Let's see your DIY Helix Shuttle!!!

Yea, I noticed that they were going out of stock pretty quick so I odered mine right when they got a fresh stock in. Took about 4 business days on the free shipping.

I just got done cutting the parts out for my shuttle last night. Will be starting assembly soon and I will get some pictures up when I am done.
Arcticm1000 pm sent

luttes wrote:

After seeing Gotalunker’s build, I whipped this up last night in a few hours. It’ll get a strap for the battery, some holes for cables, and a coat of truck bed liner spray paint, and will be all set for ice! Wormdunker, you can find the xi 9 1521 at hodgesmarine dot com for $72 free shipping. Can’t really beat the price. Let me know if you have any questions!

Excellent Luttes! Looks great but will it fit in a bucket?

Tuma wrote:

I just got done cutting the parts out for my shuttle last night. Will be starting assembly soon and I will get some pictures up when I am done.
Arcticm1000 pm sent

Awesome Tuma, can’t wait to see it!

Not really a homemade shuttle but, this combo works for me pretty good.
Combined a Ice 55 and my iPad linked to a Pancam. Used a ram mount for the iPad. Everything goods in a 5 gallon pail.

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It fits perfectly in a 5 gallon bucket! I have a helix 5 so I’m not worried about the unit fitting.

gotalunker wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>BigWerm wrote:</div>
So I’ve been following these Helix threads, and just want to confirm what may be a stupid question. If I have a new Helix 5 G2 and want to use it on ice, I will just need a power cable, battery and shuttle to use the GPS? And if I want to use it as a fish finder also, I will need the XI 9 20 transducer? Is that right, or am I missing something?

Pretty much exactly right. But if you want to use as a fishfinder, you will also need to download and install the latest software version, which i think is 1.540

How do you do that on the Helix’s with the Micro SD? I’m setting up my Dad’s for Xmas and don’t have the manual or much electronics experience.

BigWerm wrote:

How do you do that on the Helix’s with the Micro SD? I’m setting up my Dad’s for Xmas and don’t have the manual or much electronics experience.

You simply use a SD to Micro SD card adapter. The Micro card slides right into the adapter and you can then upload the update to it from the Humminbird website. when you’re done, slip it out of the adapter and pop it into the helix after the unit is turned on. Hope that answers your question.

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BigWerm wrote:

How do you do that on the Helix’s with the Micro SD? I’m setting up my Dad’s for Xmas and don’t have the manual or much electronics experience.

worm Humminbird had extensive instructions on their website. follow carefully and you’ll be fine.

BigWerm wrote:

Pretty much exactly right. But if you want to use as a fishfinder, you will also need to download and install the latest software version, which i think is 1.540

How do you do that on the Helix’s with the Micro SD? I’m setting up my Dad’s for Xmas and don’t have the manual or much electronics experience.

actually work, if you have the Helix 5 G2 with CHRIP, and you upgrade to 1.540, you do not want the XI 9 20 ducer. You want the XI 9 1521 CHIRP transducer

gotalunker wrote:

actually work, if you have the Helix 5 G2 with CHRIP, and you upgrade to 1.540, you do not want the XI 9 20 ducer. You want the XI 9 1521 CHIRP transducer

Sounds good, and it’s safe to assume that even a new Helix 5 G2 with Chirp will not have the upgrade to 1.540 until I do it, correct?

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gotalunker wrote:</div>
actually work, if you have the Helix 5 G2 with CHRIP, and you upgrade to 1.540, you do not want the XI 9 20 ducer. You want the XI 9 1521 CHIRP transducer

Sounds good, and it’s safe to assume that even a new Helix 5 G2 with Chirp will not have the upgrade to 1.540 until I do it, correct?

Correct. Unless it was manufactured after October 26, 2017, and they were installing the newest software, it will need to be upgraded.

I would have had this done last Friday, but I couldn’t find my velcro hook. I picked some new stuff up last night and finished the shuttle. There are some things I don’t like about it. The #1 thing is even though the finish weight of the shuttle came in at 5 lb, after adding rods, ice scoop, battery, flasher, and all the tackle, I am at 20 lb! The other thing I am not happy about is even though I used some plastic paint primer, the paint would not stick right to the PVC and I had to remove it. I really like how the unit is up higher so I don’t have to look down as far and it is easy to see the screen when I am walking with the gps.

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Other pic. No, this new shuttle doesn’t fit into a 5 gallon bucket. My old one did.

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So what batteries are you guys running for these. I switched to the Helix 7 G2 last year and ended up using a large battery to make it all day. Has anyone ran a lithium battery on a helix with better results?

Tuma wrote:

Other pic. No, this new shuttle doesn’t fit into a 5 gallon bucket. My old one did.

Looks great tuma! the weight issue is a bit of a concern, especially if you’re a hole hopper. But nice rig, kinda neat how it’s all self contained.

Michael Nebelsick wrote:

So what batteries are you guys running for these. I switched to the Helix 7 G2 last year and ended up using a large battery to make it all day. Has anyone ran a lithium battery on a helix with better results?

I’m running a standard 9Ah SLA battery. seems to work fine. Haven’t fished a whole day with it, but I can say that the numbers appear to suggest it should last.
The biggest thing is the screen brightness. on brightness 10 the helix 7 draws about 750mA. on brightness 2-3 about 300mA. So the point is, turn the screen down and you’ll get significantly more battery life.

I agree about the weight. Maybe I will make it into a back pack or make the flasher slide out to be carried by itself. No matter what I will have that weight on me. It is whether or not I have it all in one hand at once.

Michael Nebelsick wrote:

So what batteries are you guys running for these. I switched to the Helix 7 G2 last year and ended up using a large battery to make it all day. Has anyone ran a lithium battery on a helix with better results?

I am running mine on the lithium shuttle, fished for over 8 hours yesterday and still had 50% battery life left. I am running the Helix 7 G2 also.

Tuma, that’s a pretty neat looking rig! If it saves you from having to haul a sled around, that’s an added bonus. I’m hoping to wrap up my build in the next day or so and should have some completed pictures to post.

Got the shuttle all wrapped up this morning. Turned out as well as I could have hoped for less than 3 hours of work and less than $6 invested in the project. I really like the bed liner spray paint and think it will work out just fine this season. Let me know if you have any questions!

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Tuma, that shuttle rocks! And I love the Inverted rod holders! I might Hafta make some of those for the outside of a bucket and ditch the rod bag.

luttes wrote:

Got the shuttle all wrapped up this morning. Turned out as well as I could have hoped for less than 3 hours of work and less than $6 invested in the project. I really like the bed liner spray paint and think it will work out just fine this season. Let me know if you have any questions!

Luttes, it turned out great buddy! Thanks for sharing!

Are any of you guys running the Helix 7 with the GPS with a Dakota Lithium battery? Just wondering what kind of run time you get. With the regular batteries, mine did not last very long on a single charge. I have a 14 amp hour battery on it now but it is so heavy.

Make sure to turn down your screen brightness.

catnip wrote:

And I love the Inverted rod holders! I might Hafta make some of those for the outside of a bucket and ditch the rod bag.

I use to have a suite case style rod holder. I don’t remember the brand name but I didn’t like it. Every time I wanted to grab a different rod, I had to toss half of the case on my buddies lap to open it in my portable. This took care of that problem.

Craig Kilber wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Michael Nebelsick wrote:</div>
So what batteries are you guys running for these. I switched to the Helix 7 G2 last year and ended up using a large battery to make it all day. Has anyone ran a lithium battery on a helix with better results?

I am running mine on the lithium shuttle, fished for over 8 hours yesterday and still had 50% battery life left. I am running the Helix 7 G2 also.

Do you have a picture of the helix 7 mounted on the lithium shuttle? I’m considering doing the same but was concerned about the size in relationship to the shuttle itself.

Now you can pull them out like a sword from its sheath.

catnip wrote:

Now you can pull them out like a sword from its sheath.

Dilly dilly!!

@ Craig Kilber

How did you mount your helix to the shuttle?

I just got mine and the mounting holes on the shuttle don’t line up with those in the helix bracket.