Helix gen 1 questions

Run lowrance units currently, but am really wanting to run a helix 10 or 12.

Does the helix gen 1 chirp have down imagining and side imagining?

What transducer is needed for the di and si?

Does a gen 1 chirp unit have the right transducer for di and si, or is a different one needed?

Am familiar with gen 1 lowrance units with structure scan and have the big long transducer for the lss scan module, plus the 2d transducers.

What’s the differences between a helix gen 1, gen 2 and gen 3? Is the upgrade from a gen 1 to a gen 2 anything on screen or is it more of a software and/or mapping upgrade?

What’s the mega do for the gen 3 units?

Run gen 1 hds lowrances units and am not prone to buying new electronics, so don’t mind being a few years behind to save money on initially purchase price. Rig my own stuff so don’t have to worry about rigging costs either.

Any issues or tips with rigging hummingbird transducers on the transom or off a motorguide Xi5 trolling motor and is everything fairly straight forward?

Appreciate any insight or help.

Gen 1 helix’s do not come with chirp. Chirp was not included until gen 2 was released. Mega imaging also appeared with gen 2 units.

In order to have have SI and DI, you will need to have the correct head unit paired with the corresponding transducer for that unit. A helix 10 sonar gps, for example, is not able to have DI SI. However a helix 10 SI GPS model will have everything.

Like all graphs, a person who can really read and interpret their gen 1 non-mega is better off than someone who has no clue what the mega is telling them.

As for rigging, I am out on that one.

Charlie W wrote:

Gen 1 helix’s do not come with chirp.

Helix Gen 1 SI, 12″ has Chirp.

I don’t use it.

basseyes wrote:

Any issues or tips with rigging hummingbird transducers on the transom

Run two transducers for best results. One on Port, one on Starboard.

Appreciate it!

Like the clarity on the helix mega si and di after seeing them in action last year. Have used lowrance mainly over the years and am familiar with them, but the detail and clarity isn’t anything to get excited over compared to the birds. Granted the hds live units look better, but not paying new retail for those. Am pretty set on a helix 7 mega si with di, because of space issues and running multiple units. The 8 or 9 would be nice, but is to big for where I want to put them. Have good eyesight so don’t need huge screens. Bird doesn’t seem as easy to network and has a lot of confusing heads and transducers if your new to them. But the clarity of the di and si is superior to lowrance. Sticking with the trusty, old, reliable hds8’s for 2d, mapping and networking waypoints. And will mainly use the bird for si and di.

basseyes wrote:

Like the clarity on the helix mega si and di after seeing them in action last year.

Well, you won’t get mega with Gen 1.
My philosophy is to always buy the very latest in electronics because technology changes so fast. Why start out behind the curve? And regardless of your eyesight, for SI, get the biggest screen you can afford.