Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N

The HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N is one of the Humminbird fish finders released in 2017. It’s also one of the Humminbird discontinued units. In terms of navigation, it pretty much has the same features as the HELIX 10 CHIRP DI GPS G2N. However, it’s one of the first Humminbird units with MEGA Down Imaging. It also includes the MEGA DI transducer. For reference, this is the Humminbird part number 410510-1. Also, one of the newer models available at the moment is the HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI+ GPS G3N.

Key Features and Specifications

• Display: 10.1″ diagonal, color TFT with a 65,000 color range, 1024H x 600V pixel matrix, and LED backlight
• Sonar: Dual Spectrum 2D CHIRP, MEGA Down Imaging
• Frequency and Coverage:
  • 2D CHIRP: 140-200 kHz/42° and 180-240 kHz/25°;
  • Down Imaging: 455 kHz/75°, 800 kHz/45° & 1.2 MHz/45°
• Depth Capability:
  • 2D CHIRP: 1,200 ft (366 m)
  • DI (455 kHz): 400 ft (122 m)
  • MEGA DI: 125 ft (38 m)
• Transducer: XM 9 MDI T
• Power Output: 1000 Watts (RMS)
• Power Input: 10.8-20 VDC
• GPS: Internal
• Charts: Humminbird Basemap
• Routes, Waypoints, Tracks: 47; 2,500; 50

Sonar and transducer

The HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N offers two types of sonar. These are the 2D Dual Spectrum CHIRP and the MEGA Down Imaging. It can also use regular Down Imaging for a better depth penetration. It’s a unit capable of 360 Imaging sonar if you pair it with a 360 Imaging transducer, but Side Imaging is not available for this unit.

This Humminbird finder system includes the MEGA Down Imaging transducer XM 9 MDI T. This transducer is capable of using only one conical beam for the CHIRP 2D Dual Spectrum sonar. The beam can be either Narrow 25° @ 180-240 kHz, or Wide 42° @ 140-200 kHz. Or you can use the “FULL” adjustable mode which allows you to select any frequency range between 140 kHz and 240 kHz. The max. depth capability of the 2D sonar can reach 1,200 ft (366 m) when using the wide beam mode.

The unit can also operate at 83 kHz and 50 kHz, but in order to use these frequencies and achieve depth capabilities up to 3,500 ft (1066 m), you’ll need a 50 kHz capable transducer.

The included XM 9 MDI T transducer comes with a metallic transom mount and also integrates a temperature sensor.

For Down Imaging, there are three frequencies available with this fish finder system: 455 kHz, 800 kHz, and 1.2 MHz. The 455 kHz offers a wide-angle beam with a coverage of 75° and a depth capability of 400 ft (122 m). The 1.2 MHz is the MEGA DI beam which has a coverage of 45° and provides the highest resolution and image sharpness. This beam has a depth capability of 125 ft (38 m). And there’s the 800 kHz frequency which is an alternative to the 1.2 MHz, offering the same depth capability and coverage but with less sharp imaging. It may be useful if you want to save battery. All Down Imaging beams are fan-shaped, approx. 1-2° fore/aft.

The unit offers a wide array of standard sonar features. To begin with, it has Sonar Recording and Sonar Rewind functions, which can be very useful on the water especially if you want to have a second look at a certain location without re-scanning that particular area. Selective Fish ID+ and SwitchFire are also available with this unit. Selective Fish ID+ assigns fish icons to the fish targets and displays the depth of each fish target next to it.

There’s a Fish ID Alarm available for this sonar mode which you can set up to trigger for all fish, large/medium or just large fish. The SwitchFire feature is basically a quick filter with two modes, Clear and Max. In Clear Mode, all the clutter is filtered out leaving the biggest fish targets on the display. Conversely, in Max Mode, the 2D sonar imaging will show all the sonar information.

Among other standard sonar features, we can count Real Time Sonar, Circular Flasher, Structure ID, WhiteLine, Bottom Lock, various other alarms, and more.

Navigation features

As its name suggests, the Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N the unit has GPS. It’s a high-precision 10 Hz internal GPS receiver which can also offer enhanced fixes by using information from WAAS, EGNOS, or MSAS satellites. The GPS system offers location updates 10 times per second, and the movement of your boat is shown on the display in real-time. It can also calculate the speed of your boat.

The unit has waypoints, routes and track recording functions. It can store up to 2,500 waypoints in its memory. It can save up to 47 routes with up to 50 waypoints per route. While for track recording, it can save 50 tracks each one with 20,000 points. Any track can be converted into a route and edited with new waypoints.

This Humminbird HELIX unit comes preloaded with the Humminbird Basemap charts. 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. Of course, the unit is compatible with LakeMaster charts, LakeMaster Plus, Navionics Plus, Navionics Platinum, and SmartStrike fishing charts.

Another major feature of the HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N is AutoChart Live. This feature allows you to map the water as you drive the boat, revealing the depth contours. This way, you can create personalized fishing maps, or use the most recent and up-to-date depth contours of your lake. Also, since it’s a G2N unit, it offers two extra features: Bottom Hardness and Vegetation. These allow you to color code various areas in order to see at a glance what type of bottom does a particular spot have, or outline the vegetation. The unit can record up to 8 hours of contours with AC Live, but you can always opt for a ZeroLines card which is specifically designed to fit the AC Live feature and increases the recording time and possibilities by a lot.

Since the unit offers superior networking capabilities, it’s also compatible with various external modules. Among them, we can count Radar, AIS, i-Pilot Link, Compass/Heading Sensors, etc.

Control unit features

To begin with, the unit features a 10.1″ diagonal display, with an impressive pixel resolution of 1024H X 600V. Needless to say, it’s a color display and has adjustable LED backlight offering superior readability even in direct sunlight. It’s also optically bonded for reduced glare.

Unlike the SOLIX 12 CHIRP GPS, this unit only has standard keypad navigation. It does not have touchscreen technology. Its interface is quite intuitive, though, and the included manual covers in detail each and every function. There’s a split-view feature which allows you to view and work with two applications simultaneously, and adjust the size of any of them.

The unit is IPX7 waterproof. This means it can withstand rain or incidental water exposure with no problem. It should even survive full immersions in freshwater.

In terms of connectivity, this Humminbird unit is NMEA 2000 capable and also has Ethernet networking capabilities. It integrates a dual SD card reader for chart upgrades or data saving. It also has Bluetooth connectivity being compatible with the AS RC1 or RC2 Humminbird remote controls. Plus, via Bluetooth, you can sync your smartphone with the Humminbird head unit in order to view messages or phone call alerts and other data.

The box includes a classic Gimbal mount and a unit cover. However, there’s also the option of a surface mounting kit.

The Pros

• CHIRP Dual Spectrum Sonar and MEGA Down Imaging;
• MEGA DI transducer (XM 9 MDI T) included;
• Depth capability up to 1,200 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, ENGOS, 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 matrix, and LED backlight for a better reading in direct sunlight or at night;
• AIS, i-Pilot Link, and Radar capable;
• Bluetooth wireless control capable;
• You can sync the unit with your phone as well via Bluetooth, in order to view smart notifications;
• 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

• The Bluetooth remote control is not included;
• The in-dash mounting kit (for surface mounting) is not included.

Summary

The Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G2N is a fish finder and chartplotter combo, featuring Dual Spectrum CHIRP sonar, MEGA Down Imaging, 10 Hz GPS, the Humminbird Basemap charts and AutoChart Live. The MEGA DI transducer is also included with the unit. It’s Bluetooth control capable, offers superior networking possibilities (NMEA 2000, Ethernet), and is compatible with various external modules such as Radar, AIS or i-Pilot Link systems. In all, it’s a highly versatile unit, fitting to a wide array of boats, offering an excellent price/value ratio.