Choosing a Flasher - MarCum or Vexilar

[JayS]

I have had the Marcum LX-5 for a couple of weeks now and I wonder why I waited for so long. It is the first flasher I have owned so I can’t compare it to others. BTW, the knobs have not fallen off after using it a half a dozen times. My question to the group is hopefully simple. When do you charge the battery? My battery was at 60% on Friday so I decided to charge it up before going out on Saturday. Is it better to drain it down before charging it up? We are renting a cabin on Mille Lacs this weekend and will not be able to charge it. It is at 90% right now. Should I turn it on at home and get it down to 0 or just top it off? Thanks

[dkf]

Keep it charged up all the time. I charge my batts after every use and once a month in the off season. (In Storage)

[Deitz Dittrich]

yep.. what dkf said.

[RandyR]

I have been reading some of the customer service comments and wanted to add my experience with MarCum.

I bought a MarCum LX-1 (nice unit, 1500 watts, three color, no zoom) at the St. Paul ice show three years ago. This season I noticed the sensitivity was faltering and the unit finally quit working two weeks ago. The warranty period at the time of purchase was two years, so I bought a VX-1 to take advantage of the great price after rebate and just for the heck of it sent the LX-1 in for a repair estimate.

MarCum repaired it as a warranty repair, my only cost was UPS shipping to Brainerd. Total time from shipping to the return of repaired unit, 5 days with a weekend included.

MarCum has secured a lifetime customer. I do customer service with a manufacturing company for a living and I understand the power of a little extra effort to make sure your customer gets what they need, and I appreciate it.

The VX-1 is a great little unit for the money, so I have no regrets now that I have ended up with two good flashers.

[Jason Hubbard]

Well I can tell one thing. The fl-20 can take a darn good fall. Mine fell off the 4 wheeler last weekend at Mille Lacs doing 35 mph. Although I was gun shy when I finally turned around to get it and opened the case. Man that thing is durable, I Love it. Did not harm it what so ever ...Would not trade it for nothing...Great Product

[FishGUY]

I got a LX-5 this year and really like it. The past few weekends I have been fishing with friends using their FL-18 and x67. The units all seemed to work fine close together with a little adjusting. The adjustable zoom, dual beam transducer, and SuperFine Line features are what sold me.

Good fishing.

[marcumx*]

I can't wait for the cold temps to bring some ice back in so I can get out and use a bunch of new equipment I stocked up on this year. The GS-X is all charged and ready to go as well.

[MNMAV93]

i just bought the fl-18 ultra pack right after christmas and cant wait to get it out on the ice and try 'er out. thanks again to all of you who helped me out on choosing a flasher.

[MNMAV93]

i just had it out on a golf course pond and was fishing 15 fow and caught a large mouth and 5 bluegills. i was really impressed at how accurate the readings were and how easy it was to use and operate. i can just not see going back to no flasher. i am really pleased with this product.

nip

[ziminmn]

This is a little off topic, but relates to interference rejection so here goes.

I've been using an FL-8 for about ten years and it still works as good as the day I bought it, except when I'm fishing in an area with other flashers being used. It seems to have lost its ability to filter out the interference. The multi-step rejection button seems to have no effect and sometime I get less interference with the interference rejection turned off.

Has anyone else had the interference rejection go out? At first I just chalked it up to more and more people using flashers, and more powerfull ones also. But I was at the contest in Brainerd this weekend and my FL-8 was useless in 50' of water. So much interference that I couldn't see a reasonably large jigging spoon. Others with FL-8 had much cleaner displays than I did. Is this something that can be repaired? Or do I need to bite the bullet and replace it?

[dkf]

Quote

This is a little off topic, but relates to interference rejection so here goes.

I've been using an FL-8 for about ten years and it still works as good as the day I bought it, except when I'm fishing in an area with other flashers being used. It seems to have lost its ability to filter out the interference. The multi-step rejection button seems to have no effect and sometime I get less interference with the interference rejection turned off.

Has anyone else had the interference rejection go out? At first I just chalked it up to more and more people using flashers, and more powerfull ones also. But I was at the contest in Brainerd this weekend and my FL-8 was useless in 50' of water. So much interference that I couldn't see a reasonably large jigging spoon. Others with FL-8 had much cleaner displays than I did. Is this something that can be repaired? Or do I need to bite the bullet and replace it?

----------------------------------------------------------

The switch may not be working properly. Send your Fl-8 into Vexilar with a description of whats wrong and have them check it over. It shouldn't cost much and is cheaper than a new unit.

[Flinny]

Zim,

I was also at the brainerd tourny with my new FL20. I had four of my friends by me all with FL8-20's, and many others in very close range. None of our vexlair's could clear up the interference enough to see what we were doing. So I wouldn't send it in quite yet. I seems as if it was just the tourny. Too many in one area with everone hitting the interference every minnute. Must be why they don't mind that you bring them.

Chris

[minnow_03]

I have a lowrance x67c and I have Loved it. Fished next to vexilars and both did the job of showing the bait and fish. Interference is not a problem, the trick is that you can only adjust the interference rejection on the summer fishing screen and then have to go back to the flasher screen.

[coldmark]

Hey minnow_03,

How did your x67c compare to the vexilars? I need to make my final decision in the next couple of days. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[minnow_03]

One of my friends had a fl-8 and the other had a fl-18. The x67 did not get interference if i turned the ir up. Again, remember that you can only adjust ir in the summer mode. In very cold weather turn the unit on before you go out, as this keeps the lcd from slowing down. It uses very little battery. I accidentally left it on from the night before and it still had juice to fish the night. I also use my x67 in the summer and that is one of the main reasons I got it instead of a vex or marcum. x67 has bottomzoom like the fl-18, and I really liked it when targeting walleyes. One thing that is nice about the x67 that you do not get with other flashers is when you are fishing in a house with lots of lines, you can put it on the summer scrolling mode and more easily distinguish lines. For just ice fishing, the vexilar or marcum would probabally get the nod. Which ever way you go, I think you will be pleased

If you want to see what it looks like go to http://www.lowrance.com/Software/PCSoftware/Install/X67C/X67C_demo.asp and dowload the emulator. you can play around with the options and see what it looks like

[BoxMN]

I have a new LX5 and used it for the first time tonight. I see there is a little "dot" area by the dual beam button, but when I press it, it doesn't light up. Is it supposed to? I see the change ini the display, but no little lite like the SFL button next to it has. Any advice?

Also, if you guys use the zoom and set it to the bottom, do you go a little past bottom to get more of the bottom signal on the lower zoom, or just right at bottom?

Was fishing in shack with FL8 (new one) and no probs whatsoever for him. I am still learning mine, so had to hit the IR button a few times, but then found I have sens too high. Still some learning to do.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Yes when you hit the NBT button, the little light should come on. When I zoom on the bottom, I zoom slightly past so I can see if the bottom changes colors(bottom hugging fish) Only set your gain high enough so that you can confortably see your jig.

Call MarCum cust service on the NBT light.

[BoxMN]

Thanks Dietz. Called, and they said it should come on, but that I might want to wait and send it in after the season if everything else is working properly.

For the bottom hugging fish, if Ihave red bottom, and then flickering yellow right at the bottom, is that mosst likely fish or weeds? I know I had fish come up out of it a caught one, but it seemed the yellow was always there, so I am thinking a weed. It was only a thin yellow line that on zoom in 19 FOW on bottom, and we were catching some walleyes, small ones. But it was always there kind of flickering. I am still learning. Next time I will bring camera too, just to help me learn faster.

Thanks!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Box- It could be either bottom or fish. An underwater camera will help in the learning curve for sure. If you are seing yellow on the bottom, it could be weeds or fish, or just the bottom? Depending on if you are on a drop off or if the bottom is quite silty?

[RonZych]

The lx5 with a larger fl20 screen would be the perfect product.

[marcumx*]

Gander Mountain GSX Rebate Offer

If anyone submitted their rebate and got a postcard in the mail saying their UPC was incorrect - there was a mistake with the processing center:

Marcum's rep John Peterson gave me the following address to send the postcard back to and they will promptly issue the rebate:

MarCum Tech VX-1 Rebate Offer

P.O. Box 4877 Dept K

St Cloud, MN 56398

The Gander Mountain models were inadvertantly left out of the rebate info given to the processing center and he apologized for any inconvenience that this has caused.

Just thought I'd pass the information along in case anyone else had the same problem.

[katoguy]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Well I decided to use an Xmas gift certificate that I received towards one of the Marcums at Gander Mountain.

---

If you picked up the VX-1 which is a MarCum product instead of the Guide Series GSX you would have found the rebate in the box, enough said. Sounds like your Gander got carried away with the rebate stickers. I would be mad at them but not at MarCum it's not there fault.

---

Ahh, good to hear that MarCum will be reimbursing those that got denied. If the rebate form specifically called out the GSX series (it did), then they should honor the rebate.

Some times there is incorrect info floating around on forums.

[Lucky12]

I have a Marcum LX2 and have had no problems whatsoever

[jnorm1984]

Its gotta be a vexilar, reliable and accurate

[coldmark]

Quote:

---

Its gotta be a vexilar, reliable and accurate

---

For what it's worth...I called Gander Mtn this morning and talked to the guy in the fishing department. He said he fished this weekend with the x67c, Aqua-Vu, and a Vexilar all side-by-side. In his opinion, the Vexilar won hands down, no contest. He didn't say anything about Marcum, I should have asked him.