Thought I would post this here looking to get a livescope system for the wife. She likes to go to ID for hardwater perch so I am all over keeping her into it. I have been watching you tube postage I saw it in use with a guy from MT last year and it seemed great. Any on-site info from ice users on this site would be appreciated. Looking to possibly use a 93svplus as a display. Thanks for the help
The setup is easy and the learning curve is fairly flat. The biggest issue once past the cost is lugging it around followed closely by cable management.
The weakest link of the system is the special gls10 network cable. Why they didn’t use the standard ethernet style connector into the gls10 is beyond me.
I would make your own pvc pipe for aiming, I’ve seen the modular interconnects fail on a couple of Garmin pipes.
I agree that weight/portability is the biggest concern. I installed 2 93SV+ units on my boat last Spring, along with Livescope. The technology is unbelievable, especially when using jigs or slip bobbers. Watching a walleye swim across the screen and hit your lure is a lot of fun. The ice use-case is similar and I can’t wait to use it (soon here in MN) for that purpose.
In addition to the graph, you’ll be lugging around a black box (that handles image processing), a battery (that needs to be larger than typical due to power requirements for the graph and black box), and the transducer itself mounted to some type of pole system.
Power will run to both the graph and black box and the fairly thick transducer cable that is around 20 feet long (this cannot be cut or shortened).
If you aren’t hole-hopping or walking to your spot the weight likely won’t be an issue, but it’s worth calling out as a possible issue for you.
They have a newer line of “Ultra” head units that support a new LVS12 transducer without a blackbox, but the cone size is significantly smaller.
As @fishwater recommended, I’ll be building a custom PVC solution in the next couple months.
Good luck!
I would personally wait until Garmin streamlines Livescope for ice fishing use… right now you have guys putting their own kits together and as mentioned, they are a pita to lug around the ice…I would guess the next generation of Garmin units won’t require the separate brain box the current system uses…getting rid of that alone, reduces some weight, bulk and a ton of cables…
with the lack of any innovation this upcoming season from Humminbird/Marcum/Lowrance/Vexilar Garmin has a real opportunity to steal a ton of marketshare with Livescope if they can streamline it…
Yet another option would be the Panoptix PS22 transducer. It doesn’t have the image detail of Livescope, but doesn’t require a blackbox and is $500 cheaper.
I had the chance to compare a livescope system vs my PS22 hooked up to a 92 Chirp Echomap. It was during an ice fishing trip.
The LVS owner had a 7 in Echomap+ unit. Personally I don’t think a 7 inch screen is adequate for any panoptix system. My 71 year old eyes may influence that.
I actually prefer the older system. For the following reasons
1. Lot of money saved if you buy used equipment. Lots of it being sold as LVS is the hot thing now.
2. Older system needs less power.
3. Fish show bigger as older panoptix actually increases the readout.
4. Less cumbersome on ice
To confuse matters even further. We switched systems for about 30 minutes. Both of us were glad when the 30 minutes were up.
Thanks guys for the thoughts. I would hope garmin is going to release something new and better like has been stated there really is not any good competition as of yet seems like manufacturers dont change until forced to by loss of market share to another. The guy on you tube that has everything in a large garmin ice bag looks good with the 93sv display. Ice is coming hopefully another good cold year in ID. I am running a Helix 7AS now with a striker 5? I get stuck with the 5 and she gets the 7 and the aqua view 10i. Need to trade out the 5
@papaperch How’s the target and bottom separation on the PS22? I’ve been very happy with the LVS for this, but have not used Panoptix.
I can’t really say about bottom separation or anything high tech. All I know it finds fish for me. If fish aren’t active I find some that are.
Really neat thing 2 or 3 guys can use set up. As you can find your jig / lure on the panoptix screen and learn to ignore the other goings on.
Another neat thing with the PS 22 in the forward VU. Can actually pinpoint location of fish. Very first time on ice with a Garmin setup had a PS 21 then.
Seen fish buddy drilled about 15 ft pass them. I could tell because I see the auger come thru ice on the panoptix screen. He steps the fifteen feet off redrills and I watch him catch first fish on the screen. All this from about 45 feet away.
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