Very Dumb Hds Question

[Nice_Bass]

I am wanting to put new hds on my bow, currently do not have one at all just DI. Obviously i will need to get the SS and link everything but do have a few dumb questions. I really would rather have the system at the bow TM as that is where I am most of the time- I really dont want to just putz around from the drivers seat looking at the screen. That being said, would it be smart to have an HDS 7 at the bow and just move DI to the transom/drivers seat.

Also, and here is the very dumb part. Since my TM will be rotating, will the signal from the transducer for SI/DI be able to read or will it be showing me screwed up images due to the rotating transducer. As you can see I am new to SI, but am very curious.

Thanks,

Mark

[dag623]

Not dumb at all imo. I just installed my hds7 on console, replacing an ancient unit which was there when I bought the boat. For me it was a no brainer since I had no charting whatsoever, and figured I could live with the old unit at the bow til I can afford another hds. I also have a set of eyes already in the back of the boat in my wife, who is very electronics savvy. If I was in your shoes, I would do just what you're doing.

No first hand experience, but from what I've read, the image will blur with rotation of tm on the ss ducer, but sonar is unaffected.

Good luck and congrats on new system!

[Fishing Rhino]

Think about this. The HDS's features such as maps, and navigation will not do you much good if the display is at the bow, when you are at the helm. Let's for a minute assume you have a hot spot in the middle of a good sized body of water with no close by points of reference. You put a waypoint into your system to mark that piece of bottom. Are you going to motor to that place from the bow, if it's a good distance away?

Say you are cruising unfamiliar water, looking for structure or cover. Would you rather do that from the helm at five or six mph, or from the bow where every time you change direction you change or blur the display on the screen?

Which mounting place will maximize the side imaging feature?

These are questions only you can answer because each one of us fish a bit, or a lot differently than another. What works for you might drive me crazy, and vice versa.

Think about all aspects of what the unit can do, and where it will be most effective to suit you.

[Nice_Bass]

All good points- I have a feeling by end of the year I will have one in each place.

Typically a deeper water fisherman- but almost all the lakes i go to, I already know generally know where i am going to go but this would give me the chace to explore. Largest lake i fish is about 57,000 acres or so exploring by TM is a bit tedious.

Best option sounds like is to install at the helm. I am sure there are brackets that could swivel it around so I could view from the bow if wanted glace at the SI.

[Nice_Bass]

Final question here. Do you guys than run one have any issues with battery drain. I would think that would be a huge issue running SS. Do you put a rocker switch in, shut it off all together, or run it to its own battery?

thanks, and sorry if this has been asked a hundred times before.

[Fishing Rhino]

I've run three sounders, only one side imaging (Humminbird 898) and run the engine very little on most of the waters I fish. They won't deplete a healthy battery. I plug in the battery charger after every trip. Sometimes I don't run the main engine enough to keep the battery fully charged.

If you don't have one, get a voltmeter to check the condition of the battery at the start, and at the end of the day. That will give you a good indication of the drain you are putting on your battery.

[Todd Driscoll]

As Rhino said, with a good battery you won't have any issues. But, when you wire the StructureScan, you will need to do this through a switched power source. You can either use the HDS unit PWR as the switch by connecting the yellow wire on the StructureScan power cable to the yellow wire on the HDS power cable (StructureScan is on when the HDS unit is on), or as you suggest, wire the StructureScan yellow wire through a toggle switch and have independent control of power to the StructureScan.

[J Francho]

I am sure there are brackets that could swivel it around so I could view from the bow if wanted glace at the SI.

http://kayakfishinggear.com/ramelectronicsmount-choosea1ballmountora112ballmount.aspx

[Fishing Rhino]

As Francho posted, you can see there are brackets. Just make sure when you wire it in, you have enough slack to allow the unit to swivel so you get a good view from both positions.

[scrutch]

All good points- I have a feeling by end of the year I will have one in each place.

Typically a deeper water fisherman- but almost all the lakes i go to, I already know generally know where i am going to go but this would give me the chace to explore. Largest lake i fish is about 57,000 acres or so exploring by TM is a bit tedious.

Best option sounds like is to install at the helm. I am sure there are brackets that could swivel it around so I could view from the bow if wanted glace at the SI.

This is exactly how I mounted my 1197 at the console. I chose a Ram swing arm mount. It's left of the console and I just swing it around when I go to the bow. It works pretty good. I also didn't like the option of mounting a $2000 piece of equipment to the right of the console. Something goes wrong and it's in the drink.