Purchased Helix 10 DI+ G3N but unit says its SI+?

[tbonebrad]

I purchased a Helix 10 DI+ G3N unit so I would have something compatible with M360 and when I hooked up the unit it says its a Helix 10 SI+ on load and on the network. The box the unit came in was a DI box and it came with a DI transducer. Did I get lucky here or is this normal?

[Kenfuel]

You got lucky imo, you are not the only one. Happened in this thread too.

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1027358

Post#26

[BoatNoobie]

Where are you purchasing them from?

[tbonebrad]

I got it from United Outdoors on eBay

[Dennisb615]

I just received my Helix 10 MDI from united outdoors and it is a MSI version as well. I talked to HB today and verified that my unit is an SI version, working on exchanging the MDI transducer with the MSI. 20200121_150227.jpg20200121_144223.jpg20200121_144223.jpg

[Bob B]

Seems like it's more than anomoly .... gonna be interesting to see how many of these there are.

[tweakjr]

Doesn't it make sense since a DI+ is advertised as being compatible to use with a mega 360?
The 360 needs a SI signal driven from the transducer port.
We were all wondering that very fact early on.

[BassTracker175]

Interesting. A small price difference in The two Transducers, but a big price gap in combos prices.

Hope HB won’t raise the MSRP of the SI+ transducer.

Doesn't it make sense since a DI+ is advertised as being compatible to use with a mega 360?
The 360 needs a SI signal driven from the transducer port.
We were all wondering that very fact early on.

[Kenfuel]

My helix 10 mega di+ g3n shows as a di+, not as a si+ model. I wouldn't buy a di+ and expect to get a si+ model. My guess is united outdoors has some mislabeled units, and if you get one that is si+ you got lucky.

[Wayne P.]

Doesn't it make sense since a DI+ is advertised as being compatible to use with a mega 360?
The 360 needs a SI signal driven from the transducer port.
We were all wondering that very fact early on.

The MEGA 360 is supported by a DI+ model. It ADDS MEGA 360 and Side Imaging to a DI+ unit.
The MEGA 360 REPLACES SI on a SI+ unit.

I have run both a MEGA SI+ and MEGA DI+ model with the MEGA 360.
The MEGA DI+ unit does not get a SI tab in the Network menu until it is connected to a 360 via Ethernet, connected directly to a MEGA 36O or MEGA 360 shared from another unit via Ethernet.

It makes no sense to ship a DI+ transducer with a SI+ unit since not everyone getting a SI+ unit will be putting a SI+ unit at the bow and purchasing a MEGA 360 also.

You cannot add Side Imaging to a Down Imaging unit by connecting a Side Imaging transducer to it.
I have a Helix 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N in my lap now that has had the MEGA 360 connected to it. I have a MEGA SI+ transducer connected to it. There is no SI tab in the Network menu.
Also there is no selection in the Connected Transducer menu for a Side Imaging transducer, and no MEGA 360 choices in the Connected Transducer menu either.

[Dirtyeggroll]

You cannot add Side Imaging to a Down Imaging unit by connecting a Side Imaging transducer to it.
I have a Helix 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N in my lap now that has had the MEGA 360 connected to it.

Seems to be a software issue and not a hardware issue if you can run SI from MEGA 360 that is the same frequency (?) as the SI+ transducer?

[KCLOST]

I'm freakin dizzy!!

[Wayne P.]

Seems to be a software issue and not a hardware issue if you can run SI from MEGA 360 that is the same frequency (?) as the SI+ transducer?

No there is no software issue.
When you select a SI view with a MEGA 360 connected, the MEGA 360 stops rotating and becomes a SI transducer.
When you select the SI view, you get a pop up note to confirm you want to make that change.
It is impossible to do both at the same time.

[Dirtyeggroll]

No there is no software issue.
When you select a SI view with a MEGA 360 connected, the MEGA 360 stops rotating and becomes a SI transducer.
When you select the SI view, you get a pop up note to confirm you want to make that change.
It is impossible to do both at the same time.

Sorry my post was worded poorly. I meant it seems that the DI unit possesses the hardware to run an SI+ transducer, but the software (updated) only allows it to run the DI or MEGA 360 transducer.

[Wayne P.]

Sorry my post was worded poorly. I meant it seems that the DI unit possesses the hardware to run an SI+ transducer, but the software (updated) only allows it to run the DI or MEGA 360 transducer.

The units being discussed are in this thread NOT DI units. They cannot be updated with Down Imaging unit software.

Basically they are SI units in a DI box with a DI transducer and a mislabeled bar code sticker.
Refer to post #5

[Wayne P.]

BTW, I have a Helix 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N that came in a G3N DI+ box with a DI+ transducer and has a bar code sticker stating it is a Helix 10 CHIRP MSI G3N unit.
I updated it with DI+ G3N software.
That just means some units got mislabeled causing them to be misboxed in some cases. Stuff happens.

The SYSTEM STATUS view and one of the start-up screens show what the unit really is since that is what software it has.

[BassTracker175]

Thanks Wayne!

That being said, is it possible the hardware inside a DI+ unit is exactly the same as a SI+ unit while only the firmwares are different? I know some smartphones manufacturers do this, to accommodate different customers’ needs, such as AT&T.

BTW, I have a Helix 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N that came in a G3N DI+ box with a DI+ transducer and has a bar code sticker stating it is a Helix 10 CHIRP MSI G3N unit.
I updated it with DI+ G3N software.
That just means some units got mislabeled causing them to be misboxed in some cases. Stuff happens.

The SYSTEM STATUS view and one of the start-up screens show what the unit really is since that is what software it has.

[Bob B]

Thanks Wayne!

That being said, is it possible the hardware inside a DI+ unit is exactly the same as a SI+ unit while only the firmwares are different? I know some smartphones manufacturers do this, to accommodate different customers’ needs, such as AT&T.

That's what I think.

I makes sense from a manufacturing standpoint ... since they have to have the SI driver in the DI + unit to support mega 360 .... It is cheaper for them to just manufacture 1 unit that is SI+ and DI+ and then have an internal jumper or some such way to select which kind of unit it is going to be recognized as.

[Wayne P.]

Using the Helix 10 as an example:
The MSRP difference between the MSI unit and MDI unit is $600
The MSRP difference between the MSI transducer and MDI transducer is $150

Do you think that "jumper" or "select switch" is worth $450?

[Bob B]

We used to do that type of thing all the time with electronic components when I worked in the computer industry .... with the idea that you are paying for the funictionality ... not the hardware. It just makes no sense to me that the harware in a DI+ unit would be different than an SI+.