I have the Helix 5 Di GPS unit
If the depth is erratic, make sure you have the unit set to read depth using the 200khz and not the 455khz. You’ll want the unit in Advanced user mode.
If you have a display lag, set the chart speed to ultra.
If you have noise, bump up the noise filter to High 3 and also lower the surface clutter.
with user mode set to adavanced, set the max depth to a couple feet deeper than the actual depth. Max depth is under the sonar tab in the menu. on 200 kHz you should notice it speed up when you set the max. mess with the surface clutter and noise filter to clean it up.
I’ve found on a rare instance where i needed to run the sonar on 83/200. usually hard to read, but sometimes it helps.
Hey guys thanks for your help I’ve added some settings pics to see if you all can see if I need to change anything……..problem being is you can’t test em at home in the living room lol
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that looks right compared to the settings that I have used.
Also i had 3 holes drilled next to each other transducer in the middle and jigged from the 2 outside and it wouldn’t pick up either of them, it should see them both correct?
Yes, it should pick them both up. You’re not running the 2nd support cord on the ducer are you? That’s supposed to be in the garbage can. If you use just the cable, the ducer will hang better.
No im not using it it just got in the way
I have 2 ICE 55’s and they are great units, (one for me and one for the ol’lady), I am considering selling one of the 55’s for a Helix. So, in anyone’s opinion will HB come up with a Helix with more power in the near future or should I just pull the trigger on it? Also, is there any reason why the HB could use more power if needed or am I just to anal about getting increased power? Thanks.
I ended up with a Helix 5 on a used boat this fall, so I picked up an iceducer and an ice case (beware on the ice case…it’s just a fabric case with no structure inside so I used a piece of wood to put the gimbal mount and battery on and a steel strap for a handle and put that all inside the case). I have been fishing right next to a Vex FL-8 and no interference. I like using the Vex better — even with the sensitivity really low, a little ice jig makes a pretty big mark. It’s hard to decipher fish from jig sometimes. It works OK, but if I really wanted a second ice unit, I’d probably get another Vex or try a Marcum. I’ve only used it in 7 feet of water and less (river backwaters) so far. And I’ve only used it in ice mode with the flasher-style screen.
So I have a Helix 5 SI GPS combo and have not gotten the ice ducer for it yet although I think next year I will have it if nothing else for a back up unit but this year I am trying to use it to see contour maps as I fish. I have a lake master chip in the unit. The lake I fish is Lake Arbutus in Clark county WI and according to the Wisconsin lake master chip this lake is supposed to be on it but I can not get the contour map to work.
When I power up the unit I am trying to get my contour lines visible? When I go to menu and go to chart menu the options I get are in the pic. Maybe I am just really dumb or something but I can get this to work and I have called Hummingbird. Any help I would appreciate very frustrating.
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Do other lakes show contours?
If not, maybe re-seat the micro SD card in the slot? As your menu shows, it should be automatic. My helix7 can require a bit of futzing when swapping cards to get it to read.
Can you go to the chart select and manually choose the SD card?
I’ve only used it in ice mode with the flasher-style screen.
I had that same problem, jigs showed up too big on the ice screen. If you put it on the regular sonar screen, it is a night and day difference. Only downside to that is that the RTS window is TINY on the sonar screen.
Approximately how far are you guys letting your SI or DI transducers hang in the water while ice fishing? Do they need to hang below the ice for better viewing?
Most are only using the 200khz 2d sonar element, so transom style transducer placement is much the same as setting up a Marcum or vex. Typically below the ice, but centered in the hole will also work.
The DI ducer has a narrower 2d Beam that can be utilized, it’s a bit finicky to aim. I had best luck running that right below the surface of the ice.
Also i had 3 holes drilled next to each other transducer in the middle and jigged from the 2 outside and it wouldn’t pick up either of them, it should see them both correct?
Also i had 3 holes drilled next to each other transducer in the middle and jigged from the 2 outside and it wouldn’t pick up either of them, it should see them both correct?
Theoretically, if they are close enough, yes. I have a HB Ice 55 as a backup and noticed the 19 degree on that one seems to pick up better than the 20 on the Helix…So I don’t know what the deal is, but I hear ya.
If you guys want to have the jig show up thinner and more consistently turn the ice mode off….it automatically adjust the sensitivity for you and in most instances manually controlling your sensitivity will work better.
It will make a thinner line for your jig. If you are running a HELIX5 with SI you would want to keep it on. It turns off priority to SI pings. rather than 4 SI pings in the sequence it will only be 2. Humminbird explains the sequence here: http://www.humminbird.com/Category/Support/FAQ/7-520/
I used my Helix 7 today with some of the changes that have been suggested. It was a dream to use. Very crisp returns.
Jigging mode is not ice mode
sorry. my bad. By turning Jigging mode off you will also get a thinner line for your jig.
Sounds like you almost need a computer engineering degree to operate the thing.
I see no setting for jigging. Are we talking about the helix 5 still
I see no setting for jigging. Are we talking about the helix 5 still
If you hit menu 1X it should be on that menu screen. I believe you can find it under the sonar tab in the menu system as well. You need to hit menu 2X to get to that menu.
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What transducer are you guys using when referring to the jigging mode?
XI9 20 or the XNT9 DI T?
Lets bump this post up again as I would love to pick everyone’s brain. I am reluctantly going to try my Helix 7 DI/gps this winter and want to give it the fairest chance. This post has been very informative on the settings to get the best performance out of the unit. THANKS ALL.
I love my vex but having my navionics GPS map just one button press away is leaning me heavily towards using my Helix 7 this winter season.
I have rigged my helix onto a vex Genz box with a johnny ray mount and a 9 amp hr battery. The Johnny Ray mount allows me to rotate and move the head unit around and also switch it quickly between boat and ice unit.
A few q’s
1) Should I buy the Ice Ducer 9/20 or buy another DI transducer to use for the unit?
2) If you disconnect the unit from power do you lose all your menu presets?
3) Is there a way to save the menu presets so I can quickly choose the best presets for ice mode and best for open water without togging through the menu 15 times?
Here is a pic of how I have it set up for now.
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1) tough question. I’ve used both a bit, but ultimately found using the open water ducer to be a PITA. Early ice it is fairly easy to setup, certainly more problematic as the ice thickens. The $.10 question with the ice ducer, at 200khz, is it reading 20 degrees, or the wider 28 degrees specified for the DI?
2) you should keep your last setup and configuration if powered down properly before unplugging.
3) not sure, but I don’t believe you can save presets for 2 different modes.
Thanks @fishwater, a few more q’s.
1) With the iceducer I assume you can adjust between 9deg and 20deg cone angles?
2) Also can you toggle the two frequencies on the ice ducer or is it only 200khz for that?
3) Is the advantage of the DI ducer that you can toggle frequencies?
4) Though it doesn’t matter to me so much for ice fishing, does the ice ducer have an internal temperature reader. This would be good if I want to use my ice pack in my little pond skipping boat instead.
Not to budge in on a conversation, but I would give a few words of advice since I use mine in my duck boat for small lakes and also for ice.
1) Unfortunately you only get 20 and 60 degree with the helix unit, even with the ice ducer.
2) you can toggle both frequencies just fine and also show both on a split screen.
3) the DI ducer is a PITA once the ice thickens, like fishwater says.
4) yes, the ice ducer has a temp reader in it.
5) as far as I know, you cannot easily switch between both custom modes. You can easily switch between their “ice” mode and “open water” mode, however. But I have found that just switching it to Ice isn’t what I like. I end up spending 20 minutes or so switching back ALL my settings each time. If someone knows more than me, please chime in.
6) I unplug mine and switch batteries all the time, it saves settings.
Not to budge in on a conversation,
@mericaneagle, no I appreciate it. On point 1, you don’t mean 60 deg angle do you?
Yes, the Helix Ice series uses a different transducer than the 35,45 and 55 series. They are unfortunately 20deg(200KHZ) and 60deg(83KHZ). Whereas the 35,45 and 55 have a 9deg(455khz) and 19deg(240khz) ducer.
Nevermind, I read the Humminbird info wrong. Oops.
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