I have Lowrance HDS hooked to an XI5 with NMEA 2000 and wonder if a Point 1 GPS puck will help anything or is completely useless in my case?

I will admit the GPS does not work in my HDS8 up front and I tell it to use the XI5 GPS.

I have a 9 touch on the console and it works fine .... well actually both do, even the map!

You may need an ethernet cable to make the units share waypoints.

I put point one antenna on my boat , I mounted it over the transducer on the transom that runs my console unit. I figure the waypoints I marked on my console unit would be off by about 10ft ( distance from the console to the transom) if I used an internal antenna .

10 ft off on a brushpile can mean everything.

good luck
MO

I do have an ethernet cable, so I guess I am good to go except for my waypoints being off 10'
I notice I mark a waypoint with my front HDS and it is off too!

in my opinion the pinpoint is too much to fool with. i installed one on a friends boat and he took it off and sold it. neither of us were impressed. the benefit was not worth the cost and the time for installation.

My personal thought is that it was worth every penny on my boat. I have it mounted on my Dek-it mount/front FF and is networked on both units. Each unit is only using the Point One and not the internal FF GPS. When I mark a way point, the coordinates that are saved are within a foot of my Xi5 so it puts me right on the bp when I use the GoTo function.

It also helps with the heading function so your little boat icon won't be spinning around so much on your map and they are supposed to be within 1-3 feet accurate compared to the 3-5 from the internal FF GPS.

Keep in mind that if you mark a pile heading North to South and are 10' off and then come up on the pile from South to North that you could now be 20' off.

I had it on my old boat and never used it! So this time with the Ultrex I just got the I Pilot model. Heck I can barely save waypoints and transfer them over. I'm not about to have the graph tell the trolling motor where to go or run contour lines.

Now I am confused ..... just thought I was confused when I posted this

I guess if I can find a used one for a fair price, I will double sided tape it down and see!
I already have a Tee and cable.

Here we go again. Not complaining but so many misunderstand the concept. I'll respond in no particular order/importance.

The P-1 is more accurate than internal GPS. It operates at the fastest refresh rate but so does the G3 internal HDS's. G1 internal = 1/sec; G2 internal = 5/sec; G3 internal and P1 = 10/sec. If using P1 with G1 it will improve to 5/sec; P1 with G2 = 10/sec. Refresh remains the same for G3/P1.

Visit this BBC thread. It will explain all you need about the P! with an amazing differences of advice and opinions. Understanding these different views, which are to a fault (almost) true, will allow you to move forward with a P1 or not.

Personally, I use the P1 to the point (no pun intended), when mine broke (not physically), I purchased another P1 via the Lowrance discount program. Mine is basically over the transom ducers for the most accurate reading. What does this do? Simply, my waypoint is spot on less the inaccuracies of # of satellites, weather or other interference are out of my control. I set the majority of my wpts from the console.

Now here comes the part most get wrong with the Xi5. If I come upon a BP while at the console and set the wpt (console unit set to use P1) and then move off the area say 50 yards, turn off the big motor, deploy the Xi5, let GPS register (look at status lights), and with the HDS G3 at the bow set to use the P1, and direct the Xi5 from the console unit OR the bow, the Xi5 goes directly to the BP where the wpt was set from the P1 (stern)!!!!! A wpt is a wpt regardless to the Xi5 given environmental conditions remain the same. Think about it.

Ethernet is not necessary to transfer wpts from one HDS to another if you have NEMA. But NEMA transfer is slow. I load wpts by lake only. So before going to the lakes, my unit are cleared of all wpts/trails (after saving of course), then the lake being fished is loaded separately onto both units: console HDS 10 G2 and HDS 9 G3 on the bow because of the slow loading via NEMA. If you use Ethernet, it is fast. I do not have my two units ethternet connected by choice, but that's just me. If I set a wpt from the console using just NEMA, it pops up on the bow unit. If I delete a wpt from either unit, the other unit is not updated unfortunately. This is true of Ethernet too. Also the reason I load wpts/trails to each unit is the NEMA doesn't transfer trails at all. I'm not sure if Ethernet does, but I think it does. It's been a long time since I used Ethernet connected units to recall.

If you don't believe the wpt discussion consider this.

Xi5 with gateway connected to NEMA
HDS 9 G3 at bow NEMA connected set to use P1
HDS 10 G2 at console NEMA connected set to use P1
P1 at stern NEMA connected

From anywhere with TM deployed, (driveway, lake, wherever SAT is available) set a wpt from the console. Go the the bow unit and check what the coords are for the newly created wpt from the console LAT/LONG is, Viola, they are the same. Or, set it from the bow, and check the console, the coords are the same as the bow. Now, think where would the Xi5 go if using the GO TO wpt function. The same damn wpt. It is that simple and easy. So the TM would be sitting on top of the wpt created by the P1 at the STERN!

Understanding this, setting units to use what is the best GPS for your use, is paramount to understanding accuracy. And of course, we all know there is a built in gov't inaccuracy for military purposes, but it is rather small. The units can even tell you the approximate error range. That's another discussion, which can be helpful to understand why sometimes you can't get on the wpt exactly or near exactly, which is mainly caused by # of satellite receptions the unit is able to lock onto.

In your setup, if I didn't get a P1, I would change the bow HDS (GPS non-functioning) to use the console GPS. You will either be spot on or off 6-8'. You'll know wpts are always set at the console. By having the Xi5 as the GPS on the bow you will not know which wpts are set where. Now, if you only set wpts using the TM (highly unlikely), then I'd change the console to the Xi5 GPS. If you elect to get the P1 and set it at the stern because the console is used mainly for wpt creation, then follow the above.

I hope they 'sticky' this. I'm worn out. LOLs - enjoy.

I run Simrad NSS Evo3 units and Xi5 networked. Console unit uses P1 which is mounted on transom directly above the StructureScan transducer. Bow unit uses it�s internal GPS receiver. If my bow unit was using the P1 and I marked something from my bow ducer, then my thought is I would be off by 22 ft if I wanted to navigate to that waypoint later with the Xi5. Am I wrong?