Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS G2N

The HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS G2N is one of the discontinued Humminbird fish finders. It’s also a chartplotter equipped with the Humminbird basemap and internal GPS along with the DualBeam Plus sonar and CHIRP Down Imaging. For reference, this is the Humminbird part number 410110-1. Also, one of the newer and more inclusive models is the HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 10.1″ diagonal, color TFT with a 16-bit color range, 1024H x 600V pixel matrix, with LED backlight
• Sonar: CHIRP Down Imaging, CHIRP DualBeam Plus with SwitchFire
• Frequency and Coverage:
  • DualBeam Plus: 455 kHz (420-520 kHz) / 16° and 200 kHz (175-225 kHz) / 28°
  • Down Imaging: 455 kHz (420-520 kHz) / 75° and 800 kHz (790-850 kHz) / 45°
• Depth Capability:
  • 350 feet (106 m) for Down Imaging
  • 600 feet (183 m) for DualBeam Plus
• Transducer: Transom XNT 9 DI T
• Power Output: 1,000 Watts (RMS)
• Power Input: 10.8-20 VDC
• Power Draw: 1.2 Amps
• GPS: Internal
• Charts: Humminbird Basemap
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracks: 47; 2,500; 50

Sonar and transducer

This Humminbird fish finder is capable of using multiple scanning frequencies, including 50/83/200/455 kHz for its Dual Beam Plus sonar, and also 455/800 kHz for its Down Imaging sonar. However, the included transducer with the control unit is the XNT 9 DI T, the one that cannot support the 50 kHz and 83 kHz frequencies. Therefore, with this transducer, you will only be able to use 200/455 kHz for 2D and 455/800 kHz for Down Imaging. Also, since the unit is CHIRP enhanced, the sonar pulse can be modulated over a certain range of frequencies. The CHIRP modulation intervals are 175-225 kHz, 420-520 kHz, and 790-850 kHz. This CHIRP sonar pulse modulation provides images of higher clarity, with less noise and clutter, much more focus on targets, and a superior target separation.

The included XNT 9 DI T transducer is temperature capable. This means it integrates a temperature sensor and the control unit can monitor the temperature variation in the top water layer. This temperature graph function can be quite useful if you’re in search of surface currents which may vary in temperature. It has a transom mount, but trolling or thru-hull kits are optionally available.

With the included XNT 9 DI T transducer, the unit’s depth capabilities aren’t extreme. However, it can reach depths of 600 ft (183 m) when using DualBeam Plus, and 350 (106 m) when using Down Imaging. These capabilities are more than enough for inland fishing and even off-shore fishing if you fish in the shallows close to the shore. However, with a 50 kHz capable transducer, the unit’s depth capabilities can reach 3,500 ft (1067 m). This unit is also 360 Imaging capable, but evidently, the 360 Imaging transducer is optional.

Since this is one of the Humminbird fish finders with DualBeam Plus sonar, it means it can use both 2D beams at once, and you can observe both sonar returns in split-screen. The 2D beams offer more focus, the 455 kHz one being 16°, while the 200 kHz one is 28°. These beams have a conical shape, and they’re to be used when looking for fish that are directly under the boat. Conversely, the Down Imaging beams a not conical but thin-shaped, similar to the beams of a scanner. They are wider side-to-side, though, offering a coverage of 75° for 455 kHz, and 45° for 800 kHz. The DI beams cannot be used simultaneously, but you can use a DI beam and a 2D beam at the same time, in order to compare the results. The 2D sonar view is best to use when looking for fish targets, while the DI sonar view is better for understanding structure shapes, vegetation etc.

Just as the other HELIX units, the Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS (410110-1) offers several other useful fish finding functions. To begin with, this unit has Sonar Recording and Sonar Rewind functions, along with Screen SnapShot. By recording the sonar feed, you won’t have to re-scan a particular area if you want a second look but simply scroll the sonar back.

Although it’s not a unit designed for ice fishing, this HELIX 10 unit does have a Circular Flasher sonar mode, which is best used for down dropping or ice fishing. This type of sonar view puts the information in a ring format, focusing on the strength of the sonar returns, color coding them as segments on the rings. For example, depending on the color markers, you can determine whether the bottom is muddy or solid, know immediately the depth of fish which swim right into the sonar beam, or you can observe the positioning and movement of your jig.

Present in most Humminbird fish finders, the Selective Fish ID+ is also a function available with this unit. This function is only usable in 2D mode. It assigns fish icons to the suspended targets, or, differently put, replaces the fish arches with fish icons, also displaying the depth of each one next to it. It’s a helpful function if you’re new to the 2D sonar view, helping you understand which ones of the targets are fish and which are not.

Among other sonar-related functions, we can count Real Time Sonar, SwitchFire, Bottom Lock, Fish Alarms, Depth Alarm etc.

Navigation features

The Humminbird HELIX 410110-1 is a GPS unit, featuring a fast and accurate internal GPS enhanced by EGNOS, WAAS, and MSAS. Via GPS, the unit can calculate the speed of your boat. Also, the unit can provide latitude and longitude data.

The older versions of the HELIX 10 CHIRP GPS G2N have the ContourXD mapping. However, the newer releases have the new Humminbird Basemap built-in. This is the new standard Humminbird chart base which offers much better detail and more information than the previous ContourXD. It covers more than 10,000 lakes and also offers coverage for the U.S. coastal waters. It also shows hazards, marinas, buoys, daymakers, depth markers, and much more.

AutoChart Live is one of the best functions offered by this fish finder and chartplotter unit, with applications for both fishing and navigation. This function gives you the possibility to map a certain body of water, revealing its depth contours. It uses the 2D sonar information to determine the depth and overlays the depth contours on the charts. This feature requires Navionics or LakeMaster charts in order to become available, though. Or, you can use a ZeroLines microSD charts SD card, which contains “zero line contours” ready to be mapped by AC Live.

The unit can record and hold up to 8 hours of AC live recording in its memory. However, if you opt for a ZeroLines charts card, the length of the recording considerably increases. Also, since this is a G2N unit, its AC Live software features two extra functions, Bottom Hardness, and Vegetation. These two functions allow the color coding of bottom hardness and areas with vegetation, in order to see them better at a glance.

The unit can store up to 2,500 waypoints in its internal memory, and up to 47 routes, with up to 50 waypoints per route. It also has a track recording function and can record up to 50 tracks, with up to 20,000 points per track. Also, it is compatible with various external modules, such as HD Radar, i-Pilot Link, AIS etc.

Control unit features

First of all, the HELIX 410110-1 features classic keypad navigation; does not have touchscreen technology such as the Lowrance Elite-7 Ti or cross-touch technology as the ONIX8ci SI Combo. However, it is compatible with the Humminbird AS RC1 or RC2 Bluetooth remote, being wireless control capable; this accessory is not included with the unit, though. This remote has 7 keys with long and short press response and can control multiple functions on the unit, such as marking waypoints, rewinding sonar, taking a screen snapshot, creating an i-Pilot Link Spot-Lock etc. It can give you more flexibility while on the water. Plus, the Bluetooth connection even allows you to sync your Humminbird fish finder with your smartphone, in order to receive smart notifications.

The unit is equipped with a 10.1″ diagonal display, with a 16-bit color range and a pixel matrix of 1024H x 600V. The display is backlit and glass bonded, for maximum readability in direct sunlight, eliminating the glare effect. The unit is IPX7 waterproof, which means it can withstand incidental water exposure and even full immersions in freshwater, up to a depth of 1 meter.

The HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS G2N is NMEA 2000 capable, also featuring an Ethernet port. Its SD card reader features two slots, which is quite a plus as you won’t have to swap cards as often, if you will be using more than two, for better charts, data backup etc.

Last but not least, the unit comes with a classic gimbal mount, but an in-dash mount kit is optionally available. Plus, the box also includes a unit cover.

The Pros

• CHIRP DualBeam Plus Sonar, and CHIRP Down Imaging Sonar;
• Powerful transducer (XNT 9 DI T), CHIRP capable and temperature capable, with transom mount;
• Depth capability up to 600 ft with the included transducer, great for inland fishing, and even for shallow off-shore fishing;
• Multiple sonar functions available, such as SwitchFire, Selective Fish ID+, Bottom Lock, Mark Structure, Real Time Sonar etc;
• Sonar Recording and Screen Snapshot functions;
• Precision GPS with MSAS, EGNOS, and WAAS enhancing;
• Humminbird Basemap charts included;
• AutoChart Live with Bottom Hardness and Vegetation features;
• Trackplotting, routes and waypoints functions;
• Large, 10.1″ display, with a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, and LED backlight for a better reading in direct sunlight or at night;
• AIS, i-Pilot Link, and Radar capable;
• Bluetooth wireless control capable;
• LakeMaster, Navionics, and SmartStrike capable;
• Ethernet and NMEA 2000 ready;
• IPX7 waterproof;
• SD card reader (2 slots);
• Upgradeable internal software;
• Unit cover included;
• Gimbal mount included;
• Fairly easy to install.

The Cons

• Bluetooth remote control not included;
• In-dash mounting kit is not included.

Bottom Line

The Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS G2N is a fish finder which also offers advanced navigation features. It’s equipped with CHIRP 2D sonar and CHIRP Down Imaging sonar technology, along with a fast and accurate GPS system, the Humminbird Basemap charts and AutoChart Live. It’s wireless control capable and can also support various external modules, such as HD Radar, AIS or i-Pilot link.

The unit comes with the XNT 9 DI T transducer, which is perfect for freshwater fishing, as it can scan depths up to 600 ft. But with a 50 kHz transducer, its depth capabilities can increase up to 3,500 ft. It’s a unit for boats of all sizes, except maybe small kayaks. And finally, considering all its functions, the fact that it comes with a transducer, and the available palette of upgrades, we can safely say that it offers excellent value for the price.