Vexilar's Sonarphone

[Shoemoo]

I've been using the Navionics app for ages, but it's not a sonar so it can't give you real-time information on what's going on below.

I was browsing around the Cabela's site and found this:

http://vexilar.com/info/sonarphone-mobile-depth-sounder-app/

Basically, it's an app you install on your smartphone or tablet that links to a transducer accessory using WiFi. The transducer is a WiFi hotspot, and you connect your mobile device to the hotspot and it beams the signal to your device. They have a little floating pod you can cast out or tow behind a float tube, canoe or kayak, a traditional permanent transducer mount, and a portable mount with suction cup and battery tray.

When you think about it, why does a fish finder need a display when we have smartphones and tablets with better screens and higher resolutions? All a sonar needs is the transducer(s) and the processor to interpret the signals. Have you seen the prices for sonars with large, high-res displays? $2,000+!

You can buy waterproof cases and extra batteries for your smartphone or tablet. Why have a sonar with a display that's smaller and looks worse than your iPad and is permanently stuck to your boat where any thief can help themselves?

They're also making an underwater camera that uses the same wireless technology:

http://vexilar.com/products/index.php?prodCat=marine&prodSubCat=fishphone

The app is free, and you can try it out without buying the accessory. I've played around with it a bit, and I must say I'm really interested in the technology. I may have to pick one up.

 

[Pepop]

Just downloaded to my Android phone but App Store doesn't find anything for my iPad. The Demo Mode looks really cool, as good as my Lowrance X67 ever did! If I can find the iPad app, it might be worth it to get the "Box" & have the 10" 2D Sonar at the bow.

 

[QPassage]

Yeah this thing could be the greatest thing since French Toast. Providing you fish where there is a cell signal. I've been looking for something small and easy for years "back pack friendly", to use on my remote Canada fishing/canoe trips. Perfect size, I wonder if it would work on a sat phone?

 

[Pepop]

Don't know for sure but I'm thinking the function of the sonar via Wi-Fi from the box or pod, isn't dependent upon cellular service. I mean, I don't think it matters that you can't make a phone call, the phone is communicating with the box/pod only, wirelessly, not through a satellite. That'd be my guess anyway.

 

[Shoemoo]

Yeah, the documentation says it doesn't need cell service at all. You can even use it on pretty much any device that gets WiFi and uses iOS or Android OS. One guy on another board even got the app working on a Windows computer using an Android emulator and the Vexilar rep said it would work on that too.

 

[Shoemoo]

Here's the iOS version in iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sonarphone-by-vexilar/id719116540?mt=8

The T-Pods are out, but availability is limited. Cabela's is taking preorders on the portable boat version with the battery tray, but says they won't be available for 4-6 weeks. Already thinking of getting one for my inflatable pontoon.

There are third-party companies that sell straps you can use to mount a regular transducer. Just put the transducer on the strap and put the transmitter/battery pack behind the seat and you're set.

 

[Shoemoo]

FishPhone videos are starting to show up on YouTube. Looks like it does what it's supposed to.

[video=youtube]

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Found a couple of SonarPhone T-Pod videos too. We'll probably start seeing more of these when the boat versions become available and the water starts warming up.

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGRY9sR51cY[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QfJZrYFdvE[/video]

 

[toadfrog]

Dang whats the world coming to . They got som'thin like that an all this time I been using dynomite to look at the fish in the water .

 

[Barefoot]

That is pretty cool!

 

[StumpHunter]

Those are cool!

 

[Bucko]

I bought the fishphone them returned it. really buggy. hopefully they get it figured out because it is a neat concept.

 

[Jighead76]

What's the price on something like that? It would be cool to throw under some docks to see if there's a few Xmas trees under them. I can think of a ton of places where the boat wouldn't go and I'd like to see what's hiding under the water.

 

[Shoemoo]

The MSRP on the FishPhone is $190, which is on the lower end of cost for an underwater camera. They start at around $120 for really crappy ones. I'm talking something that's basically like those old CRT portable TVs from before there were flat screens. The top end is around $600.

Most people use them for ice fishing, but I always thought they would be useful for having a peek at underwater structure and verifying the fish you see on your sonar unit are really the species you want to catch.

 

[Shoemoo]

Well, I caved and bought one of the floating T-Pod Sonarphone units. It came today, but I won't be able to go fishing until Thursday at the earliest.

The battery life is only about 4 hours and it takes several hours to charge between uses, but at least it turns off automatically when you take it out of the water. I'm planning on using it for scouting purposes to find underwater cover within casting distance from shore and to find what depth the fish are holding at.

I'll try to review it when I have a chance to use it on the water.