Review on HawkEye Fishtrax 1C Fish Finder: HD Color Virtuview Display for Optimal Fishing Results by Mark Jefferson

I really put off reviewing this device until I had enough time to test it out and choose a bit. I was mainly interested in this for the ice fishing flasher function, but I also needed a finder for my 14ft V hull. Numbers I would try to kill two birds with one stone. Right out of the box with factory settings, it accurately displayed the depth and temperature of the water. (Which is half the battle with these cheaper sonar units) The menus are very easy to navigate and the settings are easy to change. I have no doubt that the normal sonar function will work great on my boat this spring/summer/fall. I have already ordered a 12V adapter kit and high speed converter directly from Hawkeye's website. Hooray! When I first tried the Flasher, it was a horrible experience. I spent all day in the water racking my brains trying to figure out what exactly I was seeing. From the bottom I couldn't tell the fish from the bait, nothing. I also couldn't see my bait at any depth even when it was directly under the sensor. I was so disappointed but not ready to give it up. After a few days of fiddling and a lot of online research I finally got the Unit Flasher set up exactly how I needed it and I'm very happy with how well it works. I can easily find my lure and see when the fish are moving towards it. Battery life is a little short (but what do you expect from 4 AAA batteries?), but it makes the device much easier to carry. I've found a set of standard Energizer batteries to last around 10-12 hours in cold weather. You need to buy several lithium batteries that the manufacturer recommends to try and compare. Thanks also to the Hawkeye customer service representatives. They are very helpful and quick to respond to all your questions. Unfortunately, more and more companies are not as efficient as they used to be. Overall I am very happy with the FishTrax C1. It's incredibly versatile, easy to read, portable, and very economical. 4/5 stars for the battery life alone, it took sooo long to dial and it REALLY doesn't like water under 3-3.5ft.