Helix 9 adjustments?

So this is my first time using a Humminbird of this caliber, and I was wonder why I keep getting such readings as this for depth. I’ve read the manual and to me it seems vague. I’ve tried changing the transducer settings, the KHZ, the angle, I have the helix 9 DI, with the transducer epoxyed to shoot through the hull…. As for my 788ci I have in the dash reads accurate, but I don’t know if the 2 transducers are interfering with each other? Any help would be appreciated…….

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Have you tried reducing your sensitivity? Have you tried reducing your maximum depth? Your photo shows speed at 3.7 mph. Does the problem only happen at low speeds?

It happens at all speeds…. From 1.3 to 55….. Haha I have tried adjusting the max depth to auto and I haven’t found the sensitivity part yet. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong menu. I know that some people suggested changing the beam, and KHZ setting to see if that helped and it’s still the same…. Next step is humminbird customer service. I am assuming that you can use just a regular SD card for your updates as well? I did find that there is an update already for it….

How do you have these units set up?
The Helix 9…do you have a Y cable for a thru hull and for DI ducer? Or is the 788 ran to the thru-hull and the Helix ran to the DI?

Helix 9 is set to the DI shot trough the hull and the 788 is set up to its original ducer on the other side of the bilge area…… Both units are shoot through the hull, as I was told it would eliminate prop wash on the helix 9 when in DI mode….the 788 came factory from Skeeter as a shoot through hull… Hope that helps Calvin

Knock your max depth down to a reasonable 400′.

Confirm your thru hull duecers are level. If you angle your duecer enough it won’t work. May not be on a flat surface.

Next step would be to confirm it isn’t a problem with a duecer and you can do that by hooking your 788 duecer to your helix and look for similar problems.

I’m leaning towards thru hull being the culprit. Is it mounted in an area high in cavitation?

Did it work well ever or is this a new install

Both of the thru hull transducers are the essentially the same, so naturally you will get interference with both units on. Have tried to run only 1 unit with the other unit off? Does that make a difference?

In a perfect world, run the DI transducer off the back of the transom, Y cabled to the thru hull for high speed pick up. Slow speeds run the DI ducer to see down imagining and 2D.
Do you have an external DI transducer?

I have no transducers externally mounted, both are mounted in the bilge area where my batteries are….. The helix 9 was a new install done at BPS with the deal I got when I bought the unit….. I’m hoping I don’t have to move the DI ducer out of the bilge area as that is a pin because it is epoxied to the hull… I can take pictures when I get home of where the ducers are… Picture posted is of how the two units are side by side at the console… Pictures of the ducers later today when I get home from work

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Attached is a picture of a DI ducer off the transom. If you want crisp clean DI images it is best to have that ducer externally on the transom.

Now with your current situation you could just add the external DI ducer mounted above the step or even below the jackplate and have a Y cable to the thru hull ducer so you can read depth on plane or high speeds.
The DI ducer from HB does have the 2D capability as well, as the DI and 2D are built into the same ducer. Or you could bypass the thru hull altogether and just mount the external DI ducer to get both 2D and DI images.

The way you are currently set-up with 2 thru-hull ducers will not give you a very good clear picture of DI, as the DI ducers are not meant to be reading thru the hull of a fiberglass boat. Clear down image on any graph is best seen when the transducer is mounted externally.

Looks like you need to call BPS again.

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So basically the ducer for the helix should have been mounted externally down where my live well drains are for the best reading for that unit? Can the other 2d 788 stay in hull? That’s awesome….. I guess I’ll have to fight to get it moved haha! Thanks for the input guys…. I shall keep you posted

Yes the DI ducer should be externally mounted for best DI readings.

I assume this is the culprit we are looking for….. Unfortunately it is epoxied…. With enough wire to mount it externally but I am pretty sure it’s toast……

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Is it just me or is that mounted to a strake? Or structural riser?

Where mine is located? That’s next to my live well pumps….. How hard is it to install a transducer? And drag the wire to the console?

Add some heat to it, and the epoxy should come free

Well I chose to undertake the remounting of the stern ducer myself… BPS couldn’t narrow down a time before this weekends tournament, so I said screw it and re ran the wire and mounted the ducer myself…. Let me know what you all think….

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