Helix 7 cannot be linked , but does have the card slot . — I bought one with the Navionics + card ( U.S. AND CANADA ) for 577 on ebay . — Havent had it on the water yet , but it looks INCREDIBLE on the simulation mode . — I looked at all units in the $500 range , and the Helix looked like it offered the best bang for the bucks . — Learning curve should be easy enough if youve used Humminbird core units . — Pretty much the same with more bells and whistles .