I wholeheartedly agree with you on this. We are a people that have to have the latest product and will pay no matter what. Just to be the top dog on the water. Just look at some of the boats on the water, or vehicles on the road. Shoes that cost 200.00, shirts for a hundred.
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dave
in currituck
That is the driving issue behind my post. The closest thing that I have to top of the line is my Ulterra. And I saved a long time to purchase it. I did my research and waited for them to fix the spot lock issue and have time to ensure the latest version worked as advertised. My HB 899 will link with it as expected from the console and I have an older Lowrance Elite 5 that I ran the DI on the TM with a Cornfield Crappie mount. I was wanting to purchase a used HB DI unit for the front that would network with my 899 (hopefully another 899) and my I Pilot Link. Finding a used networking unit is looking like $500-$600 for a decent used unit which is still too rich for my blood.. A little notice from HB that they were coming out with a built in DI transducer and I would have held off a little longer and purchased the DI enabled Ulterra instead. These units will have to last me years and would be nice if they worked together. I realize that everything is outdated as soon as you buy but I'm not going to get another TM for years to come so I want things to work the best that I can for my money. If I had known what they were working on I could have planned and saved for a new Mega for the same price as a used G2N and gotten rid of the DI ducer that gets tangled around the motor. I'm having to cobble together units that don't take full advantage of my Ulterra. I think my solution is a different transducer mount that doesn't interfere with the trolling motor. Just really would have been nice to use a built in transducer if I had known it was coming. I've really enjoyed my Elite 5' DI's (I have 2. Purchased 1 when they discontinued them and 1 used) but really want to take advantage of what my IPilot link has to offer. Just want to do it as inexpensively as possible. Still not sure what unit to get for the front but do know that I want DI up front rather than the 2D. I really should not have posted this here as Iwasjust venting some frustration with the lack of communication from Johnson Outdoors. You can't make an informed decision without information. I for one cannot afford to buy one of everything that they produce so if they are putting out products designed to network and be co-dependent they should let us know what's in the works.
PS. Still looking for a good used bow unit with networking. If you have one for sale, send me a PM. Thanks
Check out bass boat central for a good used unit. BBC Boards and scroll all the way to the bottom of the forums to electronics.
PROUD MEMBER OF TEAM GEEZERauthorized by: Billbob and "G"JD1 thanked you for this post
May I make a possible solution to your transducer problem. If you look at Podunk Ideas . He is a member here at CDCand a few other boards. He makes some of the finest transducer mounts I have ever used.I bought his SS model, ground out the holes, too use 3/4 steel electrical conduit. Used a iron pipe elbow with a section going down into the water. Flatten it out at the bottom, drilled and mounted transducer. Just this year I bought one of his other mounts that works like a T/M mount. It has a plate on top for you to mount a GPS antenna to it. I want my GPS on top of my transducer. If you like send me a PM and I'll find the picks of the original set up, and my new one now. I will tell you this, his equipment is not cheap but I can tell you that the quality is professionally designed and built. It's not junk from China.
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dave
in currituckwannabe fisherman, cevans LIKED above post
I understand your frustration. I have the new Ulterra with DI. I am saving now for a Helix 7 with no transducer. Cost is 550 New.
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dave
in currituck
This is why I do not upgrade till something breaks/ wear s out . They would sell more in the long run if they followed your advice . The business world does not Align profit/loss numbers to the Average person's salary , that is why you have folks making minimum wages buying 2500.00 trolling motors .
I think many of us are caught in similar situations whether it be fishing related or other products. Companies are tight lipped about new products because it is a very competitive market. I am fairly certain most companies aren't withholding information about releasing new products to mislead consumers. It is more likely to keep a step ahead of competitors. Humminbird generally releases new models every two years; sometimes at ICAST and more often late in the year in recent models. MinnKota released their new Bluetooth TMs at ICAST. One clue, at least related to the HBs, is you will start seeing prices reduced at retailers to clear shelves before new models.