Vexilar FL-18

[Lip RIPPER!]

Has anyone tried the new Vexilar FL-18? Just wanted to hear the pros and cons about the new unit.

[Scoot]

This question may have already been answered, but I'll ask it anyway. I have a high-speed transducer for my FL-8slt and I am wondering if that same transducer will work for the FL-18?
Scoot

[Dennis]

Scoot:
I have been using the FL-18 for a while I'm using the old puck style transducer on the bottom of my trolling motor. It seems to work fine. The rule of thumb for electronics if the transducer plugs in it will work. Eccept on some of the Zercom Pro units some had 150 mhz and some were 200 mhz. I don't hear to much about the dual Fl-18 in the Pro pac this is the unit that seems to make the most sense for the extra $20 you can use the narrow cone angle for deep water and the wide one for shallow. These new units are not affected by the bright sunlight in the least. I have been fighting that problem with the Fl-8's for the last 25 years.

[Piker]

Dennis, your right on the money. On the FL-18 demo video it says that all the accesories from the FL-8 work on the FL-18.

[Bogie]

Ok Guy's
I do not get out fishing as often as I like but see the need for a flasher. The question of the day - Would I benefit buying the FL18 or be better off starting out with one of you guy's used FL8 when you upgrade (buy the the way I have never owned a flasher yet)

[Dennis]

There will be several good used units on the market soon. I have sold a few in my store already this fall. Some things to look at on used FL-8's to determine the price. The first thing I look at is to see if the have a 20 or 30 ft. screen. The 30 ft. ones won't bring as much money. Check to see if they have the I R on them. I sold a 2 year old with IR and 20 ft. screen Pro Pak for $200 and the older style 30 ft. will bring about $150 to $175 depending on the condition. If you do most of your fishing inside or in low light conditions it is hard to justify the cost of the FL-18. Personally I switched because I fish outside a lot in the winter and also use the unit on the front of my boat. I will some used ones coming in late next week give me a call. 507-362-8929

[Guest]

Hey guys,

Just got off the phone with the tech folks over at Vexilar. Thought I'd share the info learned:

The FL-18 is 30% brighter than the FL-8...

The resolution and color distinction is greater on the FL-18 resulting in clearer, sharper target reads...

The FL-18 has a 2 year warranty, the FL-8 has a 1 year warranty...

The low power mode eliminates the need for an s-cable to reduce interference in shallow water applications...

The well publicized auto zoom mode to split screen and view the bottom 6 feet...

They believe the 12 degree transducer is the best to take advantage of the auto zoom feature and reduce dead zones in deeper water and still not be too tight for panfish applications...

The unit will work with any vexilar transducer though...

There are companies out there selling their own packages with 19 degree transducers. Vexilar only packages the unit with the 12 degree transducer for best tested performance...

The whole concept behind the unit was to build one to better suit the walleye fisherman and open water user...

...Hope this info is helpful to those trying to make the decision...

[rap]

bogie, i have an fl-8 and am not planning on buying the new model 18. i fish mainly on a lake that is only 20 feet deep and averages 15 ft. if you are fishing a deep lake i would get the fl-18 to zero in on the bottom, but if you are fishing in a lake of 30 feet or less i would get and fl-8 with a 19 degree transducer

[Guest]

The new FL- 18 has nothing to do with depth. The concept is to be able to see fish that are laying on bottom. The FL-8's target seperation is too large for this.

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MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[RJ]

I'm looking to buy an FL-8 or FL-18. If I read the above posts right, you say the 18 is quite a bit better. I'm thinking the other way. Most all my fishing is in twenty feet or less of water. On the 18, the entire water column is covered by half the dial (the right side). The bottom six feet is on the left side. This doesn't seem to present much of an advantage. If I'm in twenty feet, I have only ten feet of water on either side of the FL-8, right? I'm not sure it would be worth the extra $100 or so, to get six feet on the left, and have the full twenty feet on the right half of the circle. Any display I've seen on the FL-8 units have always been quite detailed.
Should I spend the extra money? What is the max range of the FL-8? Does it have a deep water range?

Rick

[Guest]

The idea of the 18 is to pull fish off the bottom and display them better (regardless of depth) than the 8. If you fish allot of walleyes then you may find the 18 to better suit yourself. The Zercom unit has always done a good job of marking fish on bottom. Vexliar has made the 18 to remain competitive.

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MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[This message has been edited by D-man (edited 11-26-2001).]

[finface]

RJ,
the fl-18 has a setting that makes it exactly the same as a fl-8. In other words that split screen thing is just an option, you can have it on or off. But if you are fishing in deeper water or you want to zoom in on bottom (because thats where the fish usually are) you can view the bottom six (not ten) feet of the water colomn and you get better target separation for better fish id near bottom. So besides the lower price, there are no advantages of the fl-8, b/c the fl-18 has everything it has (and then the new features).
good luck

[Piker]

The FL-18 can function in the exact same manner as an FL-8. By that, I mean, if it's set on normal it shows the whole water column the exact same way as the FL-8, with 3 oclock being 5ft, 6 oclock being ten, and so on up to 20 ft on the "1X" setting. Switch it to 2x and it goes to 40ft. The standard FL-18 will go up to 200ft of water. Now then, if you have fish holding tight to the bottom, you can switch it from normal mode to Auto Zoom mode. In Auto Zoom it will show only the bottom 6 feet on the left and then switch the right side of the dial to show the entire water column in 2X mode. It also has a 1/2" of target separation so it can tell a walleye sitting a half inch of the bottom, from the bottom. Pretty cool stuff.

[rap]

rj, i'd save the money and get the fl-8 if you fish a lake that is relatively shallow like 30 feet or less. and if you are fishing shallow lakes like that, fl-8's usually come standard with 19 degree transducers, and that would be best for shallow lakes, if you get the fl-18, you would probably have to order the 19 degree transducer because the 18's come with the new 12 degree transducer

[Seabass77]

Here’s my dilemma –

I just bought the fl-8 from cabelas in September…haven’t even used it yet. But I don’t want to use it for a year and then need to upgrade. Should I just return it now and spend the extra 80 bucks or just wait and see and risk spending more money to upgrade later? Another issue is that I like to fish both crappie and walleye and with the 12 ducer, I think that I might limit myself either way. Any opinions?

[Guest]

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This message has been edited by Marmooskaman (edited 11-27-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Marmooskaman (edited 12-01-2001).]

[Seabass77]

Here’s my dilemma –

I just bought the fl-8 from cabelas in September…haven’t even used it yet. But I don’t want to use it for a year and then need to upgrade. Should I just return it now and spend the extra 80 bucks or just wait and see and risk spending more money to upgrade later? Another issue is that I like to fish both crappie and walleye and with the 12 ducer, I think that I might limit myself either way. Any opinions?

[Guest]

You'll be fine fishing for crappies and walleyes with a 19 ducer on the Fl-18 with its zoom feature. I didnt upgrade for the fact of the zoom. I upgraded for the fact its better suited for open water than the Fl-8.I like the "bottom lock" feature and the ability to read it better in sunlight.

[Guest]

Well I have the old fl-8 not the SLT just a fl-8 OLD. It is about 7 years old and I need to replace the brushes cause it is making noise and starting to look funny like your battery is dead. Well I am thinking about just buying a new fl-18 and getting the fl-8 fixed for a backup or a extra for a buddy. I use my fl-8 all year round and fish at least 4 times a week so that gives you a idea of the wear that they can take before they need to be replaced. If you only fish a few times a week you should be able to run that fl-8 for a long time.

[Seabass77]

So d-man, what are you saying? Stick with the fl-8SLT with the 19 or get fl-18 with the 12? I still have the reciept and they said they would accept the upgrade.

[Guest]

I would go with the FL-18 and the 19 ducer.Cabelas carries that package as well.

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MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[This message has been edited by D-man (edited 11-27-2001).]

[Seabass77]

Thanks D-man.

[Seabass77]

One more question...will the 19 ducer on the fl-18 be as good at eliminating dead zone as the 12 on the fl-18?

[Piker]

In theory, the dead zone is greater, the greater the angle of the transducer cone. That is what I have read anyway. I've also read that anything under 20 degrees has a very small dead zone anyway, so it may not be a big issue.

[This message has been edited by Piker (edited 11-28-2001).]

[Seabass77]

Well,
I returned my FL-8SLT and picked up the FL-18. But, they didn’t have any with 19-degree transducers. I ended up with the 12. According to the guy at Vexilar, that should be fine for both crappies and walleye. Plus, Cabelas was handing out coupons at the door today!!! $5 bucks off purchase of $50 bucks or more. $10 off of $100 and $20 off of $200 or more. See you guys on the ice.

[Guest]

Seabass/ Iam sure you'll be happy. Now lets get that ol man winter to get some ice here.

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MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/