Installation of electronics? HB graph/I Pilot link/flasher

[slick2526]

I just bought a HB 858c HD and I have some questions on what you guys have found best for your mounting your unit in your boat? I have a 87 alumacraft competitor 16.5 tiller. My unit will be going on the right of my boat since I hold the rod with my left hand.

Do you find the factory mount to do a good enough job or do you prefer a type of rotating mount so you can adjust the angle of view for your graph? Brand/type of non factory mount you prefer?

I plan on buying a I pilot link/trolling motor this fall. For those of you who are running them are you leaving your graph so its stationary or setting up with another mount/power option on the bow of your boat to run your main graph? I have a older x45 I was thinking about throwing on the bow for now but I would prefer to have the power set up for the 858 if it is best to run the unit off the bow when the trolling motor is purchased.

Where do you suggest I mount the gps puck? Also I am not quite sure how it mounts down buy looking at it. is there some type of rod attachment that screws into the bottom of the puck that you can mount in your boat?

I would like to also mount my vex in the boat but not quite sure on where to do that yet. Any suggestions?

thanks for any help or tips

[JohnMickish]

I have always used RAM mounts in the past but this year I switched over to the Stabil Mount system. I like to have a little adjustability in it for when the sun is at that perfectly wrong angle. Plus, getting it that 6" closer makes it easier to see.

[PerchJerker]

I like the versatility I get by having my electronics on RAM mounts.

Most guys don't move their electronics around the boat ... some do and you can certainly do it .... but most do not. With your DI unit you will only get DI when it's connected to the DI transducer, if you connect it to the US2 in the LINK motor you will get conventional sonar only but not DI. And you'll have to have a 2nd gps puck, or be able to move the end of the puck cable between the 2 locations.

Mount the gps puck in any convenient location that gets a clear view of the sky and where the puck is out of the way. With a tiller boat the most common location is on the gunnel on the opposite side of where you fish, and near the back of the boat. You should be able to screw the puck down to the flat gunnels on the boat you have .... check the installation manual if it's not clear to you.

About your Vex .... why bother? What's it going to do for you that the 858 won't do? Since you're not sure where to put it I'm guessing that means you don't really have a need for it? If you want or need it in your boat then you might as well do it, but if you're just putting it in the boat because you have it ... why bother?

Hope that helps and good luck.

[slick2526]

I like the versatility I get by having my electronics on RAM mounts.

Most guys don't move their electronics around the boat ... some do and you can certainly do it .... but most do not. With your DI unit you will only get DI when it's connected to the DI transducer, if you connect it to the US2 in the LINK motor you will get conventional sonar only but not DI. And you'll have to have a 2nd gps puck, or be able to move the end of the puck cable between the 2 locations.

Mount the gps puck in any convenient location that gets a clear view of the sky and where the puck is out of the way. With a tiller boat the most common location is on the gunnel on the opposite side of where you fish, and near the back of the boat. You should be able to screw the puck down to the flat gunnels on the boat you have .... check the installation manual if it's not clear to you.

About your Vex .... why bother? What's it going to do for you that the 858 won't do? Since you're not sure where to put it I'm guessing that means you don't really have a need for it? If you want or need it in your boat then you might as well do it, but if you're just putting it in the boat because you have it ... why bother?

Hope that helps and good luck.

If I am understanding you right my DI transducer is basically worthless if I want to run the I pilot link? You cant have both connected at the the same time and just use one or the other? Can you run the I pilot link without using the trolling motor transducer? I understand in a way what you are saying but not quite. Am I basically looking at buying another graph just to run my I pilot link when I purchase it?

[Brad B]

it is my understanding that link runs off the contours on the lake master chip and it does not use the actual sonar signal from the transducer. so to give a simple example : if you motor out to say the 10 foot contour line on the gps/map and the sonar/transducer is reading 8.5 feet you then would need to adjust the depth offset(either + or -) in the menu on the bird so that the contour line corresponds to the actual matching depth. as far as putting a mount in the bow you could do that but to be able to move the unit back and forth you would need to get the 5 port switch box, a ethernet cable to run from the extra mount to the 5 port switch so you could run the link from the new mount in the bow. then if you wanted to use the DI transducer from both mounts you would need to get the switch where you can send the signal to either base but not both at the same time and then you would need the other switch so that you can tell the bow mount what transducer to use(us2 or DI). sorry if this is confusing but i was thinking this out since I am looking at the same deal on my boat. the easiest way to do it would to buy 2 of the same units and conect them with only the ethernet cables. The Humminbird rep I spoke with said that it is better to have matching units so they syn up with each other easier. he said both units have to be running the same version of the software or the could be issues. so in my case I was going to go with a 788ci HD DI on the console and a 788ci HD on the bow but based on his suggestion I will put two 788ci HD DI's on the boat instead even thou I won't have the DI on the bow mount since I plan to hook the us2 up instead.

[delcecchi]

That is my understanding also. ipilot is a gps thing, and the ipilot link adds maps to the basic ipilot. Actual depth has nothing to do with it. Again, my understanding.

[TyGuy02]

That is my understanding also. ipilot is a gps thing, and the ipilot link adds maps to the basic ipilot. Actual depth has nothing to do with it. Again, my understanding.

That's my understanding as well. The sonar aspect has nothing to do with the I-link but has 100% to do with the gps on the unit/map

[slick2526]

it is my understanding that link runs off the contours on the lake master chip and it does not use the actual sonar signal from the transducer. so to give a simple example : if you motor out to say the 10 foot contour line on the gps/map and the sonar/transducer is reading 8.5 feet you then would need to adjust the depth offset(either + or -) in the menu on the bird so that the contour line corresponds to the actual matching depth. as far as putting a mount in the bow you could do that but to be able to move the unit back and forth you would need to get the 5 port switch box, a ethernet cable to run from the extra mount to the 5 port switch so you could run the link from the new mount in the bow. then if you wanted to use the DI transducer from both mounts you would need to get the switch where you can send the signal to either base but not both at the same time and then you would need the other switch so that you can tell the bow mount what transducer to use(us2 or DI). sorry if this is confusing but i was thinking this out since I am looking at the same deal on my boat. the easiest way to do it would to buy 2 of the same units and conect them with only the ethernet cables. The Humminbird rep I spoke with said that it is better to have matching units so they syn up with each other easier. he said both units have to be running the same version of the software or the could be issues. so in my case I was going to go with a 788ci HD DI on the console and a 788ci HD on the bow but based on his suggestion I will put two 788ci HD DI's on the boat instead even thou I won't have the DI on the bow mount since I plan to hook the us2 up instead.

Wow Brad! Thanks for the time to even post this much information. You really have my brain baby kickin now. I understand what you are saying about having two units with a ethernet link. By doing this you would also be able to go split screen mode and watch your depth reading from the trolling motor transducer and your DI unit transducer from either the bow or stern mount graph?

So From what everyone posted is the I pilot link has nothing to do with your transducer just your gps and you can change your depth setting on the map if the are off according to the location you are in?

So here is my other question then. Could I still run the I pilot link to my 858 DI using the gps/mapping system and run a cheaper graph off the trolling motor transducer like the 346c DI without it effecting the I pilot link capabilities? I know I wouldnt be able to see the readings from the bow and stern at the same time but it would take care of having a graph for depth in the front of the boat.

[delcecchi]

So here is my other question then. Could I still run the I pilot link to my 858 DI using the gps/mapping system and run a cheaper graph off the trolling motor transducer like the 346c DI without it effecting the I pilot link capabilities? I know I wouldnt be able to see the readings from the bow and stern at the same time but it would take care of having a graph for depth in the front of the boat.

From everything I know that is correct. How would the ipilot or the 858 have any idea whether you were running the transducer on the trolling motor to another depth finder? That transducer isn't connected to anything other than that cable that comes out the top of the trolling motor.

The original ipilot let you record a gps track and follow it. The link just extends that concept by letting the mapping unit provide the track.

[PerchJerker]

The info you have from the other guys is correct ..... i-Pilot LINK has nothing to do with your transducers, it is GPS only and if you have it linked to your 858 then you can get lakemaps, routes and waypoints through your HB.

You can have whatever unit you want connected to the US2 on your Minn Kota and it won't affect the i-Pilot LINK. You could even use a Lowrance unit on the US2 and your 858 on the ethernet cable But if you're buying a new unit to use on the US2 then I think you should consider a HB unit with ethernet, that you could connect to your 858 and i-Pilot LINK with the 5-port ethernet switch if you ever wanted to do that. You don't have to get a HB ethernet unit and you don't have to have it ethernet connected, but I'd definitely consider it before spending money on something else.

And to me, I don't see any reason or advantage to have your US2 and your DI transducer connected to your 858 via a switch.

[slick2526]

thanks for all the info guys