Is the stock transducer good enough?

Hi all, I just bought a Helix 10 MEGA CHIRP SI / DI G2N GPS. It came with this transducer: XM 9 20 MSI T with a Transom mount. I’m brand new to upper level units, but I do want to have a good setup. Is that transducer fine, or do I need to upgrade?

All good, just pay attention to how to mount that big old soap bar. Lots of good videos out there.

If you mount it correctly there’s a sizable chance that you won’t get depth readings at speed. This may or may not be important to you. If you find that it is the general solution is to add a second 2d only ducer and a “y” cable to send the signal back to the head unit.

Since I posted I’ve done some more research. It appears that this transducer is definitely good enough, but some people are saying they needed to put a transducer on each side of the boat for SI, because the motor gets in the way otherwise. Patk do you agree? I really would rather spend the $300 on something else since I have a good transducer, but I have no idea how to mount the thing in a spot where the motor won’t block one of the sides.

Chris Aker wrote:

Since I posted I’ve done some more research. It appears that this transducer is definitely good enough, but some people are saying they needed to put a transducer on each side of the boat for SI, because the motor gets in the way otherwise. Patk do you agree? I really would rather spend the $300 on something else since I have a good transducer, but I have no idea how to mount the thing in a spot where the motor won’t block one of the sides.

In my boat, the motor is 100% out of the way when it’s tilted up just slightly. Is there a clear line of sight?

For what’s it worth, everyone I personally know only has one SS/DI ducer…it wasn’t until this summer on the forum I learned some people used two.

Yes two duecers are better then one… If it is worth it to you.

My helix 12 gen1 has over 2,000 hours
my 1199 has over 3,000 hours.

I bought both new for around $2,400 each.

So they cost me about $1/hr of fishing, and less every hour I fish.

Whether something is “worth the money” is up to you.

Two is better than 1. No question.
Two is not necessary by any means.

Many people have two because they bought more than 1 head unit.

I plan on putting a second HDSI transducer on my boat this year.

Install one, see how it works for you.

I have a Lund Pike with a Merc outboard with 2 Helix 9’s one on the bow and one on the console. I mounted the original SI transducer on the starboard side, if I tilt the motor up, I can see both sides clearly at slow speeds.

But I am always tilting the motor up and down looking for a better image. It is just not convenient. I expect that with a second transducer on the port side I can improve my scouting at a higher speed and cover more water while looking for structure or fish.

Besides having the motor in the way when tilted down, the transducer appear to get some prop wash turbulence even when the motor is tilted up. This reduced the speed at which I can scout new waters.

I would install a pull line to support pulling a second transducer cable when you install the first transducer.

It never hurt to think ahead. Just my experience, good luck.

Yes you’ll reduce cavitation from your boat and hull. Whether you need to trim or not.

My favorite benefit…I can go backwards and get a phenomenal image.

djshannon wrote:

. I expect that with a second transducer on the port side I can improve my scouting at a higher speed and cover more water while looking for structure or fish

Personally, you can find structure at nearly any speed. But identifying fish requires a speed slow enough for the fish to occupy enough pixels for you to interpret a fish.

Lots of coverage… Not a lot of screen. That’s why I have the biggest screens. More pixels = more allowed speed.

You gotta be narrow and slow on them small screens.

For finding fish, or more specifically identifying type of fish by school behavior.
I prefer 2-3 mph and up to 4 mph.
Usually at 70′ width.
I should add, that i have one screen dedicated to SI only. Other screen runs 2d & graph.

Thanks for the great info. I’ll probably get another transducer.

Chris.
You seem very new to these units. If you really want to understand them you must read the manual cover to cover and then spend lots of time on bbcboards looking at humminbird image interpretation.

There you’ll find Doug V. And many others.

Then there’s others like technological angler. I though he knew more about sonar but he proved that wrong when he was crowding me in February walleye fishing a catfish school.

FishBlood I am definitely new. I’ve been watching lots of YouTube video, and reading on the Humminbird site. I still have a couple of months before I install it, I’m just trying to get as much info as possible before tackling the project. I’m going to get another unit for the front, so I’m learning those options as well.

Chris Aker wrote:

Since I posted I’ve done some more research. It appears that this transducer is definitely good enough, but some people are saying they needed to put a transducer on each side of the boat for SI, because the motor gets in the way otherwise. Patk do you agree?

Back on after the weekend. Try it without first. Maybe you’ll need to tilt your motor up to give the ducer a clean line of sight. Maybe you won’t, or maybe you’ll find the damn motor is always in the way.

Point being go experiment and learn before parting with the money. Maybe use that money to have more on water time, pay for a seminar, or use it for a guide trip to help further your learning curve.

These units have so many capabilities it really does take time, effort, help, etc to be good at them. More stuff = more money = more complexity

Throw all this out the window if you have the budget now and a comptroller at home that won’t let you add stuff in a year or two when you have some more experience