Mega Live w/ Mega 360

[sholder02]

The MEGA 360 connects to a unit's transducer port and the MEGA LIVE connects to the unit's Ethernet port so both can be connected to the same display.
If a unit is connected to another unit via Ethernet, you can't connect the MEGA LIVE to it directly and have to use the Ethernet Switch for more than one display and the LIVE.

Hypothetically, I have a 15" Solix at the console, (2) 12" Solix and a 12" Helix at the bow (all latest gen). At the bow, I have a Solix I am dedicating to M360, the other Solix to gps/chart/whatever, and the Helix to MLive. In this scenario, could M360 (solix), GPS (solix), and MLive (helix) all be running simultaneously and networked?

If I'm fishing a team tournament, could my partner in the back of the boat do a split screen on my 15" at the console to show both M360 and MLive at the same time?

Sorry if you basically already answered the question and I'm too dense to follow along.

[Wayne P.]

Hypothetically, I have a 15" Solix at the console, (2) 12" Solix and a 12" Helix at the bow (all latest gen). At the bow, I have a Solix I am dedicating to M360, the other Solix to gps/chart/whatever, and the Helix to MLive. In this scenario, could M360 (solix), GPS (solix), and MLive (helix) all be running simultaneously and networked?

If I'm fishing a team tournament, could my partner in the back of the boat do a split screen on my 15" at the console to show both M360 and MLive at the same time?

Sorry if you basically already answered the question and I'm too dense to follow along.

Connections for the M360 and MLIVE is all that has been stated. Nothing has been stated about viewing a combo of them.

[Sirius Rich]

The MEGA 360 connects to a unit's transducer port and the MEGA LIVE connects to the unit's Ethernet port so both can be connected to the same display.
If a unit is connected to another unit via Ethernet, you can't connect the MEGA LIVE to it directly and have to use the Ethernet Switch for more than one display and the LIVE.

If I understand what you just typed, to obtain the best display of ML and share with other compatible head units, one needs to connect the ML Ethernet cable directly to the Ethernet switch. Right?

[woppercatcher]

On the compatibility requirements in your second paragraph, it's not only about the control head's physical ability to communicate with the Mega Live device via Ethernet but also the software that needs to be updated on the various units to interpret the sonar returns and display them on the head unit. Humminbird has to update the various software versions on the various generations of devices to add the display capability. I don't blame them for making a "cutoff" on how far back they go for these software updates.

On the Solix, views need to be added so that you can mix and match with other imaging and chart panels. On the Helix, they have to add the various view mixes they think people will want. Then those need to be maintained on future updates going forward.

Yes, you would think so but as of the latest software updates there is no mention anywhere about Mega Live in new features or fixes. So I guess at some point down the line when these units are available to the rest of us Humminbird will then come out with a software update. And in my case I do not want to connect a Mega Live and Mega 360 to the same physical unit because at that point that unit is no longer in the same network as my other devices. So I want to connect the Mega Live to my current ethernet box and then share the display on the same unit with the Mega 360 physically connected with or any other unit on my boat. At this point my guess is that is not possible in order to get optimal performance but maybe when someone besides a pro gets one we will find out.

[Wayne P.]

If I understand what you just typed, to obtain the best display of ML and share with other compatible head units, one needs to connect the ML Ethernet cable directly to the Ethernet switch. Right?

No stipulation of "best display" either way, just common sense.
A unit (not including an APEX) has a single Ethernet port.
If you connect an Ethernet device directly to a display, it is impossible to share it to other units or those other units to share data with the unit that has the Ethernet device connected to it.

[SLYDoggie]

No stipulation of "best display" either way, just common sense.
A unit (not including an APEX) has a single Ethernet port.
If you connect an Ethernet device directly to a display, it is impossible to share it to other units or those other units to share data with the unit that has the Ethernet device connected to it.

I'll add to Wayne's comment. He had a caveat about the Apex, since it is the only current Humminbird Control Head with 2 ethernet ports. In my case, I have a Solix 15 (with the Solix transducer attached) and a Solix 12 (with the Mega 360 attached). I have a single ethernet cable between them and both units are able to share everything. When Mega Live is finally released, as Wayne explains, this will no longer work without an Ethernet Switch.

My plan is to replace my Solix 15 with an Apex 19, which has 2 ethernet ports. This will allow me to connect both the Mega Live and Solix 12 to the Apex and still not need a Humminbird Ethernet Switch. It is my assumption that both units will have access to everything on the network. Without the Apex setup, I would need to add the Humminbird Ethernet switch, connect the Solix 15 to the switch, connect the Solix 12 to the switch, and connect the Mega Live to the switch. This would be the only way to share everything between my current two Solix control heads.

[sholder02]

I feel like Wayne P has already covered all of this, but here is an additional response I received from HB:

MEGA360 will connect directly to a compatible system via the transducer port of that system. Should you connect this to a SOLIX, you will only be able to share MEGA360 to other SOLIX systems in the network. If you connect MEGA Live to the network, this goes directly to the 5 Port Ethernet Hub and any system that is MEGA Live compatible that is in the network can utilize this accessory be it HELIX or SOLIX.
HELIX and SOLIX can only share Waypoints. They cannot share sonar, temperature, GPS or mapping.
It is possible to operate both MEGA Live and MEGA360 at the same time, however they operate on common frequencies so it is possible that interference can occur.

Sounds to me that if a guy were wanting to run M360 and a live sonar simultaneously, Livescope is still the way to go, as I understand there is very little/no interference between M360 and LS. Am I wrong?

[Wayne P.]

I feel like Wayne P has already covered all of this, but here is an additional response I received from HB:

MEGA360 will connect directly to a compatible system via the transducer port of that system. Should you connect this to a SOLIX, you will only be able to share MEGA360 to other SOLIX systems in the network. If you connect MEGA Live to the network, this goes directly to the 5 Port Ethernet Hub and any system that is MEGA Live compatible that is in the network can utilize this accessory be it HELIX or SOLIX.
HELIX and SOLIX can only share Waypoints. They cannot share sonar, temperature, GPS or mapping.
It is possible to operate both MEGA Live and MEGA360 at the same time, however they operate on common frequencies so it is possible that interference can occur.

Sounds to me that if a guy were wanting to run M360 and a live sonar simultaneously, Livescope is still the way to go, as I understand there is very little/no interference between M360 and LS. Am I wrong?

Have not seen any posts stating LiveScope has an issue cross-talking with MEGA 360. I think someone posted what frequency is used for LS, but I don't remember.
Probably no chance of Active Target interfering with MEGA 360 since Lowrance hasn't gotten on the MEGA train yet.

[Arizona Angler]

you cannot run the mega Crap and mega 360 on screen at same time no..

[Capw]

you cannot run the mega Crap and mega 360 on screen at same time no..

You are clueless or just ignorant and should stop posting your crap! Go troll somewhere else.

[Bob B]

You are clueless or just ignorant and should stop posting your crap! Go troll somewhere else.

I agree ..... If you look at the accumulations of his previous posts .... He is just trolling us.

[SLYDoggie]

Yeah, nobody has seen enough "real" information to form a fact based opinion yet. Anybody who is taking it up or talking it down is doing it with their own agenda and not really based on what we are yet to see. I for one am still waiting for much more information before I decide which side of the fence I'm on. Will probably even have to try it for myself to really dig into it and know if it is for me.

[Sirius Rich]

Delete

[alpine4x4]

Have not seen any posts stating LiveScope has an issue cross-talking with MEGA 360. I think someone posted what frequency is used for LS, but I don't remember.
Probably no chance of Active Target interfering with MEGA 360 since Lowrance hasn't gotten on the MEGA train yet.

There is interference with the Mega frequency and Livescope in some conditions. The Mega frequency will cause a beam to shoot across the screen of the Livescope unit. Its intermittent and as far as I can tell is directly related to how hard the returns are, IE hard bottom or shallow water.

Exactly like what is happening in this video on Carls Mega Live
https://fb.watch/6WAs-NSiXE/