Wayne P.

The Helix 7 DI GPS has Down Imaging, 2D Sonar, and GPS/Mapping. The Helix 7 DI model without GPS has 2D sonar also. Every Humminbird Side Imaging unit has GPS/Mapping, Down Imaging, and 2D Sonar.

All three Helix versions will support 360 and can use the 360 for Side Imaging and Down Imaging also. In my case I have the 360 at the bow where I fish from. If you have the transom 360 and view it at the bow, that would be the same position difference as a SI transducer on the transom shared to a bow unit. Still a boat length away from the sonar source. The 360 is certainly a great fishing tool. Not so much a search tool like Side Imaging.

"needed" would be if you want the same sonar data at the bow and console with the data coming from your location instead of a boat length away. The Helix 9, 10, and 12 models will cross-share sonar technologies so you can have a SI unit and a 2D unit and still have SI/DI/2D on both. You can so the same with a DI and SI model. Cross-sharing is done via Ethernet. My personal choice is to have sonar data, no matter what technology, generated and displayed at the same location. That is why all my units are Side Imaging models. Will have another Side Imaging unit delivered today. I use Side Imaging at the bow a lot more than at the console since I fish from the bow.

Navionics Nautical Charts is Navionics data. Navionics Sonar Charts is user generated data from uploaded sonar logs by unit owners. It is not Navionics data and is not for sale. It is FREE to download to some map cards. Navionics Hotmaps Premium regional cards have been discontinued. If you can find any, they would only have Nautical Charts. Navionics Hotmaps Platinum regional cards have Nautical Charts, 3D, Satellite Overlay, and photos. PLUS can have Sonar Charts downloaded when updated. Navionics+ Preloaded has all the Nautical Charts for the US and Canada. PLUS can have Sonar Charts download when updated. If you can find older stock of Navionics+ which is a 2GB card, it has no maps. You choose what locations to download to the card from anywhere in the US and Canada up to the 2GB capacity. PLUS can have Sonar Charts added too. A regional card for Tenn would be the East Region. I have all the versions and I don't use what I call the gimmick stuff on the Platinum card--3D, Satellite Overlay, Photos. IMHO satellite overlay is useless unless you fish from a float plane or have a really tall tuna tower on your boat. Yes, Insight Genesis and Navionics Sonar Charts are good for creating contour mapping where there is none or is inaccurate.

You mentioned the Helix 10 SI GPS five times. What other model is involved with "two fishfinders" ?

Pretty much bottom of the barrel for electronics and trolling motor for a standard package. Of the sonar options, I would choose the Lowrance HDS 7 Gen3 at the console and bow then add the LSS transducer later if you want Side Scan and Down Scan. Other than that, I would just take what comes with it and get my own choice of sonar GPS units with SideVu or Side Scan, or Side Imaging someplace else. You would be better off with a 24V trolling motor of your choice, for efficiency and power.

It's all about the coverage. Some products have better features/details for a specific location than others. Lakemaster is really good where they have done their own surveys, the other maps they have are not so good. It's really handy to be able to view the actual maps before purchasing.

The maps shown on the Navionics website are current as of Friday at least, maybe today--don't know if they work on weekends in that dept. All purchases of a new Navionics map card includes a year of Freshest Data Updates. If you bought a card today and updated it today, your map card would match the Web App. The whole purpose of the Freshest Data updates is for you to have current maps. There are about 2000 updates per day "somewhere". You can keep up with any changes if you want. I don't use Insight and don't have Lowrance units, but I know Navionics.

Good job--you are close. ALL of the bottom of the transducer should be below the bottom of the hull that is forward of it. Lower it about another 1/8"-1/4" and check for performance. If any of the transducer is above the hull that is forward of it, you get cavitation and sonar does not work through air.

Lots of choices, just do not get one with "X" in the model name.

You don't have side scan. At the most you may have 2D sonar and Down Scan. No Elite models are Side Scan capable. Until this year you could not get Side Scan unless you had a HDS unit with the Structure Scan transducer. If you want side scan in that price range, then the new models for this year featuring the Total Scan transducer would be your only choice with a Lowrance product. The Elite 5 Ti would be as close to that price range and I think there are new product rebates going on this month. Do a web search for that model to see its capabilities, very good for the price. There should be a flat spot on the right side of the console to put it.

Rebates going on too for the new models.

What is the Tracker model and what is the Lowrance model?

This is another ditch using 200 kHz:

The 83 or 83/200 khz setting will give you more coverage, but to get the most detail use 200 kHz since it covers less area. This is another ditch with a few fish around and using 83/200 kHz.

You can find somewhat locations that may have a ditch with any contour mapping. You have to check potential areas with your sonar. As you move along you will see the depth change -shallower to deeper and then shallower again. A ditch would have a fast changing depth in a short amount of travel. On a topo map an area that looks like this would have the ditch potential: This is a small creek channel that was crossed diagonal to its flow and basically close to what a ditch would look like recorded:

OHHH I thought you were replacing another Garmin. I know there is an adapter to use a Lowrance shoot-thru with a Humminbird unit and Humminbird has a splitter cables that do what I mentioned. Typical setup for those changing from Lowrance to Humminbird Side Imaging. There is probably a Motor Guide built-in transducer Garmin adapter, then you would have a conversion from Lowrance to Garmin. Don't know if Garmin is up to date enough with their technology to have a splitter cable for the type of installation you need. The splitter cable would disconnect the 2D crystal in the SV transducer and connect the added 2D transducer in its place. That is the way Humminbird does it. Contact a Garmin dealer and ask. Your next best choice is use the Lowrance for on plane use and then the Garmin at idle speed. That way you can have the SV transducer where you are holding it and it would be protected from possible impact damage.

If you want a transducer to give you depth at speed, it has to be where the hull bottom is when the hull is on plane (surface). That is down there below the hull drain. The black part of the hull. Where you are holding it will be out of the water when on plane and no way could it work at speed. Where you are holding it will work at idle speed or sitting still. Is there not a splitter cable to use the shoot-thru you have and the sv transducer where you are holding it? A proper installation for your hull type is a shoot-thru for depth/2D sonar.

Good point, plus there are nine Helix 5 models.

Not a deck for you, a small deck as a mount surface for the trolling motor and sonar unit if you get one. 12' jon boat I used to have. Had a 10' done the same way:

You can put a deck on the bow to mount a foot control trolling motor. I have used plywood or sheet aluminum for that purpose covered with I/O carpet.

The unit records what the bottom shape is and stuff suspended. "Batman" looks like a bridge. The stuff in the second picture is schools of fish.

Do you have a Garmin with SideVu? If so, post some screen shots with at least 100' of bottom coverage in less than 2' depths. While you are producing those screen shots, include some in water over 20' deep with no water column displayed on SideVu that would make it a good SAR tool. You may convince me to try one.