Can you run a Helix 12 Gen 2 without a transducer

[Ches.]

I had a Gen 1 and 2 Helix 12 on my boat. I ran the Gen 1 with the transducer turned off only for mapping and my Gen 2 with two SI ducers and a 2D ducer. The Gen one got water damage so I sent it in for repair. I received a new Gen 2 back with a new Ducer. I think the answer is yes, but would like to know prior to putting boat in the water, but can I remove the Gen 1 Ducer cable from the pecker head and plug it into the Gen 2 if I turn off the transducer again? I left the boat up in Hayward and will not be back for two weeks. Sure would be easier than having to removing the Gen 1 Ducer and mounting a Gen 2 unit only to turn it off.
Ches.

[Wayne P.]

If you are not going to use the transducer, it does not have to be connected. Just turn Sonar OFF and the unit will be a Chart Plotter.

[Ches.]

Thanks Wayne
One more question, I saw your other post about the HW units so I checked the new one and it is a 12 HW MSI GPS GN2, it came with an XM 9H1012 HW MSI GN2 transducer. My other GN2 is either a Mega 2017 or 2018 unit and I have two SI transducers attached for left and right. I don't know the model number of those two transducers, one came with the unit and the other I bought at the same time. Question is, can I run those two transducers thru the HW unit since it is newer? Is this HW unit a downgrade from the 2017/18 unit or is it the same.

[Wayne P.]

The one that comes with the 2019/2010 HW CHIRP Promo units is ONLY available for the H10 and H12 SI units. That is why it has H1012 in the model name.

The G2N SI transducer is XM 9 MSI T and uses 83/200 kHz for 2D sonar.

The HW Promo unit is a UPGRADE of the discontinued G2N units, since it has true CHIRP with a Low-Q HW CHIRP piezo. Every one of the G3/G3N units have HW CHIRP as standard.

I have not seen the list of Connected Transducers in the Sonar menu of the HW SI Promo units, but a G3N SI+ unit has 20 choices for Connected Transducer. One of them matches the 2017/2018 MEGA SI transducer---MEGA Imaging. So if the 2019/2020 HW Promo SI unit has that choice, you can DOWNGRADE the unit to the discontinued G2N level and have 83/200 kHz for 2D sonar to use the two transducers you have. You just have to remember you made that change when you do a Restore Defaults for a software update or for any other reason because default is HW CHIRP.