Vexilar SonarPhone with Transducer Pod

just got this yesterday and I must say I was kind of expecting it to be a failure and more of a toy but to my amazement thus cool little device actually works really good and is decently sensitive. the device its self is actually really big (about the size of a tennis ball) and it fairly well built and also a good 3oz and is better trolled behind a boat or kayak at low speeds.It is easy to setup and takes about 10min for first setup and linking afterwards takes about a minuet the app is free to download and works wellthe only downfall is that its a really big device and really heavy so casting it is a high risk of snapping the line unless you have 20+ pound line or you like swimming after a runaway green blinking bobber. I definitely recommend not using a bait caster because you will backlash and lose this device due to the wind catching on the fins.Over all I used it in the bay and cast a line in places where it shows fish on the screen and sure enough about 50% of the time there was a fish. in 2 hours I caught 5 bass while my 2 brothers only caught 2 fish each so it does workits a cool device to entertain you for a good time while fishing and its the best bang for your buck so far that I have discovered anyway in the portable fish finder category

This device is pretty well made, it's quite large and heavy, about the size and weight of a big orange. Most people are probably thinking they will cast it on a fishing line, if so, you better have a heavy-weight pole. I'm surprised and happy to report that the gadget does what it claims to do: it transmits a strong sonar picture to the iPhone, and runs a continuous strip that appears to be very accurate. Fish show up clearly on the screen and the refresh rate is much higher than I expected. Technology-wise, this pod is remarkable. After using it for the first time today, though, I don't think it will get much use from me. Maybe the occasional use in deep water off a dock. It's probably less useful for pinpointing fish than just confirming there are some down there. Mine was purchased in September '24 here on Amazon and I paid about 40% less than Vexilar's retail sticker price. It's a novelty item and will not probably become a regular part of your fishing arsenal, but occasionally may come in handy. A nice gimmick, if nothing else.

The Vexilar T-Pod arrived quickly and in good shape. The app was easily installed on my iPhone 4S that I keep in a LifeProof Case and then in a floating pouch around my neck.I first set it up in my pool, but the hard concrete bottom and only 5 feet of depth seemed to make it difficult to get consistent readings. This improved as I decreased the gain, but I never got it to work consistently in the pool.I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED when I took it out into Clearwater Bay on my kayak. It performed flawlessly as I pulled it behind my kayak. I will use the included arm strap for my next adventure because my only issue was having to stop paddling to reach my phone.This really is a great step forward in what we can do with our smart phones and a great fishfinder in moderately shallow waters. I look forward to taking it down to the Keys and seeing how it does out on the reef in about 100 feet of water. This was a great buy and really worth the price I paid for it. I do, however, wish it had about 8 hours of battery life instead of 4 hours.

I was initially excited about a portable WiFi capable fishfinder that I could take with me on fly in trips to Canada. However that changed quickly after I purchased the Vexilar T-Pod. I followed the instructions precisely for start up, straight out of the box. Charge it up, check. Install android App, check. Connect WiFi, check. Configure interface, check. Everything is great up until the point you actually use it. When testing it with the wet paper towel across the contacts, I could clearly hear the sound of the transducer starting to ping. And then it would stop for a few seconds, then start up again. It would correspond exactly with gaps in the readout on the phone display. THIS IS NOT A CONNECTIVITY ISSUE! I had perfect Wifi Connectivity and had all other networks disabled on my Note 3 so that only the T-Pod was in range and connected. This is a transducer quality issue. From having dealt with many sonar units on boats, the transducer function and pinging, should be high speed and non stop. I took it to the local park and tried it out, and the performance became worse. As soon as you tried to reel in the unit, put any tension on the line, the transducer would stop pinging and the graph would not update as a result. As soon as the unit was tilted by waves or moving, the transducer would physically get stuck and stop pinging. While the concept is unique and potentially very useful, the quality of construction & overall reliability is disappointing at the very best. I will not purchase again. I've returned the unit and have purchased a kayak mountable Humminbird 140C Fishin' Buddy instead.

I really wanted to like this but I just returned it today. I was able to use it in my kayak twice. It did a good job of showing the temperature and bottom but never marked fish even when I was over them and catching them. I think dragging it behind the kayak is just too much water noise and wake. On the last trip back in the bay I tried throwing it with a rod and reel and reeling it in. Man is it heavy. You'd better use braid and an ocean quality rod if you're going to throw it. Even though it sounded like a perfect tool for my Native kayak it was just not usable.. The other issue is battery life. They advertise 4 hours which is really not long enough but I never got over 3 hours. Couple that with the fact that your phone dies quickly and thinks it's on WiFi when it's not. I am getting a real sonar. It may work for you but I really doubt it.