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Which depthfinder?

bogwalker

By bogwalker
in Ice Fishing

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Ed Carlson Grand Master

Ed Carlson

Posted
Posted

A point to consider is the Humminbird 35's, 45's, and 55's are not designed to be used for open water use, as all the Vexilar models are capable of doing. So if the year around use factor is one your concerned with, be advised of this as well.

On the ice they both may have strengths and minuses, largely based on personal preference, and both will do the job as designed.

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Deitz Dittrich Grand Master

Deitz Dittrich

Posted
Posted

This come up every year.. as its said.. If you do a search it will yield a list of posts to give "war and peace" a run.

It comes down the what you like.. its a ford/chevy debate..

Reading the posts have been fun. We all want to believe what we bought is best.

I will say this. I am a ice fishing eletronics junkie.. I own an LX-5 and LX-3 a Fl18, Showdown, and have used a Humminbird 55, But do not own one.

The poster who says that the LX-5 in SFl mode/zoom is best, I have to agree with. In my opinion, its sharper, all blips or whatever you want to call it are smaller and thus better separation. I have had a spoon with a minnow head show up as 2 separate lines.. thats tight.. But it really depends on what is beneath you.. If one guy has a 6" high rock in his 10' wide cone angle its going to hinder his viewing. So unless you have 2 units in the SAME EXACT HOLE your really not getting a great comparison.

The bottom line.. MarCum LX-5, Vexlar FL20, Humminbird 55, are all fantastic units. If you buy it you will believe it is best. Because they are.. They are the best. no matter what you by you will believe its the best, and to be honest, you may be right..

For me, of all the units I have owned/used.. I will continue to use the MarCum LX-5 for my own person use.. Ask my wife and she grabs the Showdown.. Go figure.

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bogwalker Mentor

bogwalker

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Okay, I drive to town to look at a Humminbird Ice 55. The salesman went to a Dave Genz Vexilar seminar yesterday. The Humminbird is not as good as the vexilar he tells me. The transducer will fail because it puts out too much power 2400 watts vs the Vexilars 400 to 800 watts. Next he tells me that the Humminbird will not work if there is a Vexilar running in a hole next to the Vexilar. ???

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BK19 Proficient

BK19

Posted
Posted

Okay, I drive to town to look at a Humminbird Ice 55. The salesman went to a Dave Genz Vexilar seminar yesterday. The Humminbird is not as good as the vexilar he tells me. The transducer will fail because it puts out too much power 2400 watts vs the Vexilars 400 to 800 watts. Next he tells me that the Humminbird will not work if there is a Vexilar running in a hole next to the Vexilar. ???

wrong we had all 3 on the ice last year and there was absolutely no interference on the ice 55

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Esox_Magnum Grand Master

Esox_Magnum

Posted
Posted

I haven't been around Birds but my 2 units put out 2000 and 2500 watts and 1 is 4 years old and no issues. Also birds run on a seperate fequency so there should be no interference between a Bird and any other brand. I do know you can run 3 Marcums in the same hole and get no interference.

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CJH Grand Master

CJH

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Yeah, who/where was the salesman who was spewing this garbage????!!!!! All three of those facts are false.

You answered your own question when you said he went to a Dave Genz VEXILAR "seminar". Sounds more like an informercial that bends the truth!!!

Any brand that has to lie to sell their product, must be runnin' scared......... Poor business practice on their part.

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bigbad401 Rising Star

bigbad401

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Those open water guys must be changing transducers two to three times a year because of all the power that they put through their units. Most of the open water units are atleast 1500 watts and go up beyond 2500 watts. And Marcum has been putting out power like that for a long time. Sounds like a lot of false info if you ask me.

By no means am I telling you not to buy a Vexilar, but make sure you get what you want, based on the features that you want. When I got my flasher last year I had $300. I had a list of features that I wanted like a dual cone transducer and zoom mode. So I got what I felt comfortable with.

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deadeye Veteran

deadeye

Posted
Posted

Im curious what the bigger power actually means.

I am looking at getting a ice 45 this winter and am having a hard time justifying it. The gadgets on it is what's attracting me (mainly the lcd and zoom), but I have a hard time with the whole power thing. If one works as well as the other with less power than thats better right?

I have used my vexilar fl8 since 99 and it has fished lakers in 75' without a problem. I turn up the gain a bit and I see everything that I need to see. Thats at 400 watts. Why would I need a 1500 if 400 works fine? Please explain.

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bigbad401 Rising Star

bigbad401

Posted
Posted

Im curious what the bigger power actually means.

I am looking at getting a ice 45 this winter and am having a hard time justifying it. The gadgets on it is what's attracting me (mainly the lcd and zoom), but I have a hard time with the whole power thing. If one works as well as the other with less power than thats better right?

I have used my vexilar fl8 since 99 and it has fished lakers in 75' without a problem. I turn up the gain a bit and I see everything that I need to see. Thats at 400 watts. Why would I need a 1500 if 400 works fine? Please explain.

The power was way down on my list of features that was important to me. Like you said, 400 watts has done a lot of people plenty of good, myself included. I wish I had the extra $100 for the LCD display when I got my flasher last year. The main thing for me was the zoom, which is adjustable.

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Ed Carlson Grand Master

Ed Carlson

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Posted

A Vexilar has always ran 400 watts in the FL Series, and still is today.

The Vexilar EDGE III runs at a higher wattage, but is seldom used on the ice, but it can be and has been by a few anglers but it requires some "unique transducer rigging" to accomplish.

I have ran a Humm'r in the same hole as a Vexilar, and managed to get both to work...so that is not all together true as long as both units are up to snuff. I don't recommend running multiple units in a single hole, but it can be managed with the IR functions on both units is set properly. Not much reason to do it except to try to prove a point really, no advantage of running multiples...just more junk in the hole.

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bigbad401 Rising Star

bigbad401

Posted
Posted

Did you buy a flasher yet? Sometimes asking a forum like this for opinions is something that won't get you anywhere. So many different directions from so many people that you don't know. Do your research online with the features you want (or do a spreadsheet like I did with all three of the brands at the price I could afford) and go to the store and "feel" them out. Get what you feel most comfortable with. Any of them will be better than you having none.

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mnguy152 Proficient

mnguy152

Posted
Posted

i think what ever one you think you get the best deal with is the one to go with. After all it is your money i got a vex 12 last year recondition one from the factory. But I am happy with it. I think they work great kinda like the chevy ford thing. If get a good one is it great get a bad one then not so.

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Bigslugger Proficient

Bigslugger

Posted
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It is a horse a piece discussion because either way they are all great products with just about the same features.

I wish I could have all brands of flashers because there is a certain flasher for every situation on the ice.

Just find one that fits your style of fishing the best.

I went with the FL 20 this year because I just bought the head and not the transducer. It is all just preference on what YOU want

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shnelson Proficient

shnelson

Posted
Posted

Why does someone keep changing the title and eliminating so many responses from this thread? This was not about depth finders it was about ice flashers. Is this something that happens regularly?

Maybe the moderators are doing it for some search engine optimization? I'd imagine depthfinder will score them more hits from a search engine than ice flasher...

I too am in the market for a flasher. I'm leaning towards the vexilar mostly because that's all I've ever seen used and they are growing on me. My buddy has a lowrance unit with the ice kit paired with gps and a lakemaster chip, definitely saves on some hole drilling when you're trying to find the right spot!

I'm planning on picking one up at the ice expo this weekend, it will ultimately come down to the best demonstration and price for me smile.

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