High Bidder

I am refering to the mounting base plate for the rigger not the swivel. The bolt didn't fall out when the rigger was attached, but I remove the rigger for the 300 mile trip to and from the Lake. After arriving home I noticed the bolt just barely hanging on. It is just inconvenient to store the bolt elsewhere on the boat. Other than that I liked the new rigger. It is alot quieter than the older models. High Bidder

I noticed today that I almost lost the bolt that secures the downrigger to the base(new Model). Apparently there is a retaining washer on the bolt that came off and the bolt was barely hanging on the base. I was lucky it didn't fall out as I had the base turned so the bolt was outward. So this is just a word of advice. Keep your base turned so the retaining bolt(with knob handle) is facing the inside of your boat so if it falls out it will land in the boat. I now stocked extra SS bolts in case I lose one. I also am going to machine a small groove in the bolt and install a spring clip. High Bidder

I have used both the old style unit and now use the new style unit. The new style is definitely better on battery life. I always modify the attachment to a "T" because it works better for me. I also use a different antennae then the spring they supply. So really I guess my opinion is not the best for a stock unit. High Bidder

Do other GPS units have a internal battery? I have a Lowrance globalmap and was just curious if one day I'll have a battery problem like the Raymarine units? High Bidder

Glad to hear there are a few Kings at(or near) the Trench. I'll be coming up this weekend for the Salmon Spectacular. It would be great if I don't have to run to the shipping lanes to catch some fish. High Bidder

It's not like I didn't listen to the advice on prop selection but I did miss one important fact. The props have to be of the same make and model or changing from one pitch to another will not make the desired 200 rpm change. My engine toppped out at 3900 rpm WOT and I would like it to be closer to 4200 rpms.(engine rated for 4400 rpms max) Since my current prop was a 14.75 x 19P SS I purchased a Solas 14.75 x 18P SS. Unfortunately my rpms increased by 600 at WOT which is 100 RPMs over the limit. I guess this is not a serious problem if I don't go wide open. I was hoping to get a few more rpms at trolling speed which the new prop will certainly do. Is there any other concerns with this setup? I could buy a Solas prop in 19P and probably get the correct rpms but I would rather spend that money on fishing more. On my next trip I plan to use a digital tach to verify the actual rpms. High Bidder

I have my boat stored inside so it probably didn't get any water in from the inside. I did notice however that the bellows clamp wasn't very tight. I now am trying to figure out how to loosen the shift cable so I can remove the pivot housing. My manual isn't very clear and their instructions didn't exactly work. I loosened the nut on the cable but it turns the whole cable. I know I'll probably bust it and I will need more parts. If anyone can explain the proper procedure for removing the cable I would appreciate it. Thanks High Bidder

Last week I got my boat out of storage and hooked up the earmuffs and ran it for 15 minutes. Today I pulled the outdrive(OMC Cobra) to grease the u joints and found water in the drive bellows. Now I'm not sure if the water is from last year and the bellows is bad or if its from this year and the water pump gasket leaked where it goes from the outdrive part to the pivot housing. There isn't any rust on the u joints. Is there any other possible reason for water to be in the bellows? The outdrive gasket seemed fine. Is ther other parts I should be changing other than the bellows and gaskets? Do you have to remove the pivot housing to change the bellows or can it be done without removing it? I have been putting off changing the bellows for a few years because it looked a little difficult. Thanks High Bidder

Thanks for the replies. The reason that I was worried was that I had to replace the heads on the engine last year because the boat was not properly winterized before I bought it. Although the heads were cracked they didn't leak into the cylinders but just a very slow seepage down the outside of the block. I ran it for two years like that until I found the cracks when I pulled the engine to reseal the transom. I didn't want to do again this year. High Bidder

Last year I winterized my boat engine with RV antifreeze. I thought i'd be environmentally friendly. Never again. Just for an experiment I drained some of the coolant this spring and placed it in my freezer. At 0 degrees it turned to slush. Not quite freezing but very close. Since my boat is stored inside a unheated garage and due to the milder winters here in middle PA, it never got below 10 degrees in my garage. Next year I'll use regular antifreeze and just flush it into a drain pan in spring. I won't push my luck. High Bidder

I can also comment on the Loadstars. I was replacing a tire on every 600 mile trip to and from the Lake. I changed from 13" bias tires to 14" radials and after four trips they are holding up great. I don't know if my boat was too heavy for the 13" Loadstars or not but it was the sidewalls that failed. High Bidder

In reference to above mentioned "rooster tail" from the transducer bracket. Humminbird came out with a fix for that last year. It is a rubber block that is placed behind the adjusting bolt on the transducer. It was included with the hardware that came with my new unit. I know that last year Humminbird sent them out free if you called about that problem. High Bidder

I have a 7 pin Humminbird 10' transducer extension cable for sale. It is new. I didn't need it after I moved my transducer to the right side of my boat. If I take it out of the original package so I can send it in a envelope, I will sell it for $17.00 with shipping. If you want it in the original package it would cost $20.00 with shipping. The product no. is EC W10. Part no. 720003-1. this cable will fit most newer units that have 3 to 7 pins. High Bidder

Great article. I needed more information on gel batteries. Most motorcycles and ATV's come with gel batteries. I didn't know until too late that you have to trickle charge a gel battery. I believe I ruined my neighbors ATV battery when I jumped started it last deer season. Of course I won't tell him. I'll just let him believe it went bad over winter parked in my garage. Also the motorcycle dealer said that the gel battery in the new cycle can't be stored below freezing. I guess I'll find out if this is true. It is a major operation to remove the battery and it was costing more to heat the garage than it will be to buy a new battery. High Bidder

I went to Cabelas yesterday and purchased a Saltist linecounter. They were on sale and I had a coupon for 40 bucks off that. After returning home I searched this site and found that there are some concerns about the linecounter hitting your arm. So basically I'm asking if anyone has used them and is this a real concern? I did rig it up but I couldn't get anyone to hold the line while I reeled them in for a test. It sure is a smooth reel and I like the idea of a fast retrieve. High Bidder

Thanks for the advice. This changeover from the Lowrance unit to a Humminbird unit is getting complicated. I decided to get just a 778 sonar because I use a separate GPS chartplotter unit and sonar alone was less expensive. Or so I thought. Since it is only a sonar I had to buy a special Humminbird cable to update the sonar system program. Then I had to buy a a adapter to connect the Special Humminbird Update cable from the old outdated 9 pin serial port they still use to a USB port to connect it to my computer. Then I had to buy a transducer extension cable because the Humminbird cables are alot shorter than the Lowrance cable. After it is all said and done I should have bought a sonar GPS unit which has a SD card for updates and stayed with Lowrance who does not short you on transducer cable length. I'm glad I started this operation long before I actually need it. I hope when this is all done it is worth it. High Bidder

If its the older style just beware you can't get the probe replaced. The new ones don't have the light intensity but they are adjustable for precise speed. I definitely like the new style better even though I never had any problems with my old unit. High Bidder

I am changing transducers and have to patch the seven screw holes from the previous transducer and speed wheel. Can I use Bondo to fill the holes then put a gel coat over it? I'm not concerned with color match as it is below the waterline. I can't do anything immediately anyway because with the heat wave we had today the bottom of the hull is sweating like crazy. High Bidder

Don't know if this will help but to connect my lowrance unit to my simrad simnet system for a AP2401, I cut the lowrance cable and a simnet cable and soldered them together. The only difference was the white wire connected to the yellow wire. I do however power my GPS puck from the NMEA bar. The only information I could find on wiring the units together was from blogs on the internet. Most company service reps do not have any idea about wiring their units to other systems and it seems everyone has a different NMEA configured plug. I dread the day I have to replace my GPS unit and have to build new cables again. High Bidder

I was told that a transducer should be mounted on the starboard side of the outdrive. Does it make a difference? I am installing a new Humminbird 778HD unit. The previous transducer was on the port side about 16" from the drive. I hate to drill another hole in my hull but I do want optimum performance from the unit. High Bidder

Why is the Premium Northeast better than the Hot Spots? Is it more detailed? High Bidder

Does anyone use a "transom saver" on an I/O unit? Or are these just needed on outboards? Or are they not needed at all? I haven't used one since I got my boat five years ago but I did have to reseal the transom bracket last year because it started leaking. But the boat was 15 years old at the time. I have to trailer my boat 300 miles to the lake about 4 times a year and its takes a lot of bouncing up I 81. High Bidder

On my Lowrance unit, it will only work at higher speeds if I set in on 200KHz only. If it is on 50/200 it will blink off then come back reading 60 ft. and never change. I thought my transducer went bad until I replaced it and the new one did the same thing. I don't try to track the downrigger weights because I use a Cannon speed n temp which gives me the depth to the weight. High Bidder

You're right Tim. If I couldn't have found one a stranger was selling cheap(wires cut short) I couldn't have afforded to use one. Now wait a minute, Wires cut short,cheap,bought from a unknown person, You guys better check on your boat. High Bidder

Thanks for the reply Billy V. I received my Mag 5 ST today. I had to wait until I got all those gift cards to Cabelas from my kids and grandkids for Christmas. Just to clarify for anyone else who is thinking of putting a Mag 10 extendable boom on the Mag 5 ST. It does take a few simple modifications. It has to be shortened 1/8"( rigger end) and the hole to secure the boom has to be drilled through. The boom will no longer retract as much because it will stop when it hits the mounting bolt. This is a improvement because the lock nuts are now 4" apart and easier to tighten/loosen. The new design makes the unit seem BIG. I can't hardly wait to try it. High Bidder