Flasher question.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

I've researched flashers on my own and have a question for the experts.

I understand that the higher end flashers have more power allowing for fishing deeper water with a crisper view. How deep of water would you need to fish to have this show a real difference between a Vex FL8se & a FL18. or a Marcum Vx-1 to LX3tc? If a guy fished 30 foot depths or less 99.9% of the time is there much reason to have a high end flasher?

Right now after looking at everything, I'm thinking the Marcum Vx1 pro is the best unit for the money, I'd like to buy the Vex Fl8se, but since it doesn't have the zoom and the Marcum vx1 does I'm thinking the Vx1 is the better unit.

[Skipper]

Fl-8 is a good work horse unit with unfailing reliability. I have one, and I cant say anything bad about it unless I compare it to higher power units.

When I compare it to the LX-3 and VX-1 pro that my best fishing buddies use, I notice that their marks are much clearer and don't clump together like they do with my FL-8. They don't loose their jigs in the clumps and globs like I do. They can mark bottom hugging fish, I cant see them at all or I get a throbbing bottom mark.

It does not matter how deep the water is, the higher powered Marcums have a clearer, crisper display and are better at separating marks instead of clumping them together.

I hope to put an LX-5 in my sled soon, but my vex does me fine until then.

[Drifter_016]

As stated above power not only allows deeper penetration of the signal but more importantly gives you better target separation. You will be able to see fish tight to bottom or structure and see your jig much better.

[DanAKAL]

About the most I fish is 35 - 40 feet of water.  For this range I can't say enough about my VX-1.  I'm not sure how it would compare to a VX-3 or a Vex of any number but for what I do in my fishing range of 10 - 40 feet the VX-1 gets the job done very, very well.

Dan

[Norman Schrader]

If you are fishing in 30 ft of water or less, the power of the lower end units should be fine.  Target seperation ( the ability to differentiate between 2 targets or a target and the bottom) is more a factor of the resolution of the display, the frequency of the unit, and the length of the transmitted signal.  You need enough power to give a strong enough signal to see the target.  After that the other factors come in to play. 

The resolution can be improved by using a zoom feature.  As an example, If you had a display that had 100 pixels or individual points that it could display and were in 100 ft of water each pixel would equal 1 ft.  You couldn't get any better resolution than that. If you zoomed in to a 10 ft segment of that depth whole display, now each pixel is 1.2 inches.
The frequency comes in to play due to the wavelength of the signal  lower frequency (ie: 50 khz) have much longer wavelengths and therefore less target seperation.  Your average flasher are all around 200 khz so you won't notice  much difference in makes or models with this.

The length of the pulse transmitted is usually noticed when using a noise suppressing feature.  As you turn up the noise suppression the amount of time the unit is transmitting is longer and will cause close targets to blend together.

I hope I didn't get too technical for you.  I used to be a sonar technician and was an authorized service center for a number of the manufacturers for years.

Good luck.

Norm

[sled-in]

I think the lower end units are all good down too(?) 150', if I was fishing deeper then a 100' regularly I would step up my flasher, but I don't so I have an fl8.

[bigpileofcrappie]

A LX3 will work just fine! Great value and internals.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

If you are fishing in 30 ft of water or less, the power of the lower end units should be fine.  Target seperation ( the ability to differentiate between 2 targets or a target and the bottom) is more a factor of the resolution of the display, the frequency of the unit, and the length of the transmitted signal.  You need enough power to give a strong enough signal to see the target.  After that the other factors come in to play. 

The resolution can be improved by using a zoom feature.  As an example, If you had a display that had 100 pixels or individual points that it could display and were in 100 ft of water each pixel would equal 1 ft.  You couldn't get any better resolution than that. If you zoomed in to a 10 ft segment of that depth whole display, now each pixel is 1.2 inches.
The frequency comes in to play due to the wavelength of the signal  lower frequency (ie: 50 khz) have much longer wavelengths and therefore less target seperation.  Your average flasher are all around 200 khz so you won't notice  much difference in makes or models with this.

The length of the pulse transmitted is usually noticed when using a noise suppressing feature.  As you turn up the noise suppression the amount of time the unit is transmitting is longer and will cause close targets to blend together.

I hope I didn't get too technical for you.  I used to be a sonar technician and was an authorized service center for a number of the manufacturers for years.

Good luck.

Norm

Great Post Norm, this is what I was wanting to know. Just a question, but what would u purchase for a flasher to use for Ice fishing.

[Norman Schrader]

I would probably go with your 1st choice - the VX1.  The zoom feature will help you with the target seperation and clarity that you mentioned were important to you in your 1st post.  The general rule of thumb is to buy the best you can afford.  But, you can also waste money by buying way more than you need.  I live on a lake that is only 30 ft deep max.  I have been doing just fine with a 25 year old Eagle SS1.
Good luck, have fun and catch lots of fish this year.
Norm

[jkoegel]

I've been looking for a sonar unit to serve double duty, year round use.
I just placed my order for the Lowrance x135. Powerful unit, a 20 deg. cone and it has a flasher mode.
Normally a $400 unit. The x96 is only $200 bucks but not a powerful for deep water.
Cabelas is selling the x135 right now for $219, clearance price.