# How many of you mud boat guys have a gps/depth finder mounted on your grab bar??



## rnelson5 (Apr 7, 2015)

Found a deal on a Hummingbird depth finder with GPS and bought it the other day. Well I got to thinking where I was going to mount it so it would be visible for running saved tracks in the dark and I think I have decided the grab bar. I have a buddy welding me a bracket that I can put on and take off if I don't like it there. It seems like the best place for keeping your eyes on it and where you are going. I just hope it does not get in the way. Any one have experience with one mounted there?


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## MudDucker (Apr 7, 2015)

I do now and have had one there for the last 4 big mud boats I've owned.  You better not have to look too far to find it and you will find something to hit.


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## ghadarits (Apr 7, 2015)

Do whatever you have to do to have it where you can see it while driving.

You can't put a price on the security the pink line gives you when running in the dark, fog or a combo of the two. That is if you pre ran your path to your hole. I zoom way down on it and stay right on it when running blind. 

I'm still puckered up but know I'm not going to hit something that was there the day I put down the line.


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## rnelson5 (Apr 7, 2015)

That was my thinking. Well my buddy is welding me a bracket so it will be right in front of me. The depth finder and all is nice but the GPS is what I really wanted. I have a handheld that i have been using and then got caught out with dead batteries somewhere on the coast of Texas in the dark..... So I wanted something hardwired with a bigger screen and keep the handheld on board for a back up.


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## Gaducker (Apr 7, 2015)

I ran a hummnbird in one form or another on the stand up bar or just under it for alot of years, i got the new garmin mounted today and took it out in the field and let my son drive around in the jeep to see how the radar looked.


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## Hunteradams (Apr 8, 2015)

are you running the radar off a single battery?


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## Gaducker (Apr 8, 2015)

Hunteradams said:


> are you running the radar off a single battery?[/QUOT
> 
> During duck season it will be single, But this thing is only going to be used on foggy mornings for the runs out and in.  The dome will be taken down and stored as soon as we get out off the river and into the marsh.
> 
> I am not a radar expert but I cant imagine it drawing down a fully charged deep cycle that's hooked to a charging system in 40-60 mins.


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## rnelson5 (Apr 8, 2015)

What is that pole attached to? It seems the way you have it strapped in that it wouldn't last 5 minutes in a duck boat full of gear beating around.


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## Gaducker (Apr 8, 2015)

rnelson5 said:


> What is that pole attached to? It seems the way you have it strapped in that it wouldn't last 5 minutes in a duck boat full of gear beating around.




Its in a pipe welded into the floor. but the straps will be replaced with cable and turnbuckles before we really beat on it.   And odds are if fogs not in the forecast the dome and the pole will stay in camp.


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## rnelson5 (Apr 8, 2015)

That is taking it to the next level for sure!


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## Gaducker (Apr 8, 2015)

Hunteradams said:


> are you running the radar off a single battery?



5208 with chartplotter on stdby -2.1+ amps
Garmin 5208 with 18HD radar/stdby (night auto) dim screen -2.35 amps
Chartplotter active with full bright screen -3.8 amps
Radar and chartplotter active -4.1 amps
Radar and chartplotter full bright screen -5.3 amps

I have only a 2 decimal definition on my meter, so the + on the first line is to take up the slack in the measurement. I suspect the standby radar draw is closer to 100 milliamps


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## dfhooked (Apr 10, 2015)

Gaducker- curious as you hunt LA as to why you went with garmin over lowrance or simrad since both will take the standard map chips essentially making your gps identical to google earth. I love the simplicity of a Garmin but the maps don't work accurately at all in Louisiana marsh. Sweet set up with radar tho for the river.


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## Gaducker (Apr 10, 2015)

dfhooked said:


> Gaducker- curious as you hunt LA as to why you went with garmin over lowrance or simrad since both will take the standard map chips essentially making your gps identical to google earth. I love the simplicity of a Garmin but the maps don't work accurately at all in Louisiana marsh. Sweet set up with radar tho for the river.



Cause I didn't win enough at the casino to by a new set up.......    It was cheap compared to new is the main reason.  As long as I can lay a track with the gps that's all I need.  My 300 dollar hummingbird looks better as far a graphics go compared to this one.  Another thing the two other cats I hunt with swear garmins the best and they run them so I guess I got suckered in.

  But its mainly because of cost.  Even had I won 10k I still couldn't see spending 3 or 4 k for a new radar set up when the only time I would use it was for foggy conditions.

   On a funny note you should see folks gauking at this thing, I have been trailering it back and forth from the shop and people have asked if I worked for google earth, a few have asked where Im mapping at??  Cops are very curious but none of them have asked yet.


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## rnelson5 (Apr 11, 2015)

Which hummingbird do you have? I just got the 398 ci si Because it was on sale. It has great reviews with the only negative being the smaller screen size...... It is still bigger than my handheld and has much better graphics.


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## Gaducker (Apr 11, 2015)

rnelson5 said:


> Which hummingbird do you have? I just got the 398 ci si Because it was on sale. It has great reviews with the only negative being the smaller screen size...... It is still bigger than my handheld and has much better graphics.



587 ci hd.

I took this thing to the lake today and all you need to do is fire it up and it draws you a pic of whats out there.  Wont be much of a learning curve with this one.


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