Fishing Equipment
Hummingbird Helix
Regarding autochart. My Helix 10 is three years old, and I've already filled the autochart card. When I use it now it informs me that it will be recording over existing data. When cruising at 25 mph the autochart display does not keep up. Chart screen freezes for two to four seconds, then skips ahead. Don't believe what any salesman tells you about Autochart. (Also, I've had the unit serviced by Humminbird last year, and could not correct the issue. $300 in service costs down the drain.
To those who have Helix 5s, what have you replaced the transducer bracket with? I replaced with a new one, only to have it crack in the same spot. I epoxy it back, held up for awhile til yesterday it was water skiing out the back of the boat full plane! Can't believe it didn't get wrapped or chopped off 
most folks will tell you to turn off the fish id function, and learn to read the actual sonar imaging
there's a bunch of youtube's on how to read sonars and how to tweak them... worth looking into
good luck
here's some samples from HumminbirdTV
Not sure what you mean by "seeing lines". When it picks up on a fish, it beeps and shows as a blue fish icon, which is difficult to pick out on the sonar view. Especially with sensitivity turned up. Down imaging view shows bottom well, guess just not a whole lot of weeds down there, even on the Black River in Onalaska. I do believe I have the sonar on lower power to shoot a bigger cone. I've had used a Hummingbird 597 before, and Vexilar for ice fishing. Thanks for the respones, guess need to play with settings more ; )
I have a similar unit, I have the Helix 5 with SI. I've never noticed that I am not marking something that should be there. Tim may be on to something. I ran Lowrance up until last fall. I prefer the birds now and the straight lines, though they dont stay like that, they become the hooks if you are moving. This morning I watched fish come into the cone and inspect my lure while vertical jigging from the kayak. Another possibility, where is your chart speed/sensitivity set? I spent some time tweaking settings until I found a happy medium.
Charipar Bros with the Helix 5. I have a number of birds including a Helix 7 that I primarily use as a GPS for ice fishing. Did you just switch from a Lowrance to a Bird? I ask, because when I did that, the birds took some getting used to. The Lowrance shows real nice hooks when marking fish. Those hooks are software enhanced. The birds show more of a straight line than a hook, and that takes some getting used to. Are you seeing straight lines or no lines at all?
I bought the Helix 5 with GPS and DownImaging. I fish the Mississippi river often and its backwaters. this unit doesn't seem to mark fish--even my home water lakes where I know there are fish. Anyone else have this same experience? Do I not have the settings correct???
I never asked how long one could record on the zero lines chip but I know I have about 20 hours on mine now and no signs of stopping. 27 years is a lot.
Either way Autochart live is amazing for working on uncharted water. I love it for our river.
Called into Hummingbird today. Asked about the Zero Lines chip, autochart zero lines card, typically sold online for 99.99
Well, they said Auto Chart Live recording could non stop record for 27 years straight saved on that chip.
Sonar recording could non stop record for 8 to 10 hours on that chip.
Both comments based on brand new chip put into the unit.
I only plan to use the chart recordings to keep updated contour lines on all lakes we fish.
Peace, Remi.
