Help with bow units configuration, and y cables

[mdwhitten]

This may get a bit long!

my current bow setup on my 22 Jaguar is a 12” Helix Gen 4, and a 10” Helix Gen 4.

the 12” is currently connected ro a Mega 360. The only cables to the back of the unit is the 360 transducer and the Helix power cable.

The 10” Helix has the MDI transducer from the Ultrex, plus the AS GPS HS, network cable, and power cable connected in the back of the unit.

What I’m trying to accomplish is to have a transducer connected to both units, so the 360 will display depth, but also have the Ultrex MDI transducer active on the Helix 10 unit.

I have all the needed Y cable and adapter cable, but if I use them, I lose the MDI on the 10” unit.

suggestions? What am I missing?

[JACQUART21]

If you are wanting to see the MDI data on the 12” then you need to have a network connection between both units. You also may have issues with the 360 using depth data from the ultrex, not sure on that one! No need for any transducer y cables for your setup. Each unit has and ducer and you share between the units with a network connection!

[Wayne P.]

Definitely Ethernet network the units to share data between them.

BUT there is the issue of cross-talk between DI and MEGA 360. Your setup does cross-talk if you use the same frequency for DI and MEGA 360.

The proper installation so it all works properly is to use the 14 M360 2DDI Y cable and connect the Minnkota MDI transducer and MEGA 360 to the same display. Done that way, the sonar pings are done in a sequence so cross-talk is impossible. You have to convert that Y cable to connect to a Helix via a 14-pin to 7-pin adapter. That adapter can be the 10' cable that came with the MEGA 360 or the 3' long Minnkota MKR-MI-1.

Then to avoid connection confusion also connect the AS GPS HS to the same display. The unit with nothing but Ethernet connected should have Sonar OFF and the other unit selected as the source for any function you want share to it. That is done in the Network Source menu.

This is the Helix Network Source menu showing 4 displays, three external GPS antennas and iPilot LINK. The unit with this menu displayed can have any of the devices as the source for GPS. The other topic columns will also show which device to subscribe to as the source for that function.

[mdwhitten]

Wayne,
thanks for the reply. If I do as you suggest, then how do I have the MDI transducer on the Ultrex available for the Helix 10.

Seems like the 10 would just be a map source with no transducer access.

my current setup works, but I would like to have depth displayed on the 360 screen.

And, all 3 of my units are on the network, via Ethernet.

[Wayne P.]

Wayne,
thanks for the reply. If I do as you suggest, then how do I have the MDI transducer on the Ultrex available for the Helix 10.

Seems like the 10 would just be a map source with no transducer access.

my current setup works, but I would like to have depth displayed on the 360 screen.

And, all 3 of my units are on the network, via Ethernet.

You can select every function (Temp, 2D sonar, MEGA 360, Down Imaging, Side Imaging, GPS) the Helix 12 has to share with the Helix 10. That is what Networking is for.

If you don't want the MDI transducer connected to the Helix 12, just choose the Helix 10 as the source for 2D sonar in the Helix 12's Network Source menu.

This is three units networked and the G3N SI unit is selected as the source of 2D sonar for the unit that the menu is shown on:

[Wayne P.]

AND if you want Temp displayed with the MEGA 360 just choose the Helix 10 for Temp1 in the Helix 12's Network Source menu.