New Fl-18

[insane4eyes]

Well I broke down and bought the fl-18 w/dualbeam  i hope i like it couldn't decide if i should get the 12 or dual beam.  But i hope it is better or what i need.  Thanks geeman and jam jam for all the info and help i even got a good deal on it from reeds clearancing them out.  But thanks again for all the advice.  My wife convinced me to just break down and buy it she is a great women couldn't ask for anyone better take care all very excited now

[1nunzio]

insane4eyes;
You will enjoy your new toy!! You made the same decision that I did and went with the dual beam. I really like mine. The zoom is a nice feature you will like judging by your handle. My wife picked up the lense cover for me as a day after V-day gift  . Sounds like we both got lucky in that department!! Don't need the magnifacation, it's just nice keeping the crud out.

[insane4eyes]

1nunzio  that cover you spoke of sounds like that might be a good idea for protection i will have to look into one of those i went to fishusa.com  and purchased the blue cover for it i thought that would be a good investment also.  Take care and thanks for the reply good luck out there

[BlackIce]

insane- I think he was referring to the mag lens cover.  I really like the blue bags that they have for the vex.  I am torn whether to upgrade to the FL18 or go with the Marcum LX3.  The Marcum is cheaper and not as time proven yet as well. The Vex is more, noisier but the have great customer service.  What made you guys go with the Vex versus the Marcum??  

[Jam_Jam]

I have used mine for four weekends straight and love it!  I've been fishing some suspended fish in 100'+ water and its worked great.  I fish two lines about 4' apart at different depths and I see both jigs with absolutely no problem...when I'm fishing them deeper I use the 9deg and when I have them shallower I use the 19deg..its a flip of a switch to find which works better for whatever depth your fishing.  Having the dual beam has allowed me keep a good read on my 1/8 ounce jigs at 100'.  I will say that from my experience so far, if I didn't have the option of the dual beam and I fished water under 30' I would have chosen the 19deg...I find the 19deg even does a fairly good job even at 100' although it gets a bit tough to see the small jigs even on max gain.  I think the auto zoom works much better with the 9deg in deep water too...just some observations.    

Have fun with the new unit!

[insane4eyes]

Thanks jam jam can't wait to get out an use it this weekend.  Blackice as far as why I went with the vex is because i had seen how the fl-8 worked and all the postings from the guys here on ice shanty about the vex and how good the fl-18 was my buddy bought an 18 and that zoom feature was really cool.  Go back thru some of the posts here a few pages back and you will see some of the opnions from everyone on the units.  Some really good info on here.     good luck Andrew

[GEEMAN]

I4Eyes - How did the new Vex treat you ?

[bussman]

Here's a Fl-18 story worth posting. (I think)
My Fl-18 had been acting up lately. The gain needed to be increased more and more each time I went out. I called vex and they said as long as the battery was putting out 12 V it shouldn't effect the gain so I sent it it. It needed a software upgrade anyway since mine was one of the original ones. I mailed it on Tuesday around 2 pm using the US Postal Service's Express mail and it was there Wednesday in time for Vexilar to update the software,test and calibrate it that day. It was back in the mail Wednesday night. Unfortunately they used UPS ground and it still isn't here. Lately in my opinion, the US Postal Service has been kicking UPS in the package.   Not sure why?
Anyway, Thats what I call service. I also am sure they enjoyed my letter asking them to take care of my baby and that I would miss her. The funniest part is they most likely though I was kidding. I wasn't.   As for a good wife, she told me to go by another one for this weekend. I was tempted but I didn't do it.

Questions?
How much does the mag shield actually magnify? Is there anyone unhappy with it??

Does anyone use the s-cable int he weeds with the FL-18? Vexilar site said you could? wonder if it is worth it??

[GEEMAN]

bussman , Had to do the same thing with my 18 when I first got it. Was a 6 day turn around from sending it in and getting it back.
You don't need the S-Cable with the 18. It has a built in low power mode in lieu of the cable. That cable sucked anyways when I tried it on my 8 SLT.
IMO , As for the mag lens cover ?  Pass on that. The bright display on the 18 = you don't need it.

[bussman]

I wish they made one that didn't magnify. It would be nice to have a cover! I always clean my screen when I get home with a wet q-tip.

Flasher tip:

Set up so you can see your flasher behind your line this way you can watch the fish come into your bait and see it strike without as much as blinking. As a matter of fact Blinking can cause you to miss some of those light biters.I have fished this way in the dark when my lantern quit until it got to cold and then I had to go home (it was -12 that night when I got home)! Try it! It really works for me.

[insane4eyes]

Geeman have not got it yet from reeds sporting goods it should be here tomorrow I went with vex fl-18 because everyone recommended it to me instead of the 8   but my fishin buddy has one and that was the other reason and it is sweet way above my expectations.