GPS Puck placement

[Firefighter Jeff]

    I hunted around past posts but couldn't find where I had seen some pictures before.  I am ready to mount the GPS puck for a 898 I'm putting at the dash.  I've read I want to put it as close to the transducer as possible.  It will be in the back as the transducer is attached at the jack plate.  Does anyone have a picture they can post on where they mounted their puck in the back??  I believe Seth had posted pics, but I can't find them.  Does the puck have to be level???  Thanks in advance for the help.    Jeff

[Wolverines]

With the HB SI graphs you can courser back to the spot you want to waypoint, even if your boat has moved a ways away from the spot.  I don't see why you'd need the puck in the back by the transducer.  I have my puck mounted at the bow next to my 788 that has an internal antenna. I had my electronics mounted at the dealer and figured that makes sense cause then both antennas are close to each other and at the front of the boat where I'd be fishing from trying to target those way points.  Am I not thinking about that correctly???

[Firefighter Jeff]

   Well, let me think about that for a sec.  lol  If I waypoint a spot on my 898 at the dash with the puck sitting next to it, then the actual spot the transducer is picking up is 6 feet or so from where the gps plotted it. If you have the gps puck at the bow then it's an even larger distance say 17 feet ot so.  So there is like an error built in.  If I approach that spot from a different angle with my bow mount and sit on where the gps puck says I should be then I'm not right over the object.  Is that clear as mud???  lololol    Jeff

[Redbone]

Not an expert on this but... I'm pretty sure you want your puck as close to the ducer as possible.  Otherwise you have a larger margin of error.  If you puck is 10 feet away from the ducer you will have a 20' radius margin of error on finding your spot.  Being that you can have your boat a full 360 degrees at anytime around the spot you marked. Good luck.

[Wolverines]

Well, I have one ducer up front on the TM for the 788, and one in back for the 998.  So I guess in a way I do have them close together. The graphs are linked together, not sure if that makes a difference. I haven't had any problems finding what I've waypointed yet so I guess I'm not gonna let it bother me...

[1javelin]

Your unit has no way of telling how far apart the puck and transducer are, because even with a set length, there is no way to tell the orientation of your boat. The arrow can say you're going one way, but I can move backwards, so that would be erroneous. That said, your puck should be mounted as close to the transducer as possible. The unit is interpreting the image from the transducer, and the gps signal from the puck at the SAME TIME, so it is assuming puck and transducer at one location. Does this make sense?

Jeff, I mounted my puck for my rear transducer in the spill well on the same side as my transducer. I can take a picture tomorrow morning and send it to you. If you have any other questions I can probably help you out. Call or text anytime.

1jav

[mikesmiph]

On kind of the same subject, I dont have anything fancy with SI or anything. I have an internal GPS and was planning on linking it with my bow mounted unit. Do I need a puck also? Is there any benefit to having both?  First GPS unit ever for me.

[SethV]

You do want your GPS puck as close to the transducer.  On a 20' boat, if you have the SI transducer on your jackplate and your puck on the console it might be 8' away.  If you approach the waypoint from the opposite direction later, you will be off by 16'.  That is way too far when you are trying to stay on 1 rock or a sweet spot.

In the pics you can see I have 2 antennas on the bow for my bow electronics and gm SI antenna on the transom near my SI 'ducer.

[SethV]

One more of the bow.

[Firefighter Jeff]

Yes Herman, I wouldn't mind seeing a pic if you could.  Thanks

Thanks again Seth for posting the pics.

[BryanP]

I would advise mounting it on the deck cap in the back of the boat like in SethV's pic.  I would probably not mount it in the splash well where it could be submerged for any amount of time.  The antenna's are waterproof, but I don't believe they're meant to be submerged for long periods of time. 

And yes, mount it as close to the transducer as possible 

[Firefighter Jeff]

I would advise mounting it on the deck cap in the back of the boat like in SethV's pic.  I would probably not mount it in the splash well where it could be submerged for any amount of time.  The antenna's are waterproof, but I don't believe they're meant to be submerged for long periods of time. 

And yes, mount it as close to the transducer as possible 

Sounds like good advice to me.  I think I know where I want to place it.  I now have to decide how to attach it.   

[1javelin]

Bryan,

I didn't think about it being submerged at all. Probably going to have to move it now. Not cool, but glad you mentioned it before I had any problems.

Jeff,

I just predrilled two holes aligned with the puck, filled them with rubber sealant, and screwed down the puck. I've heard of guys just putting a sealant ring around the base of the puck and securing it like that, similar in a sense to a transducer, but I would be afraid of the sealant weathering and cracking and my puck falling off, or accidentally getting knocked off.

1jav

[Firefighter Jeff]

Thanks Herman, I think I'll bolt it down.  Jeff