Topic: new boater= no experience with new Helix 7 SI

[Lbranco]

First off hello to all!  I am a new member to this community and hope to learn from the very best!  I am a new boat owner and converted a 2009 Glastron GT225 into a family leisure/ fishing boat.  Had my bottom painted for the salt water and sea dog flush rod mounts installed as well ans my brand new Helix 7 SI unit.  As you can imagine, I am totally amped about being able to use this and increase my fishing fun for this upcoming season.  I dropped the boat yesterday and only had about 2 hrs of practice with the gps unit.  One thing i noticed, and remember this is my first time so my settings might not be correct nor do i know the waters (normal clarity etc) was what looked like hazy image on the down image.  So I am here to ask for help.  I have been trying to do research on the ideal setting for my type of fishing and location (New Jersey- Raritan bay/ Sandy hook) but it seems to be user based by playing around with the unit.  So that's when i turn to you guys.  What are the best settings I should use?  Color pallete etc, distance to each side for SI, contrast etc etc etc.  Also some of my research has people going into advanced settings and doing things manually.  If the default is tough i can only imagine that way!  I hope i don't sound like such a noob but I am. Also I just hope there is nothing wrong with the transducer or would I know that immediately once I plugged it in if something was wrong?  Thank you all for all your help in advance! 

[rnvinc]

General rule for SI Range is 2-3 times the depth ... The shorter the SI range = the larger things will appear in the SI image ...

Match Chart Speed to boat speed for best ratio of how things actually look under the water ...

Choose pallette color by Enviromental conditions ... Bright sunny days will require a different palette choice than cloudy overcast days ... Pick the color that gives good contrast between structure/fish and bottom so that the structure/fish is easier to pick out in the SI image ...

Use SI Sensitivity as a brightness control ... Deeper water and softer bottoms will require more SI Sensitivtiy than shallow water and harder bottoms ...

It is very convenient to have the SI Enhance "Menu" overlayed onto the SI image to have instant access to the SI Sensitivity setting as water depth and bottom composition changes frequently ...

Raise Contrast and Sharpness from default to make fish pop out better in the SI image ... This will also make the overall image more grainy looking so lower them back down when not looking for specific fish targets ...

Set Max Depth under the Sonar tab to 10ft below any water depth you may be in for best performance of the unit transmitters ...

Use the 4way cursor to stop the screen scroll and play with the settngs to see how different settings affect the image ...

Recording is a valuable tool for learning when back at home ...where you can study the imaging without distractions of fishing and boat control ...

Rickie

[Lbranco]

First off thank you a million times!! i will def be doing more fishing this weekend and will play with the unit a bit more.  I was just worried something was broken (transducer) and I would have to pull out my boat and redo the install.  Also what in your opinion would be the best cone to use?  200hz or 83 or combo?  My buddy who does charters sent me a pic of his unit and looks like he was running 200hz.  Also good to know about the side imaging.  I was in 20-25 ft water using 95 ft to each side.  going to crank it down to 60 ft and see what images i get.  Going to take some time for me to learn and i just need to keep letting myself know that!

Any other information would be appreciated!!

[rnvinc]

As in all Sonar technology basics ...:

*Higher frequency will give more detail ... with less coverage ...
*Lower frequency will give more coverage ... with less detail ...

Here are the cone angles for the 83kHz/200kHz frequencies ...



There is great benefit is setting the "Beam Frequency" under the Sonar tab to 83kHz/200kHz ...

This gives the benefits of both frequencies blended into one 2d image ...

Rickie

[rnvinc]

BTW ... The hazy DI image you mentioned in your OP could possibly be an algae bloom or a technical issue ...

Post a screenshot so we can see what you are seeing ...

Rickie

[Lbranco]

Rickie,
     looks like you are my only savior lol.  As far as algae bloom i highly doubt that.  This was a brand new unit and has literally 1 hr of water time.  Maybe my indication of hazy is not correct.  I also was looking at the unit at speeds above 15 moh SMH.  Im such a noob lol.  I will def be trying it out again this saturday weather depending.  2-4 mph is what i will use to scan.  I just want to get all those pretty images everyone shows.  I spoke to the guy who installed unit and he said it is def installed correctly.  He said its on the starboard side plenty far away to not pick up cavitation.  I'll def try getting some pictures and see if they look "normal"

[Lbranco]

Here are some shots Rickie.  What am I looking a?  Do they look normal to you? Should I adjust settings?

[Lbranco]

Some more

[Lbranco]

Some more

[rnvinc]

Your 2d images look normal ... I would only suggest to bump up the 2d Sensitivity some to show more weaker echoes ... Always remember ... A perfectly clear water column in 2d is pretty for Internet pictures - but also means the 2d filters (Sensitivity, Switchfire, Surface Clutter, Noise Filter) are also filtering out weaker echoes you may want to see ... A good rule of thumb for 2d Sensitivity is to use as little filtering as possible and run sensitivity as high as you can stand the amount of clutter on the 2d image ...

Your DI images also look normal ... except for the horizontal line echo close to the top of the DI image (more on this in a second) ... The cloudiness in your DI image looks to be prop wash from a passing boat or maybe you turned and ran thru your own prop wash ... This is indicated by the cloudiness having a define-able shape on the DI image ...without being a constant cloudiness over the entire DI image ...Sonar reflects off bubbles in the water ...and then are displayed as weak light colored echo masses in the DI Image ...

Your SI images also look normal ...except the Chart Speed may be too high - stretching the echoes down in the SI image ... A good rule of thumb is set SI Chart Speed equal to boat speed ...

There is also a blockage to the left of your xducer on your transom ...as indicated by the constant vertical line echo close to the center line in the left side of the SI image ... This could be the left SI beam reflecting off the motor, a trim tab, a livewell screen, another xducer, etc ...

Now back to the horizontal line echo at the top of the DI image ...:

Your HB SI unit does not have a "down pointing" DI piezo in the HDSI xducer to create the data for the DI image available in your SI unit ...

Therefore the DI image in your SI unit is computer generated to look like a DI image ... But gets the data from the SI image ... Basically the DI image is the SI image data rearranged to look like DI ...

This means the horizontal line echo at the top of your DI image is, in fact, the same vertical line echo being created in your left SI ...
-----

And use the SI Sensitivtiy setting frequently to adjust the SI image brightness as the bottom composition changes from softer/harder bottom compositions and deeper/shallower water depths ...

Rickie

[Lbranco]

So it's safe to say I don't have a defective unit?  Also I really really appreciate you taking time out to give me this detailed info.  As for the line I mentioned that weeks ago to who installed it and he said it was installed as per the manual so it might be catching my outboard. This shouldn't affect me fishing though so maybe at the end of season I will readjust.  Any other comments or suggestions on settings I will gladly take em!

[rnvinc]

Here's a few other SI tidbits ...

*Use SI 455kHz to see farther out to the sides (with less overall detail) ...
*Use SI 800kHz to see detail close to the boat (with less overall range) ...(this one is only available in the larger units ... But I add it here for others that may be following) ...
*Use SI Contrast and Sharpness to help fish echoes pop out better (with a grainier overall SI image) ...
*Use shorter SI ranges to enlarge structure for deciphering ...
*Use longer SI ranges to merely find things to mark with waypoint ...
*Use a different palette choice for sunny days/cloudy days ...
*Use Contour Mode On when the water column in not important for the immediate task your using SI for ...

And general unit efficiency ... :

Turn off every view and Combo view that is redundant information or gives information not important to your sonar use ...

Rickie

[Lbranco]

Fantastic info !   Can't wait to try the unit this weekend.