Yes another vexilar question

[Guest]

I have owned my vexilar for about 4 years now and it has never failed me yet.I use it every weekend Jan. thru April.Correct me if I,m wrong but doesn't the brushes or something need to be serviced?? and when should I have this done ? I do not want to be caught in the middle of the season and have to send the unit back to Vexilar. Thanks

[Guest]

If your display is dim or cuts out you may need to get it reworked? If your concerned call the Vexilar service folks and they will be glad to see if you need service.

They can get dirty but be VERY cautious about cleaning them, check with Vexilar on how to do it.

------------------
Backwater Eddy..><sUMo>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://ed-carlson.fishingbuddy.com

[Guest]

As the previous post stated don't fix it if ain't broke. If you feel you need to it's not that hard. I know several people who have cleaned/replaced brushes. Go to the vexlar web site they can help you.

[Guest]

I agree with the above posters, the Vex is built to perform and to last. It will let you know when it needs servicing, if in doubt, go ahead and have the rework done to insure that you will not have a problem, all I can say is that it depends on the total number of hours that it has run, under "normal" use, the vex will run for many years with nothing but battery charges.

[Guest]

Thanks Guys, it ain't broke and i'm doing nuttin to it.

Good fishing!!

[Dark Cloud]

If it aint broke, leave it alone. I have one thats 10 years old and gets used 3-5 days a week atleast, all winter, just last year I took it apart and cleaned the inside of the lens. It had a black like soot on it(brush dust). I cleand it up and the readout did become clearer.....

[Guest]

I use my Vexilar almost everyday, year round through -25 degrees to sitting in the sun in the boat on the hottest darn day there could be. In my experience, the on/off switch wears out before the brushes do.

I highly doubt your until will suddenly "go bad" like a computer part in an automobile. Then again I may have just junxed myself.

PCG

[Guest]

You wanna talk about a rugged unit? I have a coupla stories for you......A few winters ago, I was up Nort' and I borrowed my brother (The Gissert's) sled and his vex and headed to a known good crappie hole. After I was done fishing, I headed back pulling a sled behind the machine. I hit a bump going about 40 and the entire contents of the sled flew out and onto the ice. It was pretty dang cold and that vex shattered into about six or eight pieces. I said to myself-"Looks like I'm finally going to buy one of these.".....Well, after all of the parts warmed up and dried off, I began to re-assemble that vex piece by broken piece with super glue. To this day, my brother still uses that unit. Believe it or not-this really happened!.......You aughta see my vex. One time, it got too close to the sunflower in the trap. Before I noticed it, there was a big blister growing right out of the side of the round part you look through. I thought I had ruined it for good. Once it cooled, it looked like a big old zit. So when I got home, I painted the boil pink and put a white spot on the center. Gave it personality. A vexilar in puberty. Finally got tired of looking at it so I surgically removed the boil and wrapped it with tape. Now the coffee can fits more snugly and the unit never missed a beat...And now, after I oversprayed deep woods off all over it in the boat, it has white specks all over it. But you can still tell it's a Vexilar!..........T

[Guest]

Something for the "Do It Yourselfers"

Vexilar just made available a Brush Replacement Kit for the FL-8 units. This kit contains everything you need to replace a worn set of brushes.

Including the brush assembly, slip ring contacts, 1.5 mm allen driver,and complete instructions. The cost of the kit is $15.00, plus shipping.

Before you rip open your FL-8, you need to know if you're capable of doing circuit board soldering work.

There is a fair amount of soldering required. You can get a kit at Vexilar Direct, under accessories. Also in this section, we have added those hard to find items like replacement float, stoppers, and support arms.

Vexilar Direct: http://www.vexilar.com/direct/direct.html

*New 12 Degree Transducers*

The new FL-18 are now coming standard with our new 12 degree Ice-Ducer.

This new beam angle is also available in the puck and transom mount transducers. One advantage of the new beam is that it has a tighter area of coverage than the 19 degree, which allows you to see your bait and fish closer to the bottom. Also, it has the advantage over the 9 degree that you have more area of coverage so you won't miss as many suspended fish and jigging spoons won't shoot out of the cone as much.

Plus, the fish that approaches your bait will have more time to change from color to color. The 12 degree transducers are available separately and will plug right in to your older FL-8 or FL-8SLT.

Vexilar Transducers - http://www.vexilar.com/xdcrs.html

Backwater Eddy..><sUMo>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300
[email protected]
http://ed-carlson.fishingbuddy.com

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 11-26-2002).]

[Hoyter]

TBone, remind me not to loan you my stuff!

I agree with TBone about the ruggedness of the unit. I have had mine about 9 years and although I try to take good care of it, it gets very dusty in the offseason, sits in the cold truck most of the winter when I'm not fishing, frequently gets wet and banged around and I've never had a problem. It doesn't show any signs of needing service yet. (PCG, I also hope I didn't jinx myself either.)

[Guest]

Thanks for all the great post guys, i'm not going to worry anymore.

Good fishin

[Gissert]

T-Bone -

LOL! My ears were burning. I just got back from Vexilar and picked up a whole new front panel assembly for my vex.

The viewing area had a small crack, and it was really getting hard to clean. It was allowing moisture in the unit, so I needed to stop that. I had just about got it prepped for an epoxy repair, when I wanted to get it just a bit cleaner. I grabbed for the ISO alcohol to get a bit more dust out, and grabbed the MEK by mistake. DOHHHH!!! That fogged up the whole works, and wiped all the colors off the sticker in the center.

Soooo, off I trundled to the Vexilar factory.

That incident of the bouncing vex happened about five or six years ago. Since you put it back together, I have lost count of the number of rough snomobile trips that thing has endured on LOW and Ottertail. That thing has taken more abuse than I thought was possible.

BTW, the folks at Vexilar have first rate customer service, and were very helpful and friendly.

[2dog]

Has anyone used the magnifying protective lense you can get to slip on the viewing part of the vex? I was thinking of getting one for mine. I was hoping that it would protect it more than magnify it. I was wondering if it magnifys it too much making it to hard to read.

[Duffman]

I use the mag shield for protection to and from the shanty. I've used it for magnifiying the display a few times, but I prefer using the Vex without it.

[Guest]

Duffman, I have used the mag shield and found it works as long as you are sheltered from the sun, it tends to cause glare, I will use it in the fish trap when I can close it up, but It does help under the right conditions.

Good fishin