Got a new to me Helix 12 Chirp and had it installed in my new to me Legend 191. I assume this is one of the early Helix models although it was new in the box when I bought it. I had a Humminbird 898 on my old boat and did the data transfer to a card, but was not able to read it on my computer so don't know if data transferred correctly or not. All I got on my desktop was a bunch of jumbled numbers. (Please God tell me it did!!) When looking through my old graph boxes I found two other data cards. One is the FHSE-S USA South Fishing Hot Spots. The other is the Navionics Hot Maps Premium South from April 2008. So questions for you gurus:1) Can I just put the data card into the Helix and it will show up like it would on a desktop if I had put in a thumb drive? 2) Which version of the map cards would you use? 3) Can I load both and/or is it necessary? 4) Doesn't the Helix come with Navionics already in it? 5) So wouldn't those be redundant? If anyone has time to make a phone call (and find out how really ignorant I am) let me know so we could walk through the process. Or if there is a good Youtube you could send me the link would be great. Thanks all!

Oh and I also found a Map Create 7 series mapping package with a CD and a USB Multicard Reader/writer!

The Navionics Hot Map Premium South is a good map but you'll need to do an update on it ( don't know the cost but you can find out on the Navionics website ). I'm running the Platinum South on my Helix and love it. Don't know what lakes you fish but the boat lane chips are good as well as the Tommy Martin map chips. You can put the map cards in the unit and it will show up but you have to default it under the NAV drop down. Not doing a great job of explaining it but maybe Wayne P. will come by and help you more. He's the Bird guru on here.
After I bought mine I took it to David over at Shut Up And Fish and had him set it up. Good luck.

The cards will display the map data when inserted into the unit. There is no downloading maps to the unit other than the new basemap that was released.


The helix 12 has 2 card slots so you can pit both cards in the slot but be only able to read one card at a time. Just have to select which card slot you want the unit to read in the chart select menu

Go to humminbird.com and register the helix. Then you can download humminbirdpc and any updates for the unit. Open hummingbird PC and then put the card in the computer and you will be able to see what's on the card. When you insert the card in to the helix it should give you a pop up screen that all if you want to download the info from the card.

Aaaannnndddd...that's why I get on the Texas Fishing Forum! Awesome. Will be trying it out tomorrow morning! Thank you boys!