
The HELIX 5 Sonar GPS PT is one of the newest portable fish finders from Humminbird, for 2015. Although it does not support Side Imaging or Down Imaging, it’s still an excellent unit to have, as it offers other advantages. For example, it makes a great choice for a kayak angler, or in case you have to rent a boat.
The specs are similar to the HELIX 5 SI GPS, only without the SI. This unit has a 5-inch diagonal display, with an 800H X 480V pixel matrix, TFT 256 colors. The screen is LED backlit, which offers superior readability during bright, sunny weather, or during night time fishing sessions.
In terms of sonar capabilities, this unit comes with DualBeam Plus sonar, with SwitchFire. In other words, you will benefit from two sonar frequencies, 200 kHz, with a coverage of 20° for a more focused and detailed view, and 83 kHz, with a coverage of 60°, for a broader view. SwitchFire mode allows a better control of the sonar returns display.
The standard transducer it comes with is the XPT 9 20 T. Its depth capability goes up to 1,500 ft., while its power output is 500 Watts (RMS).
The GPS and chartplotting specifications are the same for the entire Humminbird HELIX series. Therefore, this model comes with internal Precision GPS, and the UniMap mapping package. It can store up to 2,500 waypoints, 45 routes, and 50 tracks (20,000 points each). This model also supports Navionics Gold and HotMaps, and LakeMaster charts, upgrade which can be done via an additional SD card. This model features only on SD card slot.
Last but not least, since it’s a portable model, you’ll also get a soft-sided carrying case and a 7 Amp Hour AGM Battery and charger.