On my last boat I had an 898 si. I purchased a helix 5 si for my aluminum boat not long after they came out. About 9 months after purchase it would not lock gps position and would go off every time you hit the smallest wave. Humminbird made it right and fixed the unit. They told me it had internal moisture damage. I have had my unit for 2 years now with no further issues.

Compared to the 898 it is obviously smaller but I find that the side imaging is much clearer. Not sure if that is due to screen resolution or advances in technology. I will purchase a new unit this next year. I will probably buy one of the larger helix units. For the price they are really hard to beat.

I have the Helix 9 on my new boat. Slade set it up for me and it is amazing.

I am running a Helix 12 on the dash beside my 1199 all networked into my 360 imaging transom mount and my Terrova iPilot. The Helix is a much brighter screen, I like the new colors on the down and side imaging plus the auto chart live is a game changer! I also have the zero line chart to remap lake's I fish. I have already found a few things that no map, Lake Master Plus or the Navionics platinum chip have.

I have the Helix 10 with upgraded transducer. Would think menus would be easier to move through but picture quality and settings options are pretty remarkable.

I had 3 of Humminbird Helix 10s on my 2016 boat, 4-1199s on my 2015 and I really like the Helix version better than the 1199s that I had. Still have the same simplicity of use, but to me it is a better picture with more options. I ran mine with Navionics Platinum cards in 2 and a Nav+ in the other and could not of been happier with the units.

Over the last couple of days, I had a chance to compare my Helix 12 CHIRP to the 1199 on the water. The picture is so much better on the Helix, I had my buddy going through all of the settings on the 1199 because I thought there was something wrong with the 1199 and the screen just didn't look right. The screen image is just that good. I can't imagine what the Mega -Image is going to look like, but I may need to get some plastic paid off.

The one thing that drives me crazy with the Helix 9 is the GPS speed jumps around a lot when I am drifting. It seems to be in tune with every rock of the boat. The lowrance smoothed it out. The only problem is I don't think a Lowrance SI transducer would have ever worked on my boat since I don't have a jackplate. That thing is about 8" long.

I bought a Helix 7 about a month ago, I had to move the transducer to the other side of the boat from my Garmin trand=sducer because of the bleedover.
The Garmin was fine, The Helix sonars were really distorted. Now I have a transducer on each side of the engine, two feet or so from the engine.
The Garmin SV9 runs circles around the Helix...faster, clearer, and the Di and SI pictures are much much better. I use the Helix for full time GPS with the Lakemaster chip, because the Garmin won't take Lakemasters,...

is there a difference between a helix 9 si/gps and a helix 9 si/gps chartplotter ?

No, the same unit.

Good !!! Humminbird is letting me upgrade the transducer to the HD model for 85 dollars so i'm waiting on it. THen just need to get it installed and set up. Its sure a nice looking unit.. I'm impressed and I havent even turned it on yet.