questions about humminbird SI

[fowlmouth]

okay, here's a question for you guys with SI. I'm looking at the 997c SI and would like to see the display at the bow, anyone mounted the transducer on the TM?  I see they make a trolling motor mounted transducer, which would work great if you only went straight all the time.

Do they make a unit that will display the side imaging from the 997 that I can mount on the bow and link together. Do most of you guys just swivel the RAM mount around and look back at it?

[REEL_MAN]

Check with Rufus (PM him), He has one on the console and the trolling motor.

REEL_MAN
<))))>{

[Cy]

I have heard of several guys that have put an SI unit on their trolling motor.  Check bassbostcentral.com and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sideimaging/ for more information and opinions.

Cy

[djkimmel]

This sounds familiar... like it was discussed on the bass boats boards below, but it sounds like fowlmouth was asking also about an alternate unit at the bow to display from the unit at the console...? Like an extra monitor? I don't recall that being discussed before or seeing it on the Humminbird web site? Last I checked on this, it was an issue of the large amount of bandwidth required I believe.

[fowlmouth]

yeah, I see no mention of being able to operate one as a "monitor" on the bow on the humminbird website. I wish I knew how much the lowrance side imaging is gonna be, supposed to be released at icast in july. Don't know if I can wait that long

[Bender]

From what I have read I think you can link the units to use one transducer if you want. But then you are seeing things 20' behind you. I have turned my ram mount around before, but it gets confusing since left is right and right is left. Things get blurry when you turn sharp with the main one so I imagine that when you turn the TM it wouldn't work very well, but if you are cruising a weedline or something it should be fine. I haven't had mine too long, but so far it is amazing. The only bad part is cruising around at 4 MPH all the time.
Here are a couple other sites:
http://www.xumba.scholleco.com/index.php?sid=17fe917ade3849d524c20bb7a3342672
http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=udbq2n0obqgl4gpjocftttgvf5&

Correction: It appears that you cannot share sonar data on the Interlink network.

[Buckeye]

I like my 797, but it is at the console.  The 997 and 1197 are much moer powerful IMO, and are a better investment.  I'm looking at trading my boat in on a newer Ranger, so I am cinsidering an upgrade or switching back to the Lowrance HD units.  I'd like to wait and see the side imaging, but I might npt be able to wait that long.

What you describe sounds difficult at least and possibly unattainable.  I never thought that turning a RAM-mounted unit around would cause such issues, but that makes sense too.

Eric

[Eric]

I put the TM transducer on my boat.  I like it.  If I want to see what I may be approaching, I can just turn the pedal and it will  look ahead of me.  Or in any other direction I choose. 

I mounted mine at the console when I got it on a RAM mount.  But I had an old humminbird unit that I got as a spare years ago that included the mount, all the hardware, etc.  So all I did was get the TM transducer, used all the old stuff and mounted a "station" up front.  I just detach it from the console and snap it on at the bow and I am good to go. I like it.

[1javelin]

Would be nice if it gave a 360 degree view and up was always North!!!!

1Jav

[traversebass]

   I've got two 997 SIs on my Ranger--one on the console, and one up front mounted on the TM.  I love having the two units, however when first mounted, there was a huge interference issue.  Humminbird acknowledged that there is a problem with mounting both.  Originally, they told me that I could not run both together, and that I would have to turn one of the units off.  For that much money for each, I told them that this was unacceptable.  I should be able to have 50 of them all working. 
   Since then, they sent my dealer an interference-dampening kit that also ties into the trolling motor wiring.  According to Humminbird, units sold this year still have that problem, but it is to a lesser degree.  There is still an interference issue, but they have a fix for it (whatever that means.)
   In short, I love the units, but would caution that using two of them will require an interference dampening kit.   And yes, with the Interlink system, you can use the two units together (waypoint on one, and it waypoints on the other....)  Hope that helps.