2025 Humminbird New Releases 12/9 12:09 ET

[Junger]

4 hours ago, stk44 said:

I have two helix 10’s that I picked out for my boat when I bought it 2 years ago. I’m pretty bummed about this. Now I will eventually need to get an xplor unit and will only be able to use it for FFS, when the time comes to get it. 

 

The Xplore has HD resolution, so you'll get even better MSI/MDI over the Helix 10's, which are pretty good already IMO. My boat also came with Helix10 G3N's in 2021, and while they do their job, I'm ready upgrade them. I've played around with other people's HDS10 and UHD10s and the touch screen is a big deal to me. The Helix cursor button is pretty clunky compared to just being able to touch a screen somewhere and select a track, mark or select a WP, or pinch and zoom the screen. You can also wait for the next generation of the Xplore to get a couple more years out of your Helix10's. Maybe the Xplore G1's will have hardware issues like the first Solix's.

[stk44]

17 hours ago, Junger said:

 

The Xplore has HD resolution, so you'll get even better MSI/MDI over the Helix 10's, which are pretty good already IMO. My boat also came with Helix10 G3N's in 2021, and while they do their job, I'm ready upgrade them. I've played around with other people's HDS10 and UHD10s and the touch screen is a big deal to me. The Helix cursor button is pretty clunky compared to just being able to touch a screen somewhere and select a track, mark or select a WP, or pinch and zoom the screen. You can also wait for the next generation of the Xplore to get a couple more years out of your Helix10's. Maybe the Xplore G1's will have hardware issues like the first Solix's.

Honestly my goal this coming year is power poles, then mega live the next year. So realistically I’ll probably be just fine with my helix units for another couple of years.

I guess I could technically go apex for my FFS unit and have some networking functionality with the helix units. The helix units are awesome, but my I think processing is a bit delayed and the buttons are a little cumbersome like you mentioned. No real complaints on my end though. It’s still more than I need. 

[Functional]

I've been waiting to pull the trigger on a Mega360 for a while now. Might just replace my Garmin console with a Helix as well now that there will be quite a few on the market, just to keep it to 1 brand. 

[Born 2 fish]

My boat came with two helix 10 G4’s in 2023. I just bought another helix 10 G4 for a great price. As far as FFS I’ll stick with my Garmin Lvs34. If I have to upgrade my hummingbird units I’ll probably switch everything to garmin .

[Junger]

On 12/2/2024 at 7:45 PM, Tennessee Boy said:

I've been very pleased with the new Mega360.

 

I'm trying to decide if I need Mega360 if I get ML2. From what I understand, ML2 reaches out much farther now, and I'm thinking that I could just use it in landscape mode to find schools of moving fish on big grass flats. I fish brackish water, so I'll be targetting LMB, redfish, speckled trout, and even some white perch. Would there be any advantage of Mega360 I'm missing out on?

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Junger said:

 

I'm trying to decide if I need Mega360 if I get ML2. From what I understand, ML2 reaches out much farther now, and I'm thinking that I could just use it in landscape mode to find schools of moving fish on big grass flats. I fish brackish water, so I'll be targetting LMB, redfish, speckled trout, and even some white perch. Would there be any advantage of Mega360 I'm missing out on?

I had the same thoughts 2 years ago and decided to go live imaging over 360.  You can do what you're suggesting.  Look up Scott martin's win on Okeechobee this past spring.  However, the image clarity is very different with live vs 360.  360 is the same as side imaging (it uses a mega SI transducer that rotates) so if you're sitting still you get a full image in very high resolution that you'll never get with live imaging.  But live imaging in perspective will kinda mostly do what you're asking for.

[Tennessee Boy]

MEGA 360 and LakeMaster maps are the only reason I’m still a Humminbird user.  If I had to choose between 360 and FFS I would go with FFS but it would be a difficult decision.  There are many days when 360 is more useful than FFS.  360 and FFS compliment each other very well.  Remember the FFS beam is 20 degrees wide so when you see something 30 feet out it’s somewhere within a 10 foot arc.  My moving the beam back and forth you can narrow it down but with 360 you can see exactly where it is.  When using both it’s great having a horizontal view and a live vertical view at the same time. FFS in landscape mode is useful but it leaves a lot to be desired.   The 360 beam is 86 degrees wide.  The FFS beam is 20 degrees wide and in landscape mode they stretch the image it so it looks like 360 but you are seeing a lot less water.  This image represents what water you are actually seeing with each.

[Junger]

12 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

If I had to choose between 360 and FFS I would go with FFS but it would be a difficult decision.

 

I fish heavy vegetation and spatterdock a lot, I'd say 70% of the time. For me picking M360 over ML2 really comes down to the hassle of trimming them both up when going skinny. It looks like TargetLock has two knobs to loosen/tighten the transducer pole, whereas M360 has bolts to tighten it up. I think ML2 w/ TargetLock will do most of what I need it to do, with minimal hassle when I need to trim it up.

[casts_by_fly]

19 minutes ago, Junger said:

 

I fish heavy vegetation and spatterdock a lot, I'd say 70% of the time. For me picking M360 over ML2 really comes down to the hassle of trimming them both up when going skinny. It looks like TargetLock has two knobs to loosen/tighten the transducer pole, whereas M360 has bolts to tighten it up. I think ML2 w/ TargetLock will do most of what I need it to do, with minimal hassle when I need to trim it up.

how heavy?  I find that in the heavy stuff I fish around here, if the fish are inside the grass or pads then I just leave ml in the truck. When the grass is a solid wall, nothing gets through it. If you’re out off the edges and there are cuts that the fish are on, then I’d think 360 is the answer. 

[Junger]

25 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

how heavy?  I find that in the heavy stuff I fish around here, if the fish are inside the grass or pads then I just leave ml in the truck. When the grass is a solid wall, nothing gets through it. If you’re out off the edges and there are cuts that the fish are on, then I’d think 360 is the answer. 

 

Spatterdock everywhere, and hydrilla all around, it's tidal so I fish inside the grass on the incoming and start of the outgoing to where there's enough water over the hydrilla to trim just under the water line. Sometimes the fishing is too good back there that I fish open pools and have to push pole out. I don't even turn on graphs when I fish this these spots. But I plan to use ML2 with Targetlock for other areas 30% of the time (deep ledge reservoirs, brackish water flats).

 

[casts_by_fly]

15 hours ago, Junger said:

 

Spatterdock everywhere, and hydrilla all around, it's tidal so I fish inside the grass on the incoming and start of the outgoing to where there's enough water over the hydrilla to trim just under the water line. Sometimes the fishing is too good back there that I fish open pools and have to push pole out. I don't even turn on graphs when I fish this these spots. But I plan to use ML2 with Targetlock for other areas 30% of the time (deep ledge reservoirs, brackish water flats).

 

 

yeah, for that level of thick I don't even both with electronics.  I fish a few of those like that.  If you're in the open water and fishing the edges you'd be good for either ML or 360.  I think 360 would be the better choice for that specifically, but if you're also going to use it in open highlands then Mlive for the win.

[Tennessee Boy]

Since the announcement of Xplore and MEGA Live 2, Humminbird has rolled out software updates and published new manuals for many of their existing products. This makes it easier to understand the direction of their product lines. They have launched a version 5 software update for all Apex series and third-generation Solix units, providing these older models with the new user interface introduced with Xplore. However, this update also renders them incompatible with all Helix and earlier Solix units. The new Xplore devices and the version 5 updates integrate with their One Boat Network strategy. In recent years, Humminbird has been adding programmable One Boat Network buttons to their products and released the One Boat Network mobile app some time ago. The recent changes highlight which products will support the future  One Boat Network and which will not. Many users will need to decide if and when they want to fully embrace the One Boat Network, potentially sacrificing compatibility with their older equipment. Personally, I own two first-generation Solix units and one third-generation Solix. Updating the third-generation unit would provide new waypoint management features between the fish finder and the phone app, as well as compatibility with MEGA Live 2. However, this would mean losing compatibility with my two older units and MEGA 360. I hope that MEGA 360 compatibility will be added in the future; otherwise, I may consider switching brands. If I install the version 5 software update on my 3rd gen Solix,  I cannot downgrade to the previous version.  There will be a lot of Humminbird user that have recently spent thousands of dollars on products that are quickly becoming obsolete.  It will be interesting to see how these developments unfold.

 

[Junger]

They would be smart if they issued some kind of rebate for previous generation owners (that have proof of retail purchase). 

[Junger]

Found this video of the ML2 side by side with LVS34; Looks pretty comparable, and ML2 looks better in landscape.

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

9 hours ago, Junger said:

Found this video of the ML2 side by side with LVS34; Looks pretty comparable, and ML2 looks better in landscape.

 

 

 

it does look pretty comparable.  I wonder if the ml1 unit was ‘dumbed down’ for compatibility reasons so that the helix and solix could handle it. And now the processor upgrades in the explore to the level of the apex have allowed better processing. Either way, it has me interested. I am going to sell the kayak and ideally do it with the electronics included. If that happens, then I will have to take a hard look at his setup.