Striker 7sv or Helix 7 si

[CenCal fisher]

I am looking at a side imaging sonar to get for my kayak (radar 135) and narrowed my choices down to either hummingbird or garmin. The lowrance transducer is too big and won't fit where I want to mount it. 

 

Both units have chirp 2d, the ability to create maps of small bodies of water and waypoints. The garmin has 455 and 800kHz side view while the hummingbird only has 455kHz. The hummingbird can take a map card, but only 2 of the five lakes I fish are mapped. The garmin also draws slightly less power than the humminbird. The garmin is $500 and the hummingbird is $650. It looks like the only advantage the humminbird has is the sd card slot and the ability to use maps while the garmin is cheaper and has 800kHz side view.

 

I am leaning towards the garmin, but is there something I am missing that would make the humminbird a better choice? Is the side view image quality comparable between the two units at 455 and would 800kHz on the garmin give a clearer readout than the humminbird at 455? 

[Junger]

Just in case, but you may already know, the Striker Plus 7sv will create contour maps, not the older Striker Non-Plus.

If $599 is in your budget, consider the Echomap 93sv. I have it and it is awesome.

 

Quickdraw is nice, but without built-in maps, you'd have to spend a lot of time mapping the area which may not be that fun in a kayak.

 

https://www.thegpsstore.com/Garmin-echoMAP-CHIRP-93sv-with-ClearVuSideVu-Transducer-P5097.aspx

 

 

[CenCal fisher]

1 hour ago, Junger said:

Just in case, but you may already know, the Striker Plus 7sv will create contour maps, not the older Striker Non-Plus.

If $599 is in your budget, consider the Echomap 93sv. I have it and it is awesome.

 

Quickdraw is nice, but without built-in maps, you'd have to spend a lot of time mapping the area which may not be that fun in a kayak.

 

https://www.thegpsstore.com/Garmin-echoMAP-CHIRP-93sv-with-ClearVuSideVu-Transducer-P5097.aspx

 

 

Built in maps aren’t a huge selling point for me because the bodies of water I spend the most time on aren’t preloaded. Latlely i have been doing most of my fishing on a private 50 acre lake and a canal system which I could map from a kayak without much difficulty. I noticed the non plus striker did not have quick draw contours, but thanks for confirming.

 

I do not have a set budget and didn’t know the 9sv was that cheap. Is it the older model? How is the side view image quality on the 93sv and do you ever use 800kHz? I see that it uses the same transducer as the striker 7 plus 

[Junger]

1 hour ago, CenCal fisher said:

I do not have a set budget and didn’t know the 9sv was that cheap. Is it the older model? How is the side view image quality on the 93sv and do you ever use 800kHz? I see that it uses the same transducer as the striker 7 plus 

This is last year's model, the non-plus, non-touch pad version. SV is amazing, I was coming across a stretch of bank where there was an old railroad track and it showed the tracks with high clarity on the land. I think I have it set use CHIRP 800khz for SideVu, and CHIRP 200khz for DownVu.

[cfrye11]

the garmin 93 sv transducer is giant... anything with side imaging im going to guess is going to have a big transducer. i love my 93 but that make not fit where you want.

 

 

[CenCal fisher]

27 minutes ago, cfrye11 said:

the garmin 93 sv transducer is giant... anything with side imaging im going to guess is going to have a big transducer. i love my 93 but that make not fit where you want.

 

 

The specs on Garmin’s transducer have it at 6.6 inches long. I just need it to be under 9 inches. Now I can’t decide if a 9 inch screen will be too big. 

[LonnieP]

1 hour ago, CenCal fisher said:

The specs on Garmin’s transducer have it at 6.6 inches long. I just need it to be under 9 inches. Now I can’t decide if a 9 inch screen will be too big. 

9 inches won't be too big. You'll just be able to see it better.

[CenCal fisher]

4 hours ago, LonnieP said:

9 inches won't be too big. You'll just be able to see it better.

I guess I have never seen a thread where someone wished they had gotten a smaller unit

[MittenMouth]

Side imaging isn’t very helpful unless you are going at least 4mph but really closer to 6 for a clear image. 

[flyfisher]

2 hours ago, MittenMouth said:

Side imaging isn’t very helpful unless you are going at least 4mph but really closer to 6 for a clear image. 

Not true at all for my first gen helix 5SI unit.  You just have to adjust the chart speed to your speed and you are fine.  I have mine generally set around 2 or 3 and i does great images.  

[Krux5506]

I think I'm going to get the 7 SV on my console next year. I have the 7DV on the bow and like it. I've never really used side imaging and don't totally get it but I'm well overdue for a console ff upgrade so why not. Do I need to do anything different mounting to an aluminum boat? Thought I read in another thread side imaging can get wonky mounted to aluminum...

[MittenMouth]

On 8/8/2018 at 9:26 AM, flyfisher said:

Not true at all for my first gen helix 5SI unit.  You just have to adjust the chart speed to your speed and you are fine.  I have mine generally set around 2 or 3 and i does great images.  

Well I'll be

[CenCal fisher]

I ended up getting the 9sv. I’m glad I didn’t get the 7 inch.

[12poundbass]

4 hours ago, CenCal fisher said:

I ended up getting the 9sv. I’m glad I didn’t get the 7 inch.

Good choice. The 9" Garmin is a great choice.

[Dieselguy416]

Let us know what you think of the side imaging from a kayak I'm wanting to get something with si for my yak