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 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, 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 AutoChart® 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.”
Vira Maritime