Upgrading Electronics!

[Rangerphil]

I have two outdated units on my boat and need to upgrade. First I need gps, next I would like to have DI. I don't have a ton of money so my thought was to get one good unit and mount it on a ram mount and spin it once I shut off the big motor and go up front. I really like the humminbird models but I don't know what I need to buy? Is just one unit a good idea, or should I buy two cheaper units? All I know is that when I went to lake Erie last year for a club tourney I was at a huge disadvantage without gps! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[ww2farmer]

I won't recomend any units as everyone has different tastes, but I will say I did the whole one unit on the console and spin it around when I was on the bow for about 3 months when I first bought my boat about 7 years ago. I have had two units ever since. I also agree with GPS as a must have. I fished for years with out it, last year was my first year with it. Makes life so much easier. No more idling around lining up landmarks, while trying to find what your looking for on the sonar. Now I can run right to a spot, drop a marker, and back off and start fishing. I only have GPS on the console, and would like to put it on the bow too so I don't even have to drop the marker anymore, just look down and keep my bearing to what ever I am fishng by looking at the screen.

[FD.]

a cheaper TM mounted depth finder is all I have on the bow. I have the hummingbird 1198 at the console on a ram mount. I waited and saved for 2 years to buy it, but it was worth the wait.

[Sun Fish]

I just ordered a new one myself for the bow and plan on ordering a 2nd for the console by spring. I haven't used it yet just did a lot of research on the technology. I find it's the biggest bang for the buck with close to all the features and technology of the really expensive units.

http://store.humminb...8ci_HD_SI_Combo

MSRP is $899 found it for $763

http://www.imarineus...ideimaging.aspx

You can afford two of these for just about the price it would cost to get a unit with a bigger screen to spin around on the RAM mount.

If you don't care about side imaging if you wait until they're released in February Lowrance is releaseing the Elite 7 series which have 7" screens. The one with Sonar/DI/GPS is $699.

[BassnChris]

If you live close to a Bass Pro......they just radically marked down their Gen 1 HDS units....but they are flying out the door.

[zildjian]

a cheaper TM mounted depth finder is all I have on the bow. I have the hummingbird 1198 at the console on a ram mount. I waited and saved for 2 years to buy it, but it was worth the wait.

hey, i just bought the 1198 unit and would love to see how your ram mount and unit are setup, you have any pics of your setup? also, how do you like the ram mount, and which mount did you go with? does it hold up well? i'm in the market for a mount right now, and would love any input. thanks!

[FD.]

Here is the mount I used. 70 mph in rough sea's is not a problem. It does not move, ever.

http://www.rammount.com/CatalogResults/PartDetails/tabid/63/partid/082065077045068045049049049085045067/Default.aspx

I don't have any pics but I will get some tomorrow.

One mistake I made that I need to correct is I did not take the power all the way back to the battery. I had extra space in my fuse panel and tied in there. Sometimes late in the day with pumps running the unit will power down due to a low voltage reading when you start the big motor. Not a major problem, just irritating.

[Wayne P.]

You will want the RAM-D-111U instead of the RAM-D-111U-C.

It has a longer arm.

I don't get on rough water, so I use the smaller C size at the console and bow.

My console location is on metal, not the plastic console.

[FD.]

hey, i just bought the 1198 unit and would love to see how your ram mount and unit are setup, you have any pics of your setup? also, how do you like the ram mount, and which mount did you go with? does it hold up well? i'm in the market for a mount right now, and would love any input. thanks!

Pics

[zildjian]

Thank you very much!!! Pics look great!

[Bass_Fanatic]

You will want the RAM-D-111U instead of the RAM-D-111U-C.

It has a longer arm.

 

Not neccessarily.  Its according to what boat you are mounting on and if you need the compact arm or the longer arm.  I ordered a compact arm for mine a few weeks ago, but it doesnt fit where I thought it would so had to go back and order the longer arm.  I have to mount mine on the inside of the wall in front of the throttle on my Puma because there is not enough space to mount beside the console.  Figure out what will work best for you before you order and if you need the short arm, let me know, I have a brand new one I will get rid of lol

[zildjian]

Lol will do! I have a 2012 Bass Tracker Pro Team 190TX my console is setup weird for this unit, bug I'll find a spot for it.

[BassnChris]

Hey RangerPhil........looks like we  kind of hijacked your thread?

 

I got my boat last year and mounted a humminbird 597ci HD DI at the console and would spin that around to view from the bow. I had a very old humminbird (model unknown) that came with boat but did not use it much.

 

I did get kind of old spinning it around....but I was able to get by and I was going to buy another 597 for the bow but changed my mind and ended up switching out for Lowrance.

 

I will not recommend any particular brand or model.......get the one that you like best.

 

Personally, I prefer the side imaging units but they tend to cost more.

I only wished I had given it a little more thought last year.........I did not realize until this year that I wanted my bow unit and console unit to talk to each other....networked.  The 597ci HD DI is not networkable so I started looking to move up into the humminbirds that were networkable.........then finally crossed over to Lowrance networkable finders.

 

Everyone has their preferences..........I think both companies have some great units.

If you get a chance to go to someplace like Bass Pro.......to touch and push buttons on the finders before buying is good idea. And at least the guys in my local BP are very knowledgable about the electronics.

 

Good luck.

Chris