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IMAGING
FREQUENCIES
DURABILITY
PRICE
SUMMARY:
The HELIX 5 series offers exceptional sonars and a clear color screen. One of the great things about this unit is its price. It comes with an affordable price yet with some pretty good and useful features. When combined, the DualBeam and SwitchFire technologies offer clear readings of the situation underneath your boat. It’s not a complicated device, so you’ll get a hold of it pretty quickly.
PROS
- Affordable
- Dependable and easy to install
- Color display
- Split screen function
- Water resistant
CONS
- No GPS
- No speed readings
- Hard to read on a sunny day
Review
Humminbird has released their new HELIX 5 series back in March. With the arrival of the new series, the arrival of new technology is inevitable. This particular device comes with a 5-inch ultra-HD widescreen display. Its 800 horizontal by 480 vertical pixels resolution offers a crisp and clear image. That being said, this is an excellent product in its prince range. If you have a somewhat short budget, you might consider buying this device; it has great features and impressive precision thanks to the latest technology. The Sonar system is also excellent; it provides distinguishable signals which later get transformed into a visual presentation.
In this review, we’re going to pay attention to particular features and capabilities of this product. If you didn’t decide yet what model and type are the best for you, search for certain things you’re looking for, in this review, and if you find it interesting enough, feel free to buy it.
The Specifications
Display size – 5 inches (diagonal)
Display resolution – 800 x 480-pixels
Display type – Color TFT
Sonar type – DualBeam Plus
Sonar coverage – 20 and 60 degrees
Sonar Frequency – 200 kHz and 80 kHz
Depth capability – 1500 feet
The Screen and the Resolution
The impressive 800 x 480-pixels resolution offers a vivid and clear picture. The 5-inch screen is an optimal area for this resolution and the quality of the image. It has a 256-color display with good LED backlights. These LED backlights are adjustable, so you can use the whole screen effectively in sunlight as well as by night. Another important factor for quality readings is the DualBeam Plus sonar. It offers top-notch readings with excellent accuracy. Down Imaging allows you to get a fish-eye view of what is happening below the deck. The technology integrated into this device offers impressive pictures and accurate readings.
The Frequencies
This sonar works on two frequencies. On 20 degrees it works on 200 kHz and on 60 degrees it works with 80 kHz of frequency. Most of the devices nowadays can reach up to 800 kHz. Lower frequencies are better for deeper waters and for various things like scanning the pieces on the bottom. Higher frequencies tend to come in handy in shallow waters because the sonar sends much more signals and it receives the feedback quicker because of the shallow water. This device offers pretty standard line-up of frequencies and performance.
Multitasking and Split Screen
The split screen feature allows you to do multiple things at the same time. For example, you could scan the bottom on the left side of the screen, and use a different zoom level of the bottom on the right side of the screen. Although it reads the depth and the temperature of the water, sadly, this device doesn’t have GPS. There are also selectable display colors so you can fine-tune your split screen experience.
SwitchFire and DualBeam Plus
These technologies make this product a great product for people who are looking for a mid-end fish finder. SwitchFire technology includes two crucial features.
Clear mode is the first feature, and it allows the user to see through rough water easily. It can isolate and reduce the noise in shallow water for a clearer image. With this technology, you can eliminate the undesired clutter in the water column.
Max mode allows you to see incredible details of what’s happening below your vessel. Structure, objects, fish, bait, and more is recognized and easily distinguished thanks to these technologies.
This fish finder has an RMS power output of 500W, and a peak-to-peak output of 4000W, which allows the unit to provide an accurate representation of the bottom.
The Sonar
This device combines DualBeam Plus with SwitchFire technology and offers extremely accurate readings and scans. With the DualBeam, two different signals cover different areas so you can get even more valuable readings. Having the commodity of two beams allows you to widen your scan on two separate frequencies.
The Quality, Durability, and Effectiveness
The quality of production is excellent as always with Humminbird. They manufacture top-quality products and have a good reputation in this business. The device is pretty straightforward, easy to use, and most importantly – easy to install. There are no additional concerns when it comes to installation; anyone can do it. It’s also quite useful. Many people use it, and a vast majority of them have positive impressions after using this fish finder. The modern technology integrated into it offers some unique features which come in handy.
This fish finder is quite durable as well. When it comes to nautical equipment, it’s important for it to be durable and water resistant. This product does not lack durability and effectiveness. It’s also quite affordable, so if you’re on a limited budget, you might consider buying this.
The Conclusion
Overall, this product is worth buying. If you’re a fishing enthusiast or you simply want to have some fun for the weekend, HELIX 5 Series of Humminbird fish finders could be a good solution for you. With the clear color screen and top-quality sonar, it fulfills most of the conditions of an average fisherman.
This fish finder is especially worth buying for people with a smaller budget. With its affordable price, it’s one of the rare ones on the market with this amount of unique features and technologies. This device is more than enough you need to have to catch some fish. It will tell you the exact position of the fish as well as the objects surrounding it.
