Humminbird Lake Master maps.

[Gator800r]

Im thinking of buying a helix 5 to use for a GPS on my four wheeler for ice fishing this season. My father has a lake master chip for his Helix's on his boat. He doesn't use the chip during the winter, my question is would I be able to use his lake master chip in my unit for the winter or does the chip get married to the first unit u put the chip in? Does anyone else use a Helix as a GPS on their snowmobile,ATV? if so how do you like it? I been using the Navionics on my iphone but i get tired of pulling it in and out of my pocket and it does eat through my battery pretty quick if i leave it on. Any thoughts or opinions on this option or any other options are appreciated.

[ejdelvo28]

The chip does not marry the first device it's put into.  You should be able to transfer it to your new Helix without a problem.  I also use Navionics in my iphone and understand what you mean when you say it eats through battery.

[ice dawg]

I have a Helix 9 Chirp in my 18.5' boat and a Helix 7 Chirp in my 14' boat. The 7 will go in my side by side for ice fishing. I don't use either for an ice fishing sonar as they are down imaging units. The map chips can be moved from unit to unit with out problems. I have used a 597 DI in my side by side for years to navigate with Lakemaster mapping. I do still use my FL18 and LX5 for fishing through the ice.

[Dakota-Lew]

Im thinking of buying a helix 5 to use for a GPS on my four wheeler for ice fishing this season. My father has a lake master chip for his Helix's on his boat. He doesn't use the chip during the winter, my question is would I be able to use his lake master chip in my unit for the winter or does the chip get married to the first unit u put the chip in? Does anyone else use a Helix as a GPS on their snowmobile,ATV? if so how do you like it? I been using the Navionics on my iphone but i get tired of pulling it in and out of my pocket and it does eat through my battery pretty quick if i leave it on. Any thoughts or opinions on this option or any other options are appreciated.

I have this exact setup, Helix 5 (GPS only) with a lake master chip and run it back and fourth between my boat and snowmobile. Honestly, its the best thing i ever did, I record everything on it. Then if i go out on foot i use navionics on my phone and just update my helix 5 with what i find out there, if anything note worthy.

Its awesome, and for the price of a helix 5 gps only its a very cost effective solution for record keeping and maps. I fish with 5 or 6 guys who all use something similar and we share are way points with each other if we get a hot bite.

[Gator800r]

Dakota-lew............. would you say the Helix 5 is big enough or do you find yourself wishing you had spent a little more and gotten the Helix 7? Do all the Helix have a internal antenna?

[Dakota-Lew]

Well i think its fine, i am far sighted so up close i am good. I also like it since its small and doesn't take much room on the dash of my old 1990 480 trail Polaris. It has a zoom function, so when i am traveling to my way point it is zoomed out and as i get closer i zoom in to get myself pin pointed to a previous way point or contour i want to fish. Its just a "+" or "-" button, i sometimes have a hard time pushing the button with gloves on, but then again i have bear paws for hands so. Only other issue is glare with the sun at my back, but you will have that issue with any of model.

The other feature i really like while using the lake master chip + helix series is i am able to change the depth of the lake. For example my main lake i fish for walleyes in, is getting drain pretty heavily for irrigation, so its down damn near 6 feet. So i can go in and tell the lake master chip to drop the depth 6 feet this winter, then i have it set to high light the low depths so i don't accidentally run my auger into the dirt... made that bone head mistake before.... i was not impressed with myself on that one.

I believe they all have internal antennas if they are a GPS model. I always have a long & lat position, and i never have cell service on the lakes out here so i cant complain. Granted i am in western NoDak and its obviously not mountaintops but just rolling prairies so its not hard to get satellites.

[matzilla]

I ice fish with my helix 5 di/gps and lakemaster chart select maps - I also have all of my waypoints droppped into HB FishSmart app on my phone which is linked to my chartselect maps. Both work extremely well

[rundrave]

I use the Helix 5 and I think its big enough for ice fishing. However I also use that same unit on my kayak and that's the only time I wish I had a bigger unit when trying to use DI. Otherwise its fine, been a great little unit.