I have a vexilar FLX 28. I comes standard with the proveiw transducers. But people around complain about interference. I am wondering if a transducer with a smaller cone angle will help?
Actually the Pro-view has the narrowest primary coverage area of nine degrees with secondary of forty with the gain turned way up. Gain controls how much signal is displayed, not how much energy is produced. Try listening to a transducer pointed at you in the air, it does not get louder when the gain is turned up. If people are getting interference, they can turn their gain down, so less is displayed and also try pushing the IR button to get a "fishable screen". The people getting the interference can also try using the Pro-view, rather than the 12 or 19 degree iceducer which display sonar from a larger area. Remember that sonar is sound energy. When I'm perch fishing on Mendota in 60+ fow near others, you can bet that I have the Pro-view on to minimize receiving other's signals. When I am running two rods in 28 fow today, I will use the 12 degree for more coverage area to see both rigs. Any Vexilar transducer will work on any model Vexilar, they are all interchangeable from day one, which is useful to know as most people with a FLX-28 still have an earlier model with a wider degree iceducer.
OK UFC, that is one of my tricks to keep my line from getting wound up around the cord. I often have the transducer face only submerged, the body above the water suspended from the eye bolt (no float). This is my shallow water set-up.
It seems that when I am ice fishing on a rocky bar in about 30 fow with the nearest other person a quarter mile away, I am seeing my own interference. It shows up as stationary light marks on my FLX-28 with the Pro-view Iceducer under the ice. Sure, the gain is turned up a bit but I find this an interesting phenomenon which kind of makes sense, considering that sonar is sound based technology.
This is a great topic so I figured I'd resurrect it. Transducers for ice fishing. Here's an older video I shot with Tom Zenanko from Vexilar but the information is still very valid and might help a few people shed some light on things...