I currently don’t have any graphs on my boat. I am debating between one helix 10 si at counsole ($1500), or a helix 9 si at counsole and a helix 9 di on bow ($1580). If I went this route I would not upgrade transducer and would be the absolute max I would be comfortable spending. Opinions welcome. By the way I will mostly be fishing the st.louis river and Chequamagon bay both trolling and casting. Thanks in advance for your opinions.
I prefer two. Nice to have one on the bow so your not looking over your shoulder constantly. Keep your eyes on the Walleye Central swap board, lots of good used units for sale. Might be able to swing a good deal.
Personally I’d have 3, 2 on the wheel or tiller do you can run gps on a separate unit. Personal preference but it’s sure nice
2 gives you a back up if one goes down.
2 screens, even if they are smaller, are generally better than one bigger screen split.
Lots of ways to look at it though.
If it were me I would definitely go with 2 smaller graphs. Put the bow graph on a ram mount or the hardware attachment of your choosing. Then put the same mount on your console. This way you can move the front graph around. When trolling or cruising use both graphs on the console, if your going to use the troller put the graph up front. The only addition cost is probably an extra power cord, that’s all you’ll need to run that unit at the console assuming it has internal gps antenna, run the other as sonar. An extra power cord and ram mount base is easily ordered an fairly inexpensive.
Ben,
If you went with 2 units, what are you thinking about trandsucer-wise for the one on the bow?
If you are OK with using the SI transducer on the transom for both units, I believe you could get away with a base Helix 9 (no DI) on the bow, network the (2) 9’s together with an ethernet cable, and “see” the 2D/SI data on the bow unit. That would also give you the opportunity to share waypoints between both units.
HRG
Ben,
If you went with 2 units, what are you thinking about trandsucer-wise for the one on the bow?If you are OK with using the SI transducer on the transom for both units, I believe you could get away with a base Helix 9 (no DI) on the bow, network the (2) 9’s together with an ethernet cable, and “see” the 2D/SI data on the bow unit. That would also give you the opportunity to share waypoints between both units.
HRG
2x Net work the 2. It can share the Si and waypoints. And always have a backup.
I run 3 on the counsel.
If you go two, mount them next to each other and that way you can run si on one and map/2d on other. Gets you excellent viewing of all screens in one spot.
Much better to have all 3 necessary screens visible at once without changing screens or squinting. Of course I don’t think di is necessary. So if you get two make your 2nd unit sonar/map because di is a joke compared to si
Two or three bigger ones. 
I have two on the dash, an 8″ and a 5″. The 5″ does GPS only the 8″ does sonars, down, side, and traditional. Life is easier that way.
I’d like to add a third to the bow. Someday.
Thanks guys, If I can get di and si view of the 2d when linked to an si unit, that seems like an no brainier to me. I also like the use of being able to move the bow unit as needed never thought of that. Thanks for the good ideas.
network the (2) 9’s together with an ethernet cable, and “see” the 2D/SI data on the bow unit.
I wasn’t aware that a non-si unit could display si imaging??? Anyone know how this works?
If it does I’m guessing that the si ducer communicates to the SI unit which processes the signal and sends the “image” to the non-si unit.
The other option is that the si ducer sends the info to the si unit. Then the si unit just relays the info over the network to the non-si unit. If this is true then it’s just a pass through for the data and I would think that wouldn’t work. would be the same as hooking up an si ducer to a non-si head unit.
get the 2 9’s. Having a back up is HUGE!
In the network settings you can select the the transducer you want to use. You can share any gps or transducer on the network. The Di units will show the Si. It was in a software upgrade some tine ago. I have done this myself. It can save a bunch of money since DI unit cost less. If networked only need one si unit in the network. I had an 1198 si and a 998 di on the dash. 999 si up front. Just got the Helix 12. Moved the 1198 up front. Then hook up the external GPS to the Helix also. The 1198 doesn’t have the built in so I can grap it from the network and not have to move the puck or rerun the cable. Going to put the Di and si ducer on a 2 ducer/1 unit switch then hook the switch up to the y cable with the in hull 2d high speed on one leg and the switch on the other. That will give me 2d full time and I can switch between the di and si. The di and si can cross talk since they are on the same frquency. So I do have a 999 si up for sale if anybody is interested.
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