Wow! Here we go.

Here is my brand spanking new Humminbird 899ci HD SI and the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T transducer. I finally got it all rigged up this morning. I hope they put some water back in the lake soon where I can try her out. Here is some pictures. I just hope I don't have to get rid of the other transducer on the opposite side as the side scan may pick it up. I won't know until I get it out on the water. This is the first color sonar that I have ever owned and it looks great to me. I just hope I can learn to use it right, so "warning" I may be asking a lots of questions.
Attachment 229439Attachment 229440Attachment 229441Attachment 229442

Nice! Im gonna bet that you will want the transducer angle up a notch or 2 more than that. What looks good in the garage is totally different than looks good on the water. Cant wait to see some pictures on the water.

I AGREE WITH ZIPPY TO LOWER THE BACK OF DUCER A LITTLE FOR FASTER SPEED ON 2D IF U ARE GOING TO USE THAT DUCER FOR 2D ALSO

Speaking of transducer placement....I am not satisfied with mine. After I get above 7mph all screens wash out. I have the back of my ducer slanted lower in the back and it is lower than the boat a quarter of an inch. I have been researching transducer placement and each article contradicts the previous one I read. I read and article that said to raise the transducer in the back and shoot thru the spray that shoots up behind the boat after it comes out from under the boat. The logic....the ducer is not catching and cutting the water its self. Its skimming the water. Is it true I dont know. I would love to know....but I have drilled way too many holes in the transom of my boat already and gotta stop soon. Hahahaha.

Transducer shooting thru "spray" is total BS. A transducer will not shoot though air and get a return.
It looks like in the picture that the Xducer has 2 issues. First is that is mounted too high on the transom. Second as was said earlier the tail is pointed up too much.

Might check to see if you have it mounted in line with a rib on the bottom of the boat. That can cause a lot of issues. :twocents

Might shoot "rnvinc" a pm. His very knowledgeable on the Birds

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Originally Posted by LowePro

Speaking of transducer placement....I am not satisfied with mine. After I get above 7mph all screens wash out. I have the back of my ducer slanted lower in the back and it is lower than the boat a quarter of an inch. I have been researching transducer placement and each article contradicts the previous one I read. I read and article that said to raise the transducer in the back and shoot thru the spray that shoots up behind the boat after it comes out from under the boat. The logic....the ducer is not catching and cutting the water its self. Its skimming the water. Is it true I dont know. I would love to know....but I have drilled way too many holes in the transom of my boat already and gotta stop soon. Hahahaha.

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I remember PM'ing you a while back about xducer placement because we have same boat. You txt me some pics. (Thanks again!) I went with same location, but used Stern Mate. Mine is in middle of the two ribs. Stern Mate holds xducer about 2 inches off back of stern. Real happy with my FF performance. I have some pics of mounting on this thread...

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/boat-...95-dc-rigging/

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Originally Posted by dfar

Transducer shooting thru "spray" is total BS. A transducer will not shoot though air and get a return.
It looks like in the picture that the Xducer has 2 issues. First is that is mounted too high on the transom. Second as was said earlier the tail is pointed up too much.

Might check to see if you have it mounted in line with a rib on the bottom of the boat. That can cause a lot of issues. :twocents

Might shoot "rnvinc" a pm. His very knowledgeable on the Birds

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This is where the idea originated of setting the xducer back into the "spray" coming off the bottom of a metal hull ...

It's not really in "spray" ... It's just the way the water flow happens on some hulls at on-plane speed ...

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...psc44hx3xw.jpg

Peek over the transom while someone else drives the boat ...

Any white water you see coming from under the hull is aerated ...

The xducer face must be in clean bubble-free water ...

Rickie

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Originally Posted by fishfried

I remember PM'ing you a while back about xducer placement because we have same boat. You txt me some pics. (Thanks again!) I went with same location, but used Stern Mate. Mine is in middle of the two ribs. Stern Mate holds xducer about 2 inches off back of stern. Real happy with my FF performance. I have some pics of mounting on this thread...

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/boat-...95-dc-rigging/

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I get great images when Im going at slower speeds where my ducer is located at now. I was just wondering if I can get images at higher speeds as well. 12-15mph. How fast can you go before your screens start washing out? I may just need to get me a stern mate.

Thanks Rickie......This was part of the artile that I had reseached and was gonna try. What do you think? U think that would be the ticket? Or just stay where im at now?

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Originally Posted by LowePro

I get great images when Im going at slower speeds where my ducer is located at now. I was just wondering if I can get images at higher speeds as well. 12-15mph. How fast can you go before your screens start washing out? I may just need to get me a stern mate.

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I've seen images with the SI still working at 42 Mph..... Like Rickie said, it's all about having the transducer in bubble free water.....and maybe tilted down slightly below level in the back.

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Originally Posted by LowePro

I get great images when Im going at slower speeds where my ducer is located at now. I was just wondering if I can get images at higher speeds as well. 12-15mph. How fast can you go before your screens start washing out? I may just need to get me a stern mate.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by LowePro

Thanks Rickie......This was part of the artile that I had reseached and was gonna try. What do you think? U think that would be the ticket? Or just stay where im at now?

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Peek over the transom while someone drives the boat and look for water coming out from under the hull that is the same color as the lake ... White water coming from under the hull is aerated ...

Rickie

I actually had washed out screens much earlier with the compact transducer than with the hdsi. It could be that I just happen to set the hdsi transducer correctly this time around. I would say the screen washes out at over 15 mph on everything but 2d. Dont get me wrong 2d is not great above 15mph but I do see the bottom clearly enough to not run aground.

Question. I have to replace my lowrance 6 pin, broke off at the transducer. Can I just splice the wires instead of run in the wires again through the boat?

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Originally Posted by Oldyankee

Question. I have to replace my lowrance 6 pin, broke off at the transducer. Can I just splice the wires instead of run in the wires again through the boat?

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Splicing below the water line should be avoided ...

Any little water intrusion into a splice that is not absolutely perfect can short out the transmitters in your unit ...

Splicing above the water line is up to you ...

Rickie

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Originally Posted by scrat

Here is my brand spanking new Humminbird 899ci HD SI and the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T transducer. I finally got it all rigged up this morning. I hope they put some water back in the lake soon where I can try her out. Here is some pictures. I just hope I don't have to get rid of the other transducer on the opposite side as the side scan may pick it up. I won't know until I get it out on the water. This is the first color sonar that I have ever owned and it looks great to me. I just hope I can learn to use it right, so "warning" I may be asking a lots of questions.
Attachment 229439Attachment 229440Attachment 229441Attachment 229442

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Scrat, I don't mean to be critical but I noticed one thing, in my mind if you use that anchor much it looks like disaster waiting to happen. I can see that rope getting in the ducer and breaking it off at some point.

Your right cray. I have been thinking about that myself and those transducers are very expensive also. I will probably just take it off as I don't use it because I have found that the anchors are bad to run fish off. I mostly just slow troll anyway and never stop much at all. May just make that my tomorrows project. Thanks again for everyones help. Also thinking about making something like this to help keep thing off the transducer.:scratchhead

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps914d9eda.jpg

I can't believe how much smaller the HB SI transducer is than my Lowrance. I swear the thing is about a foot long. I put it on one of the brackets that you can adjust up and down knowing I would knock it off on some of our stump filled lakes.

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Originally Posted by scrat

Your right cray. I have been thinking about that myself and those transducers are very expensive also. I will probably just take it off as I don't use it because I have found that the anchors are bad to run fish off. I mostly just slow troll anyway and never stop much at all. May just make that my tomorrows project. Thanks again for everyones help. Also thinking about making something like this to help keep thing off the transducer.:scratchhead

http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps914d9eda.jpg

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Who makes that deflector product ...??

Rickie

Rickie, I don't know I just seen it on Google images while looking at transducer shield and savers and thought I would try to make me one out of schedule 40 PVC 4"or 6" pipe. Theirs looks neat to me and would help protect the transducer from above and from the sides also any protection is better than none.