Topic: Recording SI on a Helix 7 CHIRP MSI GPS G3N while using Navionics charts mSD

[William Rodney]

Does anyone have advice for Recording SI on a Helix 7 CHIRP MSI GPS G3N while using Navionics charts mSD card? Also, how do you export .son and .dat files to a mSD card for use with 3rd party software?

[rnvinc]

HELIX 7 only has 1 SD Card slot  ... and it’s not recommended to record to a map card  ... it could corrupt the map card  ...

Recording with a Humminbird unit writes the recording data directly to a SD Card into a folder labeled RECORD ...

In this RECORD folder on the SD Card will be the SON data for use in a 3rd party viewer  ...

Rickie

[William Rodney]

Rickie. Thanks for your reply it was very helpful. The pieces are beginning to come together but a few are still missing. As I understand it, I start and stop recording from the Snapshot Record view and the SI data, up to 8 hours, is stored on the Helix 7 unit (is this only possible with Autochart purchased?). So, since I have not been able to get my Humminbird basemap to upload from my mSD card. I'm using a Navionics mSD charts card to navigate while recording. I have Samsung mSD card for uploading and down loading from the unit. So, should I, before shutting down, take out the Navionics card and insert the Samsung? And then what do I do? All I see in the Navigation menu is Download (Export?) Waypoints and Tracks (or something like, I'm writing from memory). Is there a different place in the menus for SI and sonar data export? Or, am I totally wrong and I have to record directly to a mSD card? If so then I'll need to solve the "why won't my unit upload the Humminbird basemap files?" because I'll need maps to navigate (or at least it would be very helpful. Is it that my Samsung mSD is too large capacity (120G)? I see a lot of folks use 32G cards or even smaller. Please advise.

[rnvinc]

I think you are confusing the HB Sonar Recording feature with AutoChart Live map contour building recording  ... 2 different animals  ...

Sonar recording can only be started from the SnapShot and Recording view  ... it can be stopped from any view in the Xpress Menu (1 Menu button press)  ... Sonar recording “records” the Sonar data screens and GPS data in the background regardless of which view is being displayed  ... Sonar recordings are written directly to an inserted SD Card - NOT to the unit memory  ...

AutoChart Live recording is unit “map contour building” feature that creates Live contour data only on the Chart view  ... 8hrs of AutoChart Live data can be saved in the unit memory. If you need more AutoChart Live than the 8hr capacity you must also buy a Zero Line card to write AutoChart Live to. Inserting a Zero Line card will automatically write the memory’s AutoChart Live data to the Zero Line card. Then you can remove the Zero Line card and create 8 more hours of AutoChart Live data To the unit memory - or leave the Zero Line card in the unit and create AutoChart Live data Directly to the Zero Line card  ... (AutoChart Live recording is started and stopped under the HB tab in the main Menu system)  ...

Your challenge in the HELIX 7 is one SD Card slot  ... so you’re going to have to decide whether you want to see your Navionics map card data on your Chart view, record Sonar data to a blank SD Card, or create AutoChart Live contour data to a Zero Line card  ...

I have read it’s possible to record Sonar data to a Zero Line card - where you could create Sonar recording data and AutoChart Live map contour Data onto the same Zero Line card  ...

You might call HB to confirm that last part  ... 1-800-633-1468

Rickie

[William Rodney]

Thanks Rickie. Again, very helpful. If I have to record my sonar data to a mSD card, would it be possible to use HB basemap for navigation purposes without the map files being on the mSD card or does the unit not store the basemap once it is uploaded from the card? I don't like surveying without charts to follow.

[rnvinc]

Thanks Rickie. Again, very helpful. If I have to record my sonar data to a mSD card, would it be possible to use HB basemap for navigation purposes without the map files being on the mSD card or does the unit not store the basemap once it is uploaded from the card? I don't like surveying without charts to follow.

Basemap is in the unit itself  ... although the contour data is 3-5ft contours  ...

So yes you still can use basemap in the Chart view while recording Sonar data to a SD Card  ...

Rickie