Topic: Port or Starboard?

[FishDuck]

Hi guys,

I recently purchased an Onix 8 SI and this my first foray into the world of side imaging. Debating where to mount the transducer. Was out this evening and mounted the transducer on the starboard side below my Talon using double sided tape. Seemed to work pretty good but I did notice a bit of "turbulence" in the SI image on the port side of the transducer high up in the water column (a faint streak in the top of the water column in the SI image that was not present on the starboard side of the image). I'm wondering if it could be the livewell intake that is causing some turbulence and if I should instead try to mount it on the port side of the transom. Everything I've read so far states that the starboard side is preferable due to the rotation of the propellor.  That or should I try to lower the transducer down further below the hull? I had it sitting about 1/2" below the bottom of the hull. Or should I just leave it as is? The bottom reading seemed to be quite clear. Thoughts? I've attached some pictures of the transom. The red square is where I had the transducer mounted this evening and the green square is where I was thinking of trying on the port side.

Thanks in advance.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Welcome to the Humminbird Side Imaging Forums FishDuck.

Regardless of the side you mount the HDSi transducer for the ONIX on; if the livewell intake is sticking out far enough to cause a sonar reflection it will do so from either side.  If that is the case it will still be there when you are drifting with the motor off and trimmed up out of the water.  If this is what is happening you can maybe look into a lower profile intake or install some sort of a spacer between the HDSi transducer and the hull so that the transducer is behind the livewell intake.  If it is only there while moving than what you are seeing is turbulent water flowing off the hull.  If this is the case than possibly mounting the transducer more centered on the hull may help or install a second HDSi transducer on the port side and use an AS-14-Si-LR-Y splitter cable to connect both transducers to your ONIX 8ci Si unit.

Port or starboard side will not matter when the transducer is forwards of the propeller unless you are backing up (back trolling).  Most mount on the port side to make sure that the cable reaches the console mounted unit and because it is just easier to do so (no routing the transducer cable up and around the motor).

I would test it with the boat drifting first to determine where the reflection is coming from and decide after that.

[Bob B]

Greg....I understand how the splitter cable works with the pre-Onix units, but don't know how it handles the DI crystal with the Onix.

Does the dedicated DI and the 2d come from one of the transducers? 
Is it possible to use a separate skimmer 2D transducer....How does the DI work then?

[Humminbird_Greg]

Bob B,
Same-same.

The Down Imaging comes from the right (Starboard) transducer in the AS-14-Si-LR-Y cable just as it does in the pre-ONIX version AS-Si-LR-Y cable.  Only the left (Port) Si sonar comes from the port side transducer.

You can use a separate 2D transducer with the ONIX units as well and it works just like the pre-ONIX units in that the AS-14-SI-DB-Y splitter cable disconnects the 2D sonar from the ONIX HDSi transducer, so that the 2D sonar always comes from the 2D transducer.