HONEST HUMMINBIRD HELIX 7 MEGA SI GPS G4N REVIEW

In todays video I give my honest review on the Humminbird Helix 7 MSI G4N after using it for the past fishing season and compare it to the past helix units I've owned (helix 5 G1 gps and helix 7 G2 SI) to give you the best idea of what you will be buying when purchasing this unit.
All in all I have good things to say and would recommend this to anyone, but with any good review video I had to say my negatives as well. I am not here to tell you to buy, or not to buy. I simply stated all the facts I know about the unit and hope you can use this information to help you in your fish finder search.

[@brianpeter7139]

Regarding your "con" about the cables vibrating loose... wrap the outside of the connectors with one wrap of electrical tape, no overlap. That is just enough extra thickness and adds friction when inserted so they won't come out. Mine initially fell out every couple of trips as well. Now with the tape wrapped, they haven't come out in 3 years. Still easy enough to remove if you want, but they won't vibrate themselves out anymore.

[@DomStromFishing]

That is such a good idea!!! I never even thought of that…

[@kencleg7721]

Good point mine goes blank then I Re power up in chop

[@paultheplumba]

Ty for the info on the helix 7 MSI MDI gen 4 unit. Just bought the wife and I each a unit. We kayak fish and have never used electronics before. Have really no idea how to start. We are fully set up now with units mounted and ready to go. Thanks also for telling us about the contrast and sensitivity. We appreciate the vid.

[@DomStromFishing]

Of course!!! Thank you so much for the view and the comment. If you ever have any further questions feel free to reach out

[@steve5642]

Thumbs up... great work on this review vid. It's clearly reading a number is folks looking to score their first unit. I currently run the Gen3 version of this unit for a few years now. It's true fish beyond the water column in si can be tough to see. Running 2d in combo with si, I've seen well defined arches where there are no returns in the si water column. This means those fish are somewhere just beyond the si water column at that location. I also record at times while graphing and use the app 'sonar viewer' on PC to basically try and train my eyes. A limitation in the helix 7 is only one sd slot so you can't record unless you swap out your higher def map card. Tight lines!

[@DomStromFishing]

All very good points and thanks for the comment! As far as your sd card issue, if you get a helix 7 g4n it has 2 sd card slots. Not sure why on the older ones there is only 1 spot for an sd card.

[@kirkvoltz5821]

Great info… you are absolutely correct with the cords bouncing out if you are in rough water and running at speed…… has happened to me at least 4 or 5 times… mine is flush mounted in my center console and is a real pain when you have to plug it back in…. Ugggg

[@DomStromFishing]

Hopefully whenever the gen 5’s come out they find a way to solve that issue. Thanks for the view and comment!

[@joshbarger1869]

Zip tie both wire together about 8" off the plugs fix the rest of the wire so it can't move... problem solved

[@CaptJimmysLivingTheDreamFishin]

Thank you for a great honest informative video im looking at getting a g4n at this moment and ran across your video review

[@DomStromFishing]

Glad I could help

[@loriboyle650]

i have a g4n and love it!

[@user-lm9hf4dl6s]

I have a helix chirp SI gps g2 . Do I need to upgrade unit to get mega SI or is all I need a new transducer

[@steve5642]

If I understand the Humminbird unit & transducer specs correctly, an upgraded transducer will not advance the capabilities of a prior generation unit. See Humminbird's specs for the transducer matched for your unit. The compatibility info essentially says a transducer's capability is maxed for current and newer units and a given unit's capability is maxed for current and newer transducers. If that makes sense.

[@bnlalldredge]

I've had the helix 7 for a year now and after trying every setting I could and not seeing any fish on the side imaging I just purchased the XHS 9 HDSI 180 Transducer and boom, fish everywhere,

[@DomStromFishing]

Interesting, that would have been nice to know long ago to get better images!

[@kylesmith3211]

I hate how every company has their own words for each kind of sonar .it makes it really hard to understand the difference in each unit...ive slowly caught on but man its annoying..i finally figures out whag the lawrance versions of 360 is.

[@DomStromFishing]

Agreed! Like i get they all want their own catchy name for things but i do wish they had a universal term for everything that they could use to describe each version so comparison would be a touch easier

[@canatek]

Thanks for the video, lots of great info. Two questions: 1- Can you have the Mega 360 and side imaging transducers connected at the same time? 2- Is it a touchscreen? If not is it worth getting one with touchscreen instead?

[@DomStromFishing]

Thanks for the view! 1) i believe they make an adaptor to have both hooked up at the same time but you would still have to change what transducer the unit is running off of in the settings 2) its not touch screen, and if you wanted a touchscreen be ready to spend an extra $1000

[@squeakychairproductions6813]

Thanks for posting this video! I recently purchased an underwater ROV (Fifish v6 Expert) and am looking at adding a unit with side scan sonar to help find points of interest to investigate with my robot. From what I see, this unit would have no trouble identifying small boats and cars but can you make out smaller things like the size of a cinder block? Any insight would be great! Thanks.

[@Norfolkyakker]

I'm glad I'm not the only one😁 7:57

[@dennisbrooks1226]

Good information. I'm currently trying to decide between 2 Hummingbird Helix 9s or 2 Lowrance Elite FS 9s. Thanks

[@DomStromFishing]

Well i hope i was able to help in any way i could with making that decision easier for you, honestly feel both are very good and you will be happy with whatever unit you decide on

[@dopemanricky7196]

"Its not to difficult to understand" homie im here even after reading the manual front to back.

[@DomStromFishing]

kzbin.info/aero/PLa3nYeONfSs3mNxe_vDD3Psy-I-ngc7Ly&si=H1tr5UaSlynWmvlX

[@DomStromFishing]

That is a great series of videos that goes over a lot of the common different sonar options to possibly help! Thanks for the view and comment homie

[@garywt54]

nice review, thinking about updating, can u somehow show me your settings, do you ever wish you would have went to a 9?

[@DomStromFishing]

Thanks for the view and comment! Not sure how to show my settings, maybe one day ill make a video showing all my exact settings i use but they often change from day to day. I actually got a 9 this spring and have used it a little bit so far this year and love it. 100% wish i got the 9 instead. This upcoming wednesday i have a review on that unit coming out and will explain all the benefits of the 9 over the 7 in that video

[@garywt54]

@@DomStromFishing Ok thanks sounds great, cause I'm debating between a 9 and a 7..if it's worth the money.

[@jamesrussell8896]

great video, I'm very interested in a Helix 5 or 7, I want it portable, Ice, mostly ice, kayak, and bow unit on a pontoon that has a 5 at the console, mostly pan fishing, blue gill, crappie, and perch. Most of the time I am in 20 feet of water. Some deeper water for walleye , smallmouth, and perch, say up to 60 feet. Almost never cast at bass from a trolling motor. Vertical jigging 90% of the time, 10% trolling for deepish walleyes. I would like a package deal(all season), but I'm not sure what suits me best. I'm coming from a striker 4cv, so I'll be happy with most anything. $1000, maybe $1200 budget, but it needs to include a shuttle. So yeah, I'd aprpeiciate any feed back you could give me.

[@DomStromFishing]

I would suggest get the helix ice setup 5 or 7. Depending on how big of a screen you like. Then just buy the open water transducer for your pontoon and when using on the pontoon use that transducer and when ice fishing you will have the whole shuttle setup already. Doesnt sound like you’re fishing for the bassmaster classic so this setup should work just fine for you

[@taylorleach1350]

what kind of/size battery do you use to power this unit? and how long do you have it on at a time before it starts to kill your battery. i have a deep cycle starting battery that i have for my 175 Merc and was thinking about running it off that. or should i buy a separate deep cycle for the unit alone? thank you!

[@DomStromFishing]

I dont know the exact specs on my battery but its just a typical deep cycle that i also run all my electronics (lights, bilge/livewell pumps, 3 depthfinders and charge my phone) and use for starting my motor which i have yet to run long enough to kill the battery. Ive probably fished about 9-10 hours straight without an issue.

[@gregvanderhart6541]

sounds like a good life bud....haha just bought one and I cant wait to use it.

[@DomStromFishing]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@user-lm9hf4dl6s]

Is it the transducer that is responsible for mega side imaging or is it the actual unit itself. Can you upgrade to mega side imaging buy buying a different transducer. Thanks

[@DomStromFishing]

Great question, so the transducer is whats responsible for being able to do the side imaging, but the actual unit itself also needs to be able to support side imaging. You cant just buy a SI transducer and hook it up to say a DI unit. I hope that answers your question!

[@user-yy2vk1gp9w]

What kind or transducer does it have

[@DomStromFishing]

Mine came with the mega side imaging transduecer. All depends on what model you get, so pay attention to the model you get. Generally, more expensive=the better transduecer

[@rbjb0822]

What's the perfect set up for the helix 7? I have the same unit. Do you have the SI DYNAMIC CONTRAST ON?

[@DomStromFishing]

My general rule of thumb is always have the contrast and sensitivity around 10-14. To me that seems to work best. And no i do not have dynamic contrast on, seems to not get as good of a picture when on. I recommend going to a lake where you know there are rocks, trees or other things of that nature and just mess with all the settings yourself to learn what looks best

[@jamesvircik2865]

Hey thanks is there a setting on the helix seven that will put the left or right side only, on side, imaging, on the entire screen?

[@DomStromFishing]

Yes there is, i do this a ton to get a better look at stuff. If you go into the settings where you would change the sensitivity and contrast for SI, scroll down there should be an option that is automatically set at “both” that you can then arrow over to “left” or “right”.

[@jamesvircik2865]

Hey, thanks a lot I know that’s what the pros do. That’s why they got two giant screens on the consul one for each side

[@aaronjohns1451]

I have a Hook 9 tripleshot that I'm not impressed with. Would it be worth trading down to the helix 7 for the mega side imaging?

[@DomStromFishing]

Id suggest going to a store nearby and looking at the helix 7 in person first to make sure you will like it more. Screen quality and side imaging quality the helix 7 is better but i feel for navigating between screens and some settings the hook 9 is actually better. Feel this is totally a personal preference question. No right or wrong answer

[@aaronjohns1451]

@DomStromFishing I certainly appreciate the info. My main concern was mainly just for side imaging and down imaging, and from what I observed with the 9, left a lot to be desired. Not to mention, the hook is somewhat unwieldy, considering i remove it when I leave the water.

[@mattgarber2238]

I just picked up a helix 7 g4, with mega si and di. I can't figure out how to get to the down or side imaging? Not on the sonar tab and doesn't come up with the view button? Help please

[@DomStromFishing]

You may need to go into your views settings and turn the si and di to visible. Possible its just hidden on your unit currently

[@mattgarber2238]

@@DomStromFishing I had to default my settings, but its working now. Thank you

[@danielsmithingell9806]

Hello very informative. I just bought a used Walleye and come with a helix 7. Was wondering how do you pin point , let's say a rock from tje distance of your transducer to location of your screen. Let's say you were hypothetically fishing, streight down and want to hit the rock? Thanks man

[@DomStromFishing]

depends what mode you are in and what depth of water you're in. If in 2d/down imaging then straight down from the transducer will be whatever the screen is showing you at that moment. If in side imaging mode then you need to do some math to figure out how far away from the transducer a rock is. Typically, the closer to the center of your screen in side imaging mode the closer to your boat then what the vertical lines say for distance. If side imaging is what you're trying to learn more on just watch a couple videos on how side imaging works. Thats the main way i learned

[@tuiflies5869]

Pro Tip: move the cursor over the feature you’re targeting and mark a waypoint. The unit calculates the actual position and accounts your movement.

[@iputudarsana9710]

Hi can use on salt water?

[@DomStromFishing]

Im not sure, i would assume you could but i also live 1000+ miles from any saltwater so i would have no idea for sure

[@patpintelon8607]

I need to find a aluminum object of 2/3 of a feet and meters long at the sea bottom at 20m depth. Do you thing this is feasible with this device? Tnx

[@DomStromFishing]

Maybe, but anything that deep that small will be pretty tough to see unfortunately

[@loriboyle650]

i love mine!! nice review

[@DomStromFishing]

Thank you!! Glad you also love yours!!

[@brianm2027]

They make a number of different Helix 7 and I am having trouble determining which one I need. What model number do you recommend?

[@DomStromFishing]

Id reccomend the helix 7 si g4n just because it has everything you would need. But it really depends what you’re wanting to use it for. The “n” in g4n stands for it being able to be networked with another unit so they can share waypoints back and fourth. The “di” stands for down imaging, the “si” stands for side imaging if you’re wanting to use that and si units also come with down imaging.

[@brianm2027]

@@DomStromFishing thank you!

[@CaptJimmysLivingTheDreamFishin]

I now have the helix 7 chirp mega si gen 4 I recently bought a naviontics platinum plus south chip. I’ve up loaded the naviontics data. My issue is it works on my helix, but does not give me the satellite image I wanted to see. I must not be doing something correctly.

[@Xng88]

Did u have to purchase the map sd separately? And is it recommended? I plan to put this on my canoe. sounds silly, but I didn't want to use a cheap unit either.

[@DomStromFishing]

Yes you have to buy a map sd to get a detailed map. Id recommend getting it as the stock map on the unit is not very detailed and often i found to be inaccurate

[@saltyOG]

Do the buttons illuminate and if so where is that setting in the menus?

[@DomStromFishing]

If they do illuminate i havent figured it out. Im going to guess they do not illuminate however

[@bcgruber9360]

Looking between this unit and the regular. Is MEGA worth the extra money?

[@DomStromFishing]

As someone who has used both, yes it is 100% worth the money. Not even close in the image quality

[@loriboyle650]

definetly worth it

[@berimbau1701]

Hi I can't chose between this unit and Garmin striker Vivid 9 sv, what is your opinion is it better to go for bigger screen but less clear image quality, or smaller screen with better image quality?

[@DomStromFishing]

That is a tough question! Personally, id go for the better image quality and just make sure to not have the screen too far from my face. You can always zoom in the side imaging or set it to 1 side only to make your image a little bigger

[@berimbau1701]

@@DomStromFishing thanks for reply,it is really hard to decide. Tight lines 🎣👍

[@Bwwk3440]

@@berimbau1701 I have the striker 9 and you can’t get maps on any striker series

[@berimbau1701]

​@@Bwwk3440 I know, you can only make your own, I already bought a Helix 7 MSI I think I made the right decision 😅

[@michaelyork7844]

​@berimbau1701 yes same here I'm going back forth helix,hook reveal2,garmin striker alot of rime on Google/ytube

[@hobonickel840]

What about MSI g3??

[@DomStromFishing]

Ive never used the G3 MSI but i assume it would be similar to then G4, maybe a little less image quality

[@SpeekofDee]

Does the N stand for network?

[@DomStromFishing]

Yes, so if you want to pair multiple units together make sure you get the ones with the N

[@fishing2470]

What does your transducer look like on the helix 7?

[@DomStromFishing]

You would think i would have thought to show that in a review video. My bad

[@DomStromFishing]

www.tacklewarehouse.com/Humminbird_Helix_7_MEGA_CHIRP_Transom_Transducer_w__T/descpage-HSDR.html?_gl=1*1p55yvy*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiAn-2tBhDVARIsAGmStVm0yJEp6z9oBfUWnnv-VvXZyNsUCq3GvQvTbb3AWY

[@fishing2470]

Awesome thanks now I got question there is a guy that has a helix7 gen4 for $500 bucks do you think is worth $500 and only used twice.

[@DomStromFishing]

Look up the value of that exact make and model of helix 7 and see the price difference. I dont want to tell you if its a good deal or not without knowing all the details on it

[@fishing2470]

I hear ya!! I appreciate the response thank you!!

[@timhafley5177]

Buy a 9 gen 4

[@DomStromFishing]

The plans to get one this coming spring! Do you have one? (If you do have one) Any major differences you see with the 9 minus the bigger screen?

[@2ARELOADED]

So you can see rocks but not fish?? Wtf😂

[@DomStromFishing]

Yeah, the rocks are bigger than fish so they cast a bigger/darker shadow. With some time i have learned how to see fish a little better but its still tough

[@straightwhitemale5753]

A 7 isnt a thousand dollars. Lmao

[@DomStromFishing]

humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/fish-finders/helix/helix-7-chirp-mega-si-gps-g4n

[@straightwhitemale5753]

@@DomStromFishing Amazon has them for $630