This is going to take a while

[Koz]

I just received my new Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G4 for my kayak and fired it up while sitting in my living room. My first impression is that it's going to take me a while to learn everything to get the most out of this. It's a big step up from my Lowrance Hook2 5. I think the best thing is just to set it up on my kayak, then find an out of the way spot on the water and go through the manual step by step.

 

My Yak Attack mount and the screen cover are due by tomorrow night, so I'll probably set it up after work on Monday. But I'm going to change things up and Velcro my CelBlock battery box to the deck behind my seat, then mount the transducer arm and fishfinder mount directly to the rail instead of on top of the CelBlock.

 

I'm really excited to try out this new Humminbird on the water.

 

 

[MN Fisher]

8 minutes ago, Koz said:

It's a big step up from my Lowrance Hook2 5. I think the best thing is just to set it up on my kayak, then find an out of the way spot on the water and go through the manual step by step.

That's what I did when I went from a Hook 2-4 to the Striker 7CV - just sat in a spot and played with it for a while until I understood what was going on.

 

Probably have to do the same when I upgrade to an SV unit.

[slonezp]

IMO HB is more user friendly than Lowrance. Keep an open mind to learn something different 

[J Francho]

Go through the manual in demo mode instead. I know Garmin and Humminbird the best, but I can even deal with Raymarine. Most of the controls are common sense, but having the manual with you will let you look up the whys wlfor certain settings. Then do your session in a quiet cove on the water.  

[Koz]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Go through the manual in demo mode instead. I know Garmin and Humminbird the best, but I can even deal with Raymarine. Most of the controls are common sense, but having the manual with you will let you look up the whys wlfor certain settings. Then do your session in a quiet cove on the water.  

 

I did that when I set it up in my living room. Really, the biggest issue is remembering the button sequence (i.e. press, press twice, press and hold, etc.) to get to certain menus and features, or even finding some of them.

 

For example, on my kayak the transducer faces forward and while out on the water I couldn't find the menu to swap right and left side imaging. It looks like I should have taken it off of angler mode and put it on custom mode to see additional menu options.

 

All in all, it was pretty straightforward. It is nice to have the bigger screen so that split screens are actually readable.

 

I might head out after work tomorrow and play with it some more. Plus, my latest Expride was delivered this evening!

[JbroBass]

I just started setting mine up tonight, also in my house. Let me know if you figure out how to toggle the "Heading Line" on and off. I cannot for the life of me find the setting under the Nav menu like it is for the earlier generation Helix models. 

 

Do I need a screen cover? 

[J Francho]

I lost both my screen covers in the move last year. You'll be fine. 

[MN Fisher]

7 hours ago, JbroBass said:

Do I need a screen cover? 

Long as you're not tossing rocks at it, you'll be fine. I didn't bother getting a cover for mine.

[gim]

8 hours ago, JbroBass said:

Do I need a screen cover? 

 

That would be dependent on how you transport it.  If you haul it attached to the watercraft or kayak and it faces sideways or forward, there is some risk of a pebble or rock hitting it while on the road.  A screen protector would prevent any damage.  I have two graphs on my boat but they both face backwards and are flush mounted, so there is virtually no possibility of damage while on the road.  But, I still use my covers because they came with one.

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That would be dependent on how you transport it.  If you haul it attached to the watercraft or kayak and it faces sideways or forward, there is some risk of a pebble or rock hitting it while on the road. 

Ya, mine gets put on just before launch and pulled once it's back on the trailer...so it's never exposed to 'road rash'. Ram Mount...

[Fishingmickey]

My 93SV gets removed before transport. I unplug the cables and I have a Hobie "H" rail/Ram ball mount that removes easily and stow in the vehicle.

FM

[J Francho]

I leave everything on the boat. ?

[Koz]

11 hours ago, JbroBass said:

I just started setting mine up tonight, also in my house. Let me know if you figure out how to toggle the "Heading Line" on and off. I cannot for the life of me find the setting under the Nav menu like it is for the earlier generation Helix models. 

 

Do I need a screen cover? 

I bought the screen cover but was surprised that it’s a soft cover. I prefer the hard plastic shell of the Lowrance units.

 

Everything except the seat gets removed from my kayak at the end of each trip so I can drain any water, and the electronics stay off until the next trip. So I prefer the screen cover because I’m always lugging the unit around.

11 hours ago, JbroBass said:

I just started setting mine up tonight, also in my house. Let me know if you figure out how to toggle the "Heading Line" on and off. I cannot for the life of me find the setting under the Nav menu like it is for the earlier generation Helix models. 

 

Do I need a screen cover? 

As I mentioned on the other thread, take it off of Angler mode and put it on custom mode so you see all of the menu choices. Angler mode shows only the most common options.

[JbroBass]

2 hours ago, Koz said:

I bought the screen cover but was surprised that it’s a soft cover. I prefer the hard plastic shell of the Lowrance units.

 

Everything except the seat gets removed from my kayak at the end of each trip so I can drain any water, and the electronics stay off until the next trip. So I prefer the screen cover because I’m always lugging the unit around.

As I mentioned on the other thread, take it off of Angler mode and put it on custom mode so you see all of the menu choices. Angler mode shows only the most common options.

 

I should have mentioned this in my post, but I did set it to Custom Mode and I still do not have a "Heading Line" selection under the Nav menu.

[JbroBass]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:38 PM, Koz said:

 

For example, on my kayak the transducer faces forward and while out on the water I couldn't find the menu to swap right and left side imaging. It looks like I should have taken it off of angler mode and put it on custom mode to see additional menu options.

 

 

Is forward "wire in front" or "wire in back"? (I mounted mine with the wire in the back and the rounded smaller side facing forward. That seemed to me to make the most sense but I have no idea if it was correct.)

 

I had all kinds of problems trying to use this thing the last couple of days, but I haven't used anything modern and nothing at all for +20 years so I guess that's probably to be expected. 

 

 

[Koz]

For my transducer arm set up, the wire is at the transducer arm so I guess that would be in back. Keep in mind, the nose of the transducer usually points behind the boat, but on a kayak it points forward (at least the way it mounts on my kayak transducer arm).

 

I suppose some people mount it the same way on the trolling motor of their bass boat. That’s why the software gives you the option of flipping the side scan image.

[JbroBass]

I assumed the nose would point forward as that seems like it would produce the least resistance in the water.

 

Here is mine. I assumed where I put the asterisk is the front of the transducer, and it should be mounted with the front side forward with the direction of travel indicated by the arrow. Do you think my assumption is correct? (It is surprising difficult to search for the correct answer.)

 

[Team9nine]

14 minutes ago, JbroBass said:

Do you think my assumption is correct?

 

Yes 

[txchaser]

One big upgrade for me (I have the same model) was an anti-glare screen cover. Dramatically improved my ability to see the screen without having the brightness on 10. 

 

[Koz]

7 hours ago, txchaser said:

One big upgrade for me (I have the same model) was an anti-glare screen cover. Dramatically improved my ability to see the screen without having the brightness on 10. 

 

Interesting. I have not had any issues with glare with my Humminbird, but I often had them with my Lowrance.