Bow mount GPS/Depthfinder

[Allen]

Starting to look like I need a new (probably Lowrance) depthfinder for the bow of my boat. This time around I'd like to upgrade to a GPS unit to help keep me on an established drift line in the wind/current.

I don't think my Ulterra has the Link or Bluetooth built in to connect to a Hummingbird, so while wanting to upgrade from my old X-96 graph to GPS, I'm not interested in going overboard.

So what reasonably priced GPS depthfinders are you all using in your bow?

 

[SDMF]

I'd think that a 7" screen would allow you to split the screen and each side (graph and GPS) would be nearly as big as your current X-96 screen is on it's own.

 

[Ericb]

I just got a Garmin. Got on sale around Christmas for around $500. It's a 7in touch screen. Has Maps, their clear view down and side imaging. I got it installed and on the water once this year so not much of a review yet. Seems you get alot more for your money with Garmin vs the other two.

 

[Allen]

I suppose I should add, it would be nice to use the universal sonar transducer of the trolling motor. And for reference sake, I am running an HDS-7 with total scan as my main unit at the driver's console.

Yeah, something in the 7" screen is probably the direction I'm leaing towards for splitscreen use.

 

[Bfishn]

Humminbird Helix 7 sonar/gps.

 

[risingsun]

Not sure how many whistles and bells your wanting or needing with your trolling motor, but I would think something like this would work for what your wanting to do? [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://www.bismanonline.com/minot_nd/lowrance_hds_7_gen_2_with_navionics_msd_nav_no_nor[/FONT]

 

[zoops]

Tough question to answer since everyone's fishing style is a little different. I use humminbird so I'm probably not much help and I'm a tiller guy and I rarely fish at the bow (put my buddies up there to pull the Terrova up and down ) so I just put a helix 5 up there that pretty much just gets used for sonar, although it has gps and it's plenty. Looks like the non-gps model is 199 and with gps is 299. Usually pretty easy to find one of those units used on various online classifieds. If you want to network with your other units you'd be in the $600 range for HB since I don't believe they make anything smaller than a 7" that is networkable.

 

[Migrator Man]

Hummindird Helix 7 sonar/gps.

Great prices right now on G2 helix 7’s because they are now out with the G3

 

[zoops]

Great prices right now on G2 helix 7’s because they are now out with the G3

I should add that I'll probably be selling one of these in a couple weeks; works perfectly and I would be open to selling without the transducer if you are looking to use in a bow setup where you hook it up to a Minnkota. Upgraded to a networkable model. PM if interested.

 

[Captain Ahab]

Don't be afraid to look at the Simrad stuff. It is compatible with Lowrance. Their screens are very impressive.

 

[ndfinfan]

I've got a 7 inch Lowrance Hook 2 on the bow...it's compatible with my Motorguide Xi5 ducer in the head unit...so no adapter needed. The sonar pic is actually more detailed in some aspects than the 9 inch on the console with the big transducer. If you go with a Lowrance unit, believe you need an adapter cable to utilize the ducer mounted in the head unit of your Minn Kota? In a 19 ft boat, having the 7 inch screen on the bow is about the smallest I would go. I can see the display pretty clearly standing in the stern looking between the windshield.