I picked up my Helix 9 G4n Chirp Mega Image SI and DI the other day but...

[taxid]

Was paying on it until I paid it off at local Mom and Pop Fishing and Hunting Store.

I want to use it both on my regular boat and kayak with a transducer on each so I can just swap out the monitor, but that monster size transducer won't fit in the transducer port of my Hobie. So that leaves either an in hull mount, scupper hole with a PVC nipple and fitting, or a clamp on transducer arm. Not crazy about clamp on arms but if I go with the in hull mount I won't be able to do side imaging.

I don't have to worry about the clamp on arm getting in the way as I rarely use a paddle with the Hobie pedal/flipper drive.

What would you do?

[fish/hunt4ever]

I would mount it so you can remove it and see what options you use the most and then make the decision on how you want to permanently mount it. I use all the options on.my helix 7 at times but also just have it on my boat so easy to figure out where I wanted it mounted but have seen that with the side imaging I need to watch out how I have my motor positioned to see correctly and the wash from the prop can make the image bad as well.  Nice unit to have, now I wish I had the bigger screen to have more options available on the screen but like what I have as well.

[taxid]

I would mount it so you can remove it and see what options you use the most and then make the decision on how you want to permanently mount it. I use all the options on.my helix 7 at times but also just have it on my boat so easy to figure out where I wanted it mounted but have seen that with the side imaging I need to watch out how I have my motor positioned to see correctly and the wash from the prop can make the image bad as well.  Nice unit to have, now I wish I had the bigger screen to have more options available on the screen but like what I have as well.

Thanks for your response!

And good thinking!

I found a clamp on arm I bought years ago for when I took a fish finder with me to a remote lake in Maine. I'm going to try that first on the kayak. If I don't use the SI much I may just go ahead and mount it in the hull or in the scupper hole. The main thing is I want to be able to make a contour map of a remote pond while I am on vacation. A fish and wildlife biologist is interested in me doing so as he can't get his conventional boat in to map it. It's become acidified and they are considering liming it to bring it back to life. 

Never thought of an outboard motor getting in the way of Side Imaging but it makes sense.

An issue I had in the past on my regular boat was my fish finder not picking up my downrigger balls as well as I'd like, because my down riggers are too far forward in the boat. Considering moving them to the back closer to the transducer.

[fish/hunt4ever]

When I run my downriver off my boat they are right off the back and going slow 9 can see them but if I puck up speed they swing out and I cannot see them but also depends of depth as well. If I am in 20 foot or less and just playing with them I can see the one on the side with the transducer and the other side I cannot see but I am always learning with this new to me technology and love the mapping capabilities of the unit. Plus nice that you can download it and upload other data that people share off the hummingbird site.