Lx7 vs helix7 g2

Sorry if this has been covered in detail but I’m looking for advice between these two. I have two HB’s on my boat so I wouldn’t use the helix for open water but I’m very used to HB and I like the idea of having GPS/mapping. How does the new helix compare to the LX7 as a flasher and more specifically the sonar modes? The reviews I’ve read and watched suggest the marcum has better detail and more/better options in flasher mode and sonar…I’m leaning HB because of how much I like them on my boat but I’m under the impression marcum is better in the ice…

Thanks

I was in the same position. I got talked into the lx7 by a couple guys at the show who had tried/owned both.I also liked that for any service i would need on the marcum would be done in Minneapolis.

Pailofperch wrote:

I was in the same position. I got talked into the lx7 by a couple guys at the show who had tried/owned both.I also liked that for any service i would need on the marcum would be done in Minneapolis.

I question weather the couple guys you talked to at the show have used the New Helix G2 Ice Series that is New this winter, last years Helix was a quite a bit different than this years Helix7 G2 Ice with chirp, this new Helix G2 has a whole new platform just for ice fishing.

This years Helix 7 G2 has Chirp transducer, includes much improved preloaded basemap vs old uni map, has more screen (view) choices more tailored to ice fishing vs having a simple circular flasher view, includes a customizable ice views vs fixed, better IR (due to chirp), better resolution screen, includes offer to download a free chartselect map upon purchase, has autochart live (make your own lake maps)

Last years Helix 7 Ice – no autochart live, no chirp transducer, less screen resolution, only basic views, low/med/high IR (you can tune out some interferences)

I’ve had both the LX7 and now have this years New model Helix 7 G2 Ice Series and will say after playing with it for awhile I think this is gonna be one nice unit, reminds me of the LX7 but with a Gps and now with Lakemaster maping, seems like a pretty sweet unit.

Ski, that’s the hard part, the G2 seems to be a significant improvement over the G1. I plan to use the chirp/sonar screen more than the flasher screen and the detail on that seems fantastic but very few people have experience with it… can you provide some insight into the 8-20 degree cones on the LX7 and the 20-60 degree on the HB? Most of my fishing is 10′-25′ for walleyes. Do you know if it takes full size SD cards or just the micro? My lake master chips are the full size and I’d rather not have to buy more chips just for this unit…

my helix 7 G2N has a micro SD. I don’t think they start the full size cards on the 9’s and up

The New Helix 7 G2 has the New chirp transducer 15-21 degree adjustable anywhere from 15to21. It is not 20-60 degree like on the old Helix series, versus the Lx7’s 8-20 degree transducer, on the LX7 its either on narrow 8 degree or wide beam 20 degree.

skiman39 wrote:

The New Helix 7 G2 has the New chirp transducer 15-21 degree adjustable anywhere from 15to21. It is not 20-60 degree like on the old Helix series

Correct. But IMO, the cone angle is still too big for my liking. I have a G1 Helix and the transducer leaves a lot to be desired when fishing deep. The new ones are better, but I would like to see them go as narrows as 8-10 degrees or so.

If you NEED GPS, get the Helix. If you think you can live without it, you’ll for sure like the Marcum better overall.

I know theres new cool stuff on the helix vs the lx7, but just like a phone, ill only use 20% of its capabilities. If one of the biggest advantages it has over a marcum is the gps/lakemaster, i have navionics on my phone which is already with me. I also wanted the lithium shuttle. So buying it all in one saved me about 100 bucks plus a little assembly time. I know 2 guys with lx7s that love them, and nobody yet with a helix for ice. So i feel for me for now, i made the right choice. Maybe next year i try the bird…….

I wanna say i have nothing against the helix, im sure its phenomenal.

Anyone have any feedback on the difference in sonar, chirp vs marcum 2d? It would seem the chirp might have the advantage in that view compared to the flasher view…

404 ERROR wrote:

Correct. But IMO, the cone angle is still too big for my liking. I have a G1 Helix and the transducer leaves a lot to be desired when fishing deep. The new ones are better, but I would like to see them go as narrows as 8-10 degrees or so.

Merican Eagle, if your argument is strictly in favor of a narrower cone for water deeper than 40 feet, I can be convinced a narrower beam is better, but I posit that most ice fisherman target depths less than 20FOW. That said, let me challenge you on your statement for a moment.

Let’s examine the sight picture diameter at 20FOW with a few different Humminbird cone angles:
9 – narrow on ICE series
Sight Picture: 3.15 feet diameter
19 – wide on ICE series
Sight Picture: 6.69 feet diameter
15 – narrow on HELIX ICE series
Sight Picture: 5.27 feet diameter
21 – wide on HELIX ICE series
Sight Picture: 7.41 feet diameter

So think about that. If you’re in 20FOW and using a 9 degree narrow beam, you’re only seeing about 3 and 5 feet of the bottom with the ICE and HELIX ICE ducers respectively. In either case, it isn’t much and I would argue that MOST fisherman target depths less than 20FOW, making the sight picture even smaller.

Now given the numbers shown above, if offered a choice, I would pretty much always choose a a wide beam over a narrow beam. I think the manufacturers recognize this issue of small sight picture and at last in the case of the new 15-21 ducer from Humminbird, are attempting to make things better.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback guys. I bought the HB today. I’m so used to the menus, maps and sonar with them I feel like it’s a better choice for me as a guy who only targets walleyes and usually in 25′ or less. I believe the new screens and chirp sonar will be more than sufficient for seeing larger game fish and give me the target separation I need. Not too mention I love the lakemaster maps…

Good news is my guy at Scheels told me to try it for a while and if I don’t like it to just bring it back and they’ll swap for a marcum at any time. Not sure if they do that for everyone or just guys that spend the redicilous amounts of money I do there but it’s a nice plan B!

adubs11,
-Sounds like you cant go wrong with that deal at your local Scheels!

Though I think your gonna wanna keep that Helix7 G2. If anything next year buy the Lx7 and have both! A guy can dream right!

Am I missing something here? My flasher does not have chirp or anything but I can see a lure that is about a quarter of an inch-if I am missing seeing fish less than a quarter of an inch so be it.

I have a question. People talk about having Navionics on their phone, as do I. Cheap backup. But can you save waypoints on your phone?? If so I do not know how to do that. Can someone help me.

traumatized wrote:

I have a question. People talk about having Navionics on their phone, as do I. Cheap backup. But can you save waypoints on your phone?? If so I do not know how to do that. Can someone help me.

No, I’m not aware of a way. You cannot save, import or export.

traumatized wrote:
I have a question. People talk about having Navionics on their phone, as do I. Cheap backup. But can you save waypoints on your phone?? If so I do not know how to do that. Can someone help me.

No, I’m not aware of a way. You cannot save, import or export.

I can drop pins on mine. Works good enough for me.

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You can save,add,delete a waypoint on your phone W/Navionics no problem.

If you’re using a humminbird product and want to use a phone app that isn’t Navionics go with Humminbird FishSmart
https://chartselect.humminbird.com/fishsmart

Its so easy to dump all fish finder waypoints into the app and vice versa…plus you can sync it with chartselect maps if you have those

Mat Peirce wrote:

If you’re using a humminbird product and want to use a phone app that isn’t Navionics go with Humminbird FishSmart
https://chartselect.humminbird.com/fishsmart

Its so easy to dump all fish finder waypoints into the app and vice versa…plus you can sync it with chartselect maps if you have those

Ok, my mind is blown, now I’m checking this out.

glenn-d wrote:

You can save,add,delete a waypoint on your phone W/Navionics no problem.

This is just my 2cents worth but for me Navonics on the phone isn’t that good, its better than nothing, but that’s it. I’ve been out a quite few times in Northern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin and South Dakota where signal is so poor phone cant locate where you are and put you on the map, plus this will drain your phone searching. Navonics maps don’t have close to the detail of the Lakemaster Chips and don’t show the holes & humps in alot of places. My old lowrance h2oc or my H-Bird with lakemaster chip do a much better job of this and run all day without using up the battery on your phone to.

skiman39 wrote:

This is just my 2cents worth but for me Navonics on the phone isn’t that good, its better than nothing, but that’s it.

Agreed. I dont have it but most guys I know who do, basically say the same thing.