Humminbird SI - Finally pulled the trigger

[Ranger_07]

The 998 HD SI Combo unit is on its way. Where would be the best place to take it for installation? I have a fiberglass boat, so I'm not personally touching it. I just want it setup to run correctly. Who has the experience to get me going on the right track. Learning to use the thing will be the next battle. I've started reading up on it quite a bit over at BBC.

Thanks.

[Les Young]

but lots seem to think they're useless there. Are you Bass fishing with some Crappie fishing mixed in occasionally ??? If so you'll like it up front. I'm no Crappie fisherman as I don't have experience doing it, but I was able to see fish in bait schools while scanning from trolling motor then split screening 2-d& down imaging & drop straight down & catch Crappie in open water. Mind you I knew absolutley nothing about Crappie fishing at all. My self I like mine way better there than at the transom as it's history there as it's already behind the boat. I can side scan wide or narrow, right , left or both at the troller & mark spots then fish or split between any screen views I like when up front. As an example I can fish & mark a spot way off shore deep on side scan that I would never see with regular sonar as I don't search that wide with it & then when spotted on side imaging I can mark a way point & drop straight down with down imaging as it's pretty much straight under the trolling motor& catch them deep way off shore that I never would have with anything else. I can also see fish just out of cast reach on either side of the boat when running side imaging on both sides & then cast to them. I can also scan either side wanted when on troller as well & if fishing a bluff or point I can turn off the off shore side & zoom in to the side I'm fishing to get way more detail on the side I'm fishing. You can also scan for Striper schools in open water while fishing with side imaging set wide to both sides & drop a spoon in them. You also could get 2 complete stations & use it at console when cruising & searching for new water & then switch head unit to the trolling motor station & fish with it if that's the route you wanted to go. I like mine way better at the trolling motor than at console, but both installations have their place. You just have to decide which you think will be better for you. As you said search bass boat central & ask ??? pertaining to your style of fishing.

[stoner]

It's really not a big deal to install yourself. Bbc humminbird forum and YouTube is all you will need. Tons of ideas and you'll be proud of your accomplishment.

[Jtmeador21]

i could install it for you if your not to far from scottsville ky. i live in scottsville and do small on board repairs and installations graphs trolling motors rub rail lighting ext. just no motor work. do most work out of my shop but could possibly travel if it wasnt for give me a call if your intrested.

john meador
270/606/0554

[Ranger_07]

i could install it for you if your not to far from scottsville ky. i live in scottsville and do small on board repairs and installations graphs trolling motors rub rail lighting ext. just no motor work. do most work out of my shop but could possibly travel if it wasnt for give me a call if your intrested.

john meador
270/606/0554

I will give you a call this evening. Thanks, John.

[SteveM4A1]

It's really not a big deal to install yourself. Bbc humminbird forum and YouTube is all you will need. Tons of ideas and you'll be proud of your accomplishment.

alot of people don't like to be the one drilling holes in their own boat...or even be around when it is happening. something about a hole saw going through your nice boat upsets the mind haha. but it is a very straight forward job. hardest part is running the wires..wire snakes are your friend

[GeoFisher]

The 998 HD SI Combo unit is on its way. Where would be the best place to take it for installation? I have a fiberglass boat, so I'm not personally touching it. I just want it setup to run correctly. Who has the experience to get me going on the right track. Learning to use the thing will be the next battle. I've started reading up on it quite a bit over at BBC.

Thanks.

I had all kinds of noise issues......I finally resolved most of it with the TM-1 trolling motor choke from hummingbird. LOTS of noise

Later,

Geo

[Les Young]

that doesn't have to be drilled, but for the life of me I can't think of the name right now. It used a strong waterproof adhesive that sticks to the transom & then the transducer mounts to it. If you have a jackplate & want it console mounted the simplest, cleanest & safest thing for the transducer to do is to get a Humminbird y cable for onplane depth readings from a regular Humminbird 2-d transom mounted or in hull transducer & drill & mount the side imaging transducer on your jackplate with a clear line of sight when trimmed down for scanning. I usually drill towards the bottom of the plate & have never had any issues with sonar bouncing inside the plate interference. Then drill 1 hole by console to run the wires through which will be covered & use a ram mount for the 998 or simply fabricate a mount to be able to install it in the dash. Of course if wanting it at the trolling motor too you can get another complete station & a trolling motor transducer & use the head unit up front if wanted when fishing. Not a big deal at all to drill the hole in the plate & only 4 screws to hold station in place up front.

[SteveM4A1]

that doesn't have to be drilled, but for the life of me I can't think of the name right now. It used a strong waterproof adhesive that sticks to the transom & then the transducer mounts to it. If you have a jackplate & want it console mounted the simplest, cleanest & safest thing for the transducer to do is to get a Humminbird y cable for onplane depth readings from a regular Humminbird 2-d transom mounted or in hull transducer & drill & mount the side imaging transducer on your jackplate with a clear line of sight when trimmed down for scanning. I usually drill towards the bottom of the plate & have never had any issues with sonar bouncing inside the plate interference. Then drill 1 hole by console to run the wires through which will be covered & use a ram mount for the 998 or simply fabricate a mount to be able to install it in the dash. Of course if wanting it at the trolling motor too you can get another complete station & a trolling motor transducer & use the head unit up front if wanted when fishing. Not a big deal at all to drill the hole in the plate & only 4 screws to hold station in place up front.

need to drill a hole for the gps puck as well...generally you want it as close to the transducer as possible for the most accuracy

[tracy]

Go to transducershieldandsaver.com check out the TM-HDSI transducer shield it can be used to mount at the trollingmotor with just a couple clamps or at the jackplate with the proper L -bracket for your boat. Call them and tell them what kind of boat and Jackplate you have and they will match you up. You don't have to worry about getting the right angle for the transducer to work properly just follow the instructions. Go to youtube there are several video's on there showing you how to mount.


I bought a 998si and an 898HDSI mounted both myself. It was really easy. Wire straight to starting battery but install a 3amp in-line fuse to the hot wire to prevent over voltage.

[Ranger_07]

I'm going to mount to the transom. I don't have a jack plate so that is out. I'm hoping we can do it without something from shield and saver. I will ask onemorecast about the fuse thing though. Thanks for the tips.

[Les Young]

Humminbird says to put one in. My current boat that I traded another for got a warning high voltage message on the screen on my 581I while running & sure enough when I looked the previous owner had never installed one. Why ruin a depthfinder over this ???