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USMarine1171
02-24-2007, 10:40 AM
I've heard that Vexilars can mark the depth through the ice. Anyone ever done this or heard of it? Can a Lowrance do this?



Ferris_StateHunter
02-24-2007, 10:48 AM
I have seen a vex do it... Pretty accurate too.. But the ice has to be clear ice... not cloudy or snow covered... With the variable ice conditions out there now, your better of drilling a hole and checking it through the hole
USMarine1171
02-24-2007, 11:10 AM
That stinks you need clear ice. That was half the reason I was thinking about getting one. Just to save my arms from 14" of ice with a hand auger.
Frantz
02-24-2007, 01:15 PM
Get a vex and a gas auger jarhead, you will not regret either!

Hahaha, I said jarhead.....

Semper Fi !
krt
02-24-2007, 02:18 PM
I doesn't have to be crystal clear. I've got readings through iffy ice. If I have problems in one spot, I can usually move a couple feet & get it to work there.
The vex isn't the only sonar that will do it, but you do need a little water on the ice for it to work. I sometimes carry a bottle of water with a little salt in it to keep it from freezing.
mpatmcg
02-24-2007, 02:21 PM
I doesn't have to be crystal clear. I've got readings through iffy ice. If I have problems in one spot, I can usually move a couple feet & get it to work there.
The vex isn't the only sonar that will do it, but you do need a little water on the ice for it to work. I sometimes carry a bottle of water with a little salt in it to keep it from freezing.

Good idea! Thanks!

Mike
Scout 2
02-24-2007, 04:11 PM
I have used mine to read thru not so clear ice and it works fine. I don't think you can get a real good reading if the ice has a slush layer or air bubbles in it.
jlcrss
02-24-2007, 05:55 PM
I usually pore a little from the minnow bucket and do it. It does work.
Fecus
02-24-2007, 08:54 PM
ome transducers can read through the hull
kcud rellik
02-24-2007, 09:16 PM
I have a Lowrance Fish Lo-K-Tor from the 60's that will shoot through the ice with a little water on the ice. The key is having the water though.
USMarine1171
02-24-2007, 11:20 PM
Thanks for the tips. They'll come in handy.
bentrod
02-25-2007, 09:02 AM
Lowrance 332 works fine, just need a little water on top of ice.
stampman
02-25-2007, 12:58 PM
If I'm searching for depths, I take a baggie full off water placing the transducer inside the bag. Just walk around and drop on the ice- work find for me.
sfw1960
02-25-2007, 01:22 PM
I used to carry a bottle of strong SALT water with me... works great - but I have a Lowrance (and we all know how lousy they are!) I use and I DO have a power auger.... BRAAAPPP!! BRAAAPPP!
I don't bring the salt water anymore...
:lol:

LMAO!! @ Frantz .........
:evilsmile
USMarine1171
02-25-2007, 01:43 PM
Get a vex and a gas auger jarhead, you will not regret either!

Hahaha, I said jarhead.....

Semper Fi !



Jarhead, I like the term, but the movie blew nuts...IMO

How are they gonna have that actor play a Marine in one movie, and then a F@G in "Brokeback Mountain" pisses me off. A movie about some homos with the name "Brokeback":lol: :lol:

Semper FI!!!
krt
02-25-2007, 02:28 PM
I used to carry a bottle of strong SALT water with me... works great - but I have a Lowrance (and we all know how lousy they are!) I use and I DO have a power auger.... BRAAAPPP!! BRAAAPPP!
I don't bring the salt water anymore...
:lol:

LMAO!! @ Frantz .........
:evilsmile

Don't worry, you're in good company now. I wanted a sonar for my canoe that I take camping & decided on your ice machine. I didn't want to have to mount it, & it also takes care of the power supply.

I guess that makes us kind...of....family now! :yikes:

I still don't think it will ever replace my Vex, though.:gaga:
Frantz
02-25-2007, 04:38 PM
I use my Vex on my baot when I tak it out, got a tansducer and mounted it ont he boat, works great, kind of a pain because of all the crap that boats churn up and bubbles, but still, once you get used to it it works well.
bucko12pt
02-25-2007, 08:15 PM
Watch the garage sales for a Polar Vision. That's all I use mine for. It's the size of a flashlight.
sfw1960
02-25-2007, 08:24 PM
Don't worry, you're in good company now. I wanted a sonar for my canoe that I take camping & decided on your ice machine. I didn't want to have to mount it, & it also takes care of the power supply.

I guess that makes us kind...of....family now! :yikes:

I still don't think it will ever replace my Vex, though.:gaga:
Admission of DENIAL is the first step....
LOL!
The Vex is a scHwEET! machine (for a flasher) but I want sooo much more out of my junk...LOL...... I do like my history... did I mention there's NO LAG (of course you KNOW that now!)??
:lol:
kcud rellik
02-25-2007, 09:50 PM
Orderin myself an ice machine tomorrow! You can download an emulator from the lowrance website. Thats what convinced me I had to have it! As for the hand held depth finders... $100 seems like a lot just to know the depth but, if you find one at a garage sale or e-bay for a good price it might be worth it.
kcarlson
02-25-2007, 10:08 PM
hand auger about an inch of ice fill that with water and you can get a reading through any ice condition,when you run out of water you have to go all the way threw to get more water. (sure am glad my fishing partner bought a power auger.)
krt
02-25-2007, 10:30 PM
You can download an emulator from the lowrance website. Thats what convinced me I had to have it!

What's that?
FiberOptic
02-25-2007, 11:41 PM
The emulator basically "imitates" the unit as if you were actually standing in front of it in the store pushing the buttons.

In order to download an emulator, goto the Lowrance website, select a unit out of their product page, and under the unit details, there is an option to download the product emulator.

I've been looking at possibly upgrading to the Lowrance 334c IGPS Ice Machine, but it seems that noone carries the offical brand of Lowrance at any of the main retailers. I was in Detroit this passed weekend and went to both Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops and they did not carry the 334C IGPS Ice Machine. I did happen to ask the salesman at Cabela's about the X67c Ice Machine for a friend that was interested in one, and he told me that Lowrance already discontinued this model. Thought that was kind of odd they already phased out a budget Ice Machine.

But anyways, the emulator gives you the ability to basically check the entire machine physics. Pretty fun to play with.
sfw1960
02-26-2007, 07:17 AM
What's that?
Go get one - it's the software version of a virtual machine you can run on your PC does basically everything the "real" machine does and helped me decide on the LMS332c over the '337DF - like a flight SIM for Sonar & GPS!
:lol:
I know there's quite a few different models you can "play" with... really COOL.
:coolgleam