IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: livvy on Feb 10, 2021, 03:08 PM
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i need YOUR input please! im currently a design student looking at solutions for improving the current tip-ups for ice fishing on the market. do you have any problems you face with current tip-ups and anything you would want to see in a design of a new one? i appreciate your feedback and input :)
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I made my own automatic fisherman. Its the design I like the most and sets the hook very hard. You Tube has pretty good videos on tip ups.
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Tough to improve, I would look into signaling systems with light and sound for night fishing. Ones that can be retrofitted on old tip-ups even better for not a lot of money. If you really want a "reach" something that keeps the hole from freezing... Good luck and make sure you show us what you come up with.
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an accurate way for tripping tension so it could be set for panfish or bigger fish
the insulated hole covering type keeps holes from freezing
a way to reel fish in once on the line
a way to set accurate depths
compact for easy storage and carrying
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easily interchanged spools for targeting different species,
integrated bells on flag, sometimes it's easier to hear it go off rather than see it
lighter material as sturdy as wood that won't freeze to ice
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I agree with Stripernut . I have seen many attempts at remote signals but nothing dependable affordable retrofitable , for a stretch notify via iPhone wifi range .
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i need YOUR input please! im currently a design student looking at solutions for improving the current tip-ups for ice fishing on the market. do you have any problems you face with current tip-ups and anything you would want to see in a design of a new one? i appreciate your feedback and input :)
Do you ice fish?
Have you ever used a tip up?
Do you know how a tip up works?
Do you know how many different styles there are?
Do these guys get royalties for there suggestions after you design the perfect tip up? ;D ;D ;D ;) ;)
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I wouldn't mind helping but the other guys have already touched on a lot of desirable characteristics. Honestly I hang around here to avoid "ASAP!". Get plenty of that all day at work. Good luck though.
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I agree with Stripernut . I have seen many attempts at remote signals but nothing dependable affordable retrofitable , for a stretch notify via iPhone wifi range .
I hear good things about vulture systems..that tech built into a tip up would be in my line up if the price was reasonable
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i need YOUR input please! im currently a design student looking at solutions for improving the current tip-ups for ice fishing on the market. do you have any problems you face with current tip-ups and anything you would want to see in a design of a new one? i appreciate your feedback and input :)
What ever happened to doing research..buy a bunch of traps and spend time analyzing them.. maybe then you'll figure out what many of us already know and have done to improve them.. good luck in your studies.
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I hear good things about vulture systems..that tech built into a tip up would be in my line up if the price was reasonable
Vulture systems are the best out there, I use them and have reported on field trials I have done for a distributor
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I would start , as a base line , the HT polar tip. Infinitely adjustable trip, very light , easily packable & bulletproof.
A lighted trip flag for night fishing, a strong telescopic flag for deep snow & some type of hole cover for very cold conditions. Tough part is it must be very light , small & packable, & always work easily in any conditions.
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I agree with Stripernut . I have seen many attempts at remote signals but nothing dependable affordable retrofitable , for a stretch notify via iPhone wifi range .
years ago when i drank heavily and never paid attention to my tipups i bought strike sensors.the key clipped to the flag and a little box that the other side key went in with a light on it.came with a pager letting me know i had a flag.worked 100 yards away.i sold them when i quit drinking and watch my tipups like a hawk now.
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im with burr on the pvc "steelie slammer" type.
the old polars did fine today though.
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What ever happened to doing research..buy a bunch of traps and spend time analyzing them.. maybe then you'll figure out what many of us already know and have done to improve them.. good luck in your studies.
That would require getting out of the chair once you've ordered the tipups online and had them delivered to your door. Instead he should set up a Zoom meeting with some fishing tackle reps who could give him their spiels and then he could tinker with the designs virtually of course. Once he has solved all the issues he can whip up a prototype on a 3d printer and present it to the professor. No sense wasting time by actually ice fishing at any point.
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For us trout fishermen , how about a better/ replaceable spool "bearin" surface so they dont chatter or squeak??? TY and good luck....O.P.oi
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hey if i wana know about electric in my home i call my cuz the electrician. he is just asking the ones in the know!
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I knew as soon as I read the post there would be those that criticized the student for asking, I have seen it a few times on the fishing boards over the years. I was happy to try and help a student/anyone that is looking for info, and we don't know what this student has already done for work on this project. I could easily see him having done all the "suggestions" and still needing to "survey" anglers for more or supportive suggestions... He could be a hardcore ice angler that has already done a lot of work and at the last minute, his professor asked him for a larger sample pool... We don't know. He could even be a Chinese Tackle Jobber looking for new ideas to market. None of us know. These days it is easy to be cynical, but I am willing to take the request, at face value and try and help someone asking a simple question. Maybe next year there will be on the selves a reasonably priced Tip-up that solves all the suggestions we had (doubt it), but you never know...
One more thing to look at in the not so far-fetched category; a tip-up with an aluminum shaft sealed w/ rechargeable batteries (threaded end with Gasset), light on top with the flag, maybe a warmer for the hole, and Bluetooth to tell you when you have a bite. Also, have a light blink for each time the spool rotates (running flag). All possible, but you have to do it for a reasonable price as ice anglers (me included) can be a cheap bunch!
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I knew as soon as I read the post there would be those that criticized the student for asking, I have seen it a few times on the fishing boards over the years. I was happy to try and help a student/anyone that is looking for info, and we don't know what this student has already done for work on this project. I could easily see him having done all the "suggestions" and still needing to "survey" anglers for more or supportive suggestions... He could be a hardcore ice angler that has already done a lot of work and at the last minute, his professor asked him for a larger sample pool... We don't know. He could even be a Chinese Tackle Jobber looking for new ideas to market. None of us know. These days it is easy to be cynical, but I am willing to take the request, at face value and try and help someone asking a simple question. Maybe next year there will be on the selves a reasonably priced Tip-up that solves all the suggestions we had (doubt it), but you never know...
One more thing to look at in the not so far-fetched category; a tip-up with an aluminum shaft sealed w/ rechargeable batteries (threaded end with Gasset), light on top with the flag, maybe a warmer for the hole, and Bluetooth to tell you when you have a bite. Also, have a light blink for each time the spool rotates (running flag). All possible, but you have to do it for a reasonable price as ice anglers (me included) can be a cheap bunch!
Alan, has there been anything that you have purchased for ice fishing lately that you did not have to tinker with to get it to work properly? I was fishing with a friend that purchased the new Mr. Heater Flex. Mind you that this company has virtually cornered the market for ice fishing heaters yet this new model had numerous design flaws that require tinkering or just accepting the flaws. Real world design is a thing of the past. It is about profit margins and gimmicks. My two cents.
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Alan, has there been anything that you have purchased for ice fishing lately that you did not have to tinker with to get it to work properly? I was fishing with a friend that purchased the new Mr. Heater Flex. Mind you that this company has virtually cornered the market for ice fishing heaters yet this new model had numerous design flaws that require tinkering or just accepting the flaws. Real world design is a thing of the past. It is about profit margins and gimmicks. My two cents.
I don't disagree with you with the quality of current consumer goods... Barely a day goes by without my lamenting about it... All the more reason to help someone/anyone that is looking to make a product better...
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Yes
Keep the water from freezing in the hole.
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Each Tip-Up will come with a 12 volt water pump that churns the water so it will keep from freezing up. It will be made of low resistance nylon polymer bushings and stay flexible and even in cold weather as to not crack or become brittle. Even the flags will be made of a carbon fiber cloth with high reflective fiber optics so when the trigger light comes on, it's will look all shiny techy. What's more is that those flags double as solar power silicate panels to keep the battery charged. Even the trigger light will switched to a stropping green flash to indicate "Fish On". The spools are all made of a special carbon fiber grade which makes them very lightweight and they will be treated to a special coating that's very hydrophobic and resists icing. Any kind of metal parts are titanium flex corrosion resistant for the next 500 yrs of use.
Most of all these tip up have SMART technology so they're kind of like a little AI when it comes to usage. - ah nvm maybe 50 some years in the future. ;D
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I want tip ups that wind up and store the hooks automatically at the end of the day. ;D The very worst part of ice fishing comes at the end of the day or night when it's bitter cold and time to pick up.
Some of these suggestions are certainly doable but I shudder to think about the cost. Keep the hole warm and open, lights that blink and remote flag up signals sent to your phone all sound pretty cool but at what cost? With the newest battery technology I can easily see a tip up shaft loaded with rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries that could be a game changer in the near future. As far as the mechanical properties go I would study the mechanisms of the top 4-5 tip ups out there now, Jack Trap, Heritage, 40 Up, Beaver Dam and some HT disc types come to mind.
YUP, Many ice fishers are frugal or even cheap but there is plenty of us willing to spend big bucks on the latest and greatest equipment. I just spent $150 on a Jawjacker with the electric base and as an older retired guy I have many thousands invested in my ice gear between motor transport, trailer, Auger, shanty, rods, tip ups, heater, suits and all the other stuff so a High Tech tip up would be right up my alley when it does appear. The very first thing any new design must incorporate is absolute attention to the extreme elements ice fishing presents to our gear. Anything that can't handle the abuse will not be worth the powder it would take to blow it to H&**.
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I really want a tip-up that can catch my fish. Fillet my fish. Cook my fish.
GET TO WORK!
:tipup:
But really. Simple is best. Why fix what isn't broken.
You can always add electronics, use improved materials, spray everything with hydrophobic chemicals. I would say not adding complexity or additional gear to haul around is best.
Heck when the tip-up goes off have it strike a match that lights a candle, that burns a rope to the shack, that triggers a spring, that dings a bell. Boom, bite notification.
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A number of years ago ,I was going to revolutionize the fishing industry with my new fish catching gadget.
It had bells and whistles all sorts of flashing lights ,light weight aerospace construction and a built in compass.
This thing was a marvel of ingenuity . As my new fangled fish catching contraption came to fruition , I brought my idea to
a panel of ice fishing experts ,my drinking buddys, at first they were skeptical . After a few trail and error seasons on the ice
it was found it to actually catch fish. then in a moment of clarity ," why don't you check with the patent office " .
well to make a short story longer I did, and there is where I would start as there are more ideas already thought up.
not to dash your dreams ,but to hope that helps
as the great Alfonse Shody said" if you dont know where to start ,go back to the beginning."
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I am not a Patent expert but you don't actually need a patent on a lot of things as long as you don't care to protect your invention. Patent Infringement might be something to investigate so you are not stealing someone else's "Exact Copied" ideas. A company would have to spend big bucks to take you to court for some BS infringement suit. I'd be willing to bet you could make a near exact copy of a Heritage Laker, 40 Up or Jack Trap tip up and call it a "Jim Trap" and probably have no big issue. We are not talking about multi million dollar gadgets here with world wide sales markets.
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My intentions were only to lead the horse to water, as the horse stated he was thirsty.
its not about infringements , there is a wealth on ideas.
some are good ,some flawed
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My intentions were only to lead the horse to water, as the horse stated he was thirsty.
its not about infringements , there is a wealth on ideas.
some are good ,some flawed
I totally agree but stand by my thoughts and would tell this fellow to have at it while making sure he is not involved in any sort of infringement or down right thievery of another's Patented inventions.
As an example, just because your new design has 3 sticks that form a cross or a spool with a trip mechanism does not make your design an infringement.
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The biggest need I had was to apply downrigger clips to my tip ups for big bait. I do not want a drag that the fish feels after the take. Plenty out there like that. Just adding a simple alligator clip with rubber covers works fine too. Just need something to hold the line a little until a fish takes it.
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"Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door"
or
"Build a better mouse trap and the mice will learn to avoid it like the plague"
Before investing $$ in an idea, invest time to see if your idea is just that...YOUR IDEA.
Not sure what option you have if you are IMPROVING on an existing idea, but that's what you would also want to look into.
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better hook setting. and maybe adjustable hook setting, for fishing different depths and targets.
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Making something more complicated is not necessarily an improvement. A tip up is a ridged structure,spool, line and signal device that works in a harsh environment. make it simpler than that and still functionable and you my friend have a winner!!
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There isn't a one size fits all tip-up out there, which is why there are so many different designs. You don't musky fish in open water with a panfish rod and vice versa. A rail style beaver dam tip up is what id consider the gold standard for a do all tip up.
A few things I think could be optimized:
-more adjustment in trip sensitivity that gets repeatable results.
-Reduce accidental wind trips.
-Better visual/audible cue for trips.
-Keeping the hole free of ice. Something like a small, quiet, built in aerator powered by a rechargeable battery would work great. If 6-8hrs of run time could be achieved, that would be adequate for most people.
-a bottle opener for my beer
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A better gasket / washer style gadget to keep water from capillary action from sucking up the bottom of the shaft. That’s why they freeze.
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The fishing rod style tip ups like finicky foolers and i-fish pro are where its at. Come up with something new and innovative in that avenue. Traditional tipups are hard to improve on.
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To all the haters out there giving this guy crap….I have been in his shoes before. I am a mechanical engineer and I can almost guarantee this guy is an ice fisherman and a part of his project is to utilize online threads. In my college projects, my professors would encourage or require me to reach out to the general public for ideas/opinions. He is using this forum as a focus group which is a great idea.
With that said, I really like the follow ideas:
• Body Improvements
o Lightweight
o High Temp Plastic
o Built in heating wires, similar to heating socks for hunting
o Collapsible for storage
Either sliding or folding
o Expandable shaft for deeper ice
Protects line from hitting edge of hole, causing drag
• Flag Improvements
o Expandable flag for deep snow
o Built in light with tilt switch and/or bells (gives you 3 options)
o Reflective flag material
Good luck on your project! PM me if you want to discuss anything else. I have a bad habit of inventing things (usually hunting or fishing related), making protypes that work, but then not following through on production/selling.
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To all the haters out there giving this guy crap….I have been in his shoes before. I am a mechanical engineer and I can almost guarantee this guy is an ice fisherman and a part of his project is to utilize online threads. In my college projects, my professors would encourage or require me to reach out to the general public for ideas/opinions. He is using this forum as a focus group which is a great idea.
With that said, I really like the follow ideas:
• Body Improvements
o Lightweight
o High Temp Plastic
o Built in heating wires, similar to heating socks for hunting
o Collapsible for storage
Either sliding or folding
o Expandable shaft for deeper ice
Protects line from hitting edge of hole, causing drag
• Flag Improvements
o Expandable flag for deep snow
o Built in light with tilt switch and/or bells (gives you 3 options)
o Reflective flag material
Good luck on your project! PM me if you want to discuss anything else. I have a bad habit of inventing things (usually hunting or fishing related), making protypes that work, but then not following through on production/selling.
She not he....
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She not he....
LMAO, ;D. OK, we are gender neutral here so go ahead and make it PINK if that floats her boat! My wife has directed me to invent her ideas of kitchen gadgets so I applaud Livvey for crossing over into what many think is a man's game. You Go Girl!
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built in hook treble hook holder
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What ever happened to doing research..buy a bunch of traps and spend time analyzing them.. maybe then you'll figure out what many of us already know and have done to improve them.. good luck in your studies.
How miserable do you have to be to post this? This is literally an important type of research. Reaching out to users to get more feedback. This is away to have access to more information and experience than one person can gather by themselves.
I feel bad for you.
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That would require getting out of the chair once you've ordered the tipups online and had them delivered to your door. Instead he should set up a Zoom meeting with some fishing tackle reps who could give him their spiels and then he could tinker with the designs virtually of course. Once he has solved all the issues he can whip up a prototype on a 3d printer and present it to the professor. No sense wasting time by actually ice fishing at any point.
yeah you kids get off my lawn!! Have you ever looked on this site for ideas??? Why don't you just solve it yourself?
Man so many hateful people on these posts. Feel bad for you man.
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yeah you kids get off my lawn!! Have you ever looked on this site for ideas??? Why don't you just solve it yourself?
Man so many hateful people on these posts. Feel bad for you man.
agree 100%! Getting worse too. Good luck Livvey, you make a better product, I’ll buy it in a heartbeat. Be very conscience of price though, the current ones work pretty good at a low price. There’s only so many that go up in that Beaver Dam price stratosphere.
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The fishing rod style tip ups like finicky foolers and i-fish pro are where its at. Come up with something new and innovative in that avenue. Traditional tipups are hard to improve on.
I agree with this. While I admire the desire to improve something, it has to be the RIGHT something. Sportsman are more than willing to try new products, if it is compelling enough to justify the purchase. I switched to the Finicky Fooler because they brought something innovative, (using a rod/reel with open bail) to the traditional tip up model. Then, they improved it by adding an optional hooksetter if you wanted it. Then, they diversified by adding other products, like their hole covers (which are also top notch) and based on shortcomings of other types. A natural curiosity helps, but that is only one element.
PS: not affiliated with Finicky Fooler in any way
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built in hook treble hook holder
x2 this!
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Before setting out on design, I would spend more time on the problem statement. A better tip up is not descriptive enough. There are Multiple unattended fishing solutions, and each is optimized differently.
As you can see below, there are a lot of issues with the current solutions, and if you look into them you will see they group into several categories. You can solve them all with enough complexity and money, but you will not have a viable product unless you provide increased value relative to the current products.
The biggest remaining problems I see with current offerings are:
Freezing up/filling with snow
Notification: Don't see/notice alarm
Fighting the fish: Handling is not the most fun/effective way to land the fish
Of course, even the lesser issues are an opportunity to improve, size, weight, cost, durability,...
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Maybe braided line will help.
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I have always loved my polar tipups the only issue that I have run into are the light biters, perch, just pulling enough to turn the tbar and not set the flag off so better design of the tbar and them sucking up water and freezing up and not turning at all, maybe a better grease out there that does not break down in water. I know that is not a better tip up design but another thing for ice fishing that we could all use on tip ups or fishing reels as snow gets in to the reels as well. Good luck.
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Tip up lube is a combination of lubricant and sealer, essentially grease and oil of some kind. Too much grease and it won’t allow water to suck in (capillary action) but it stiffens and won’t turn. Too much oil and it’ll spin freely till the water sucks in, freezes, expands, and it won’t turn. HT blu lube works best for me, Frabill doesn’t work at all. JMHO
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How miserable do you have to be to post this? This is literally an important type of research. Reaching out to users to get more feedback. This is away to have access to more information and experience than one person can gather by themselves.
I feel bad for you.
::) I don't think his post was nearly as miserable or as whiney as yours. God forbid someone share an opinion here.
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Make a tip up ....that when the flag goes up...you gets a horn sound on your phone.
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Easy, make the cross legs sit level, so theres no tilting when on bare ice. And lock them in a 90 degree.
Never been a fan of them wingnuts and trying to tighten them.
(https://i.postimg.cc/v1LY8t3G/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v1LY8t3G)
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Paul, Most made in this century do sit level. 😃
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Paul, Most made in this century do sit level. 😃
None of the cross stick ones like in Paul's picture do sit flat or at least I haven't seen any that do.
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thanks for all the feedback so far everyone!
this is just a quick design project for school -- so your user feedback has been really important and helpful, especially for me to understand problems other people have with the product. i appreciate all the help so far and i'll be sure to post some final 3D renders once the project is complete in the next couple weeks!
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Best of luck!
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None of the cross stick ones like in Paul's picture do sit flat or at least I haven't seen any that do.
I was just kidding him, you never see that style around here. I thought they were a thing of the past. Seems there are many choices better to me. No harm-no foul. Just light hearted ribbing.
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i need YOUR input please! im currently a design student looking at solutions for improving the current tip-ups for ice fishing on the market. do you have any problems you face with current tip-ups and anything you would want to see in a design of a new one? i appreciate your feedback and input :)
Wind FLAGS!!!! Black Majic Tip-Ups use a cam system. Been using them for the last 10+ years. Give at least one a try.
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Make a **quality** magnetic, tube style tip-up. Worth Co made some nice ones back in the 80s and 90s but have been long out of business. HT made some garbage ones in years past but currently, no one makes them.
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I want to see the poryogon design! ;)
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thanks for all the feedback so far everyone!
this is just a quick design project for school -- so your user feedback has been really important and helpful, especially for me to understand problems other people have with the product. i appreciate all the help so far and i'll be sure to post some final 3D renders once the project is complete in the next couple weeks!
You going to share your millions with all of us?? Good luck
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Need a robo tipup that walks its own self to the hole and sets itself up.
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Need a robo tipup that walks its own self to the hole and sets itself up.
Don't forget that it baits itself, sets the hook, reels in the fish, and then brings said fish to you.
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Don't forget that it baits itself, sets the hook, reels in the fish, and then brings said fish to you.
lol right, but it can walk to me and i will bait it i guess.
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Needs to be.
1.Insulated to keep holes from refreshing
2. Large enough to cover a 10in hole.
2. Better flag system
3. Better spool system
4. Better winding system for putting line back on.
5. Alarm system
6. Better hook storage/lure
7. Better line keeper system
Should be a list
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Been using blue tipz this year love the blue tooth alarm when a flag goes up after dark or know if someone is messing with the tip ups. Would be nice to have this included in the flag on the tip up and have easy change batteries that are water proof so I can remove them after each trip and on off button easily accessible.