Humminbird Side Imaging Forums

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lookindown on January 09, 2016, 01:35:25 PM

Title: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: Lookindown on January 09, 2016, 01:35:25 PM
Hello All....First Post....Been searching around the net for quite a while now and can't seem to find the answer I'm lookin for. Just purchased the Helix 9 SI and it's going on an aluminum jon boat. This boat has sponson's / pods attached to the transom and as I was deciding where to put the transducer I soon realized I was in for some trouble. Due to the sponson's I didn't think I could put my ducer between the pods on the transom under the jack plate as the pods are even with the bottom of the boat. I called Humminbird and wanted to know the angle of the sonar leaving the ducer and what they recommend.....and they asked to send pictures.
I took some pics and they insist I must run two ducers of course, one on each rear of the pods. Well not very pleased learning after spending a 1,000 on the unit itself...that I need to buy another ducer and cable...plus the mounting headache and the danger of having the ducers stuck out from the rear of the boat unprotected. Well come to grips that it is what it is.
They requested that I purchase the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T for my second ducer...now I am confused because the Question now is that it comes stock with the XNT9 SI 180 T ( which I opened the package already) sorry can't do the exchange thing.
 I kind of feel duped because looking at the specs for the Helix 9 shows 800 KHZ then realize after the purchase it's only 800KHZ if you upgrade the ducer!!!!!!!! Can I run these two ducers at the same time so I can have the option of mixing 800 and the 455 ????? Maybe put the 800 on the Right side to make it the primary ducer for whatever reason.....and maybe upgrade the 455 ducer at a later date ?????
Any help with this would be much appreciated.....and I just want to say I am very Thankful this forum exists!!!!
Title: Re: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: rnvinc on January 09, 2016, 11:18:01 PM
Sponsons are a very difficult xducer mounting scenario ...

Correct your HELIX 9 came stock with the XNT 9 SI 180 T ...

If you connect a second XNT 9 SI 180 T (with the AS SILR Y cable) ... You will have matching 455kHz capable SI piezoes ...

If you connect a XHS 9 HDSI 180 T (with the AS SILR Y cable) ... You will have matching 455kHz capable SI piezoes when the "Imaging Frequency" is set to 455kHz ...

And you will have "un-matching" 800kHz SI piezoes when the "Imaging Frequency" is set to 800kHz ...

It is possible to transmit the 800kHz SI thru the XNT 9 SI 180 T ... It just will not give very good SI images at that frequency because the SI piezoes in the XNT 9 180 T are not designed to vibrate efficiently at 800kHz ... (They will vibrate at 800kHz - just not very good) ...

What this means is that if the XNT 9 180 T and the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T are connected with the AS SILR Y cable (and the "Imaging Frequency" is set to 800kHz) ... The side of the SI image that gets its data from the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T will look better than the side of the SI image that gets its data from the XNT 9 SI 180 T ...

It won't hurt anything to use this Setup ... The SI left and right just won't be of equal quality ...

Rickie
Title: Re: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: Lookindown on January 09, 2016, 11:53:14 PM
Thinking of doing the HD on one side and the stock on the other. I would be able to get an idea how much difference is between the two. I would not be able to run 800 and do a side by side due to the problems you have mentioned. I would have to maybe do some snapshots and compare later or something just for the purpose that if I wanted to upgrade later or if the 455 would get damaged.

 So it would not make a difference which one was on what side....right ?? So is there a dominant side when it comes to the splitter cable ?? If I am understanding all this correctly when you are using two ducers they combine together for the down imaging.
 I guess I am trying to figure out if their is any reason to mount the 800 on a particular side??
Thanks for the reply
Title: Re: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: rnvinc on January 10, 2016, 09:02:11 PM
It doesn't matter which SI xducer is connected to which side of the AS SILR Y cable ...

*Right SI, 2d, and Temp will come from the leg labeled "Starboard" ...
*Left SI will come from the leg labeled "Port" ...

HB says there is no "prominent" side when displaying the "DI from SI" view ...
(altho my eyes seem to pick out objects from the right SI data easier in the "DI from SI" image) ...

Rickie
Title: Re: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: Lookindown on January 10, 2016, 10:28:40 PM
Thanks Rickie for the responses....tonight I went ahead and pulled the trigger on "two" of the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ducers. Just started going through the manual now looking at everything figured I would hop back over here. I think I may put the original XNT on the trolling motor up front with some sort of shield whether it be homemade or prefabbed. Was wondering how the settings and all that will happen...maybe the switch I've seen here and there just haven't researched enough yet ??? Going to be mounting the ducers on the sponson's / pods they are pretty much vertical on the back may tig on some mounting plates. Also entertaining the idea of using some of that uhmw/delrin marine starboard that's 3/4 thick the taking dremel to backcut some pockets on the backside and installing with some sort of epoxy or marine adhesive. I spent quite a bit of time researching how high I can mount them...my thought is I should be able to put them rather high or at least above the bottom?????? I have a jet outboard on this boat and run it in really skinny water sometimes...would really like to get them up out of harms way even though they will still be sticking out!! Max speed I run is around 35 mph...hopefully will still get 2d ??
Title: Re: Helix 9 SI, Transducers XNT9 SI 180 T & XHS 9 HDSI 180 T at the same time ??
Post by: rnvinc on January 11, 2016, 09:02:24 AM
There should be no menu changes for the dual HDSI xducer Setup using the AS SILR Y cable ...

The cable itself re-directs the wire channels to the separate left and right HDSI xducers ...

The unit will see the dual HDSI setup as 1 xducer ...
-----

If you want the TM mounted XNT 9 SI 180 T in the same head unit Setup see the diagram below ...

(http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr134/rnvinc/HB/59BA8FA7-0053-4B62-8B70-92196965222A_zpsaivfwxj5.png) (http://s477.photobucket.com/user/rnvinc/media/HB/59BA8FA7-0053-4B62-8B70-92196965222A_zpsaivfwxj5.png.html)

The HB TS3 switch only allows 1 xducer (or dual xducer with a Y cable) at a time ...

Rickie
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