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Last Updated on October 9, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder Review
For several years, the folks at Humminbird have been responsible for producing some of the very best fish-finding technology on the market, and the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder is a perfect representation of the top-tier technology that they can bring to the table.
Key Takeaways:
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- Advanced Sonar Technology: The Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder features Dual Beam Plus CHIRP sonar technology, allowing users to scan the water with both sonar beams simultaneously. This leads to superior target separation, more precise imaging, reduced noise, and improved depth capabilities (up to 1,500 feet, expandable to 2,500 feet with an accessory).
- SwitchFire Technology: This feature lets users switch between “Clear” and “Max” sonar modes, filtering out unnecessary clutter on the screen and providing precise information about larger fish targets.
- Easy Navigation & Mapping: The built-in GPS comes with Auto Chart Live, detailed topographical maps of U.S. coastlines, lakes, and rivers, and the ability to set up to 2,750 waypoints and track movements. This provides users with customizable mapping and charting capabilities, which are ideal for planning fishing trips.
- User-Friendly Design: With a 5-inch color LED display, 800×400 resolution, and an intuitive control system, the device offers an easy-to-use interface for beginners and experienced anglers alike.
- Durable & Waterproof: The fish finder has an IPX 7 waterproof rating, making it reliable for use in different weather conditions.
- Versatile and Comprehensive Features: Features like Selective Fish ID, real-time sonar feedback, bottom lock, and fish alarms make it a versatile tool for enhancing the fishing experience.
About as advanced a fishfinder as you will find on the market today, the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder is relatively inexpensive (especially compared to some of the other less feature-rich but more expensive options) while still taking advantage of incredibly advanced technology throughout.
Featuring a game-changing sonar technology in the CHIRP Sonar system and taking advantage of Auto Chart Technology, this might be the last fish finder you ever purchase from here on out!
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Touching on the technical details
- 5-inch screen with 800 x 400-pixel resolution and a 16-bit color LED display
- CHIRP Dual Beam Plus Sonar with Switch Fire technology built right in
- 1500-foot depth capabilities
- 20° coverage at 200 kHz
- 60° coverage at 83 kHz
- The new Transom XNT 920 T transducer
- Auto Chart Live software is built right in
… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Highlighting the sonar technology “under the hood”
The major reason to get your hands on the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3
Fish Finder compared to all of the other fishfinding options available on the market is that of the advanced CHIRP Sonar built right into this unit.
Supporting both the 83 and 200 kHz frequencies, you are going to be able to modulate the pulse that’s generated by your transducer over a range of different frequencies – helping you to dial in the accuracy of the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder while you are using it.
This will allow you to produce superior target separation, much better imaging with much less “noise,” advanced bottom lock, and much-improved depth capabilities compared to currently available options.
While the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder does not include side imaging or down imaging technology, the CHIRP Sonar is more advanced than a traditional 2-D system. Utilizing the Dual Beam Plus technology, you can scan the water under your boat with both sonar beams simultaneously, painting a much more accurate picture with this system than you would have been able to with traditional 2-D sonar solutions.
You’re also going to be able to read the temperature of the water at varying depths effortlessly and reach 1500 feet in readings with the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder right out of the box. There is also a Deep Water Transducer accessory available. When you pair it with your Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder, you can increase your depth reading capabilities by up to 2500 feet.
Selective Fish ID, Fish Alarm, Sonar Recording, and Switch Fire technology are all built into the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder unit. Your Switch Fire will probably be the most frequently used and appreciated feature of the bunch. It allows you to quickly jump between “Clear” and “Max” modes, eliminating all of the clutter and noise on your fish finding screen and instead providing you information on only the biggest fish targets possible for allowing ALL sonar information to be presented so that you can pick and choose the fish you want to target.
Humminbird also offers top-tier innovations in the Circular Flasher, Bottom Lock, and Real-Time Sonar (RTS).
You’ll be provided with real-time information about the depths you are fishing in, including details regarding the true bottom and real-time feedback from your sonar system as it scans. When both systems are running in the background, you can track fish movements more effectively and efficiently!
Navigational features
Basic mapping features are included with every single fish-finding option available right now. Still, you’ll find incredibly advanced and detailed maps and charts provided with the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder.
You’ll get incredibly in-depth information about contiguous US coastlines, inland lakes, and rivers, as well as 3-D details that allow you to understand better the topography you are getting into when you’re heading out to go fishing.
Planning, mapping, and charting technology also allow you to set different waypoints to better plan your day on the water. Because the system is intuitive and easy to use, you can also update your charts with “inside information” about the fish you are after on the fly.
You can track up to 2750 waypoints across 47 individual routes with 50 different tracks – and each track is available to hold up to 50,000 track points along the way. This might become the most useful fishing journal you’ve ever accessed, and it’s all thanks to the incredible navigational charts and Auto Chart Live technology baked right in.
Final Verdict
There is no “too early” or “too far” if fishing is in your blood. With a rigid 5″ widescreen color display, the HELIX 5 Series answers the call. The Dual Spectrum CHIRP 2D sonar, internal GPS with built-in AutoChart Live and Humminbird Basemap, and compatibility with premium fishing charts from Humminbird and Navionics are all features of the HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G3 model.
It includes all the necessary hardware – transom-mount transducer, mounting hardware, power cable, fish finder control head, and gimbal mounting bracket.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a fish finder that is about as easy to use and control as they get these days, with a waterproof rating of IPX 7 and all the bells and whistles of the most high-end fish-finding technology on the planet right now at a price tag that you just can’t beat, there’s no better option available than the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder.
As far as downsides or drawbacks of the Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder system are concerned, the only real complaint found online today regarding this fish finder is that it doesn’t include a unit cover—and that’s the only complaint!
There isn’t anything else or complete in the fish-finding space available at Humminbird Helix 5 Chirp GPS G3 Fish Finder.
The folks at Humminbird have cranked this one right out of the park!
