mudflat

I mounted everything overhead but I'm usually in the back of the boat running on autopilot and I wanted the screens up where I could see them. When running at the steering wheel it would probably be better if they were on the dash, overhead is a little tuff on the neck. So it depends on how you are going to run your boat and what works for you. Fuse block up front, just for your electronics, is a great idea.

There's a pretty good drop off at 270-330' out around 5-6 miles then it continues to get slowly deeper so 7-8 miles out should be close to 400'. 42* temp was down about 120' over 300 foot of water last Saturday.

Nick You sure have put in a lot of time and work putting this all together and I'm sure it has grown beyond anything you imagined when you started. I wanted to say THANKS for everything and I'm sure the vets will have a great day on the water, even the weather looks like it's going to cooperate. I'll be going up tomorrow and if there is anything I can help with on Friday let me know Thanks again Roy Morris Mudflat

I have a Clarion 55 with 500' copper and it just fit 150yds of 50# power pro for backing, I don't think you're going to make it with the mono.

Nick, Write me down for the last spot- room for at least 2 Never fished out of Sodus so I'll be looking for some insider information Roy

The internal antenna should work as long as it can see the satellites, windshield and canvas shouldn't be causing any problems but it might not work inside a building or surrounded by trees. Try checking the way your system is setup: Go to "Settings", then "Network" and check under "Data Source" to make sure the internal GPS is activated then go to "Device List" and make sure WAAS is disabled. There is an external antenna available, LGC 4000, but that also requires a NMEA 2000 network and you shouldn't need it.

"i was using my cannon speed n temp sensor i no its the older one but it was workin when i put it in the water n when i would drop it down to find the temp it would just turn off on me any input on that sorry 4 the questions" Try putting a damp towell over your antenna, actually works sometimes. Also check your rigger cable for any spots where the insulation is stripped off and make sure you have a good connection at the probe.

The TR-1 is pretty responsive and once you get familar with the control you shouldn't have any problems handling the boat. You can turn the boat quickly by pushing just one button on the control. I would spend some time concentrating on getting the feel of running the kicker with the TR-1 before trying to run with a full spread out. It shouldn't take too long to get the basics down once you're on the water. New boat looks great, enjoy her!

I've been using one with a T9.9 for several years and haven't seen any problems yet. I do put a strap on when trailering to take out some of the road bounce but those brackets are built pretty tough.

I run a T9.9 on a 25' PennYan and it works fine. I also use a TR-1 AP and the two together can control the boat in 3-4'. The ability to control your speed and fine tune it is fantastic, the fuel savings doesn't hurt either. The high thrust motors are designed to push heavy loads at trolling speeds with larger lower units, lower gear ratio's and larger props. It's not all about HP since none of these motors are going to get you over the "hull speed" of your boat unless you can get up on plane. A high thrust 8-9.9 hp motor will probably do as good or better than a regular 15 hp. Also consider the extra weight hanging off the back, too heavy of a motor can cause problems. Even though I love the "whiff in the air" of a 2 cycle I don't want to smell it all day or listen to one either - go with a 4-stroke if possible.

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You might want to try some chainsaw rewind rope if you can find the right diameter, maybe a little heavier than what Scotty uses.

The S1000 ap works ok but has some limitations. It does not use any heading sensor and works off the nema 0183 output from your GPS unit. When they first came out they would shut down if your speed dropped much below 2.5 mph then Raymarine came out with an updated software that improved my unit down to 1.7 mph. The new units are now suppose to work down to 1 knot. You still need to be going faster, 2.5-3 mph, to get the unit to engage at first then you can slow down ok. The installation is fairly easy, the hydraulics just T into the lines coming off your helm and the wiring is hooked up to your GPS units nema output, an alarm horn, emergency shut off switch and a power supply. You need to mount a computer box and the pump which is a little noisy when it runs but is not unbearable. The wireless control works slick. There are better units available from Raymarine or Garmin but they will cost 2-3x as much, basically you're getting what you pay for and the S1000 is a lot better than not having any AP. I would check with Jim at BOE Marine, he will give you good advice and sells all the different brands at great prices.

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What, no air conditioning?? Sounds like a great ride

Doug The easy answer is get two units now and be done with it. At least have the boat prewired with both nema 2000 and ethernet networks for both locations so you will be all set, plug and play, when you get the second unit. Easier and neater than pulling wires after it's all built. Which Hewescraft did you decide on?

The TR-1 Gold works independently off it's own heading sensor and can hook up with your gps using NEMA0183. Mine works fine with Lowrance and I would think that it should with Garmin also. Not sure if your installing any downspeed but there has been some issues of interference with the TR-1 and I think Depth Raider units, I haven't had any interference problems with my Fish Hawk X-4. The TR-1 is a great unit, you're going to love it.

The TR-1 Gold works independently off it's own heading sensor and can hook up with your gps using NEMA0183. Mine works fine with Lowrance and I would think that it should with Garmin also. Not sure if your installing any downspeed but there has been some issues of interference with the TR-1 and I think Depth Raider units, I haven't had any interference problems with my Fish Hawk X-4. The TR-1 is a great unit, you're going to love it.

If I was going with Lowrance I would seriously look at the HDS8. It has the soft touch buttons which really makes it easier/faster to use and the screen is a major upgrade from the 7, exspecially when you split the screen. I can see/read my displays from the back of a 25, even with my older eyes. When you add the 2nd unit you can then network them together to automatically share waypoints, transducers, ect. You can also add radar, structure scan with both side and down images, even Sirius weather/radio to the network. I'm not familar with the Garmin but I here they are the best for GPS, not sure if they will network together when you get the 2nd unit.

The s1000 and the ST1000 are completely different auto pilots. The s1000 works off just your gps nema 0183 output and doesn't use any type of heading sensors. I've had one for four years and it works ok, most of the time. It will shut itself down sometimes when your speed gets down around 1.7 mph or slower and occasionally does a crazy Ivan turn to port when it feels like it. The hydraulic pump is fairly loud when it's running but not unbearable. Basically you are getting what you pay for but it is worth the money and is much better than not having any auto pilot. There are better ap's out there, like the ST1000, but they will cost 2-3x as much. I agree that you should check your cable, your outboard shouldn't steer hard at trolling speeds. You might just have to service or replace the cable and then could install an SPX-5R for an auto pilot for a lot less investment than switching to hyd.

Here's a link to Spoonpullers about a guy purchasing a 26' Woolridge pilot house that you might find interesting. He shows pictures of the boat being built step by step and the rigging. http://spoonpullers.proboards.com/index ... read=15336

If the screws will "snug up" at all I've had success using 3M 5500 sealant on the threads as a thread lock and then be careful not to overtighten the screw. Stops them from loosening up from vibration and works as an adhesive on the threads. If you use any replacement hardware (anchors, ect) make sure they are stainless

FH, you might want to ask this question on Bass Boat Central's Lowrance forum Those guys really seem to know all the compatibility issues. You will want to include the transducer models you have, it will be marked on a silver tag next to the plug. http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=13 You might also be able to find a used Xc-111 in their electronics swap section

Don't worry, you'll be happy once you learn how to use it and see how it works on the water Any new finder can be a little overwhelming when you start, with all the settings and options available, but once you learn the menu logic and how to tweak them they are amazing. I really appreciate the clarity and brightness of the HDS display. I can see it from the back of the boat fine, even with my old eyes.

Lowrance has come out with a new HDS Gen2 series that are just starting to ship this week. That's why they have had sales and rebates to move out the old stock. It might be worth waiting for a new Gen2 unit if you can get it at that price when they become available. The Gen2 units have a faster processor and a new Structure Map feature but probably not much difference in regular sonar and gps functions other than quicker redraws. I'm sure the new processor will allow for more advanced features in the future.