are these things the cats meow
I have heard alot of great reports but I have also heard that people are having problems being able to pick up small jigs like a #12 in shallow water 15 ft and under. I’m set to pick up the 55 on Friday any info would be greatly appreciated
For what it is worth, MarCum is holding events where anglers can try units from the three manufacturers where it counts… out on the ice. Here’s the info. MarCum More Power Challenge Event
The first one is on December 20th.
Registered since May 9, 2006? And your first post is Dec 2 2008?
Now THAT is what I call self control!!! Welcome to the posting side!
Will it be a cage match?
BK in the this corner for Marcum, couldnt you picture him in wrestling tights 
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For what it is worth, MarCum is holding events where anglers can try units from the three manufacturers where it counts… out on the ice. Here’s the info. MarCum More Power Challenge Event
The first one is on December 20th.
No, I don’t think they’re meant to be high intensity events in any way.
Not that knocking BK around a cage would resemble anything approximating “high intensity.” 
These events are an opportunity to kick the tires on the various flashers out on the ice and see the strengths and weaknesses for yourself. Somebody can come online and tell me what they thought of flasher x and y. I want to see it for myself and that’s why I’m looking forward to the Dec. 20 event on White Bear. It is close to me and it will give me an excuse to get out on the ice around the metro.
I need to convince Koonce to head up this way with his brat cooker so we can eat like kings out there after doing the flasher demo. 
thanks luke. I’ve been lurking for a long time and decided it was finally time to get registered and post.
I have run the Ice 55. You will not disapointed. I have run Vex and Marcum units in the past and the Humminbrd Unit is the best ice flasher I have used.
Keep raiding the prize cookie stash and you definitly wont be sliding into tights 
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Save your receipt and check on the return policy….just in case.
…I wish I could get into tights….although you guys might not.
I will be picking up my 45 on Friday at Cabelas. I got an $85 coupon on $400 purchase in the mail along with my points will make it worth the trip. Will post how I like it later. RH
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…I wish I could get into tights….although you guys might not.
I know of a guy who has a Speedo you could borrow
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…I wish I could get into tights….although you guys might not.
I know of a guy who has a Speedo you could borrow
I thought we, IDO, agreed to not talk about that again 
A buddy just got his 55 in the mail and we went out to see how it compares to fl-18. We were not impressed at all as matter of fact he was going to return the machine. We were in 22 fow and it would not pick up jigs had to have gain way up then it picks up interference. Not a good buy in our eyes… vexilar or marcum still leading the pack
My buddy and I fished saturday and we both took turns fishing his Ice55. The flat screen is nice but the target separation and sensitivity is not good. We had a hard time seeing small jigs and when we could see them we had the gain settings nearly wide open. Like 22 out of 25 which is the max. What’s up with that? 
We thought maybe he got a bad unit and he was looking it getting a replacement but if yours was doing the same thing thats not good.
Pull the 2nd dummy cord off the transducer, this causes it to pull to the left or right. That is the reason you have to turn your gain up so high to see your jig, cause the transducer is not centered.
Humminbird had to put that 2nd cord onto the transducer, so that they did not infringe on Vexilar’s Patent. If you remove the 2nd cord that is just cliped on, it will level out your transducer and fix your problem.
There is also a possibility that there is an issue with the transducer, all flasher companies have this issue sometimes. Sometimes they grind the ceramics in the transducer down too much and it affects how much you need to turn up your gain. I actually had this problem on a brand new Marcum I purchased a couple months ago, I exchanged it for a diffrent unit and that fixed the problem.
More than likely you just need to take that dummy cord off the transducer, so that it can level itself out.
Since it’s not centered you have to turn your gain way up to see you jig, because it’s on the outside edge of the transducer cone.
So Thore,
I’m interested to hear your report. I was out doing some christmas shopping this weekend, and I must say those hummin’ birds kept catching my eye.
no problems here for the 55 love it
as far as not seeing your jigs on the flasher itself turn your gain way down first not up
and I didn’t use the level do hinky or the float
the true test is in Feb on Buntside when I fish for lakers thats when the bells and whistles should come in handy
The biggest key is make sure transducer is level for you to see your jig. If it is tilted in any way to the left or the right your jig may be out of the beam.
I don’t have to wait for Burntside anymore got on a school of crappies and they were kind enough to stick around and let me play with my 55 while they were underneath. The hb 55 performed well in every aspect. Even tried it with the float cable on as well as off (which I prefer)
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The biggest key is make sure transducer is level for you to see your jig. If it is tilted in any way to the left or the right your jig may be out of the beam.
My buddy kept his hb for another week and we fished with it again yesterday. Flat out this thing just does not work right. How are you supposed to know if the transducer is level? We threw out the support cable so that isn’t the issue. The transducer is hanging from the float in the middle of the hole so I just don;t see how thats the issue. His hb has a heck of a time seeing small jigs in deep water that my flahser sees no problem????
what is your gain set at I was in 26 feet of water with a shrimpo and waxworm and my gain was on 6
is your transducer plugged in all the way in back
I’m sure your transducer is level enough I don’t that’s the problem maybe it is the transducer itself
The connections are good as we’ve checked everything a hundred times. the gain way over 20 to see the jig at all and it would blink in and out like it was losing the jig which was a large diamond jig and a waxie. My flasher was set at 2 on my gain and I could see it no problem. My buddy just needs to take the thing back and get a different unit so he stops bitching about it cuz I’m sick of listening to it.
He needs to use the narrow beam in water over 10 feet with that Bird.
I agree with linedrive. If you are fishing in 10 feet or less you need to be using the wide beam. If you are fishing in 10 feet or deeper you need to be using the narrow beam.
Joby
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I agree with linedrive. If you are fishing in 10 feet or less you need to be using the wide beam. If you are fishing in 10 feet or deeper you need to be using the narrow beam.
Joby
Humminbird
Why is that? You’re not limited to the narrow beam in deep water on other units? I can see jigs just fine with my marcum in deep water on my lx3 which has a wide beam transducer. Wha tgives?
In deep water the width of the beam is wider the deeper it is, so when you see fish showing up on your flasher they may be on the outer edge of the transducer, if you use narrow beam it narrows the space to a smaller area right under your hole so when a fish shows up he’ll be a lot closer to your jig. I hope you can understand what I’m trying to say. 
Ed
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He needs to use the narrow beam in water over 10 feet with that Bird.
Is this what others have established as well?
I use the wide beam as much as possible
the narrow beam I use when I am on a sharp break – this enables me to get a true feel for the bottom for instance in deep water with a sharp break the end of each cone is reading different depths
other than that I try always to use the wide beam
Thore do you find it necessary to use the narrow beam in >10 fow?
not really in 10 feet of water there isn’t that much difference in the diameter of the cone (several feet of cicumfurance at best) but if I’m on a steep break in 10 foot of water then I will use the 9 degree
humminbird recommends using their 9 degree, in shallower water water in the manual, and I believe even on the box, and for the deeper waters they recommend the wider beam.
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