Wayne P.

You get more coverage and technology with the 899ci HD SI Combo. It has dual beam 2D sonar, Side Imaging, Down Imaging as welll as GPS/mapping. The Elite 7 HDI has dual beam 2D sonar, Down Scan, and GPS/mapping. The screen resolution is about the same. The Down Scan will have a sharper image than Down Imaging since it is generated from a dedicated Down Scan sonar crystal. The Down Imaging from a Side Imaging unit is computer generated using the two Side Imaging sonar crystals. Most consider the Lowrance 2D sonar to be superior. To get an idea of the "lay of the land", nothing beats the side looking imaging technology regardless of which brand. Raymarine and Garmin have new units that have that technology capability also. The best part is you can see with is "over there" without going over there. I underlined some terms since each is a trademark for each brand. I have three Humminbird Side Imaging units that do all three technologies and two of them have the additional 360 Imaging. Refer to the posted screen shots above.

No, the slight offset of the Down Scan and 2D sonar wasn't my base for my comment. Just the feature itself.

Confirm you have proper power.

Garmin owners will be able to participate in the Navionics Sonar Charts program.

That screen shot was sent to me by a friend that has the setup in a Bass Cat. He uses a shoot-thru 2D transducer and has the LSS on the jackplate.

A dealer typically will not install a dedicated circuit for electronics unless you tell them to. Do a Default setting and see if you get SI again. Down Imaging is computer generated using the two SI pulses, so if you have DI, you do have funcitoning Side Imaging. The Default setting for the SI range is 120'. You can adjust from there.

What I call "heavy cover" IS heavy cover. I use no less than 40# superline and that is on spinning gear for light/small presentations. All that wimpy line mentioned above would be useless.

Yes, you certainly don't "need" mapping to use the GPS function. This is the same lake without the map background and all my waypoints set to be displayed.

Go to the Navionics web site and click on the Web App. Find the "O" rim canal at the South end. Zoom in to about 500' or closer and click on the circle at the left of the panel to turn it blue--that is the Sonar Charts layer. That is what some have done to get contours were there are none. If alligator alley is not shown as a canal but just a line on the map. That can be changed doing the Sonar Charts program. All that is needed is the data to get it done. You and others can collect the data. This is a lake I fish a lot and I have around 75 waypoints on it. It is a new lake that has no maps of any kind available. This is what Navionics had for it before Sonar Charts. After I did some recordings and uploaded them to the Sonar Charts program, this is what is looks like: I still do recordings there to improve the overall accuracy. As far as I know, I am the only one doing it for that location since it is an electric-only lake.

If your unit has the recording capability, record sonar logs and participate in the Navionics Sonar Charts progam and you will have contour maps of those places. It takes either the Navionics+ or Navioics Hotmaps Platinum versions to get the Sonar Charts layer.

Another possibiltiy for a console setup with the dual transducers using the Y cable, is the transducer plugs are not fully inserted into the Y cable plugs. They should snap in and lock into place and be very difficult to separate.

Typically when you have issues and Humminbird checks it and finds no issues, it is caused by not installing it correcty using a dedicated power connection. If you used the boat wiring harness for power, eliminate that, and extend the unit power cord directly to the battery using at least 14 guage wire, put a spade type fuse/holder at the battery, then solder and waterproof the splices.

The "BEST" is to get the most technology you can within your budget. Do your shopping on-line with a marine electronics dealer. Typically they sell below MSRP all the time and ocasionally have a sale. The big box general sporting goods places like BPS and Cabelas sell at MSRP and sometimes have a sale. You may find more for less.

The "above" is a suggestion and not practical in some situations. Lots of fiberglass boats have the 2D transducer as a shoot-thru and have the LSS on the transom. The theory is to keep the two transducers within 12" of each other to get a somewhat usable overlay image. But I don't know of anyone that uses that feature all the time. It is more of a gimmick/cute feature. The right side of this image has the overlay 2D/Down Scan with a shoot-thru and transom LSS: Pretty underwhelming IMHO.

It won't give you any performance enhancements---just clearance. The only other option to increase the LSS clearance is to put it under the step. That offset is about 5". You would be reversing the transducer direction, but there is a unit setting to take care of that.

The "clicking" can be the sonar transducer also.

No, the hull design is great, just the transducer placement is the issue. No, it makes no difference what side of the outboard the transducers are attached, Just be sure and not have the 2D transducer in line with a hull strake. It should be about 6"+ towards the keel from the strake. Additionally check the bottom of your hull for any dents or depressions, you don't want the transducer aft of those. With that skateboard LSS transducer, you will have to trim out when scanning so the SS pulse on the motor side can "see" past the engine. Some add a jackplate to get the clearance and a little better hull performace.

PM sent with more than you want to know.

The number one issue with the 2D transducer is you have it in the wrong place now. That has been a screw-up ever since Tracker did the stepped transom. It needs to be at the bottom of the hull on the step, not the bottom of the transom like this: That was finally corrected in the 2012 models. Next the LSS transducer can be anywhere on the transom as long as the motor does not hit it. That means the tranducers will be on two different vertical surfaces. The LSS can be directly above the 2D transducer since the 2D will be forward of the transom (recessed). That will give you the best overlay images.

That is what I do in tight situations. I hold the rod in front of me at about 45 degrees left or right and roll cast accurately. I can get some distance with the rod directly in front of me just spinning the lure in a loop to get momentum-sort of like short line pitching. Done with a baitcaster, spinning reel, or spincast reel. Been doing it for decades after watching Jimmy Houston do it. Doing that caused this one time:

I do it all the time. I typically have two in my garage siting on concrete and then those in my aluminum boat that all stay in my unheated garage during the Winter. The concrete thing is a myth now that was started when batteries were not made like they are now. The plastic battery case is a better insulator than rubber. Cold is cold no matter what surface the battery is on or in. Actually hot weather is more determental than cold weather. http://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/equipment-products/ask-experts-batteries-concrete

What do you do with your tow vehicle battery?

A buss bar is a place to make the connections for the unit power cords. It is like a fuse panel without the fuses. You put one end of the power circuit at the battery with a circuit breaker on the positive wire and on the other end you put the buss bar. Then you connect the electronics' power cords to that bar with a fuse on each power cord in a recommended size by the mfg. The best fuses for each power cord to use in that environment are the spade type. I use this fuse holder on each power cord: http://www.radioshack.com/30a-12-24vdc-mini-blade-in-line-fuse-holder/2700015.html#start=9

Like in post #7 without the switch for your electronics. The rest of the stuff on your boat's wiring harness.

Yellow Diawa Samurai and Gold Stren Superbraid with and without a fluoro leader.