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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | I'm looking at getting the SI G2. I really want the nicer side imaging and figure the bigger screen on the 9 will be great for that, but it almost seems too big. That giant screen in your face at night seems like a little much. Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I thinking to hard? |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | It's definitely bright at night if you don't turn the brightness setting down a bit. |
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Posts: 77
| I just started a similar thread.
I was/am leaning towards a Helix 10 GEN1 SI for the higher resolution screen. I have a 5" DI now, so anything will be an upgrade.
I think the biggest screen you can afford is the way to go. Much easier to just glance at it, rather than slamming your face into it. JMO |
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Posts: 446
Location: Waconia, MN | I went with the 9's, as I was dealing with the same issue, but with the 9's & 10's and I went with what I could afford and I believe the 9's are perfect and like mentioned above, you can dim the back lighting down at dusk/night. |
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| Thanks for this thread. I am looking upgrade from older 7" Lowrance to the 9" Helix but when I looked at the unit while shopping at a Fleet Farm, my reaction was that it did seem big. But, I took a tape and it will fit in the compartment of my older Pro V tiller where the current unit is, and that was my concern. But it is a lot bigger than the 2" diagonal screen difference would lead you to think. I'm old and easier to see is good. |
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Posts: 1087
Location: Hayward, WI | Downfalls of the Helix 7 - only 1 card slot and key pad isn't back lit. |
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Posts: 410
Location: Wakefield, MI | Go as big as you can! I have a 9" at the front of my boat and a 7" at the council. This winter I will be upgrading the 7" to either a 9" or 10" and swapping the 7" over to my kayak. You can always turn down the brightness at night. |
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| milje - 10/4/2017 12:20 PM
Go as big as you can! I have a 9" at the front of my boat and a 7" at the council. This winter I will be upgrading the 7" to either a 9" or 10" and swapping the 7" over to my kayak. You can always turn down the brightness at night.
How is the screen in bright sun light? My older Lowrance is hard to see in direct sun. |
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Location: Northern Illinois | They work great have Helix 7 on bow and Helix 10 Mega Chirp SI on helm day or night outperform the Lowrance. I had Lowrance HDS7's removed and will never go back. |
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Posts: 546
Location: MN | North of 8 - 10/4/2017 12:45 PM
milje - 10/4/2017 12:20 PM
Go as big as you can! I have a 9" at the front of my boat and a 7" at the council. This winter I will be upgrading the 7" to either a 9" or 10" and swapping the 7" over to my kayak. You can always turn down the brightness at night.
How is the screen in bright sun light? My older Lowrance is hard to see in direct sun.
You can read the screens in full sunlight with your sunglasses on. No more tipping your glasses down to read the screen during the day. |
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Posts: 790
Location: North Central IL USA | Size matters! I got a 10 and 12 at the console and a 10 @ the bow. |
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Posts: 349
| A small detail, but something I use all the time is the shortcut buttons on the 9... the 7 doesn't have them. |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | Sounds like the 9 is the way to go! |
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| mtcook16 - 10/4/2017 2:12 PM
North of 8 - 10/4/2017 12:45 PM
milje - 10/4/2017 12:20 PM
Go as big as you can! I have a 9" at the front of my boat and a 7" at the council. This winter I will be upgrading the 7" to either a 9" or 10" and swapping the 7" over to my kayak. You can always turn down the brightness at night.
How is the screen in bright sun light? My older Lowrance is hard to see in direct sun.
You can read the screens in full sunlight with your sunglasses on. No more tipping your glasses down to read the screen during the day.
Thanks! That is what I have to do now, awkward when you are looking for a piece of structure. |
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Posts: 133
| I have a solix 15....thought it was to big at first.... Now I would never want any smaller |
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Posts: 410
Location: Wakefield, MI | tswoboda - 10/4/2017 2:28 PM
A small detail, but something I use all the time is the shortcut buttons on the 9... the 7 doesn't have them.
For sure a big plus. There are so many views on these new sonars, having the dedicated buttons is nice. When I put a bigger unit on the console next year I will be using it mostly for sonar/DI and using my 7" for mapping and alternate views as needed.
No problems seeing these new screens in the sun. |
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Posts: 860
Location: NE Ohio | get the biggest one that will fit where you want to put it. beg, borrow, or steal from your own stuff to get it....and don't look back! i've never heard anyone say "i should have went smaller"! |
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Posts: 860
Location: NE Ohio | Kirby Budrow - 10/4/2017 4:12 PM
Sounds like the 9 is the way to go!
you might as well go with the 10. the 9 is built in the same case only with a smaller screen! |
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Posts: 153
Location: Antigo Wi. | I put 9's on my ranger this spring and I would not have gone any smaller,if you can afford 10's go with them otherwise the 9's are awesome |
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Posts: 251
| If you get a 9 upgrade the ducer |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | Does the 10 come with the better transducer? Or would I need to upgrade that as well? Sorry for all the dumb questions but they make too many options! Just make them all good! |
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| yes the 10 does come with the better xducer. Another thing to consider is that the unit size of the 9 and 10 is the same, only the display sizes are different. This means that there is about an inch of blank screen surrounding the display on the 9. I bought a 9 because I saved a couple hundred $$, but in hind sight I would have bought the 10. |
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| Never having installed one, how difficult is it to put on your boat? Could I just mount the transducer where my current one is and fish the wire using the old wire? |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | North of 8 - 10/5/2017 10:17 AM
Never having installed one, how difficult is it to put on your boat? Could I just mount the transducer where my current one is and fish the wire using the old wire?
Depends on your boat. That's what I'll be doing on mine. Sometimes you have to take some wall panels off to get in there. Overall not that hard, but dedicate some time to it. I've installed a few of them. It gets easier each time. |
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Posts: 2275
Location: Chisholm, MN | bllhogg - 10/5/2017 9:04 AM
yes the 10 does come with the better xducer. Another thing to consider is that the unit size of the 9 and 10 is the same, only the display sizes are different. This means that there is about an inch of blank screen surrounding the display on the 9. I bought a 9 because I saved a couple hundred $$, but in hind sight I would have bought the 10.
I just spoke to a retailer and they say the 9 MEGA comes with the best transducer already. In my mind the 9 is a hair too big. Can't rely too much on a graph anyway. Gotta use some instinct as well  |
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| Kirby Budrow - 10/5/2017 11:30 AM
bllhogg - 10/5/2017 9:04 AM
yes the 10 does come with the better xducer. Another thing to consider is that the unit size of the 9 and 10 is the same, only the display sizes are different. This means that there is about an inch of blank screen surrounding the display on the 9. I bought a 9 because I saved a couple hundred $$, but in hind sight I would have bought the 10.
I just spoke to a retailer and they say the 9 MEGA comes with the best transducer already. In my mind the 9 is a hair too big. Can't rely too much on a graph anyway. Gotta use some instinct as well : )
Ahhh yeah that makes sense on the MEGA. I know the Gen1 helix 10's had the upgraded transducer from the 9 |
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Posts: 546
Location: MN | bllhogg - 10/5/2017 2:35 PM
Kirby Budrow - 10/5/2017 11:30 AM
bllhogg - 10/5/2017 9:04 AM
yes the 10 does come with the better xducer. Another thing to consider is that the unit size of the 9 and 10 is the same, only the display sizes are different. This means that there is about an inch of blank screen surrounding the display on the 9. I bought a 9 because I saved a couple hundred $$, but in hind sight I would have bought the 10.
I just spoke to a retailer and they say the 9 MEGA comes with the best transducer already. In my mind the 9 is a hair too big. Can't rely too much on a graph anyway. Gotta use some instinct as well : )
Ahhh yeah that makes sense on the MEGA. I know the Gen1 helix 10's had the upgraded transducer from the 9
HELIX 9 SI Gen 1: Compact Side Imaging transducer
HELIX 10 SI Gen 1: HD Side Imaging transducer
Helix 9 SI G2N and Helix 10 SI G2N: MEGA SI transducer |
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Posts: 410
Location: Wakefield, MI | On my boat I wrapped a thin piece of wire on the end of the old transducer cable, wrapped it with electrical tape so it couldn't come off, and pulled it through to the back of the boat. Then I wrapped it around the end of my new transducer cable and pulled it through to the front of the boat. I also pulled a string though at the same time and tied it off on both ends so I have something to use for running wires in the future. |
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Posts: 32786
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | OFM has a new Helix 7 GPS purchased from Sportsman's Guide on the nose of our Lund, and really like it. |
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Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | I used a 10 lowrance on my boat recently for the map. I found it to be valuable on lotw. You can zoom in, still see where you need to go which isn't a direct route and see the reef top depths. If you fish places like that, just having a big map is a huge plus. Consider the map size to vs where you may be fishing.
Edited by ToddM 10/7/2017 9:00 PM
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