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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Thanks in part to my awesome live-in lover, girl friend, an wife (they are all the same lady!) I have replaced my antique Bottom Line Sonar Unit with a Lowrance HDS-8. I was going to get the much smaller unit HDS-5, but she said in front of the "outfitter" at Cabelas, "it isn't like I get one every year and sooner or later even my eyes will start to fail, just get the HDS-8!" I think that I will keep her!!!
With the "juice" necessay to power the GPS & Sonar, would it make any sense to have a designated deep cycle battery? |
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Posts: 7090
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Off my starter battery I routinely have running:
-X-15 on the dash
-x-17 on the bow
-520 gps on the dash
-stereo w/ speakers
-raymarine marine band ship to shore
-XM satellite reciever
I try to charge the starter battery before each trip out, but routinely forget. I find if I have enough juice to start the opti in the morning, I have enough to power the rest of the crap through the day. |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Steve: I have 4 Batteries in my Boat
1 - Starting
2 - Trolling Motor
1 - Electronics & Auto Bilge Pump
With a Seperate Battery for the electronics I get 0 interference on any of the screens from motors, the images are as clear as can be and I don't have to worry about draining my starting motor, the key is to remember to charge the battery 
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Posts: 31
| I have been considering adding a four battery also. How do you like that HDS-8? I figure either I need to get glasses or upgrade to the HDS-8 |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I love the features and screen.
I installed it yesterday. The only problem is that the power cord is only 4' long, so I will need to connect to circuitry within the console. I will let the pros handle that part.
I had expected to have the same amount of cord as the transducer had to connect to either the starter motor battery or a designated battery under the casting deck.
So far it looks great, but just doesn't function yet!
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 6/14/2009 9:19 AM
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Does anyone potect or restrain the power and transducer wires and plugs when you are trailoring the boat to keep them from damage or fatigue failure in the wind? |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | Steve: I just wrap a rubber band around them to keep them together in a small bundle, have not had any problems in 9 years still using the original cables/wires
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Posts: 462
Location: Antioch, IL | Steve Van Lieshout - 6/14/2009 10:11 AM
Does anyone potect or restrain the power and transducer wires and plugs when you are trailoring the boat to keep them from damage or fatigue failure in the wind?
Absolutely, I have an adjustable RAM mount for my sonar/gps. I position it so it hold the cords against the boat and tighten it down. I also have some spring loaded/locking "map" clips I use to clip the ends to the base of my windshield. No movement what so ever when towing. |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | Thanks guys.
I used the Ram mount to restrain the wires against the console top while towing the boat up to Cedar Lake Sales in West Bend to get the power wires hooked up in side the console. Everything else went together perfectly. |
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Posts: 734
Location: Watertown, MN | Steve,
It will depend what you have for you batteries, If you have a set for trolling motor, and one for starting and electronics, and what electronics you have? If the starting batteries is not a dual purpose you might need to buy dual purpose batteries. I run on 29 series dual purpose deep/crank that powers
X-110 graph/gps
X-102/graph
3500/gps,
plus all accesories, and never had a problems with the starting battery, except when I left an accesory on.
Troyz |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I have a magnum sized Optima Deep Cycle just for the Minnkota Auto Pilot Trolling Motor.
I have a Optima starter motor for everything else, but I seldom use any accessories except the sonar unit, so I'm guessing that I will be alright. |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Steve, your sonar unit should be connected to your starting battery and the trolling motor battery should be just left to the trolling motor. You won't have a problem running the sonar off the starter, that's where it should be run. |
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | I just got my Tuffy Esox home (I was starting to suffer withdrawl symptoms) from Cedar Lake Sales, in West Bend. They hooked up the power cable inside the console and got it back 3 days ahead of when they said they would, for a very fair price.
Now I'm climbing through the manuals!....I can tell it is going to be 50"ers EVERY cast!
Edited by Steve Van Lieshout 6/17/2009 7:01 PM
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | SVL, If I recall correctly, the new HDS series actually draws less power than their predecessors. If that is indeed correct, then you shouldn't have any issues at all. I run my 2 locators and GPS off of my starting battery and haven't had any issues (outside of a bad battery last year). I think I do need to upsize my starting battery though just for a confidence boost though. |
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