FL-18 problems?

[Guest]

I just bought the FL-18 and found some ice tonight to try it out. I was very excited to give it a whirl beings I have have the old fl-8 for over 8 years. Well I think that I got a lemon. It works great but the only problem that I am having is that the AZ mode doesn't seem to be working right? It would be working great and than out of the blue it would decide to move the bottom to the 2 foot mark if you know what I mean by that. I could still see my jig normally but the bottom was at the 2 foot line instead of 0 like it should be. If I turned off the vex. and than turned it back on it would work good again sometimes. What is the deal with this I fished in all diff. depths and had the same thing happen. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated I hope that you understand what I mean. I think that I am going to return it and get a diff. one tomorrow.

[Guest]

Wall-i,
I know exactly what you're talking about, I've had it happen to me a few times, after owning it a week. To fix the problem I simply shut it off for 2 seconds and turn it back on. Other than that minor problem, the unit works great. Good Luck!!

Rusty

[Guest]

I just sold my FL-8 SLT and was am supposed to pick up my Fl-18 on Sunday. You guys have me worried now. Because I will be mounting it to my boat in spring I don't want to hassle with removing it to return it or sending it in for a "fix". I hope this is just a minor problem.ScottS

[RogersResort]

ScottS,
I would not worry too much, like I said before I have two units that I rent and I have talked to a least a half a dozen fishermen who have the new units and none have had any problems with theirs. Could be a lemon or two out there, that's just the way things are today.

[Iceboy]

I wouldn't worry too much, either. I've fished with mine a couple of times now and haven't had any problems. I'm still trying to get my transducer to point straight down, since with the smaller cone angle I have been getting bites while the fish still show as green/yellow instead of red, but other then that I'm happy. I think the cable/ducer joint will just loosen up over time. Or I could just throw my old 19 degree ducer on from my FL8SLT.

Seems like the problems people are having are what would be expected if the dial was turned all the way to bottom lock instead of AZ (which you shouldn't use when ice fishing) - perhaps there are either some defective dials or idiots in the cockpit :-).

Fishhead - after seeing yours I just had to get one! And regarding weeds looking big and red in shallow water, are you sure you had it in LP mode?

[This message has been edited by Iceboy (edited 01-10-2002).]

[Guest]

I spoke with the guys at Vexilar and they are aware of the problem with certain units and are field testing it. They are going to let me know when the solved the mystery, and offered to replace my unit. I figured I won't get it replaced until they figure our the solution to the problem. First class guys up there!

[Guest]

On my unit, the when on the LP-AZ the bottom will once and awhile shift from the 0 count on the left to 1 or 2, meaning the bottome 6 feet shrinks into 4 feet. It is not operator error, as these things are pretty simple to run. Like anything, certain units may have a glitch. I'm not too worried, because it doesn't take much to fix it, just turning it off for a second and then back on. But it's good to get this kind of information out there so people know what's going on. Good Luck!!!

Rusty

[minneman]

I thought I'd put in my 2cents, and havent had any of the above probs, there must be a lemon or two out there?

[minneman]

I thought I'd put in my 2cents, and havent had any of the above probs, there must be a lemon or two out there? I do like how the 18 works, I'm very happy with it!

[Guest]

Scotts,
Don't hesitate to buy the F-18. I'm also hving the same AZ problem but it still is an incredible leap from the FL_8.When they work out the bug I'll switch it for a new one but in the mean time this one has helped me catch alot of fish I wouldn't have with my fl-8.

[Guest]

If you are moving the ducer after using it on AZ you have to shut it off and on again so it can lock into the bottom 6 feet again.

------------------
MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[Bigred70]

That is an excellent point D-man. Perhaps the transducer is getting bumped when pulling a fish throught the hole, etc. This could be the problem.

[Raven]

Been having the same problem with my new FL-18. I have to turn it off and back on or sometimes go from AZ to Norm or LP to get it working right again. I was fishing on a sand bottom with no weeds and it did it all day long off and on. Guess I will give Vex a call. I will say that when this thing is working right, it can't be beat.

[Guest]

Took my FL-18 on the ice yesterday for the first time and LOVED IT. I feel guilty that some clients will have to use the FL-8.

It really helps you see into the red.

------------------
Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

I know what your saying, my FL18 is doing the same thing. It will be fine for a little while then all of a sudden the bottom 2 feet will turn red and it'll stay that way until I turn it off and on, or switch modes and back again. It has to be a bug, if it happens to you and your vex, you'll know that it isn't right.

[RipJigger]

I just came off of the lake,and I see what everybody has been talking about.Ihad been fishing off of a hump in about 23 feet of water.I fished in that spot until dark.I had no problems until I decided to move up shallow to a previous drilled hole. Picked up my gear including the Fl-18.I did not turn the unit off,put the transducer in the hole and to my suprise the bottom was at the one foot mark.Maybe it has something to do with moving the transducer? But other than this one incident no problems.I have fished with the Fl-8 for about six years now and the new 18 is a real step up Vexilar ROCKS!!!!

------------------
RipJigger

[jigjigsk]

having same problems with fl-18 and the az. also was using it in the same fish house with a fl-8 and had a fair amount of interference. i would push in the gain button to clear it up, but didn't go away totally and the fl-8 showed no interference from the fl-18. any ideas?

[Iceboy]

I don't think this is a bug after using my FL-18 a few times. I could get it to do what you are talking about, but only when I had the gain set so high that it figured that my lure was the bottom. Are you guys setting the gain to zero and then adjusting it so that your lure is green at the depth that you are fishing? At any rate, all you have to do is turn it to normal vex mode, then back to AZ and it works fine.

[Guest]

Hey all. As a technician at Vexilar, I just wanted to pop in and clear up the FL-18 situation. Although the FL-18 has been extremely popular, we are finding some issues with the Auto Zoom. Some were expected, but there does appear to be a definite glitch.

First off, switching holes, or hole hopping, while running the unit in AZ can give erratic operation. We do not recommend hole hopping in the AZ mode. You should switch into the AZ mode only after the unit is set into place. Here's why: The AZ will lock on the bottom as soon as the transducer touches the water. Then, when you lower it down into the hole, the bottom on the zoom side will roll upward. The further down you have the transducer, the further the bottom will roll up. If the bottom on the zoom raises more than 2 feet, it should reset itself to the zero position within 10 or 15 seconds. If not, the bottom will stay where it is. This is not considered a failure.

Once the AZ has locked the bottom reading at the zero position, it should never change unless the transducer position changes. If it does, there is a problem. This is the glitch we are addressing now. It seems that under certain conditions, the bottom reading on the zoom will jump up some distance. Everything will still work, except the "zoom zone" becomes smaller. The unit may correct itself or you may need to switch the AZ to Normal and then back to AZ again to reset it. So far, this appears to be either a random glitch or only happens under a certain combination of conditions.

We do not have a fix or an explanation for it yet. We have had a number of these units returned to us and we cannot duplicate the problem in our shop or in extensive field-testing. Currently, our goal is to simply capture the glitch on film so the engineers can SEE it. This is proving to be difficult. Our efforts continue.

No matter how large or small of a problem it is, it is unacceptable. I would ask anyone who has experienced the glitch to contact us at Vexilar by email or telephone. We will record your contact info and get back with you when we find an answer.

Vexilar, Inc. - 952-884-5291 or [email protected]

I'll try to check back and answer any questions.

[Guest]

Thanks Vextech, now here is my question for you. I am scheduled to pick 2 units up on Monday. Is it worth getting the units now and then waiting for the fix. Will Vexilar take back the units I am buying if they are not able to fix the problem with the units. Just some questions for you. Thanks ScottS

[Guest]

ScottS, I think it is safe to get the FL-18s. We have thousands of them in use now. The total number of people in our glitch list is well under 1 percent of this. The problem is no where near as bad as it sounds in this forum.

So far this week we've taken a dozen units, exchanged because of the glitch, out on local lakes. In the hours that we ran these units, one glitched once then would not do it again. We've tried everything we know of to get them to fail so we can film it. No luck yet.

[Guest]

I did notice that my unit does jump up at certain times.when bumped or moved.I did not notice problems when it was just sitting there yet.I just won't bump it from now on or reset when it does get bumped.I love the thing!When I am out fishing I can't decide which to play with the camera or the vex.
I have got to hand it to you guys at VEX to back up your product so well and to get online and let people know what is going on.Good on ya.

[Guest]

Thanks Vex Tech. I just picked up my new units! I would have waited but I know how you guys stand behind your product and I have never had problems with my other units.

Hey fishhead,what a problem-Don't forget to do a little fishing when you are out with your toys!ScottS

[Raven]

Hey VEXTECH - I think your "The problem is no where as bad as it sounds in this forum" was a cheap shot. It is bad when you are the one using an FL-18 and it is jumping around. My unit does it sitting outside on the ice or inside a warm fish house - it makes no difference. It happens with no bumping or moving the transducer. I did contact you folks and a Mitchell Bennis replied that you would replace it now or take care of it later. I have no problem with that, just didn't like the "no where as bad as it sounds" thing.

[Guest]

Vextech/ does the bottom content effect the locking of the AZ?

------------------
MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[Guest]

Raven , I'm sorry you took my statement as a cheap shot. I was refering to the number of problems as opposed to the number of units out there. Not that the problem wasn't a real problem. If your unit is acting up a lot, I think you should contact Mr. Bennis and get your unit swapped out now.

D-man, bottom content shouldn't effect the Zoom, but that may be a factor in the glitch. It does seem that softer bottoms will show the glitch more, but that's not the total cause. Also, there appears to something related to fish or weed targets in the area that is involved too. It almost looks like these two factors, along with yet something else, are related to the conditions that cause the glitch.