Converting Hummingbird Helix 7 for the Ice

[nhdeadhead]

I purchased a helix 7 sonar/di/GPS unit this past open water season and then sold my boat. I was thinking of selling my Marcum flasher and using the Helix 7 on the ice. Is the ice transducer a must have ? What battery would work best and have decent life? Anyone set one of these up for the ice? Pros/cons? Is it worth the effort/expense or should I just stick with the Marcum ?  Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated!

[tbulhead]

I would think of mounting it on a Genz Pack or something similar.  I would use a 9 amp Lead Acid battery.  You can use the transducer that came with it, but the iceducer you just drop in the hole and is ideal for hole hopping because they are self-leveling.  There is a lot of information on how to do this out there.  A lot of people use a tackle box to keep their stuff in.

[crappiekilr]

Didn't do a conversion but got a helix ice 5 and absolutely loved it in the short window we've had so far here in indiana.  Took a couple times to get all the settings right but once I did it was great

[Crayfish2]

No reason it won't work.  I steal my Garmin off my boat every winter.  I put a sealed lead-acid battery and the fishfinder in a Cabela's electronics bag, then attach the transducer to the bottom of an old tipup.  Set the tipup in the hole so that the 'ducer is to the side of the hole and there is plenty of room to fish past it.  The tipup and transducer get stored in a long, narrow "6-pack cooler", made to fit in a golf bag, I think.  Keeps the 'ducer protected in transit since it's padded.