I’m thinking of switching from Humminbird to Garmin, and I want to use a side scan transducer on the jackplate and a 2D in hull for down scan and on plane running. The Humminbird lets me do this with a simple Y cable. Does Garmin have a similar capability? Can I set up the unit to use a particular transducer for a particular display? I’m thinking of using the GT56 on the plate and a GT8 or 15 shoot thru.
2010 BassCat Puma FTD
2010 Mercury 250 Pro XS
Yes, Garmin does the same with a Y cable......you can not use the GT56 on Y cable, but you to get the "same" ducer in a 2 ducer setup, you need the GT8/GT36 combo.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/735593
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
2014 Phoenix 619 Pro / 2014 Mercury 200 Pro XS
This one of the few things that disappoints me about Garmin
There should be a way to use the GT56 rather than have to buy a different transducer (GT36)
"The handicapped angler"
Crap! Do they make a switch I could use for this?
2010 BassCat Puma FTD
2010 Mercury 250 Pro XS
If you have more than one graph, you could run the GT56 to one and the GT8/15 to the other.
No switch....Originally Posted by yj99t04
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
That made me think of something.
I have a 106SV at the console with a GT54 mounted on the jackplate. Works fine but loses bottom when on plane.
I have a 102SV and 93SV at the bow hooked to livescope and the gt54 on the Force trolling motor. All units are networked.
I also have a spare dual beam 2d transducer that came with the 70s that was on my old boat.
Sounds like I could mount the dual beam transducer low on the transom to get depth on plane and hook it up to one of the units on the bow with a spare transducer plug. Then, manually select the dual beam transducer at the networked bow unit when I wanted it. Sound about right?
This is exactly what I’m doing at the console! 126 with the gt56 and 106 with the GT15. Up front 106 with a GT54 and LS on a pole!
Why do they make this crap so complicated? I don’t have room for two units on my console, or the funds��
2010 BassCat Puma FTD
2010 Mercury 250 Pro XS
It's not complicated......you still wanted to put a shoot thru in the bilge, just need to swap the the 56 for a 36, nothing different than your original post except for the 36.....it still needs to be mounted on the jp.....
YOU are not entitled to what I have earned!!!!!
I see now. I thought the GT36 was an older model. Thanks for clarifying it for me.
2010 BassCat Puma FTD
2010 Mercury 250 Pro XS
Garmin DOES make it too complicated: the only gimmick is Garmin transducers come with a simple chip to identify itself what models they are.
If users want to splice cables, things will work! It’s not something really high-tech.
It is complicated. Lowrance and Humminbird transdcuers (at least the ones I've cut and spliced), aren't really complicated. I've made homemade transducer switches for Lowrance, Hummnbird and Lowrance. I don't recommend it for Garmin. If you want to split out 2d to a separate transducer, go back and read Post #2. Do it with the transducers and cables designed by Garmin for that purpose. I can't go into the details as those technical aspects are covered by my NDA. I'll just say you are very unlikely to be successful.
Also the transducer id doesn't work for the GT56. You have to go into the settings and manually select it.
My wife asks if I'm going to fish every day. I can't fish every day. Some days I might be sick.
You should be right, Leonard!
Here is a reference for splicing Garmin transducer cables: https://static.garmin.com/pumac/12-p...tall_EN-US.pdf
Based on the information in the pdf, I “think” the complication comes from the fact that Garmin HAS NO INDEPENDENT CHANNEL (or WIRES) for 2D SONAR!!! Instead, it re-uses either right SI channel or DV channel for 2D, or BOTH. The re-use could be in the opposite direction: DV/right SI re-use 2D Channel(s). Only left SI has its own/independent channel!
I’m not a sonar engineer, but This design really disappoints me! Maybe this explains why Garmin stays behind in DV/SV!
This also explains to me why Garmin units are relatively smaller/slimmer than their equivalents from other brands, since it has less stuff inside: piezo or Crystals. Not sure if this is a wrong impression, but HB units are obviously bigger!
Last edited by BassTracker175; 02-07-2022 at 03:38 AM.
I don't think Garmin is behind since the introduction of the GT56/36 transducers. It's hard to find anything wrong with these two.
The reference is correct for its stated purpose of connecting bare wires to a 12 pin connector. All that matters for that is for the color code to connect to the right pin. The statement, "This Garmin 12-pin transducer adapter box is compatible with all 12-pin Garmin CV and GT series transducers." is correct. The pinout function definitions are not correct for all 12 pin transducers.
My wife asks if I'm going to fish every day. I can't fish every day. Some days I might be sick.
Leonard, Can we assume that Garmin GT SV transducers like GT52/GT54 have no dedicated 2D piezo, and it’s just shared with the DV piezo?
This should be true for Garmin CV transducers, like CV52, since there’s no DV piezo, so only a 2D piezo facing down.
I don't want to appear too expert here so I can't definitively answer that. I quit experimenting with this a few years ago. I was splicing Combo transducers of Garmin, Lowrance and Hbird to compare how competitors transducers performed. The experiment was a failure. I could get them all to work somewhat, but obviously, each transducer performed best with its own brand unit. I did all the cutting and splicing using transducer extension cables. I never felt like I completely isolated the specific function of each wire in the Garmin. I was using a GT50. I tried to id the function by cutting hot wires and seeing what function on the unit failed. While working on SideVu, I cut a wire I thought was the + for Left and instead of going black it just dimmed in brightness by half and continued to work. It may have been the Right +, I don't remember. When I saw that I figured that Garmin was using some type of AC current instead of DC, but I'm no engineer and saw that I was in over my head. I did make an 8 pin and 12 pin switch but it appeared that the transducer id was on read on startup so the switches didn't allow switching to different model transducers.
My wife asks if I'm going to fish every day. I can't fish every day. Some days I might be sick.
Trust me, it is! I have both Helix 10 Mega and Ultra 10 with GT56.
I totally agree you would think as advanced as their technology is there would be away to do it.
If I read this right, the GT56 and 36 are the same except for the 2D DI is missing from the 36. If you want to run CLEARVU and SIDEVU on the back with a 2D DI in the sump for running, then you are basically getting the same thing. If they supported it, you would be paying an extra $50 for the GT56 and not using the 2D DI. I was too stupid at the beginning of this to understand, but the mod included a link that Garmin sells the 36 and 8 as a package. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/735593. I am going crazy trying to figure out if I want to go Garmin or Lowrance, and they both have a lot of similarities. Not being able to see my on plan running depth was a big negative, but now that is cleared up. I'm about ready to just flip a coin.
2010 BassCat Puma FTD
2010 Mercury 250 Pro XS
Reply With Quote