Any suggestions on mounting a GPS antenna puck in the front or back of the boat??? Have a Alumacraft Competitor 175 tiller and going from the internal antennas on my HDS units to a external puck antenna and debating on putting it on the bow or stern….
I have always heard if you get it in the back your way points will be more accurate with what you are seeing on the screen at the time you create it. Mine is right in the middle of my boat and works fine. I don’t have an problems finding things I marked earlier.
You want to mount it as close as possible to the transducer for accuracy reasons.
Any place where you won’t step on it.
I used to have it on the stern, now it is mid boat. I have seen no difference. The argument that it is more accurate if closer to the transducer isn’t really that valid when you consider the margin of error in GPS accuracy. On top of that, if you run a bow locator and a stern/console one, and you run them both off the same antenna, anything you mark using the front one is off by 18 feet or so to begin with anyway if the puck is in the back of the boat.
Put it where it works best to mount it.
Quote:
You want to mount it as close as possible to the transducer for accuracy reasons.
That is where im stuck on what to do. When im in the bow I always use the transducer in the trolling motor and when im on the tiller handle im using the structure/down scan transducer…. never was a issue with before with each unit having internal antennas.
Like smackem said…somewhere that it won’t get stepped on, crawled over or whatever.
Where ever you locate it, make sure it’s a LGC-4000!!!
Dont put it in the back, you will regret it. I bought a used boat and the puck is exactly where I want to mount the starboard side downrigger. Im gonna have to move mine.
Kroger, I also own a 17 1/2′ Alumacraft I installed my GPS antenna about one foot forward of the Stern/Port side right near the plastic access opening. Works great!! 
Quote:
I used to have it on the stern, now it is mid boat. I have seen no difference. The argument that it is more accurate if closer to the transducer isn’t really that valid when you consider the margin of error in GPS accuracy. On top of that, if you run a bow locator and a stern/console one, and you run them both off the same antenna, anything you mark using the front one is off by 18 feet or so to begin with anyway if the puck is in the back of the boat.
Put it where it works best to mount it.
Yes and no John I hear you about position error but at the same time postition error can be under 10ft, almost double the lenght from bow to stern. I have 3 pucks for my 3 units, 1 @ the bow, 1 @ the kicker, and 1@ the console. I personaly prefer them near the dash if I was only goin with 1, so that the signal is somwwhat centered on my rig.
Quote:
Quote:
I used to have it on the stern, now it is mid boat. I have seen no difference. The argument that it is more accurate if closer to the transducer isn’t really that valid when you consider the margin of error in GPS accuracy. On top of that, if you run a bow locator and a stern/console one, and you run them both off the same antenna, anything you mark using the front one is off by 18 feet or so to begin with anyway if the puck is in the back of the boat.
Put it where it works best to mount it.
Yes and no John I hear you about position error but at the same time postition error can be under 10ft, almost double the lenght from bow to stern. I have 3 pucks for my 3 units, 1 @ the bow, 1 @ the kicker, and 1@ the console. I personaly prefer them near the dash if I was only goin with 1, so that the signal is somwwhat centered on my rig.
So with the Lowrance HDS units can I have a puck at the bow and a puck at the stern by just hooking them into my NEMA network and tell each unit which puck to use? If so how can you tell which puck is which puck when selecting them?
Good question. I only have one external puck, which is why I put it in a central location. It seems most logical since I’m running three head units from three different locations, and depending on what I’m doing, one of three different ducers. I may be using the bow mount ducer while using the head unit by the kicker, or using the stern ducer while running the bow head unit. Since everything is networked to be shared, I had to make a decision and went mid-boat.
I would expect you could add multiple pucks, give them names, and then decide which to use at any given time.
I use a 4000 in front and back for multiple units.
Cant’ tell you exactly at this moment how I choose which one, but yes, it can be done.
It’s in your networking menus somewhere. I’ll know for sure when my boat is ready to come out of heated storage… which will be SOON.
A number of years ago I was told that there should be a minimum separation between the puck and the head, otherwise one could damage the other.
Is that still the case or was my information bogus?
John
Quote:
A number of years ago I was told that there should be a minimum separation between the puck and the head, otherwise one could damage the other.
Is that still the case or was my information bogus?
John
I don’t believe that is the case anymore. I’m pretty sure they fixed that problem.
I have a question. 
If a puck or the internal ant is mounted in the same place on a boat. Why would it be more accurate in the front, back or side.
The waypoint was set with the puck in one spot. That’s the spot the puck will locate the following visits.
Unless it’s moved in your boat it should be accurate to that location each time….right?
Best case scenario would be a “0” EPE when you’re marking the spot directly under your transducer. If your puck is in the front of the boat and your transducer is on the transom, you’re creating your own position error by the length between the two.
Quote:
I have a question.
If a puck or the internal ant is mounted in the same place on a boat. Why would it be more accurate in the front, back or side.
The waypoint was set with the puck in one spot. That’s the spot the puck will locate the following visits.
Unless it’s moved in your boat it should be accurate to that location each time….right?
If im fishing in the bow using the transducer in the bowmount if i make any waypoints I like them to be close to the transducer I am using.
Makes a big difference when working sheer wall structure or tight to weed lines pulling big suckers.
When I had my old eagle mapping units having the puck in the back of the boat and marking the bottom in the front and marking weigh points with what im seeing through the bow mount worked fine but when I come for a second pass from the other direction now that 15′ from my ducer to puck becomes 30′
Switching to the HDS units it was alot better with having internal GPS antennas in each unit but now going to a puck again but looks like im going to have to go to 2 pucks!
Atleast it all sounds good in my head…. 
Quote:
A number of years ago I was told that there should be a minimum separation between the puck and the head, otherwise one could damage the other.
Is that still the case or was my information bogus?
John
Yes, there was an interference problem with the LGC-3000 pucks for a long time. Then they adapated those with more shielding to fix the issue. The LGC-4000 does not have EM issues. In addition, the LGC-4000 locks into satellites faster (even indoors) and udpates more frequently to prevent cursor wandering if you have a newer (HDS) sonar/GPS.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
