Wayne P.

As close to this Spot color as you can get: In the Tap colors, that would be Tequila Sunrise.

Some have had issues with 5.0 I'll PM you a link about it on another site.

All the 2015 issues of Lakemaster are microSD. They did that because of the Helix 5 and 7 series so they would be interchangeable with any model unit.

You got lost in my last post. Lakemaster had nothing to do with the ContourXD. ContourXD has been a higher end unit chart background several years before Johnson Outdoors bought Lakemaster. Not only that, what ContourXD has is irrelevant with the Helix 7, it doesn't have ContourXD. Yes the Helix 7 Sonar GPS would be OK. Since the Helix 7 is not linkable to share anything and none of the Helix units will share map data, if you want more than a color background with the Uni-map, you will need a map card for both units or move the map card to the unit you will be viewing. Remember the Helix 7 has a microSD card reader, your manual dexterity with handling that size card may or may not be an issue. The unit card door is on the left edge of the unit and that card door has no tether. You can loose that too.

I don't use Garmin stuff, but the map coverage is different. US Lakevu is US inland lakes and blue charts are offshore marine (ocean stuff) with world wide regional coverage. US Lakevu is 149 and US Lakevu Ultra is 199 for the same coverage. Ultra has more features. There are several versions of each. Do a web search for each of the two. Salty stuff cost more than fresh stuff. It is more expensive to collect data for marine charts.

So everyone else knows, your question is about Humminbird units since only Humminbirds are Lakemaster compatible and have ContourXD background mapping. Screen width is the most important factor for a Side Imaging unit since the size of displayed subjects is based on the Range setting you choose. Screen height is the most important for 2D sonar and Down Imaging since the size of displayed stuff is based on the depth. Your concern should be the size of each view in a dual view. That should not be big issue with the 7" 16:9 aspect ratio. ContourXD is 3000 bodies of water with contours nationwide, that is tens of thousands of bodies of water that are not included. It is also 2006 Navionics data and none are HD. It is a little better than the color background that Uni-map has with the Helix 5 and Helix 7. You can download the .pdf lake list for ContourXD from the Humminbird website. Chances are very low XD will have the map data you want. Humminbird units will read Lakemaster and Navionics digital map data. BUT you should check each product's coverage to see if the waters you fish are covered. No mapping is any good to you if it has no maps you want. You can view the actual current maps that Navionics has on their website's Web App. You can download the Lakemaster lake lists in .pdf form on the Humminbird Lakemaster site. Your trolling motor makes no difference which sonar model you get unless you are getting iPilot Link. It would take a Helix 9, 10, or 12 for that feature. iPilot Link is an Ethernet accessory and those models are Ethernet capable. The Helix 7 is not. As far as the Helix 7 capabilities, they are not linkable to share GPS data or accessories. The larger models are.

I do not use DI for fishing at all. Only for instructional screenshots. I use SI for most all sonar functions and use 2D occasionally for FishID to determine fish size. I add mapping when needed. The SI view shows the water column, the bottom, and stuff in the water column, that pretty much covers all the info I need. I use 360 also, but that is just a version of SI.

Along with several other pistol grip rods I have, this one is twice as good. Custom S-Glass cranking rod:

Something to help with toggling between views is choose your three favorite ones for the three favorite buttons. When viewing one of them push the View button to advance to the next one in the rotation or push the Exit button to go back one view in the rotation. Depending on which three favorites you have and what views you have set to Hidden, you can have 9 shortcut views of favorites.

The Hook is just the replacement of the Elite models that replaced the Mark models. Time marches on, you either keep up or fall behind. Marine electronics models go through about two year cycles of production and then are replaced by new stuff. Mfg have to come out with new stuff to create the desire for new stuff so they can sell more new stuff.

6' Medium

There was another rod series made that way too to go along with the Spiderwire reels. Spinning and casting versions--straight handles.

The transducer that comes with a Side Imaging model is a transom Side Imaging transducer. Compact SI ---- XNT 9 SI 180 T. You can get sharper images with the Helix 5, 7, and 9 Side Imaging models. I would suggest you exchange the one that comes with the unit for the XHS 9 HDSI 180 T. That transducer is 2" longer, has longer SI crystals which produce thinner SI pulses and sharper images. It can also be used on a trolling motor since it has extra internal shielding that the Compact SI transom transducer does not have. The exchange price is about $85 which includes shipping. Additionally add the shipping cost of the one being sent back to Humminbird. Humminbird Customer Service handles the transducer exchange program. Do not open the transducer mount package.

Follow-the-contour only works with iPilot Link Lakemaster map software. If the waters you fish are not covered by Lakemaster in HD, it will not work. Additionally where it does work, there is a setting to choose how far from the chosen contour line to position the boat so you can fish that depth from a distance. That gives you the choice to be directly above the contour or offset for trolling or casting. You should check the coverage in your area that Lakemaster has to see if that function will work on your waters. You can download the .pdf list of waters covered for each region on the Humminbird Lakemaster site.

There are six Helix 7 models. The Helix 7 Sonar or Helix 7 Sonar GPS will work with the built-in transducer. Just need the Humminbird 7 pin adapter cable.

Humminbird's FishID is a fishing tool that I use to determine if returns are fish I want to try to catch. I show that with the screenshots I have posted. The software has filters that only assign the symbols if those returns meet the criteria to be assigned the symbols. Other brands will assign a fish symbol for anything and everything.

Contact Humminbird for help with your RFI issue. Your trolling motor is the problem, there are many remedies that may fix it.

ALL Humminbird Side Imaging units except the ONIX/ION have a Down Imaging view that is generated blending the two SI pulses. That Down Imaging is not like the Down Imaging of a Down Imaging unit which uses a dedicated Down Imaging crystal in the transducer.

BTW, there is no such model as the Helix 5 DI SI GPS. The SI version is Helix 5 SI GPS. There are nine models of the Helix 5. To see small stuff like fish, use a shorter SI range and/or choose to view only one side of the SI view. For the most detail use a SI Range setting that is three times the depth. That will give you 1/3 the display as the water column and 2/3 for the display for the bottom. The Helix 5 screens are better than the square screen 5" units for Side Imaging due to the width. I have a 5" square screen SI unit and I can see fish easily with it when properly adjusted.

The Helix 5 series is not being replaced and any price below MSRP has nothing to do with the other models. There are additional Helix series models with larger displays. Helix 7, Helix 9, Helix 10, and Helix 12. That makes 5 levels of the Helix series. Those units replaced all the number series models for the 2016 model year. The Helix 5 series was just the first of that series released. ANY of them probably can be purchased below MSRP by shopping with a marine electronics dealer rather than a big box general sporting goods place like BPS or Cabelas.

Those prices for those units are because they are discontinued models and are on CLOSE-OUT sale. All dealers are doing the same including the big box sporting goods places like Bass Pro and Cabelas. The discontinued 10" Side Imaging units were on sale for about $1000 less than MSRP by several dealers. The Helix series is replacing all the number series models.

Has anyone actually received one or are they on their normal backorder since they have them on the site before they have any units in stock.

Only beta testers have them. Due out sometime in January.

The Helix 10 and 12 SI models have the standard HDSI transducer. That is the one that is upgraded to with the Helix 5, 7, and 9 SI models.

.44 Magnum "Go ahead punk, make my day"