Just saw that they came out with the FLX-30 BB which is basically the same as the FLX-28 but with more options on frequency. I saw it on Scheels’ website for $789. $789 for decade-old technology with no GPS, graph, or history. Too bad we aren’t seeing progress from anyone besides HB and Garmin. Is Vexilar the new Blackberry? I get that Marcum hasn’t really done much either (since the LX-7). Maybe Marcum is Blackberry and Vexilar is Nokia??
Vexilar has its niche and people will buy them as long as there is still ice fishing. They don’t have the bells and whistles the other brands have now, but they have reliability. They are bulletproof and will always show you an accurate picture and will always show you where the fish are. No software problems like the others tend to have. Simple, but always reliable.
I have owned most brands and currently use a Helix setup, but I still have my FL-18 as a backup and sometimes still use it over my Helix depending on what I’m doing.
That being said, no way I’m paying that much money for the new unit. The FL-28’s are a sweet unit though.
I’m a vexilar guy too, simple, I want to know the bottom, depth, and fish. Keep it simple in my book. I don’t want to spend the time looking at graphs, maps, side & down imaging, I just want to relax and maybe catch a few. As you can tell, I’m not a die hard, I just want simple & bullet proof.
The fl 18 is the best machine ever made lol. Mine is old and reliable. But I’d never buy a new one at the price they want for the 30 or even 28. Might as well go garmin 73 or helix and use it year round
10 yr old 2d sonar tech is good by me. Just got a new ice 35 last week for my 1 ice fishing trip/yr.
Still finding more fish on my first generation side imaging than most on the megas.
Chirp- turned off since day 1.
Industry always looking for a way to increase price. 
And yeah, will probably never buy an electric auger 
I am still running my FL18 and have no plans to upgrade, because I don’t feel the need. I grab the Lowrance from the boat for mapping if driving out, if not have Navioncs on the phone.
Agreed, too much coin for the new units. Like others have said, they have their fanbase. Bulletproof simple units.
Marcum is just trying to play catch up with Humminbird and Garmin at this point. I don’t see their new unit selling well this year either.
I remember when Marcum was all the craze here on IDO – Oh my how the mighty have fallen. I even jumped on the bandwagon and got a LX5 – Does anyone want a decent deal on it. Got a Vexilar 28 the first year it came out and still use my 18 as a backup and a spare for others. Don’t see myself getting away from Vexilar anytime soon. But I also dont see myself needing the New 30 anytime soon either. As far as will it become the new Blackberry – It came out long before the backberry and is still here today. Is backberry still even in business???
I remember when Marcum was all the craze here on IDO – Oh my how the mighty have fallen. I even jumped on the bandwagon and got a LX5 – Does anyone want a decent deal on it. Got a Vexilar 28 the first year it came out and still use my 18 as a backup and a spare for others. Don’t see myself getting away from Vexilar anytime soon. But I also dont see myself needing the New 30 anytime soon either. As far as will it become the new Blackberry – It came out long before the backberry and is still here today. Is backberry still even in business???
Check your mail
Vexilar is Nokia??
If only you could play Snake 2 on it.
I’m a vexilar guy too, simple, I want to know the bottom, depth, and fish. Keep it simple in my book. I don’t want to spend the time looking at graphs, maps, side & down imaging, I just want to relax and maybe catch a few. As you can tell, I’m not a die hard, I just want simple & bullet proof.
I’m right here with you in the same camp.
I think it’s fair to accept each of us has a wide ranging style in how they most enjoy ice fishing.
Many like to “run-n-gun” while other’s are just as content to relax with a couple lines in the water.
Since most my ice fishing is out of a sleeper house, so destination is predetermined. Obviously I don’t need GPS, side-imaging, or all the other “new” technologies.
I wouldn’t say I’m a “Vexilar guy”, but I’m still using an FL-8se I got some 20 plus years ago, before Marcum and the other followers began showing up in force.
That old FL-8 may seem way outdated but it still works fine and I’ve never been dissapointed in what I don’t see with it.
Perhaps Vexilar’s biggest problem is they last so long they have trouble selling new replacements. 
I love my fl-18, I have spare elite that I will use for hardwater next year but I have that for free.
Marcum is surely the Blackberry of fish finders…I was a one of the “lucky” test mules for the Blackberry storm and the screen literally FELL out of it when I pulled it from my pocket not even a week after I got it.
Vexilar is also surely the Nokia of fish finders. Can’t hardly break em’ and the batteries last forever…Just wish I could play snake on it…I had my 28 fall off my wheeler going at least 50 on glare ice. Tis’ just a scratch on the case…
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Nice to see the love for vexilar, I do agree they make a solid product – but yes they are they new blackberry. I think an increasing minority of people will be willing to drop $500+ on a flasher over a humminbird helix 7 that you can use in the summer and winter. The added features along with having my summer waypoints is awesome. My old lx-3 will be collecting dust unless I have issues with the helix or I need a back-up unit.
It is kinda sad really, I remember my first time using a flasher being a complete game changer. I just don’t see vex/marcum being able to compete for many more years.
Nokia is a behemoth in the cell phone biz. 
In fact you might want to buy some stock before Microsoft buys them up.
I’m a hardcore vex guy, you guys tinker, and I’ll fish. Nothing better on the ice.
Vex is like Zippo, tough as nails, reliable, backed by great service and works
I have the FL-8se with the original battery. Still kicking along and does what I ask of it. Must be 10 some years. Charge it the 1st of every month and after every use. Still tells me if half a sunflower seed shell fell into the hole and how fast it is flipping in the water.
I have the Flx-28 and an old Fl-8. I will never part with them. Always reliable and as someone mentioned earlier, they’re bulletproof. Doubtful I will upgrade those anytime soon for my main electronics. I purchased a Helix 5 last year for the boat and to mount on the atv for its gps option to carryover to ice fishing. More than likely I may add an ice ducer for it this year to utilize its options. I won a Lowrance hook 2 unit last year. Used it on some deadstick set ups and love the fact that I can see some history as to what’s going on below me.
But, with all that being said. The vex will remain my trusty hole hopping partner for a long time. If just for the fact that it feels like an old friend out there with me.
Can’t argue with the logic about the new unit. I have a 28 and don’t see me “upgrading” anytime soon. Flashers will always have a place in my book. I fished with a Garmin livescope last winter and while the guy i was fishing with tried to used it to catch fish i sat right beside him and caught 10 fish to his 3. Sold my 18 a month ago to buy a helix 5, If i like it i may go with the helix 7 next year, but i still don’t see myself getting rid of the 28.
I have had the Sitex,Hondex,Micronar,and Vexilar versions of the flasher,everytime upgrading to the newer technology.I currently use an FLX 28,which is my favorite by far,but probly wont up to the 30,not enough of technological advances,if I didnt already have a 28,I would probly bite.
I have Never had an issue with an FL flasher,I cant say that with any other flasher?finder I have used.
They provide the info I need and just ALWAYS work!!
I cut my teeth on a Hondex and still own an FL-18 (the boys use it)….
But $800 for a flasher?? You’d have to be insane to buy one.
$200-$400 is one thing….But $800??
You can have a sooooo much more for less money that it isn’t even funny (touch screen, built in mapping, GPS, more detail, better zoom, etc, etc)
When I turn on the FL-18 it’s like watching a tiny black and white VHS compared to a Blu-ray on a 60″ 4000k tv lol
Are the helix guys able to see their lure?
That’s what I love about a flasher, seeing my lure, seeing where it is relative to the fish, getting a clear reading of everything going on in the water column…plus the durability, and the simple efficiency of it all.
I just don’t see a graph ever being as good or as accurate in seeing your lure move in real time in relation to the fish. I mean c’mon, you’re able to dangle your lure right in a fish’s face and do it with precision. I can’t imagine anything will be able to enable a ice fisherman to do it any better than a flasher.
The detail is incredible. For anyone planning on upgrading, I highly recommend the Garmin over the Helix.
They’re much more intuitive and don’t need to be “dialed in” like the Helix. Just turn it on and go. The touchscreen is priceless as well. This coming from a guy who owns both.
Im a Vexilar guy. The graphs have all sorts of “advantages” but in my opinion they fail at the single most important aspect.
The most valuable aspect of either type of unit, beyond just seeing fish or your lure, is seeing your lure, the fish, and the relationship between the two. Seeing what type of action or bait creates a positive or negative reaction from the fish is what it’s all about.
With a vexilar or other flasher you get that info to you in REAL time. With a graph you get the info from 1 second ago.
For me, when it comes to pressured large panfish that 1 second is a big deal at times. That is the main reason I will stick with my Vexilar.
All that being said I wont be buying a new one for $800. My old fl18 it’s still good enough for this guy.
The new graphs aren’t anywhere near a one second delay. They have a tiny amount of lag, but it’s almost unnoticeable.
You can most definitely see your lure, fish, weeds etc on a graph type unit. The 1st graph I used on ice was a Lowrance 520C. It must be nearly 10 years old now and still works just fine. Plenty of power to pick up what we want to see on ice.
I really perceive no delay on the screen, and I started with a Vexilar FL8 like many of us.
Moved to a Marcum LX7 maybe 4 years ago and have loved it as well. Being able to dial in the zoom on suspended crappies is an excellent feature, and at times the target adjust is nice.
I bought a Garmin 73cv this year for it’s GPS capability and the touch screen to operate zoom and other features should be interesting and I look forward to using it.
I sold my Vexilar several years ago. Very reliable, only had to replace 1 transducer. Had to replace a transducer on my Marcum last year as well but no other issues. My Vex treated me well and opened up a new world of fishing. I won’t fault anyone for using one. However, I enjoy seeing the graph history and the ease of seeing if a fish is slowly rising or falling in relation to the bait – easier to see in graph mode than flasher dial, and I don’t see myself going back to a pure flasher style unit.
Tucker
Vexilar has the best signal return sonar of any unit on the market. That’s what they pride themselves on and why they haven’t dove into combo graph/sonar units.
The sonar signal is so refined on my FLX28 that when a sunfish is hovering at the bait trying to decide to take it or not, I can see the flutter of a fish’s top or bottom fins and tell which way its going to move toward or away from my jig.
If you want to take your vex to the next level just add a small GPS unit to the side of it with a ram mount. I’ve been running this combo with my vex’s and a lithium battery for 6-7 years now.
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I don’t think the 30 is out of line on price. If you buy a 28 and put a lithium battery in it your close to what the 30 cost.
Humminbird has eliminated most of the issues with a couple previous updates. I prefer my Helix for a couple reasons. One is obviously having Lakemaster chip in the unit. The second is the graph sonar. I just prefer it to the dial. I can also mark spots on my graph just like in the boat. I’ve found Navionics to be quite inaccurate which is unfortunate.
That being said, if I use an actual flasher, it will be my FL18 every time.
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