Can I run 2 sonar devices?

redman210

Active Member
Hi all.... I currently have the newest Hummingbird Helix 10 Sonar/GPS unit for my boat located up front in a pilot house boat.... I am not 100% happy with it compared to my last Lowrance in my last boat.
Question is.... if I mount a sonar only Lawrence unit in the back fishing area of the boat... what happens when I run both at once...?
Do the transducers interfere with one another?
I have asked all the local shops and get different answers... I am sure someone here has done it or is running it... please let me know...
Again... would like to run a lowrance sonar only unit for the back while running the Helix 10 up front for sonar/GPS.
I would like to mount the transducers next to one another if possible.
Please advise!
Thanks!
RJ
 
I'll bite. I run a lowrance in my cabin and moved my "top of the line" POS humminbird out back. Gps works and transducers are about 14" apart. No problems at all. Other than the original factory glitches direct from humminbird. Never again.....
 
Just read thru that.... turned into a "fishing style" thread.
What I gathered from that is I should run the same brand?
Use one a 50hz and one at 200hz?
I see it has been discussed.. but would be great to get hard facts about it.
I can pick up a Helix 5 pretty cheap that is sonar only for the rear.
What is the difference and/or benefit to 50 vs 200?
Thats another million dollar question.
I have read thru the previous posts with no clear answer.
 
I'll bite. I run a lowrance in my cabin and moved my "top of the line" POS humminbird out back. Gps works and transducers are about 14" apart. No problems at all. Other than the original factory glitches direct from humminbird. Never again.....
Clint R..... I am getting the same feeling about my Helix 10. Seems no where as good as Lawrence for deep saltwater fishing for sure. The GPS is fine... but the sonar... not so much... hence my reason for trying something different out back.
So would running the Helix at one frequency and the Lawrence on another work?
What is the recommendation for 50 vs 200hz front or back???
 
My models are a little older now but I have no problems running the 200hz on the lowrance( in cab) and the 50hz off the humminbird out back. Other than the occasional fit the humminbird throws losing bottom ect. I've tried everything from new transducers to computer cords for online updates to the last thing they wanted was for me to send it in on my dime to see if they could track down the problem. On top of the over a grand I've already spent. I refuse. I'll honestly never spend another penny on a humminbird product. I'm so disappointed they could mail me a new one free of charge and I'd throw it directly in the trash. Sorry about the rant but I work hard for my money and don't appreciate being sold untried/untested products then being asked to foot the bill while they try to figure out what should've been fixed before the product was released. Anyways. You should have no issues running your humminbird at 50hz. I'm a set it and forget it type of guy but my wife has played with the frequency settings on the lowrance and has run it at both 50hz and 200hz while the humminbirds set at 50hz and no issues. Other than those humminbird problems previously mentioned. Good luck. Hope you get it figured out.
 
Thanks ClintR..... I think I will try a Lawrence out back. I usually sit at the back steering station when back trolling for Hali or salmon trolling... so having the bottom and fish ID showing bait balls will be perfect. The humminbarf looses bottom as you said and although it is easy to see from the back.. having the second one just for bottom will be perfect. The GPS on the humminbarf works fine so hopefully will work. I will set hummingbird at 50 and use 200 for rear hopefully.
 
I've got a Garmin that came with the boat when I bought it. Older one so I can't get the card for the west coast so I bought a Lowrance HD7 to replace it. Found out the sigaflexed the antenna on the dash beside it so I decider to just mount the HD on the other side. No interference between antennas or transducers. Nice to have two units anyways
 
I recommend picking one transducer which is the one that you like and then networking all of your head units together.
Airmar P66 is the go-to for people who want a better sonar for their Lowrance, raymarine, simrad, Garmin Chartplotter
 
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Hi all.... I currently have the newest Hummingbird Helix 10 Sonar/GPS unit for my boat located up front in a pilot house boat.... I am not 100% happy with it compared to my last Lowrance in my last boat.
Question is.... if I mount a sonar only Lawrence unit in the back fishing area of the boat... what happens when I run both at once...?
Do the transducers interfere with one another?
I have asked all the local shops and get different answers... I am sure someone here has done it or is running it... please let me know...
Again... would like to run a lowrance sonar only unit for the back while running the Helix 10 up front for sonar/GPS.
I would like to mount the transducers next to one another if possible.
Please advise!
Thanks!
RJ
I was also disappointed my Garmin combo unit so I now run a Lowrance at the same time as well... the lowrance transducer is in a water box thru hull setup located under the step when you go into the cuddy. I use the Garmin for navigation/GPS and Lowrance for fish finder/depth and never have a problem
 
I recommend picking one transducer which is the one that you like and then networking all of your head units together.

Hey Chris, I like that idea. Know if I can mix brands on the head units? Or do I have to run all the same manufacturer?
 
Never mind, did a quick google search and the short answers no. At least humminbird/lowrance.
 
picked up a Lawrence Hook 4X today from Cabbalas..... will install and hopefully be able to have a reliable depth which is all I really need for now. Will use the humminbarf for GPS and back up depth I guess....... will report after first real life use.
 
The problem with the hummingbird units is you all have too short of transducer cables. Get 200-300 ft or more and put a mark on it every foot. Hold transducer in hand and toss pos head unit over till it hits bottom and count the marks. Works every time. Ask me how I really feel about hummingbird lol.
 
I like to have more than one depth sounder working at all times, especially with transom mount Xducers getting hit by wood and logs. I've gone thru 3 in the last 2 years. While running 2 sounders at 200kHz I got interferance between the 2 of them, and it would show on the one unit more so than the other. A false bottom would start appearing for a minute or two before disappearing. Really annoying! But when using them at different frequencies, there were no problems. 50kHz works well to find the bottom for crab, prawn trapping, deep waters. 200kHz works well shallow to spot fish and bait.
Funny how Humminbird was so good back in the 80's. And losing bottom with a 50kHz transducer is pathetic.
 
I like to have more than one depth sounder working at all times, especially with transom mount Xducers getting hit by wood and logs. I've gone thru 3 in the last 2 years. While running 2 sounders at 200kHz I got interferance between the 2 of them, and it would show on the one unit more so than the other. A false bottom would start appearing for a minute or two before disappearing. Really annoying! But when using them at different frequencies, there were no problems. 50kHz works well to find the bottom for crab, prawn trapping, deep waters. 200kHz works well shallow to spot fish and bait.
Funny how Humminbird was so good back in the 80's. And losing bottom with a 50kHz transducer is pathetic.
Goat horns..... thanks so much for the SIMPLE explanation of why to use different frequencies.... I will do that. I like the bird because of the large display and the GPS mapping on it works very well. Will be a perfect combo to have. I mounted the screen so I can see it thru the window from the back of the boat while at the rear steering station..... adding the lowrance at the back for more detailed bottom should work out perfect.
I don't work for either company.... but bashing either is not what we need to do here.
My feedback however... is that I would buy a Lowrance next time around before the humminbird for sure.
It does lose bottom for some reason sometimes and shuts down altogether also..... tech support is less than ideal with wanting to ship the unit cross country to see if they can fix it.
Never had an issue with Lawrence so can't comment on the support they offer.
Thanks for all the information people!
RJ
 
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