Wayne P.

A group 24 deep cycle battery is not anywhere near 100 Ahr. It is closer to 75 Ahr. A lot of the group 27 deep cycles are. For the best cost/performance set up, choose a group 27 size deep cycle battery. If you fish long days, you may want a larger size for the Auto-Pilot model since you will be powering two motors.

Turn the sensitivity setting down some.

HoggBoss, the only units on the market today that are upgradeable to the imaging technology is the Lowrance HDS models. All the Humminbird models have to be imaging from the start. The HDS models are sonar/gps and the LSS-1 Structure Scan components can be added for about $600

I switched from a FW model to a Digital Tour and used the same holes. You could just leave the mount that you have on and just switch the rest of it.

Yes: this is Elodea

The last time I bought an OMC steering cable, it was about $50. I had three of those motors up until early 2009. The trolling motor shop at Lake Fork Marina/Motel usually has them.

No problems with the internal antenna. The only units I know of that did have a problem with the internal antenna was the 300 and 500 series Lowrance units. That deficiency was corrected in the HDS units. The trolling motor SI transducer was about $175.00

BigEbass, you can set yours up like I did mine. I got an extra mount, power cord, and trolling motor transducer so I could use the 798ci SI on the bow when I am fishing electric only waters. The internal GPS antenna makes the switch a "snap". Level is the attitude of the transducer when on the water when you are using the SI (parallel to the bottom of the body of water). If you plan on using the SI transducer for on-plane navigation, then it needs to be parallel with the boat hull and maybe a little tilted with the trailing edge down. If you want to use the unit you have now on the bow, you can get the transducer adaptor to mount it or get the transducer that is made for that application (puck)

The base map has some bodies of water with some contour lines. I checked three lakes for the contour lines and two had 10' contours. Kerr in Va., Guntersville. Lake Fork did not have any contour lines, but the lake just West of there does have the 10' lines. The base map cannot be updated. Give me some bodies of water you are interested in and I'll check to see if they are included.

Long Mike, I installed it around Christmas 2008 in a 2009 Tracker PT 170 TX. I ordered the Alumaducer when the boat was being setup at the BPS (engine change). The adaptor listed for my sonar model was incorrectly listed in the website and I had to re-order it. One of my most frequented bodies of water is all flooded timber. Within 15 minutes of launching it the first time in late November 2008, the factory installed transom transducer was broken off of the mount. I epoxied a trolling motor style transducer that I had for another unit in the hull the next day. I removed the speedometer sensor the day I got the boat because I knew it wouldn't last long. I have since removed the spare transducer and installed it on the transom where the original transducer was. I did that for another sonar unit I use occasionally. Here is a picture of the trolling motor transducer on the transom-it has survived quite well in the stumps. The transducer on the wooden mount is a test setup that I no longer use. The one in front of the motor is the SI transducer.

burley is correct about the power. Most users cannot tell the difference in the pixel count when it gets over 480 vertical pixels or 17,533 pixels per square inch. The majority of the high resolution screens are that spec.

YES you can. You have two choices. The transducer that comes with the unit will give somewhat accurate depths, but that is about all (no fish, thermocline, suspended particles). The best option is a transducer that is made for that application. It is called ALUMADUCER. I have both in my aluminum Tracker. I epoxied the regular one in mine while I was waiting on the correct Alumaducer adaptor for my sonar unit (the listed part number was wrong).

burley, do you have the 21 different color combos with the 7 sonar pallets and the 3 screen colors?

burley, I like the color choices for background too. The color choices for SI and color choices for 2D sonar along with the different background colors is quite an array.

Yes, the base of the 798 is just a little larger than the LEI X-51 base and is a built-in snap-in type. The larger units have a "U" shaped mounting bracket that is wider than the unit. I guess you could offset the bracket to get a HDS-5 or HDS-7 unit to mount in that location. A RAM mount is a system of two plates with balls on them that have a tension arm to attach the two ball plates. Do a web search for RAM mount. The 798 is a great unit with a real bright screen. No problem seeing it with polarized glasses on. I understand the HB 800, 900, and 1100 series have a dimmer screen and may be hard to see in bright sunlight.

BigEbass, I have the Tracker PT 170 TX that came with a Lowrance X 51 Pro (really a Eagle Cuda 300 in disguise). I moved it to the gas guage position. The HB 798 is a tight fit in that position. Unless you add a RAM mount to clear the console, a larger unit will not fit.

How many days of the year do you fish for spawning bass? How many times are you on the water and need/want a sonar unit?

When you purchase the unit, get an additional power cord so you can practice with the Simulator as you read the manual. That will increase your learning curve.

You can check what is available from Transducer Shield and Saver that will adapt your transducer for trolling motor use. If they don't stock one, they will make one for you.

I met two Conservation Police yesterday while fishing at Briery Creek Lake. Both were friendly and courteous. I thanked them for taking care of the lake and it's users.

I have the 798ci SI and it works great. I recorded for about 1/2 hour yesterday to use with the HumViewer software. I got standing timber, laydowns, creek channels, stumps, roads, and dollar pad stems.

Yes the "ci" is color/ internal GPS antenna. The other unit "c" is color.

The first thing to do with a Devils Horse is to reverse the pitch of the blades on one of them. That will make them counter rotate and it seemed to be more productive that way.

I haven't been by Beaver Creek recently, but the Rivanna Res is open as far as it's visible from the dam and mid lake road crossings. The two lakes are within 15 miles of each other. Chris Green Lake which is about 5 miles from the Rivanna Res, was 1/2 frozen over on Thursday.

OOOOHHHHH, you were using Spiderwire nylon mono instead of Spiderwire superline. basscrusher, that "fact" is not a fact. There are lots of knots that work well with Original Spiderwire superline-- the uni-knot is one that I have been using since the true Original Spiderwire was first introduced after the Kevlar stuff. I still have a partitial spool of the first issue of Spiderwire superline that would flatten on the reel spool and blow in the wind like a sail.