Thread: When Structure Scan/Side Imaging was brand new to you...

Originally Posted by htr2133

Thanks everyone who has responded here; this is some helpful info. I did some recon at Bass Pro last night and these newer units blow me away. I was thrilled to see the touch screen feature and to better understand how to connect the bow and console units. As I understand it, I need HDS Gen 2 or up for touch screen. I am thinking HDS 7 at console and either another 7 or the next size screen up at the bow as well. One question I have is the transducer mounting/sharing. The Structure Scan td will be mounted on the back of my boat, but the bow unit will use it as well correct? I read something on another forum about the structure scan td and the other td being mounted near each other. I definitely want my bow unit to be mounted to my Trolling Motor. I am assuming this is all possible and how most people are doing it?

Lowrance units with touch screens are designated as "Touch" models prior to Gen 3. There is an HDS Gen 2 that is not Touch, and an HDS Touch. Besides the touch screen, the touch models have integrated SS while the non-Touch HDS Gen 2 would require an LSS box to have SS and DS.

Once you go to Gen 3, all HDS units are Touch with built-in SS and DS.

The close location of the 2D transducer and the SS transducer is to get good images on DS overlay, which is a mix of 2D and DS sonar. Nice to have, but not critical for getting great use out of the unit.

Sonar, either 2D, SS or DS is shared over an Ethernet connection whether you are using units with integrated SS or an LSS box. Your HDS unit at the bow will be able to display the SS, 2D or DS from the other unit, as well as the 2D from its own transducer.

SS is most useful idling in a straight line, so you generally get the most benefit seeing it at the console. Some people use SS at the bow, but I don't really think I'd use it much there. My standard procedure is to idle around with the SS and mark waypoints, then move to the bow and approach the waypoints with 2D sonar to fish them.

To be honest, the installation is the hardest part. Once you've chosen a good location and got your transducers installed, the units are easier to use than older stuff. That's equally true of both Lowrance and Bird. What's a little difficult is getting an understanding of what the images are telling you. It's not incredibly hard, but it's just a new way of thinking. Check out http://www.crappie.com/crappie/side-...r-quiz-thread/ and http://www.crappie.com/crappie/side-...reting-images/ for some good discussion and example images.

It would be easy to get a console unit and play with it for a while to get a feel for it before you decide which screen size you want for the bow.

Feel free to keep posting your questions in this thread as you figure out what you want and how to install it. Many of us have been through the learning process.