Electronics and Trolling Motor Help

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12-23-2020, 10:40 AM
Sherrer2

Electronics and Trolling Motor Help

I am new and really green on electronics and trolling motors. I just purchased a smokercraft osprey which has as fairly small bow area and no seat. The boat has no electronics or trolling motor on it now. I have read many reviews on Livescope and Hummingbird's up and coming release. I am having a hard time deciding if the benefits of Hummingbird's integration with a Minkota Ultrex would be worth the cost over just doing a 93 Garmin on the bow or portable and 93 Garmin on the console. My thought with the going Hummingbird is I could start with just a console unit and utilize a transducer on the Ultrex until I see what Hummingbird does this Spring for their Livescope version. I would also then be able to utilize the integration between the Hummingbird and Minkota.
My question is the integration worth it?
I know bigger screens are always better, but budget will likely constrain me to a 9 inch. What is the best bang for the buck with Hummingbird if I go this direction?
Thanks for the advice.
12-23-2020, 01:26 PM
SKs Crappie Catching Adventures

I'd advise just make sure whatever HB unit you go with is Gene or higher as it will work with the new Mega Live from what I've heard..... I'll be checking the ole Live tech out from HB also and juuust might pull the trigger on upgrading.....
Congrats on your new boat......
12-23-2020, 02:27 PM
M R Dux

He meant to say GN3 or higher.

I would advise you ease into your purchases. Some of the electronics are nowhere near as easy to master as some of the YouTube video guys would have you think.
Livescope is an amazing tool and I’m sure Humminbird’s Mega Live will be also. That said, they can be extremely frustrating if you hit the lake on a day the fish aren’t interested in anything you drop on them.

Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
12-23-2020, 02:51 PM
SKs Crappie Catching Adventures

LOL...... Thanks M R Dux...... Auto-discorrect got me......
12-23-2020, 05:46 PM
thaDudeAbides

I would recommend networking your side imaging and maps at the helm with your TM. This way you can locate and use the GO TO network feature. It is so nice to deploy your TM and let it take you to that brush pile you just spotted.

To me it is less important to network your livescope (or mega live, or active target) graph with your maps. Once you arrive at the spot you won't be concerned with anything but what you can see and fish on your scope. I have a UHD transducer built into my garmin Force and I couldn't even tell you what it looks like because I never use it. Occasionally it would be nice to switch over to the maps and find my next closest waypoint if it was close enough to troll but I can access all my waypoints with the TM remote if I want to go to it without the outboard.

All that to say I am comfortable with my livecope not being networked but I would not go back to a helm graph without the networked trolling motor!
12-23-2020, 09:45 PM
Sherrer2

Thanks to all that responded. What are your thoughts on the Helix Mega 9 Chirp SI+GPS G4N with a Ultrex 80 24 volt Mega Down/Side Imaging trolling motor. I would run with this set up for a while to learn structure and mark way points and possibly use the contour following features.
12-23-2020, 09:52 PM
rnvinc

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherrer2

Thanks to all that responded. What are your thoughts on the Helix Mega 9 Chirp SI+GPS G4N with a Ultrex 80 24 volt Mega Down/Side Imaging trolling motor. I would run with this set up for a while to learn structure and mark way points and possibly use the contour following features.

If you plan on utilizing the MSI xducer in the Ultrex - you could save some money by instead purchasing the HELIX 9 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G4N CHO (Control Head Only) ...

https://humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.c...496.1608255958

Rickie