BBB Sponsor

Bass Tackle at Guaranteed Lowest Prices

BBB Sponsors

Authorized AMSOIL Dealer

Your best choice for the Primary Tackle you need!

Fishing Tackle With Guaranteed Best Price!

Garmin Marine Electronics

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 166
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 0

There aren't any users online.

Author Topic: Playing With the New Helix  (Read 18805 times)

Offline Jig Man

  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 1276
  • Thanks: 2
  • BassBoatBoards.com Rocks!
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #15 on: January 04, 2020, 11:49:02 PM »
All of the fish finder fuses that I have ever seen were either 1.5 or 3 amps.
If you're too busy to go fishing you're too busy!!

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2020, 09:21:06 PM »
I ordered a cover for the new Helix and it arrived today.

I was a bit taken back by the price of this cover, at a tad over $40. It's a cover, for crying out loud!

But, I have to admit that when I opened it up today that I was very impressed with it.

It is heavy duty! And it is not just made of plastic. It is silicone. So it is very rugged, and I am assuming that it will fit the unit very snugly, so I won't have to worry about it flying off while trailering the boat.

On that note, though, I have seen pics of people with small straps around their covers to keep them in place while trailering.

Do any of you use a strap on yours? If so, where did you get yours?

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Jig Man

  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 1276
  • Thanks: 2
  • BassBoatBoards.com Rocks!
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2020, 09:30:57 PM »
I have 2 units in the front.  I have a strap that fits around both of them at the same time.  It is from a bicycle carrying unit that we used to use.  Any kind of cord or bungie would do the job.  They probably would not blow off but my middle name is Chicken so I tie them on.
If you're too busy to go fishing you're too busy!!

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2020, 05:55:55 AM »
Quote
They probably would not blow off but my middle name is Chicken so I tie them on.
    :thumbup:

Well, at the risk of losing over $40 with one of them disappearing, I will probably find some kind of small bungee or Velcro strap to secure mine too  (giggle)

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Eric Low

  • Smallmouth Bass
  • ****
  • Posts: 493
  • Thanks: 0
  • BassBoatBoards.com Rocks!
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #19 on: January 23, 2020, 06:54:07 PM »
Ball bungees work great for this

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #20 on: January 23, 2020, 07:28:34 PM »
Ball bungees work great for this


Cool. Thanks for the tip! I'll have to take a measurement and see what size I need  :nod:

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #21 on: February 13, 2020, 10:55:52 AM »
As of today, I have the Helix, the cover, the transducer and the Transducer Protector.

So, essentially, I have everything I need to install it.

The only thing I lack is a raised mount and the cables to network it with my older 798 unit. That will require me to purchase an Ethernet cable and two adapters. But networking it and using the raised mount aren't necessities at this time.

I'm going to do some measuring this weekend to figure out of I actually need a raised mount or not, before I drop $120 on one.

As for the cables, I will definitely want to add those in the very near future, but since I am planning on copying all of the waypoints from my old bow unit over to the console unit anyway, I don't need it right away.

Oh, and I priced #10 wire to run from the batteries to the Helix on the bow. All I can say is wow! Well over $100 for this wire :surprised:

Geesh. Buying a new unit is only the beginning of a long list of add-ons and accessories necessary to make it all work. I'm sure it will all be worth it, but it's like a Pandora's box being opened up  (fp)

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #22 on: February 16, 2020, 01:35:15 PM »
Well, I did some checking this morning and I have decided that I am going to mount the Helix using only the standard mounting bracket.

I tried raising the unit up simply by holding it in my hands, mimicking a higher mount, and I saw no advantages to it at all for me. The standard bracket seems to raise it up high enough for me, especially since neither the standard mount or a raised mount will make my bow trim switch easily accessible.

I will be mounting it using the standard bracket and giving it some on-the-water time in order to get a feel for whether having it higher would make any difference or not.

In my opinion, at least on my boat, mounting it on a raised bracket would only make it stick up higher in the air, with no perceived advantages for me personally.

Time will tell...  :nod:

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Jig Man

  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 1276
  • Thanks: 2
  • BassBoatBoards.com Rocks!
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #23 on: February 16, 2020, 06:49:26 PM »
Have you considered mounting it over your recessed trolling motor foot control well?  I have mine there and really like it.  It is centered and easy to see no matter which foot I am using to run the trolling motor.
If you're too busy to go fishing you're too busy!!

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #24 on: February 16, 2020, 06:58:27 PM »
Have you considered mounting it over your recessed trolling motor foot control well?  I have mine there and really like it.  It is centered and easy to see no matter which foot I am using to run the trolling motor.

As of right now, I am planning on mounting it directly in front of my foot pedal. This will place it right in the center, so I can see it no matter which foot I am using, like you mentioned.

My old bow unit was on the starboard side, very close to the front of the bow, so if I was fishing off the port side of the boat, I had to turn my head to see it.

This should remedy that once and for all.

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Jig Man

  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 1276
  • Thanks: 2
  • BassBoatBoards.com Rocks!
  • Referrals: 0
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2020, 07:17:28 AM »
Sounds like a good plan to me.
If you're too busy to go fishing you're too busy!!

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2020, 10:12:37 AM »
Sounds like a good plan to me.

I think it will work out perfectly with the new location. And I will know in time whether I will need to raise it up or not.

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #27 on: February 18, 2020, 06:16:37 PM »
Well, I spent some time on the phone with people from Humminbird yesterday and today. I had questions that I needed answers to, and they gave me what I needed for info.

First, I needed to clarify some things regarding networking y Helix with my older 798 unit. They assured me that the two will network just fine to share waypoints. Any waypoints created on the Helix will automatically be display on the screen of the 798. They will not be saved on the 798, however. Just displayed on it. If I want to save them to the 798, I will need to move the cursor to it on the screen and mark it on that unit.

It is possible to share sonar images from the Helix to the 798. To do this, though, I would need to turn off the MEGA imaging capabilities on the Helix, since the 798 doesn't have the capacity to process and display MEGA imaging data. This would make no sense for me to do, since turning the MEGA imaging capabilities off would render the Helix much less useful, and nobody in the back of the boat needs to see what is on the screen up front anyway.

I also asked them about the wiring for the Helix. First, did I need a dedicated run from the battery to the bow? Second, what gauge wire is required?

They highly recommend a dedicated run, directly from the battery, with a choke installed at the battery, to prevent interference on the screen of the Helix.

As for wire size, they recommend size 12 or 14 multi-strand wire, with a 3-4 AMP slow-blow fuse inline.

Now that I know all of this, I will be ordering the networking cables, which will basically be my last piece of Humminbird equipment needed. Then I need to pick up the 25-30 feet of wire to run from stern to bow.

Onward...  (giggle)

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #28 on: February 18, 2020, 07:42:08 PM »
Well, after spending some time searching, I finally found the 15 ft. Ethernet cable in stock, as well as the two adapter cables that I need. Good old Walmart.com had them both in stock, with free two-day shipping!

Best of all, the 15 ft. Ethernet cable (Humminbird 720073-5 AS EC 15E Ethernet Cable, 15ft) was priced at $42.47, whereas everywhere else had it listed at $52-$59, and most of those places were out of stock or wanted to charge a delivery fee.

The adapter cables (720074-1 AS EC QDE Ethernet Adapter Cable) were also in stock and available for shipping. The price for these was the same as everywhere else. But even Humminbird didn't have them in stock on their own website.

I'm hoping I don't get an email from Walmart, apologizing that the items aren't in stock, since I actually checked with them before I placed the order, to make sure they were available to ship. I was assured that they were both in stock and available.

I guess we will see!

And if they are in stock, they should be here by end of day, Thursday!  :thumbup:

The list of needed items is now down to just one more. The wire, which I have found and will be ordering shortly.  :nod:

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Offline Curt

  • BBB Admin
  • Administrator
  • Largemouth Bass
  • *****
  • Posts: 5894
  • Thanks: 10
  • Fish On!
  • Referrals: 264
    • CurtSnow.com
  • My Biggest Bass: LMB - 9 lbs. 2 oz. (RI) 9 lbs. 14 oz. (California Delta) - SMB 5 lbs. 10 oz. (CT)
Re: Playing With the New Helix
« Reply #29 on: February 18, 2020, 08:22:46 PM »
So, here is the wire I found on Amazon. It's tinned 12-2 marine wire.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MI5EOGG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1YXTETT9IAQMV&psc=1

My question is whether tinned wire is OK. I'm guessing it is, since it's marine wire, but I've never used tinned wire in the past and want to make sure before I spend the money on it.

@bullet20dc Do you have feedback on this?

Professionally Designed Websites Starting at Just $99 http://www.ProWebsitesUnlimited.com

Tags:
 

* Recent Posts

No posts were found.

* Forum Staff

Curt admin Curt
Administrator
admin Jive
Administrator
Mitz gmod Mitz
Global Moderator
SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal