Solix vs Helix for Mega Live/Mega360

[Dirtyeggroll]

Any big advantage to running Solix vs Helix for Mega 360/Mega Live on the bow.

I currently am running a Helix 12 at the bow (with Mega Live/360) and Helix 12 for MSI+/MDI+ at the console.

I recently acquired a Solix 12 G2 MSI+ and was originally planning to sell it but now thinking about using it to run Mega Live/Mega 360 at the bow and selling the Helix 12 instead.

Downsides of this will be having to run the new power and inability to view Mega 360 at the console. I don’t really care about seeing SI from the bow.

Any big benefits of running Mega Live/Mega 360 from a Solix vs. Helix?

[Wayne P.]

Other than the touch screen, about the only difference is you can view MEGA LIVE and MEGA 360 at the same time with a SOLIX.

[woody135]

Solix up front was my original plan too, but you will lose the ability to share/see the Ultrex DI and Sonar with your other Helix's, if that matters to you. Your depth reading would have to come from rear Transducer also? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ive played these mind games before. Wayne, where is your depth reading on your Helix up front coming from? Appears to be from the Back? You also have to import waypoints once in while too, no? Not sure you can share your heading puck either, so doesn't that create a position problem for waypoints? Too much for my old brain these days. Thanks Guys.

[Wayne P.]

Solix up front was my original plan too, but you will lose the ability to share/see the Ultrex DI and Sonar with your other Helix's, if that matters to you. Your depth reading would have to come from rear Transducer also? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Ive played these mind games before. Wayne, where is your depth reading on your Helix up front coming from? Appears to be from the Back? You also have to import waypoints once in while too, no? Not sure you can share your heading puck either, so doesn't that create a position problem for waypoints? Too much for my old brain these days. Thanks Guys.

LIVE is providing the depth readout on the Helix. LIVE depth is always more than a regular transducer. A SI+ transducer on the trolling motor is providing depth for the SOLIX.
Yes Helix waypoints can be imported to the SOLIX since they are networked.
There is no position error at the bow, there are 4 sources for GPS at the bow: internal Helix, internal SOLIX, iPilot LINK, and AS GPS HS.
Don't need heading for the Helix since it is only doing LIVE.

[SLYDoggie]

LIVE is providing the depth readout on the Helix. LIVE depth is always more than a regular transducer. A SI+ transducer on the trolling motor is providing depth for the SOLIX.
Yes Helix waypoints can be imported to the SOLIX since they are networked.
There is no position error at the bow, there are 4 sources for GPS at the bow: internal Helix, internal SOLIX, iPilot LINK, and AS GPS HS.
Don't need heading for the Helix since it is only doing LIVE.

My Mega Live Depth is about 4 feet different from the trolling motor or transom depth... even though they all have the correct transducer depth offset. I thought it was just my Mega Live until I bought a second Mega Live and it had the same error. I see in your comment that "LIVE depth is always more than a regular transducer". I don't even think you could change the offset to correct the Mega Live depth error since, unlike a regular transducer, the transducer depth can't be a negative number. The Mega Live also won't read depth correctly when in Landscape Mode.

[jjnssn]

My input with the Solix touch screen (apex as well) is the work flow; with M360 and Live being able to touch on the Mega360 window and point the target lock at that location. I do not use that function a lot however it works well when spot locked in wind pointing at bait fish. I do favor having the ability when following contour at faster speeds (1.0 mph) to use SI from the M360 at the bow... it has helped me identify fish with a faster response vs. the transom transducer and cast more quickly back. In addition the Solix has the ability to "rewind" the screen incase you may have missed something which you can then way point.

[Wayne P.]

My Mega Live Depth is about 4 feet different from the trolling motor or transom depth... even though they all have the correct transducer depth offset. I thought it was just my Mega Live until I bought a second Mega Live and it had the same error. I see in your comment that "LIVE depth is always more than a regular transducer". I don't even think you could change the offset to correct the Mega Live depth error since, unlike a regular transducer, the transducer depth can't be a negative number. The Mega Live also won't read depth correctly when in Landscape Mode.

Most of the time, I turn off the overlay readouts on the unit displaying LIVE since it is not accurate.

Landscape can't do depth since the sonar pings don't project downward.

[woody135]

Would the Live Depth happen to be "slant range" do to its forward facing sonar? And Wayne, do you ever use plain old sonar or down imaging up front? Guess im old school but I like seeing that at times. I think you were the one who told me not to run 360/Live and sonar/DI on separate fish finders due to crosstalk, so you have saved me a bunch of frustration over the years. Thanks again.

[woody135]

Thanks for all your help as I too am contemplating getting more Solix's or getting rid of the one Solix I have, so Its good to hear others' setups.

[Dirtyeggroll]

I think I’ll just run the Helix.

[Wayne P.]

Would the Live Depth happen to be "slant range" do to its forward facing sonar? And Wayne, do you ever use plain old sonar or down imaging up front? Guess im old school but I like seeing that at times. I think you were the one who told me not to run 360/Live and sonar/DI on separate fish finders due to crosstalk, so you have saved me a bunch of frustration over the years. Thanks again.

In Forward there is always some piezos directed downward to produce the depth readout. That semi-circle on the transducer is the broadcast window.

This time of year I rarely use MEGA 360 so I do use the split screen 2D/DI.

You can use all the technologies at the same time IF you have the units networked and have 2D/DI with MEGA 360 connected via Y cabled to one display. When the Y cable is used, the 2D, DI, and M360 are pinged in a sequence so they can't cross-talk.

Adding MEGA LIVE, since it is Ethernet, you can change its ping timing to blend in with the other sequencing to reduce/eliminate cross-talk with that==Interference Rejection is the setting to do that.

[78Staff]

My plan was Helix 12 with Mega 360 (no Live), but now that rebates are coming, opens up spending a bit more for the Solix I suppose.