IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: njg0621 on Jan 02, 2018, 09:51 AM
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I have a Marcum LX-6 that has worked flawlessly until yesterday. The unit powers on but doesn't actually do anything. The transducer makes the clicking noise like it is working but doesn't read anything. I have disconnected battery, checked all wires, disconnected and reconnected all plugs. I don't have another transducer to see if that is the problem and I hate to spend all that money just to see if it's the problem. Has anyone else ever had this issue? Any ideas?
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Try a different battery to eliminate that possibility. Wire it to a car battery if you don't have a spare.
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How could it be the battery when the unit powers on no problem? It turns on no problem its just like the transducer isn't working properly.
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Try a different battery to eliminate that possibility. Wire it to a car battery if you don't have a spare.
X2
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Many issues with faulty Marcum chargers.
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You could always give MarCum a call and talk with someone.
Batteries (for anything) can do weird things sometimes. Think of a car, the battery might be able to run the radio, roll the windows down, and blast a little AC. Auxiliary power may work ok but it might not have enough juice to roll-over the engine to actually start the car. There is such a thing as not enough power.
I would try a new/different battery first. How old is the battery? I suppose it could also be an issue with the charger.
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The battery is fully charged and worked the day before. If the unit wasn't turning on then I could see the battery but since it turns on no problem I just didn't think the battery could be the problem. I might have to buy a new battery and transducer and see if one fixes the issue.
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The battery is fully charged and worked the day before. If the unit wasn't turning on then I could see the battery but since it turns on no problem I just didn't think the battery could be the problem. I might have to buy a new battery and transducer and see if one fixes the issue.
I would chat with Marcum ...call...Email ..PM them via FaceBook..did you check your battery with a volt meter ?...if the voltage drops past 11 volts...can cause issues w/analog flasher ...thinking digitals even worse. How old is the battery ?
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I have a lx3, worked great shallow but not deep. Found bad wire right at battery connection, fixed it, now works like a charm for Lakers deep. Just because it works doesn't mean it works right
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Battery is 4 years old
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Battery is 4 years old
Will the unit turn on with the charger hooked up to the battery ?
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I would echo the check the battery first with a volt meter comments.
My lx6 wasn't reading anything with the wide cone after the transducer fell off from my chair and hit the ice. Marcum replaced the transducer when I sent it in for warranty work and it's working like a charm again
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I have a Marcum LX-6 that has worked flawlessly until yesterday. The unit powers on but doesn't actually do anything. The transducer makes the clicking noise like it is working but doesn't read anything. I have disconnected battery, checked all wires, disconnected and reconnected all plugs. I don't have another transducer to see if that is the problem and I hate to spend all that money just to see if it's the problem. Has anyone else ever had this issue? Any ideas?
I literally had the exact same problem with my LX7 earlier this season, EXACTLY as you are describing. Swapped out batteries and no fix. Contacted Marcum and they said to send it in. So that's what I did.
I'm now on day 13 without my flasher and just today I received an email stating "We anticipate your unit being repaired in about one week, and then will be returned to you."
Talk about disappointing. Picked up an Flx28 in the meantime and will likely not go back to another Marcum unit when it finally comes back.
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I had a bad ducer on my 7...same issue as you. Had to send it in.
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It sounds like a transducer to me. My LX7 will just shut off if the battery gets too low. Marcum customer service is very good and definitely are willing to work with you. Every company does have issues from time to time and eventually need to have some work done on them. The digital picture is so much clearer with the LX6 and LX7 vs the flashers. Good luck
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Is there anything on the screen when you turn it on? Could you put into into demo mode to make sure the head unit is working?
It sounds like your transducer is getting power since it is "clicking".... so I don't think your battery is bad. Unfortunately I think it's your transducer. Can you try a transducer from a friend or even a local store?
It's getting to be prime time around here, so that's got to be frustrating. Hopefully you don't mind tip-ups in the meantime. :tipup:
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This is from the.... cough....hack.... Vexilar website......(a joke,... I am not anti Vexilar, just prefer Marcum)
"If the transducer always clicks yet you still only get a light at the top, the transducer has probably lost its sensitivity. Unfortunately there is no fix for this and is best to replace the transducer."
If it's not the battery, this is the likely issue. An issue experienced by more then just Marcum. And you could have damaged the transducer yourself. Hook a fish, get excited, pull the transducer out of the he and throw it to the side. You can say you never do that, and maybe that's true. But I've seen the pros on YouTube do the exact same thing. One would think they would know better.
Also from Vexilar site....
"The biggest "killer" of transducers is impact damage."
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Battery is 4 years old
I would test the voltage..a 4 year old battery which not properly maintained ...ie ch arged each and every outing...or an older unit sitting on a shelf for a year or more ...put into service ..for 4 years ... could mean a 5-6 year old battery or a faulty charger ..Marcum chargers are notorious for this .
https://marcum.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/288#gs=eyJndWlkZUlEIjo1LCJxdWVzdGlvbklEIjo5LCJyZXNwb25zZUlEIjo4OCwiZ3VpZGVTZXNzaW9uIjoiSFRueEdRQm4iLCJzZXNzaW9uSUQiOiJfRmttR1FCbiJ9
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90% of sonar issues are battery related.
the lx6/7/9 has a volt meter built-in. it's part of the hud system. it will tell fractions of a volt. you should use it to see how many volts it has. it should start with 12.7 volts. it should remain very close to that voltage for some time and slowly fade after it's turned on. if it is closer to 12 volts when you turn it on, then the battery is worn out. batteries fade away with charging like ni-cads do. they are fast to take a charge and fast to lose it is how you know it's time for new.
you can leave it on and watch how fast the battery drains as a load test.
run the floor test to see if the transducer is shot. clicking is the emitter section of the transducer not the receiver section.
there is another topic where only one side is functioning for another person. this is from impacting it. not taking care of the crystal is why this happens. or cutting a wire. or not having it installed tightly.
slowly loosing it's sensitivity over time is the norm for them. not working one day and not the next. you were there and know more than any of us what happened. do a visual inspection of the ducer cable and make sure every thing is tight. try flipping over the battery connectors so they get a different bite on the battery. try a factory reset if all else fails.
let us know what you discover.
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A lot of blah blah from Marcum. you want to find out if the battery is really up to snuff, do a load test on it if you have a load tester or take it to your local battery shop, most will do it for free. I've seen many a battery after being charged for a day, the charger turns green or says ok, you go to use it and poof, jack schitt. It's known as surface charge, it will give you well over 12.6 volts on a volt meter but as soon as you put a load on it, it drops.
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A lot of blah blah from Marcum. you want to find out if the battery is really up to snuff, do a load test on it if you have a load tester or take it to your local battery shop, most will do it for free. I've seen many a battery after being charged for a day, the charger turns green or says ok, you go to use it and poof, jack schitt. It's known as surface charge, it will give you well over 12.6 volts on a volt meter but as soon as you put a load on it, it drops.
it's a little early in the day, wouldn't you think lol, but i am not from marcum. it is a very nice compliment tho, thanks so much!
i told the man how to do a load test w/o leaving his home and w/o asking for help from yet another place. and i gave him the explanation you did. must be if you say it it sounds better.
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, but i am not from marcum.
3300 - the frequent confusion is probably related to the image tagged with your posts. It looks official.
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3300 - the frequent confusion is probably related to the image tagged with your posts. It looks official.
thanks for the input!
every one likes to use their gear for signature banners (that knows how and wants to do so) here, so i am no different. right now it is harder for many to get them back like they used to have before the photobucket collapse.
take a look at my profile image and wording under it now and that should help with any confusion. i would have been offended if i were a sponsor here tho, like marcum is.
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haha love the " not affiliated Marcum tech sig"..lol.you have lots of knowledge on them is all..
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Will the unit turn on with the charger hooked up to the battery ?
YES! I found that it will work properly if the charger is hooked up to the battery. I assume this means bad battery? I just bought a new battery to try that out.
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YES! I found that it will work properly if the charger is hooked up to the battery. I assume this means bad battery? I just bought a new battery to try that out.
I am leaning toward the battery for sure ...but check all the connections ...should the new battery not fix the woes ..let us know how it works out for you.
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I agree with the battery or the fuse inline with the charger. My LX-7 was doing some funky things when the voltage was too low. Check out your fuse and then the battery with the volt meter. My battery was running in the low 11’s last time out after charging all night. The display (vexiliar circle) either wasn’t reading anything at all, or was entirely lite up, think disco ball. Turned out that the inline fuse was blown. Replaced that, battery charged right up and everything is back to normal.
Lesson learned...always start with the basics.
(https://s18.postimg.cc/rt6vaph0l/CBE3_DBA2-0_BC3-4_B17-_B8_F9-1_BADD3_F7_EBC8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rt6vaph0l/)
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I replaced the battery and now it is working properly again. I thought I would let everyone know. Thanks for the advise guys!
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That’s great news!
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Love my marcum son LX5,LX6,LX7
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thanks for the update! glad it was a worn out battery.
like marcum says 90% of sonar issues are battery related.
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I was hoping that battery was the cause of my issues too, but I was one of the unfortunate 10%.
-Replaced bad resistor on mother board affecting ducer signal.
-Replaced bad transistor on mother board affecting lights on display.
Was glad to finally have it back after a while without it. Appears to be fine now.
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How true it is when big corporations buy out smaller top notch companies, cs always goes to crap. I was on the phone yesterday with Navionics for 50 minutes just to get to talk with a real person. Garmin bought them out in October. Got through to Lowrance today in 3 minutes, that was a record. I always thought Marcum was one of the good ones till I cut the camera cord of my vs625. I called and found they can't splice it back together, that'll be $285, plus $20 for shipping. My fault, OK. Got the camera but they sent the wrong circuit board to attach it to. Shipped the whole thing back to Marcum. Got a call from them, another $100+shipping for a new front panel board as well. I'm in so deep, so go ahead. Took it out for the first time a month ago. The display doesn't stay on unless I hold down the on/off button. Also a small bb sized projection is is coming through the front on/off panel that they replaced. I've got over another $500 in a unit that I think I paid $550 for new. I'm looking at Aqua View and maybe Vexilar to replace it, at least I know I'll get good service.
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How true it is when big corporations buy out smaller top notch companies, cs always goes to crap. I was on the phone yesterday with Navionics for 50 minutes just to get to talk with a real person. Garmin bought them out in October. Got through to Lowrance today in 3 minutes, that was a record. I always thought Marcum was one of the good ones till I cut the camera cord of my vs625. I called and found they can't splice it back together, that'll be $285, plus $20 for shipping. My fault, OK. Got the camera but they sent the wrong circuit board to attach it to. Shipped the whole thing back to Marcum. Got a call from them, another $100+shipping for a new front panel board as well. I'm in so deep, so go ahead. Took it out for the first time a month ago. The display doesn't stay on unless I hold down the on/off button. Also a small bb sized projection is is coming through the front on/off panel that they replaced. I've got over another $500 in a unit that I think I paid $550 for new. I'm looking at Aqua View and maybe Vexilar to replace it, at least I know I'll get good service.
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Interesting that so much focus was on the battery. I had the very same issue occur to my Lx-6s after using 6 or 7 days with the Marcum Lithium Ion Shuttle. The unit turns on, will work fine in simulation mode, but will often be frozen or become frozen when using it on the ice. It happened first when the shuttle was 87% charged, but also occurred several times when the shuttle was fully charged. Ducer clicks and on a couple of occasions the sonar worked for a very short time before the unit froze.
I was guessing a bad ducer, but this is my second season with it. It hasn't been abused at all. In fact it really hasn't seen a full season. Replaced it with a Helix Ice unit, but this unit won't mount of the Marcum shuttle and chews through batteries.
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Interesting that so much focus was on the battery. I had the very same issue occur to my Lx-6s after using 6 or 7 days with the Marcum Lithium Ion Shuttle. The unit turns on, will work fine in simulation mode, but will often be frozen or become frozen when using it on the ice. It happened first when the shuttle was 87% charged, but also occurred several times when the shuttle was fully charged. Ducer clicks and on a couple of occasions the sonar worked for a very short time before the unit froze.
I was guessing a bad ducer, but this is my second season with it. It hasn't been abused at all. In fact it really hasn't seen a full season. Replaced it with a Helix Ice unit, but this unit won't mount of the Marcum shuttle and chews through batteries.
i would have tried flashing it before giving up on it. doesn't cost a thing to do it. then, i would have sent it in after talking with marcum explaining the situation and allow them to make it right if resetting the unit with a flash/firmware reset didn't take care of it.
too late now tho.
maybe make a bracket to fit the shuttle. kinda surprised you didn't sell the shuttle with the marcum.