Very excited just ordered panoptix

[Iceicemike]

Got sick and tired of not finding fish in a 25 mile long fishing area. So I ordered the  93sv and 22-tr panoptix
Very very excited! That way I can use on boat too
 Going to fab up tripod and use extra battery for now. All goes good then I'll sell my hummingbird 1099hd si to recoupe some money

[tbern]

Very nice, keep us updated on how it works for you.

[RyanW]

[4ssss]

What makes you think the panoptix will find you fish if you can't find them with the 'Bird?  Just sayin'

[perch chacer]

Got sick and tired of not finding fish in a 25 mile long fishing area. So I ordered the  93sv and 22-tr panoptix
Very very excited! That way I can use on boat too
 Going to fab up tripod and use extra battery for now. All goes good then I'll sell my hummingbird 1099hd si to recoupe some money

Those are expensive.

[Houligan]

What makes you think the panoptix will find you fish if you can't find them with the 'Bird?  Just sayin'

  +1

[RStock521]

Panoptix is changing the game in fishing electronics.  Keep us posted on your setup!  I've been eying this as well, but probably won't bite until price comes down a little bit.

[hays47]

You have a right to be excited. Been using Panoptix on boat ever since it came out. The PS30 which is strictly down vu and later the PS 21 which I have mounted on trolling motor. That covers the forward vu. This technology transformed my little 16 foot Lund into a fish finding machine.

Impressed me so much I purchased another PS 21 just for ice fishing. Trust me you will find fish that you would not have found
using any other flasher or graph. Plus you will do it drilling a lot less holes.

Plus it is so easy to read. If it moves it is some kind of fish. Eliminates all the image translation and guess work.

Example of the difference it can make. Two years ago friend calls me has a hot bluegill bite. We get there and use the same holes he creamed them at day before. Bite is extremely slow and my Garmin 721 not showing much activity. I walk back to vehicle to get the PS21 as friend had assured me " we won't need that. " This is a dishpan 4 acre lake that is devoid of any structure. Set the PS21 up. Rotate it about halfway. See large school about 55 foot away.

Friend drills a hole. I actually see his auger come through on screen. He has over shot the main school. I wave him closer drills second hole. He is into them. I see him catch first fish on Panoptix screen. After that game on.

I really don't think these guys are trying to rain on your parade. They just don't know what Panoptix can do. Most of them are using units that have a " search " cone of 20 degrees. Which factors out to about 1/3 of the depth you are fishing. So in a 20' of water you would be seeing a six foot circle or so. With the Panoptix you can cover 100ft in each direction you point. Which factors out to a 200ft diameter coverage from one hole.

I have had guys actually tell me they can do same thing by holding their transducer at a 45 degree angle. The fact is no they can not. The Panoptix transducer is a phased array of transducers. Garmin is rather tight lipped about its actual construction.
All I know is it works and works great. ENJOY

[mcully]

$1799 for the ice bundle. WOW I'll wait a few minutes until we get more than 8 weeks of ice in CNY. Maybe for the boat though I can somewhat justify.

[trophytaker1]

I bought the Ice Helix 7 a couple of months ago but thinking of upgrading to the ice Panoptix.

[SLAYERFISH]

$1800 won't make up for poor fish hunting skills-  Be cheaper and smarter to hire a guide.

[Ice Surveyor]

If anyone in the Madison, WI area owns a panoptix, I want to be your friend!

IceMikeice, good luck with your new toy.  I will probably get one next ice season, as this one is wrapping up.  I love finding new spots, and this piece of equipment is made to do just that. 

[Seamonkey84]

Please keep up updated and maybe someone please do a full video review and demo. That technology may bring a whole new meaning to run and gun, maybe to search and destroy on the ice.
When Humminbird came out with the 360 I thought that would be the game changer, however they never came out with a portable ice unit.  But it’s an adaptation of the standard side scan units, so it has to scan back and forth to get and updated image, like the movies showing radar scrolling around the screen updating the location of the airplanes.
 The panoptix as I understand it, is like showing a live image of a cross section or birds eye view of the directions you point it, similar to the way a doctors ultrasound does. It’ll also show if there is structure or schools off to the sides and how far so there’s a lot less drilling involved, just like what I wanted the 360 for. But with the garmmin you’ll see the fish move back and forth, turn and circle just like you would if you had a camera a few yards away pointing towards your hole. Also no more “dead zone” reading like traditional sonars, it’ll show your the slope of the drop your fishing on, not just read the highest point the transducer cone hits as bottom. 

[Houligan]

I'm sorry I even posted this With stupid ass remarks!
Admin just delete whole thread

I run the bird on the boat. Didn't say I didn't find fish with it!
Wanted panoptix for ice fishing, this is a ice fishing forum.
I'm very excited with new unit either way.. so take your  dumb remarks else where.

I am happy for ANYONE who invests in the sport and the excitement of new gear that comes with it. I'm sure the panoptix will give you more confidence in your outings. So Congrats!

But dude, you really need to read your original post. It is funny. No need to get up tight. Have a sense of humor.

Cheers!

[DBV]

Congrats - excited to hear your review!  Looks like a game changer!!

[3300]

have fun with it!

i'm hoping garmin does well. we don't have enough high end manufacture choices in the digital world. i like garmin and have used their products for years. i still use their software on my smart phone for navigation on streets.
 i've spent that much on my lx9 with their lithium shuttle. their rt9 is 2100$

i would like to know and see how well it does being used on top of fish and compared to the some of the contenders would be even better. all i see about it is how it can look forward. we don't fish forward on ice. adding a distance to how far it can see fish would be great when it shows fish.

the ones who have them aren't sharing this info or i missed it if they have. so let us know how it does when you can.

i was able to check a demo in store, but it doesn't really let you know what you need to know about them. gamrin is holding back valuable info on them from us for some reason.

[hays47]

It shows direction and distance. Really it doesn't leave much to the imagination. Yes it looks forward ( the PS21 ) but it also tells you how deep the fish are when read on screen. The PS 22 looks down and forward depending on physical direction you set it.

The ONLY draw back is the expense. Some of that can be saved by buying used equipment. My present ice rig is a 92sv  Echomap Chirp model. I bought it used for about 1/2 what a brand new ones run at the time. Made my own ice package using a milk crate. Fabricated my own deployment stick instead of buying the Garmin one for 99.00. The pvc gizmo I made ran less that 10 bucks.

The Panoptix transducers themselves don't show up used very often. I think that is because once someone realizes what a huge advantage they are. No way do they want to part with it. I just sold my PS21 but only because I am upgrading to the PS22 for next year.

[missoulafish]

there are some youtube videos demonstrating capabilities if you guys are interested...

[Fontona19]

Panoptix is on a whole different level than everything else on the water right now. You will love it. I don't blame you for being excited. I've spent the last few weekends watching what a useful tool it is.

[DBV]

Wish it would go on sale and would buy one for ice fishing and then use it in the boat too. 

[FishDSc]

Here's a video showing ice fishing with Garmin Panoptix

[Light liner]

Just get a vex.

[kayl]

Just get a vex.

Truly spoken like someone who has no clue what they're talking about. Panoptix is a whole other level. Expensive? Sure, but the tech is amazing.

[missoulafish]

Wow.... really dude? 

[Seamonkey84]

I don’t have one, nor could I afford one, but the technology and application has me excited and looking into what it does has me drooling.
I can understand how people see it as just hype, but understanding what the difference is can be an issue without seeing it. I see it as having the sonar show you in a view like a underwater camera could but more distance and in any water clarity. Like instead your sonar cone pinging distance like a range finder, it’s shining like a flashlight showing not just where the shadows are, but their orientation and what they are doing, beneath you and off to the side out up to 100’.

[gorf37]

Congrats Iceicemike!  I just received my Echomap Chirp 95sv and can't wait to get it on the water.  Don't have panoptix, because I bought it for the bathymetry map-making more than anything.  We have big lakes and existing mapping is weak: usually 5m or 10m contours.  Can't wait to have maps of my favourite waters.  Panoptix can come when they get cheaper or I get silly.  I don't think it'll ever get regular use for ice fishing though, because I don't want to subject it to cold weather.

[Light liner]

Truly spoken like someone who has no clue what they're talking about. Panoptix is a whole other level. Expensive? Sure, but the tech is amazing.

It was sarcastic.
They look like they will change how you look for fish.
But wow that's a lot of coin.

[SLAYERFISH]

Haha- Jiggling Jawjackers and Panoctopusses. What next? SMH--

[eriksat1]

Why not spend the money on a cold water wet suit and scuba gear? Maybe hire a scuba diver to hook the fish for you so you can reel them in.

[SLAYERFISH]

Prolly cheaper!