After spending years fishing off of the family deck boat, we're springing for our own bass boat this year. Super excited! We've already got a Helix 9 with Mega Live we've had for ice fishing that we're going to mount on the bow and going get another Helix 9 to mount at the console with SI.

The boat we are getting has a Helix 5 on the console right now. Wondering if there are any suggested uses for the Helix 5 (second graph, stern mount, etc.) or is it not worth it and better to just sell it?

 

The best thing you can do with your Helix 5 is to use it for higher speed bottom reading.  Mate to a high speed small transducer  (mounted on the transom with a metal mount if it's an aluminium boat).

It's difficult ( impossible)  to read at higher speed with a SI transducer.

Depends on the specific models. If they are all networked models and if you have the space for a 5 and 9 on the consol then run mapping on the 5 and side imaging on the 9. Share waypoints with all three. 
 

if the 5 doesn’t network then I’d sell it. It’s not worth the real estate it would take up in that scenario. 

1 minute ago, Reel said:

The best thing you can do with your Helix 5 is to use it for higher speed bottom reading.  Mate to a high speed small transducer  (mounted on the transom with a metal mount if it's an aluminium boat).

It's difficult ( impossible)  to read at higher speed with a SI transducer.

this is a good shout. Still use it for mapping and have speed displayed. 

3 hours ago, Reel said:

The best thing you can do with your Helix 5 is to use it for higher speed bottom reading.  Mate to a high speed small transducer  (mounted on the transom with a metal mount if it's an aluminium boat).

It's difficult ( impossible)  to read at higher speed with a SI transducer.

I like the idea of using the 5 for mapping and high speed bottom reading (if it's networkable). Would you put the SI and the high speed transducers next to each other? The picture shows the transducer mounted on there right now, which is whatever one came with the Helix 5. I'm assuming it's the XNT 9 HW T. Is that adequate for high speed?

I will check the exact specs of the control head and the transducer when I go back to the dealer next week to get them my current electronics for rigging.

Looking at Humminbird's website, it doesn't look like any of the Helix 5's can be networked.

I don't think the Helix 5 can be part of a network.  You can use on it's own for 2 D high speed - The setup here works fine with the SI transducer on the other side. I use a setup that is similar for high speed. 

12 hours ago, Reel said:

I don't think the Helix 5 can be part of a network.  You can use on it's own for 2 D high speed - The setup here works fine with the SI transducer on the other side. I use a setup that is similar for high speed. 

 

Yeah, you're right.  I thought they came out with a G4N version of the 5" when they did the full G4 lineup but they stopped the 5 at a G3, non networking. Good call.