Over the years, Humminbird has released many fish finder models. The most recent releases aren’t exactly affordable. Therefore, if you’re looking for a Humminbird fish finder under the price mark of $500, we’ve compiled a list here that includes the ones still available.
Top Humminbird Fish Finders Under $500
Fish Finder | Features | Check Price |
HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G3 | Dual Spectrum CHIRP CHIRP Down Imaging GPS Humminbird Basemap AutoChart Live XNT 9 HW DI T transducer | |
HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G3 | Dual Spectrum CHIRP GPS Humminbird Basemap AutoChart Live XNT 9 HW T transducer | |
HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2 NAV | DualBeam Plus Sonar Down Imaging Sonar GPS Humminbird Basemap Navionics+ charts AutoChart Live XNT 9 DI T transducer | |
HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2 | DualBeam Plus Sonar GPS Humminbird Basemap AutoChart Live XNT 9 20 T transducer | |
HELIX 5 SONAR G2 | DualBeam Plus Sonar XNT 9 20 T transducer | |
PiranhaMax 4 DI | DualBeam Sonar Down Imaging sonar XNT 9 DI T transducer | |
PiranhaMax 4 | DualBeam Sonar XNT 9 28 T transducer |
HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G3
The Humminbird HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G3 (411670-1) is one of the models released in 2021. Since it’s one of the newer 5″ display models, it’s equipped with the newer Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar, rather than the DualBeam Plus sonar. It also has CHIRP Down Imaging sonar and superior navigation features.
The unit comes with the XNT 9 HW DI T transducer which has a built-in temperature sensor. This transducer supports the High Wide CHIRP frequency range of 150-220 kHz for the standard CHIRP sonar, featuring a beam range of 25° – 42° and a maximum depth range of 1,200 ft. For the Down Imaging sonar, the transducer uses an oval beam of 75°, in a CHIRP range of 420 – 520 kHz, and with a maximum depth range of 400 ft.
Even though it’s a 5″ unit, it is equipped with a 10 Hz internal GPS. It supports WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS for position augmentation. It also has a GPS speed function so it can calculate the speed of your boat based on the GPS input. It comes with the standard Humminbird Basemap chart platform which covers over 10,000 U.S. lakes as well as some of the coastal waters. It also has the AutoChart Live feature for bathymetric mapping and supports charts Navionics and LakeMaster Charts.
Finally, the unit’s display features a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V and has LED backlight. It is IPX7 waterproof. It does not have touchscreen technology, just the side keypad. It also doesn’t have wireless technology or networking features such as NMEA 2000 or Ethernet.
HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G3
As the unit’s name suggests, the HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G3 (part number 411660-1) is a unit without structure scanning sonar. However, since it’s one of the G3 generation units, it comes with the Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar. The unit itself supports three frequency ranges, these being 50/80/200 kHz. However, the included XNT 9 HW T transducer only supports the 200 kHz range, with the Full, Wide, and Narrow Modes.
The beam width range of this transducer is 25° – 42°. Its maximum depth range is 1,200 ft. However, if you pair the unit with a 50 kHz transducer, you should be able to scan depths up to 3,000 ft.
Similar to the 411670-1, model, the 411660-1 model comes pre-loaded with the Humminbird Basemap charts. It also supports various premium charts. The list includes LakeMaster, LakeMaster Plus, Navionics Gold & HotMaps, Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, SmartStrike, and the newer CoastMaster charts. Plus, it has the AutoChart Live feature which gives you the possibility to create your own custom charts. Similar to other 5-inch units, it does not support Radar, but does support AIS data and is AutoPilot capable.
The unit features a 5-inch display with a pixel resolution of 800H x 480V. It has LED backlight for a better view in direct sunlight and at night, and its display can be viewed even with polarized sunglasses on. It is also IPX7 waterproof, which essentially means that it should withstand incidental water exposure with no problem. It has a microSD card slot but does not have Ethernet or NMEA 2000 ports. It also does not have wireless connectivity. It comes with the standard Gimbal mount.
HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2 NAV
The HELIX 5 CHIRP DI GPS G2 NAV is one of the units released in 2017. Although it’s a discontinued unit, it’s still available on various vendors, and pretty much still remains on of the Humminbird best sellers. For reference, this is the Humminbird part number 410220-1NAV.
As the unit’s name suggests, it comes with the Navionics+ charts. These charts aren’t built-in the unit, though. They come as a microSD card. The unit itself has the Humminbird Basemap charts, which are also fairly decent. Plus, the AutoChart Live feature is also included.
Since it’s one of the older G2 series units, the 410220-1NAV has DualBeam Plus sonar and Down Imaging sonar, both powered by CHIRP technology. The included transducer is the classic XNT 9 DI T. For the 2D standard CHIRP sonar, this transducer uses two conical beams, 16° @ 455 kHz, and 25° @ 200 kHz. The maximum depth capability for 2D DualBeam Plus with this transducer is 600 ft. For the CHIRP Down Imaging sonar, the transducer uses two oval beams with a coverage of 75° @ 455 kHz, and 45° @ 800 kHz. The maximum depth capability for DI with this transducer is 350 ft.
Of course, the unit offers an impressive array of standard sonar features. The list includes SwitchFire, Selective Fish ID+, Real Time Sonar, Bottom Lock, Structure ID, various alarms, and more. Also, as opposed to other HELIX 5 units, this one also has Sonar Recording.
The unit’s display is 5″, with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480. It supports NMEA 0183, but not NMEA 2000. It does not have Ethernet, WiFi, or Bluetooth. It has a microSD card slot which you can load up with the included Navionics+ chart card, or other LakeMaster cards.
HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2
Similar to other G2 units, the HELIX 5 CHIRP GPS G2 is one of the models released before 2020, also discontinued, but still available in stores. For reference, this is the Humminbird part number 410210-1.
The unit features a 5-inch display with a pixel matrix of 800 x 480. It does not have touchscreen technology, just the side keypad. It offers NMEA 0183 support. It also has a built-in microSD card reader with one slot. This way you can transfer data, save waypoints and sonar recordings, upgrade the internal software or add charts.
This Humminbird fish finder has a 5 Hz internal GPS. You can save up to 2,500 waypoints in its memory, 45 routes, and 50 tracks with up to 20,000 points per track. It is pre-loaded with the Humminbird Basemap which covers more than 10,000 lakes in the United States. It also supports LakeMaster, LakeMaster PLUS, SmartStrike fishing charts, Navionics Gold, and Navionics+ charts. It’s also one of the first 5-inch units that come with the AutoChart Live feature.
In terms of sonar, the unit does not have structure scanning capabilities (no Down Imaging, no Side Imaging). It has DualBeam Plus sonar and comes with the XNT 9 20 T transducer.
The base operating frequencies of this transducer are 83 kHz and 200 kHz. However, the unit’s internal sonar uses CHIRP technology and can modulate the sonar pulse over a frequency range of 75-95 kHz instead of using just one 83 kHz frequency pulse, and respectively 175-225 kHz instead of 200 kHz. The unit also supports 50/200 kHz frequency transducers, and can use CHIRP modulations of 28-75 kHz for deep water scanning, or higher CHIRP of 130-250 kHz. The maximum depth range of this transducer is 1,500 ft. Its beams have a coverage of 20° @ 200 kHz, and 60° @ 83 kHz.
HELIX 5 SONAR G2
The Humminbird HELIX 5 Sonar G2 – part number 410190-1 – is one of the units released in 2016. Even though it’s a pretty old model, it still hasn’t been discontinued. That’s because it’s one of the most basic models, and Humminbird hasn’t released too many new models in this feature/price range in the past years.
The unit does not have navigation features (no GPS, no charts). It also cannot be loaded with any charts. And of course, it does not have the AutoChart Live feature.
The unit’s sonar is DualBeam Plus, without CHIRP technology. It supports two frequencies, these being 83 kHz and 200 kHz. It does not support 50 kHz and also does not support structure scanning. It offers a fairly decent range of basic sonar features. The list includes Selective Fish ID+, Vertical Flasher, Circular Flasher for ice fishing, Structure ID, WhiteLine, Split-Screen, Bottom Lock, and SwitchFire.
The included transducer is the standard XNT 9 20 T model. It comes with a transom mount and approx. 20′ (6 m) of cable. It integrates a temperature sensor so the unit can show the topwater temperature. The transducer uses two conical beams with a coverage of 20° for 200 kHz, and 60° for 83 kHz. The maximum depth range that can be achieved with this fish finder system is 1,500 ft.
The unit itself features a 5-inch display with a pixel resolution of 800 x 480 and LED backlight. It is keypad-operated (no touchscreen). It doesn’t have Ethernet or other ports and since it isn’t a unit with navigation features, it doesn’t have a microSD or an SD port. In comes with the standard gimbal mount but an in-dash mounting kit is also available.
PiranhaMax 4 DI
The PiranhaMax 4 DI is one of the most affordable fish finders with Down Imaging sonar on the market. Despite the fact that it was released in 2016, it still remains one of Humminbird’s best sellers. For reference, this is the fish finder part number 410160-1.
It’s a 4.3″ display unit featuring a color screen with a pixel resolution of 480V x 272H. It comes with the standard tilt-swivel mount, but an in-dash mounting kit is also available for it (not included).
The unit does not have navigation features (no GPS, no maps). It also doesn’t have a microSD or SD slot, so you cannot load it with maps.
The PiranhaMax 4 DI offers two types of sonar. These are DualBeam and Down Imaging (without CHIRP technology). It supports two frequencies, these being 200 kHz and 455 kHz. It does not support 50/83 kHz.
The included transducer is the XNT 9 DI T, a transducer equipped with a transom mount, 20 ft. of cable and an internal temperature sensor. The transducer uses two conical beams for the standard DualBeam sonar. Their coverage is 28° @ 200 kHz and 16° @ 455 kHz. For the Down Imaging sonar, the transducer uses an oval, thin beam, with an angle of 75°. The maximum depth capability for the DualBeam sonar with the included transducer is 600 ft., while for the Down Imaging sonar, it is 320 ft.
The unit offers several useful standard sonar features. The list includes Selective Fish ID+, SwitchFire, Bottom Lock, Structure ID, fish alarm, depth alarm, WhiteLine, and more. It does not have a Circular Flasher function for ice fishing, though.
PiranhaMax 4
The PiranhaMax 4 (part number 410150-1) features a pretty similar design to the DI version. However, it lacks the Down Imaging sonar feature. That’s why it’s a bit cheaper than the 410160-1 model.
The unit’s sonar is DualBeam; it can operate at 200 kHz and 455 kHz. It cannot use the two beams simultaneously, though. It comes with the XNT 9 28 T, which includes a transom mount. This transducer also has an internal water temperature sensor.
The transducer uses conical beams. For the 200 kHz frequency, the beam is 28° wide, while for the 455 kHz frequency, the beam has an angle of only 16°. The maximum depth range of this fish finder system with the included transducer is 600 ft. It should be able to maintain a bottom reading at speeds up to 30 MPH. However, the sharpest images, providing the most targets, are obtained if you sail at speeds lower than 6 MPH.
In terms of sonar functions, the unit has the Selective Fish ID+ for replacing the fish arches with fish icons on the screen. Fish Alarm, Depth Alarm, Battery Alarm, WhiteLine, Structure ID, and Bottom View, are also available. It does not have a Circular Flasher or the SwitchFire function, though.
The unit has the same display resolution as the PiranhaMax 4 DI. It’s a 480V x 272H display with an LED backlight and a diagonal of 4.3″. It is IPX7 waterproof, which means that it can withstand rain and water splashes.
Needless to say, this fish finder does not have touchscreen technology. It features four buttons, including Up/Down arrows, Check/Enter key, and the Power/Menu key. It comes with the standard tilt-and-swivel mount.
All Humminbird fish finders above are under the price mark of $500. Some of them even go as low as $120. Conversely, the ones above $300 also have navigation features like GPS, charts, and the AutoChart Live feature. But nonetheless, these are currently the most affordable units from Humminbird.