In the £600-£1,000 mid-range bracket, Humminbird’s HELIX and Garmin’s ECHOMAP series are the two most popular combo fish finder/chartplotter ranges — both punch well above their price point. Here’s how they compare.
| Unit | Screen | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73cv GN+ with GT20-TM Transducer | 7-inch | £747.99 |
| Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv Fish Finder Chartplotter – 7 Inch, GT54UHD Transducer | 7-inch | £632.99 |
| Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G4N Fish Finder | 7-inch | £632.99 |
| Humminbird HELIX 9 MEGA SI+ G4N with AutoChart Live | 9-inch | £977.99 |
Garmin’s Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73cv GN+ with GT20-TM Transducer (£747.99) and Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73sv Fish Finder Chartplotter – 7 Inch, GT54UHD Transducer (£632.99) both bring UHD2 sonar clarity and GPS mapping into a 7-inch display — the “sv” model adds Garmin’s scanning sonar (ClearVü/SideVü) over the “cv” model’s ClearVü-only setup, worth the price difference if reading structure detail matters to you.
Humminbird’s Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G4N Fish Finder (£632.99) matches the ECHOMAP on screen size while adding MEGA Down Imaging sonar, and the Humminbird HELIX 9 MEGA SI+ G4N with AutoChart Live (£977.99) steps up to a 9-inch screen with AutoChart Live for building your own depth maps.
Which Should You Choose?
- Choose ECHOMAP if you want Garmin’s Navionics chart ecosystem and a path to adding Panoptix LiveScope later.
- Choose HELIX if you want MEGA Imaging sonar clarity and AutoChart Live’s self-building depth maps, particularly useful on less well-charted inland waters.
- Prioritise screen size? The Humminbird HELIX 9 MEGA SI+ G4N with AutoChart Live gives the largest display in this bracket at £977.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between “cv” and “sv” Garmin models?
“cv” models include ClearVü scanning sonar only; “sv” models add SideVü for wider side-scanning coverage, at a higher price.
Is MEGA Imaging better than Garmin’s scanning sonar?
Both are strong performers — Humminbird’s MEGA Imaging is often praised for sharper structure detail, while Garmin’s ClearVü/SideVü integrates tightly with the wider Garmin ecosystem including LiveScope.
Which is better value for a first combo unit?
Both the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 73cv GN+ with GT20-TM Transducer and Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA DI GPS G4N Fish Finder sit at similar price points and are excellent first combo units — the choice mostly comes down to chart and ecosystem preference.
Still deciding between HELIX and ECHOMAP? Our team can talk through your priorities — browse both ranges in our online shop.