Way2slow

Just throw some jumper cables in it!!! You have to love that mentality. Doesn't matter that a weak/bad battery can destroy a charging system and the arc you sometimes get connecting jumper cables can destroy the ECM. You can buy a number of batteries for the repair of either of those are going to cost.

I was just going by Doug Smith's recent post about his wouldn't get one plane, not the first post from years ago. However, yes if you are getting excessive bow lift to the point it looks like it's pointed at the clouds, that's mainly weight distribution and trim angle. Too much weight and power in the back and not enough weight in the front. I can put my 25 Merc with tiller steering on my 1436 jon and with me on the back, gas tank behind the seat and TM battery behind the seat, and no one in the front seat, it can be scary if you just pour the power to it from a hole shot. It stands up tall but it lays over quickly. When by myself, I put the TM battery in front of the front seat. I however don't do that, even with a transom brace in it, because that's about twice the power the boat is rated for. With the 9.9, which is probably 75 pounds lighter and whole lot less power, it comes out of the hole and lays over just fine.

Some of the things that will cause one to be hard to plane. A damaged prop. Prop with too much pitch A spun hub in prop, this is usually the case if the motors quits pulling and just revs up. Too much weight in the rear of the boat. Especially in smaller boats Motor not trimmed in far enough Low performance from the engine This can be caused by low compression on a cylinder or two A totally dead cylinder. Funny thing about a two stroke, they can be misfiring on one cylinder and you won't notice it. Dirty carbs. If carbs have low speed adjustment, it may be too lean. Too small of an engine for the size boat. If the boat is new to you and you have no history on it. Then start with a compression check. Next if you have the experience, check and clean the carbs. If you are going to need to pay someone for this, check the prop and other stuff first. Carbs rebuilt can run hundreds of dollars.

I just bought one BPS had on sale with the GT54 Transducer and it came with a plate that goes on the bottom of the TM held with a big clamp and the stuff to secure the cable to the shaft. Now, if you have the GT56 transducer I can see where that would be a problem since it a few inches longer. I have spent the past two days reading a playing with this one and it looks to me like you use one or the other, so I don't see why you would need the transducer attached if you have the Panoptics attached. However, I don't have the Panoptics to verify that. Not sure how much you have read through the manual yet but if you haven't done so already, I would go in the GPS setting and turn the WAAS on. It's not on as it comes out of the box. That make a big difference in accuracy in the southern states, like from 20' to a foot or so.

Never figured out how to see electrons in a piece of wire, so I've always used a voltmeter to diagnose electrical problems. A few minutes with a voltmeter and little understanding of what and how to check it, should be able to isolate the problem fairly easily. Even a little test light is better than trying to guess.

My first suggestion would be try plugging it in directly between the transducer and the Helix 7. If it still don't read, if you have a friend or anyone with a Helix, plug your unit into their transducer. I can't tell you how many transducers I have ruined over the years running them on the TM. The cables develop problems either getting hit and damaged or just the wiring breaks inside with the constant flexing from raising and lowering the TM. You need to come up with another known good transducer somehow you can connect to your unit, or you can connect to your unit to it, to effectively diagnose the problem.

It may have been one of the many regional boat builders back then that only managed to develop a market in a couple surrounding states before they finally had to close the doors. Looks like they were out of Cleburne Tx back then and folding their doors in the late 80's

Proper oil usage is approximately one quart of oil for 12 gallons of gas. I've seen Thunderbird boats, but no Thunderbolts. Mercury use the Thunderbolt for the ignition system name on their motors back in the 60's/70's but never knew of a mercury boat called a thunderbolt. I spent most of the later 70's and early 80's in Italy, and even when I got back to the states, I spent most of my time in special duty assignments for the next bunch of years so I was pretty much out of contact with what was going on in the real world during the 80's

Update, I called and they did have the 73SV and it did come with the GT54 transducer, so I just got back with that one also. I hope I like Garmin's, because I now have a 93SV and a 73SV. At the prices, I figured what the heck, I'm getting two for the price of one. Both units cost me $1,065 out the door with my military discount. Got about a mile from there and had to go back again, my brother had called me and I mentioned them to him, he said he was looking at them but didn't think the transducer was included. When I told him they were, I had to go back and get him a 73SV. After seeing the size of the 93SV, it's a whole lot smaller and lighter than my HDS-10. Set it on the console and now I'm wishing I had gotten two 93's instead of the 73 and 93.

Orangeblueprint, I owe you a thanks about the BPS sale today, didn't know that. The only one they had on sale here was the 93SV bundle with the GT54 X-ducer, none of the others. I didn't think I wanted one that big, but after walking out with one for $609, with my military discount I decided I would make it work. I got there about 8:20, thinking they still had the deal where senior citizens could get in an hour early, so I could just grab one and go. They said they haven't done that in a couple of months but it was a good thing I got there that early. There were already about 30 people in line waiting for them to open at 9:00, all of them wanting the Garmin 93SV at $450 off. By the time they opened the doors, there was a line going out into the parking lot. Someone said they called yesterday and they had 57 units, so there were going to be some sore feelings toward the end of that line. A guy working in there said he had the 93SV in his boat, and the only difference between the GT54 and GT56 transduces was the GT56 was more powerful and the only time you would see a difference was in saltwater. I rarely fish deeper than 45 feet and only fresh water so I will see how that does. Anyway, I guess I will get to see how I like the Garmin. I just looked and BPS online shows the 73SV at $350 off but they don't show it coming with the transducer, just compatible with them, so, that's not that good of a deal since they want $350 - $450 for the Transducer. I guess if someone was wanting to add that livescope transducer, that would be good.

I guess I live in a sheltered world. I have a hard time seeing how a live scope (or what ever name that use for it) can have a serious impact on fish population. First, I don't see many average anglers buying a $2,500 - $5,000 sonar, even if it caught, dressed, bagged and froze the fish for them. I don't know of a tournament angler that might use one, would abuse the resource by keeping large numbers of fish, most I've ever fished with are a whole lot more likely to put it back than in a live well. Most people that are that serious about their fishing, and felt they had to have one, are just as serious about preserving the resources they have. I've never met a guide that would even allow someone to catch over their limit of fish. Matter of fact, most of the bass guides I've known tell you up front, they only practice catch and release. If you catch a trophy, they measure, photograph it and you have a plastic one made of it. Now, if you want to destroy a brim or crappie population, introduce flat heads into the water system. One grown flat head will eat more than dozens of anglers could catch a year even if they didn't pay any attention to the limits. It's the stupid things we do to their habitat that ruins the fishing, not some piece of electronic device.

All the fancy electronics in the world are not going to make the fish bite just anything you throw at them. I know bunches of bass fishermen that only fish spring and fall when the fish are in the shallows. Average cast is 25 -30 feet into water that's no more than a couple feet deep. Other than a temp gauge, I don't think there is much in the sonar world that's going to make a difference in the number of fish caught. That's all about knowing what to use and how to use it. Even in the deeper water that the high dollar electronics will show you where they are holding, it's still more about the lure choice and presentation. My nephew won a club tournament this past weekend using nothing but a basic LCD in his 17' Tracker and there were guys that had electronics in their boats that cost more that cost more than he paid for his whole rig.

Depends on what you are towing it with. Something like a full size, 3/4 ton pickup, 99% of the time, trailer brakes are probably not needed, it's the one percent on a boat that size that will make you regret doing away with them. As the old saying goes, it's not if, it's when you have to make a panic stop. That's when the fecies hits the rotating oscillator.

For the average 17' or smaller boat, that will work fine. I've used a bunch of them over the years. Now, if you are wanting something for a boat that has more than about 2,400 pounds of tow weight, I would go with a heavier duty hitch. Something similar to what 's show above but that one is for trailer brakes, a master cylinder mounts inside of it. Unless you have brakes, you don't need that particular model.

I agree, no way I could afford to change even every couple of years, that's why I go ahead and spend the extra to get their good stuff to start with. Like my HDS system with the structure scan, I upgraded to it when they first came out with it, and it's still a nice unit to have, and that was several years back. I'm just saying if you spend the money and go ahead and buy a unit with the latest imaging technology (within reason, don't ever see buying a 360 degree transducer for $1,500) it usually lets you go several years before there is a better mouse trap. A lot of times they are just adding extra bells and whistles, like touch screen etc, and not doing much to imaging. Those are features I can do without. I also don't need a giant screen TV setting in my boat at three or four times the price that a very usable smaller screen works just fine. I've never seen a need for anything larger than my HDS-10, that's big enough to almost be in the way mounted off to the side.

I can't find much about the Hummingbird that really trips my trigger, and they don't make their best unit in a 7". It looks like they want to sell you a $1,500 transducer to get the full benefit of theirs, but the Garmin seems like it might be an option. There's a Bass Pro Shop about 30 miles from me so I guess I will make a trip to there. Hopefully they will have some display models and someone that knows them, I can compare the Lowrance and Garmin. It looks like the only difference between the Garmin 7" models with charts is the different maps they have in them. I'm look at the sonar's like I do a computer. You may as well bite the bullet and get a top of the line model in the size you want so it's still a reasonable unit several years down the road. Cut back on features to get it cheaper and a couple of years later, it's a dinosaur.

I started with Lowrance back when they were making their portable flasher back in 1965. Been through their whole line. Went from that to the chart recorder and just kept upgrading when they did. I have the HDS-7 and HDS-10 with the structure scan ( the HDS-5 went with the boat I sold) but we are going to put those in my sons boat down in south Texas. I'm looking for something to put in my pontoon. It's going to be sitting on the console so I don't want more than a 7". Looking at the adds for these new generation structure/side scan units, the images are much sharper and more like like than the first generation HDS units I have now. I'm figuring I will have to spend $1,200 - $1,500 for a 7" with the capabilities I want, but if a Garmin will compete with the Lowrance's resolution and presentation, it won't hurt my feeling one bit to save several hundred dollars. I would have to put a grand in a unit and it ended up being no better or a down grade from I have now.

I'm looking for a new 7" LCD with Chart, down scan and side scan, structure scan etc. Looking at the Lowrance but they are not real clear on exactly what you are getting in the deal. The HDS gen 3 a Ti and some other but not real clear if they come with everything for the listed price to provide all the features the advertise. Things like the Structure scan and the transducers. I see one list a 3 in 1 transducer but not real clear if that's just a band aid to make you thing you are getting something. I really don't want to spend $1,200 - $1,500 for a package just to find out I need to spend and large chunk of money for some special over priced transducer or additional unit to really get all the features I want. I have the old Gen 1 HDS units with the Structure scan that lets them all network together, but looking to upgrade and only want one unit so don't need to networking, but to want all the Structure scan capabilities, I have always used Lowrance for the past 50 years but I'm not locked in on Lowrance. I've heard some bragging about the Garmin 7" and others on the Hummingbird. Just looking for a unit that has a really good side scan/structure scan. I'm sure they are all made in China now, so it's just a matter of whose technology you want to use.

To be honest with ya'll, I sold it "As Is" and just reduced the crap out of it for that, because I knew if I got it all cleaned up and everything good to go, I would have changed my mind about selling it. I considered selling it last year when I recovered the seats, for a whole lot more money, but after getting it perfect to sale, I changed my mind. It sat another year and never got put in the water. I did pull most of my $5,000 worth of electronics out and that $1,600 trolling motor off the front, but did leave the $600 unit I had mounted in the dash, and sold if cheap enough he could put what he wanted and still have a good deal.

Test drive put huge grin on his face, most of it anyway. I guess that was the first time he had been 73 mph in a boat. I drove it first just to make sure everything was good and when I aired it out, he was just starring at the gps, mph reading on the sonar, he had tightened up and had the look of a bit of fear in his face so I backed it off at 73. He drove it and after a bit he got up to 61 and I told him he could go for it if he wanted, he just commented, no I'm good. He drove away as one happy boat owner towing his bass boat. He got a steal of a deal but I didn't feel like messing with getting it in perfect condition, didn't even wash it, just sold it as is. Could have easily got a couple thousand more if I had wanted to make it perfect.

I'm not exactly going to be boatless, just one boat less. Just decided I don't need and 80mph bass boat anymore to just sit at the house. Still have a 24' pontoon, 1436 jon, 17' canoe, a 12' jon, and a 17 Stratos my brother keeps at the lake he lives on, which he just asked if I still wanted it because he doesn't use it anymore and was wanting to bring it back to me. I haven't even seen it in seven years so I doubt there's much left to it since he says he hasn't used it in a couple of years. I've had a boat since I was 13 and I'm sure my wife will have a couple to get rid of when I'm gone. What I need to start getting rid of is all the motors, and parts of motors I have. Just this one had a lot of memories, since I bought it because of dual console for my dad, and he loved that boat and have a ton of memories of him and then my granddaughter (that doesn't know it's sold). She was almost raised in it with me and her gramps (my dad).

Guess I was selling it too cheap. 1st guy to look at it, loved it and offered to give me some to hold it pending test drive. I told him he didn't need to, it wasn't going to make me mad if I didn't sell it. Going to meet him Sunday at lake for test drive and he plans to take it home from there.

Yea, still got mixed emotions about it, but that boat has only been in the water three times in the past two years and it's kind of a pain to keep it up and it just sitting there. I run it every couple of months on the hose or in the tank for 20 minutes or so and buying $400-$500 worth of batteries just to get a few couple of fishing trips out of them sucks also. But then, my wife hits me with "I wish you wouldn't sell it, that's going to break Ashley's heart". (my granddaughter) The lake I grew up fishing and the one I prefer fishing is 95 miles. There is a closer lake 45 miles but it is very heavily fished and a million recreational boaters, and about all you are fishing is boat docks and I just don't like fishing it. Plus it's just not much enjoyment out of going by myself. I guess I've just gotten to be one of those grumpy oldfarts. Then you have to put up with all the scammers and all the reason they want to send you a fake check to sell it to them. Son of a gun, just got an email from a merchant marine wanting to buy it, but he's still at sea and wants to send me a check. How stupid do they think people are.

Finally made the plunge and listed my Javelin Renegade 20 DC on craigslist. Granddaughter is not going to be happy with me though, she was almost raised in that boat.

I suppose you are going to say that 17.5' deep V with a 55 lb 12V Powerdrive was an electric only and didn't have an outboard to move from one spot to another. Ya'll with the outboards and saying you fished all day on one battery, there's a huge difference in just using the TM in a area while casting and using an outboard to move to another over having to use the TM not only for casting in one area and then having to use it to move to another. However, I will be the first to admit, before I messed with handling two batteries every time I went fishing, I would modify my fish day, to where one battery served the purpose. While in the military and moving a lot, many times it was not practical to have a gas powered boat, so either used a rented jon at the pond/lake or one hauled in the back of a truck. I have hauled 65 pound batteries up and down banks, in and out of boats, back and forth to the truck, more times than I could ever count and I am here to say, no way under the sun would I double that task with two batteries. Even back when I was young and strong as an ox, I didn't enjoy that task.