Fish Finder Setup

[jessejames556]

I just purchased a new Humminbird 587ci HD with down imaging and internal GPS. I want some advice on where I should mount the control head.

Until now, my boat only had one fish finder- Garmin 300C with sonar only. This is currently mounted at my console on a swivel so I could drive with it and spin it around and fish with it in view from the casting deck.

My new system is a step up from what I am use to. It has down imagining, marine maps SD slot, GPS/Chartplotter, and sonar.

I want one on the bow and one on the console. Any suggestions on where I should put the higher quality one? It would make sense to put the GPS equipped one at the console, but then I would not get as much out of the down imaging/sonar with it being further away from where I stand on the casting deck.

I'm too cheap to buy a second higher quality one at this time, but that would be a long term goal.



 

[Wayne P.]

So you have the 587ci HD DI Combo model. There are two versions of the 587ci HD.

Until you learn how the imaging technology works, the console dispay with transom mounted or shoot-thru transducer installation would be the best choice.

Put your other unit on the bow with the transducer on the trolling motor.

[jessejames556]

Alright I will start with that.. Is it alright to put both transducers on the transom? The old model is already mounted on the transom and I think I have enough cable to run it to the bow without moving the transducer. I'm assuming they won't interfere with each other if both are on the transom, right?

[slonezp]

There is nothing wrong with that. Ideally you would mount the bow unit transducer on the trolling motor. Remember, the things you see on the graph have already happened. If your fishing on the deck, the stuff you're seeing will already be 20 feet behind the boat.

[martintheduck]

Alright I will start with that.. Is it alright to put both transducers on the transom? The old model is already mounted on the transom and I think I have enough cable to run it to the bow without moving the transducer. I'm assuming they won't interfere with each other if both are on the transom, right?

 

 

I'm no expert on the interference question, but from my current experience I will recommend you move the transducer to the trolling motor. I only have 1 SI/DI unit and I have it mounted at the console. I swing it around when I'm fishing and it's really terrible to be trolling, run over something, and the spot is 18ft behind me. Goodness I can't wait to buy a second unit.

[Wayne P.]

Alright I will start with that.. Is it alright to put both transducers on the transom? The old model is already mounted on the transom and I think I have enough cable to run it to the bow without moving the transducer. I'm assuming they won't interfere with each other if both are on the transom, right?

Any two units operating on the same frequency at the same time will cross-talk if the sonar pulses overlap. That can be on the same boat or two boats close together.