FL12 or upgrade

[gwiff100]

i currently have a FL12 and am seriously thinking about upgrading to the FL22. kicked around the idea of even giving the marcum a try, but not 100% confident in the LCD screen.

Here is my question, am i really bettering myself by bumping up to the 22? Or would i be better off just getting the tri beam. Other that getting the bottom zoom. Am i really gaining that much from the upgrade? Typically fish in 30 or less...

[Lawrence Luoma]

Gwiff, if your unsure if the zoom would help and you stay with the FL12. I assume you have the 19 degree ducer then I would look into getting the proview (9 degree) ducer instead of the tri-beam. There are many advantages with the proview over the tri-beam and if you needed the wider beam then just put back on your 19 degree.

With that said zoom is real nice if you are fishing for walleyes or perch. If you go that route I would suggest the tri-beam because then you can have the sonar angles and still have you FL-12 extra for a special fishing partner.

I'm with you on trying the LCD screen as flasher technology will never go away and will always be real time.

[leech~~]

Yes. Zoom any unit will help a lot!

[PerchJerker]

but not 100% confident in the LCD screen.

I don't think there's any reason to be concerned about LCD screens, I've used them a lot and they're great. Concerns about LCDs being slow or not real-time are outdated .... very, very outdated.

If you get a new unit to replace your FL-12, the biggest differences you'll notice are in the features ....... and in how you can use the features to fine tune to your fishing situation and to your preferences. Zoom and Dual Beam technology will be a nice benefit the majority of the time!

[gwiff100]

problem i see with the pro view would be the increasing of the gain. I generally fish with a couple people and increasing my gain would surely irritate them... i watched that video vexilar put out about the ice traducers...WAY more informative that i ever thought.

with everything said about the LCD (if vex produced a lcd version, i would be all over it...) so my luck i'll purchase a new 22hd and have them come out with the lcd version next year.

[BartmanMN]

Zoom, low power mode, night mode are a couple things you will gain and love.

[Lawrence Luoma]

gwiff, I'm confused on what you mean by increasing your gain. Even in deep water you shouldn't find yourself using more than a 2 on your dial even in deep water with the proview. The only time you would increase is if your looking for fish way off to the side which you wouldn't be doing if fishing next to someone anyways. We have no problem running five units right next to each other no matter what vex you have. You just need to make sure you all play with you IR.

[fishwater]

Also, increasing the gain doesn't increase the units output signal. The gain is an amplification of the received input.

I got a 9 degree last year to try out for a fl22. I found it way more predictable and reliable than the tribeams I've used. It gave a lower threshold signal (less blobesque on lowest setting) and it had superior IR to the tribeam during my use.

[gwiff100]

i must have mis-understood the video then. I thought they said to "essentially" change the beam on the proview from a narrower beam to a broader one, you had to increase the gain on it...

[Lawrence Luoma]

Right, that's why you won't need to go over gain of 2 while fishing only while searching for fish you'll want to widen your beam. Also, later in the video he explained if you turned up you gain on a 20 degree you'll have the widest range. While fishing the highest you want your gain is to where your jig is a single green line for best performance.

[pushbutton]

I watched that vid as well and was so impressed it made me want to buy a vex But really love my lcd and really like not having to deal with interference.....am bummed that the dark side now "owns" it though; so a serious question to you vex guys.....what do you do about that interference when fished around other brands? Is it as bad as it is made out to be?