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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | While I don't post often anymore, I do appreciate the insight on the boats/motors threads. I have been on the fence for some time for new electronics. My HDS units are finally giving me enough grief that I'm ready to take the plunge into 'bird-land. I see there is a Solix 10 and Helix 10 available online. I see that Solix has higher screen resolution and has the ability to share maps between other Solix units. Are there other advantages of going Solix over Helix? I'm thinking 10" in back, 8 up front which is what I'm running now with my Lowrance though I'm not finding an 8 or 9" for up front readily available. While I don't presently have the mega down/si(?) transducer on my trolling motor, which unit should I be looking at for up front?
Lastly, I run a tiller with no more battery space. Can I safely run a 10" and 9" off my starting battery(yamaha 90), Duration 24 series AGM, presently running both 10" and 8" lowrance plus radio.
Any other thoughts/insight appreciated. |
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I run a Helix Mega 10 on the nose and an 8 Mega n the console matched with Mega 7s both locations, networked. I am really happy with my setup, the resolution is really good even with long reach looks on the Mega 360. For me, I don't think the difference in price would sway me to Solix. I run two start batteries as a result of 4 running sonars, so can't answer that q. |
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| Is the Solix touch screen? I have a Gen 4 Helix Mega on the bow but have a Lowrance HDS unit by my tiller and it is touch screen. Very nice if trolling and want to add a waypoint. |
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Posts: 2280
Location: Chisholm, MN | Solix is touch screen. I've never used one so I can't say if it's worth it to get a solix over the helix. What I do know is that Helix is awesome and Kevin Van Dam uses them over the solix and he can have whatever he wants. Side note, I have a garmin as well and I would recommend them highly after using it so far this season. Just make sure you get the GT56 transducer if you are using it for side imaging. Not quite as good as the mega but it's very close. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thank you guys. Just spoke with Kevin at Thornes also, and he stated that in addition to sharing map info, Solix can house 10,000 waypoints vs the 2500 in the Helix. I do find it odd to come from a 13 year old lowrance unit that holds 5,000 waypoints, to one that doesn't provide that. I'm not quite to 5,000 waypoints, so I'm not in the 'group files' sector, and not sure how I'll separate them out when converting to GPX files, though I'm sure it can't be too difficult. The one other thing he mentioned about Solix, is the ease of changing waypoint icon on the touch screen vs backing out and navigating back in through menus, not that it is an end all selling point. I still lean somewhat helix at price point, and I appreciate all the comments here, thusly.
Jason Schillinger
Edited by Reef Hawg 5/20/2022 2:25 PM
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | One question I also have for folks is what is the minimum capabilities you'd want in your up front unit. I do alot of fishing from the back so it isn't that I need all of the capabilities up there. Can I share the side imaging from back unit, but see the map and the depth directly beneath from front unit? Apologies if these are dumb questions. |
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Posts: 1189
| With the networking, you can choose which transducer you use for each type of view. I also fish from the back of my tiller boat, and have my bigger Helix back there, and my smaller Helix up front. I have the front unit use the rear transducer for side imaging (don't have the side imaging transducer on my Ultera, just the 2D/down imaging). I have that unit use the trolling motor transducer for the 2D/down imaging. In the rear, I use the rear transducer for side imaging and 2D, and use the trolling motor transducer for down imaging. With Helix units, you have to have a separate chip for mapping, so I don't use the mapping in the bow. I think you can share way points, but not mapping. Only the Solix will share mapping. |
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Posts: 536
Location: deephaven mn | Solix has a noticeable difference in clearity in do to higher pixel count better processer and higher quality glass is much better for viewing. Better side imaging views and in down and 2d also. touch screen is nice when wanting to mark exact waypoint when you see where rocks start on side imaging and for marking fish also. Its a step up from helix. One of each is what i recommend as you don't need higher resolution for your mapping page
Edited by kap 5/22/2022 7:29 AM
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Posts: 120
Location: Twin Cities Metro | Just want to echo Kirby’s suggestion to have a look at Garmin. The Garmin Echomap Ultra 106sv with the GT-56 transducer is very close to Humminbird’s Mega SI+ in quality. It has full networking capability with other Echomap units, 5000 waypoint storage, touch screen, integrated maps for all US lakes (no need for a lakemaster chip), 2 micro sd slots if you DO want to upgrade maps, capability to make your own maps (like Humminbird’s autochart live), and pretty easy update capability via a phone-based app that connects to the unit’s dedicated wi-fi. Retail price is $2150.
If you want a 9 inch unit at the bow, it would be the Echomap UHD 93sv (without transducer). Processing power is less than the Ultra you would have up front, but it is still quite good. Price: $1000. Both are also available right now since Garmin seems to be weathering the supply chain difficulties better than many.
If you ever decide to join the Dark Side, there is an extra network port on the 106sv that accepts LiveScopeas well, which can go to any unit on the network.
Hope this gives you some food for thought. Good luck with your choices! |
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Posts: 523
| The Solix also has the capability to back scroll to see a history of what you have seen on your screen, the helix does not have this option. Kind of a bummer in my opinion. Not a huge deal, but would be a nice option on the Helix too. The Mega SI is pretty awesome compared to the old structure scan of the HDS units I used to run. Picking out fish (bass) and casting to them and catching them recently has been pretty awesome. |
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Posts: 1677
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | No way I would consider garmin for SI over Lowrance or bird. The new 3 in 1 is so close to the hb mega that it’s hard to tell the difference. Garmin has live sonar marker cornered, but their SI and DI is not close. Have used all 3 and within the last year. I prefer the touch screen units and wouldn’t buy a helix for that. Map sharing and back scrolling with the helix are another pair against helix units. Scrolling with a helix stops the sonar.
Solix, apex, or hds live IMO if you want the best SI, DI, and sharing capabilities. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thanks all. Based on everything involved, I'm picking up my helix mega si for main unit. Assuming I'll either immediately or eventually acquire a mega down/CHO unit for up front, if I can swing it through management. Now, presently I do not have mega down ducer on my minn kota, but could be an option looking ahead. Would it make more sense to use my regular kota ducer, and then add the mega 360 for when I'm stopped?
Will GPS Visualizer or Easy GPS software make icons conversion easy? I heard my waypoint icons will not transfer from Lowrance. Any tips when converting my waypoints to avoid duplicates, etc(perhaps I should use some Lowrance software to clean up any duplicates first..)?
Edited by Reef Hawg 5/25/2022 5:23 PM
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Not sure you would like the Mega 360 for your main bow display. I ended up putting a Helix 7 on the nose in ice mode for my all-the-time front sonar paired with a Mega 10 for the 360. I spent years staring at a flasher so I really like that option. Now I can see what's 360 degrees around me and what's directly underneath at the same time which really puts things in perspective when fishing structural pieces that are small, like rock piles and cribs. Guide the ride in on the 360 and fish it 2D. You could use a Helix 5 Gen 2 unit for $200 on the bow, not a real hard bullet to bite. I did that for a year. |
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Posts: 1189
| I've got the helix 7 all season G3N, on the bow, and my Mega unit at the tiller. The nice thing about the networkable unit, is that you can include it on the network, and use any transducer on the network for SI, DI, or 2D. Mix and match to your preference. Or, as Steve said, use ice mode to get a flasher look. The bonus is that I don't need a separate unit for ice fishing. Does double duty. |
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I added a 7 at the console too, complementing the Mega 8 I have there. I run the 8 on SI and shared network transducers like the 360, and the 7 is not networked. That's my 2D look. If you need an extra standard transducer, I have 3 sitting around for the Helix models and a couple extra Helix 5 brackets. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thank you guys!! Haven't installed the 12 at the tiller yet. Steve, are those extra transducers the high speed?
Now, excuse my naivity here, but I have been watching some mega 360 vids, and find it quite interesting for as Steve suggests, guiding oneself into the area, perhaps avoiding 'crashing the crib'. In deciding what to purchase for a bow unit, are you guys running the 360 for ice fishing also? As one that still runs a vexilar on the bow for real time/safety reading, I love the prospect of using the flasher setting at times. I do a fair amount of night fishing. Do you know if they've added operating panel/button lighting to the helix 7 on down models? Being able to see the buttons in the dark is a requirement(I've used my friends 7 and it annoys me to feel around for unlit buttons.
Now, going to need to cut some weight to add a standalone battery for electronics. I'll dump the heavy stereo box, but I'm not getting rid of the speakers! So I will be either going with a lithium do all, or a smaller stand-alone for electronics(once I learn all the ins/outs of lithium/BMS/charging etc).
Thanks all for the help thus far.
Edited by Reef Hawg 6/5/2022 10:44 PM
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Posts: 32801
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | 'Steve, are those extra transducers the high speed? '
Yup. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | One last question I'd have for the Ranger guys(particularily Tiller if anyone), is if you wouldn't mind sharing a photo of your side imaging install, I'd appreciate. I was going to mirror my friends(same 690T as I have), where he installed a 3x3 angle on bottom of step. Gives great reading and protects, though loses at higher speeds like many. I realized my ducer is 3" longer so would be in the way of my drain plugs if I mounted same, and kept 2" in front of outboard. Wondering if flush mount under there would be ok. Thank you and sorry for the bother. |
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