Tell me the big advantage of the new ice electronics

[Iron Cowboy]

I'm sort of an old school guy that doesnt need to have the next, best, greatest thing just to have it. I dont have my own TV show, and extra money after the bills are paid is hard to come by so I cant justify the stupid prices of the stuff the guys on tv tell me I need because the companys pay them to. I understand there is a difference in quality of most items that can help a guy. for example I dont use walmart cheapo rods to fish but I also wont spend a ton on the top of line G-loomis. I'm a top of the line cabelas $150 rod guy. My question is my old Fl-8 has been great, telling me all I feel I need to know. It might be wearing out and I'm wondering what the new units will give me thats going to be so much more of an advantage in telling me whats below me than what I had that can justify more than twice the price of another good old Fl-8 ? Forgive my ignorance but when I am fine with what I have I dont keep up on the new stuff and have no real idea what they do?

[MN Mike]

I'd have to agree too, given the choice between the whir of a mechanical motor or a solid state LCD system, I'll take the quiet one ( LCD ) any day, I've fished with plenty of various mechanical units over the years and some are very loud and some not so much, those loud ones wear on your after a while.

I'm going on about 8 - 9 years with a flasher of my own, I have a LX5 and a ShowDown, all I know is that if I ever buy another unit, it WILL HAVE, adjustable zoom and dual beam, those features I will not go without.

Mike

[pushbutton]

C'mon man...you guys are killing me with the whole no noise thing! What do you think your at the library? I embrace the sounds of certain things I feel are a the essence of being a minnesota born and raised country boy. ie: the distant pop. pop. pop of a gas auger (just not too close or at sundown) the 25 horse purring along taking you to the honey hole. the ol indy burping and poping on a cold morning. the wailing of the stihl as you "get work done". the sunflower heater when its real cold...ok that one can get annoying Help me out someone, who agrees and what else you got??

Lol, Its not necessarily a no noise thing, my 7 year old and 80 year old nearly deaf fishing partners make a ton of noise, but that screeching sound is like a cheese grater to the head Similarly, and slightly off topic, but the same goes for the clanking, and as good as they are, of those old 2 stroke augers

[Up North2]

Interesting thread. I like to keep things simple but also appreciate what technology can do for you and don't dismiss it out of hand.

As with most things there is always a way to split the difference and get some of both. To me the unit that does this is the Marcum Showdown. Perfect blend of keep it simple while still getting some of the new technology. The Showdown is digital with a lcd display that is heated by the way for extreme temps.

What is really unique is the display is vertical. Top is top and bottom is bottom. Simple and intuitive. Because it's digital it's silent and can run 15 plus hours on a single battery charge. You can get single or dual beam transducer set up and get either for under $400.

Also with digitals upgrades are accomplished in the firmware which can be downloaded into the unit from your computer at home. So you can upgrade the unit without buying new equipment. big advantage there. Be worth a look for those of you who have old Vex's that might be nearing the end of their mechanical life.

[fishwater]

Help me out someone, who agrees and what else you got??

[Mistermojo]

I went from a Vexilar FL8-SE to a Marcum LX3TC because I liked the physical design better of the marcum - a nice compact unit with the little arm that holds the 'ducer instead of the tall round bottomed unit that spins around on the ice because the bottom is smooth and has the float in the hole for the transducer. Many less fish getting tangled up in the hole and my jig doesn't get stuck to the foam . I find the zoom function actually kind of irritating and don't use it to it's fullest capability for sure. I think I can see suspended fish just fine without. I went with the LX3 over the VX1 as a couple of guys I fish with also have Marcums so I wanted to get a little better interference reduction ability, otherwise I would have been fine with the VX1.

[EBass]

I don't think the vex helps me catch more fish. It allows me to see all the fish that I can't catch, miss, scare away, etc...

Life would be easier staring at a bobber

[Kyhl]

Can the brightness on the LCD's be turned down?

I nearly go blind looking at the bright flasher when fishing after dark outside.

Inside isn't a problem because houses are lit so there isn't as much contrast.

[delcecchi]

How about a scrap of tinted plastic to stick over the display?

[Stcloudangler]

If I were you, i would try to find a good used FL-18. Durable, and a couple good upgrades over the FL-8.

Bottom 6' zoom is great for over 20 FOW

IR when you are fishing in proximity to another flasher

And it still has the nice hum and even better color than the 8

[wishing for walleyes]

Can the brightness on the LCD's be turned down?

I nearly go blind looking at the bright flasher when fishing after dark outside.

Inside isn't a problem because houses are lit so there isn't as much contrast.

On the vexilar you just switch it to night mode. I believe it turns the brightness down 1/2.

[Esox_Magnum]

Can the brightness on the LCD's be turned down?

I nearly go blind looking at the bright flasher when fishing after dark outside.

Inside isn't a problem because houses are lit so there isn't as much contrast.

LX-6/7/9 can be turned to whatever level you like, totaly customizable to your lighting conditions...

[Kyhl]

I didn't know flashers had that. I will investigate.

When all else fails, read the directions.

[Fred_Bear]

I'm sort of an old school guy that doesnt need to have the next, best, greatest thing just to have it. I dont have my own TV show, and extra money after the bills are paid is hard to come by so I cant justify the stupid prices of the stuff the guys on tv tell me I need because the companys pay them to. I understand there is a difference in quality of most items that can help a guy. for example I dont use walmart cheapo rods to fish but I also wont spend a ton on the top of line G-loomis. I'm a top of the line cabelas $150 rod guy. My question is my old Fl-8 has been great, telling me all I feel I need to know. It might be wearing out and I'm wondering what the new units will give me thats going to be so much more of an advantage in telling me whats below me than what I had that can justify more than twice the price of another good old Fl-8 ? Forgive my ignorance but when I am fine with what I have I dont keep up on the new stuff and have no real idea what they do?

I just want to say awesome post Iron Cowboy. This is a really refreshing post to read and a lot different than most I see this and other forums.

With that said I just upgraded from my 10 year old FL-8SE to an FL-12 for one reason. That reason is there were two situations in which the FL8 didn't work for me, and the FL12 does. These are real life fishing experiences where the FL12 will catch me more fish that the FL8 because the FL8 was unusable.

1st situation is bad interference in extreme situations; ie deep water, rocky, fast-breaking bottom, multiple other fisherman near me. For whatever reason the FL12 plays better with other vexilars.

2nd situation is shallow water with weeds. The FL8 was just too sensitive and the majority of my screen would be lit up with weeds so I couldn't see fish. The FL12 has low power mode which basically cuts the sensitivity in half so I can use it just fine in shallow weedy areas.

I also want to say I've used the higher end flashers and can afford any flasher on the market today, I just don't understand the reason to spend twice as much when it won't do anything to help me catch more fish. To me, the zoom option is nothing more than a needless luxury that shows the same fish/lure, just as a bigger line.

Anyone who says your top of the line hummarclinar is going to catch you more fish... let's go fishing. In no way am I saying that I'll catch more fish than you, just saying that when you out-fish me let's trade electronics and I guarantee the outcome will be the same.

[Esox_Magnum]

Fred, not all zooms show the bait or fish as a bigger line....

[B-man715]

Movable zoom, good IR, and multiple transducer cones are things that I have grown to love.......... and I will gladly pay a little more to have again

Every unit on the market will catch fish...... but.....

These options DO catch more fish!! Can't catch 'em if you can't see 'em (interference)

Or are fishing for the "wrong fish" (not the one directly under your jig (transducer cone)

Or if you don't have bait on the hook (zoom lets you see if a spike is missing from your teardrop 30' down)

But one of my favorite sayings is........ If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Is it worth getting rid of a perfectly good FL-8 for a top of the line-(insert your choice here)- probably not.

But when a new unit is necessary, a few extra bucks is money well spent.

Once you own a flat screen (fl-12, 20+, birds, marcum etc) it is "hard" to fish with a tiny dial with a sunshade....... I will never go back

[mamohr686]

I'm going to have to disagree with the multiple transducer cones being a good feature. This is my most recent experience with the tri-beam vexilar transducer after 5 outings. It looks like water got inside the transducer and froze, because it was never dropped or even bumped.

With that being said, I sold my fl-8se and upgraded to the FL-22HD when it was on closeout last spring. I also have a FL-18 that has been bulletproof since day 1. I kept the fl-18 for a back-up, and for the wife when she wants to fish. Pat from Vexilar customer service has agreed to replace the defective tri-beam with a new Proview 19 degree ice-ducer. I always want the widest cone angle possible when I'm on the ice. Some guys I fish with use 12 degree transducers, and they have an extreme disadvantage on any suspended fish. I can see fish coming in from further away, work my jig above the fish, and get a reaction strike before the guy next to me even notices the fish. Even if I can see all the jigs in the shanty, that doesn't bother me as much as missing the action. The flat screen (water drops stuck to the bottom of the sunshield bug me), no noise, zoom, low-power, IR, and the night fishing mode to adjust the screen brightness are worth an extra $200 to me.

[BartmanMN]

With that being said, I sold my fl-8se and upgraded to the FL-22HD when it was on closeout last spring. I also have a FL-18 that has been bulletproof since day 1. I kept the fl-18 for a back-up, and for the wife when she wants to fish. Pat from Vexilar customer service has agreed to replace the defective tri-beam with a new Proview 19 degree ice-ducer. I always want the widest cone angle possible when I'm on the ice. Some guys I fish with use 12 degree transducers, and they have an extreme disadvantage on any suspended fish. I can see fish coming in from further away, work my jig above the fish, and get a reaction strike before the guy next to me even notices the fish. Even if I can see all the jigs in the shanty, that doesn't bother me as much as missing the action. The flat screen (water drops stuck to the bottom of the sunshield bug me), no noise, zoom, low-power, IR, and the night fishing mode to adjust the screen brightness are worth an extra $200 to me.

Hopefully you know the Proview is 9 degrees and not 19.

[mamohr686]

yes I got that figured out. It was replaced with the standard 19 degree ice-ducer.