The latest series from Humminbird, the Helix family has so many features, it’s easy to get lost in all you can do with them. But, as anglers, you want the best sonar unit to make sure you aren’t wasting your time when you go out on the water. The Helix family from Humminbird will most certainly exceed your expectations.
Today, we’ll present you with the skinny on the Humminbird Helix 5 SI GPS.
Product Specs
The Humminbird Helix 5 SI is the smallest of the Helix family, but you aren’t missing out if you choose this mighty-miny package!
The Helix 5 has a 5 inch (diagonal) display, with overall dimensions of 7.55″W x 6.64″H x 3.3″D. The display has a stunning 800H x 400V pixel matrix resolution, with a scale of 256 colors, the whole thing backlit by LED. This is a powerful tool in a small size.
The standard sonar frequency on this unit is 200/80/455 kHz, with a coverage of 20o, 60o & (2) 85o @ -10db (Total of 180o). You also get Side, Down, Switchfire, and DualBeam PLUS sonar with this unit. The depth capability for the standard sonar is 1500 feet (2D) and 100 feet in Side Imaging.
Humminbird Helix 5 SI GPS Features
Down to the meat, the Helix 5 SI comes with several powerful features that will change the way you fish.
Sonar features
The first of these is the Side Imaging Sonar, which gives you a 180o perspective side-to-side of what you have passed. The ultra-thin sonar beam casts out 240 feet to each side, essentially giving you a 480 foot net that fish can’t escape from. You can zoom in for detail, adjust the color to better suit your hunt, and display range lines to find the distance to an object.
Humminbird Down Imaging gives you a crystal clear view of what’s beneath you by sending out an ultra-thin sonar beam, which returns an exact snapshot of what’s under your vessel. You’ll see an exact portrait of fish, obstacles, cover, the floor, and whatever else may be down there. That said, the use for this unit could go way beyond fishing.
The Switchfire Sonar lets you choose what is displayed on screen. Add or remove as much detail as you like. Refine the results to target your desired species. Use Clear mode to sort out everything but targets, such as distracting noise and current, or use Max to see the whole picture, for optimizing the position of your lure, viewing bait schools and more. Just about anything is possible with custom viewing like this.
The Helix 5 SI comes with single beam sonar and DualBeam PLUS. Use the single beam to see a 20o beam at 200 kHz, which presents you with a precision image beneath you. Combine this with the DualBeam PLUS to also get a wider scan of the area with 83 kHz. With the single beam, coverage equals ⅓ of the depth and with the DualBeam PLUS coverage equals the depth.
Precision GPS
The Humminbird Helix 5 also has Precision GPS built in, that gives you an accurate fix to within 2.5 meters. The Helix 5 SI gives you the ability to mark any number of locations, from important destinations like the docks, to your new favorite hotspot. And Waypoint Management lets you keep track of these by sorting them alphabetically, by time saved, or nearest location. You can also tag them with a variety of icons so you can tell them apart. This allows you to find and return to the spot you want to every time.
Split Screen viewing
One other amazing feature of the Helix 5 SI is the Split Screen. Want to combine all the sonar modes listed above for an even greater edge? With Split Screen, you can! You can view the picture in multiple sonar modes to pick it apart at even greater detail. This is truly defining. The possibilities here are almost endless.
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Conclusion
These are just the biggest of the game-changing features the Humminbird Helix 5 SI brings to your boat. If you want the sharpest edge when you go out on the water next, choose the Humminbird Helix 5 SI. It’s an incredible value for all the tools it gives you to land more fish.