Wow what a year 2016 has been! We've had a great response to our products and we're really excited by all the great photos that our customers are sending us! We get a lot of questions/comments about the iBobber on a daily basis, so we thought that it would be a good idea to put the 10 most submitted out into the open for your viewing pleasure! So here they are, in no particular order, with our best attempt to answer them.
10. Is cell service required to use the iBobber?
No. iBobber connects to your smartphone and/or tablet via Bluetooth Smart technology. This is a direct connection from your iBobber to your device, so it will work the same if you're standing under a cell tower, or in the middle of Antarctica. Unlike units using Wi-Fi, using Bluetooth also means that you can still use your phone if you ARE in cell range.
9. What happens when you lose it?
iBobber is a fish finder first and foremost, and that is the primary use for this device. We recommend people use heavy braid for line, and attach it with a swivel. When used in this manner it is very difficult to lose. You may, if you wish, use iBobber as a traditional bobber. Of course you'd be risking a snag, but even then remember that the iBobber floats, so you should be able to retrieve it. (We will not replace your iBobber because you got it snagged on a submerged structure or in a tree. Speaking of trees...)
8. It's great until you get it snagged in a tree...
iBobber is not intended to detect squirrels or to determine the ripeness of apples, and should therefore NOT be used in trees. The iBobber is intended to be used ONLY in the water to detect depth, submerged structure/vegetation, and of course, fishes (see wise-guy video).
7. What does it cost?
MSRP is $99.99
6. Where can I buy one?
iBobber is currently available at Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabela's, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Amazon.com, TackleDirect, Argos, and a variety of smaller brick-and-mortar shops throughout the U.S. and Canada. http://reelsonar.com/pages/retailers
5. Can you use it for ice fishing?
Yes, but you must drill a hole, and place the iBobber in the hole directly onto the water. iBobber will not read the bottom while you're holding it in your hand or if you simply place it on top of the ice.
4. How deep will it read?
iBobber will measure depths and fish down to 135 feet.
3. How far will it stay connected to my device?
100 feet in good conditions. We have tested it to reach as far as 150+ in perfect conditions with clear sight-lines, but the real world is not perfect. Users may experience differing ranges depending on environmental conditions, charge on your device, charge on your iBobber, and most commonly the quality of the Bluetooth receiver on your device (phone, tablet, etc.).
2. What is the sonar angle?
iBobber has a single beam sonar at a 90 degree angle, 42.5 degrees from center. This should give you a very good range of views of what's below. For example, if you are at 20ft deep, iBobber "sees" about 40ft diameter on the bottom. It also means that anything solid, like a dock pylon or thick ice just under the surface of the water, will reflect the signal and potentially give you some 'interesting' readings.
1. Why does the screen move even though my iBobber isn't moving?
The sonar units in iBobber and other fish finders send and receive signals, then “print” the echo on its display. iBobber starts plotting on the right side of the screen and moves to the left every approximately 0.5 second. In addition, echoes returned from any object in the water between the surface and bottom are also displayed. By knowing the speed of sound through water (4800 feet per second) and the time it takes for the echo to be received, the unit can show the depth of the water and any fish in the water.
Conclusion
So there you have it! If you have a question that we didn't answer, leave a comment below!
Thanks! -ReelSonar Team