New electronics

I'm needing to put new electronics on my boat this year, the ones that were on there when I bought it never have worked right and are extremely outdated. Thinking about something like a 998 si/di/gps combo? at the console and then looking to put something up by the TM as well, but not sure what to put? Is it more beneficial to put a SI unit up front as well or is a DI/2d combo all I need up front? Obviously there's quite a bit of pricing difference in these units and I don't want to spend more money on the electronics than necessary. The only way I ever fish is finding structure then casting to it, I'm just new to the electronics part and not sure where to start.

How do you want to use the sonar of your bow unit?
If you are wanting to search an area for structure, then look at an Si unit up front.
If all you want to do is locate the bow over structure you found with the console mounted Si unit, then look at a DI or a straight 2D sonar unit and save some money.

Some of this will depend too on whether you want to share sonar between your console Si unit and your bow unit. If you go with an Si unit at the bow you would be able to share all sonar between the units.

Yea think having a SI unit up front would be beneficial seeing as how on most smaller local lakes I drop the trolling motor and fish up front the whole time. Just hard to justify putting $2k+ in electronics on a boat you only paid $4k for. Let me ask you this. Can you buy an extra power cable, transducer, and mount and just move a 998 si/di/2d from console to bow for a while until I figure out what I actually use more of? Or are those components really expensive?

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Originally Posted by Adamfigge3

Yea think having a SI unit up front would be beneficial seeing as how on most smaller local lakes I drop the trolling motor and fish up front the whole time. Just hard to justify putting $2k+ in electronics on a boat you only paid $4k for. Let me ask you this. Can you buy an extra power cable, transducer, and mount and just move a 998 si/di/2d from console to bow for a while until I figure out what I actually use more of? Or are those components really expensive?

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PC 11 power cable is MSRP...$19.99

MBCC 900 cable collector is MSRP....$24.99

GM 2 gimbal bracket is MSRP... $39.99

XHS 9 HDSI 180 T xducer is MSRP....$269.99

You would also need either another GPS antenna or an GPS extension cable (unless you run the stock GPS cable where it can be moved from console to bow)...or you could buy the new 2014 model 999ci HD SI Combo ...it has internal GPS antenna that will be where ever the head unit is...

Our site sponsors can probably beat those prices...

Rickie

I'm thinking that might be a better solution for me. I usually fish alone and when I move to the trolling motor I'm usually there for the majority of my outing

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Originally Posted by Adamfigge3

I'm thinking that might be a better solution for me. I usually fish alone and when I move to the trolling motor I'm usually there for the majority of my outing

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Then you will just need to decide how you want the GPS antenna setup to be...

The 998 will need an external GPS connection at the bow...either another puck or a way to connect to the cable end at the console...(I would seriously consider the AS GPS HS antenna at the bow...this will give you the added benefit of the heading sensor at the bow)..

Rickie