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Posts: 103
| I am thinking about buying the Helix 5 for winter and summer use. Anyone have any
experience with it? How's the gps base map? Does it have 1' contours everywhere ? Like the Canadian side of lotw?
Thx |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I have the ice model I am using now and ran an SI unit on my boat, really nice sonar for the money. Mapping is Lake Master, and is very detailed, but I do not see anything Canada in basemap here:
https://www.humminbird.com/learn/mapping/basemap |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | a good reference for how to convert your Helix 5 or 7 to the ice ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eA3EfIlxko |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | This is cool too:
https://humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com/fish-finders/ice/ice-helix-7-...
Al you need for boat and ice in the biox. keith just got one as he's buying a new Lund this Winter and can use the sonar on the bow for sure. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i pop it off the Sled or ATV (both power wired for it with a ram mount) and then into the holder, so the ram ball mount on the ice base is a pretty slick option. the most expensive component at i think about $70 is the ice transducer, the other components aren't bad making it a $150.00 or so total retrofit from the base unit if you have one already. i've found the 5 to be pretty easy to use on the machines on ice and easy to see ... |
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Posts: 26
Location: Foley, Mn | The base map does not have 1' contours of the Canadian side of LOTW. You will need to buy the lakemaster chip. |
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Posts: 103
| Thanks for the info everyone. Appreciate it |
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| jonnysled - 12/18/2018 12:36 PM
i pop it off the Sled or ATV (both power wired for it with a ram mount) and then into the holder, so the ram ball mount on the ice base is a pretty slick option. the most expensive component at i think about $70 is the ice transducer, the other components aren't bad making it a $150.00 or so total retrofit from the base unit if you have one already. i've found the 5 to be pretty easy to use on the machines on ice and easy to see ...
I converted my Helix 7 SI GPS G2 from summer fishing to ice fishing. It ended up costing me about $150 as well to use as an ice fishing unit. The only thing I am finding out is my battery is only lasting about 7 hours on the ice. Many trips this would be ok but not for those days when I want to fish from sun up to sun down. I made a shuttle out of the Genz box, so it's not real convenient to switch batteries out of the box without unscrewing the case open. Anybody try a Lithium battery all day ice fishing in the Helix? Curious what the run time would be with a Lithium? I was also getting some pretty bad interference fishing by some guys who were using a vexilar and wasn't really able to figure out how to make it go away.
Edited by Baby Mallard 12/21/2018 9:35 AM
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Helix 5 Ice G2 in action:
http://upload.outdoorsfirst.com/watch.asp?id=9946
Baby Mallard, just hit the check mark button on the front of the sonar, 6 steps of CHIRP Interference Rejection.
Lithium in a 10Ah could get you about 1.5 to 2X the time of a standard lead/acid. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | Baby Mallard - 12/21/2018 9:34 AM
jonnysled - 12/18/2018 12:36 PM
i pop it off the Sled or ATV (both power wired for it with a ram mount) and then into the holder, so the ram ball mount on the ice base is a pretty slick option. the most expensive component at i think about $70 is the ice transducer, the other components aren't bad making it a $150.00 or so total retrofit from the base unit if you have one already. i've found the 5 to be pretty easy to use on the machines on ice and easy to see ...
I converted my Helix 7 SI GPS G2 from summer fishing to ice fishing. It ended up costing me about $150 as well to use as an ice fishing unit. The only thing I am finding out is my battery is only lasting about 7 hours on the ice. Many trips this would be ok but not for those days when I want to fish from sun up to sun down. I made a shuttle out of the Genz box, so it's not real convenient to switch batteries out of the box without unscrewing the case open. Anybody try a Lithium battery all day ice fishing in the Helix? Curious what the run time would be with a Lithium? I was also getting some pretty bad interference fishing by some guys who were using a vexilar and wasn't really able to figure out how to make it go away.
Turn down the screen brightness. That should help some. If you are inside a shelter, it doesn't need to be that bright anyway. |
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| Yeah I have been playing around with all the different settings. The first 3 times I used the unit that check mark button worked for any interference issues. The last time I went out, I couldn't get any of the 6 options to correct the interference. Unless it just happened to be the spot I was fishing had bubbles rising from the bottom causing interference. Each time I go out, I seem to learn something new or come up with more questions about the Helix. I used a Vexilar for almost 20 years, so it's hard for me to not want to go back to something real basic.
Turning down the screen brightness should help the battery life last a little longer. I noticed my screen brightness is always automatically set at 10 right when I turn the unit on. So I have to try to remember to lower the brightness each time I go out when I start fishing each day. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Baby Mallard - 12/21/2018 5:19 PM
Yeah I have been playing around with all the different settings. The first 3 times I used the unit that check mark button worked for any interference issues. The last time I went out, I couldn't get any of the 6 options to correct the interference. Unless it just happened to be the spot I was fishing had bubbles rising from the bottom causing interference. Each time I go out, I seem to learn something new or come up with more questions about the Helix. I used a Vexilar for almost 20 years, so it's hard for me to not want to go back to something real basic.
Turning down the screen brightness should help the battery life last a little longer. I noticed my screen brightness is always automatically set at 10 right when I turn the unit on. So I have to try to remember to lower the brightness each time I go out when I start fishing each day.
Set the gain as well, using the + and - arrows in the menu. Your settings will be displayed on the screen. |
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Posts: 546
Location: MN | There is an all-season kit they make, ICE HELIX 7 G2N All-season. It includes all you need for summer use and ice fishing. https://humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com/fish-finders/ice/ice-helix-7-...
Edited by mtcook16 12/28/2018 1:21 PM
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Helix 5 questions