Temp. Depth probe comparisons: Retro vs Today

[digitroll (ron)]

Brought out some old school probes used on the Digitroll before the Fish Hawk upgrade this season:


Retro Ray Jeff probe and Fish Hawk X-4 probe:





Retro Cabelas Koch "Fish Finder" (temp. / depth) and Fish Hawk TD (temp / depth):

[Vtfishinglady]

Some serious looking stuff there Ron. We just got the fishhawk TD ourselves from Ramel in Morrisville. We tried it for the first time today, and it works great for us to verify the dipsy diver depths and temperatures. Unfortunately down south, we had a constant temperature from the surface to as deep as our divers could go. In listening to others, it seems that they had to go down to a 100 ft to get any temperature gradient.


Terri

[digitroll (ron)]

This time of year some areas have breaks deeper than 100 feet and you would need about 300 feet of wire on a large magnum dipsy to achieve that kind of depth.
But it will tell you where that slide diver or dispy is running!

The Fish Hawk probes are waterproof to the nth degree! Technology is good!

[Vtfishinglady]

I assume that X-4 probe is meant to run off of your downrigger? Do you run it all of the time?

Terri

[digitroll (ron)]

I assume that X-4 probe is meant to run off of your downrigger? Do you run it all of the time?

Terri

Terri,

The X-4 is the probe system that runs off a downrigger. Yes, we run it every outing. The down speed or determining hit speed in different directions with the currents is valuable data. Some folks would rather be without a sonar than give up there X-4 data I have read on other Great Lakes Forums posts that are specifically on this unit.

[raz]

Technology...it just keeps going and going and going.
Great topic Ron.

[popster]

Great idea, Ron, pulling out some Retro toys. Could be its own thread???
I guess these pics tell how long I've been using water temps to try to figure out the Salmon.

Vexilar Deptherm, Vintage 1970's
Lower it on a rod & the water pressure fills the tube and lines up with the depth. The reverse side shows the corresponding temp. Press the button on the bottom and the water drains out for the next reading.



Lowrance Fish-n-Temp, also vintage 70's
This unit was a bit more sophisticated. Lower the calibrated cable (marked every foot to 100') to prescribed depth and use either the low switch (30-60F) or high switch (60-90F) to obtain the actual temp. Pretty accurate.

[digitroll (ron)]

Nice Bill, Now there was some ahead of the curve technology in the 70's.....YIkes!

[Reelax]

Nice Ron... Do you have a good place to get a deal on the x4 probe? I am looking for a new one...

[digitroll (ron)]

Matt,

Ben or Ramel are your best bets.

R