LX7 worth the extra $$

[aquafang]

I was looking at the lx6. Other than the size is the lx7 worth it? Looks to be big and bulky? Is it heavy to hole jump?

I dont know what to do?!?!

[Esox_Magnum]

No heavier than any other flasher....To me yes it is worth the extra...

[Woody61]

I was just checking one out yesterday my 1st impression was dang that heavy. Picked up a Vex pro pack sitting next to it and it had to be a pound lighter. Not sure what the LX6 would way but in an Ice Force email I got today it stated the 6 is not upgradable.

[stealth3350]

Not much in weight diff. I have lx7 My buddy has lx6 when we fish side by side he allways sais should have gotten that one..the lx7

[Esox_Magnum]

FYI 95% of the weight of any flasher is the battery, the weight difference could be the difference between a 7AH in the Vex and the 9AH in the LX.... The LX-7 head weighs about nothing....

[ihc1]

I have a lx6 and like the unit but didn't like the case marcum uses. In my opinion that strap to carry it with is a joke if you do a lot of hole hopping and I found if you try to stick your hand in the handle spot on the top with gloves on you knock one of the wires off the battery and it shuts off. What I did was buy a vexilar pro pack and mounted my lx6 on it. Now it is a hole hopping machine and I have a holder for a extra rod which I wish the marcums had. I can't figure out how to post a picture from my phone otherwise I would.

[DaSwede]

but in an Ice Force email I got today it stated the 6 is not upgradable.

Weird. The Marcum HSOforum has an software update page for the LX-6.

http://marcum.com/~marcum/lx-6-firmware

[brian6715]

Yeah the LX-6 is upgradeable, everyone knows that!

A lot of the weight is in the transducer, not just the battery. My old LX-1 transducer must weigh 1/3 of what my LX-7 transducer weighs.

I was set on the 6, until I realized that they weigh nearly the same (within ounces) and the footprints aren't really different. I don't regret buying the 7 over the 6 ever, I LOVE that giant screen! Get the 7.

[brian6715]

Does anyone know if they changed the cases on the 6/7 at all this year or is it the same one as the original? I heard they were making an upgrade and I emailed Marcum last year but never heard back.

[holmsvc]

I do a lot of hole hopping with my LX7 I have never found it's weight to be an issue. I usually drill at least 15 holes, but often drill up to 100 in a day.

[Redlineracer12]

If you can get the LX7 for within $100 of the LX6 I think it's worth the extra money. I got a pretty good deal on my LX6 where it was more like a $150 difference. Otherwise I'd have the LX7.

Both units are easily updated to new versions of firmware if they come out, but I believe only the LX7 can be upgraded to have the functions of the LX9 (camera)...

[Ziesmer]

I have an LX-6 now that I am trying to sell so I can upgrade to a 7. I want the extra couple inches on the screen.

And yes you can upgrade the software on a 6. It is really easy to do and takes less than 5 minutes.

[Woody61]

I have an LX-6 now that I am trying to sell so I can upgrade to a 7. I want the extra couple inches on the screen.

And yes you can upgrade the software on a 6. It is really easy to do and takes less than 5 minutes.

Guess I got some bad info, I cut and pasted the part of the article that infers only the 7 is upgradable, unless I'm reading it wrong.

LX-6 & LX-7 – Digital Multi-Species Angling In The Modern Age

Multi-species anglers in the modern age of ice fishing have embraced MarCum’s digital LX-6 and LX-7 sonar units. More than “flashers,” these units give anglers multiple display options – water-column vertical, vertical zoom, flasher-dial and traditional horizontal LCD graph. “Whether you’re fishing the LX-6 or the LX-7 , the digital flat-screen display and the menu system allows you to switch it however you want to look at it,” Nelson explains. “If you are used to looking at an open-water graph mode and like the tracks and trails you can see from the bait and the fish, go ahead and do it that way. For those that like that vertical pixel-graph look to the display, you can have the equivalent of a color Showdown.” Both the LX-7 and LX-6 feature Infinitely Adjustable Zoom and Bottom Lock Zoom, a 12-level Interference Rejection system and razor-thin target separation. “The better your sonar’s target separation, the better you can tell difference between a fish that’s about to strike your bait, and a fish that’s already got your bait in its mouth,” Nelson explains. Each unit also features Sonar Footprint technology, which displays an area at any depth, with either 8-degree or 20-degree transducer cone angles. “This provides a keen awareness of fish targets relative to the transducer and your lure,” Nelson explains. Nelson runs an LX-7, which differs from the LX-6 only in screen size and upgradability. MarCum releases free firmware updates for the LX-7 that you can install in minutes from home. MarCum is the only ice-fishing electronics manufacturer that makes digital units that can be upgraded in this way. “As more technology comes available to MarCum, as new software and methodology for harnessing the full power and range of the sonar become available, we’re able to upgrade it and put it inside a unit,” Nelson explains. Anglers that prize value and weight will love the LX-6. “If you’re a hole hopper and price point is a priority, the LX-6 is your unit,” Nelson says, noting that the LX-6 delivers almost everything the LX-7 does, for about $100 less.

[Ziesmer]

Yeah, not sure why he wrote that. I can promise you that the LX 6 is upgradeable...Is that a real word? I did it yesterday, all you need is a USB.

Thanks

[BartmanMN]

I'm guessing what Woody is referring to from memory is that the Lx-7 is upgradeable to be turned into a LX-9. The LX-6 does not have that option, but it does have the option for software updates.

[Iceboy]

If you really don't like the weight of the LX-7 you can do what I did and start using a Shorai 12v 14 AH Lithium battery - double the capacity of a regular gel cell and only weighs 1.83 lbs. Makes my LX-9 lighter than any flasher I've ever owned!