Where to place my 2 locators

Hello fishing community,

Looking for your feedback on how i should set up my locators for the upcoming season. I am working with an Eagle Optima along with a Humminbird Helix 7 SI/DI/GPS.  I am at a lost as to which one I use on the tooling motor - Minn Kota Power drive on the front of the boat.  This is on a Alumacraft Lunker 16 LTD

I look forward to your suggestions.

Thanks,

Jonny K

I would get the Helix G2N series so you can link both units to one ducer. If you've already bought the Helix and it's not the new networking model, I would mount it where you can see it while driving the boat so you can get the boat positioned before switching locators. The Helix will be way more beneficial in finding spots than your Optima.

Also, if you don't have a universal transducer in your trolling motor, do yourself a favor and get a Transducer Shield & Saver. It is a metal housing that holds your ducer to the bottom of your trolling motor housing and keeps you from breaking the plastic mounting arm on the ducer. They run about $40, but protect your investment and are only a third of the cost of a new ducer! I've been running one for 4 years now and it works great!

Thank you for the feedback folks.  Was sure hoping to get the SI on the front.  What about a Helix 5 DI for the back and run the helix to the front?

I do like the idea of maybe moving the 7 to the middle or back third of the boat.

After seeing Divers comments I think you should scrap the Optima idea. Once the new unit is on, you're not going to want to even look at that old gray scale unit. Wonder if it would be feasible to mount the HB more forward on port side like 1/3 way forward to see from the bow better and still while at the tiller on a pivot type mount. I know you'll have to turn to see it, but I think your Optima will not even be used once you're spoiled with the new unit. Mounting a ducer to the PD TM is a pain to make sure the unit doesn't twist and snap the cable. I've had to spliced my Father in laws like twice a year... My TM has the US2 built in, but that only does 2D and not DI or SI. The Terrova has a flat area on the shaft to run the wire with no issues like the PD.

Just thinking out loud for you and whatever you decide I hope it works for you. Good Luck

Eagle on the front helix on the back and just turn the back one towards you when you want to use si or mapping.  From experience it's hard to run a clamp mount on a power drive because you need the ducer cable to slide up and down with the the motor and can't fasten it tight to the shaft.  What worked decent was a single heavy duty zip tie above the bow line.

i also have an Aumacraft trophy 165LE.   I have an 899 ci/di combo.  i am looking to install either a helix 10 or 12 with mega imaging.  I dont know much of these newer locators and im totally green on how to link them together and so on.  All i know is i love the graphics on the mega imaging and i want one at the wheel and at the bow.  Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated on whether this would work and be worth the investment.   

Thanks for the response LUV2HNT

1. I would be using a clamp to mount the transducer to the motor

2. Even though the boat is a tiller I fish at the bow to be able to control the trolling motor.

Answer a few more qustions for us to help you better.

1. Does your trolling motor have US2 built-in transducer or are you going to attempt the external wire clamped to the motor?
2. Do you fish more from the bow, console, or back of the boat?

The newer unit should be where you fish the most. Remember also mounting the SI tranducer on the back and you fish from the front... you will be past the targets you see when going forward. The 2 units if both transducers are mounted on the stern may interfere with each other. You might be only to have 1 unit on at a time. That is why most network units so they can share a transducer to multiple screens in the boat.