Poll: Helix 7 or Echomap 93

I am torn between the Helix 7 mega SI and the Echomap 93sv with the gt54 transducer. The echomap is $700 and the helix is $500. From what I have read the pro’s and cons of each are below.

Garmin:
Pro’s – 9″ screen, touchscreen, better for split view since the screen is bigger, can add livescope down the road, superior mapping
Con’s – side imaging and down imagining may not be as crystal clear as the humminbird, gt54 transducer not as good at the newer 56

Humminbird:
Pros – mega SI and DI is crisp, unit is user friendly
Cons – no touch screen, unit is only 7″, mapping is better on garmin

So if you we were me which one would you get? I only want to spend 500-700 right now. I don’t think I will add livescope but I guess you never know. I mostly target walleye and crappie. I fish river 90%, lakes the other 10%.

Garmin all day long.

Love my 93sv but disagree about the mapping being better than HB. I would trade my Garmin/navionics charts for lakemaster in a heartbeat. Now, the experience of working with the maps on the Garmin is better because of the touchscreen for sure. But my actual charts are often inaccurate.

dirtywater wrote:

Love my 93sv but disagree about the mapping being better than HB

Same. I for the first time had my buddies Helix 9 in my boat with my Garmin 93. He had it in a shuttle, the mapping is better for sure. The big thing to me is I would not have anything smaller than a 9 inch screen for nowadays use

Garmin for me as well. Also agree that HB mapping is better. I have both a 93sv (gt56) and helix 7 in my boat. One other thing about the HB is you need to add $125 to get the mapping chip unless you already have one. Where garmin comes preloaded with maps so the pice difference isn’t that much.

Edit: Just saw the lakemaster chips are now $150-200.

Looks like I have made my decision. Thanks Fellas!

Get the system you know. I went Helix 2 years ago and hate it. It’s like android/ IPhone, it’s hard to learn a new system. Lowrance was natural to me after all the years, HB was new. The 9 inch screen alone would sell me. Mapping is better on HB, the rest is splitting hairs.

For side imaging you’ll want the 9″ minimum no matter what brand you go with.

As for the mapping, the Garmin stuff is okay and “free,” plus you can make your own 1′ contours with just a blank $10 32gig card.

With Birds you have to buy a state specific map chip and a special zero-lines card. Those will run you another $250 to get started, and another $150 or so per additional state.

B-man wrote:

For side imaging you’ll want the 9″ minimum no matter what brand you go with.

As for the mapping, the Garmin stuff is okay and “free,” plus you can make your own 1′ contours with just a blank $10 32gig card.

With Birds you have to buy a state specific map chip and a special zero-lines card. Those will run you another $250 to get started, and another $150 or so per additional state.

That’s not quite accurate. Depending upon where you fish, you can get multiple states on a single map card without any need fro a zero-lines-card.

All the images you see in the humminbird ads are not taken with the helix 7. The 5 and 7 have a smaller lower quality transducer than the 8 9 10 and 12.

Honestly, humminbird is falling behind pretty quickly. Their mega live was hyped up to be great. They over-promised and under-delivered. Lowrance & Garmin are ahead on most levels.

Prices are better, live imaging is significantly better. Not sure what advantages bird has over either of the others.

As someone who has both a Helix 7 and 93sv, I’d go with the Garmin each time, Much more bang for your buck. 9″ screen is significantly better. As others have said, the maps are much more detailed and accurate with HB/lakemaster, so I’d like to have my Helix next to my Garmin just for the lake map, especially on a lake like Sakakawea that fluctuates so much. Only Humminbird/lakemaster offers the ability to offset water levels on your map.

I believe garmin has the vision plus upgrade and on sale as well. That probably closes the mapping gap.

Owner of 93sv and helix 7. I’d go with the 93sv. I use navionics in my helix, so the mapping is literally the same as the Garmin in my situation, but with Garmin navionics came free. I had to buy the chip for the bird.

Greenhorn wrote:

As someone who has both a Helix 7 and 93sv, I’d go with the Garmin each time, Much more bang for your buck. 9″ screen is significantly better. As others have said, the maps are much more detailed and accurate with HB/lakemaster, so I’d like to have my Helix next to my Garmin just for the lake map, especially on a lake like Sakakawea that fluctuates so much. Only Humminbird/lakemaster offers the ability to offset water levels on your map.

Garmin has the ability to offset your transducer for varying water levels if you chose so.

Back to the OP…..Garmin 93sv hands down. The user interface is almost as good as lowrance & they are dependable. I have been running the echomaps for 8 years now without any issues. From what I have heard Garmin support is very good too if needed. I have 2 of the new 93sv’s networked and livescope. They all have a little bit of a learning curve.

Ran and purchased yesterday. Getting it installed tonight. Can’t wait.