Wayne P.

The 7 display is 1" taller screen and one and three quarters inches wider. The H5 has CHIRP sonar, CHIRP Imaging, and built-in Auto Chart Live. If Side Imaging wasn't involved, then the H5 would be the best choice.

The 7" display. BIGGER is better for the side looking technology.

Hunting Run Res, Motts Run Res, and Ni River Res near Fredericksburg rent jon boats.

AIRMAR transducers are "universal" unless specifically produced for a certain sonar brand. All the "universal" ones have to be spliced to an appropriate connector. They have a splice block that does not involve soldering or crimping on pins. There are similar ones with more connections: http://www.airmartechnology.com/uploads/InstallGuide/17-037-01.pdf

Yes you can get 12V from a 24V system. Just connect to ONE of the batteries. Did that for over 20 years using a 24V trolling motor on a jon boat. You may get RFI doing it that way. Right now I am powering a 12V relay with one of the batteries that powers a 24V transom trolling motor. The relay is used to turn that motor on via a switch at the bow, been doing that since 2009.

The negative feature with Garmin and maps is you have no other choice for mapping if Garmin does not have the coverage or detail you need without creating the maps yourself.

Raymarine has those technologies also. No bad choices.

That is a good question. Yes you can. I have transferred Auto Chart Live to a single Zero Line Card from my ONIX, Helix 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2, Helix 7 CHIRP SI GPS G2, SOLIX SI, and Helix 12 CHIRP SI GPS. What was transferred was viewed on all those units. Any unit that has Auto Chart Live can view Auto Chart Live data from the Zero Line Card. That is a different format than what Auto Chart PC and Auto Chart Pro PC creates. The computer generated contour mapping can be read by any unit whether it has Auto Chart Live or not. It is read just like Lakemaster mapping. "legally" is not involved. You own the PC software when you purchase it and the data you create. You also own Auto Chart Live that is in your unit. It's up to you if and how you share your data. You don't have to do Auto Chart Live to have data for the PC software. You can RECORD to a blank memory card, load that to the PC software and generate contour mapping. THEN you can copy that to a Zero Line Card for use in any unit. You own it so you can make as many copies as you have Zero Line Cards to put it on. You and your brother can RECORD and load the data to your software to create a combined contour map to copy.

I was contacted by a guy in Morocco about how to find a small outboard using Side Imaging that had accidently been dropped overboard while trying to mount it on his sardine fishing boat.

It seems you are hoping your presentations match the conditions=you have it backwards. You match the presentation to the conditions.

I was using 5 group 27 deep cycles when I had a 36V bow trolling motor. I got that room by removing the built-in gas tank. I changed the portable gas tank for the 5th battery when fishing electric-only waters. I have since had my two bow 36V motors rebuilt to 24V, (have a spare) so now I have a group 29 and three group 27's and leave the portable gas tank in.

I have a Tracker PT 170 TX with a regular four stroke 9.9. Should have gotten the BigFoot version. Had to change the prop to a 6.5 pitch to get the proper rpm range. Max mph is 7.4 I have 5 batteries so that slows it down some. Bottom line is you won't get on plane with a 9.9 in any configuration. Lots of setups where I fish with aluminum bassboats using 9.9's

Image 3. Spawning bluegills----no a stick, there are more above it. Image 4. Fish attractor Lines on the right side are echoes from a transom trolling motor, I was fishing an electric-only lake driving the boat from the console with the transom electric motor linked to the outboard for steering. First two screen shots was using the outboard on two others lakes. BTW, I don't use the MEGA frequency for fishing purposes, just demo screen shots. I prefer the wider coverage of 455 kHz or that CHIRPed.

Need to increase the Sensitivity some with that Helix 9 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G2N.

http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Carpet-Adhesive-Gallon-Advance-Adhesive-Technologies/dm/view_id.686895?mkwid=ZOo40XWI&crid=12352303392&mp_kw=&mp_mt=be&pdv=c&cm_mmc=Microsoft-_-Mall+New+Shopping%3ABing-_-All+Products%3AMall+New+Shopping-_-KWs+Sitelinks+PLAs&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Mall New Shopping%3ABing&utm_term=1100101400095&utm_content=All Products%3AMall New Shopping

Yes, set one of the readout boxes to display it. Setup menu User Mode--- Advanced Select Readouts

I think the current software version is 1.400, check your Humminbird account. I have installed 1.400 on both of my Helix units, but neither is a MEGA unit.

Turn off Sharpness until there is a software update to fix it.

Post screen shots of single pane and multi-pane with SI that show a difference.

Whatever settings you use for each single panel view apply to all the same views. SI is all views with SI displayed DI is all views with DI displayed 2D is all views with 2D displayed. Chart is all views with Chart displayed. If you had a SOLIX or ONIX, you can customize each for each view combination. That is the way I do it with my SOLIX and ONIX by turning off Global settings.

You have the choice for Imaging of 455 kHz, 800 kHz, or MEGA which is 1.2 MKz or 1200 kHz. Not only that, you can CHIRP or not CHIRP each of those frequencies and the two 2D frequencies. The bottom two blue pallet screen shots have the CHIRP range for 455 kHz and the CHIRP range for 1200 kHz. Tip, read the manual.

Plus this if you have iPilot Link: https://www.facebook.com/TheTechnologicalAngler/videos/1297912323661982/

Which MEGA SI unit do you have? Evidently you did not read Further North's report of his installation where he gets 2D and SI with the MEGA SI transducer at 33 mph.

I was at Hunting Run Saturday from about 8:30 to 4:00. Caught a lot in that size range also. Total 55 bass, one pickerel, and one bluegill.

What is the update description that fixes a bad battery or connections?