The HELIX 7 CHIRP MDI GPS G4N is one of the 7-inch units released by Humminbird in 2021. It’s one of the units with extra networking features such as NMEA 2000, Ethernet, and wireless connectivity. As opposed to the older model, it has a superior resolution (1024 x 600, up from 800 x 480) for better quality imaging. The unit also has a few extra buttons for shortcuts as opposed to the G4 model.
Since it’s a G4N unit, it supports radar, i-Pilot Link, and it is One-Boat Network compatible. It has Bluetooth for Talon or Raptor shallow water anchors, as well as for the control of other Bluetooth devices. It also has WiFi connectivity. Thus, you can either connect to a WiFi hotspot for downloads, or use the Humminbird FishSmart app for trip planning, depth contour retouching, software updates, and more.
The unit comes with the XNT 9 HW MDI 75 T transducer which supports both Dual Spectrum CHIRP and MEGA DI (the two sonar technologies provided by the unit). The unit supports 50/83/200 kHz for standard, and 455/800/1000 kHz for Down Imaging, but does not support MEGA Live Imaging.
The transducer casts conical beams for Dual Spectrum CHIRP, with a coverage of 25° and 42°, and a maximum depth range of 1,200 ft. (365 m). For Down Imaging, the beams are thin and oval. They offer a coverage of 75° and a depth range of 350 ft. (106 m) for the regular CHIRP DI mode, and 125 ft. (38 m) for the MEGA DI mode.
The unit comes with the Humminbird Basemap for navigation. These charts cover more than 10,000 lakes in the United States, with high detail contours and a lot of useful data. They also offer coastal coverage for the U.S. continental waters showing a wide array of POI such as day markers, buoys, marinas, hazards, depth markers, and more. The unit also supports charts like Navionics+, Navionics Platinum+, CoastMaster, LakeMaster, and SmartStrike.
Last but not least, the unit’s internal GPS operates at 10 Hz which means that it can provide position updates 10 times per second. You can save up to 2,750 waypoints in its memory, 47 routes, and record up to 50 tracks. Each track can have 20,000 points.
