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Author Topic: vexilar vs marcum  (Read 7201 times)

Offline jackfrost

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vexilar vs marcum
« on: Jan 02, 2010, 07:26 AM »
New to this site and I think it is the best thing since ??remote car starters??
I have been ice fishing upstate ny and Minnesota for 20 years and have been a dedicated vexilar user for the last 5.
I am in the market for a new vexilar but I keep hearing about the Markum. Never used a Markum and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on what is the better unit for the buck!

Offline icejunky

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #1 on: Jan 02, 2010, 07:52 AM »
you are going to get about a 100 different responses all pointing you in different directions...your best bet is to head out to a shop where you can take a look at a marcum up close and personal.

If you have been happy with  your Vex, what is the reason for the possible change? Im a vex user (FL18) has everything i could need in a flasher and 50 years backing it up.


Offline combsey

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #2 on: Jan 02, 2010, 05:54 PM »
have a vex fl-20 love it a buddy has a marcum he loves it so to each there own just find one that has what you want for the price thats reasonable and you'll be happy ;)
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Offline UP jigstick

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #3 on: Jan 02, 2010, 06:11 PM »


Here we go again

If you want to buy the best one, read about them, then read some more, buy the one you like best, take it out on the ice and learn how to use it. There is no right answer to the question of which one is the best. The best one is the one you own and know how to use. Do a little research and then pick one.




Offline wayneo637

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #4 on: Jan 03, 2010, 07:54 AM »
I have tried a marcum and the new show down....I'll stick to my vexilar I havent found anything that works as good as it does.
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Offline NORRM

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #5 on: Jan 03, 2010, 08:01 AM »
BRILLIANT!!!
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Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his shanty all day and drink BEER!!

Offline mealworm

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #6 on: Jan 03, 2010, 08:20 AM »
my buddy has a vexfl20 after seeing my marcum lx-5 in action he bought one the next day

Offline Junior58

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #7 on: Jan 03, 2010, 08:25 AM »
Marcum ..... There isn't anything (option or power wise) on a Vexilar FL-18 or even an FL-20 that is better then a Marcum LX5 or even the LX3-TC for that matter. You get way more for your buck with a Marcum. More power, more zoom, better clarity, better target separation. Vexilar only equals more money.
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Offline jackfrost

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #8 on: Jan 03, 2010, 09:08 AM »
Thanks for all the opinions! Good luck to all in finding the BIG ONE!!

Offline Sullymon

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #9 on: Jan 03, 2010, 09:18 AM »
Marcum ..... There isn't anything (option or power wise) on a Vexilar FL-18 or even an FL-20 that is better then a Marcum LX5 or even the LX3-TC for that matter. You get way more for your buck with a Marcum. More power, more zoom, better clarity, better target separation. Vexilar only equals more money.

Wrong ... there is no advantage to having more power unless you mostly fish 200-400 fow.  I fish 8-18 fow 95% of the time and use the low power setting for that reason ... the fish get VERY spooky on the full power setting in shallow water.  More power isn't necessarily a good thing, although the people at Marcum would like you to think so.   Power output is only one of the factors in the operation of a depth finder. It measures how much "punch" a sonar transmitter has. Other sonar specifications, such as receiver sensitivity, sonar resolution, and display resolution have just as big of an effect on the overall performance of the unit.  The 400 watts peak to peak power is MORE than sufficient in depths up to 200 fow. Vexilar is known as the "crème de la crème" for a reason.  Do your research and find out for yourself:

http://vexilar.com/pages/support/support_tips/article_022.html

http://vexilar.com/pages/extras/pdf/Vexilar_Brochure_0910.pdf

http://store.marcumtech.com/Product/899

http://store.humminbird.com/category/247625/Ice_Fishing_Flashers

http://www.showdownfishfinder.com/

Truth be known ... they ALL work, they all do the same thing.  Do your research and make an educated decision based on your personal preferences and budget.  People will tell you that "theirs" is the best, so find out for yourself ... the rest are all just OPINIONS.

Offline stevek

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #10 on: Jan 03, 2010, 09:32 AM »
I ordered an FL-18 UltraPack. The way I decided was to ask a friend who had used and/or fished with others using several different makes and models. He knew I wanted an all purpose flasher that I could use for everything from shallow panfish to lakers, and the answer was an FL-18. One of the things that helped me commit to buy one was shopping around for a year, they retain their value unlike anything else I've seen. I found a new one on an ebay store for $440- I used the factory reconditioned values for reference and spent $40 bucks more for a new one.
                       

Offline bird21s

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #11 on: Jan 03, 2010, 09:44 AM »
I've been using my hummingbird 161 gps fish finder. Have it all set with a lawnmower bat. In a small cooler. It does just what I need. Shows if anything is down their. I can watch my jig on the rts, with no delay. When a fish is their it shows just perfectly. Heck yesterday I got into a mess of smelt. Shoulda seen them chasing the jig up and down. Absolutly amazing. I'm comfortable with the ff don't need anything else. Unless the vex or marcum would bait my hook, then I would upgrade. Lol. Going on the 4th day without a recharge as well.

Offline AirManCam

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #12 on: Jan 03, 2010, 10:12 AM »
I have an fl-20, and I've had a few of my buddies use it, and they went out and bought one right after. I've used both, I don't think you can go wrong with either the lx-5 or the fl-20. The one thing i like about the lx-5 is that you can zoom anywhere in the water column.
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Offline Junior58

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #13 on: Jan 03, 2010, 10:13 AM »
I have done my homework. There has been no proven study that flasher power or any fish finder affects fish, personal beliefs hold no merit. Showdown, Humminbird, Lowrance, and Marcum all use high power and perform excellent. Although 400 watts may be "sufficient", proving that all other successful flasher makers are nuts will be tough. More power will give you better target I.D. 99% of the time. The lines of true 3 color and more power are much clearer with better resolution. If more power scared fish away they'rd be a lot of flasher companies out of business. Vexilar uses old low power technology. They'd rather put a beer holder on their FL-20 then spend mega $$$$ to update their entire line. They will eventually as their marketshare will continue to drop.
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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #14 on: Jan 03, 2010, 10:23 AM »
I have an fl-20, and I've had a few of my buddies use it, and they went out and bought one right after. I've used both, I don't think you can go wrong with either the lx-5 or the fl-20. The one thing i like about the lx-5 is that you can zoom anywhere in the water column.
I can agree with that statement.  I own an LX-5 and experienced an FL-20 the other day.  I don't a LOT of difference except for the zoom control.  It's not too often I want to zoom on anything but the bottom 10 ft. but I can see that some folks would want to get on some suspended crappies or other fish.

Offline Sullymon

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #15 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:06 AM »
I have done my homework. There has been no proven study that flasher power or any fish finder affects fish, personal beliefs hold no merit. Showdown, Humminbird, Lowrance, and Marcum all use high power and perform excellent. Although 400 watts may be "sufficient", proving that all other successful flasher makers are nuts will be tough. More power will give you better target I.D. 99% of the time. The lines of true 3 color and more power are much clearer with better resolution. If more power scared fish away they'rd be a lot of flasher companies out of business. Vexilar uses old low power technology. They'd rather put a beer holder on their FL-20 then spend mega $$$$ to update their entire line. They will eventually as their marketshare will continue to drop.

More power does NOT equal better resolution and target separation ... that is a fact.  That is not how sonar works.  More power however will give you better penetration in deeper water.  In order to get good target separation and resolution there must be a fine balance between gain, resolution, power, and depth.  My previous flasher didn't have a low power setting, so in shallow water, say 12 fow or less, it was spooking fish and making for a tough bite.  That is one of the reasons I bought a Vexilar FL-18 because it has a low power mode.  If you don't think fish notice the difference ... you are sadly mistaken.  I never said more power scares fish away.  I did however say that there is no advantage to high power other than deep water penetration ... that is a fact.

And by the way ... there have been MANY studies done on this very subject, and that goes for ANY sonar, fishfinders included.  It is a known fact that fish react to the pinging sound of a sonar beam overhead with negative response.  The deeper the water though, the less effect it seems to have.  

I'm not knocking the Marcum, they are good units.  Like I said before all flashers work ... but they all have advantages and disadvantages in certain aspects depending on your needs and budget.  I would only recommend a Marcum to people who mainly target deep water species such as lake trout.  For some reason you seem to assume the higher the power, the better it works ... go back and do some research chief.

You seem bent on trying to knock the Vexilar ... tell that to all of the hardcore anglers out there using them with GREAT success!  They are the market leader in the flasher market, last time I checked.  By the way, my flasher doesn't have a beer holder and it has three colors.

Offline JayErica1

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #16 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:12 AM »
You all should try rhe New Unit  "Polar Bear"  has all bells and whistles and even given very detailed dsplay of the size of fish in cone!

Offline esox_magnum

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #17 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:24 AM »
Marcum does not need the low power mode like a Vex, I owned them all and currently run 2 LX-5's they will blow a Vex away in shaloow weedy waters. As for target seperation yes there is a difference and I mean big difference. We fish gin clear water and can sight fish to 20'+ for giggles when my buddy got his FL-20 we set them up side by side 3' apart and seen who marked more fish. Keep in mind we could see everything below us crystal clear, the LX marked bottom hugging eyes and perch the FL did not mark. In shallow weeds I got my wife a FL-18 since she wouldn't let me buy her an LX-5 saying a flashers a flasher, first time out 8' weedy water she complained about her unit being a blob while mine was crisp and clear, needless to say that was the 1 and only day she used the FL, she made me get a new LX-5.
  Colors are different between the 2 Vex uses a 2 color blend to make 3 while Marcum uses a true 3 color LED, zooms are not the same either Vex blows up the picture making it fuzzy and blobby while Marcum uses a true zoom keeping things crisp and clean. Add in the Super Fine Line of the LX-5 and you can tell when theres 4-5 fish below you over 1 big blob the Vex shows.

 I have owned or fished with every Vex made and IMO Marcum makes the better unit. The VX-1p Marcum is the enty level of the line and is equal to the top of the line FL-18/20's of the Vex line up.

Offline Sullymon

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #18 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:29 AM »
You all should try rhe New Unit  "Polar Bear"  has all bells and whistles and even given very detailed dsplay of the size of fish in cone!

Do you have a link to this unit?

Offline Huntrefrig

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #19 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:42 AM »
New to this site and I think it is the best thing since ??remote car starters??
I have been ice fishing upstate ny and Minnesota for 20 years and have been a dedicated vexilar user for the last 5.
I am in the market for a new vexilar but I keep hearing about the Markum. Never used a Markum and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on what is the better unit for the buck!

the way to tell  which one is the best is to look in the used adds. the one with the fewest for sale are generally the ones to buy

Offline Junior58

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #20 on: Jan 03, 2010, 11:44 AM »
MarCum Technologies LX5 VS: Vexilar FL20


Receiver sensitivity :

Receiver sensitivity is the measurement of a sonar receiver’s ability to detect an input signal. This measurement tells just how small of a return signal the unit is able to pick up and display. The LX5’s receiver is more sensitive.

Measurement:
LX5- 24uV
FL20- 40uV

Receiver Gain:

Receiver gain is a measurement of the total system gain or amplification. Typically the more gain a receiver has the smaller signal it will be able to detect.
The LX5 receiver has more gain.

Measurement:
LX5- 89.77db
FL20- 70.89db

Receiver distortion:

Receiver distortion is a measurement of the sonar receiver to filter, amplify, detect, and display a return signal. A receiver with less distortion will give a more accurate display. The LX5 has less distortion.

Measurement:
LX5- less than 1%
FL20- more than 40%

Transmitter power:

Transmit power is a measurement of the output power into the transducer. This is usually defined in Watts peak to peak or Watts RMS. In the sonar world more power means a better return signal with less noise and less filtering. The LX5 has more power.

Measurement:

LX5- more than 2000 Wp-p or 300 Wrms
FL20- more than 400 Wp-p or 50Wrms


Sullymon ............ Going with the above information and esox_magnum's post above I don't think we're wrong in the least. Target separation on the LX5 and the LX3-TC are indeed finer then the vexilar FL-20. The transducer with the Marcums is tuned much finer and better then Vex's ......period. I've read independant articles that have also talked about the new flasher models not needing low power settings or some special "S" cable which is ridiculous. Their units are much more in tune with their transducers. I never said Vex's weren't nice or reliable. I just said that Vex's offer nothing more then less power then the Marcums, you simply disagree. The Marcums are superior in every category. I just use my gain control in deep and in shallow water.



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Offline JayErica1

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #21 on: Jan 03, 2010, 12:05 PM »
Do you have a link to this unit?

just wanted to add another spinn to a beaten topic between vexilar and marcum.  Polar Bear flashers are to cut hole in ice and lay bean around hole.   only a joke HAHAHA   stop looking for it

Offline ICEano

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #22 on: Jan 03, 2010, 05:39 PM »
dnt know anything about the maecum but i have a vexilar fl-18 that has been very reliable for years now; and has seen a few tumbles out of the sled.

Offline jackfrost

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #23 on: Jan 03, 2010, 06:18 PM »
Unbelievable amount of info!!! Sorry if I bored anyone on a old topic but the info shared is very helpful!!!
I am going to Canadarago this Sunday again with my old FL-8 and will hopefully do well and bring home a nice catch of Perch to make the frying pan stink!!!
So far this year on Canadarago it has been very well to me with many 12"-14" (of course many dinks in between).
All, please remember when bringing fish from deep water (> 20') reel them in slow to avoid blowing the air bladder and killing them. The small ones are our future and safe catching and release is key to them surviving to become SLOBS!!!!!
Again, thanks for all the info and I am going to buy a new ...................... ............. ;D

Offline JayErica1

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #24 on: Jan 03, 2010, 07:43 PM »
Unbelievable amount of info!!! Sorry if I bored anyone on a old topic but the info shared is very helpful!!!
I am going to Canadarago this Sunday again with my old FL-8 and will hopefully do well and bring home a nice catch of Perch to make the frying pan stink!!!
So far this year on Canadarago it has been very well to me with many 12"-14" (of course many dinks in between).
All, please remember when bringing fish from deep water (> 20') reel them in slow to avoid blowing the air bladder and killing them. The small ones are our future and safe catching and release is key to them surviving to become SLOBS!!!!!
Again, thanks for all the info and I am going to buy a new ...................... ............. ;D

no one could get bored really of any topic, sometimes it fun just to add a joke in there every now and then.  glad to see this site has helped you out. My opinion either marcum or vexilar or hummingbird or any other flasher on the market that has not been discountinued will catch you fish. Especially if you plan to go out to Canadarogo.  Just an FYI-- there has been very heavy action out there last couple years. and have heard from several buddies that the last couple time that they have gone that the bite is really light even on the big slob perch!! Heavy Action but ligth bite!!  Spring bobber would probably be nice thing to bring!!   good luck

Offline roverman

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #25 on: Jan 03, 2010, 08:22 PM »
Get a LX5 its the best PERIOD. Owned Vexilars for last 20 years, have an FL8, FL18, and FL20 made the switch this year and added the Marcum LX5 to my aresenal, and this thing has alot better target separation and colors than my FL20. Marcums technology is just like everyone says way ahead of Vexilars old technology. Think my FL20 is gonna be a backup unit now, and put on the shelf with my other old Vexilars that I have retired.   

Offline Sullymon

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #26 on: Jan 04, 2010, 09:12 AM »
Sullymon ............ Going with the above information and esox_magnum's post above I don't think we're wrong in the least. Target separation on the LX5 and the LX3-TC are indeed finer then the vexilar FL-20. The transducer with the Marcums is tuned much finer and better then Vex's ......period. I've read independant articles that have also talked about the new flasher models not needing low power settings or some special "S" cable which is ridiculous. Their units are much more in tune with their transducers. I never said Vex's weren't nice or reliable. I just said that Vex's offer nothing more then less power then the Marcums, you simply disagree. The Marcums are superior in every category. I just use my gain control in deep and in shallow water.


I was disagreeing with more power being better ... that's Marcums selling point.  Better for deep water, yes, for shallow water, no.  The S-Cable is only for the FL-8 ... the entry level unit.  The FL-18 and FL-20 have a low power setting built in for shallow water use.  By the way ... that info looks like it originated from the MarCum site, did it not?  Enough said.

Like I said before ... doesn't matter what you have:  Vex, Marcum, Hummingbird, Showdown ... they all work great.  Just don't tell me that higher power means it's better.  I rest my case ... and I'm done.

Turn me over .... I'm done!!!!

Offline bone 2711

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #27 on: Jan 04, 2010, 10:51 PM »
does anyone have an idea of the depth capability of the LX-5 and the FL-20. I to am in the market and appreciate all the info. you guys are giving.

Offline Bartel Rd. Bait & Tackle

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Re: vexilar vs marcum
« Reply #28 on: Jan 04, 2010, 11:56 PM »
sully i agree totally with your last post very good point
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