Humminbird Helix 7 Review (2024 Buyer's Guide) (2024)

Do you fish on large bodies of water like the ocean or the great lakes? Do you know how hard it is to find a fish?

With so much space to roam around and hide in, it can take you hours, even days, to get a read on them.

One piece of equipment that is going to help you discover where the fish are a little quicker is a fish finder GPS unit like the Helix 7.

With the Helix 7, you’ll have access to charts of your fishing area showing you all the map depth contours, well defined fish arches, a GPS to help you navigate them, plus awesome sonar that’ll show you what’s lurking underneath and even to the side of your boat.

There really will be nowhere left for the fish to hide.

Things to consider before buying the Humminbird Helix 7

The Helix 7 fish finder series takes away any guesswork when you’re fishing.

Using the GPS you’ll be able to see where you have been, where you’re going, and mark any great fishing spots along the way to return to another day, all on up-to-date charts of your fishing area.

Sonar Technology

Not only does the Helix 7 fish finder help you navigate around but with Mega Imaging, it also shows you everything that’s under your boat, from a school of fish to a fallen tree, using sonar technology.

The Helix 7 comes with Dual Spectrum chirp sonar technology that offers two ways to search. Wide mode for maximum coverage and narrow mode for maximum detail.

You have the option to use CHIRP while cruising, CHIRP SI for side imaging, and CHIRP DI G2 for detailed scans of the bottom.

With this kind of sonar at your fingertips, you’ll be able to know if there is anything for fishing for wherever your boat is.

Who should own a Humminbird Helix 7?

If you fish on a vessel with onboard power in large lakes, rivers, or in the sea, then this fish finder is a perfect fit for you.

You’ll be able to navigate your boat using the GPS and charts to Hawaii if you want to and use the sonar to see all the fish along the way.

Who shouldn’t own a Humminbird Helix 7?

If you use a small boat or kayak without an onboard power system, like some 12 V batteries, then this is not the fish finder for you, as it needs the batteries in order to function.

You’d be better off going for a unit like the Striker 4 series from Garmin that is fully portable with sonar, GPS, and its own battery pack.

Does the Humminbird Helix 7 have GPS?

Yes, it has GPS capabilities that give you an accurate position of your vessel down to 20 meters. This is great news as other fish finders don’t come with a GPS meaning you’ll have to invest in a handheld fishing GPS separately. I have also reviewed my fair share of those here.

It’s perfect for navigating your fishing grounds and marking useful spots where fish like to hide, or where it is safe to anchor.

Does the Helix 7 come with a transducer?

Yes, every model of the Helix 7 comes with a transducer as standard.

The Helix 7 CHIRP transducer model varies according to the model you choose, to ensure that all the sonar features are serviced by it.

Do all Humminbird Helix 7’s come with side imaging?

No, only the most expensive units come with side imaging (SI) and you can quickly tell which of the fish finders include it as SI will be in the model name.

For example, a Helix 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS includes side imaging, whereas a CHIRP DI G2 model does not.

If you want a combo unit with side imaging, check out my Humminbird 999ci HD review.

Is SI worth paying a bit more for?

This depends on where and what you’re fishing for.

You can get by without it, but I would enjoy having side imagining. In fact, the Helix is one of the best side imaging fish finders you can buy.

Getting unprecedented underwater clarity and knowing if there are any fish 125ft to either side of my boat might show me a sailfish or a marlin that is worth changing direction for and catching.

The same goes when looking for schools of baitfish in a lake.

Features & Benefits – What does the Helix 7 really have to offer?

Can You Use And Read The Display?

The fish finder display is one of the most important things.

Not only do you use the fish finder display to see your charts, GPS, and sonar imaging, but it also holds all the buttons to navigate through and select all the features.

If you’re confused about the details showing up in the fishfinder display, here’s a guide to reading a fishfinder. Be sure to check it out.

Size

It comes with a 7-inch fish finder display which is about the average size for a fish finder display and is large enough to see all the feature details on.

You can also split the fish finder display into two screens and watch say Down Imaging and Side Imaging at the same time, or GPS and CHIRP.

The 7”, Ultra-wide display gives you ample room to view the many pre-loaded split screen view options.

Contrast & Resolution

Fish finders also need screens that you can read in direct sunlight and to do so need to have good resolution and contrast.

The fish finder display gives you excellent contrast and resolution with a pixel matrix of 800H x 480V. You can read in all light conditions and from almost any angle.

Usability

On the top right-hand side of the Helix 7 fish finder display is a keypad holding all the buttons you’ll use to navigate through the software.

You have an accessible navigation menu button to access the internal menu, an arrow pad to navigate around plus a ‘tick’ and exit button to confirm your selection.

Zoom

In addition to this, there’s plus + and minus – keys for zooming in and out, a mark button for quickly marking a waypoint, a view button to quickly change what you’re seeing to other features, and a Go-To button for inputting where you’d like the GPS to direct you to.

It has a great keypad layout overall, with all the right buttons so you can access and change things around easily.

Humminbird Helix 7 Cover & Durability

All the fish finder displays come with a cover to protect them for durability and are waterproof to IPX7, so they can survive being submerged at 1 meter for 30 minutes. More than enough to deal with any splashes

Are the maps any good?

The Helix 7 comes with Humminbird’s own Basemap.

The Humminbird basemap is far more detailed than any other fishfinder manufacture such as Lowrance or Garmin and comes on every unit like the Helix 5 or lesser.

The Basemap includes charts of over 10,000 US lakes and coastal coverage of the US coastline.

On it, you’ll see a clear image of the underwater terrain, plus any hazards, identify buoys, day markers, and hazards to avoid.

NOTE

In addition to this, you’ll have the depth markers and easy to read contours, everything you need to navigate with confidence using the GPS to follow yourself around.

Are other maps compatible?

Yes, both Lake Master and Navionics are compatible with the Helix 7.

Humminbird LakeMaster maps is ideal for any freshwater fishermen as it covers over 10,000 us and Canadian lakes in a lot of detail but it has no ocean coverage. From easy-to-read contours, to highlighted depth ranges, to scrollable lake lists, you’ll have all the tools you need to make every moment count.

Navionics covers 21,000 US and Canadian lakes plus coastal coverage of all of North America, making it better for sea fishermen and for anyone who uses their boat in both fresh and saltwater.

How useful is the Humminbird helix 7 sonar GPS?

The GPS system on the Helix 7 is the same as in the Helix 5, and the GPS isn’t just there to help you see where you’re going, it offers a lot more.

With the GPS you can plan routes and it’ll show exactly where to drive, how fast you’re going, and how long it might take to get there.

TIP

You can also see your tacks on the GPS, so you know where you’ve been, a handy feature for following a route to the dock or to fish an area where you caught fish again.

GPS Features

The GPS also lets you mark waypoints, so you can save good fishing spots onto the professional grade fishing system and drive straight back to them the next time you’re out fishing.

Another great fishing tool the GPS gives you is your boat speed. Marlin like fast-moving lures and need 7-8 knots to get excited, whereas sailfish prefer 5-6 knots, how would you know your speed without a GPS?

The GPS will tell you if you’re going 5 knots or 8 knots, for example, letting you get the right speed for the fish you want to catch or the lures you’re pulling.

Pretty neat if you ask me. If you ever find yourself thinking, “what is a marine GPS?“, I share the same sentiment. I wrote about their functionality as a favor for myself and readers like you.

Understanding the Humminbird Helix 7 Sonar Features

I already mentioned in the section above that different Helix 7 models have different sonar features, depending on if you get the Helix 7 CHIRP, Helix 7 CHIRP DI, Ice Helix 7 CHIRP, or Helix 7 CHIRP with SI.

To help you pick the right Helix 7 CHIRP model, below I’m going to explain about each of the features, what water depth ranges they go to, and why they are useful.

How Does CHIRP Sonar Work?

Every Helix 7 is a Helix 7 CHIRP model and it’s the basis for all the sonar features. CHIRP radar or sonar works by sending out multiple frequency sonar waves simultaneously, and this is important if you want a detailed picture of the full water column.

Low Frequency

Low-frequency sonar waves penetrate deep to the bottom and pick up a bit of detail on the way.

High Frequency

High-frequency sonar waves get absorbed by the water but pick up a lot of detail on the way. So the higher the sonar wave the more detail it picks up, and the lower the wave, the deeper it goes.

CHIRP

CHIRP sends out a spectrum of waves at the same time between 80 and 220 kHz and takes readings from all of them.

It goes to a water depth of 1200ft while picking up all the details in between 1200ft and the deck of your boat to show you everything that is in the water column.

CHIRP Function

CHIRP is the most useful sonar feature, hence every Helix 7 is a Helix 7 CHIRP.

It is perfect for use when trolling or searching for areas to fish around, as it gives you the fullest picture of the entire water column possible.

You’ll be able to spot schools of fish, interesting underwater terrain features like pinnacles or canyons, plus see things like fallen trees where fish might hide.

What is Down Imaging?

Down imaging sonar is another form of CHIRP and is featured on models with DI in the name, like Helix 7 CHIRP DI G2.

Down imaging sonar works by sending out only high-frequency sonar waves between 440-500 kHz.

This means that down imaging doesn’t go to the same depths as CHIRP but it picks up a lot more detail and is useful when you want to take a closer look at what’s under your boat.

Down Imaging goes to a depth of 480 ft, so if you want to see a more detailed down image of a pinnacle at 200ft, you can switch to down imaging mode to see what fish are sitting around it and where.

Mega Down Imaging

Unlike the Helix 5, some of the Helix 7 models come with Mega Down Imaging (Mega DI) which takes things to another level in terms of detail.

You’ll unlock new details with up to 3x more output than standard Down Imaging sonar.

Mega Down Imaging uses sonar waves between 1075-1150 kHz, a lot higher than normal down imaging to give you an almost picture-like image with up to 3 times more details than normal down imaging.

Mega DI Function

Mega down imaging comes in useful when you’re analyzing a fishing spot, or trying to target a specific species, with the mega down imaging, extra details it shows allows you to see a lot more of what’s down there, so you can plan your fishing accordingly.

Mega down imaging only hits 125 ft though, so you can look at anything beneath you in serious detail down to that depth, but nothing further.

What is Side Imaging?

CHIRP mega side imaging is the exact same as down imaging except the sonar beams go to the side of your boat instead of straight down.

Side imaging uses the exact same sonar waves as down imaging and lets you see what fish or fish holding structure lie 240 ft on either side of your boat.

With the Mega Side Imaging, you’ll get detail up to 3x more output than standard Side Imaging sonar.

Side Imaging Function

Side imaging is particularly useful when looking for schooling baitfish that keep moving or large hard to find species like marlin.

Some of the helix 7 models also come with Mega Side Imaging, which like Mega DI, gives you even more detail than normal side imaging.

The Mega Side Imaging range is smaller though, and only goes to 125 ft, but it’ll show 3 times more detail.

How to use SwitchFire Mode

Once you’re using the sonar features, you can choose how you want the sonar returns to appear on your screen using Switchfire Sonar Mode.

The fish finder display has two modes that let you add and remove detail, account for depth, temperature, and turbulence, and you can even watch lure presentations with it.

Using SwitchFire Mode

You can turn Switchfire Sonar Mode on at the press of a button, and being able to add and remove detail, account for depth, temperature, and turbulence means you can clean up the sonar image, and see only what you need to, without any distractions.

This means you can home in on fish only, fish and structure, or fish, structure and the bottom, it’s up to you.

Helix 7 ice fishing conversion kit

If you want the potential to use your Helix 7 in the ice as an ice fishing flasher, definitely consider their conversion kit.

All of the Helix 7 chirp models can be converted to ice fishing units using the ice conversion kit, making them them the best ice fishing fish finders when the lakes are frozen or unfrozen.

With the conversion kit, you get a bag for the display, a power cable, an ice CHIRP transducer with a float, mounting hardware for the display, Gimbal mounting bracket, plus all the cables needed to rig it up.

It does not come with a battery or charger though, and you’ll have to buy the battery and power cable for charging separately to power the unit while you’re ice fishing.

NOTE

Be aware that not all the sonar features will work with the conversion kit. You still have GPS, the charts, and CHIRP, but mega down and mega side imaging capabilities are not supported by the ice transducer.

What do owners of the Helix 7 Think?

It is a popular unit thanks to its range of features from GPS to side imaging to models from the CHIRP DI G2 to the Helix 7 CHIRP Mega SI GPS G3N, but what do the fishermen using them think about them?

Here are some customer reviews I found about Helix 7 CHIRP Mega SI GPS G3N for you to take a look at.

Are there better similar fishfinders out there?

Summing Up

Thanks for reading my review of the Helix 7, I hope you found it useful and now know everything the units have to offer.

They are great fish finders and come with all the features anyone needs to navigate, use charts, and know exactly what’s lurking beneath the surface.

If ever you are still not convinced with the Helix 7, I’d recommend you check out my Humminbird Helix 9 Complete Review, it has tons of great features that you will surely love.

If you enjoyed the article, please check out some of my others.

I cover everything from ice flashers to fly fishing literature, and most of what’s in-between.