I have a Gen 1 Helix 9 SI, and took my boat out for the first time over the weekend since I put my new motor on and updated my transducer set up. I have sonar skimmer and a HDSI transducer on the starboard side, running to a y cable/splitter to make it work. My new outboard likes to be trimmed in far enough that I have virtually no side imaging on the left channel in shallow water.

I still have my original compact SI ducer, can I run that on the port side with a Y cable with the HDSI on the starboard? I know the piezo is longer in the HDSI and you have to select that as the transducer in the setup, but will the unit know the difference if the left channel is running off a compact transducer? They run the same frequencies, so I am thinking that while my image may be a little less crisp on the compact/port side, that it will be a fair bit better than the nothing I have in shallow water right now.

I could just buy another HDSI, but my electronics are worth more than the boat they are riding on already and a 1436 with dual side imaging transducers on the back is a little silly.