Multiple Depth Sounders on One Boat

[Audball]

Because I'm having problems with my current Eagle 640c fish finder, I'm considering buying another cheapo fish finder and mounting it on my boat with it's own transducer. I assume I can't run both of them at the same time, or can I? What if I have one at 50 Hz and the other at 200 Hz? If it's doable, should I mount the new transducer as far from the old transducer as possible, or does it even matter. Anyone got experience with multiple sonar units on the same boat? I figure if I can run two at the same time it might help me figure out what's wrong with my Eagle unit, and even if I can only run one at a time I think it's good to have a "back-up"... Your thoughts/advice is appreciated....:flowered:

[baitsauce]

Hey Aud. I feel you pain. I've been there too, but you're just gonna buy more trouble if you purchase another el-cheapo. I have two fishfinders on my boat. That *** Eagle is at the helm, and the one I wish I had bought in the first place, a Raymarine 550DX is back by the kicker where I spend most of the day anyway.

To answer your question on running them at the same time, I've never had any problems with the two interfering with each other, even when I'm running the Raymarine on 200 Hz. This is tru even when the planets align and the Eagle can actually see the bottom.

The tranducers for both are transom mount but on either side of the jet pump.

Hope this helps.

//

[Starfish]

In my experience running two finders at the same frequency can cause interference. Running two at different frequencies seems to work great but I've never tried one that is an even multiple of the other like your 200 and 50... I think it would be okay but not as certain as 200 vs. 455.

Even with two different frequencies I like to place the transducers as far apart as possible and route the two transducer cables away from each other if possible.