Marcum's RT9 Ice Sonar

[ClownColor]

A few things I might add.

I see a lot of huss and fuss about the tablet not being the latest and greatest... but this unit isn't being sold to replace your existing tablet; it is programmed for ice fishing sonar/camera/gps in one, a bonus of the platform is that you could use it as a tablet as well.

The Navionics side of it isn't the cheap app, it has a port for your Navionics chips, anyone with experience using chips and the app know the huge difference here. The price may be high, but let's look at all it includes and more importantly bulk reduction having them all in one unit.

1) Gps on an 8" screen, or split screen, (You can take the one off your boat and bring an extra battery for it, or use a small handheld one that doesn't provide much detail)

2) 2 Hole coverage with separate transducers and a camera all on 1 battery and weight/bulk of 1 unit. (The other options would include having either 2 flashers and a camera (so 3 total units/batteries) or an LX9 and another flasher)

3) Navionics chip, looks like we're pulling the sonar off the boat again

4) Water proof, and temperature proof; good luck getting your HDS to work in 20 below zero.

5) Ability to addon later. You can get the platform/ice ducer now and add things like the open water transducer, extra ice ducer, camera, etc later.

--All in all this unit means you don't have to lug around a bunch of other equipment when you're pulling the sled around the lake. You don't have to worry about busting your big $$ Boat electronics banging around in the cold, you don't need a separate unit if you use a camera... you basically have every bit of hard water technology available, packed into One Unit on One Battery. Marcum isn't selling a tablet, they're selling freedom.

Too funny..."don't have to carry around your expensive boat electronics"...i'd rather break my expensive lowrance HDS with ss if I owned this!

[CaptainMusky]

1) Gps on an 8" screen, or split screen, (You can take the one off your boat and bring an extra battery for it, or use a small handheld one that doesn't provide much detail)

3) Navionics chip, looks like we're pulling the sonar off the boat again

4) Water proof, and temperature proof; good luck getting your HDS to work in 20 below zero.

5) Ability to addon later. You can get the platform/ice ducer now and add things like the open water transducer, extra ice ducer, camera, etc later.

All of these things are fully capable on an HDS touch. Never had issues with cold weather and YES I have used my HDS units (plural) in -20 and colder. NEVER once an issue.

You get all those things you mentioned above for a nice price of $2100. For $2100 you can buy an HDS 9 touch, plug in the camera that many already have, view multiple screens (GPS, Camera, Sonar, etc) at one time. You have Lowrance AND Navionics chip capability (choices are a must) AND dont forget about StructureScan (included at $2100), StructureMap (overlay YOUR maps on chart) and a plethora of other things not even conceivable on this unit. The one thing you couldnt do is the multiple cameras thing so I will give you that.

To do the open water thing you are going to be approaching $2500 by the time you add that module to the RT-9.

It is what it is. I am one of the biggest supporters of marcum and own their products. When they came out with the LX7 I felt they missed the mark by no GPS. Now this unit comes out and its overpriced IMO. If it was $500 cheaper I think would be about right. I do really like the idea of Wifi for camera though. Those cables tend to get in the way and you could put it outside the house so that is nice.

BTW, "you dont have to worry about busting up your big $$ boat electronics in the cold..." umm, these are just as big $$ and in some cases more. Id be more afraid of a tablet performing in the cold than my hds since that has proven to work perfect.

I really think what Marcum is trying to do here is provide ONE solution that will work anywhere, anytime. Which is super. Gone will be the days of a vexilar getting put in storage over the summer and throwing your graph in the basement when winter comes.This is what some of us have realized already since we use our open water electronics on the ice for years already.

For now I use my HDS units in the boat all summer, then convert one to ice use while the other rides on the ATV for navigation purposes. I use the LX3 primarily hole hopping, etc or if its just me fishing (no kids) over the other HDS in the house.

[DTro]

The 9” crappie reference had nothing to do with brands and everything to do with ice fishing. All the banter about this and that and the other and what you have left is propaganda about catching 8” sunnies and 10 inch crappies (since everything else is mainly caught on tipups and bobber rigs).

Oh and I don’t know what version Navionics you have on your phone, but on most lakes, mine is pretty dang detailed.

Hey, I’ve always been one of the guys pushing for an all in one device and its great they finally have done it. Kudos

Now…during the coming year, kindly link me to an Ice Force member pointing out some negatives about the unit and I’ll be impressed.

[Putn'am ondaLine]

The outdated Tablet's are most likely leftovers from some oversea warehouse, the reliance on having users purchase GPS chips takes Marcum out of paying any licensing fees and the modular setup means additional HUGE markups on existing functionality/parts they have leftover form their existing product lines.

You think "All of these features using the same battery" is a good thing? Maybe so for the 45 mins the battery lasts trying to keep power to everything, oh wait, you can buy additional batteries too, I bet Marcum even sells them?!? They'll be special RT9 "optimized" batteries, with of course a price uplift..

Nice try Marcum! go find another sucker....

It isn't a mechanical flasher, the LX9 with Camera and flasher simultaneously running will go 2 full days of use before needing to recharge and that's with the standard battery issued with the unit. The RT-9 is sending all the juice to just 1 screen still, so "running all these features" isn't going to use more LEDs than are already being used. These don't suck up a bunch of juice like the double vision or other standard mechanical flashers...

Hypothetical analysis works best when you actually know what you're talking about... If you've ever run an LX 9, you would know that battery life is not even remotely an issue, I wouldn't expect the RT9 to be either.... However again back to the double-weight-vision... you would need 3 batteries if you wanted to use the camera, flasher, and your boat's electronics for the Nav chip, and you would also need 3 screens... logic says that your sled would weigh a lot less with 1 unit that only needs 1 battery that will run for more than just all day.

[Walleyehooker]

If I thought one of these would catch me more fish than my LX5 I would probably buy one. You can get lake maps and GPS on your smart phone for almost free. And underwater cameras are cheap and don't even work well on most lakes. I don't see these units being worth much in a couple years and this stuff should be getting cheaper and not more expensive. I don't think its far off where you can just buy a tablet and connect the options you want like a transducer etc. Might even have wireless ducers etc some day. Untill then Ill stick with the proven and reliable stuff.

[Walleyehooker]

The only ones I see bragging about this stuff is their pro staff but I guess since Mille Lacs is in the toilet they have to have something to do. lol

[CaptainMusky]

the LX9 with Camera and flasher simultaneously running will go 2 full days of use before needing to recharge and that's with the standard battery issued with the unit.

I know a guy who has one. Been with him when he used it and unless your days are 4 hours long this is completely FALSE.

Are you saying his is defective? Im not saying the LX9 is junk, I think its awesome. I am in love with it everytime I watch it in use, but the statement of them last two full days is a complete exaggeration.

[Putn'am ondaLine]

The 9” crappie reference had nothing to do with brands and everything to do with ice fishing. All the banter about this and that and the other and what you have left is propaganda about catching 8” sunnies and 10 inch crappies (since everything else is mainly caught on tipups and bobber rigs).

Oh and I don’t know what version Navionics you have on your phone, but on most lakes, mine is pretty dang detailed.

Hey, I’ve always been one of the guys pushing for an all in one device and its great they finally have done it. Kudos

Now…during the coming year, kindly link me to an Ice Force member pointing out some negatives about the unit and I’ll be impressed.

Well I guess we fish in completely different waters, with astronomically different results. I use tip ups occasionally, usually in the early season. At least 98% of the fish I catch on ice are on a rod using electronics, hole hopping around to get on the fish instead of waiting for them to eventually swim by. I fish dozens upon dozens of local lakes; species include Walleye, Pike, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Splake, Brook Trout, Whitefish, Tulibee, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Slab Crappies, Bull Gills, and Jumbo Perch. Electronics play a crucial role in catching lots of fish and big fish and most of the people I fish with feel the same way, even though we all may use different brand electronics. If you catch all your big fish on tip ups and bobbers, you don't need any electronics, and as I mentioned before people can catch big fish consistently with those methods, but it requires a lot more time in learning a body of water or two to reach that kind of success without electronics. And you definitely won't see consistent results fishing brand new waters in that manner. Many of us fishermen like to get out of town and fish someone else's lake for a little change.

The size of fish is relative to the waters you fish, an 8" sunfish is a throwaway up here, as are 9-10" crappies.

The navionics apps are detailed, but I can't tell you how many times someone has walked up to me while looking at their nav screen on the phone and said "hey man, you're catching walleye here in 15 fow?" and I have to slowly explain that it is 23 feet deep here and that their phone is off by about 10 yards. The chips in my boat however, are almost always dead on.

When I started out with the LX6 I spent some time on different forums, reading a lot of red posts about how they were dealing with certain situations or issues before they were fixed by free patch updates. "Ice Force guys" were quite helpful in explaining how to adjust the settings to combat different issues until the issues were resolved via firmware updates. Nothing new comes out of the box perfect the first time, especially digital electronics, and they can't test for a million scenarios in a lab, so user input is highly valued for making bug fixes. However, the Marcum units are run by firmware that can run fixes to your unit by simply plugging it in and downloading the updates. I'm not saying go out and buy one, you will catch more fish... that simply isn't the case, a bobber or tip up will likely catch the same amount of fish whether you use a flasher or not... However if you want to learn more about how a fish reacts to your presentation, and find yourself reading what the fish on your screen wants you to do by its reaction alone, well you're going to want a crisp and clear tool designed for just that.

[JoeMX1825]

Hypothetical analysis works best when you actually know what you're talking about... If you've ever run an LX 9, you would know that battery life is not even remotely an issue, I wouldn't expect the RT9 to be either.... However again back to the double-weight-vision... you would need 3 batteries if you wanted to use the camera, flasher, and your boat's electronics for the Nav chip, and you would also need 3 screens... logic says that your sled would weigh a lot less with 1 unit that only needs 1 battery that will run for more than just all day.

Are you sure you know what you're talking about? You don't think a tablet that's running a camera/flasher/gps on a 9" screen isn't going to kill a battery faster than individual units? Marcum you've found your sucker....

[CaptainMusky]

The navionics apps are detailed, but I can't tell you how many times someone has walked up to me while looking at their nav screen on the phone and said "hey man, you're catching walleye here in 15 fow?" and I have to slowly explain that it is 23 feet deep here and that their phone is off by about 10 yards. The chips in my boat however, are almost always dead on.

This is a product of the accuracy of the GPS in a handheld device coupled with the screen size over the app itself. The app is capable of being more accurate. No doubt if you had a larger screen (iPad) you could get same accuracy but that is dependent upon the quality of the GPS in the device NOT the app.

On top of that, I use multiple different brands of chips rather than rely on one. I use the Navionics app on my phone. I have Navionics maps for my GPS units. They are identical for the areas I fish.

[amateurfishing]

I guess I don't see the problem with the tablet, as long as it does what it is asked what more do you need? The unit is already priced high, I can't imagine how high it would be if it was a high end tablet.

I can't imagine the logistics nightmare of letting people use their own tablets, that sounds like a customer service disaster in the making.

There isnt a tablet out there that costs $1,000 which is what they are pricing this at if you subtract the cost of the ducer module which comes with it at 1599.

They would have been a lot smarter to just configure their ducer and camera to fit current tablets with usb connectivity or wireless and apps to go along with them. $300-500 just for a module is steep also, replacable parts for other units r much cheaper, this will b a dinosaur before its barely used and will only drive down cost of other models for us

[FshBloodRiverMud]

If I add anything electronics wise to my ice fishing, it'll be the Humminbird 360.

Otherwise, I already have the best GPS. (HBird w/lakemaster)

Adequate Camera: Aqua Vu Micro 2

Marcum VX1 marks fish just like the latest and greatest units do.

I run and gun. Nothing about this latest marcum is worth more than $250 to me...But i'll gladly spend $1k on the 360

[Putn'am ondaLine]

I know a guy who has one. Been with him when he used it and unless your days are 4 hours long this is completely FALSE.

Are you saying his is defective? Im not saying the LX9 is junk, I think its awesome. I am in love with it everytime I watch it in use, but the statement of them last two full days is a complete exaggeration.

My first guess is that his battery is shot; I've never heard of an LX9 running for only 4 hours, I would be shocked if I had heard about one only running for 10. I ran my LX6 10-13 hours a day for 3 straight days without a charge last year and never went into low battery mode. The people I've fished with their LX 9's never had the voltage drop below 12 after a full day of fishing. If he was only getting 4 hours, he should send that battery back to Marcum. I've had several batteries in my day go bad after only using them for a short while or up to a year, the only one ever replaced for free was the one I got with my Lx5 before I sold it to get an LX6.

[CaptainMusky]

My first guess is that his battery is shot; I've never heard of an LX9 running for only 4 hours, I would be shocked if I had heard about one only running for 10.

Correction, you said two full days. 4 hrs per day = 8 hrs.

He ran on multiple occasions one day (8 hrs or so) and it was essentially dead at the end of the day. And this was using the camera only sparingly or even not at all on one trip (LOW). Not that I think that is bad because my little LX3 was getting down there, I am just saying your "two full days" is a complete exaggeration.

[Putn'am ondaLine]

[quote name='CaptainMuskyCorrection' date=' you said two full days. 4 hrs per day = 8 hrs.

He ran on multiple occasions one day (8 hrs or so) and it was essentially dead at the end of the day. And this was using the camera only sparingly or even not at all on one trip (LOW). Not that I think that is bad because my little LX3 was getting down there, I am just saying your "two full days" is a complete exaggeration. [/quote']

For me, 8-10 hours is a justified full day, my personal full days often run into 12+ hour days, which is why I would be shocked if someone said they got less than 10 hours on a full charge. Maybe if someone had screen resolution set to 100%, max ping, and everything turned on full blast, with the DVR running I could see a battery that isn't defective running less than 10 hours. But you should never need all the settings maxed out like that. You can easily get much longer run time out of your unit with proper settings, much longer could very well mean 2 full days.

[LMITOUT]

The outdated Tablet's are most likely leftovers from some oversea warehouse,

Still waiting to see the specs on this tablet...

[AlligatorDundee]

Whats impressive is Versa Electronics

Research AND Development FUND$.

[fisherman-andy]

Marcum's Pan Cam: http://youtu.be/wDypyHV92vU

One of the features I find neat about the RT9 is the ability to link up via wifi to the new Pan Cam. You could actually have multiple pan cams (cameras) link up to the RT9 and be able to view them all. Now if your buddies have tablets or smartphones themselves they can also link up to your cams so everyone can view the feeds on their own devices. Your no longer stuck to 1 stationary camera.

If you want the latest and greatest and most features no doubt its gonna cost you an arm and leg. There are always consumers out there who can and will purchase such options. For those of us who are more budget minded and cant afford such toys well there's already the current product market for that such as the LX7 or LX9. And then there's the old school mechanical flashers too.

I can understand the angry, frustrated or trolling comments. Ice fishing simply is not cheap, but at least the options are all there for those who can afford it and those who cant.

[brian6715]

I ran my LX6 10-13 hours a day for 3 straight days without a charge last year and never went into low battery mode. The people I've fished with their LX 9's never had the voltage drop below 12 after a full day of fishing.

Lol, so you can get 39 hours on your LX6? If you are going to exaggerate at least try to be somewhat close, we are a fairly educated bunch here at HSO.

The LX-6 has a draw of 600 milliamps, so a 9 AH battery would get you 15 hours of use. If you somehow made it 39 hours, simple math would mean you had a battery with a capacity of 65 AH, which is getting close to the size of a group 24 deep cycle.

I have an LX-7, and there is no way you can go much more than a full day (10-12 hr) of fishing on it, even if it is a brand new 9 AH battery that is fully charged. Anyone who says otherwise is using wishful thinking or extremely brand loyal to the point where they exaggerate

[iffwalleyes]

I agree easy two day run time on my LX 6 never saw that with a mechanical flasher highly doubt that they are going to be that terrible. I know one thing and it has been mentioned here by many. This is what alot of us has asked for and then some for ice fishing. It give me the ability to use my ice depth finder year round. I ice fish all winter but I am in the boat probably 6 times a summer. I know the way I want to set it up right now with out a camera I will have about 1750 into it. I will be able to use it for both season. I don't knock the Lowrance touch one bit but that is still more I don't know were they are 2100 either. I don't have the high end stuff on my boat but it works this will supplement what I already have. The tablet thing is a bonus for me. I think it is awesome that it can be used as a tablet but that is not the reason I would be buy it either. I honestly will be buying it cause I have loved every Marcum I have ever owe and each one gets better than the one before. Plus I can watch you tube and play angry bird and hill climb

[Putn'am ondaLine]

The LX-6 has a draw of 600 milliamps, so a 9 AH battery would get you 15 hours of use. If you somehow made it 39 hours, simple math would mean you had a battery with a capacity of 65 AH, which is getting close to the size of a group 24 deep cycle.

If Vexilar or HB came out with this I would be all over it like a fly on cake. It's about the innovation of the product, soon all the top brands will have something just like the RT9 and better in their arsenal and the competition between them will bring the prices down.

Since all the specs on the RT9 haven't even been released yet, I can't see how so many "experts" have it all figured out.

I don't recall the total run time hours of that 3 days mentioned, which is why I didn't list a total run time in my post, but I definitely don't think it was close to 39 hours; to be fair and more accurate I could have more intricately stated that I fished for 10-13 hours per day... I don't leave the unit running while I'm popping my next string of holes, walking on and off the lake, or switching between lakes, or run a timer while the unit is turned on, so I'm sorry for the confusion in the way I worded the post. If you're going to nit pick, why not choose the comment that said the RT9 will only last 45 minutes... that's a pretty big exaggeration. Or the one that said the LX9 only runs for 4 hours, when the MAX amp draw of 800 milliamps from an LX9 would give 12.5 hours of continuous run time on a 9amp battery... Key word Max Amp Draw in these specs. If you're getting less run time than the max amp draw says you should be getting either your battery isn't fully charged or it is beginning to decay.

The LX6 has a MAX amp draw of 600 milliamps, which is what you would expect from having the screen brightness at 100%. Mine is usually running at about 30% because that's all I need, (sometimes I turn it up to 40 or 50) in turn the actual amp draw is much less than that, and the run-time is much higher.

My whole original point, which has escalated so far from its position by nit-picking on tinsel thin-off topic "corrections" is that I don't think this unit is designed to compete with other tablets on the but rather as a multi-purpose ice fishing unit. I also don't believe it is marketed as an affordable unit that everyone should have, but it is offering a whole new option in electronics that many have been begging for. I am in no way saying anyone should buy this because it is the latest and greatest, I am simply trying to make an argument against why comparing this to an Ipad or Samsung Tablet is ridiculous. I'm not trying to pose as an expert, I'm just giving my opinion. I am not trying to sell anything, but just make sense of what has been said, and I certainly didn't sign up on this site so I could spend my days defending my comments because internet assassins apparently go fishing now too.

[Putn'am ondaLine]

I agree easy two day run time on my LX 6 never saw that with a mechanical flasher highly doubt that they are going to be that terrible. I know one thing and it has been mentioned here by many. This is what alot of us has asked for and then some for ice fishing. It give me the ability to use my ice depth finder year round. I ice fish all winter but I am in the boat probably 6 times a summer. I know the way I want to set it up right now with out a camera I will have about 1750 into it. I will be able to use it for both season. I don't knock the Lowrance touch one bit but that is still more I don't know were they are 2100 either. I don't have the high end stuff on my boat but it works this will supplement what I already have. The tablet thing is a bonus for me. I think it is awesome that it can be used as a tablet but that is not the reason I would be buy it either. I honestly will be buying it cause I have loved every Marcum I have ever owe and each one gets better than the one before. Plus I can watch you tube and play angry bird and hill climb

That's exactly my scenario man, I literally spent more time working on my boat this summer from the outside, than I spent inside and it is in definite need for an upgrade in electronics.(the screen size on my HB798 just isn't ideal) I will spend more time fishing in 1 week on the ice than I will in a whole summer, so throwing down big bucks on my boat is hard to justify. For me, getting an RT9 would mean I would have a 9" screen instead of the 5" from the 798 for my navigation charts on my boat or on the ice.(I'm going to assume for now that the navionics in the RT9 will allow you to mark waypoints) I would also be able to use a camera (that I currently don't have) and sonar in the boat or on the ice too and not have a cluttered mess. I understand a lot of people will already have a camera, or already have sweet electronics on their boat and already have a top of the line Vexlar and even a sweet Tablet with the fastest processor on the market. But I don't. If I did, I wouldn't want to lug it all around a frozen lake pulling a sled with all that and the auger, gas, rods, tackle, bait, scoops, the day's catch and sometimes the pop-up shelter and heater/propane... that's a lot of stuff as it is.

[aanderud]

Lol, so you can get 39 hours on your LX6? If you are going to exaggerate at least try to be somewhat close, we are a fairly educated bunch here at HSO.

The LX-6 has a draw of 600 milliamps, so a 9 AH battery would get you 15 hours of use. If you somehow made it 39 hours, simple math would mean you had a battery with a capacity of 65 AH, which is getting close to the size of a group 24 deep cycle.

Actually, "simple" math says that you need to MULTIPLY hours by amperage to get amp-hour ratings. So, to get 39 hours out of a battery at 600 milliamps, you need about 24 amp-hours (instead, you divided 39 by .6 to get 65). Of course this assumes you run the battery to 0 capacity, which is unlikely. Regarless, if you're going to be snarky on the internet, claiming that 'we're educated' and comment about 'simple' math, at least get the multiplication versus division correct!

[CaptainMusky]

. Or the one that said the LX9 only runs for 4 hours, when the MAX amp draw of 800 milliamps from an LX9 would give 12.5 hours of continuous run time on a 9amp battery...

now I'm getting a bit irritated with your posts. Its interesting that you just start posting here and ALL of your posts are either on this topic or some other Marcum product.

If you are going to call out a post made by me at least comprehend what it contained. I called you out on the fact an lx9 could last "two full days" using camera AND sonar. I said "unless those days are 4 hrs". Meaning 8 hrs total because you were talking two days when I referenced someone I fished with and it was completely dead at end of day one (we fished approx 8 hrs that day camera used 0 times).

[iffwalleyes]

CaptainMuskey relax we get it the Lowrance is awesome and you get it for $2100. However this post is about the Marcum RT-9. I don't know why you care so much about this issue. I get it you think it is over price etc. So far on this thread you have felt the need to argue about everything on a unit that is just coming out and not many people have had their hand on it or know what all it can do. If you felt that buying the Lowrance was best for you perfect that awesome you like what you have I am really happy for you enough said.