Humminbird® Introduces New SOLIX™ Series with Exclusive Technologies and Largest Screens in its Class

RACINE, Wis., January 17, 2017 – The biggest news in fishfinding sonar for 2017 is, quite literally, “big.” For decades, Humminbird has led the fishing world by putting new tools and innovations in the hands of anglers to help them find, and catch, fish. Now, Humminbird has combined its best features and placed them into one fishfinder, the SOLIX™. Offering the biggest display in the brand’s history – up to 15 inches – the SOLIX boasts technologies designed to make locating fish easier.

A truly revolutionary product, SOLIX delivers game-changing sonar, imaging and mapping capabilities in the largest fishfinder anglers have ever seen. In true Humminbird fashion, these technologies are packaged in an easy-to-use interface and system that can make any angler better.

Unprecedented screen innovation
SOLIX is setting the bar for the angling sonar category in display size with two variations – a 12- and 15-inch screen model. Both come standard with Humminbird’s Cross Touch® Interface, letting anglers operate the unit via touchscreen or keypad, all while customizing the screen with up to four independent viewing panes.

Cross Touch allows anglers to use the SOLIX either as a touchscreen or with the keypad for easier control in rough water conditions. Individual panes can be zoomed or moved to different screen locations based on angler preference or fishing situation.

According to professional bass angler Gerald Swindle, SOLIX gives him a serious advantage over his competition and the fish he’s after. “The size is amazing and allows me to see crucial screen information from anywhere in the boat. Plus, I can set up my panes to simultaneously show me MEGA Side Imaging, MEGA Down Imaging and how I’m oriented to key structure. I get all of that in a glance, so I know that every cast is a productive one,” said Swindle.

Never-before-seen image clarity
SOLIX units come in two versions. One is equipped with GPS and CHIRP Digital Sonar, the other adds Humminbird’s game-changing MEGA Imaging. This is the first Down and Side Imaging technology to enter the megahertz range with performance that’s nearly three times greater than traditional 455 kHz frequencies. It results in the clearest, sharpest imaging returns ever.

Anglers can choose MEGA Side Imaging for an incredible view to the left and right of their boat, while MEGA Down Imaging gives crystal clear pictures of what is beneath the boat. Both carry a range that covers the most popular fishing depths.

When asked to explain MEGA Imaging, Humminbird’s brand manager Ray Schaffart said, “The screen detail is so defined that that in some cases you can literally see each individual fish and make out their head or tail in the sonar shadow. Natural bottom structures like rocks and stumps almost look like photographs, while man-made structures like shipwrecks, road grades or sunken bridges, offer up imagery down to the individual beam. After people see it, they just can’t believe it.”

All SOLIX models include CHIRP Digital Sonar, firing more pulses than traditional transducers over a given period of time. More pulses mean more information, improved target separation and superior image clarity at greater depths.

The next generation in mapping
Also standard on all SOLIX models is Humminbird’s expanded AUTOCHART® Live technology that creates and saves structure maps on any body of water.  AUTOCHART Live identifies and maps depth, bottom hardness and vegetation. Anglers know that fish relate to depth, weed lines and transition points in bottom type – for example where a soft, muddy bottom transitions to firm sand or rock. By collecting all that data on an AUTOCHART Live map, Humminbird helps anglers keep their boat in the strike zone on productive structure.

Fishing takes another huge step forward when AUTOCHART Live is used in conjunction with i-Pilot® Link™ from Minn Kota®. With both technologies cooperating, an angler can tell his Minn Kota trolling motor to “follow” a specific AUTCHART Live contour at a set speed, and with the press of a button the boat will precisely follow the exact path. Now, anglers no longer need to guess where fish-holding structure is located. They can precisely follow the weedline, bottom hardness or depth contour, and stay within easy casting distance of their target.

Unsurpassed connectivity
Bluetooth is built into every unit, allowing anglers to sync smartphones to the on-board SOLIX. Text messages, missed calls, signal strength and other notifications appear right on the Humminbird display, so phones can stay safely in pockets where they belong for hands-free fishing. It creates a flawless on-board network of electronics and connectivity.

For plug-and-fish networking, high-speed ethernet provides easy connectivity to Humminbird 360 Imaging, Minn Kota i-Pilot Link, Humminbird CHIRP Radar, and additional SOLIX or select HELIX units. The new units are fully compatible with Humminbird LakeMaster® charts, SmartStrike™ and Navionics® Gold/HotMaps™.

Versatile mounting options
SOLIX owners can mount their large Cross Touch screens inside the boat dash, on the included gimbal or directly to an optional RAM Mount for multi-directional viewing.

Mark Gibson, Humminbird director of R&D, summarized the new Humminbird SOLIX technology by saying “SOLIX is the combination of decades of dedicated development in everything from the transducer to the touchscreen. It’s the best of the best and the most advanced fish locator ever created.”

For more information call Humminbird at 800-633-1468 or visit Humminbird.com.

Humminbird’s new SOLIX units (Left to Right: 12-inch and 15-inch).

NEW HUMMINBIRD® TECHNOLOGIES DELIVER CLEAREST IMAGING EVER AND BRING FISH-HIDING STRUCTURE TO LIFE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Next generation HELIX® products features MEGA Imaging™ with CHIRP digital sonar, AUTOCHART® Live vegetation and bottom hardness mapping, and Bluetooth connectivity.

RACINE, WI. (November 15, 2016) – When the Humminbird® HELIX® 10 took home the 2016 ICAST award for “BestElectronics,” few were surprised. After all, Humminbird has raised that trophy for six consecutive years. For 2017, the now iconic HELIX units offer more industry-leading technologies with exclusive new Humminbird innovations designed to deliver better, more usable information about what lies below the surface.

MEGA Imaging™ with CHIRP digital sonar delivers unprecedented detail 
With a sonar frequency nearly 3-times greater than traditional 455 kHz frequencies, Humminbird is the first to take fish-finding sonar to the megahertz range, resulting in the clearest, sharpest underwater views. The quantum leap to megahertz frequency provides vastly improved MEGA Side Imaging and MEGA Down Imaging, giving anglers a clear choice when it comes to underwater sonar.

According to Mark Gibson, Humminbird Director of R&D, “Our team has dedicated itself to developing the best imaging technology on the water, and the result is unreal screen detail and never-before-seen clarity. It truly needs to be seen to be believed.”

AUTOCHART® Live expands with vegetation and bottom density mapping
When Humminbird first introduced AUTOCHART Live in 2015, it allowed anglers to map the depth of their favorite body of water, revealing some of the best hiding places for fish. No longer constrained by outdated paper maps or tribal knowledge, it was a step forward for fishermen everywhere. Now, Humminbird has expanded this technology even further.

In addition to mapping depth, AUTOCHART Live now gives anglers the ability to map aquatic vegetation and changing bottom hardness. This is regarded as the “trifecta” in essential information, since fish relate so specifically to depth, weed lines and transition points in bottom type – for example where a soft bottom meets hard sand or rocky structure.

The AUTOCHART Live enhancements have BASS Elite pros like Brent Ehrler very excited. “AUTOCHART Live puts the power in our hands to map uncharted waters and surgically study structure contours. Adding vegetation and bottom hardness mapping to the mix is just awesome, because that’s where the fish are – whether it’s the inside turn of a grass line, a little funnel, or spots where mud transitions to rock. You’re now talking about being able to laser in on spots that used to take us hours and hours to find,” he said.

Bluetooth® connects everything 
Select new HELIX units for 2017 also feature built-in Bluetooth, which allows users to sync their smartphones and other devices, delivering text messages, missed calls, signal strength and battery life right on the Humminbird display. It creates a flawless on-board network of electronics and connectivity.

Ray Schaffart, Humminbird Brand Manager, explains further how the new Humminbird HELIX technology helps anglers catch more fish, especially used in concert with new technology from Minn Kota®. “Depth, vegetation and bottom hardness contours are like super-highways for many fish species. With Minn Kota trolling motors that have i-Pilot® Link™, you can tell your trolling motor to follow a specific depth, weed line or bottom density contour, then choose your desired speed and the boat will follow that path with the press of a button. That’s automated hands-free fishing with exact boat control, with your bait always in the strike zone.”

Since anglers and boaters have different on-the-water needs, Humminbird offers these new innovations on select second generation HELIX models.

The HELIX second generation networking (G2N) family consists of four screen sizes (7-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch), with each size offering three CHIRPing sonar model options – GPS 2D sonar, GPS 2D sonar/Down Imaging®, and GPS 2D sonar/Side Imaging®. Regardless of the model selected, all three sonar elements CHIRP. Exclusive to the G2N models, each one includes AUTOCHART Live vegetation/bottom hardness and Bluetooth capability. MEGA Side Imaging™ and MEGA Down Imaging™ can only be found on the GPS 2D sonar/Side Imaging HELIX 9, 10 and 12 G2N models.

The HELIX second generation (G2) family consists of two screen sizes (5-inch and 7-inch), each one offering the same CHIRPing sonar model options as the G2N. The G2 units are now equipped with AUTOCHART Live, an update over the first generation HELIX models. For the value-conscious angler, three select G2 units have an upgraded user-interface-only.

The G2 family models are not networkable and do not include the new MEGA imaging or Bluetooth technologies, however all models allow registered users to receive software updates when available. The new units are also compatible with Humminbird LakeMaster® charts, SmartStrike™ (internal GPS units only) and Navionics® Gold/HotMaps™.

All units feature an updated operating system and allow for gimbal mounting, or in-dash mounting with an optional kit. International models support 200/50kHz. Optional 50 kHz transducers are available for extreme deep-water use.