Installing an HDS 5

[DarkAisling]

I have my new HDS 5 (Fishfinder + Chartplotter), and I'm doin' a little "happy dance" now

I've had a good chance to examine all of the wiring and the bits and pieces, I'm thinking this could be more complicated than I originally anticipated (or maybe it is just a bad idea to read technical manuals while consuming "Big Rock's" "Rock Creek" apple cider . . . who knows).

This thing isn't being wired into a boat, and there won't be a thing done in the way of networking to an onboard system of any sort. It is going to be used on a canoe (and potentially a pontoon boat and a Zodiac). The transducer will most likely be mounted on the trolling motor using the TMB-S trolling motor bracket. The unit itself will be mounted to a "Scotty" GPS mounting bracket (which will need a little modification to compensate for the wires).

Now, we just need to worry about plugging in the transducer and hooking it up to a battery (black and red wires only) . . . right? I assume that the data I collect (I'll be using this for bathymetric mapping purposes) will wind up on the SD card, right? (please say "yes" but tell me the truth . . . ).

What kind of battery do I need? I can't find any reference to this in the installation manual. If I need a 12v marine battery, can it be hooked up to the same battery as the trolling motor, or will I need two 12 volts?

[hal53]

Same battery ...no problem....just remember I believe it will measure depth from the point it's mounted...slight variance only I know

[DarkAisling]

I always visually check and clean up my x,y,z data, so it'll be very easy to add the missing distance onto the measurements

I do now have it running off a 12v battery on my kitchen table (the battery from my Marcum VS380), and it is without a doubt my coolest toy yet

[WayneChristie]

Shakin my head. I bet the salespeople in the Fishin hole, Bass Pro, and WSS all have your picture framed and hanging next to the company presidents

[hal53]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

Shakin my head. I bet the salespeople in the Fishin hole, Bass Pro, and WSS all have your picture framed and hanging next to the company presidents

No doubt!!!

[Mudslide]

I'm sure there is an off-set setting on the unit that will let you adjust for the depth of the transducer.

[Kingfisher]

Originally Posted by DarkAisling

I do now have it running off a 12v battery on my kitchen table (the battery from my Marcum VS380), and it is without a doubt my coolest toy yet

Shelley let me know if you start marking fish in the kitchen there. If you do I'll be right over.

Glad your enjoying your new toy. Now if we could just get the ice to melt and we can get into some open water fishing.

I just hook my finder up to my same battery as my Minn Kota.

Make sure you check out some of the You Tube video's on the unit. You'll want to see the first one. It shows them using it on a canoe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9F5...eature=related
Then check out this one on the side scan feature. I'll be picking up the side scan module for mine for sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlO6naQL0m0

What an amazing unit.

Rob

[DarkAisling]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

Shakin my head. I bet the salespeople in the Fishin hole, Bass Pro, and WSS all have your picture framed and hanging next to the company presidents

I seldom shop at WSS. But I do get a discount just for walking in the door at TFH

I didn't buy this one in a store though. It was new, in the box, and registerable (I registered it online last night). Kingfisher knew someone who wanted to sell it, as it wouldn't mount on his boat nicely. He also knew I wanted one, and thus a deal was struck

Hubby freaked a bit when he saw it. Turns out he'd been looking to get me one three weeks ago, and practically had a heartattack when he saw the price. After I told him what I was able to buy it for, he gave me the cash and said "Enjoy your new gift honey." Aww. Then he wrestled it away from me and started to play with it.

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

Shelley let me know if you start marking fish in the kitchen there. If you do I'll be right over.

Nope. No fish in the kitchen (except the one in the freezer). I thought I might check that bathtub, though

Oh right, the fish in there are all PVC.

Originally Posted by Kingfisher

Glad your enjoying your new toy. Now if we could just get the ice to melt and we can get into some open water fishing.

I just hook my finder up to my same battery as my Minn Kota.

Make sure you check out some of the You Tube video's on the unit. You'll want to see the first one. It shows them using it on a canoe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs9F5...eature=related
Then check out this one on the side scan feature. I'll be picking up the side scan module for mine for sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlO6naQL0m0

What an amazing unit.

Rob

I'm going to watch those videos right now