Anyone using the new Helix w/GPS for slow trolling??

[Jethro]

Just wondering how the GPS performance is on the new Humminbird Helix line of sonars? My cheap 581 had horrible performance with speed over ground, accuracy was bad. Sitting in the parking lot it would show 4mph. Even cheap consumer GPS units should be fairly accurate with speed over ground, my Garmin handheld for backpacking is accurate to the 10th of a mph. I troll for salmon and trout and the difference between 1.2mph and 1.8 mph is huge. Hoping the Helix has a better GPS so I don't have to carry my Garmin along.

[steelie1975]

if trolling for salmon and trout you may want to invest in a probe set up, usuall the underwater currents are WAY different than your SOG(speed over ground). here if your sog is say 1.8 my down speed could and usually is  3/4 to 1 mph slower. So 1.8 wwould be .8 on my riggers, wire divers, etc. Just a Suggestion to put more fish in your boat. Fish hawk is best on market but for price point ya cant beat a Depth Raider or a Subtroll

[Jethro]

Hmmm, never considered that but I guess it makes a lot of sense. I will look into them.

[youp50]

I am a Lowrance man because of the issues you had with Hummingbird.

[Mac Attack]

I am a Lowrance man because of the issues you had with Hummingbird.

yup.


been holding off saying the same thing basically.

Look into a 2nd hand HDS5 1st gen.
Should be able to get one for low $
Or spend the extra $ on a new gen2.

Good luck.

[Jethro]

Yeah, I wish I could but I have a Lakemaster chip. Guess I could try and sell the chip like I did the fish finder.

[Jethro]

I'm mistaken, it's a Navionics Gold chip so I can get a Lowrance after all!!

[Mac Attack]

Well...................


 

Get on it!

[Jethro]

Well...................


 

Get on it!

Well, after long deliberation over the Lowrance Elite 5 and the Helix, I went with the Helix 5 DI GPS. I'm sorry! Don't hate me! I really liked the screen on the Humminbird and the menus were second nature to me since this is my 4th Humminbird sonar unit (Pirannha Max 160 portable, 581HD Ci DI, Ice 55 and now Helix 5 DI GPS). The Lowrance HDS 5 was great but a little out of my budget. Feature for feature the Helix is hard to beat for the price. I'm sure the Lowrance is worth the $599 but for the features I wanted and a full 5" screen the Helix was too hard to pass up. I mounted it Wed. and took it out for a test run yesterday. The GPS is greatly improved over my 581 and will definitely be useable for trolling. It never jumped around by more than a few 10ths of a mph and I compared to my Garmin Montana handheld and it was really close. The Elite 4 was in my budget but the screen just doesn't compare to the Helix. So there you have it.

[dab65]

Great to hear Jethro! I have been debating on the same 2 units. Looked at them at the local Gander Mountain the other day. All the employees told me to go with the Helix. I haven't bought one yet but am also leaning towards the Humminbird. Went in thinking I would pick up the Lowrance since they have $100.00 rebate going now.  On line the videos made the Lowrance screen look good. But when I actually compaired them at the store it was no contest.

[Jethro]

Since getting it, I have used it for trolling three times. It's great. The GPS speeds are very accurate and don't hop around like the 581 did. The sonar is great, works really well. I got the model with down imaging and it's very useful. There are only 2 things that I don't like... 1 is easy- it doesn't come with cable clamps to secure the cord to the transom like my other Humminbird did. A small complaint but really, 10 cents of parts that would have made a difference. Instead I had to scrounge the junk drawer for a couple cable clamps. The 2nd complaint is much bigger but can be dealt with... It comes with a gimbal mount that pivots up and down, but not side to side. It's like the big screen high dollar units that have a wide mount that doesn't pivot side to side. I know it's a widescreen format, but come on, it's a unit made for small boats. So I had to buy a $45 RAM mount accessory which in reality is much nicer, but not an expense I expected. Small units for small boats need to pivot in my opinion as my last 581 did.

[dab65]

Jethro. Which ram mount did you buy for the Helix?  I oredered  a Helix today and thinking of putting a ram mount on as well.

[Jethro]

It's made for the Helix 5 specifically, it's a kit. $44.95 at Bass Pro.

http://www.basspro.com/RAM-Mounts-Ball-Mount-with-Round-Base-for-Humminbird-Helix-5-Units/product/1503221033/

[dab65]

Thanks for the info.

[steelie1975]

just remember to budget in another 125 too 200 dollars for a good map chip, as those units do not come with built in contour maps as the Lowrance does