Humminbird vs marcum

[Lsranger406]

Ok so here we go. I own a helix 5 and am looking to purchase something with a bigger screen. What do people on here think of the helix 7 or the new marcum mx7 gps? Pros cons anything. Why marcum? Why humminbird?

[Remps17]

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=378502.0

Judging by this thread most people still prefer the bird

[Sylvanboat]

I would think the learning curve is much bigger by switching brands.

[DBV]

I would go with the new Marcum LX7 with GPS.  But it is all personal choices and everyone will give their own brand. 

[mackdog75]

I went with Helix7. Seemed like better features and didn’t want to deal with first year bugs on a new MX7

[missoulafish]

I would guess that the bird is nowhere as glitchy as the Marcun...

[fishingeek]

Having used both the Helix 5 and LX-7,  the Marcum has a better user interface, bigger and easier to read screen. Dedicated buttons at your finger tips instead of scrolling through the menus. Both are great units. The MX-7GPS is nice but since it's fairly new I would hold out a bit until the bugs are fixed. 

[filetandrelease]

 I have a helix 5 and a marcum lx7li they both are user friendly and do a fine job , far as gps I use a hand held for ice and stream fishing  and I’m always Leary of certain first run products

[PIKE FISHERMAN]

I have the Helix 7, and love it. I use it on the ice, on my kayak and bigger fishing boat. I have a Marcum LX5 that hasn’t hit the ice since i set up my Helix 7. I love the different screen options you can use. It’s as real time as it gets, even on 100+ feet of water. I pick up little 3-4” perch in 60 feet of water. I like that you can mark waypoints, and map lakes that haven’t already been marked!!

[matzilla]

imo the helix + humminbird pc + lakemaster + fish smart app are pretty hard to beat - especially if your helix is used all season or you have another humminbird on your boat

[Jimbow11]

My LX-7 is a back up to my Helix 7. It rests at home waiting for my wife or friends to need a unit.

[Lsranger406]

Wow thanks guys. Guess I'm gonna get another bird.

[Buckshots]

Bird. Hands down. The helix 7 can be used on open water and you can mark waypoints with it. You can even mark out transitions and drop offs, rockpiles you name it-if you have a model with side imaging. The nice thing about SI is that you can cursor over to some structure and mark it. Otherwise when you drop a waypoint, it’s right where the boat is at. And then you can use those same maps/waypoints when it freezes over. The new marcum with gps is so far behind the Bird, it’s not even funny.

[hnd]

if you are looking for a dedicated ice unit, my guess is the MX7 is gonna be the superior unit but i can't recommend it because the RT9 track record is terrible.  But that was Rapala Marcum.  Marcum is its own entity again now.  That said for a unit you can use in the boat too, the helix all the way. 

what really funny is both are about the same price as the FLX30...lol .

[matzilla]

Rapala was just a sales/distribution channel

[hnd]

yeah but what i heard was Rapala put deadlines on them that resulted in some of the shoddy quality.  could be a cop out? Sure. 

[vanhln]

Another vote for Helix 7... See my settings email from months gone by.....(for ice... I golf in the summer)

[TroutFishingBear]

I still say humminbird is going to get sued by "hummingbird scientific" one day, for similar name and logo. Hummingbird Scientific is a supplier for advanced transmission electron microscopy applications which allows users to heat under gas flow and observe individual atoms of materials. Although, maybe humminbird would need to go after "hummingbird scientific"? not sure which came first.


http://hummingbirdscientific.com/

LOL 

[DR.SPECKLER]

I still say humminbird is going to get sued by "hummingbird scientific" one day, for similar name and logo. Hummingbird Scientific is a supplier for advanced transmission electron microscopy applications which allows users to heat under gas flow and observe individual atoms of materials. Although, maybe humminbird would need to go after "hummingbird scientific"? not sure which came first.


http://hummingbirdscientific.com/

LOL 

its humminbird electronics not hummingbird tho.

[ICEHOLE]

The Marcum has an available open water ducer, and open water setting...sooooooo im pretty sure you can put a marcum in a boat too....i hope so cuz thats my plan...

[Wapiti406]

I'm gonna go ahead and throw a curve ball at this thread...  Anybody have experience with the Garmin Striker series compared to the Helix?  I'm in the market as well and am at a crossroad with the decision.

[Fontona19]

As someone that owns both, I would take the Helix 7 in a tight race. The deciding factor being I have had to send the LX-7 in to marcum too many times. They are not very dependable in that sense. Even without that, the Helix gets the slight edge. Never looking to bash a manufacturer, but for what Marcum charges their units should be bullet proof, but they are not.

[missoulafish]

^ this....

[ICEHOLE]

As someone that owns both, I would take the Helix 7 in a tight race. The deciding factor being I have had to send the LX-7 in to marcum too many times. They are not very dependable in that sense. Even without that, the Helix gets the slight edge. Never looking to bash a manufacturer, but for what Marcum charges their units should be bullet proof, but they are not.

Can I ask what issues you have sent it in for?

[ship of fools]

Bird. Hands down. The helix 7 can be used on open water and you can mark waypoints with it. You can even mark out transitions and drop offs, rockpiles you name it-if you have a model with side imaging. The nice thing about SI is that you can cursor over to some structure and mark it. Otherwise when you drop a waypoint, it’s right where the boat is at. And then you can use those same maps/waypoints when it freezes over. The new marcum with gps is so far behind the Bird, it’s not even funny.

How far off to the side can you "see"?

Can you use the SI ice fishing as well?

[winterbuddy]

could be a cop out? Sure.

100% cop out.  Marcum was RT9'd and poor gain curved into irrelevance all on their own. 

[Muggsy]

You have to be moving for the SI to do its thing. However, in open water you can see 100+ feet to both sides at the same time BUT.....with a 7" unit things will be very hard to identify. In my opinion SI is best served with a 9" and larger screen. With a H7, I think I'd be keeping the SI to a 40' distance each side. I have a H7 GPS unit for ice fishing and think the screen is just too small for serious long distance SI.

[hnd]

i know a guy who made his own like SI ice gizmo.    basically put it in the hole and sweep it around and it would give a 360 image.  only could use it to look for brush.  but it was quite a deal to really use.