Xped

Maui Jims in the HCL bronze polarized lens. The Super Thin (ST) glass is superb...much better than the polycarbonate lenses. Very clear, great contrast...but they risk breaking if dropped on a hard surface. Being a glasses wearer all my life, I'm pretty careful with my specs so that doesn't concern me much. Not cheap for sure...but then neither are my eyes!

I like bronze and amber lens colours for just about every condition. They work great out on the water. I have the Maui Jim Stingrays in HCL Bronze polarized lenses:

Gotcha! Makes sense.Sounds like if one wanted to produce the two different images, they would need two separate sets of units/transducers (si compact and hdsi)...or...one unit, two transducers, and a transducer switch. Is it common to want the ability to produce the two si image types? Or, for those that decide on hdsi simply roll with that only? Again...appreciate the sharing of your knowledge.

Good stuff. If one uses the hdsi on an 899ci hd si (or Helix to stay on topic), can you simply switch between the thinner pulses for detailed images and the thicker pulses for more coverage? Or would you need two transducers to produce the two different types of image? Seems like both can serve a purpose...one to locate, the other for detail.

I know this threat has kind of morphed into different areas but it's a lot of good info in one place. Wayne, I clearly see the difference in image quality with the HDSI. Will it be this way in all different depths of water...in other words, is the HDSI more suited to viewing a certain depth of water? Does the regular SI transducer excel in any scenario? As well, maybe a dumb question but does the HDSI impact (+ or -) DI or 2D image quality?

Thanks for all the info!!! Helped me spend MORE money! I ended up buying the 899ci HD SI combo. The way I viewed it, the 798 wasn't exactly cheap....would hate to spend a lot of money on something that I wasn't totally satisifed with. In the end, I wanted to buy a unit that I could use properly and be happy with. Besides, doesn't matter which unit I bought....I'm going to be in the same amount of trouble from the wife regardless of whether it was $700 or $1000!!! Just another item to be hidden until it looks a little used...go big or go home!

That's a great price. However, convert that to Canadian and add duty, taxes and shipping...suddenly I'm north of $1100. Not saying I won't spend the extra...just a hard pill to swallow.

Appreciate all the info! I think the 800 series is getting just a tad out of my price range. In your opinion, considering screen size and all other features, which would be the better unit to go with: Helix 5 @ $499 (prices Canadian) or 798ci SI Combo @ $699 (prices Canadian) I understand that screen width is much more desirable when considering SI images...but I'm kind of looking for an overall unit that does all three decently. The 798ci, while being a tad smaller in the screen width, is well over an inch taller and seems to have quite a few more features. Not sure if I'm trying to sell mysefl on the 798 but would be interested to learn your thoughts between the two. Honestly, I would love to splurge and go with the 899...just can't seem to get over spending that kind of dough!

Ha ha! I know myself pretty well. I'd be walking out of there with a 12" display! I'm trying to figure out my real needs before up-selling myself. ;-) While I dislike spending extra money, I can appreciate that a larger screen would be better...especially for SI. Wondering out loud if it's $400 better. Keep in mind, I'm coming from a Lowrance Elite-4x...whatever I'm going to get will look better. A 7" screen has roughly double the display real estate of the 5". My eyes are starting to grow older and may appreciate the help.

So, I have the helix 5 on order but I'm now second guessing my decison and considering cancelling the order. Wondering if I should be going with a larger screen. Humminbird helix 5 versus 899ci SI. 5 inches versus 7 inches. Other than size, are there more features of one over the other that account for the extra $$$$s? Are the additional 2 inches worth another $400+? I'm not crazy about spending the extra money but I also don't want to be frustrated with SI on a smaller screen. I never thought I'd consider spending just under a thousand bucks on a fishfinder and find it a hard pill to swallow. But...I want to be happy and satisfied with my purchase, too. Thoughts?

Back to my hole I go! Ha ha! Did you receive another mounting kit from HB? If so, was it different at all from the first one? Different nut? I just placed an order today...the KVD issued one. Backordered...so I won't have it for some time. It's replacing a Lowrance Elite-4x hdi...should be a nice step up. Thanks for your thought's on the helix 5.

Hey, Been looking at the helix 5 and came across this post. Just out of curiosity, you do realize you assembled the bolt and nut on the wrong side of the mount? You see the little pocket on one side of the mount that will fit the nut perfectly? If you place the nut on that side, you won't need a wrench...all you'll need is a hex key as the pocket will hold the nut securely while you tighten. Put it the other way around and you'll have one heck of a time tightening it properly...it will be even harder to loosen as you've experienced. If I'm stating the obvious here, I apologise and will go back into hiding. Right now I'm trying to decide between the Humminbird helix 5 and the Humminbird 688. It seems like a no brainer to go with the helix 5 but I wonder if I'm missing anything. Does the 688 have anything the helix doesn't?

That's what I did. I have a small 12ah 12v sealed battery...lasts me two full days of fishing and charges fairly quickly. I carry the battery and fishfinder (elite-4x) around in a small waterproof lunch box. The battery probably weighs around 5-6lbs and only has a footprint of about 4x6.To be honest, I never tried hooking it up to my trolling motor to see if there was any interference...I had just read not to do so for that reason.

I'd be concerned about interference from the trolling motor causing noise on my fish finder. I'd use a separate one.

12"-16" worms? Where I come from, we call those snakes!