Side Imaging up front or at the console?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

My dad and I are joint owners in our boat.  We are upgrading all our electronics and will be getting a side imaging unit.  We are on opposite sides on where to put it and why.

So what's your guys' opinions?

[R520dvx]

If I had to choose one or the other, I would go with the console. I use it much more there for finding things and deciding whether or not to stop at a spot ....

[Wayne P.]

I spend more time in the boat at the bow, That is my preference for the SI location. I have my boat set up for both locations for the single 798ci SI I have for ease of changing locations (internal GPS antenna).

It will change the way you fish once you get used to seeing more than what is directly under the boat like with regular 2D sonar.

For spawing sight fishing, you can target those fish that spawn deeper than you can see and you can see them no matter what the water color is.

I have the 1198c SI HD ordered and will be placing that on the bow and keeping the 798 on the console.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

You guys sound like us.  ;D ;D

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Just got back from the Cabela's "VIP" thing.  Ended up getting it for both 

[Way2slow]

I went with both places also.  I went with Lowrance and put a 7 on the bow and 10 on swivel bracket.  I also went one step further and mounted a 5 in the console.

My vote with one unit would be at the console.

Two problems with just having it on the bow.  I don't know about HB but Lowrance says a speed of 4 mph is recommend, that's almost impossible with a TM.  Much slower and the images get too stretched out.   I'm mostly using the structure scan and down scan while looking for structure and sitting in the drivers seat at a fast idle.  I seldom have the bow unit on anything other than standard sonar.  Every now and then I might throw the TM on high and try to check out a spot with the structure scan but that's not very often.

[Wayne P.]

Way2slow, with the Humminbird SI, the recommended boat speed is any off-plane speed that you can get a smooth water flow across the transducer. The chart speed should be set to the boat speed for optimum images. Most users mount the transom transducer above the hull bottom and too fast a speed with cause too much water turbulence to get good images.

I get very good images with just the trolling motor since I can easily go 0-3 mph. I just set the chart speed to match. I even get good images at 0 speed just by turning the trolling motor to scan an area and it simulates boat movement. A good way to check under docks while fishing.

If the chart speed is adjustable with the HDS/LSS-1, you can do the same.

The idea is to go as slow as possible to keep the scanned object in the scan beam as long as possible to get the sharpest images.

Too fast will shorten the images and too slow will stretch the images if you don't adjust the chart speed. That is why you adjust the chart speed to the boat speed and go very slow. Hummingbird's chart speed settings are 1-10. I use 1 or 2 when I have my SI on the trolling motor.

Also when fishing shallow, having the advantage of seeing a long ways from the boat is a plus rather than being limited to the small bottom coverage area of a 2D cone angle

Check the boat speed in this image:

[Wayne P.]

Here is another screen shot of a point with thick vegetation and a stump/log pile farther out. Note boat speed with the TM.

[Carrington]

i prefer mine at the console for when im scouting or prefishing.

[skunked_again]

cave.

[TopDog]

Awesome Wayne!

[Wayne P.]

Here are a bunch of images from units mounted on the trolling motor.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sideimaging/photos/album/640462375/pic/list