North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

G'day everyone,

Looking at upgrading my sounder/chartplotter and was wondering if anyone here is running a humminbird helix 9 SI or similar (10,12 models). Wanting to know your thoughts on it and how well does the autochart live work? I'm looking at the 9 SI as I can't justify the extra $700 to go a 10" screen.

If your running the helix 9 did you upgrade the transducer?

Any other information is appreciated.

Thanks,
Josh

I expect the transducer upgrade was the same upgrade on offer for the 899, from the 455kHz to the 800. I'd be spending the loot on the upgrade. You will get clearer definition and shadows with the 800kHz transducer on side imaging.

Does the 9 come with a dedicated NMEA2000 port? I thought the 10 did, similar to the setup on the Onix (both HB proprietary and NMEA2000). If it doesn't, but the 10 does, by the time you add in the transducer upgrade and the NMEA port then your upgrade to a 10 is minimal.

jabsy wrote:I expect the transducer upgrade was the same upgrade on offer for the 899, from the 455kHz to the 800. I'd be spending the loot on the upgrade. You will get clearer definition and shadows with the 800kHz transducer on side imaging.

Does the 9 come with a dedicated NMEA2000 port? I thought the 10 did, similar to the setup on the Onix (both HB proprietary and NMEA2000). If it doesn't, but the 10 does, by the time you add in the transducer upgrade and the NMEA port then your upgrade to a 10 is minimal.

Hey mate, the 9,10 and 12 have the same systems just different transducers. The 9 has NMEA2000 and its earlier version to. Do you run a humminbird?

I run an 898 and an 859 networked together. I haven't added nmea2000 as the adapter is another $300 odd as well as the network hub another $250 odd... Even if I did add it the engine data is poop and doesn't include fuel flow. I am not even certain that the Helix series has fuel flow in the engine management. Do you know if it does? I haven't seen much in the way of screen shots on the web.

Are you certain that the higher end helix has a true NMEA2000 port? Or does it also need the humminbird adapter?

I run the HDSI transducer from the 898 at 83 and 800, and the 859 DI transducer at 200 and 455. Running it this way lets me show SI on the normally DI only 859. Due to the basic proprietary networking I'd need to add the hub if ever wanted to connect up a minn kota.

jabsy wrote:I run an 898 and an 859 networked together. I haven't added nmea2000 as the adapter is another $300 odd as well as the network hub another $250 odd... Even if I did add it the engine data is poop and doesn't include fuel flow. I am not even certain that the Helix series has fuel flow in the engine management. Do you know if it does? I haven't seen much in the way of screen shots on the web.

Are you certain that the higher end helix has a true NMEA2000 port? Or does it also need the humminbird adapter?

I run the HDSI transducer from the 898 at 83 and 800, and the 859 DI transducer at 200 and 455. Running it this way lets me show SI on the normally DI only 859. Due to the basic proprietary networking I'd need to add the hub if ever wanted to connect up a minn kota.

So it says that the NMEA2000 is an option but wouldn't it have it all built into it? Otherwise you'd end up with little black boxes under your dash/console for every bl..dy thing. I'll go and sus it out more but if it's not a standard inclusion then it's not really in competition with a HdS9 in my view. A lot of stuff seems optional but maybe that means the rest of the system is optional and the helix 9 SI will support it.

Following this post. While you're checking it out, could you find out the differences between the Helix & Onix units?

smed wrote:Following this post. While you're checking it out, could you find out the differences between the Helix & Onix units?

From what I can see on humminbird and various U.S. Forums the Onix has standard some of the options of the helix. Also they are touch screen, have designated DI crystals in the transducer....? And a few small things but everyone has been saying for the money they'd go a helix and even Onix users say they'd rather a helix for its simplicity.

Bit of information here mate

https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/commun ... x-or-onix/

Look, I am certain they are "compatible", in the fact that to make it compatible you need to buy the adaptor to plug it into a NMEA bus. There is no standard NMEA connector on the back like on the Onix or the HDS. I am also certain that the engine management available via NMEA doesn't include fuel flow, but the Onix does. The other thing I expect is that the HDS will hold a lot more tracks and waypoints than the Helix.

When I bought my Humminbirds the HDS was much more expensive. Within a month they dropped in price at IOM and I would have been able to afford one. As I only have analogue gauges I would have appreciated the NMEA input to get fuel flow at least.

If they make the Helix too feature rich, then nobody would buy the Onix. Personally I'd take the Onix over the HDS, but that would only be due to the brand loyalty, and the autochart live. With the money paid for the Onix, you'd probably get a couple of HDS...

It's been almost a year since a firmware update for either of my Humminbirds as well. Obviously all the work is going into the new guys now.

Yeah I might just keep an eye out for the last lots of the 900 series when stores put them out of sale. Might be able to pick up 2 for the price of a helix 9 and have one for the dash and one for the minn kota.

I have then both on my dash and use one for mapping. the other for sounding. When chasing barras I can use one for downimaging and colour, the other for sidescan.

Bottom Bashing Bloke wrote:

smed wrote:Following this post. While you're checking it out, could you find out the differences between the Helix & Onix units?

From what I can see on humminbird and various U.S. Forums the Onix has standard some of the options of the helix. Also they are touch screen, have designated DI crystals in the transducer....? And a few small things but everyone has been saying for the money they'd go a helix and even Onix users say they'd rather a helix for its simplicity.

Bit of information here mate

https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/commun ... x-or-onix/

Cheers BBB. Interesting read in the link. I had my heart (& tax return) set on an Onix 8 this year. Really questioning myself now in terms of the Helix option. In terms of actually catching fish my record is particularly poor. I like the idea that I could tell my mates I am mapping rather than catching nothing. The autochart really does appeal to me. My understanding is that Navionics charting requires data to be uploaded to their site before charts become accessible. I was told by a sales rep that this data becomes the 'property' of Navionics after two years to be used in their updated maps. Call me selfish, but if I was to map an area it I wouldn't want that area inundated after two years....a bit like making your waypoints public property.

Smed, if you want to incorporate engine management, or connect other toys via NMEA, go the Onix.

If you just want a good sounder with mapping and maybe connect EITHER a Minn Kota OR another Humminbird down the track, go Helix. Its good value for money but has poor expandability without undergoing a number of hardware additions.

If you have the Lowrance LMR guages or Garmin GMI gauges then you'll get more off of these than you ever will with the Helix.

Just got new helix9 SI and the big transducer.....best $2500 I've spent apart from a night in Melbourne years ago with 3 models and a heap of champagne....

Darwinblue wrote:Just got new helix9 SI and the big transducer.....best $2500 I've spent apart from a night in Melbourne years ago with 3 models and a heap of champagne....

Hey mate, where abouts did you pick all that up from? $2500 sounds like a good price for it all!!