Your experience may very but I found the exact opposite with my unit but like others have mentioned it did take some time to get it dialed in. what mode were you running in? ice mode or advanced?
Menu is like this:
Menu-Setup-User mode advanced; Menu-Sonar-Ice Fishing Mode on; Menu-Sonar-Digital Depth Source-2D Element
You should be using the to 2d element when not using the si/di transducer. I dont think you have to use ice fishing mode, however. Ice fishing mode increases the sensitivity and updates the circular flasher view but that's it
auto depth or manual depth? did you adjust the depth for the flasher? When you are on the flasher screen, hit menu and adjust the depth. This was an issue for me when I first used it
what is your sensitivity level at?
Plus the chip that you buy doesn't have half the lakes it should for NE SD. I'm talking lakes over 1100 acres that were always lakes. And if they come with a update for the chip, you have to pay full price of 100+ again!!
I bought a version from cabelas that came with the navionics+, I was able to see plenty of lakes in SD and IA. did you put the card in a computer and login and register through the navionics site? I was able to just pick and choose what areas I wanted on the card got them uploaded and refreshed on the card multiple times.
Oh and the colors on the helix 5 on the flasher are horrible!! i've adjusted it according to hummingbird
The color pallet is pretty big, lots of different options, I haven't had any issues. Brain Bosdahl has lots of videos on his facebook page dialing in and getting the helix units set to your liking.
No need for mark point of gps either, cell phones have that now.
I used to feel the same way then a couple years ago I was on poinsett. parked truck at lakeview and took atv and shack on lake. Front came through after dark, started to rain hard on the ice and it was so foggy I couldnt see more than a few feet in front of me. Phone was useless because I couldnt get it wet. Took me forever to get to the right location on shore. Same thing happend to me this year on, now I just run the helix on the atv and dont have any worries about getting it wet.