Rumors are Helix G4N will debut on Oct 1st and be available a week later and that the Helix G3N is discontinued. If someone has a Helix G3N ordered from HB they are being told that when their order ships, it will be the new model G4N Just a FYI.
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Rumors are Helix G4N will debut on Oct 1st and be available a week later and that the Helix G3N is discontinued. If someone has a Helix G3N ordered from HB they are being told that when their order ships, it will be the new model G4N Just a FYI.
Any specs on difference?
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I've been reading and hearing the same thing about the new units. Only thing I've heard is that a larger 15" Helix will be available.
I'm glad they stayed with the Helix operating system. Us old farts don't want to have to learn the Solix system. Of course, now they will come out with the Humminbird version of Livescope that will only work on G4N units.
M R Dux
I think you're on to something. The current HB units may not have the processors to handle "Livescope" input. As some on here have experienced, HB has introduced features that force you to upgrade units to use them. Maybe the plan is to introduce the units now and "Livescope" in the spring. The number of Livescope and head units Garmin has sold to take advantage of it must be staggering.
Mike
I have to admit, that was my first thought.Quote:
Of course, now they will come out with the Humminbird version of Livescope that will only work on G4N units.
My understanding is the Mega 360 attaches to the MFD as a transducer connection and I was thinking they will need a unit with more power and connections if they come up with something to compete with the LS.
Something new would be a nice distraction for this year of misery.
Garmin definitely did a slam dunk when they developed the Livescope. Good thing Humminbird imaging and mapping is so good or they would have lost most of the crappie fishing community.
Unfortunately for HB they lost alot of potential profit by not developing the technology. I mean, never heard anybody say they 360ing the fish, but "livescoping them" did catch on.
Now when they do, Garmin imaging will probably look archaic next to HB.
Video has it's own processor in most cases. They oughta make the video swappable, but greed over rides practicality.
I kinda favor the idea of a black box that everything plugs into and the displays are just a dumb terminal that gets data from the main box.
If you upgrade, you just change out the black box and keep the terminals. Of course they can still come out with bigger, brighter, higher resolution terminals.
Here is some copy from a posting from a dealer on bbc about some of the G4 units released. The Apex units are a salt water version of the helix units I think and electronic of course is priced alittle higher.
#66Today, 07:40 PM
Ok so here’s the latest as of my meeting today. Helix units ship mid October with a nema 2k built in it. U will need to run the Humminbird Nema kit to link ur units as it’s part of the big plug on the back of the units. The Helix 15 has an additional button for saved screen selections.
Solix G3 has an updated processor in it and nema 2k built into it also.
Apex units seem to be a better and greater Ion series that will flush mount into bigger boats instead of having a raised surface. Expected first quarter of the year.
Now the last I have gotten is the new live mega stuff will be first quarter next year also. He did tell me it’s not gonna be more then a livescope and be able to run on Helix G3 8 units and up. Said it’s pretty sweet is really all I could get out of him.
They are posting on bbc forum that BassPro and Cabelas is going to have the helix 10 G3N’s and a few 12s for the thanksgiving and Black Friday sales. Roughly 10 per store like they did last year on the G2N specials starting at 1000.00. Just something to pay attention to if interested. There little to no difference between the G3n and the G4N except the G4N has WiFi and nema 2k. Just a FYI to be looking out for if anybody is interested.
Mega Live is coming!!!
Attachment 387016
cevans
thanks for sharing this info.
Mike
Mega Live will only be supported and work they are now saying only on the G4N units, and not the G3N units.
It’s all about making money. They got a good hook set in our pocketbooks! :Rofl
Do you know if they are doing away of the Helix 7. I haven't seen a Helix 7 G4
I called humminbird this morning to confirm a couple of things with regard to connectivity of g4n+ and mega live and original 360, they are not releasing any details currently.
spoke to United States based, English-speaking rep... fwiw
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I've been doing a ton of comparison shopping on HB site. Appears the 8, 9, and 10 are identical except for screen size. You can order them as DI, SI with or without a transducer. Appears the future is MDI built into the TM, Mega 360 for SI as well as 360 and it can be displayed by DI. Just an observation.
G4N’s have Bluetooth and Nema connectivity for what it’s worth and alittle more powerful processor is what I am hearing also. But nothing else different much at all vs G3N. What burns my butt alittle is now we only get a years usage before upgrading to a new helix before they bring out a new model. Used to be at least a couple of 2 or 3 yrs. Things moving alittle too fast for my money. When they introduced Mega 360 in Dec 2019 you had to upgrade to a G3N. Now,,they are old school. How many crappie and bass fishermen are using Downriggers, their power poles, blue tooth is only used for downloading software, and how many are hooking the info on their big engines to fish finders. Also their base map is useless in Indiana here compared to Navionics and Lakemaster map cards. I don’t buy a fishfinder with all the useless crap available on the and now paying for a more powerful processor to run all this crap. Just my 2 cents.
I hear ya. In my opinion, the market is still too young. The technology is developing fast. I think we are in the sonar teenage years. This will continue for several years, at least another 5. I would expect upgrades and model improvements as time marches on. Look what has happened to TV's and computers in the last ten years. Tube TV's, Plasma, Rear Projection, LED, LCD, Standard Def, 480p, 720, 4K, etc. Smart typewriters, desktops, laptops, smart phones, wrist watches, etc. We are on a technological explosion. When will it end? My game plan is to buy a new boat and outfit it with the latest sonar units of the time, then add things like 360, live in a few years when it stabilizes some. I'm still using Legacy units, 898 and 899. No 360 or anything else. I'm seeing the Sonar units are standardizing to size groups. Smaller display sizes have fewer options, mid-screen sizes have more options, and the largest have the most options. I'm looking in the 8-10" screen size, offers all the options I want. While I think the pricing is outrageous, it is what it is until the market matures.
I wished they would just sell a fish finder like a computer or laptop,,and then you just install the apps for the items you have on your boat to add into the programming of the fish finder. You could get rid of a lot of the garbage that you are not interested in and it might even keep the unit operating with less glitches we seem to get, every time we update every now and then. Simplicity would be better achieved for most users.
The manufacturers don’t even update their online user manuals as fast as they update adding add on programs we download for things like down riggers, power poles, etc. etc.
No no as with most software it’s a snowball effect. Upgrade that, this doesn’t work. Don’t upgrade now can’t use this, so on so on. It’s how they stay in business by selling. I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts being like most software and an annual subscription to use it.
Bass pro has the helix 12 g3n mega si on today for 1999... I can't decide if I want to order it or just fork out the other 500 for the G4... sitting in the cart tempting me