Topic: Will HB Helix be out classed by Lowrance Elite Ti this year?

[October1]

I know that's a strong statement, but I think it's a legitimate one and it drives me nuts that HB dose not have side imaging "mosaic live" on all it's Helix models (or even one of them) when it's competitions comparable units (Lorwance Elite Ti series) has the same feature in "Structure Map" (also savable as a navigable base map) and this is no small feature. In fact I think Bruce Samson sums it up when he says this feature is the future of mapping. Yet HB still makes it much more expensive to do the same thing and in a much less user friendly way then the Elite Ti dose. Possibly because they don't want let go of their desire to make their expensive Auto Chart Pro software somewhat desirable. I can buy an Elite Ti with a 9" screen cheaper than I can buy an HB Helix 7 with the $250 Auto Chart Pro software which requires the use of a computer.

So feature for feature I can get more screen and a more user friendly unit for less money by going with Lowrance. I have been waiting for HB to catch up to Lowrance in bang for the buck but whatever reason they refused to do it last year except for their top of the line units. I was super close to pulling the trigger last year on a Helix 7 last year but decided I couldn't be without something I think is such an important feature.

I WANT to buy HB because of a few things like being made in the USA, but they are making it hard. I really hope they add it to the Helix 7 this year but I do't have much faith in them.

So what do you guys think? Will HB catch up to Lowrance this year when it comes to this feature? If so I will be all over it. If not I may have to finally jump ship (sadly).

[October1]

Nobody? No opinions, guesses or rumors of what HB will be doing this year?

[rnvinc]

This is the only "leak" of new as of now  ...

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=874301

Rickie

[October1]

Thanks Rickie. I will be looking for the announcement tomorrow. It doesn't sound too promising to me though since I was looking for more features built in. Specifically Mosaic Live.

Adding another name to the family may be a great thing (I'm sure it will be or they wouldn't have done it) but I'm really hoping they will add more bang for the buck compared to their main competition (Lowrance).

[October1]

Well that was a disappointment. So far it looks like their biggest accomplishment for 2018 will be the addition of a $2,300 10" Solix. They keep this up and Lowrance will have caught them with their pants down and will have a chance to gain a lot of ground on HB IMHO. I'm trying to hold out hope for something great yet this year since it is early yet, but I have been having a bad feeling about this year and right now it's not looking real special. I like Kevin and all (I remember when he was fishing the local lakes around here before going pro), but very disappointing thus far.

[October1]

I received a reply from Humminbird today in regards to an email I sent them on the subject. It doesn't sound like they have any intentions of adding this feature on the Helix units. Anything can change but that's how it sounds. So if someone wants the feature they are going to have to pay the big bucks for a Solix. Or they can buy AutoChart Pro for $250 and go through the extra hassle of doing it on the computer. I would imagine HB loves that mark up on the AC Pro software. Probably costs them about $10 to produce the package that retails for $250 so I guess I can't expect them give up that little cash cow to give us what's free on mid range Lowrance units when Lowrance charges extra for what HB users get free with AutoChart Live. As my dad would say... 6 of one, half dozen of another. What a bummer.

It sure would be a nice feature to have. It would be great to have sunken ice shanties, boats, rock piles and fields, etc to navigate to on my overlay. It could really give you a better understanding of how to fish a lake and could help you avoid having to have your screen cluttered with a bunch of waypoints in clusters. Plus you could have a spot where you just caught or seen a bunch of fish and you could quickly & easily find a similar spot (structure type & depth combination) or an even better looking spot on your overlay that you made by simply looking at your overlay. Once you make the overlay of the lake or area you will always have the ability to do this. If you like to ice fish and somebody is in your favorite spot you could check out your overlay to find a similar spot to get on fish. Plus if you run into somebody hammering a certain species you can pull up your over lay to find a similar or better spot to target the same species. It could even help you see migration routs. This could be a very useful feature. Especially for places like my bowl shaped lake down the road.

[zeebeest]

is it possible to map the SI on a Solix ?
I dont know yet if a buy a Helix or a Solix this year.

[Bob B]

I don't make my purchase decisions based on a single feature ..... but it sounds like this feature trumps everything else to you.  We all have to decide based on the sum of the features that are important to us.
  I personally think Humminbird has the best SI of any other brand and they are always pushing the envelope with new features such as 360 and I-pilot link.
If this feature is that important to you .... go for what makes you happy.

[October1]

is it possible to map the SI on a Solix ?
I dont know yet if a buy a Helix or a Solix this year.

Yes, it can be done live on the water with Solix. It's called "live Mosaic". Check out this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbwSjEZsLj0

[Bob B]

Just watched that YouTube video and that is pretty sweet on the Solix.  The interesting thing is that the mosaic on the Solix does merge the data.  The last I knew, Autochart Pro didn't merge the data when doing SI mosaic ... it was always overridden.  The contour mapping did merge, but not the mosaic.
It is possible that has changed with an update since I checked it out last.

[October1]

One of the reasons I have thought being able to do a "Live" mosaic was such a big deal is because you can see exactly where to run your boat so you can make a very nice usable mosaic by lining things up perfectly. Maybe if they include blending for AutoChart Pro it will help. I don't have Pro (yet) so I guess I will find out when I get it.

Another thing that would be nice is if Pro had the ability to adjust the width of each of the displayed paths of the mosaic to make a cleaner more uniform brightness of your mosaic as well as perfect edges. Maybe you can. I'm not sure since I don't have Pro and there are almost no tutorials on youtube about it's capabilities.

If you are not sure what I mean check out this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQnN4Ov5Ndg

Watch from 0:53-1:10 and 2:13-2:24 to see what I mean.

[Bob B]

No doubt Reefmaster is a great product for Lowrance units .... Too bad they can't create full featured mapping for Humminbird.  This is not a Reefmaster failing but is a restriction from Humminbird.

If you haven't checked it out, Lakeimages has some great tutorials including one for Autochart Pro.  The bundle is the best deal.

http://www.lakeimagestraining.com/

[iceperch]

No doubt Reefmaster is a great product for Lowrance units .... Too bad they can't create full featured mapping for Humminbird.  This is not a Reefmaster failing but is a restriction from Humminbird.

If you haven't checked it out, Lakeimages has some great tutorials including one for Autochart Pro.  The bundle is the best deal.

http://www.lakeimagestraining.com/

 For Solix users RM is only one way to view sonar logs-data. There isn't any viewer for Solix.