Going to pull the trigger and get new electronics all around. I'm looking at running a 12 Touch with SS at the console and 7 Touch at the bow. Plan on linking the 7 to the SS on the back of the boat and having the tm transducer as well.
I already have a HDS-5 with a puck style ducer glassed in which I think will work for the 12.
Does that sound like a good plan?
Anybody running this setup?
Any suggestions on what to do different before I break the bank?

Thanks,

Danny

The touch units have side/down scan built in. I believe you will need the LSS2 transducer for both. I added a 9 touch to the console and moved my Gen1 HDS8 to the bow. Linked with a NEMA network , so down and side on the front and 9 comes from the LSS2 on the transom. I also have a trolling motor mounted transducer to get front end sonar.

forkduc,
How do you like the setup? Do you think the 12 is too big?
Would it be better to go with a 9 at both locations?

The 7 will read the LSS2 data from the 12 if you connect them with an ethernet cable. The 5 will to if it's gen2.

That's my dream setup what you have listed.

I have borrowed a friends HDS7 to pair up to my HDS7 (both touch units) when we went together once. It was nice. All waypoints replicated on both units, so he has mine and I have his now.

We used both ethernet and NMEA 2k. I also have a SonicHub as well. The SonicHub was controllable by both units.

When / IF done, plan on spending a day or 2 just getting it all setup on the water.

I was planning on moving my current HDS-5 to my pontoon for good (I have it set up with a power cable, bracket and ducer so I can move back and forth) but after thinking about it, I could save some money and leave it on console and run a smaller touch next to it. Or I could move it to the bow with the 7 and use the 5 for the GPS while the 7 displays the ss.
Am I onto something or it this just crazy thinking?

this is correct - no structure scan unit required for the new touch units - it is built in.

I'd move the 5 up front with the 7 if you are set on a 7 up front, the 7 touch is small when you try to split screens on it.

I love mine, but would have gone with the 12 if I wasn't retired. Ive fished with a guide withnthe 12 and it is like watching an HD big screen.

I prefer the largest screen possible no matter the location. A 7 on the bow is pretty small. I don't do much to a unit on the front so I think putting a touch up there is kinda a waste. I personally would put a Gen2 10 on the bow with a 12 touch at console.

You asked about it being too big...no. It's not too big. I have 12 at console and 10 on bow.

i run a 9 at the console and the deck. i love the set up.

Never too big! (Unless you can't find a place to mount it like I had problems with, lol)

I want an hds5 to put in the console, an hds9 touch at the console and a 7 touch up front.

The 9 and 7 could be interchanged as I saw fit.

Also .. to share the structure scan it has to be connected between the units with an ethernet cable. The touch units do not need an external box but you do have to connect via ethernet. NMEA doesn't have the bandwidth required for the structure scan signal.

so here is what I did...I bought the HDS GEN2 touch 7 and I bought the networking module and mounted my 12.2 inch Android Tablet on the helm with a ram mount. With the touch screens and networking module you can have complete control of the unit on the tablet, so I have a 12.2 inch display for the price of the tablet ($750) with full functionality and a big display rather than spenidng 3K on a 12in hds2 touch. I then mounted my 10in ipad on the bow, again with full control of the hds 7 at the bow. Works awewome and saved a ton of money!

I had thought about that and even posted about it a couple weeks ago. What about the iPad and tablets not being waterproof?
I would figure this may become more common in the future.