LX-9 vs Double Vision, a side by side comparison

[esox_magnum]

Not sure how the settings are set up on the LX-9 just going of my experience with other cameras I have owned in the past....Backlight is just the screen lighting, guessing there should be a camera menue to change camera setting...Still on the fence on upgrading to the 9 or not, only a couple times a season I run into a situation where the camera will be of great importance...

[Fishin_Chip]

I went through every menu on the LX-9, and re-read the manual - no camera controls!  Camera - on/off, LED - on/off, that's it.  Just one more thing for the Marcum boys to add to the next firmware update. 

I went ahead and swapped out my Vexilar head units, now the FL-22HD sits on the Genz box, and the FL-8SE rides in the double vision.  My thinking is lately I have become too dependent on the camera, I want to become more comfortable with the flasher.  If I leave the camera home, I will have no choice! 

I plan to use strictly flasher on my next 2 outings, once with each, before trying the camera/flasher combo again. 

If any of you have settings (or other things) you would like to see tried, be sure to let me know.

Stay tuned, more to come....

[bigbuckmiddaugh]

That's odd, my 625 sd has all camera controls.  I would really love zoom

[esox_magnum]

On the 9 use the 5 color setting on the flasher, backlight around 15-20 black background... use the target adjust along with gain to get a fine read on your jig... Drop the camera down and see how far off bottom a jig gets before it registers seperation from the bottom, not just a flicker but a clear defined seperation...

[Fishin_Chip]

I took a bit of time and uploaded a very short clip to give you an idea of the video I was getting.  The YouTube version is greatly compressed and quite short, I am not a video whiz and this was the best I could manage.  Not living in town has a few disadvantages, marginal internet is one. 

The first bit of the clip is some perch milling around and occasionally chasing my bait.  I was in "bait conservation mode" by this time, so I was trying not to let the little guys steal my worm.  Don't worry, there is only about 30 seconds of this.

The second portion is one of the more interesting pike, if not the biggest.  He didn't get the spoon until the third try.  I left this whole segment as it happened, so there is a little over a minute here.

The video quality on the LX-9 was better than this clip, but not hugely so.  The original format was 640 X 480.  I took approximately 4 hours of video and used up 2.4 gigs out of the 4 gigs on the card that came with the unit.  You will notice that only the video is recorded, I was in various modes on the LX-9, none of that shows on the video.  The light is on for both portions of the segment, it is surprisingly bright, kind of looks like a flashlight laying on the bottom of the lake, but it didn't seem to have much effect on the fish.  I tried turning it on and off several times and got absolutely no reaction from the perch that were in front of the camera.  No way to tell if it discouraged them from coming into the light, but nobody left!

esox, I will give that a try next time I'm out.  Unfortunately, I am not sure I will be able to exactly replicate the settings you have given me.  The six color mode and the backlight setting are no problem, but HUD mode replaces the background, and split screen does not allow the flasher, only twin vertical display.  I can use the VEX camera to verify the lure position, and use the flasher mode on the 9 (LX-7 mode), can probably get there that way.  If you have a preference here, let me know, or I can just try both?  I will keep you posted.

[esox_magnum]

Just some ideas to try is all... We have done all this before      only with the FL-20 and LX-5....interested to see what your results are...

[Fishin_Chip]

I spoke with Marcum this morning. 

There are currently no camera controls.  They are planning to include them in the next firmware update, along with a "color kill" option to force B+W. 

The latest word is that they are hoping to have that update ready sometime this season, probably towards the end of the season.  It sounds like this will be a major revision to the operating system, if they do manage to incorporate all of the changes I have discussed with them. 

Pretty cool, actually. 

The electronic flashers that Marcum builds are almost like a blank slate. They can be reconfigured easily (says me, Marcum programmers might disagree!) to a wide variety of configurations, incorporating new features as they are developed. 

Can't wait!

[Fishin_Chip]

We have fished the 22 with the 7 and already know the results we have found, have also fished the 825HD and the Vex 1000 side by side, also know what our results were....Will watch this and see how your tests turn out compaired to ours....

Just some ideas to try is all... We have done all this before      only with the FL-20 and LX-5....interested to see what your results are...

Is there a topic where I can see your comparison results?

[esox_magnum]

Nope,just something we did since we have gin clear and can see everything easily that swims by... Our main test was done in 18' of water...

[Fishin_Chip]

I managed a couple hours on the ice again this afternoon. 

Using the LX-9 strictly as a flasher for the first hour, I played with the settings a bit.  I was able to get a nice fine line representing the Hali at about 6" off the bottom, any closer and the couple small weeds and dozens of ever present mini-perch messed things up.  Not a fair test. I will try again in slightly less populated waters. 

After about an hour, I broke down and sent the camera down.  Today was 8' deep, and the holes about 2' apart.  Big difference in visibility and video quality.  Perch not biting as good today, and it seemed like there weren't quite as many in the 8' water today as were in 14' a couple days ago. 

I find the DVR probably my favorite feature, so far.  This video has 4 short clips: a perch refusal and close-up, catching a perch, and a couple pike.  Once again I have had to reduce the quality significantly to allow me reasonable upload times.  Enjoy!

After this week my fishing should increase significantly and I can hopefully get on some different lakes.  I will keep you posted.....

[Fishin_Chip]

Finally back on the water for a couple hours today. 

Today was a FL22-HD day. 

The camera was my AquaView mini as a view finder for my GoPro.  Interesting setup, that.  I built a frame to sit on the bottom of the lake.  The camera sits about 7" up off the bottom.  In theory, that seemed about right, in practice, the soft bottom allowed the frame to sink 2" or 3", making the camera plenty close to the bottom.

The Micro has a very wide field of view, so the camera needs to be pretty close to the lure.  The result is a clearer picture, with less water between the camera and its target.  I would not recommend the Aquaview micro as a regular use camera, though.  Much too fiddly with the tiny cable, hard to rotate acurately.

I fished almost exactly the same spot as last time, so the bottom, weeds, and numbers of tiny perch were much the same.  7 feet of water, with a few scraggly weeds, 8" to 12" tall.  The Vex showed separation between the bottom and the lure at about 4".  Last time I had to estimate with the Marcum.  I suspect that the soft bottom contributed to the larger number I gave the LX-9.  Today, I could see the lure sink into the silt before I could feel it.  We will be using the camera with the LX-9 next time to get a better result for this test.

Having the "S" cable installed seems to be an advantage, particularly at 12 to 15 feet.  So far, I haven't needed to take it back off.

Today was good for me.  Having the lure at the very limits of camera visibility meant I had to rely on the flasher more.  Probably not ideal for this type of fishing, but better for my personal growth. 

The results of the day were pretty typical for me on this lake, lots of little perch and an occasional pike wandering by.  Planning another day out tomorrow...

Marcum Friday follows Vexilar Thursday.

I will be back..... 

[Gillfisher]

Chip, the FL-22 has a low power mode and should not need a s-cable. Did you have the S-cable on and use low power?

[Fishin_Chip]

I am aware that the FL-22HD has a low power mode.  However, that mode only works in the 10' depth range.  When I was fishing in 12' to 14' FOW, it was sometimes an issue.  With the gain turned all the way down, my lure was still quite a large mark.  I have been leaving the S cable attached because so far there has been no need to remove it.  At some point, I will try to do some comparison fishing, but so far, well, why take it on and off if I don't have to? 

Is there a reason why I shouldn't leave it attached?  Am I missing out on something? 

I will check into that further and keep you posted.

[Gillfisher]

OK Chip thanks for the clarification, keep us posted on what you find out.

[Fishin_Chip]

Marcum Friday, Marcum Saturday, kinda the same thing.  Anyway.....

Made it out for the afternoon today, packing the LX-9.  I checked out a couple new areas early in the day, then set up the shack not far from the previous couple days hot spot.  I will say this: video works way better in the shack!  I will be ordering the Marcum sunshade, but until then I will be keeping the outdoor video to a minimum. 

The more I use the LX-9, the more I am starting to like it.  When Marcum gets around to fixing the HUD, it will be awesome!  I was finally able to get a good, clear reading with video on the minimum separation from bottom.  With the right lure, I was occasionally able to see sustained separation from the bottom at 2", pretty consistently at 3".  While it seems that the LX-9 has a slight edge in this department, I will continue watching this as I go along.

Did I say this before?  The DVR rocks!  If you use a camera, you gotta get you one a these!  I upgraded the microSD card to 8 gig.  Much better, didn't run out of room today.  Ran the machine for about 5 hours, card is half full.  Seems like the 8 gig should be about right for me.

Fishing was pretty good today, and I have to say that the camera allowed me to do things a flasher never could, like repeatedly twitching my bait away from the little perch until I could get the big one to bite, or not snagging a pike who missed on the first strike and stopped right on top of the lure, trying to see where it went (by the way, snagging a pike amidships is a real PITA when you are icefishing!  Been there, done that, happy to not go there today).  I had a blast, the camera was a significant part.

With all the snow we have, and the resulting slush starting to show up, I am not sure when I will get to try some different water.  Until then, I will just keep on playing in my back yard, just hanging out and having a good time! 

If you want to see any of the video, I have been passing it on to the boys at PK lures.  Check out their FaceBook page, there are a couple clips there.

Until next time, Good Luck!

Chip

[Fishin_Chip]

Check out my new avatar.  It is a screen grab from the LX-9 video.  Pike really like the manta!  At least half a dozen times the video showed the camera being bumped or even shaken by fish.  This shot happened while I was otherwise occupied.  Pretty cool to step back into the shack and see that on the monitor!  Of course, I did catch one of them right after. 

Did I mention what a stupid setup the microSD slot is.  You practically need to disassemble the machine to get it in and out.  Who thinks up this stuff?!?!

Chip

[green thumb]

Hey Chip, looks you've been having some fun. I've been out a few times now and have a couple of new observations. The lake I fish has recently experienced significant runoff from a warm up and consequently the water is colored in many spots. In 30 FOW where I previously enjoyed watching walleyes on the camera approach my lure, now was colored and impossible to see anything without the camera light. The fish however, don't seem to like the light and disappeared every time I turned it on. Several times I would mark fish on the sonar, turn on the camera light and catch a glimpse of a departing walleye tail.

Second observation was not a good one at all. My LX9 seems to have developed a case of what I call the Hiccups! Several times while jigging up a fish, the fish mark and my lure would freeze momentarily leaving me with no idea if the fish was still following my lure or had dropped off. What's worse it froze up completely at least twice a day the last four times out and had to be restarted to work again. Marcum wants it back to fix it so guess my next report will be on the Double Vision. Keep  Catchin' em!

[Minnowhead]

A good friend has the DoubleVision.  I got to play with it on our recent icefishing trip.  We were hole hopping and I was using the FL-22 to read the depths. I would then put the camera down to search for weeds/structure.  It worked perfect.  It was very convenient and easy to see the camera in the bright conditions. Alot of the guys we were with had Marcums, but no one had the new LX-9. I am very curious to see one of these in person and use it. So far the DoubleVision performed very well for the week. And now I am wanting to see the Marcum.

[Fishin_Chip]

Holy Cow!  Did I ever get smoked by the Marcum charger bug today!  Major expedition planned, gorgeous day, 20 mile ride, how awesome is it to finally get some time on a primo walleye/pike/perch lake. 

20 minutes in, the camera goes black, the screen goes crazy and everything shuts down!  What the he......?  Tried restart, everything comes up, 10 seconds later, whammo!  It turns out 10 seconds is just enough time to go through the menu to display options and turn the gauges on.  Low voltage!?!?!?  This thing has been on the charger religiously at the end of every day.  It lives on the charger!

Having spent a fair amount of time following this forum, I knew what the problem was right away.   So, what to do?

As it happens, this lake tends to have a better evening bite.  I hadn't seen a fish, tried half a dozen holes, and my tip-up hadn't twitched.  So, load everything up, go for a 45 minute run back to the ranch.  Given all of the Vexilar spare parts I have kicking around, the solution was obvious to me.  A quick snip here, a couple crimps there and my LX-9 now gets its juice from a Vexilar charger!  Since it isn't the first "mixed marriage" on this forum, I am confident that it will all work out. 

So now, a quick bite to eat, grap the DoubleVision and hope the afternoon bite is indeed better than the morning one.

Cheers!

[Fishin_Chip]

Well, the afternoon was slow, but not a total bust.  The Vexilar worked fine, just like always.  I ended up fishing in 7' of water, so not much sonar coverage, about 18" or so.  I used the camera mostly, although I had both running.  Today's fish didn't spend much time eyeballing the lure, so they didn't show up on the flasher. 

I have to admit, I missed the LX-9.  I like the camera better.  The shape of the unit fits on the back of my snowmobile better, and the Vex has no DVR!!! 

The DVR feature is way cool, I use it all the time.  Today, the walleye would flash by, stirring up the bottom and then come back around and nail the spoon.  It was cool to see, would have made awesome video.

I still need to get into some deeper water, to give the flashers a workout, but you don't buy either one of these units if you don't plan to use the camera, so I don't feel too bad that that is what I have mainly used. 

Hopefully, everything works tomorrow and I can get out for a bit.  Likely just a short run, but we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

Cheers!

[Fishin_Chip]

After a night on the charger, everything seems to be OK.  Gauge reads 13 volts, everything seems to work. 

As soon as I get my transportation issues worked out, I will see what happens on the ice.

See!  Vexilar and Marcum can get along, if they are just given a chance!

Cheers.

[prospector]

Nice report Chip! Looking forward to some video!

[Fishin_Chip]

Nice report Chip! Looking forward to some video!

Check out the PK Lures Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PK-Lures/255271876344?fref=ts

I don't have very good internet, so I can't upload too much.  The PK boys are all excited that I use their lures, and get some cool video doing it.  They have put up a couple clips on their page.

I will try to get some stuff up on YouTube too, for those who don't Facebook, but video editing is not my strong suit.  We'll just keep plugging away, and I will try to find a clip or 2 for this thread.

Cheers!

[green thumb]

Chip, the mini dvr from Aqua View plugs right into the Double Vision and works great. A little more cumbersome than the LX9 with more wires hanging around but you can start capturing video quicker because of less keystrokes necessary to do so and no blackout like the LX9. It also has a matrix sensing feature that can be set to start recording as soon as a fish appears on the camera monitor so you don't miss any action.
Keep catchin' em.

[Fishin_Chip]

Chip, the mini dvr from Aqua View plugs right into the Double Vision and works great. A little more cumbersome than the LX9 with more wires hanging around but you can start capturing video quicker because of less keystrokes necessary to do so and no blackout like the LX9. It also has a matrix sensing feature that can be set to start recording as soon as a fish appears on the camera monitor so you don't miss any action.
Keep catchin' em.

Sounds pretty cool.  Unless I end up selling the LX-9, it is not likely that I will be adding more expensive hardware any time soon.  I did look at that one when I was shopping around, but I haven't actually held one in my hand.  I especially liked the waterproof monitor of the second generation Micro's.  It is a DVR option if I stick with the DoubleVision, and handy in its own right.

Glad to hear that it is a fine piece of kit.

Cheers!

[Fishin_Chip]

Whoo Hooo!

Version 1.31 is out.

I haven't had a chance to see what all the boys at Marcum fixed, but I do know that they fixed the HUD!  A quick look shows that the new HUD options make a lot more sense.



I will be taking an in-depth look at the rest of the new features, I am hoping for some camera controls, but even just this would be a huge improvement.

Because of the inane microSD slot, I have started removing the head unit to access it.  The stock knobs have very little clearance from the backside of the head unit.  Because I remove them regularly, I exchanged the OEM knobs for some easier to use ones.  I wasn't able to find knobs with long enough knobs, so I modified some to suit.  A pair of rubber feet with the holes drilled out provided the necessary spacers for my purposes.



As a final observation, I was surprised to see how much difference there was between the LED's on the cameras.  The Marcum is like a flashlight, if you look down the hole you can see the light shining clear as day.  The Vexilar LED are so dim that you can barely tell when they are on.  I have to assume that most of the light is not in the visible spectrum.

Looking forward to trying out my new LX-9

Cheers!

[Fishin_Chip]

I am aware that the FL-22HD has a low power mode.  However, that mode only works in the 10' depth range.  When I was fishing in 12' to 14' FOW, it was sometimes an issue.  With the gain turned all the way down, my lure was still quite a large mark.  I have been leaving the S cable attached because so far there has been no need to remove it.  At some point, I will try to do some comparison fishing, but so far, well, why take it on and off if I don't have to? 

Is there a reason why I shouldn't leave it attached?  Am I missing out on something? 

I will check into that further and keep you posted.

Well, I finally got a response from Vexilar.  According to Matt Johnson at Vexilar, there should be no ill effects from using the S-cable all of the time.  He did not elaborate on any other positive or negative issues, so I am not really much further ahead than I was before.  I guess if it blows up, and they say something about it, I can refer back to that communication.

Cheers!

[Gillfisher]

That is interesting Chip, how much smaller is your lure with the s-cable? I may have to try this myself.

[Fishin_Chip]

I am able to make a PK flutterfish completely disappear in 12', so I guess that means I can make it as small as I want.  I haven't had the sensitivity above halfway yet, so it's all good.  It seems to be a good option.

Cheers!

[Fishin_Chip]

Well, it seems that 1.31 is all about the HUD.  I was unable to find anything else that had been upgraded.  Still pretty happy though.  Weather is warming up a bit towards the weekend, hopefully I can get out again soon.

Cheers!