Running 2 Fish Finders / GPS units

I’m trying to decide what to buy to outfit my boat. I’m thinking a Humminbird Helix SI MEGA CHIRP G2N with a SmartStrike chip. If I get that for my dash, does my bow mount need to have all the same capabilities as the dash unit? I’d like to watch the bow unit when fishing from the front of the boat, but still be able to see the definition and extended view of the dash unit. If the bow unit can be cheaper, but let me have the use of the option in the dash unit, that would be great.

I bought new Helix locators this spring. I have 1 Humminbird Helix 10 G2N SI Mega, and the other Helix 10 is just a G2N with 2D, and I have a Helix 7 G2N with 2D. I have them all linked together. I can see the SI and DI on all of them. One limitation of the Helix models is they can’t share the map chip thru the link. They announced the G3 Helix models a couple of weeks ago.

I believe that SI allows you to see to the sides of the boat, but I don’t know what DI is. Help??

Yep, SI is side image which allows you to see to the sides. DI is down image which shows directly under the transducer. DI shows pretty much the same thing as traditional 2D does, but a different version. If it has SI, DI is included. I will dig up some pictures and post them.

This is traditional 2D and the DI at the same time. This was on Mille Lacs and I caught a 18″ Walleye out of that school.

Attachments:

1. 

   20180623_190613.jpg
   

This is traditional 2d on the bottom left and DI on the upper left and the SI on the rest of the screen. This is one of many schools of we found on Lake of the Woods.

Attachments:

1. 

   20180901_140206.jpg
   

Thank you

Guys I’m still confused. With the unit I mentioned before in the console, what should I get for the bow? I want it as large as I can afford so that I can actually see it, so I don’t want to spend money duplicating what I have in the console. I know it has to be G2N, but what else? The console unit has Mega, Chirp, SI and GPS, so what should I get for the bow? Please, respond as clearly as possible, like I’m an idiot. When it comes to these units, I am definitely uneducated.

What do you have for a trolling motor? What I’m really asking what brand and does it have a US2 transducer built in?

from my understanding of 2D and DI

2D is still viewing the water with a Cone angle
DI is viewing the water in a Straight line.

Hope that makes sense

here is a good video explaining

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/V7s4WKOGca0&#8243; frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

Patk I currently have a Minnkota Riptide SP. It’s got co-pilot, but not I-Pilot link. I’m kind of planning to get the I-Pilot link addition, which I’ve found to around $800. The trolling motor is about 8 years old, but it’s only been used for around 20-30 hours, so I really don’t want to have to purchase a brand new one for $2500 or so. It currently has no transducer on it.

Thanks much walinutz. I still don’t know what that means, but it opens a new avenue for me to research.

Chris Aker wrote:

If I get that for my dash, does my bow mount need to have all the same capabilities as the dash unit?

Short answer, no you do not as arcticm1000 has above. You have the freedom of choice. I’ll make some asssumptions and try to point you in a direction. Also check out Technological Angler(Jason Halfen) and Doug Vahrenberg’s youtube channels. they’re both really good at explaining this stuff.

Since you don’t have iPilot Link nor a built in ducer on your trolling motor, you aren’t integrating anything to that yet. Yet is the key word.

Here’s the simplest option and the most typical:
Do 2D only at the bow and network it to your console unit. Helix G2N 7 or 10 but with 2D only. Mount the 2d ducer to the bottome of your tm. when you upgrade to iPilot Link then you can network the tm into your fish finders to do things like spotlock. If you upgrade to a tm with a us2 built in ducer then you can use that. You’ll have to determine what is “enough” screen size for you to see 7 vs 10.

The more expensive and much less used option is if you really want DI or SI to read from the bow. Then you get that up there too. However this is a really advanced idea as the image beams for SI and DI rotate with the tm. The other downside is if you ever get a built in ducer, they only do 2d. Meaning you will always have a very expensive ducer at the bottom of your tm waiting to be damaged. given your starting out and the other risks this may not be preferred for you.

I know you asked about the head unit for the bow. Also be aware that you’ll need to buy Minnkota’s networking components to get the stuff to talk to each other.

Thanks Patk. I’d like to avoid the transducer on the TM for the reasons you mentioned. I saw something called a “puck”. It looks like it sits on top of the boat. Is that an option for the bow mount unit?

I believe you’re referring to either the heading sensor or the external GPS receiver. You won’t have I-Pilot so the heading sensor is of no use to you. Your Helix units have an internal GPS receiver so you don’t need that.

Attachments:

1. 

   puck.jpg
   

Ron, I plan on adding the I-Pilot link to my trolling motor in the future. If I do, would the puck thing by the appropriate addition then?

Chris Aker wrote:

Ron, I plan on adding the I-Pilot link to my trolling motor in the future. If I do, would the puck thing by the appropriate addition then?

The puck that you’re referring to is basically a compass that helps with the 2017 version of spot-lock with the jog feature. If you purchase the i-pilot link, I believe that you will also get the heading sensor “puck”. No need to buy it separately.

Thanks Blank. There’s a great sale on the same unit I bought, the Helix 10 Chirp, Mega SI right now. I can’t afford it right now, but I expect there will be similar sales this spring as the G3N’s come out. I’ll get one then, which should cover every option I could want. Plus, that would give me 2 transducers, which apparently is a good idea. Does that sound like a good path?

Chris
You mentioned you had a minn Kota riptide.
If you decide to get a unit on TM . Make sure it fits .
I got screw on my helix9 mega si.
It didn’t fit my power drive riptide .
Even after the Humminbird paperwork said it would fit a 80trust TM.
Now I’m trying to figure what I’m going to do.

Munchie meza wrote:

Chris
You mentioned you had a minn Kota riptide.
If you decide to get a unit on TM . Make sure it fits .
I got screw on my helix9 mega si.
It didn’t fit my power drive riptide .
Even after the Humminbird paperwork said it would fit a 80trust TM.
Now I’m trying to figure what I’m going to do.

What exactly didn’t fit?

The transducer.
It was to long and it would hit propeller. On troll motor