Guys I am about to purchase a new sonar for the trolling motor. I am having a hard time trying to figure out if I really want to go full on just yet with this or if I can. I know I can get the Lowrance with down imaging Elite 5 with an adaptor for the trolling motor. But what I am wanting to know is can you get side scan capabilities from a trolling motor setup.. I'm really wanting to add a good unit up front. I dont need the map/gps up front since I have the console unit. It is an 06 model lowrance LMC334 model (I believe). I also have a riptide trolling motor up front. If anyone has a riptide with a transducer on it I would like to see how it was installed if possible... I have a feeling if I go with just Down imaging I will wish later that I had the Side Imaging tho... Let me know what yall think or any experiences.

f I am looking at things right the only way to get SI with lowrance is a transducer at the back of the boat. But I see that hummingbird has a system you can get mounted on the trolling motor.. Man they have too much stuff to choose from....

You can get a transducer saver mount for a humminbird si i know for a fact! But the way side imaging works "with its razor thin sonar beams" every time you turned the trolling motor 15-20� you would get a jacked up reading on your screen. If you went mostly strait you would be just fine but if you were using it in the timber and dodging stumps all day your screen would be mostly a blur.

If it were my boat i would have my si transducer on the back of the boat and network it to the front or just have down imaging and 2d transducer up front. Just my.02

I'm looking at a similar situation. I want down imaging on my tm with the xducer on the tm. From what I have found the Elite 5xDI from Lowrance gives me DI but, no sonar...DI only. You can get one at Bass Pro for $400 (no gps either). Or you can get the Elite 5 with sonar and gps for $650.
HB 597 ci HD DI combo is also 650 or without gps for 550. Latest Bass Pro nor Cabelas catalogs show the HB unit that compares with Lowrance but, I know there is one which has DI and sonar for $400.
The $400 units both have 5" screens. The Elite does not have sonar, does not need or have split screen. The HB does have sonar and does offer split screen. Both are color and both are also available in grayscale (monochrome) I believe.
Yesterday went to both BPS and the Garland store does not carry the non gps units. The Grapevine store does not have one on display but, the sales guy checked and said they have two in stock. That is the Lowrance unit. The HB unit is not on display or in stock so you'll have to order it online and I haven't checked availability online yet.
I have the HDS on my console with SI and am happy with it. I too want a bow mount with the xducer mounted on my tm. Don't need gps on the bow.
There is a used unit on here the guy is asking $625 complete and it is the 788 with all bells and whistles.
You are right, there is a lot to choose from. And regardless of which unit you want, remember you'll have to add about $50 for the kit to mount the xducer on the tm.
Hope that helps.

Chuck, I should have added that to my knowledge, the only way you can get SI is with the HDS 5 and I don't know if you could figure out a way to mount the xducer on the tm. Same would be true of the HB as far as I know.
My idea is to have the DI on the bow to speed up marking brushpiles and determining if there are crappie on them in numbers worth stopping for or moving on to the next pile.
And yes, I have a lot of faith in DI.

this is what I was thinking when I made my choice ^^

I'm going wtih an HB 788 HD DI up front, and the HB 898cSI on the console.

good luck with your decision

With the HB Units, they will fit on the TM with no problem. But I was not happy with the performance (Images) of the HB SI. The Lowrance Units require 2 transducers to get everything GPS/Sonar, then a different transducer for SI/DI. You can put the SS-1 Transducer or the HDS Transducer on the (My) TM. But not both, or I haven't figured out how. The SS-1 transducer is 5" long and requires ALL the room I have on my TM, so with not being able to get both transducers on the TM, you are with out the SI/DI or GPS/Sonar/Temp basically everything that the Fish Finder brings.

When I had my HB-1198 and HB-898 I had SI/DI on the front, with no problems. But I really didn't use the SI at all, but the DI was every important. Unless you can get a minimum of 7" between the fin and the blades of the prop on your TM, the best that I have figured, Lowrance will not work and give you everything. The SS-2 is about 2"-3" longer than the SS-1.

I am looking at buying a 5" DI Unit during the summer. I think I can get BOTH of these Transducers on my TM.

Maybe someone has figure out how to get both Transducers on trolling motor. Would be interested in hearing that.


keith

I have and 898si combo on my console and a lowrance color gps/sonar on my tm. The company called transducer saver makes a bracket that fits over the humminbird transducer. You only have to have one transducer to work a humminbird with si/Di/2d. Now with a lowrance you have two transducers to rig up to make that happen. There is a whole gear section on this forum dedicated to sonar questions check down there for more info.

I know Humminbird will work up on the front. I love having side imaging on the trolling motor. Sure if you turn the head to quickly the image blurs but most of the time I am on the trolling motor I'm not racing anyone. Most movements are slow. It becomes a great tool once you learn to use it.

Keith,
I am going to see if I can use the adaptor cable for my HDS5 on the bow to match it up with the universal transducer in my terrova then mount a LSS on the trololing motor. this probably wont happen for a while but may be a solution to your problem of getting both transducers on the trolling motor.