Marcum Customer service

[mwalleye]

Well I'm in for a new unit any ideas? Had a Showdown it is 4 years old and I have had issues every year since the purchuse. I really like the unit WHEN it works but having to send it in all the time is getting old. I e-mailed last week then again beginning of this week and no answer of any kind. I will say that when I did send it in, customer service and warrenty were outstanding only had to pay for shipping. I think customer service should be # 1. So what to do?

[pikestabber]

Get a Vexilar

Seriously, I am going on year 14 with my FL-8 with no issues ever. You can go a lot fancier, but 99% of the time the FL-8 is just as good as any other unit out there. While others are spending 10 minutes tuning into the 1.5" of target separation on the bottom, I am yanking crappies ten feet below the ice. An FL-8 is a fine unit.

[wormdunker]

Year 15 for me.

[Northlander]

Call them. I have had only 1 problem with any of my 4 Marcums and they took care of me asap. I had a bad ducer and they sent me a new one in 3 days.

[Hawg]

Seems like problems on a unit with a LCD are always far more than those of a flasher, regardless of brand name. Showdown is an LCD isn't it?

[mwalleye]

Ok if anyone needs help with marcum I suggest on calling DO NOT use there web site (contact us part) something wrong with it. I called talked to Chris and he took care of things he even answers the phones. Should have called like the other times to get prompt service. Great job if you cal 1-888-778-1208.

[BradHawthorne]

As a mater of fact I just got off the phone with them ordering a new snow shield, (dog chewed my old one lol).. anyway, no wait, no hold, no voice mail, I talked to a real person.

[fisherman-andy]

Get a Vexilar

While others are spending 10 minutes tuning into the 1.5" of target separation on the bottom, I am yanking crappies ten feet below the ice. An FL-8 is a fine unit.

LX5 and LX6 have 3/4" target separation. LX7 and showdown have 1/2" target sep. You have zoom and target separation mixed up. We know Vex have good units and great customer service. Do we do assume Marcum doesnt? Have you used a Marcum before? Im pretty sure it can do what your FL8 can do, plus more. Ones got to look at the available technology today. Whether a mechnical or digtal flasher is going to meet your needs simple or not.

If staying digital the LX7 or LX6 should be rock solid units since the software bugs been tuned out. If mechanical take a look at humminbird ice instead for features value.

[pikestabber]

I wasn't knocking Marcum, just tipping my cap to Vexilar's basic unit which has been an invaluable tool for me. I've played around with most all of the new units but I find that I spend more time tinkering than I do actually fishing. I could get a high end Vex or Marcum or HB with super zoom, and greater target seperation, and a cappuccino machine and wi-fi, or whatever, but I would rather spend that few hundred extra bucks on auger gas and bait and stay on top of active fish...

If you like the new features and they work for you, that's great. To each their own, but for my part I have yet to go home disappointed because I couldn't catch fish while the guy next to me with an $800 unit slayed them. When that happens I'll consider an upgrade

[fisherman-andy]

I wasn't knocking Marcum, just tipping my cap to Vexilar's basic unit which has been an invaluable tool for me. I've played around with most all of the new units but I find that I spend more time tinkering than I do actually fishing. I could get a high end Vex or Marcum or HB with super zoom, and greater target seperation, and a cappuccino machine and wi-fi, or whatever, but I would rather spend that few hundred extra bucks on auger gas and bait and stay on top of active fish...

If you like the new features and they work for you, that's great. To each their own, but for my part I have yet to go home disappointed because I couldn't catch fish while the guy next to me with an $800 unit slayed them. When that happens I'll consider an upgrade

I'll play a little devils advocate here. I know some of you guys love your FL8, and its history has been one reliable unit. I dont doubt that. Simple to use, yet outdated technology and overpriced. Yes I said it, overpriced when compared to other budget units on the market.

The Marcum VX1 or Humminbird Ice35, pack more features as good as FL18, Fl20 for hundreds less, in some instances on deals cheaper then the FL8.

All mechanical flashers are fairly easy to use, who says you need to dink around with the settings of the expensive flashers? Turn on your depth range, set your gain. Very simple, thats it. I dont see the VX1 or Ice35 any harder to use then the good old reliable FL8. And when your ready to graduate to the big boys game them extra features are there already.

As for the fancy expensive units, there are advantages as one can argue back and forth all day. Choose the flasher that best fits YOU! And if its the old FL8 you choose. That's just fine.

[pikestabber]

The big boys game? No, I'm certainly not ready for that...

[CoreyS]

Here's something fun to try. Get your buddies together who have their favorite top end Vexilar, Marcum and Humminbird flashers that have zoom capabilities and do this test over 40 feet. Have a ruler on hand to measure two round BB split shot at 2 inches or even 1 inch apart on 2# line. Put all transducers in one hole at the same level and let each individual "tweak" their gain and zoom feature. Now drop the split shot down the hole so that split shot are 3-4 off the bottom. Make sure the line is still so each unit can pick the targets up. Here is just one test you could try to truly see target separation.

[JuanArellano]

that is a great idea...

[anderson_dc]

Should be awfully easy to see those two split shot with the "top of the market" target separation Marcum has. No?