Garmin Panoptix Livescope – for Ice Fishing!

Hi,

Any updates on how your unit is running with the M18 12ah battery? Planning to do the same setup.

Thanks!
Sid

For those of you that have actual experience with this on the ice, is it a pain carrying all that equipment with you, and having that giant transducer down the hole?

Honestly curious.

mahtofire14 wrote:

For those of you that have actual experience with this on the ice, is it a pain carrying all that equipment with you, and having that giant transducer down the hole?

Honestly curious.

I don’t have livescope, but I do have an Echomap Plus 93sv with the regular panoptix ps22 ducer and ice ducer. I am running it in a clam flasher bag with a base I made myself. I’ve unfortunately only gotten out with it once this year, but no, I didn’t find the pole and ps22 ducer to be a pain. The additional information was well worth it IMO.

Sid Thaoliza wrote:

Hi,

Any updates on how your unit is running with the M18 12ah battery? Planning to do the same setup.

Thanks!
Sid

Sid,

Things have gone perfect so far, but in truth, I have not run it much as I mostly ice fish for Lake Trout and that season doesn’t open until the first of the year. I know others are using the same approach without any reported problems. I also installed a 4 amp fuse on the main line coming from the battery connector.

There are a few people who are using a small adapter to bring the 18V down to 12v and even use this battery for other flashers! I am not doing this (the adapter is actually unnecessary for the Livescope) but it is an option.

– 5 amp output (but you adjust)

– 4 amp fixed output

In any case, I have the same M18 battery running both my drill and fish finder (so I have redundancy) and more power. The Milwaukee M18 12 AH battery is only 1/2 pound more than the 10 AH Dakota 12v lithium which is half the weight of a lead acid.

In terms of power per pound/size, the Milwaukee M18 crushes all competitors, almost double the power at close to the same weight and size.

12AH x 18 volts = 216 watt hours of power
10AH x 12 volts = 120 watt hours of power

Weight:
– The Milwaukee weighs 3.35 pounds (3 pounds 6 oz)
– The Dakota weighs 2.88 pounds (2 pounds 14 oz)
– 10AH lead acid is 6.6 pounds (6 pounds 10 oz)

Dimensions: HxWxL
– Milwaukee 3.89 x 3.38 x 5.99
– Dakota 3.74 x 2.55 x 5.94
– Lead 4.38 x 2.54 x 5.95

Thanks for the detailed information. I called Garmin and the guy said the unit and livescope is actually ok with an 18volt battery as it has some kind of built in regulator?

Do you have the overall weight of the setup? The livescope module feels pretty hefty!

Milwaukee 18 V 12 AH battery– 199
LifePo 4 12 V 20AH battery — 129

Am I missing something ? Not being critical just wondering.

papaperch wrote:

Milwaukee 18 V 12 AH battery– 199
LifePo 4 12 V 20AH battery — 129

Am I missing something ? Not being critical just wondering.

There are 3 things you are missing.

1. At the prices you quote the M18 still delivers more watt hours per dollar.
2. You can buy the M18 12AH battery for about $120 on eBay.
3. MANY people already have the Milwaukee battery to power their drills in their augers and other equipment in their shop or garage.

Sid Thaoliza wrote:

Thanks for the detailed information. I called Garmin and the guy said the unit and livescope is actually ok with an 18volt battery as it has some kind of built in regulator?

Do you have the overall weight of the setup? The livescope module feels pretty hefty!

My kit is now 300 miles north waiting for Lake Trout season to open. I never put it on the scale. It is too large to fit in a bucket, but not too terribly heavy to worry about carrying it. The M18 system takes half the weight of the lead acid battery out of the mix.

Cool. Waiting on the ice bundle kit for the soft case and ice ducer then I’ll be putting it all together! Can’t wait.

My livescope kit arrived yesterday.. I have the 73cv ice bundle, is there a place I can get a larger carrying case?

I have seen several guys who use a Clam Bag, which is in blue Clam colors. Otherwise there are lots of DIY with varying levels of finish and ingenuity.

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Scott wrote:

My livescope kit arrived yesterday.. I have the 73cv ice bundle, is there a place I can get a larger carrying case?

You can fit it all in there. Join the “Garmin Panoptix Ice Fishing” ice fishing group on Facebook; there’s a post there that details how to do it all.

Looking into a panoptix setup. I’m not too familiar with Garmin, do i have this right in that I could buy a 93sv echomap plus, without a transducer, for $850, and buy the Livescope blackbox/ducer for roughly $1500? Or is the ducer that comes with the plotter required? And then obviously would need a shuttle and the pole setup for an ice fishing rig.

Not sure if Gpsstore.com still has it but you can buy the 93sv plus with regular transducer (sideview, clearview) for $599.99. You’ll have to buy Livescope separately for $1500.

bbuchho90 wrote:

Looking into a panoptix setup. I’m not too familiar with Garmin, do i have this right in that I could buy a 93sv echomap plus, without a transducer, for $850, and buy the Livescope blackbox/ducer for roughly $1500? Or is the ducer that comes with the plotter required? And then obviously would need a shuttle and the pole setup for an <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing rig.

You don’t need the ducer, but if you check Cabela’s or Bass Pro in-store you may be able to find a 93sv with the ducer for $600. They were selling them at that price for the last few weeks. They might even be able to get you one if you call Cabela’s 800 number. The item number is FF – 027372.

Waiting for some videos and updates. Not much out there. It’s starting to make a guy think that it’s not worth the $$$$. I think the most useful thing about this new tech is narrowing your search, and yet nobody has a video of that. Spending 2000 plus to see a 3d image bite your hook or just swim buy doesn’t make sense.
Anybody watch a video that would make you she’ll out the cash?

go find Aaron Weibe’s Uncut Angling Panoptix video, he shows how you use side view to find the fish, then downview to focus on them…

I think the tech is great, but its in its infancy thus it requires a separate box, extra battery, etc…In a year or two this tech will be rolled into an affordable single head unit and the accuracy/resolution will be MUCH better and the transducer won’t be so cumbersome…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

go find Aaron Weibe’s Uncut Angling Panoptix video, he shows how you use side view to find the fish, then downview to focus on them…

Are you referring to the one where they vertically jigged for muskies? That was an amazing video. He really does a good job with his work and explains how to rig it on your boat for best results. Even though it was open water, no reason everything he showed wouldn’t translate to the ice.

no, the one where he explains Panoptix, which is basically what Livescope does except Livescope has much better resolution…

That is sweet!

Here is the video I was referring to.

I’ve seen all these vids. Where is a video showing the guys out searching for fish. Drill a hole, put down ducer, spin, either no fish for 200 feet, or “look, there’s a school 87′ that way!” Then go catch them. Muskies cool, but did the livescope make those fish that much more catchable then any other sonar? I’m just saying, where’s the video that “reels” you in. Uncuts original video is by far the best, but that was last winter with the original panoptix. I’m not bashing the tech, I’m just waiting for the new feedback.
Also waiting for Gunflint to tell us how his battery mod works.

Pailofperch wrote:

Muskies cool, but did the livescope make those fish that much more catchable then any other sonar?

If you are expecting a sonar to make fish more catchable I think you would have better luck just using dynamite.
I just watched a fishing show on TV that they did exactly what you are talking about. Drilled a hole, put down the Panoptix, fish were x # of feet one direction, moved that direction drilled a hole…
It was a show with Wade Middleton. They were ice fishing in MN somewhere. The only videos I see loaded on YouTube are just short snippets and don’t show the piece I am talking about.

Great video, but trim the stash

$2,500 for the current pieced together 9″ Livescope setups is just too much, I’ll wait for the technology to mature a bit when I can buy it all in a single head unit, with a single battery in a nice protective bag setup…

Cheaper but only for the 8 series..

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CaptainMusky wrote:

If you are expecting a sonar to make fish more catchable I think you would have better luck just using dynamite.

Haha. I was just purely saying that Imho, watching those muskies bite was cool, but not worth 2g plus, or what the unit is capable of. IF I were actually buying one, it would be for the search and destroy factor. I did see something like this on a video by a South Dakota guide 2 years ago. It was the 1st time I or my friends had seen the Panoptix. Prairie Outfitters or something. Unit was in a snowbear, and they watched the auger punch through and told the drill man which way to head for fish.
I’ll see if I can find the show you spoke of. I have a cousin who wants to buy one, that I could borrow. So, he’s always asking me what I’ve heard…..

buddah6 wrote:

Cheaper but only for the 8 series..

The 8 series head units start at $2,500…start! It’s also a weaker ducer

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>buddah6 wrote:</div>

Cheaper but only for the 8 series..

The 8 series head units start at $2,500…start! It’s also a weaker ducer

Only a 30° cone vs the 120° of Livescope.

Pailofperch wrote:

Haha. I was just purely saying that Imho, watching those <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>muskies bite was cool, but not worth 2g plus, or what the unit is capable of.

I get it. When livescope came out last year it was right before my annual trip to Canada fishing LOW. I was talking with my buddies after several barley pops and they thought it was “cheating” to have stuff like this.
To me, its just a tool. It doesn’t make you catch more fish, but as you elude to, it could certainly help you shorten the amount of time it takes to find fish or see how fish are reacting to your bait/presentation.
Is it worth the price tag? Really what is worth what it costs these days? Trucks are insanely overpriced, everything is considerably more expensive than it used to be. Everything is just a tool and I like a full toolbox. LOL