Humminbird Side Imaging Forums

Side Imaging Forums => 898c SI => Topic started by: Billfish1984 on February 07, 2015, 07:32:01 AM

Title: One 898c SI unit, two boats
Post by: Billfish1984 on February 07, 2015, 07:32:01 AM: I am planning to buy a second boat, and wondered if it would be better and more cost effective to buy the accessories to switch my 898 SI (purchased 2010) from one boat to the other on demand than to buy a new unit? I found the Humminbird Accessories catalog and it looks like I need a AS GR50 or a AS GRP receiver, a XHS 9 HDSI 180T transducer and a MHS HX transducer mounting bracket, and a Gimbel bracket. Are these the correct components? What am I missing? Do I need other cabling or connectors?
Would it make more sense to just get a Helix 5 at $500 for the second boat? Could I then network the Helix 5 with my 898 on my first boat, and what would that involve? Is the side-imaging detail on the Helix going to be as good as the 898, other than being smaller? Is the transducer as good?
I also plan to buy AutoChart Pro and a Zero Lines card. I have Navionics in the 898 and live in Upstate NY, where LakeMaster is not helpful. Navionics is very good for some of my waters (Oneida Lake), and terrible for others (St Lawrence River). I am thinking of using both the Navionics and mapped Zero Lines cards in the 898, and switching in Chart View according to the water I am on. I am a newbie here and just wanting confirmation I am on the right track. The second boat would be used in more remote water and and would not need Navionics. I might want to map data on the second boat and transfer it for use on the first boat. If I had two units could I use one Zero Lines card in both, formatting the data on computer and transferring it back on the card for use in both units? Sometimes I will use the first boat on remote waters.
I have not done any updates on my unit since 2010 and forgot how. It works great so I just turn it on.
Sorry for writing an article. 😃
Title: Re: One 898c SI unit, two boats
Post by: rnvinc on February 07, 2015, 09:23:02 PM: Quote from: Billfish1984 on February 07, 2015, 07:32:01 AM
I am planning to buy a second boat, and wondered if it would be better and more cost effective to buy the accessories to switch my 898 SI (purchased 2010) from one boat to the other on demand than to buy a new unit?

There are several that do this very scenario ...

I found the Humminbird Accessories catalog and it looks like I need a AS GR50 or a AS GRP receiver,

You may need to upgrade the software if you get the AS GRP ...
[url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-GRP/[/url] ([url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-GRP/[/url])

You can also use the AS GPS HS antenna (new software may be needed also) ...
[url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-GPS-HS/[/url] ([url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-GPS-HS/[/url])

a XHS 9 HDSI 180T transducer

The XHS 9 HDSI 180 T is the correct xducer for the 898 ...
[url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/XHS-9-HDSI-180-T/[/url] ([url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/XHS-9-HDSI-180-T/[/url])

and a MHS HX transducer mounting bracket,

I think the mounting bracket will come with the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ... You should ask when you order the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ...

and a Gimbel bracket.

HB GM 2 is the gimbal bracket for the 800/900 series units ...
[url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/GM-2/[/url] ([url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/GM-2/[/url])

Are these the correct components? What am I missing? Do I need other cabling or connectors?

You will also need a PC 11 power cord ...
[url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/PC-11/[/url] ([url]http://www.humminbird.com/Products/PC-11/[/url])

And a Mbcc 900 cable collector for the 800 series ...
[url]http://m.ebay.com/itm/161228609766?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6390[/url] ([url]http://m.ebay.com/itm/161228609766?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6390[/url])

Would it make more sense to just get a Helix 5 at $500 for the second boat? Could I then network the Helix 5 with my 898 on my first boat, and what would that involve?

The Helix models are stand alone units and not networkable in any configuration ...

Is the side-imaging detail on the Helix going to be as good as the 898, other than being smaller?

I haven't seen any images posted yet ...

Is the transducer as good?

The Helix SI comes with the "Compact SI" XNT 9 SI 180 T that has shorter SI piezoes ... Which would be a little less detail (in theory) than the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T ...

I also plan to buy AutoChart Pro and a Zero Lines card. I have Navionics in the 898 and live in Upstate NY, where LakeMaster is not helpful. Navionics is very good for some of my waters (Oneida Lake), and terrible for others (St Lawrence River). I am thinking of using both the Navionics and mapped Zero Lines cards in the 898, and switching in Chart View according to the water I am on. I am a newbie here and just wanting confirmation I am on the right track. The second boat would be used in more remote water and and would not need Navionics.

AutoChart or AutoChart Pro would work very well for you in these small uncharted waters ... And anywhere you want better custom mapping data ...

I might want to map data on the second boat and transfer it for use on the first boat. If I had two units could I use one Zero Lines card in both, formatting the data on computer and transferring it back on the card for use in both units? Sometimes I will use the first boat on remote waters.

You would make sonar recordings on the uncharted water (either to a blank SD Card or the Zero Lines card) ... Then you transfer that sonar recording data into the AutoChart program ... The AutoChart program then creates the custom map data that is uploaded to the Zero Lines card ... This now configures the Zero Line card into a "Custom LakeMaster map card" that can be used in any HB unit with software that works with Zero Lines card ...

I have not done any updates on my unit since 2010 and forgot how. It works great so I just turn it on.

You would most likely need to update the 898 for use of the newer GPS antenna and the Zero Line Card capability ...
[url]http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=14.0[/url] ([url]http://forums.sideimagingsoft.com/index.php?topic=14.0[/url])

Sorry for writing an article. 😃

That's how we learn ...

Rickie
Title: Re: One 898c SI unit, two boats
Post by: Billfish1984 on February 07, 2015, 10:24:34 PM: Thank you; very helpful answer!
Title: Re: One 898c SI unit, two boats
Post by: Humminbird_Greg on February 09, 2015, 03:53:30 PM: Just to confirm what Rickie posted: the transom mount hardware does come with the XHS-9-HDSi-180-T transducer.