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Before I begin I’ll apologize in advance for bringing this subject up again haha. I fished for years with my FL-18 then started to thinkthe snap through the water column was scaring shallow water fish off in lake beds, so I sold it. Then after a few years without my flasher last February I was in Regina Cabela’s and noticed the Ice 35’s on sale so I bought one. Used it first time in Bay of Quinte and I was disappointed enough to purchase a new FLX-20 on this past Boxing Day on sale again. Ordered the vex soft case and unit cover and it’s been so cold up here I’ve yet to get on the ice since the purchase. Had the FLX28’s on Boxing Day not been another $200+ I would’ve got one so I settled for the 20X. Well fast forward to last night I was looking around the internet and oh no I see the 28 on sale for a price I simply couldn’t hold myself back from not entering my Visa numbers. Knowing I can return the 20, I’m lookig forward to the extra feature last of the 28x compared to the 20X. So here we are now knowing this 28 has the multi opinionated 9* proview ducer compared to the 12* that comes with the 20... I don’t regularly fish anything over 25’ max for eyes and typically hunting yella bellies from sight fishing depths to approx 20’. I’ve spent last few days researching and reading reviews with this proview vs the Tri beam. Not sure with the tri if the definition in reality can or will be as detailed as say a single beam being there’s what 3 different crystals in that ducer compared to one larger surface area of a single beam. Last thing (like with the Ice35) is having trouble tweaking the sensitivity so I can have a nice fine line showing lure and very concerned from the majority of negative reviews of cluttered screens even in LP mode in shallows with this PV ducer. Ideally and theoretically the tribeam with its adjustability for various depths and selectable cone angles make absolute perfect sense BUT Do they detect and display the detail a single beam will. I was thinking of calling the Vex team to see if they’d possibly exchange this PV for a tri. I know what some of you will say, just keep the 12* from the 20 I have sitting here and return the 20 with the PV in it but sadly I have a conscience and somehow it’ll come back to bite me haha. Sorry for long post. Tnx in advance for experienced replies.
you can get a thin green line very easily with the proview
Dr Speckler, haha I figured when you and other IS members who took part in the one 3 Page thread on this same subject back in 2016 I believe, (which I read in its entirety along with many other threads too) I can just imagine some members seeing this subject arise once again, God’s would be curling under desks and maybe fist pounding, oh no heerrre we go Again haha. I just thought there might be new or solidified further opinions. I’d love to try the PV ducer but i feel IF I stand any chance whatsoever that the fine folks over at Vexilar to possibly swap me out for a tri beam, I really shouldn’t even put it in the water. Last “I read” you guys mentioned Vexilar finally (rightfully so) put the Kibash to guys trying to trade in open water ducers for ice. I was thinking we have one winter haunt we set up for early ice over 7-8’ hump those big hen eyes come up onto and I’ve had great luck with I believe it’s close to a 5” Lucky Strike Rocket spoon, usually tipped with a Minnow head. Wondering what that proview would respond like to that big hunk o tin in shallow water like that. Possibly a tiny bug and spike or two for bull gills in shallow that PV might be ok for but man I’m the one with toes curled now thinking I’ll be out the cost of the tribeam if I have to purchase it separately
Yes I know, by starting the unit up in low power mode and then going into weed mode. However when you have the gain turned way up to get the larger cone angle the thin green line goes right back to the green blob. Or you have the option to purchase and use this S-cable costing you more money. I went with the tri beam because it works the best for me.
its all opinions .i fish with a thin green line with the proview..take it out of auto set depth to 1 depth setting higher than the actual depth.lp mode.I'm not staring at a blobby screen all day for sure and use ever vexilar ever made basically.i run proview,tri beam,12 and 19 degree with no problems.real shallow water and the proview might be a little powerful.the flx28 is built with the proview in mind.thats why it comes with it in most packs.jmo.i take how vexilar compares the 2 on youtube vids.they are not blowing smoke..and ive never fished over 40 ft. of water in my life either.
Does it not take away some of your screen resolution when you, for instance, use the 30 foot scale in 17 feet of water?
in 17ft I would just use the 20ft setting in lp mode.the proview is fine in 15 ft and over and easy to get a nice thin green line with many different settings even using auto mode..10 ft and under one must know what settings to use or you will get the blob.lol.
for what depth?
Less then 10...less then 15 ?..I have a fishing buddy who has a FL18 w/Proview...love to pass on good info ...we have yet to fish side by side to compare my TriBeam and his Proview.
what are the settings ?
You must keep in mind that these are transducer specifications and, unless you have your gain set at the maximum level, you will actually be looking at a smaller area. This brings up another interesting point. Your gain control acts much like a variable cone angle control. The drawback is that when you turn your gain up high everything in the middle of the cone gets blown up to the point where you can’t see what’s on the edge anyway
You could do the test that way, then just swap transducers and see of the results change.
So...fishing 100% of my time in shallow water (6-14 ft), I've given up trying to get my PV to work well (FL18). Biggest complaint is the narrow cone, or so I feel it is narrow. I often lose my jig if it ventures just a bit off to the side. Fish have quite often been caught that I did not even 'see' on the Vex, they were likely watching just outside the perceived narrow cone. Forget using jigging Rapalas, rarely saw them until the final stand still...Santa brought me a 19° 'ducer for Christmas. Now my only complaint (and it is minor in my mind) is that my jig is huge, even LP mode...but, I see more fish!Crappie and perch are the losers now.I'll keep the PV, perhaps one day I'll venture from my shallow pond...
ok so I messed around with setting in 10ish ft of water shows the differences between regular auto mode and auto mode/lp mode.then regular manual mode then reg mode with low power.lp mode needed about quarter gain and reg mode had to be at zero,doesn't prove much but a nice display can be had with the right settings.pics coming..i was in 9.9 ft and 11.regular auto range.(Image removed from quote.)manual low power(Image removed from quote.)
well on lp with gain at half I would think around 20 degree.being its supposed to go as wide as 40.im just showing that the proview will fish good in shallow water and not be a blobby screen is all I'm showing guys now.
The things your showing can work sometimes on a proview, but they don't work that well a lot of the time. I'm pretty sure most guys have enough common sense to use LP and switch out of auto mode. I personally rarely use auto mode unless it's in the bottom breaks my manual won't go to. Also like your Rod tip.....looks like it could be a Rod that was homemade.
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Topic: Vexilar FLX28 Transducer Wars (Read 13166 times)
