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Posts: 5
| So I'm in the market for a fishfinder this off season and I'm debating somethings. I've kinda come up with two ideas for my center console
1) get the 1198/1199 and put it on one of those swivel ram mounts and just spin it around when driving and casting (thinking of mounting on the railing on the top of my little half wind shield on my center console)
2) get the 998/999 and possibly get a smaller finder for the bow or some new rods or just do the same thing with the 900 series as I stated with the 1100 series (ruled out the 800 series since I read the SI tranducer isnt the good one thats on the 900 and 1100 series)
I guess the debate comes down this. Is the 1100 series screen size that much better then the 900. What are the advantages of having two finders (bow and transom). Will my swivel idea even work with the RAM mount. Or am I just completely crazy |
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Posts: 279
| If you can find a 898 it has the good transducer. the 899 does not, however you can send it in and upgrade to the better transducer for 50 bucks i believe.
I don't like the idea of turning the unit around cause in return it still isn't where you need it (your going to have to turn your body around to look at it). Your best bet is to get two units. I would think a 998 at console and say a 859 (down image only) unit up front. Even if you can only buy one now and save up for the winter months to buy the second one. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | Go Big … you won't regret it. |
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Posts: 151
Location: Chippewa Falls, WI | I agree, get the biggest one you can. I have the 998 on my console and turned it around last year to use along with an hds 5 on the bow. Im replacing the hds 5 with the 1100 series up front this spring. The prices are much better this year with HB coming out with there new graphs. I would highly suggest getting the biggest graphs you can afford, much like a trolling motor (get the biggest one you can)…
adubs |
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Posts: 1638
Location: Minnesota | when I bought a new boat in 2012 I went big bought 2 of the 1198"s. I was working a lot of over time so I went big glad I did. to spin your 1198 should work fine. do you need 1198'S no but they are nice. |
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Posts: 1279
Location: Walker, MN | I spin my HDS 10 around on my center console. If you fish ahead of the boat, straight off of the bow then yeah, you will have to turn quite a bit to see it. If you fish more off of the side of the boat then you are turning your head 90 degrees AND (depending on the boat) it may be closer to eye level then any other set-up so neck straining is limited. The only real downside is that, at times, I get glare from the windshield and need to lean a little to see it with polarized glasses on but this is not very often. The past few seasons I run my boat from the back with a remote so the unit is still in great view as it is nice and high up.
IMO bigger is better even with one unit on a center console but with any other boat set up I would prefer two units.
Edited by Masqui-ninja 1/7/2014 10:04 AM
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I run 1100 series and would say screen size selection would be most dependent upon what you intend to do with the unit. If you are planning to use it to follow countour lines WHILE FISHING, then by all means GO BIG. The added size is more than worth it.
Since it sounds like you are planning to use it to 'run to spots' from the console as well, you might consider this will mean the transducer will have a rear placement. When you are actually working a spot, the sounder reading will be X feet behind where you are casting from since the transducer is on the transom.
I'm guessing you are on a limited budget since you referenced dual-purposing the unit, so one solution would be to get an inexpensive sounder/gps for the console and place the transducer for the big unit on your TM. On the console I use my old Garmin 178 color GPS/sounder. I can run to any spot with it just fine, then I drop the TM with the transducer for the 1100 series HB and begin watching my big unit and make boat position adjustments. Small for console and big up front is more accurate up front. It is also cheaper than two big units.
Edited by Cowboyhannah 1/7/2014 3:34 PM
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