With the turn of a new calendar year, we also have a wide variety of new tools from Humminbird and Minn Kota to help us find and catch more fish. Here’s an overview of what’s new for SOLIX:

The biggest changes you’ll encounter are two sonar/imaging advances that will be introduced into the SOLIX G2. These include MEGA SI+/DI+ as well as new “true CHIRP”, low-Q transducer elements for 2D sonar.

MEGA SI+/DI+ represents a range enhancement over existing MEGA SI/DI capabilities. If you are a MEGA Imaging user already, then you likely recognize that this highest-resolution imaging frequency sometimes is limited in its useful range – often to a range of 75-90 feet in our own experience. MEGA SI+ and DI+ technologies extend this range beyond what is available for G1 units, to a distance of 200 feet to each side for SI+ and 200 ft down for DI+. I would consider these quoted ranges to be “best case scenario” numbers, but we are still looking forward to being able to see farther out with MEGA SI+, into the typical ranges we used with old-school 455 kHz Side Imaging.

SOLIX units have always had the ability to CHIRP in 2D sonar. That CHIRP capability within the control heads has now been paired with a transducer system that can take maximum advantage of 2D Sonar CHIRP: SOLIX G2 units now include new “high-wide” (HW) 2D Sonar CHIRP elements in their transducers. In our experience during the testing phase, this new Dual Spectrum CHIRP 2D sonar delivers cleaner 2D sonar displays and enhanced fish arches as well as improved target separation. If you rely heavily on 2D sonar, you will really appreciate these enhancements. Dual Spectrum CHIRP will be available across the SOLIX family.

A couple of changes have been made to the control heads themselves. First, all of the SOLIX G2 units that are Side Imaging or Down Imaging units contain hardware to support the range enhancements in MEGA SI+ and DI+; this means that SOLIX G1 units cannot be ungraded/updated to achieve the increased range (however, G1 units CAN be updated to drive the new high-wide 2D sonar elements; more on that later). Second, control-head-only (CHO) units will be available for several popular SOLIX models, so you can add one of these to your boat without having the additional expense of an extra transducer that you may not use right away (or at all).

SOLIX G2 units will all be running an updated software build, a version of which will be available (or is already available) for existing G1 units. We strongly recommend that G1 owners update to this most recent software for several reasons. First, doing so will allow G1units to drive the new dual spectrum CHIRP 2D elements in the new “high-wide” transducers. Second, the updated software will allow HELIX units to drive the Down Imaging element in the new Minn Kota trolling motors with integrated DI elements. The updated software addresses a relatively common issue in shallow water, in which the digital depth was displayed as a multiple (2x or 3x) of the true depth. Finally, the new SOLIX software also includes an updated user interface, a redesigned home screen, and other “creature comforts” that SOLIX users will appreciate.

Some additional tidbits:

If you want to use a SOLIX unit with the new Minn Kota Down Imaging motors, you will NOT need a sonar adapter. These motors come “pre-wired” for SOLIX, so adding an integrated DI motor to SOLIX network will be plug-and-play.

If you are upgrading your SOLIX network to G2 units: existing SOLIX transducers, like those supplied with G1 units, should be replaced with G2 transducers to take advantage of MEGA SI+ and DI+ as well as dual spectrum 2D CHIRP. As noted above, SOLIX G1 units can use the dual spectrum CHIRP elements to their full potential after those SOLIX units are updated to the current software; however, G1 units cannot access MEGA SI+/DI+. That range enhancement is specific to SOLIX G2 units.