hummingbird flasher issues

[seaner]

I currently have an ice 55, third season in use. I think i made up my mind that I do not like these units as much as i hoped.I cannot pinpoint it exactly, but had the opportunity last night to fish over a crappie hole next to a lx6 and a fl20... here are a few issues that i have had with it

- interference with other hummingbirds is terrible. have a very difficult time dialing it out. worse than my previous vex or marcum units

- auto depth indicator is rarely accurate, bounces all over

- cannot keep a decent charge, very short battery life, on third battery

- very " flickery" display compared the the vex or marcum i fished next to last night

- several instances where the unit turns on ( spins) but no display, like a low battery( full charge)

- jig to fish clarity not nearly as clear as the marcum and vex units we were also fishing with last night

enough knocking it i have a buddy that loves his, and out fishes me and the regular!, here are some pros

- price

-zoom

- spot lock

-

now somebody talk me into an flx28 please!

[CJH]

I love my Ice 55 and I have used all of the others (other than the new stuff).

If you do decide to keep it, auto depth should only be used when hole hopping and of course it will vary some if the 'ducer is moving at all. If you sit in a spot, you should be switching to the appropriate depth setting and it will stabilize. I actually think the others displays are more flickery, which is why I like mine - to each their own I guess (the other hurt my eyes more). Also most people have the gain turned up too high, which makes everything look thicker than it really is.

I did have problems with my battery charger after two years, so I switched to an Interstate battery + charger and haven't had any problems since. Not sure if they had a bad batch of batteries or what. I just use my original battery as a backup now.

I've never run into any interference before, so I can't really comment on that.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do!!

[mattpaumen]

I can't comment on the 28 because I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I have used Vexilar flashers for 20 years and can honestly say I've never had an issue with any of the ones I've owned. I have sold a couple of them to people I know and they are still being used to this day. I did have to replace one transducer on the first FL-8 I bought that was around 8 years old, but other than that, zero problems! When I go fishing, the last thing I worry about failing me is my Vexilar! They are bullet proof and something I can rely on each and every outing!

[fisherman-andy]

I have one of the very first generation Ice 55 and I have none of issues of the OP said. I still use the original battery and battery life has been good. The Ice 55 has been a solid performer for me and I am satisfied with it.

As for the auto digital depth read one needs to learn or understand how the transducer reads and sends it signals back and forth. How what's below that affects it causing the depth meter to change or jump irratically.

[PFUNK]

Weird. I'm on year 2 with the Bird 55 and I really like it. The only issue of yours that I experience is the interferance with other birds, but usually I can get them to play well enough with each other that it's easily fishable. The digital depth on mine will bounce a bit if you have a big school of fish below you, otherwise it's solid. Battery lasts an entire day of fishing no problem but I never use the backlight. Sounds to me like you don't need any convincing on that fl28. If you like the features of the vexilar go for it. I'm sure you wouldnt be disappointed considering their long history of reliable flashers

[MN BassFisher]

I'm on my 4th year with my ICE 45 and I love mine. I haven't had any issues at all. Interference can be tricky at times, especially next to a Marcum, but Interference has always been an issue when I sit right next to another flasher. Last weekend I fished in my Trekker II next to a Vex and didn't get any interference. My battery can last a good 3 to 4 outings and then I charge it. I would say the return image is a little more "flickery" than a Vex or a Marcum but it doesn't bother me as I can clearly tell when a fish is present and how its reacting. To each their own, I personally love the giant face/screen of the Birds too.