# New Hummingbird Graphs



## ringneckhnter (Nov 27, 2006)

Has any one heard about or used those brand new hummingbird flashers with the digital screen in them? i have been researching them for a couple weeks now just wanted to know what other people have heard and your opinons...


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## cast&amp;blast (Aug 30, 2006)

I am guessing you are talking about the flashers - and they are sweet. Only proto-types have been used so far, as this is their first year available, so I doubt there will be much on-ice experience. I can tell you that I have played around with one in the store, and I was impressed. Seems like they are well built and easy to operate. My prediction is the old debate of vex vs. Marcum just added another category. We'll see very soon!


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## gillgetter (Nov 28, 2007)

They are pretty sweet. We've had them at scheels for a few weeks now. Even the Ice-35(the low end one with no lcd screen) has zoom and dual beam transducer. Brian "Bro" Brohsdahl was in a week ago pitching his new line of ice lures, and he said he'd fished with a prototype last winter, called vexilar and said he was done with them. He's been with vex for something like 12yrs. In my opinion, they have the potential to dominate the winter scene. Time will tell. I know i'll be on the ice with an Ice-55.


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## Flight Cancelled (Oct 8, 2008)

from what ive heard from Bro is that he used one all ice season last year and he put it through hell and back and he was soo impressed he switched...from what ive seen the only bad things about the digital depth read out is that when it gets cold it could crack but Bro said he hasnt heard of any of the prototypes having that problem


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## ringneckhnter (Nov 27, 2006)

yeah I mean the graphs which means the same as a flasher, it graphs fish. don't act like you didn't know what i meant, and that you're so ice fishing savy (cast&blast)! I've been to scheels a couple times lookin at them too, i talked to an employee that's a friend of mine before and after the humminbird rep came, and he gave me a crash course. i have been running a vex for about 4 years and the biggest thing for me is getting away from the name "vexilar" which is a bad habit but i just tend to trust them they have the tradition! but i think i'm gonna venture off out of my comfort zone . what do you guys think of the differences btwn the ice-45 and the ice-55? is the target feature and 6 color scheme worth the 100 bucks? personally i think the 6 color is a little over-kill but thats just my opinion, i'm leading more toward the 45.


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## gillgetter (Nov 28, 2007)

The 55 also comes with a soft case.


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## ringneckhnter (Nov 27, 2006)

True but you can get the soft case for the price of shipping and handling which is only $8 through a promotion that scheels has, i don't know if anyone else is running the same promotion?


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## cast&amp;blast (Aug 30, 2006)

Wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Hummingbird makes sonar units used mostly on boats during open-water fishing, and they now make sonar units that are the spinning dial type that are used mostly for ice fishing. A lot of people refer to the first type as graphs and the second type as flashers. Since some people use the first type (graphs) for ice fishing AND open water fishing, I thought I'd try to make the distinction. It is conceivable that there is a new type of Hummingbird sonar that is the scrolling type used primarily for open water boat fishing -but could also be used for ice fishing.
I maybe should have said - "if you are talking about the kind that are used primarily for open water fishing and are commonly referred to as graphs, I honestly don't know anything about them. But if you are talking about the spinning dial type that are commonly called flashers...." - but that does seem like a lot of words. 
Ironically - I have spent alot more time trying to explain what I meant in my first post than actually writing my first post, which was really not helpful to begin with.


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

i will stick to my fl-8. its been good to me


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

Nothing wrong with the 8, but I would at least upgrade to the 18 to get the zoom feature. With the 8 you can be a foot off the bottom and it just looks like a sliver on the readout between the bottom signal and your lure. On the 18 or 20 I can move my lure a couple inches and see the difference. When you're vertically jigging a couple inches can matter, and you just cannot see that on the 8.

That being said...if I didn't have a 20 already I would seriously consider checking out the Humminbird 55. I hope one of my rich friends gets one so I can play with it. I'm interested to see if there is any interference problems with the Vex.


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## Goosepride (Sep 29, 2003)

So far I've heard interference can be a real problem with the hummingbird...They do look good though in the store. I will stick with the 18 though as it does a nice job for what I want to do.

All are good units...I will certainly never fish blind again, I can tell you that much.


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## ringneckhnter (Nov 27, 2006)

A Humminbird rep., said that they have 10 interference settings, and because vexilar keeps they're interference settings a secret, so you may be on setting one with the vex and on setting 10 with the Humminbird. they haven't had any problems with the interference with a vex though, they said with the right setting they work fine.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

Interference with the Vex would not be a good thing so hopefully they are right. I know if you came into our permanent with another sonar and it causes our 3 Vexilars trouble, guess which one is turning theirs off? :lol:


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## ringneckhnter (Nov 27, 2006)

oh i agree with ya there on that one! i just put one on layaway and before i get rid of my vex i'm gonna try them together and see how they work. its returnable if need be and i can always go back to the original


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## SilentStalker (Oct 17, 2008)

I've played with the 55 in Cabelas a few times and it seems like a real nice unit - about the only thing it's missing that I would really miss and the only reason I'm not switching is that it doesn't have the fine line technology... I'm using an LX-5 now and I really enjoy that feature!


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## duckslayer (Oct 30, 2003)

Have demo'd the 55 this year. I'll stick to the vexilars. With all the hype about it, I was excited to try it out but I'll keep the vex. Good unit, well built, very quiet, good case, option of color/sensitivity, option of cone angle, but I'd still rather use the vex. Seemed like the zoom on actual fish was pretty weak signal compared to the lure, even on both cone angles. I like the fact that the vexilar zoom is on the opposite screen allowing you to see the whole dial with two different views. My two cents.


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## cast&amp;blast (Aug 30, 2006)

For anyone who bought or is going to buy a 45 or 55: These units have a "support" cable and a normal cable that run to the ducer. The only reason they include the support cable is to get around a patent infringement suit with the other flasher companies - that's it - it really is not functionally needed. The problem is, the support cable can mess with the angle of ducer - not letting it sit level in the water. Most people are getting the best result by not using the support cable. One guy said he could barely see a #12 Ratso in 14 ft of water with the gain on 20! He got rid of the support cable and saw it perfect with gain on 6. I am not positive if the support cable is on BOTH the 45 and 55, but for sure it comes with the 45. Just though you guys who own one or are going to own one might want to know.


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## northdakotakid (May 12, 2004)

Stirring the pot ... but you can not beat the battery life, dependability and flexibility of the X68... granted we dance with the one we brung but I find it hard to defend Vexilar and how they HAD the market but lacked innovation to defend their market share.

But they all do catch fish, that is for sure.


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## drjongy (Oct 13, 2003)

northdakotakid said:


> Stirring the pot ... but I find it hard to defend Vexilar and how they HAD the market but lacked innovation to defend their market share.


They still have the market, no doubt about it, but competition is getting tougher for sure. Like I said in a previous post, however, I have been fishing for many years and have yet to fish with anyone not using a Vex.

As far as innovation they were the first with zoom, and they were first with the flat screen that Humminbird has now copied.


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