Marcum Fishfinder Review

[Budd Garrett]

Purchased an LX7. The features are great quality is terrible. The first unit got moisture under the lens first trip out. Sent it back to Marcum. They may have cleaned under the lens, certainly did not repair it, it still fogged up. Within a couple more trips the unit would no longer turn on. Lost the remainder of the seasons fishing due to poor workmanship/quality. Rapala eventually replaced the unit with a brand new one. Used it about 6 times the unit fogs up and the transducer no longer clicks when you turn it on. Cost me another $35.00 to send it back to Marcum. I am definitely not impressed with Marcum quality.  It is obviously buyer beware at Marcum.

[missoulafish]

Hmmm.....zero fogging issues here.

[NateD]

Have had my VX-1 Pro 2 years no issues..

[Loudmouth879]

on my 2nd year with my LX-7 and 100+ trips never have the unit fog up... and that's even with the plastic screen guard over top of it and moisture can get under that thing easily

[5gallon]

I'll make my first post a chime in... I've got an LX7 and my son has a LX6. Countless trips on both machines. Never a fogging issue in a wheel house, flip over, or hole hopping in 3 years. Something's odd.

[Thearcher1340]

Have the LX5-LX-6-LX-7 only had a problem with the lx -6 not charging hooked up with Marcum and they sent new wire harness worked like a charm.

[Budd Garrett]

I wish I could say the same with mine. Been using the guard it comes with. Still fogs up. Got a reply today from Marcum. The received the unit. Will take 14 days to ship it back. Gonna cost me a month of usage and eat up more warranty time. Certainly not impressed. Ice fishing season will soon be over....Bought a  showdown dual in November when they were on sale. It won't switch between cone angles. Used maybe 5 times. Will send it out after the lx7 comes back. Doesn't work well at 160 ft for lake trout anyway. Used it on Black Bay a month ago for perch, not worth the price but it did work.

[Buckshots]

If they sent you a new unit and it fogged up again, which I've ever heard of, it must be something on your end. Two brand new units and they have both "fogged" up on you?? And I don't know who you use as far as shipping, but if it's really costing you 35 dollars, your getting ripped off.

[Nysportxman]

No offense, but something about this seems fishy.

[BlackDogAlpha]

I have an LX-6. It has never fogged in: Pouring Rain, Driving Snow, Regular Snow, Regular Rain, Snow Fog, and Darkness. Never an issue with it, and never an issue with detecting lakers in 200+ feet of water. Perhaps there are issues with setting up your device for this task. A quick review of the owners manual may resolve most of your issues.

[3300]

it sounds like condensation from extreme changes in humidity environments and/or temps.
try setting it in front of a heat register or toss a few silica packets in it from the rubber flap underneath or both to remove the excess humidity it has.

i had a lx7 that never did that and now i have it converted into the lx9 and never had it do that and it's three years old now.

the display is just like your smart phone and pc monitor. if your getting too much water on the head unit from not using the snow shield, that maybe a factor too. water maybe is getting between the display and bezel and holding water inside the unit. the snow shield makes certain this doesn't happen.

so for now just try to dry it out slowly like in front of a heat register for a day or so.

also, you don't mail the battery. for the cost your paying for shipping, it sounds like that's what your doing. the head unit is very light weight on it's own.

marcum support is top notch and they love to talk ice fishing!

[32footsteps]

Weird indeed.  Mine fogged up last summer after using it in rain and then getting hit with some pretty wicked humidity...my other graphs also fogged up after that too.  I put it in a large ziploc bag with a few silica packets and it took care of it.  I've simply made it a habit to store it like that when not in use.  Overkill? Maybe. Unnecessary? Perhaps...but it's how I've stored all of my locators for years. 

[Papa John]

LX-5 for 5 years.......... flawless performance.

[Budd Garrett]

Went to Dollarama and picked up some shower hats. They fit on my friends LX7, gonna try them on mine when it gets back. Last week on Lake Superior it fogged up was around 0 Celsius.  Surely with the cost of these units they would never fog. If it still fogs after they return it (like my old one) rest assured I will take a pic and post it for the non believers.

[Budd Garrett]

Still have not recieved my LX7 from Marcums shop. Phoned them today, they said it should be shipping back to me by Friday. Lost another year warranty with very little equipment use this year. Good deal for Marcum, produce inferior products and just keep your fishfinder while under warranty. Soon your warranty will run out, then you pay again to repair the junk you already over paid for. Will keep you posted if they actually fixed it.

[3300]

how many times has your friends lx7 foged up? mine never has and if it did i would place it in front of a heat register to remove the moisture from inside of the unit and toss in some silica packets. you should have access to adding them from under the unit and going in thru the rubber flap. it maybe just your environment you store it in that is causing it to happen. there is a lot of air behind the screen or inside of the head unit unlike smart phones and tables that use the same type of displays.

how long has it been in the shop? if it's still in the shop, request a new display be installed. foging up is not standard.

you want to get rid of it sounds like?

[willrile4]

Should a bought a vexilar!! I just got the flx28 love it no complaints besides Cabelas trying to make sense of my order.

[ICE WANDERER]

             
               I've had an LX5 for 6 years now, no problems with it, my #2 son has his for 7 years and this year the screen stopped
               displaying, he sent it to Marcum and for the cost of $80 bucks he got it back in a week!
               My #1 son has one as well but he bought a flx28  and gave his 7 year old LX5 to his wife!

               IW

[rdhammah]

how about asking Marcum if they could extend the warranty an extra year under the circumstances?

[Gills-only]

There is bound to be a lemon with as many as they produce , I think u might have gotten one, unfortunately !!

[Royalwapiti]

I feel for ya, but they do make a great product.

I have a LX7 and probably abuse it more than I should by hole hopping and setting it in water and slush on the ice. My case and the base of my unit is soaked by the time i come off the ice.  Works wonderfully with no fogging. The snowshield came with it and i always have it on.  Only issue I ever had was water in the case where the ducer puck goes, the puck froze to the hole it sits in. 

I love it so much i just bought my a son a LX6s.  Cabelas has a good price on them right now. 

[3300]

I feel for ya, but they do make a great product.

I have a LX7 and probably abuse it more than I should by hole hopping and setting it in water and slush on the ice. My case and the base of my unit is soaked by the time i come off the ice.  Works wonderfully with no fogging. The snowshield came with it and i always have it on.  Only issue I ever had was water in the case where the ducer puck goes, the puck froze to the hole it sits in. 

I love it so much i just bought my a son a LX6s.  Cabelas has a good price on them right now.

just lay the ducer on it's side on the hole instead of having it upright. saves the ducer cable from hitting the head unit too and should keep pinch cuts at bay.
after i lay it in i use the arm and keep it extended and have it sitting in front of the ducer and it acts like a safety arm so it can't fall out in case the the soft side carrier opens up at the velcro.

[Budd Garrett]

Great to hear some of you are having success with your various Marcum products. I wish I could say the same. Again this unit has been replaced once already by Rapala, due to the first one being flaky and also getting moisture under the lens. I called their office 2 days ago and was told they were busy and the backlog was long, that doesnt tell me they make such a great product. Remeber the maytag repairman commercials? The features are excellent and probably about the best out there for zoom and noise rejection, the unit is built like cheap Chinese junk. I recieved an email from Marcum yesterday morning mine was ready to be shipped, it still is sitting on their shelf according to the tracking number. Not sure why they are holding it. They will soon have had it 3 weeks. We all know ice fishing season is short everywhere, they sure dont have much consideration for their loyal customers.  I will make a video for youtube with it showing if the lens still fogs up or not. The fogging normally has been with a long day of use and changing weather temperature without using a shack. I have an older VX1 pro it never fogs. A new 5.6 Dual and it fogs also and wont display what cone angle is in use, its only a few months old and headed back to Marcum again at my expense for their shoddy workmanship as spoon as the 7 gets back. Buyer beware. Some times you get what ya pay for and often ya dont.

[Budd Garrett]

Lowrance units have a waterproof standard of IPX7, not exactly sure what that means besides the Elite 4X Chirp on my boat never fogs. Marcums appear not to have any waterproof standard. Do they think we will leave them in the house? Surely they know we will have them around water. Gonna email Marcum and see whats up.

[Budd Garrett]

There ya go. Water resistant says nothing. Not waterproof says it all. A fish finder not waterproof? Are they for real? Doesnt even need to be submerged to take on water..... Shame on Marcum. Blowing and drifting snow ice fishing on Lake Superior, changing temperatures is when it fogs the most. The seals are also not water proof or they would have said so and mine would not fog. No wonder it fogs up.


Good afternoon Budd,
 
The LX-7 is built to be water resistant however not waterproof. There are seals on the screen, between the front and back plastics and on the connections. If submerged though, the unit will take on water.

[RadarRider]

Hope that they make it work for you.