2 and an explore 12” I can say everything was wrong about your pricing
Sounds promising that it will be much cheaper than UK pricing in the USA. Sounds like you know, mind sharing with the rest of us?
Believe it was $1600 for the live and $2500 for the 12”
@1lugnutoutdoors954 not bad!!
Where did you order, not seeing the xplore9 on the site.
This is where I would expect the pricing to be. They are so late with their gen2 they missed most of the opportunity. I get that the video said estimated pricing - but that'd be a huge miss for humminbird if it were true. Hard to convince me to give up what I have for those lower prices, let alone the higher range.
So I need a new screen to run the new mega live2? Thanks but no thanks I'll stick with Garmin.
Ill just stick with Garmin.
I have the original Mega Live and it is a disappointment. Returned to Humminbird three times and each time, the good folks at Humminbird replaced the transducer. My new boat has Garmin units with LVS34 and a Mega 360 that I will keep. I won't be looking at Humminbird for future purchases but, I do hope they have great success with their new products!
Yesterday I was on a water with mega live, the problem is that bait you can see clearly just from 10 meters (33ft). I was fishing with rapala peto soft bait 18cm (51 grams). It is a big bait and you can't see it. Now they declare 165ft forward range. It is hard to believe I hope it will be truth, we will see first tests on the water. Regarding me I will not buy it till I will not test it by myself.
There are competitors on the market to Garmin? Lol
Hahaha, I know, one may quickly forget about them lol
That’s US pricing, I can’t imagine what us Canadians will pay ffs
Still unconfirmed, hoping soon to get an official announcement. I did have some new information come in (still unofficial) and pinned it as a comment, I'll keep that updated until the US announcement and then make an updated video soon after people can get their hands on them with more details
6grand plus for a 9 system. I bet.
To say that LiveScope is know for clear imaging is just plain wrong. My LiveScope screen is always extremely dirty compared to my MegaLive. It does some things well, but providing a clean screen isn't one of them.
If people don’t know: Lowrance has the best waypoint management, hummingbird has superior sidescan, and garmin will always have the best ffs. It’s literally due to a back room agreement. So you always have to buy the brand that is best at a specific application. There are two people who do all the programming for all brands. Yes, they are trying to keep themselves competitive. It is shady as hell and not remotely moral. Welcome to today…screw you, pay us!!!
Can you back up that bull shit with facts?
I think humminbird SI having superior sidescan is a bit of a myth. The garmin GT 56 and latest lowrance SI transducer are just as good imo.
Thanks for the info
You bet!
WTH is the big deal with a black box???? Hell I installed my black box under my deck and haven't seen it since. But I see with eye popping clarity out the box every trip.
A lot of my audience is in the ice belt so we ice fish in the winter. It adds a lot of weight to a unit that you ideally want to be portable to haul around
@AlexTimm oh ok you mean Yankees. I gotcha. I always forget about them.
meh. So they are still chasing garmin... Its the second generation and they are not even on the same playing field. Do better HB
New mega live 2 won’t work with helix unit . Need to jump up
No, actually need to jump ship. They screwed loyal Helix users. Why would you stick with them if you need a new graph to go with a new FFS unit? Just go with Garmin then. Would be different if they didn't alienate a major portion of their user base.
nah.. i'm over mega live and humminbird. too much interference and too many adjustments needed to to work cleanly. no more updates that cause more issues than they fix.
Honestly, a whole list of promises and a few demo shots proves nothing to me. If they release a product, we all know humminbird reliability is iffy at best, and even early reviewers are saying at best it's close to equal to garmin. I think garmin has the LVS36 waiting to go if the competition catches up.
I will say getting past the helix units is far overdue for humminbird. With todays technology we have no reason to buy $2000 units without touchscreen that bog down from too many waypoints or stored tracks. They needed way more processing power. Hopefully the xplore units are more reliable than the solix units.
Looks like a total bust
Like usual everyone with mega live don't show actual live fishing with it because the picture sucks. Funny how there isn't a single pro or local pro who is winning with mega live lol
It is very interesting! Hopefully this new one is better so we start seeing it. I plan to get it and show it in comparison to Garmin at least
Tom Boley uses it on his show all the time
Not upgradable,Humminbird you suck!!!!!
As a Humminbird user I can say that Humminbird needs to just give up on FFS, you have failed miserably. Just stick to SI, DI and mapping.
The first thing they can start doing is making 1 cable to network instead of paying buying seperate cables to make one cable. Humminbird is junk
What's the point aren't these banned from tournaments?
👍👍 Great job and excellent execution of not playing your hand on if your excited or not 🫵