Background info:

Got my HDS-7 installed on the bow and HDS-10 on a RAM swivel mount on the gunnel beside the console and Structure Scan unit mounted in rod locker in front of drivers console. Still had not gotten shipping on the 5 so I've canceled that one. Did that for two reason's, one is not sure I really need three units with GPS, and if I do, it's only a couple of hundred more to put another 7 in the console. I've made me another dash plate and by moving guages around and leaving out the speedometer, the 7 will mount in there just fine.

Would you install all three units with GPS capability? I have the 10 sitting right there beside me but the most I desire to do with that is split screen, only showing two features. Even on the 10, those windows get kinda small when you try any more than that.

From what I've played with it so far, when moving a a new location, I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to view the chart plotter on one screen, the sonar on another and the side scan on another.

If I put a 5X in the console, would I be able to have the bow mounted HDS-7 set on chart plotter and network it's display to the 5X in the console? Would I need the Navionics map in the 5X or would the one in the 7 give the info I needed for the 5X.

I can get the 5X for a little over $400, another 7 is giong to be almost another $1,000.

I still have not done much with the networking cabability, (there's a lot of crap to learn on these units) so I'm not sure what all my networking capabilities are.

I just found the DVD instructions for the Structure Scan unit last night. All I had till then was the installation manual. Finding a lot of stuff I didn't know that I've been able to read the DVD.

ONe other thing I meant to ask.  The 10 had two card slots.  Will it read both of those so you can have you're map in one and use the other for storage, or is it stickly so you can use either of the two type MCC cards?

I've been watching your progress with interest. I have a 5X on the bow and a 5 on the console of my boat.   I would like to move the 5 up front, move the 5X to the console with a 7, and network them together when I add the side/structure module. I will basically have a poorer man's version of your set-up.

I don't think the 5X is capable of displaying GPS/mapping info, but I could be wrong.

If I put a 5X in the console, would I be able to have the bow mounted HDS-7 set on chart plotter and network it's display to the 5X in the console? Would I need the Navionics map in the 5X or would the one in the 7 give the info I needed for the 5X.

ONe other thing I meant to ask. The 10 had two card slots. Will it read both of those so you can have you're map in one and use the other for storage, or is it stickly so you can use either of the two type MCC cards?

Mapping is not shared thru NMEA 2000 or Ethernet networks (chart displays nor mapping cards).  So no, your chart from the HDS 7 cannot be displayed on the 5X.  The 5X also has no SD card slot.

Just FYI, you can go the other way however.  You can buy mapping units only, then share 2D and LSS sonar information from another sonar unit with the mapping-only units via Ethernet.

The two card slots are independent.  Yes, you can run your mapping card and have a blank card in the unit at the same time.

Thanks for the info.

That ruled out the 5X, it would be useless to me. The more I thought about it, it seemed overkill to have a 7 sitting right beside a 10. I found a dealer with the 5 he could ship tomorrow, at a very good price so I'm back to the original plans of putting a 5 in and just got through ordering it. It will be here friday. I picked up another 6' ethernet cable and power cable so I can have it ready to drop in as soon as it gets here.

The 10 will be pulling double duty, it will be used in a flats boat also, so the 5's power cable and another transducer will be installed in that boat. With another swing mount base, it will be just a matter of screw the nut on holding the arm and plugging up the cables. Gotta do something to justify paying that much for a flipping sonar.