Transducer Question for 2 16XL's

[stratboogie]

Hello, I am putting in 2 16XL's. I currently have a SS264N setup (50 and 200). I already have the DFF3D but I am also getting a DFF3-UHD with a r599. For running and pelagics I am replacing the 50HZ side of the SS264N pair with a b175HW chirp and was going to keep the 200HZ side of the 264 pair but it looks like I cant mix and match a Chirp and CW. Is that true? Is there another way around this or do I just need to get another chirp ducer?

Thanks

 

[Titanic II]

Since you are getting 2 TZT16XL's you can connect the B175HW to the Transducer port on one of them. That TZT16XL's internal sounder will operate in single frequency chirp mode.

Is there a possibility of leaving both the SS264 on the vessel and adding the B175HW? If that is the case, you can connect the SS264N pair to the other TZT16X and have both High and Low. The second TZT16X internal sounder will operate in dual frequency mode.

 

[Quitsa]

The issue is that the B175HW and the SS264N 200Hz both need to use the HF side of the fishfinder so you need to connect them to different MFDs.

I don't know what your experience has been with the SS264N pair but I had those on my old boat and I thought they had very poor performance, especially the HF side. A real miss from Airmar. If your R599 is the "LH" version, why not use the CHIRP high frequency element of that and not bother at all with the SS264N? Perhaps you are going with the LM version, in which case given all the money you are putting in to the system, maybe you should just bite the bullet and replace the SS264N high frequency element with a B175H to have a CHIRP narrow beam high frequency for detail when bottom fishing. You would need to turn off transmission on the one you weren't using since the B175H and B175HW would interfere with one another, which would be no issue since they have to be connected to different MFDs anyway.

 

[stratboogie]

Yes, so I am going with the LH version. I do alot in the 300-600ft range with occasional Sword trips which goes to around 1500, so I liked the LH version over the LM as I dont bottom fish in 2k+ feet.

Overall I have been pleased with the 264. From my understanding I thought it was the same ducer as the B260 just broke into two flush mount ducers. So I would just need to connect one to each of the MFD's and turn whichever one I wasnt using off? I also am keeping my tz touch 3 which will be up in my e-box.

 

[stratboogie]

So I am removing the complete SS264N and going with the r599LH, 260 side scan, b175M and b175HW. With the 3d system already in place this should pretty much cover all the base. I hope anyway lol

 

[stratboogie]

Sorry, I see the side scan is 230. Looks like I will have a bit of overlap in frequencies but should be manageable.

 

[Quitsa]

So I am removing the complete SS264N and going with the r599LH, 260 side scan, b175M and b175HW. With the 3d system already in place this should pretty much cover all the base. I hope anyway lol

I think that will be an excellent and very versatile setup especially for trolling for pelagic fish. My experience with the B175H (which is very similar to the high frequency element in the R599LH with somewhat lower maximum input power rating) is that it can read bottom in surprisingly deep water. At trolling speed, I have had a very good picture down to 700-800 feet. It has worked great for tilefish in 500 feet compared to LF where the extra detail really helps in finding them near the bottom.

I never had a good answer on the SS264N but an Airmar tech support rep did acknowledge the weak performance to me when I called to figure out if there was something wrong with mine. I picked it because I thought it would be like a B260, which is a good transducer, but it wasn't.

You've got a lot of holes in your boat, which in this case is a good thing!