Lx7 What's the latest?

[CAMAN]

I think you guys are in for a lot of problems, if they are still working on the soft ware that means there is not going to be any field testing and you are the testers .. I like Marcums but this is not showing them in a very good light, sending a product out thats unavailable and not fully tested is a big No No...This should have been all worked out last year and ready to go by now. I will keep my old units and wait and read all the problem reviews when this things hit the water..

[Twins Guy]

hey ameyers-i believe i was quoted 500-1000ma draw (but you are definitely close if not right on!) and this is variable. for reference the LX5 draws 850ma as i understand it-not/less variable. someone else posted 12 hours which is probably in the ballpark with a 9amp hour battery.

i was pleasantly surprised with that information. i assumed the LCD and heating element would draw more juice. i guess i shouldn't be surprised though given that the showdown troller will run 20 hours on a set of AAs and has both LCD and heating elements (albeit much smaller and less sophisticated).

looks like an amazing unit! not sure i am ready for monkeying with/navigating through all the menus though...

I can't edit my post any more but i was just looking at the owners manual for the the LX5 and it draws less amperage than I was quoted. The LX5 draws 350-400ma. So if the LX7s amp draw quoted to me at the ice show is actually accurate then it does draw significantly more (up to 2.5x) than the LX5. Just trying to be accurate.

[DTro]

Caman the phone is a good analogy, but the biggest difference is that you cannot purchase that phone yet. I think the only people that have a decent argument are those that plunked down 7 bills already.

[MN Mike]

Arctic Cat's having the same issue right now too, lots of guys plunked down $500 last April hoping to see their sled Sept / Oct and it's still not here but it sounds like this week the last of them will be delivered ( delivery date pushed back MANY times ), now by the looks of it, if you didn't put down the cash in the spring, you're pretty much SOL for getting that sled at all this year.

Can't wait to see the LX7, should be a great product, Marcum hasn't let me down yet.

Mike

[gquist]

The best part of the LX-7 is if the software needs a improvement or update you can do it yourself if you have a computer, there is a usb port on the back to update the unit with.

[CAMAN]

Nobody forced them to plunk down 7 bills. I never once heard, if you don't give us the $700 right now you won't be getting an LX-7. The pre-orders were just a way to hold your place in line, never a guarantee of ship date. And Marcum didn't take any pre-orders that I know of, it's the retailers fault for not being totally upfront about everything. If people really are that upset over it, go get your money back. Simple as that.

[CaptainMusky]

Personally, I think the phone comparison is a terrible one. When did you hear about the release of the new Verizon phone? Guessing, 2 months MAX. At any rate, the LX-7 was announced in March.

Ice is forming now and we all know the season is limited in length so people are losing valuable time on the ice. Well, maybe not yet, but could be.

I agree I never heard any promised delivery dates so I guess its the chance that people take for wanting the latest and greatest, but IMO they should have been able to iron out these kinks over the summer months even if they had to rent a commercial cooler to do it.

[tweeder]

As I said in my previous posts, this business stragety is used all over the world in many industries, this is not unique to Marcum or phones and that includes pre-sales.

From what I have read here the OP and others don't seem to be upset (yet) that they don't have it rather they haven't had the communications about when they are getting them, which even if you are a Marcum lifer, you have to agree with. The people that have already bought one should be the most important customers Marcum has and they should make sure to keep them in the loop to what is going on. Those that have bought a $700 unit without seeing it, are customers I would want to keep happy!

[icefitchin]

Tweeder,

You nailed it right on the head. Me and a buddy both ordered one first week of October. My credit card was billed 2 weeks later. Neither one of us were upset that we spent the $$$ without seeing it in our hands. We are both just avid ice fisherman and have used Marcum products for years. They have an excellent line of ice electronics.

Like I said earlier, we're both just a little upset that we've paid for the unit and can't get any sort of answer from anyone at Marcum. An email from the company is all were looking for. That being said, I

still a Marcum guy, and always will be. I'd be a little more upset lakes in my area were froze over and I didn't have it. Hoping Santa drops a package at my door in the next week or 2!

[CAMAN]

At any rate, the LX-7 was announced in March.

"MarCum's LX-7, the industry's first and only real-time color LCD sonar unit, was released to the public at Icast in Las Vegas on July 13"

Where did you ever get MARCH?!?

Last week of May is the first anyone talked about it here on HSO

Big News From Marcum

And the date the public was first made aware should make no difference with when something actually gets released. Like I would LOVE to say to my boss on a daily basis 'If you can do what I/they do on a daily basis then go ahead do it'. Go build an LX-7 equivalent and let us know how easy it really is.

And just an FYI, software problems are a whole different beast than hardware problems, if you find something wrong in the software and you change it, you are risking something else going wonky. Hardware usually just requires you to change one thing or another and rarely affects everything else.

Heck Marcum may be saving lives by releasing it late, we all know people would be risking thin ice to try out their new toy!

[NCLaker]

It would make sense for Marcum to put out a general press release on the updated timing of shipping for pre-ordered units. Would probably save a lot of headaches with people hitting their customer service reps.

Personally, no matter how good the company, your generally taking a bit of risk buying first year high tech products. No matter how much they test a fairly complex product, there is almost always something that the real world does that wasn't/can't be accounted for in testing, or as part of the mass production process.

Despite the extra testing they are doing on the LX-7, I wouldn't be suprised to hear of other complaints after they are released. Biggest comfort is know that Marcum has great reputation for standing behind their products.

[DTro]

why not presell these things for a nominal deposit? seems like a win win

[CAMAN]

why not presell these things for a nominal deposit? seems like a win win

I think that's something you bring up with the retailer. But it works for me if the retailer is willing to do it.

[BartmanMN]

Doesn't seem like they had any problems pre-selling them for full price so why would they do the same for less. Guess who's collecting interest on your money now.

[CaptainMusky]

Where did you ever get MARCH?!?

Last week of May is the first anyone talked about it here on HSO

Big News From Marcum

And the date the public was first made aware should make no difference with when something actually gets released. Like I would LOVE to say to my boss on a daily basis 'If you can do what I/they do on a daily basis then go ahead do it'. Go build an LX-7 equivalent and let us know how easy it really is.

And just an FYI, software problems are a whole different beast than hardware problems, if you find something wrong in the software and you change it, you are risking something else going wonky. Hardware usually just requires you to change one thing or another and rarely affects everything else.

Heck Marcum may be saving lives by releasing it late, we all know people would be risking thin ice to try out their new toy!

March/May whats the difference? You make some big ground breaking announcement about something and then you cannot deliver it to customers? Its a mistake. At the very least there should be some sort of announcement made to level set expectations.

You mention Hardware being "easier" to fix. Hmm, what controls hardware to make it do what it does? Firmware which is basically software. Sure you may be able to plug a new component in, but what if its not a problem of the component rather than how that component is "configured"?

Dont get me wrong, the whole fact that the LX7 is being driven off of software and able to plug it in to your laptop and get updates is a giant step forward.

Maybe the reason they are not released yet is they are going to include a GPS. One can only dream.

[brian6715]

Right now would be the perfect time for the Geico guy to drop by and cleverly remind you pre-buyers that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

[CaptainMusky]

Right now would be the perfect time for the Geico guy to drop by and cleverly remind you pre-buyers that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Very clever. LOL

[tweeder]

Maybe the reason they are not released yet is they are going to include a GPS. One can only dream.

Horrible idea, then what will they promote next year!!!

they can sell them for $800 and get eveyone that has one now to pay for a download to get gps added to it. $$$$$$$

[Hardyboy]

I just received this concerning my lx7 order

Thank you for your recent order with Gander Mountain. The manufacturer has contacted us and advised that your order is estimated to ship out on 12/15. I am sorry for the delay and any inconvenience that this may have caused you. If you have any questions or wish to cancel your order, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for choosing Gander Mountain and have a great day!

Thank you,

Kimberly Gray

Overton's/Gander Mountain

[icefitchin]

Heard some good news today. Marcum posted on their Facebook page that the first units are being shipped to customers today. They said that orders are being filled in the order they were received. They expect all preordered/backorders to be filled within 7-10 days!

[Random guy]

Just got off the phone with "The Man" at Marcum and yes the units are on the trucks and being spread across the ice belt as we speak. Just like Santa and his reindeer all the good boys and girls will have one soon.

Very cool!

[Hardyboy]

Hot Dang thats good news!!! While i was disapointed to wait i was happy to wait for a finished product and am glad they chose to take the extra time. I look at it this way i was going to spend the money anyways and by pre ordering it guaranteed i wouldnt change my mind and guess what im still gonna get it when everyone else does. cudos to Marcum for caring enough to want a quality product on the shelf for its customers.

[Random guy]

I'm lucky to know the guys and gals at Marcum and I will tell you they put every last drop of heart and soul into the LX-7 the last few months. I'm sure it is going to shine just as bright as the LX-5, 825sd/625sd and Showdown daul beam did.

[DTro]

Owatonna Cabelas:

[Evobassfish]

dtro, is it just me or does the price tag on the top say $599?