Solix 15 Inch Or Helix 15 Inch?

[eyedabassman]

I am confused on witch one to buy. I like the touchscreen , but I have heard that they have had trouble with them after a year or two. I want to pair it up with the Mega 360. So any owners please give your input?

[Dutch]

When I switched from Lowrance I bought Solix because of the touch screen.  Scott at Marine Repair Center tried to get me to go Helix.  He said Helix was more simple and the work horse of the brand.  He also said that there were some unexplained gremlins that pop up with Solix.  He was right.  One of my units has been back to the factory 2 times for warranty work one of which was a touch screen malfunctioning.  I had a “ gps fix lost” alarm that would come and go for the last couple of years.  No one could fix or even understand it.  It seems to have been fixed with the latest update that I did for the Mega Live. 
 

For what its worth, I have been watching Mega Live videos and all of them seem to be with the Helix.  Plus the Helix is probably $500 cheaper. 
 

There is a new unit out called the Apex but I don’t know anything about it.

[Bill Babler]

Dutch is absolutely right, I have  had multiple clients have the same problems. 

The regional Phoenix rep. also had the same problems so there are some bugs there right now. 

Unless your totally sold and have an Ultrex or Ulterra, there might be way better options out there at this moment. 

The way this is setting up you need to have your set up be a complete system, and they are all upgrading and changing as we speak. 

From what I've picked up visiting with some of the BPT guys, the biggest mover may be Minn Kota, Hummingbird in the next 18 to 24 months, with a new motor and new electronics. 

I think in the first BPT event this year Power Pole also had a demo brushless motor out there. 

Garmin is making big improvements on panoptics and Lowrance is already all new with the best CURRENT trolling motor on the market. 

I'm not changing anything for a while as it is a horrible arms race right now. 

The guys with Active Target and Panoptics Livescope, are just hammering them on Fork. 

[Quillback]

I was watching the BASS tourney on Harris Chain last week.  Patrick Walters was fishing a jerk bait throwing it to the bank with his boat parallel to the bank.  He would make his cast and start working it, when he started working it, he'd look down at his screen watching the bait and fish reacting to it.  He'd never look at his rod or line, head down facing forward the whole time until the next cast.  He caught a bunch, but not the size he needed.

[Dutch]

1 hour ago, Bill Babler said:

Dutch is absolutely right, I have  had multiple clients have the same problems. 

The regional Phoenix rep. also had the same problems so there are some bugs there right now. 

Unless your totally sold and have an Ultrex or Ulterra, there might be way better options out there at this moment. 

The way this is setting up you need to have your set up be a complete system, and they are all upgrading and changing as we speak. 

From what I've picked up visiting with some of the BPT guys, the biggest mover may be Minn Kota, Hummingbird in the next 18 to 24 months, with a new motor and new electronics. 

I think in the first BPT event this year Power Pole also had a demo brushless motor out there. 

Garmin is making big improvements on panoptics and Lowrance is already all new with the best CURRENT trolling motor on the market. 

I'm not changing anything for a while as it is a horrible arms race right now. 

The guys with Active Target and Panoptics Livescope, are just hammering them on Fork. 

Bill what other options does he have for pairing up with a mega 360?

[Bill Babler]

21 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Bill what other options does he have for pairing up with a mega 360?

I think I’d use the Helix but maybe not the big one. Bird however is way better than any of the others about not leaving you out in the woods when something new comes along. If it’s Lowrance they start fresh and your in trouble. 
 

That 2018 HDS12Gen III I just sold does not work with Active Target you have to have at the least a Carbon Unit.   Should be updates to make a 3/4 year old $3,000.00 unit work. 
 

I think Bird will do the right thing. Hate to see guys dropping thousands of dollars and then a total change.  Not really fair.  Guess fair is just in my mind. 

[eyedabassman]

Bill, I have the Garmin Forece but I want to go Mega 360, is this possible?

[Dutch]

I’m not familiar with that trolling motor but that should have no effect on a 360 as it will be linked to the Humminbird.  Is the 360 all you will have on the unit?

[eyedabassman]

54 minutes ago, Dutch said:

I’m not familiar with that trolling motor but that should have no effect on a 360 as it will be linked to the Humminbird.  Is the 360 all you will have on the unit?

Yes

[Bill Babler]

No problem with doing that. Your 360 is on a separate turret.   I would then place a Live scope on the Garmin shaft. There are lots of boats operating like this. You then have a Garmin graph up front for the Live Scope and a Helix for the 360. 

You have a UHD transducer on the Garmin for 2D. You also have mapping and GPS lock, down and side scan. 

KVD used his Mega 360 day before yesterday to locate broken off tree tops lying on the bottom, then would crank over them.  He stressed the word MEGA, so I don't know how much he was using live, as he never mentioned the word live a single time. 

He wasn't looking for fish, he was looking for structure. 

I think Ebare caught them yesterday using the new Bird forward facing sonar so it really works. 

Good luck.