Lowrance

[reelguy]

Looking at buying a sonar for the front of my boat to hook into the Universal sonar in my minnkota. I already have a Lowrance HDS5 on my console. Wondering if I can by a Lowrance unit that has the down scan transducer with it but put that on my HDS5 and just hook the new unit up to the Universal sonar? Anyone ever done that or know if it can be done, if so which unit(s) would I need to buy? Thanks

[morepower02]

A down scan only unit will be a Elite series and the transducer will not work on your HDS. You could install a structure scan box and transducer with side and down imaging to your console graph and link to another HDS at the bow.

[raymondk]

the elite 7 you can hookup any transducer that have the blue connectors but your down scan will not work . I don't think any down scan will work with a universal trolling motor .

[morepower02]

Correct the universal sonar on a troll motor only reads standard sonar.

[reelguy]

I understand that the Universal sonar will not read the down scan. What I am wondering is because I would be using the universal sonar with the new unit, would I be able to buy a unit that comes with the down scan and use that transducer on the back of the boat and hook it to my HDS on the console? If I am understanding what you guys are saying and what I have tried to figure out on my own, is that the down scan units for lowrance are only down scan and not normal sonar/down scan so the new unit wouldn't be able to read the normal sonar coming from the universal sonar? I am just trying to figure out if I can save some money when I buy this new unit by buying something that has the down scan transducer and use it on my existing HDS? Hope that makes sense.

[raymondk]

you still can hook it up the old way by getting the kit and just clamping the transducer to the bottom of the motor.

[NEMPLSFisherMan]

Just move your HDS5 to the bow and then put the new unit with the down scan transducer on the console. All you would have to do is remove the old transducer and install the new transducer. If your lucky, the mounting holes on the hull will be the same and you won't have to drill any new holes. Just make sure to use silicone when installing the new transducer.

[CaptainMusky]

What you may be able to do is hook up a down scan imaging unit like the elite 7. Put your hds at the bow connected to you universal sonar on the troller. With the elite connected to the down scan sonar in back I believe you could then connect the elite and the hds via nmea 2000 connections and view the down scan on the hds.

[reelguy]

Thanks guys, think I got it. Was hoping to get a cheaper unit to put on the front but doesn't look like that is a possibility. I will keep looking!