Vexilar FLX-28 and low power zoom?

[rpmilius]

I was comparing the specs of the Vexilar FLX-20 and FLX-28 and noticed that the 20 had a low power zoom setting, but the 28 apparently did not.
But I just saw a recent video that described how to do it.

at the 2:47 minute mark.
1- turn unit off
2- switch to mode to LP, lowest gain
3- press & hold gain
4- switch range from off to auto
5- screen shows low power
6- switch mode from LP to AZ

Is this true? Is this documented anywhere else?
I didn't find anything about it in the manual in the 28 section.
The procedure sounded similar to the one for getting into weed mode.

thanks!
Bob

[jrjach75]

Yes, the 28 does have a low power mode, I don’t have mine in front of me, but what you posted sounds right, and yes, similar to putting it into weed mode. One note, if you power the unit off, it will default to normal mode, if you want to use low power mode, you have to do the procedure every time.

[rpmilius]

I knew it had a low power mode. I guess I didn't realize that if you started the unit with mode = LP, then it would remain in that mode if you changed to AZ. I thought that to get to low power, all you did was switch mode to LP after it was powered up, and it remained in LP while the mode was set there. The manual didn't make that point in the FLX-28 section.

[DR.SPECKLER]

Think theres a few hidden features on the flx28.

[hardwater diehard]

[bigfoot86]

Odd thing is the 28 is restricted to the proview transducer only where the others you can use any of the three ducers available  (12, 19 or proview).  I own a flx28 and flx20 and to be truthfully honest the couple extra features on the 28 don’t do much for me and I have played around with them.  Weed mode, ehh.

[jrjach75]

I knew it had a low power mode. I guess I didn't realize that if you started the unit with mode = LP, then it would remain in that mode if you changed to AZ. I thought that to get to low power, all you did was switch mode to LP after it was powered up, and it remained in LP while the mode was set there. The manual didn't make that point in the FLX-28 section.

Going into the lower power "mode" is the only way to use the zoom while in low power. I think that's the only reason, seems useless to me since you wouldn't use zoom unless you were fishing deep enough water to where you'd be in normal power mode anyway, but there must be some situations where it would help.

[jrjach75]

Odd thing is the 28 is restricted to the proview transducer only where the others you can use any of the three ducers available  (12, 19 or proview).  I own a flx28 and flx20 and to be truthfully honest the couple extra features on the 28 don’t do much for me and I have played around with them.  Weed mode, ehh.

We fish a lot of shallow water where I'm at and I use a 19 degree transducer on my FLX28 with no problem. Tried the 19 degree in 35ft depths and I think I prefer the pro-view there, but anything less and I'm using the 19.

[hardwater diehard]

Odd thing is the 28 is restricted to the proview transducer only where the others you can use any of the three ducers available  (12, 19 or proview).  I own a flx28 and flx20 and to be truthfully honest the couple extra features on the 28 don’t do much for me and I have played around with them.  Weed mode, ehh.

I do believe the 28 can use other transducers not sure it would shine with the all the features the 28 has ..my buddy bought an FL18 and it came with the Pro view..he was not happy with it in shallow less then 10 fow he has since gone to a 12 Deg. I do believe the 30 BB is its own separate Idaho onto itself for its transducer.

[rpmilius]

Thanks for the link. I saw that, and while it describes autozoom (AZ), and low power (LP) mode settings, it doesn't describe how to use both AZ and LP at the same time. Neither does Vexilar's manual. Kinda wonderong what other 'hidden' features it has.

[hardwater diehard]

https://vexilar.com/pages/manuals


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6O6hqT9O0J6OVY5bnRRMjRWWTQ?resourcekey=0-16k5FMBfI9-lu6jR9-Bz3A

[rpmilius]

Thanks for the links. I've re-read the manual that came with the FLX-28, and also read the most recent manual listed at the links you posted, and still cannot find any mention of the procedure for autozoom while in low-power mode. I contacted Vexilar, and they confirmed it's possible with the procedure in my first post here, but I don't see any mention of it in any documentation that I could find. Maybe I have a blind spot, but I just don't see it.

https://vexilar.com/pages/manuals


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6O6hqT9O0J6OVY5bnRRMjRWWTQ?resourcekey=0-16k5FMBfI9-lu6jR9-Bz3A

[hardwater diehard]

rpmilius..I just read your first post ..I am now recalling a FB post/video from a female sponsor in which she did that ..I tried looking for that video a while back it may have been scrubbed ..so who knows if it true or not .It seems odd that would not be a "known/advertised " feature ..Vexilars low power mode is the selling point most gravitate towards.

[rpmilius]

It seems odd that would not be a "known/advertised " feature ..Vexilars low power mode is the selling point most gravitate towards.

Low power and auto-zoom are both documented in the manual for the FLX-28 (two different settings in the mode dial).
What I couldn't find in any documentation is how to do both at the same time.
I saw a video of someone describing it, and verified with Vexilar that yes it works. I was mostly wondering if was documented and if so where. I asked Vexilar and they said it should be somewhere in the manual, but I still couldn't find it.

Not a biggie, just wondering what I'm else I'm missing

[SpitzoMT]

We fish a lot of shallow water where I'm at and I use a 19 degree transducer on my FLX28 with no problem. Tried the 19 degree in 35ft depths and I think I prefer the pro-view there, but anything less and I'm using the 19.

Same here.....19 & proview !!

[Tittips]

I was comparing the specs of the Vexilar FLX-20 and FLX-28 and noticed that the 20 had a low power zoom setting, but the 28 apparently did not.
But I just saw a recent video that described how to do it.

at the 2:47 minute mark.
1- turn unit off
2- switch to mode to LP, lowest gain
3- press & hold gain
4- switch range from off to auto
5- screen shows low power
6- switch mode from LP to AZ

Is this true? Is this documented anywhere else?
I didn't find anything about it in the manual in the 28 section.
The procedure sounded similar to the one for getting into weed mode.

thanks!
Bob

The manual I got with my flx28 today specifically says that you can’t use zoom and low power together….

[DR.SPECKLER]

Ive never tried it but mostly when i use zoom im in deeper water where lp mode is not needed anyways.

[hardwater diehard]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6O6hqT9O0J6OVY5bnRRMjRWWTQ?resourcekey=0-16k5FMBfI9-lu6jR9-Bz3A

Low Power Option

The Low Power Mode is designed to clean up a cluttered and busy
display when fishing in shallow water. The rule for using the Low Power
Mode setting is this: if you turn down the gain as low as it can go in
Normal Mode, and yet the signal is still too strong to get a good clean
reading, switch to the Low Power Mode. Activating the LP Mode will
greatly reduce the output power of your unit.
In LP Mode you should expect the lure, fish and weeds to disappear
when the gain is at or near zero. You will now need to turn up the gain
to fine-tune the display. You do not want to be in LP all the time since it
will make finding a lure or fish in deeper water nearly impossible. Only
use this mode when needed. Also, when trying to fish in deeper water
you will need to turn up the gain, but if too high, interference from
other sonar systems can make it impossible to fish.
Remember the golden rule for Gain Control: turn the gain down until
the bait appears as a weak signal. If the gain is at minimum, but the bait
is still a medium or strong signal, switch to LP Mode.


NOTE: The unit must be in a manual range setting to use the Low
Power mode. The Digital Depth reading, Auto Ranging and Auto
Zoom features will not work reliably while in Low Power mode.