vexilars are sophisticated

[crappie55409]

so i spend time researching flashers albeit most of the time im looking at marcums as that is what i have decided to get to replace my hondex but occasionally i look at other flashers like vexilar as there is a large amount of people that swear by them so they are worth checking out. What i have noticed is that they seem to be extremely complicated!!! There is the fl-12, fl-18, fl-20,fl-22 some are HD units with pro packs, ultra packs, super packs, genz packs, you have your se models your fl models some with tri beam transducers some with others, some apparently dont work if your fishing deeper than 60 ft. I read about marcums and its simple- here's the lx-5 with zoom features and it can meet all of your needs ect... I was looking at vexilars just now on vexilars HSOforum and i felt like i needed a degree in engineering to make a decision. Some people may just call these options and its a good thing, and maybe they are right, but for me it just seems confusing

[leech~~]

If you go with an FL-18 or LX-5 they can't get much easier to use. Your making it way to hard on yourself. Drill a hole, put either unit in it and turn it on. After about 5min of farting around with them you will have it down and may never have to change the settings again once you find out how easy they are! Get one and have some fun! That's what it's all about. You will like either unit once you try them.

[FishinFools]

I love my FL-18, ultra pack, with Tri-beam transducer (which I've used from 2-85ft with no issues) 200 BB magazine and a compass in the stock...

I've never tried a marcum but I'd like to, just to see how they work compared to my vex.

[mccullen]

If you've already decided to go with Marcum why are you "dumping" on Vexilars? I don't understand why you got on here to just complain that you can't wrap your head around the options of models, packs and transducers?

[mww24]

Honestly I felt the same way when looking to buy my second flasher this season for my boy. They have a ton of options. Which is a good thing. But it seemed like most of them were more for what the head unit had around it for tackle holders or cases or rod tubes. The units themselves made sense. Ultimately I chose a humminbirde ICE35. It has a dual beam transducer,adjustable zoom, and interference rejection. The biggest reason is that I understand they run off a different frequency than my marcum so the interference should be minimal. One can not argue with vexilars following and staying power. They have been around longest and our staying innovative. I really don't think you can go wrong with any flasher on the market today. My marcum VX1 is their cheapest is still going strong after 5 seasons of abuse.

[silverbulletguy]

Get a Bird! ! ! ! You won't regret it.

[IcerRon2010]

The Fl-22 was the reason, I bought a LX-5. The transducer, and giant blobs on my screen turned me off. Did not right off the vexilar though. Got a Fl-18 with a 12 degree, as a backup/primary to my LX-5. Easy to use zoom, exceptional clarity, just a great all around flasher. Sometimes bells and whistles are cool, but not always prefered.

[JigginIsLife]

I guess its all preference, i think it really goes back to the dodge vs ford thing, both will get the job done, its just how you get there. YOu will hear testimonials from everyone who has each thing and most will swear by them unless they had a bad experience. Personally I LOVE my vex. I have had it for 10 years now (fl8-se) and still goes strong. other than the obvious things, new battery every couple years, gets dusty from summer, the thing has stood the test. Multiple trips to low, mil lacs, Leech, anywhere from 50 degree weather to -35 degree weather. I like that the screen is not lcd, i have heard they can slow down during cold weather, i also dont like the depth gauges on the marcums i think. Although it seems relativly simple. i really find myself knowing my own machine and i can tell the difference between a bottom, or the tops of weeds, a sandy bottom, mud bottom. Ultimately you will end up loving what you get becuase of the time and effort you have to put into the flashers to really understand them. The features are nice, i would like to have zoom, but with a trained eye, no zoom is needed. I really like the feature of the vexi that you can buy a flex light and it fits in the holes near the handles, i use that thing more often than not. But like i said, you will end up loving what you bought, because your not really going to go out and buy a different one and put in the effort to learn a new machine every ice season... i guess thats a bit more than .02 but you get my drift.

[Hawg]

Ever buy any other one size fits all equipment that worked?

[Kyhl]

so i spend time researching flashers albeit most of the time im looking at marcums as that is what i have decided to get to replace my hondex but occasionally i look at other flashers like vexilar as there is a large amount of people that swear by them so they are worth checking out. What i have noticed is that they seem to be extremely complicated!!! There is the fl-12, fl-18, fl-20,fl-22 some are HD units with pro packs, ultra packs, super packs, genz packs, you have your se models your fl models some with tri beam transducers (which ive heard are dump!) some with others, some apparently dont work if your fishing deeper than 60 ft. What the dump is all of this? I read about marcums and its simple- here's the lx-5 with cool zoom features and it can meet all of your needs ect... I was looking at vexilars just now on vexilars HSOforum and i felt like i needed a degree in engineering to make a decision. Some people may just call these options and its a good thing, and maybe they are right, but for me it just seems confusing

This is a perfect example of shopper analysis paralysis.

It is why the Costco CEO insists on stocking only one version of an item. You want ibuprofin, there is one bottle from each manufacturer, not 10.

I'm with you, I don't get why they feel the need to market 15 different versions of the same thing.

[CaptainMusky]

If you've already decided to go with Marcum why are you "dumping" on Vexilars? I don't understand why you got on here to just complain that you can't wrap your head around the options of models, packs and transducers?

I think he was trying to understand what all the differences were not necessarily dump on them.

[Craigums]

I think he was trying to understand what all the differences were not necessarily dump on them.

x2

Basically look at it as 2 models

FL-8

FL-18

Now within those 2 basic models their are options. If you like the flat screen you've got:

FL-12 (same basic features as the FL-8)

FL-20 (same basic features as the FL-18)

Then you have the FL-22HD. This flasher is top of the line but meant to fill a certain nitch. It's similar to the FL-20 but has better target separation and clearer image (HD). One downfall of the FL-22HD is that it effective limit is to 60 feet of water. 99.9% of the time this is going to have you covered unless you fish Lakers or the Great Lakes ect...

Now with whatever model you chose you have the option of what "pack" you would like.

Genz Pack: This is the basic/classic/durable carrying case, nothing fancy here.

Pro Pack: This one has a gimble bracket to hold your ducer cord, single rod holder, LED battery monitor, small snap in tackle box.

Ultra Pack: Same as the Pro Pack but has a digital battery monitor, Easy access external charging/power posts, and master power switch.

Hope that helps clear everything up a bit.

[fishersofmen]

Nice work Craigums!

[MuskieFever]

so i spend time researching flashers albeit most of the time im looking at marcums as that is what i have decided to get to replace my hondex but occasionally i look at other flashers like vexilar as there is a large amount of people that swear by them so they are worth checking out. What i have noticed is that they seem to be extremely complicated!!! There is the fl-12, fl-18, fl-20,fl-22 some are HD units with pro packs, ultra packs, super packs, genz packs, you have your se models your fl models some with tri beam transducers (which ive heard are dump!) some with others, some apparently dont work if your fishing deeper than 60 ft. What the dump is all of this? I read about marcums and its simple- here's the lx-5 with cool zoom features and it can meet all of your needs ect... I was looking at vexilars just now on vexilars HSOforum and i felt like i needed a degree in engineering to make a decision. Some people may just call these options and its a good thing, and maybe they are right, but for me it just seems confusing

if you need a degree to run a vex, you probably shouldn't be ice fishing...

[Hawg]

Wow, we're all mean today! Hope they don't start making them in different colors. You just gotta love those summer-Which color boat should I buy?-posts.

[aanderud]

I was looking at vexilars just now on vexilars HSOforum and i felt like i needed a degree in engineering to make a decision. Some people may just call these options and its a good thing, and maybe they are right, but for me it just seems confusing

[Eric Wettschreck]

crappie55409, what is it you're looking for in a flasher? Believe me, I understand the confusing stuff. If we know what you want/willing to spend, we can help you out a lot more.

Yeah, I know, it's confusing but once people get over the vex vs marcum vs bird.........really, we can help you out.

[MuskieFever]

-Not trying to make a snide remark here, I just don't understand WHAT the point of this thread is. I'll simplify it for you:

Fishing outside a lot: fl8 or fl18 (sun shield)

Fishing mostly deep lakes: fl12

Want zoom: fl18-20-22

Want awesome zoom at different water columns: fl22

^To state them vaguely.

[Ishikawa]

I can see why people are making snide remarks though! Seems like he had his mind set on something already and as human nature is, was looking for reasons to justify his decision? Why do I say that? Because he generalized features of Vexilars to almost all models and went on to call them dumps? There is only one model that has se in its designation. All models start out as fl- something. Only one has the HD designation and that is also the only one that won't work over 60' because of its intended style of fishing. Higher end models come with tri-beams versus the single or dual beams of the lower end models. The packs just add other features to the carrying case based on what you would like. Maybe if he wasn't so negative towards the brand he would have paid more attention to the details of what he gets?

Some people like to customize their gear to how they like. Others just want one option and be told either take this or that. I have an FL22, another buddy has a Humminbird, and another with a Marcum. They all work just fine but each has something that it does better than the other.

Buy whatever you convince yourself to buy and no need to bad mouth the other products because they all work! Until somebody out there does an objective test backed by factual data, its just all hearsay until you have tried it yourself!

[crappie55409]

Wow! A lot of snarky responses from some pretty mean people! Thanks thats appreciated! Congrats to those who can comprehend things and actually understood i was talking about filtering through all of the data vexilar puts out advertising their product and that i was not talking about USING the product. I've used vexilars plenty. They are not complicated and i dont have a problem with that.

And by the way the comment made, "if you dont know how to use a flasher you shouldnt be ice fishing" was extremely rude and inappropriate. Not only is that not for you to determine but i guess that means children shouldnt enjoy the outdoors and or people that started the sport before you were born must be annexed from the sport.

[JigginIsLife]

Crappie55409 -- Have you made a decision yet?? Just wondering if you were able to read through everything and make a choice... very curious!!!!

[MuskieFever]

I only know a few children who have ice fished with our group. They all understood the soild red bar = bottom and most colored bars above were fish... Just thought I'd give you the facts. I'm usually not snippy except when others say how one product is dump and then take back what they said. Flashers are not complicated. I have introduced a few friends into ice fishing and they all picked it up rather quickly. And no, they did not have degrees.

[crappie55409]

yeah, well im still leaning toward the marcum lx-5. It seems like a good unit to me and a lot of people like it. I found a deal on cyber monday that offered the lx-6 for 500$ and i almost pulled the trigger on that which made me curious about the newer models marcum offers. I think i might wait until around christmas time and see if i can score a deal on one of these units

[MuskieFever]

Hope it works out for ya

[Thunderfoot]

I only know a few children who have ice fished with our group. They all understood the soild red bar = bottom and most colored bars above were fish... Just thought I'd give you the facts. I'm usually not snippy except when others say how one product is dump and then take back what they said. Flashers are not complicated. I have introduced a few friends into ice fishing and they all picked it up rather quickly. And no, they did not have degrees.

Muskie, you're still not understanding. He NEVER said he couldn't operate a vex or that using it was even difficult. All he said is the features for each were difficult to understand and I fully agree. I just bought and FL-8 and shopping for it was rather confusing. I've never bought one but used plenty and I didn't understand anything about the transducers and other info they put out there, still don't. Based my decision on reviews and my budget. I never got from Crappie's post that he was dumping on Vexilar, I totally agree with what he said. Great product, confusing details.