The Humminbird HELIX 5 DI GPS fish finder is one of the first devices in the HELIX line of fish finders. The HELIX line contains some of the most diverse and advanced fish finders on the market courtesy of Humminbird. What’s so special about the oldest model in the series? Let’s find out.
Design
One of the big reasons Humminbird’s HELIX series is so popular is that the display screens are so large. The entire body of the HELIX is large enough that it requires a gimbal. Many users with wheel driven boats usually attach this right above said wheel.
The HELIX 5 has a handful of buttons and a directional pad to help you mark locations and navigate the finder’s various abilities. Since the HELIX 5 is still one of the more advanced fish finders on the market, you’ll be happy to know that it’s pretty easy to handle and understand.
Abilities
The HELIX 5 DI employs three different types of sonar:
CHRIP Digital Sonar–Common on all HELIX devices. CHRIP sonar is HELIX’s most basic form of sonar that’s still powerful enough to differentiate between fish, bait, and structures that may be lying in the water.
SwitchFire Sonar–SwitchFire sonar actually lets you interact with the data that you get from the initial beaming. Using the buttons on the control panel, you can filter out things like temperature, depth, and turbulence in the water.
DualBeam PLUS Sonar–This type of sonar is pretty interesting because it combines range with detail. If you want to cover a wider area, two beams will combine to extend over a distance equal to your current depth.
Three different types of sonar make the HELIX 5 and the rest of the HELIX series some of the most popular fish finders. However, No fish finder would be great if it didn’t have navigation capabilities.
The HELIX 5 comes GPS equipped, so you can keep track of where you are and where you’ve been at all times. Furthermore, this finder comes equipped with Humminbird Basemap, or underwater maps of over 10,000 lakes and coasts around the U.S. These maps identify the elevation of underwater terrain, buoys, markers, and other manmade objects. Basemap was built in with the idea to give you even more of an edge over other fish finders.
All of this is made possible by the processing power of the HELIX 5 and the widescreen it uses to display sonar data. Even though the HELIX 5 is the oldest model in the HELIX series, it still compares nicely with the newer models and other fish finders of similar design.
Uses
While Humminbird’s Basemap is limited to just bodies of water in and around the U.S., but its only one application of many for the HELIX 5. The sonar abilities combined with the GPS make searching for fish and plotting your course remarkably simple.
Overall
For the earliest model of HELIX finders, the HELIX 5 really impresses. It may be more difficult to find in stores nowadays (besides online), as Humminbird has upgraded and advanced the HELIX series a number of times.
Nevertheless, the HELIX 5 is definitely one of the cheaper models due to its age and still has the same sonar capabilities as the latest versions. Humminbird products will also be a bit of an investment, but the HELIX 5 would still be a great addition to your fishing arsenal.
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