Garmin 73cv versus Helix 7?

Looking to add a newer unit to the boat and would like to hear from those who’ve went this same route.

Garmin; upside – touchscreen, potential future growth, positive IDO feedback.
Hummingbird; upside – wealth of information available to shorten learning curve, positive IDO feedback.

Questions – Mega SI that much better?

Would like to set up for ice fishing too. Is it more economical to buy the summer unit then add ice ducer, power cord, lithium battery & custom case? Or vice versa – buy ice unit then add summer ducer, power cord?

Appreciate your time and feedback.

Do you want side imaging for the boat. If so you will need to buy a summer unit and build a winter kit. Garmin you will want 73sv not cv. Is mega that much better? In side imaging yes for sure, but don’t see the need for just down imaging.

My experience with having garmin and helix side by side on same boat is that the garmin is far and away superior at everything related to mapping, navigation and menu manipulation. The zoom on the touch screen is so much easier and more intuitive. The humminbird has the slight edge at the sonar part…both in imaging and 2d. After fiddling with settings you can get close but the bird is just better for sonar. If I could only have one, it would be the garmin all the way for the upsides mentioned and the ability to go with panoptix or livescope

I have both a garmin and a solix on my dash. I use the SI and the lakemaster chip on the humminbird, and panoptix and livescope on the garmin. 2d sonar they are very close, but mega is much better than HD SI on the garmin. Both units are user friendly. I went from a helix to the Solix and they are quite different, and there was a learning curve figuring out the differences. I would say head to head the garmin may be a bit easier to figure out.

Kurt Turner wrote:

Looking to add a newer unit to the boat and would like to hear from those who’ve went this same route.

Garmin; upside – touchscreen, potential future growth, positive IDO feedback.
Hummingbird; upside – wealth of information available to shorten learning curve, positive IDO feedback.

Questions – Mega SI that much better?

Would like to set up for ice fishing too. Is it more economical to buy the summer unit then add ice ducer, power cord, lithium battery & custom case? Or vice versa – buy ice unit then add summer ducer, power cord?

Appreciate your time and feedback.

Great information guys.

Keep it coming.

So I just pieced together a 73sv that I will use in my small fishing boat. I run Lowrance in my primary boat, but primarily for ice. Spent a lot of time piecing it together for the cheapest best deal. Reason I went this way instead of hummingbird was because of price. I have a bird for ice fishing already but wife and kid get mad using my fl18. So I needed a third unit. Some good deals on on 73 UHD models out there because I believe they have a new unit coming out in spring. For my use I probably saved 300$ over a Humminbird unit.
Feel free to dm me for details or I will post when I have more time. If you are not in a hurry and don’t care about piece mailing it together for budget reasons like I did beacause I have other options to still use let me know.
I have a vex, bird, Lowrance, and now Garmin. All have pros and cons. It comes down to use and what you are looking to do with each unit.

Ended up with a Helix 8 G4N.

Checked every box with one exception. Touchscreen.

Completely forward compatible with 360 and HB’s soon to be released livescope.

Had my 1st wtf moment. Bored hole drop ducer down unit freezes at HB logo page. Luckily unplugging, replugging fixed it.

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Nice be sure to give a review after some use.

HB’s business plan to gouge for items like screen protector, ice bag, etc. seems like such a douche bag strategy. Minus 1

Glad the 8 ice kit does not include a worthless battery. Plus 1

mojogunter wrote:

I have both a garmin and a solix on my dash. I use the SI and the lakemaster chip on the humminbird, and panoptix and livescope on the garmin. 2d sonar they are very close, but mega is much better than HD SI on the garmin. Both units are user friendly. I went from a helix to the Solix and they are quite different, and there was a learning curve figuring out the differences. I would say head to head the garmin may be a bit easier to figure out.

Do you have any issue running these side by side in your boat? I have a bird on my dash and was thinking if adding a Garmin to the bow….

Besox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mojogunter wrote:</div>

I have both a garmin and a solix on my dash. I use the SI and the lakemaster chip on the humminbird, and panoptix and livescope on the garmin. 2d sonar they are very close, but mega is much better than HD SI on the garmin. Both units are user friendly. I went from a helix to the Solix and they are quite different, and there was a learning curve figuring out the differences. I would say head to head the garmin may be a bit easier to figure out.

Do you have any issue running these side by side in your boat? I have a bird on my dash and was thinking if adding a Garmin to the bow….

I run a Helix and a Garmin Side by side in my boat and never had an issue.

No, no issues with interference at all

Besox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mojogunter wrote:</div>

I have both a garmin and a solix on my dash. I use the SI and the lakemaster chip on the humminbird, and panoptix and livescope on the garmin. 2d sonar they are very close, but mega is much better than HD SI on the garmin. Both units are user friendly. I went from a helix to the Solix and they are quite different, and there was a learning curve figuring out the differences. I would say head to head the garmin may be a bit easier to figure out.

Do you have any issue running these side by side in your boat? I have a bird on my dash and was thinking if adding a Garmin to the bow….