vexilar tri-beam problems

[Pete16]

I recently upgraded to a tri-beam transducer because my original transducer on my FL-18 broke. The 20 degree and 8 degree settings work just fine, but the 12 degree settings doesnt show anything. Just a blank screen. Did i get a bad transducer or am i missing something? Thanks for any advice or input.

[silverbulletguy]

Bad ducer. Call Vex and they will replace it.

[hamms-scooter]

I replaced my dual beam with the middle beam 12 degree and won't go back. The 12 degree is the best ducer to match with the 18 coming from Tom Z at vex.Good Luck

[BartmanMN]

I replaced my dual beam with the middle beam 12 degree and won't go back. The 12 degree is the best ducer to match with the 18 coming from Tom Z at vex.Good Luck

In Tom's last video he is high on the "ProView" which is the blue bottomed 9 degree ducer. His video shows that you can use your gain to increase the amplitude of the wave to expand the viewing area.

With that said, I don't have issues with my Tri beam.

[MidCoast]

I just got a Tri beam FL 22 . In 9 degrees, 30 feet of water my 9 degrees worked fine, 12 degrees in similar depth worked fine too if I turned the Gain on a little bit more. However, 20 degrees, I see nothing, I wonder if this is normal? Anybody know? Is it just too deep for 20 degrees?

[BartmanMN]

MidCoast was that all in the same hole? If it was you could have been near a drop or had a sonar shadow from a rock. The ducer only reads the highest bottom, so with the wider angle you may have brought different things into the view. You Tube 'Vexilar Ice Ducers -- In Detail' and see if that explains it for you.

[fishwater]

However, 20 degrees, I see nothing, I wonder if this is normal? Anybody know? Is it just too deep for 20 degrees?

Not normal.

[fishwater]

In Tom's last video he is high on the "ProView" which is the blue bottomed 9 degree ducer. His video shows that you can use your gain to increase the amplitude of the wave to expand the viewing area.

With that said, I don't have issues with my Tri beam.

Bartman - is this video on Youtube or the Vex site? Any hints on finding it?

[BartmanMN]

it's on youtube. Search the exact words I listed.

[hamms-scooter]

That proview would be cool to try out. Would be more appealing to me then the tri beam.

[fishwater]

His video shows that you can use your gain to increase the amplitude of the wave to expand the viewing area.

I just watched the video, thanks for helping me find it.

I don't believe Tom meant the gain increases the wave output in any way. He kinda implied this, but later stated something to the effect that the gain increases the received side lobe signal being picked up.

I really wish he would have gone into more detail about why the tri-beam lacks the upper lobes present in all of the single beam ducers. My guess would be the geometry of the additional crystals blocks the upper lobes from having a view?

[hamms-scooter]

I would say it controls the recieved side lobes. The gain control is all about return signal. I like the concept of the proview best of both worlds kind of application.

[BartmanMN]

New video about proview vs. tribeam. Check it out