FLx 28 or Marcum Lx6 or 7

[slammer]

Looking to upgrade.  What are your thoughts on theses units?  Im still using my Fl8 which is at least 15 years old.  Still works great but getting a little noisy.

[Scott O.]

I purchased the FLX-28 last season after using the 18 for several years and wow, what a night and day difference!  I really enjoy the auto depth range feature and digital depth readout.  No more taking time to guess the depth!  Weed mode rocks in shallow water weeds when I'm looking for 'gills.  The two zoom zones are great especially for suspended crappies when the 6 foot bottom zoom isn't enough.  Now the bottom 12 feet is there.  Great battery life and it's much quieter than the 18.  Color customization is nice (I have it on palette 3) and I don't have any interference from any other flasher thanks to 20 rejection modes.  I've seen the Marcum 6 and 7s in action and they are also very nice units and allow for lots of customization.  Biggest issue is time to learn the features and the price point.  Still hard to beat the quality of Vexilar or the service the company provides!

[hnd]

i like the lx6 and 7 but for me the lx5 or now the M5 is the unit of choice for me.   i think the flx28 is a great unit iwth the tribeam.  i think the proview is the worst transducer i've ever used.  i get the concept but my buddy has a the S-cable on his 28 to get it to work right. 

 

but my pick is the M5

[Hawg]

I like my Vex 28, super quiet and bright. I will say my 18 was foolproof and easier to use to do the same thing. They are expensive though. 

[Tom Sawyer]

7 hours ago, hnd said:

 i think the flx28 is a great unit iwth the tribeam.  i think the proview is the worst transducer i've ever used.  i get the concept but my buddy has a the S-cable on his 28 to get it to work right. 

The Tri-beam and the Proveiw are basically the same ducer, just that the Proview gives you infinite ability to dial down, or up your cone angle or sensitivity. The FLX28's low power and weed modes, are the "cat's meow" when dialed in properly. Lastly the color pallet options can be great when dealing with schools of different size fish gathered in confined areas, along with giving your eyes a break from the standard red. Here's my friend Cory Bechtold explaining what I mean....

 

 http://www.vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/s-is-for-suppression Don't think this could possibly work on the FLX 28.

 

 

 

 

[Hawg]

They can explain that over and over and I’m not buying it. I changed my ducer to the 12 like my 18. 

[vtx1029]

Never been a fan of the the vexilars they all give me a headache. LX7 over the LX6 just because its got a bigger screen.

[Agronomist_at_IA]

On November 20, 2017 at 5:43 PM, Tom Sawyer said:

The Tri-beam and the Proveiw are basically the same ducer, just that the Proview gives you infinite ability to dial down, or up your cone angle or sensitivity. The FLX28's low power and weed modes, are the "cat's meow" when dialed in properly. Lastly the color pallet options can be great when dealing with schools of different size fish gathered in confined areas, along with giving your eyes a break from the standard red. Here's my friend Cory Bechtold explaining what I mean....

 

 http://www.vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/s-is-for-suppression Don't think this could possibly work on the FLX 28.

 

 

 

 

The proview is a POS. To start off..you can't control the cone angle for dump. Turning the gain up to get a wider cone angle makes the lure signal and other signals huge blobs. Even when the gain is turned to the lowest setting, the proview never narrows to a 9*

So in shallow water when a guy wants a wide bean and sharp signal returns the proview is a blobby POS. Because the gain needs to be high to get the wider beam.

In 30ft of water where you want a narrow beam to keep your buddies lure off your display the proview never gets narrow enough turned all the way down.

With a tri beam you can fine tune everything 1,000% better. 

I had a unit with a tri beam next to a unit with the pro view.........that night we were sending the pro view in for an exchange to get the tri beam

[Tom Sawyer]

Have you tied it using low power? 

[Agronomist_at_IA]

2 hours ago, Tom Sawyer said:

Have you tied it using low power? 

Yes and it sucks. Putting a pro view in Lp mode in shallow water means you are going to have a narrower cone. (Because LP mode is low power which is a 50% cut in power which less power equals narrower cone on a pro view)  To get a wide cone angle and sharp returns in shallow water is impossible with a pro view. To get a narrow cone in deep water if you need the gain up it is impoosible with a pro view.

basicly the pro view cant do what a person wants. Which is a wide beam low gain/lp mode in shallow water and a narrow cone higher gain in deep water. 

Edited November 23, 2017 by Agronomist_at_IA

[RikkusWI]

After using an FL8 for many years, I ugraded to the Marcum LX5.  Compared to my old Vex, I loved it.  Season #2, early Ice, it crapped out.  I scrambled to Bemidji to get a replacement.  I was standing in front of the FLx 28 and Marcum LX7 deciding on which one to buy.  And it dawned my why I was there, replacing a Marcum that was 1-Year, 1-Month out of the box.  I purchased the Vex FLx 28; and Absolutely Love It.  Quiet, Great Display & Resolution, and simple to use.

As for the Marcum, their service is great.  It was a membrane switch and they replaced to entire front of the uit and threw in a new transducer for the troubles.  The Marcum joins me on trips as a spare, or looking down that 2nd hole. 

Vex is tops,....

[Tom Sawyer]

On 11/23/2017 at 12:50 PM, Agronomist_at_IA said:

 Putting a pro view in Lp mode in shallow water means you are going to have a narrower cone. (Because LP mode is low power which is a 50% cut in power which less power equals narrower cone on a pro view)  To get a wide cone angle and sharp returns in shallow water is impossible with a pro view. To get a narrow cone in deep water if you need the gain up it is impoosible with a pro view.

Must of got a bad crystal... Never had any issues doing either with my ducer. At times your right, it almost has to much power; but by then I'm sight fishing anyway. Enjoy your switches!

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Nope crystal was fine a proview is just junk.

[ZachD]

Love my lx 6

[slammer]

Ok so im still looking.  What about the H-bird Ice Helix 7?  Anyone have one?   Basically the same price as the other units with a gps map included.  I already have the map chips so seems like a win -win.  Does this match the quality and performance of the other popular units?  Feedback appreciated.  Ice is forming fast!

[huntnfish]

I have always had vexilar's and will be picking up a 28 in the Next week or so. The first time I brought my 5 year old out last year was the last time I got to use my 22 so I ended up using my 18. After using the bigger screen on the 22 it was tough to go back to the 18. I have thought about switching brands but vexilar has always treated me well with the couple issues I've had so I don't see any reason to switch  

 

I have never fished alongside anyone with a bird but I'm sure they'll do everything that the others do. The GPS would be nice but I don't know that I would ever have it up on the front seat with me to look at the map. 

 

I dont think you'll regret whatever you choose. 

[slammer]

Ordered the Hbird Helix ice 7.  The combo of flasher/sonar/gps did it for me.   Excited to get out with it.  

[hnd]

On 11/20/2017 at 5:43 PM, Tom Sawyer said:

The Tri-beam and the Proveiw are basically the same ducer, just that the Proview gives you infinite ability to dial down, or up your cone angle or sensitivity. The FLX28's low power and weed modes, are the "cat's meow" when dialed in properly. Lastly the color pallet options can be great when dealing with schools of different size fish gathered in confined areas, along with giving your eyes a break from the standard red. Here's my friend Cory Bechtold explaining what I mean....

 

 http://www.vexilar.com/blog/2014/08/28/s-is-for-suppression Don't think this could possibly work on the FLX 28.

 

 

 

 

id rather fall through the ice and listen to tom yammer on and and on in his defensive videos. 

i've got extensive hours with the proview.  no thanks.  tying cone angle to the sensitivity knob is one fo the dumbest designs i've seen.  it has application sure, but its limited

[Agronomist_at_IA]

10 hours ago, hnd said:

id rather fall through the ice and listen to tom yammer on and and on in his defensive videos. 

i've got extensive hours with the proview.  no thanks.  tying cone angle to the sensitivity knob is one fo the dumbest designs i've seen.  it has application sure, but its limited

I'd agree........I'd like those who feel otherwise explain to me why a proview would even come close to a tri beam.