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I am on the edge of purchasing a Garmin Livesope setup. I have been running Humminbird Helix 9 mega si and mega di for a while now. Are there any negatives to the Livescope other than price obviously? Any info would be appreciated. I know enough about Livescope to be dangerous.
The only negatives I've run into is the long transducer cable and the short power wires of the black box that forced me to have to purchase a separate battery to run the system.
I purchased a LS & a Garmin 93sv (minus the 93sv tdx) from Brian@BBGMarine ($2200), a mounting system from Cumberland Crappie ($100), and the 68ah AGM battery from Auto Zone ($200).
Some say it's better to have the LS & Garmin unit running off a separate battery because their maximum combined draw can be from 4-6amps/hr ... and then others say they've monitored the amp draw and it's way less than that. :dono All I do know is a friend of mine had his starting battery's life shortened severely and switched to using a separate battery (rather than his starting battery). But, I also know that he's prone to fishing 8-10hr days with his LS/93sv system running constantly, plus he fishes a lot more often than the average joe fisherman.
If mounting space is limited, then the extra unit, black box, mounting system, and the LS tdx cable are going to have to be taken into account.
The power wires of the 93sv are about 5' long. The power wires and the black box connecting wires (to the 93sv) are about 8' long. The transducer cable is 10' long. (extension cables can be purchased separately for those wanting to mount the tdx on the transom ... around $70-$80) So, as you can see, it can become quite congested in the mounting area ... depending on the configuration of the bow of your boat.
Even so ... and even though I've only been able to use my setup on two short trips, so far ... I'm glad I got it & am anxious to get the chance to get back out on the water & practice with it and get accustomed to using it for the different methods I intend to use it for (like pitching double jig rigs to cover and Pushing jigs in open water). And even though I have over 30 different rods (for various methods), I went and purchased a 12' BGJP rod just for Pitching jigs with the Livescope system. rotfl
CP makes some really good observations. Cable to black box gave me fits.
1022 here. No regrets but the cost. And you are going to want another u it next to it for maps at least and or traditional sonar.
Wannabe...
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I am also about to take the plunge. There is a good video on YouTube from Russell Marine Products (budget friendly Livescope options) worth checking out.
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Thanks for the great info!! Thanks for taking the time to reply CP and Wannabe I appreciate it!
The only negative I’ve found with LiveScope is now knowing the number of fish that come up, sniff my bait, then go right back down without a bite ... :yikes
Rickie
Yeah it’s great when they scream up to a minnow or jig and then put on the brakes and turn away.
No prob, Ballpark ... and Wannabe is correct that you'll want the Garmin unit you get to just show the Livescope screen. That's one reason I didn't get the transducer for the 93sv. Besides, I already had a Hook 7 that I can use for DI, waypoints & Map functions. And the Cumberland Crappie mount I got is 12" tall (but will raise to nearly 24") and sits behind the Hook and towers above it ... so now I can pretty much see/watch both units at the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ballpark
I'd recommend the Cumberland Crappie mounting system, but the guy that makes/sells the products had some serious health issues and closed the business. This is the message you get when you open the website :
Some items are still in stock but please call to order.
606-425-7151.
Here's a pic of the mount I got for my 93sv -
http://cumberlandcrappie.com/blog/wp...45-300x239.jpg