Hey guys, due to this crazy weather i was not able to take it out yet to make a proper review, but i have played around a lot with it and decided to take some pictures in case you guys are thinking of getting one...
the helix 5 SI version, costs $499, it has 2d sonar, chart plotter, Down Imaging and Side Imaging. i really like the wide screen, IMO it is a lot better. the resolution is very clear. as you adjust the SI range the resolution also changes. the least amount of distance, the clearer it gets. in the pictures the range is set on 70'. Oh, and it does not come with a fuse, it requires a 3amp fuse. the KVD version (same price) comes with 3 lures. i got a brown 1/2oz jig, 1/2 spinnerbait and a DD crank
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the helix 5 SI version, costs $499, it has 2d sonar, chart plotter, Down Imaging and Side Imaging. i really like the wide screen, IMO it is a lot better. the resolution is very clear. as you adjust the SI range the resolution also changes. the least amount of distance, the clearer it gets. in the pictures the range is set on 70'. Oh, and it does not come with a fuse, it requires a 3amp fuse. the KVD version (same price) comes with 3 lures. i got a brown 1/2oz jig, 1/2 spinnerbait and a DD crank
Mine arrived yesterday, I played with it in the demo mode for awhile. If it can do all the stuff they say it can on the DVD that came with it, I'll be happy as a pig in slop. I didn't get the KVD model, but it has chart plotting, side imaging, sonar and down imaging. Did yours come with the upgraded Navionics chip?? I am thinking about upgrading to that next year.....can't wait to go play with all the "winter toys" I have accumulated during this way to damn long winter.....
Once you get it up and running on your rig, on some open water, post about how you like it, and what it's really capable of, I've been looking at this, as well as the Lowrance Elite 5 series, it's a toss up right now, heard good reviews about both. So maybe you can help me tip the scales either way haha.
Once you get it up and running on your rig, on some open water, post about how you like it, and what it's really capable of, I've been looking at this, as well as the Lowrance Elite 5 series, it's a toss up right now, heard good reviews about both. So maybe you can help me tip the scales either way haha.
will do bud, it might take a few weeks lol. but being unbiased, id go with the Helix. whether you get the SI or DI or just the sonar version. the wide screen is just awesome. i had the elite 4HDI so i know what you can expect from the 5. i would also go with the SI version (if you have the money) having SI i think is a really great feature.
I'm getting a new kayak April 4th, hoping to have it all rigged and ready to go as soon as possible - hoping ice will be gone the weekend after I get it. I had the Lowrance X4 on my last kayak. The future of electronics is really getting crazy - probably going to be like the evolution of computers, flat screen TVs and cell phones through the next few years. Whatever you buy now will be outdated next year. I really don't care about all the bells and whistles, but I wanted chart plotting to save waypoints, I wanted down imaging because the basic sonar reflection just doesn't tell you the whole story. So if you are going to go with those, you might as well pay the difference and get the side imaging in the package too. To be able to "see" out to 240 ft on each side of your boat just seems too good to be true. We'll see as soon as the ice goes away.
Ascend FS10 - I like the sit ins..... I like the way they upgraded the seating system with metal tracks. I like the open stern compartment for storage. Room for a milk crate and a bucket in the back now. I like 10 footers for the light weight and they fit in the bed of my pickup truck. Price ain't bad either. I know you love the sit-ons, I see many advantages to them too. To each his own.
Nothing better than being out there. Spent most of the winter gathering information on bodies of water I haven't been to yet, plan on checking quite a few out this season. I feel like the kid that prepared his best and is now sitting around waiting for the big day..... then it's game on!!
Looks pretty sweet would love to get something with side imaging. What do they offer for mapping options on the Helix? I m guessing just a regional chip? All my maps are on insight genesis so I'm kind of stuck being a Lowrance users until the technology like autochart live becomes available across all platforms.
Includes Humminbird UniMap base maps but can be upgraded with Navionics maps and Lakemaster Charts. I'll probably see what the UniMaps will do for awhile and if need be upgrade to the Navionics chip. If it can stow a waypoint on UniMaps, that all I really want for now. I use the Navionics web app now to look at different bodies of water and Google Earth gives me a pretty good mental image before I head out to new water. I've even used Google Maps on my phone while I was on the water to see where I was.....we'll see how this thing works when I get out there.
Been out with my Helix 5SI GPS a few times and have to say I really like the unit. The menu options allow you to tailor the thing to your liking. There are multiple screen views and combo views to choose from and it's nice that you can hide the ones you really don't care for. I purposely went to a body of water that was "charted" in the unit and one that wasn't. The one that was "charted showed the outline of the reservoir, but didn't show depth contours. The one that wasn't charted didn't show anything. One good thing about it though, you could store "waypoints" whether the lake was charted or not. I saved a waypoint or the chartplotter screen and then took off paddling away from it. I then hit the "GoTo" button, picked the waypoint and it showed me the path to return, heading, distance and led me right back to the waypoint. That was about all I really needed it to do for me in a kayak. Down imaging is awesome, side imaging is amazing, once you know how to interpret the picture. Side imaging actually shows the paddle "swirls" as you are paddling. Down imaging shows the same thing as long stripes from the surface toward the bottom. You can take the memory chip out of it and save all your routes and waypoints on your PC. You can edit their names and all that on the PC and save the changes on the chip. Otherwise, waypoints are just stored as a screenshot of what's on the unit when you press the "Mark" button and a number. I think this will be very useful when you find underwater structure that you want to return to at a later date. Different color palettes are available so you can customize your view to your liking. All in all, I am very happy with the unit at this time, and probably will like it more as I use it more.