2 transducers 1 unit???

[rather be lucky]

Hi guys, in '22 I got some very good advice here, and bought the Ulterra 80/MSI I-pilot link 60. It has made a big difference as no-one has to go to the bow to deploy and stow. (69 year olds don't have the sea legs of decades a go). But as was said back then needs to be addressed now. The Gen1 Helix 12 I have needs to go. The only thing it and the Ulterra can do is all I-pilot functions which is awesome, but now another upgrade is needed. My G1 locator cannot use the transducers in the Ulterra. So at least a new Helix 12 Chirp Mega DI+ GPS G4N is needed. Which brings me to the next hurdle. The new Helix needs to be in the back as I have a tiller boat. (real men go across the lake with one hand behind their back). When trolling, my Ulterra is in the water and steering the boat via the legacy AP and cruise control. My kicker is providing most forward power. I sit in the back where all is at my finger tips. When I pick up and move I would want to use the aft transducer. What I want is to have 2 transducers to one Helix. From what I understand there is no transducer switch to do this with. If that is true, the best I can come up with is to unplug one and plug in the other. It is not they way I want to go. With having the transducer plug in in the connector bar to the unit. I would think it would need to shut down, switch and repower. Can anyone here give me some ideas????

Thanks in advance, Swede

[Wayne P.]

That is the only way unless you get two units and use the trolling motor transducer with one and transom transducer with the other.

If you must just have one unit, don't use the cable collector and connect the cables to the unit individually. There is typically enough friction to keep the cables connected unless the water gets rough.
Another alternative is use the cable collector and a transducer extension cable (10' is the shortest) and change transducers via the extension cable.

AND if you want Side Imaging from the Ulterra MSI transducer, you need a SI model display. Then you can have SI from the transom or from the bow.

[rather be lucky]

Thanks Wayne, was afraid of that, just wasn't ready for 2 upgrades.. I'll have to think on that... I promised my sons I would give them my gen 1 for my old boat that they have... We call it "Old Faithfull" 1983 Sylvan backtroller... so that's another vote for an upgrade. Helix 12 Chirp Mega SI+ GPS G4N seems to be the animal I want. Right now I don't use any type of sonar only I-Pilot on the Ulterra. I do have down and side imaging on the Gen 1 but it isn't very clear. With promises made I think I will get the Gen 4 and swap it out. I will then decide what to do up front. Stop short and kick the can down the road.... where has that been done? At least this way I get to mount 2 locators��.

Thanks for your help... do you know the reason that they don't make a transducer switch?

Swede

[Wayne P.]

There were two generations of transducer switch (TS-2W and TS-3), but two things happened:
1. Dedicated Down Imaging was added which needs an additional circuit.
2. CHIRP was added and the MEGA frequency range, and I don't think the switch contacts were conducive to those.