need some advice

[toddfore]

Fish mostly small gas powered and electric only lakes in SE PA and only have X amount of money. Want to put a helix 7si G2 at my console. Cabelas has helix 12 gen1 units on sale but a lot of people say that the mega is so much better. Can't afford to do that. Do I put a helix 9si mega gen2 on bow or go with the helix 12 gen 1? Better to have bigger less definition or small better definition? If I use transducer for the 7 to run the 12 will all my waypoints be off on bow by length of boat? Will the 7s transducer give me the same picture I would get if I had the 12 gen2?

Thanks,
Todd

[Wayne P.]

The transducer that comes with the Helix 7's is the Compact SI. The transducer that comes with the Helix 12 non-MEGA is a HDSI.
The transducer that comes with the Helix 9 MEGA is a MEGA SI transducer.
The Helix 7 SI can get sharper images using the HDSI transducer, the Helix 12 will be less sharp images using the Compact SI transducer.

If you get the G2 Helix 7, you cannot share any data with either the Helix 9 or Helix 12. Only the G2N version of Helix 7 can share data.

If you get units that can share sonar data, that is not GPS data (waypoints). Waypoint location is determined by the GPS antenna, not the sonar transducer.

[toddfore]

ok, so I'll get the 7 g2n at console. But would I be better off with a 9 mega or a 12 gen 1 on bow?

Thanks,
Todd

[Wayne P.]

ok, so I'll get the 7 g2n at console. But would I be better off with a 9 mega or a 12 gen 1 on bow?

Thanks,
Todd

Depends on which Helix 12. The Helix 12 CHIRP SI GPS would be the best choice for the bow. BIGGER is better for SI.
If Helix 9 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N, then the Helix 9 would be OK.

[toddfore]

Want si at front also for electric only lakes. So would either be the 12 with chirp and gen1 or 9 mega g2. Would the 12 without mega still be better than the 9 with mega?

[Wayne P.]

Want si at front also for electric only lakes. So would either be the 12 with chirp and gen1 or 9 mega g2. Would the 12 without mega still be better than the 9 with mega?

IMHO, Yes since the H12 has a higher pixel density (about 4,200 more per square inch) display as well as BIGGER.

I use a Helix 12 CHIRP SI GPS at the bow with trolling motor mounted SI transducer, and most of the time when I fish electric-only waters, that is the only unit I take with me.
I use MEGA at the console for focused detail, but I still use 455 kHz for searching at the console. It's all about the coverage.

[toddfore]

Thanks so much Wayne