I recently upgraded to an HDS Live 9 on the console and love it. But, given the screen size I'd like to use it solely for 2D and side imaging and am wondering if anyone has installed a second FF without a transducer on the console and dedicated it for only mapping? I know this may sound goofy but I don't want to run two 3 in 1 transducers off the back and am not sure if it makes sense do this? I run a smaller boat and having a 15"+ screen would look ridiculous.
You can make custom screens and then change the sizes if you want.
Who cares what it “LOOKS LIKE?” Are you entering your boat in a car show? If you have an old, large screen or you can get one cheap for GPS and you have a need for such GPS detail and resolution, it sounds like a good idea.
I’m a function over form guy. As long as it’s neat and clean and not rusty and beat up, it will look great.
Ranger R81
Lowrance HDS Live 9”
Lowrance HDS Live 12”
Active Target 2 on Seelite Pole
Lowrance Ghost
Mercury 175
I feel like 2 graphs are better than 1 bigger, especially if using one for AT. The big graphs don’t split screen AT very well.
I have a HDS Live 12 (AT mostly) and a HDS 8 Gen 2 for mapping and some 2 D on my bow.
Had a HDS 10 gen 2 on console and a Live 9 + Gen2 8 on bow. Structure scan was getting some glitches, so I bought the 12 and moved the 9 to console. Boat has in dash Lowrance LMS 522 that I hooked the in hull 2D transducer. I run at speed with the Live 9 on full map and the LMS on flasher.
For mapping and 2D I like the aspect ratio on the Gen 2 screens. MUCH easier to see lure on the 12 vs 9 using AT.
Yes. I have a 9 Live I use for sonar, and a 7 that's mapping only 95% of the time. They're all networked, including the Live at my bow. I can look at any transducer, or chart on any unit. Again, 95% of the time the 9 at the console has side imaging/2d, the 7 at the console has a map, and the 9 at my bow has Active Target. My only transducers are the 3 in 1 at the stern, and the active target that deploys with my trolling motor.
Thank you, gentlemen for the excellent advice. My thought is similar to bass in the grass that using a dedicated sonar for mapping would be more efficient than splitting the 9" screen, even though I have never done it before.
I am planning to go one step at a time until I have a setup like Woody's. The final purchase will be a Lowrance for the bow, and then network them all.
I don’t know how many ports the 9’s have, keep the number of ports in mind when thinking about future expansion.
My HDS 9's have 2 ports each. My 7 only has one port. I'm pretty sure the FS's only have 1 port.
Yes. I have a HDS7 Gen3 that is on my dash and dedicated solely to GPS duties, no transducer plugged in. CMap Reveal chart card installed. Super detail in my area on these charts.
To be safe I went into the sonar menu and hit the Stop Sonar option to make sure sonar transmission was off.
I have a Elite FS9 that is dedicated to sonar duties. Of course it has the inbuilt CMap discover maps in it, which in my area are actually very good. So thats a backup if needed. And its not hard on my boat to unplug a transducer from it and plug it into the HDS in the event that (touch wood) the FS were to …..
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