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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Equipment => Ice Fishing With Electronics => Topic started by: LoneWolf on Mar 19, 2006, 08:17 PM
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Marcum LX-5 Review
The reason I’m giving this review so late is to make it as honest as possible. I’ve seen so many reviews … personal or by other sites …. which seemed questionable simply because the units were only out for a short period of time and/or had limited use.
I’ll start off by stating I had contacted Marcum directly about a rumor which I myself had heard many times …. Marcum is Zercom. The second rumor was that Marcum is a new company and see where they’ll be in a year or two.
I was told Marcum isn’t affiliated with the old Zercom company period. Marcum has been around over twenty years and designed the Polar Vision in 1995 for StrileMaster. Marcum products are designed, manufactured and tested in the USA.
I purchased my LX-5 in December and have now been able to use it on approximately two dozen hard water trips averaging 8-12 hrs a trip ( it was a bad ice season). I’ve also been able to use it one time on open water prior to this write up. I also owned and used a Vexilar FL-18 for several years until I sold it after using the LX-5. (I’ve included some pics at the end).
I’m sure most of you know all the specifics about the LX-5 but I will go over them briefly.
The newest Marcum unit has three separate LED bulbs ( yellow, green and red ) to show an objects density. By utilizing separate bulbs the display is crisp and bright without color blending. There is less “blending and blobbing” of colors.
The unit has an adjustable zoom that can be used anywhere in the water column. I found this invaluable when finding suspended schools or fishing on bottom. This feature brngs target separation down to ¾ of an inch.
The LX-5 offers twelve levels of signal interference rejection. I experienced no interference that could not be eliminated.
The unit comes standard with a dual beam transducer and reads to a depth of 160'. For shallower applications the 20 degree is usually preferred and for deeper applications the 8 degree.
Another outstanding feature is the SuperFine Line. You can use the full screen mode to bring target separation within ¾ of an inch without the need for split screen zoom. I found using this feature invaluable when trying to differentiate if it’s one fish or two or more tightly schooled.
Now for the power issue. The LX-5 has 2,000 watts of peak to peak power. In my opinion power doesn’t mean a lot unless the power broadcaster and receiver are tuned or in time. I was delighted to see this unit was timed perfectly. There is no need for low power mode etc. in shallow, weedy areas. Also no need for extreme gain adjustments. Another thing I noticed in "deep water" was the FL-18 had a delay between jigging and display .. usually beyond 60'. I didn't notice any delay with the Marcum.
The charging system is a nice feature also. The Digital Charging System is a three stage charger. It starts with a bulk rate charge, goes to an absorbtion charge and then a trickle charge. The LCD display shows remaining charge in increments of ten percent. I found the display to be more accurate after several uses and charges. Also the display will give about a ten-twenty percent LESS reading while out on the ice which is normal due to the cold temps. Once it warmed up in the house it gave a ten-twenty percent higher reading. Battery draw on the LX-5 is between 350 and 400 mA which should give 16-20 hrs of use.
Another nice feature which might come in handy to a first time flasher user is the built in simulator. This will give you an idea of how the bottom, fish and jigging a lure should appear on the display.
I’ve heard people talk about transducer loudness and it spooking fish. I must say the transducer is louder then the competitors but I used the unit in 5-10 fow and caught perch, gills and lake trout. I noticed no problem.
I’ve also heard the Marcum unit itself is quieter and it is. I’d say 30-40 % quieter then the competitions.
Overall I’d say Marcum has the edge over the competition in features and modern technology. Their unit also comes with the better charging unit, a nice carrying case, etc. which are accessaries on other units. I liked the unit so much I sold my FL-18 and I think that says a lot.
Tight lines !
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/icepounder/VexMarcum001re.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v89/icepounder/MarcumLX-5openwater.jpg)
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Have you used it in deep water? How deep and how did it perform in deep water?
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The deepest water I've used it in thus far has been 100 feet on Schroon Lake, NY. It performed without a flaw. Seeing a tight school of smelt 38 feet down and being able to zoom in on the school to see if there are any lakers mixed in is great. On my last unit part of the school of smelt would blend together into a red "blob" giving the appearance of a larger fish. Also zooming in on the bottom in 100 fow and seeing bottom hugging lake trout is a blast. It's even better when you can coax one up to your lure ! ;)
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great review lonewolf. ive been waiting to hear some feedback on this unit . i have the lx-3 and love it. got my eye on an lx-5 for next year and the boy can have the lx-3 to himself.
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Good review LW. I was waiting for them to go on sale this spring and pick one up but they don't seem to be marking them down. :'( I guess I'll wait till next winter and get one then.
Jim
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I don't think you will see much of a sale on the LX-5 anytime soon. It's still a new unit and will probably hold its price for a while. When a newer unit is in the workings or available you'll usually see the price come down. These are just my observations and I may be wrong. ;D
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Good review. I've had my FL-18 for several years now and it suits my needs just fine. Picked it up before the Marcum units came out. Good to see there is something that will give the Vexilar a run for the money. Competition like this only helps the consumer.
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I was very happy with mine as well but the LX-5 is just remarkable.
You're right that competition is beneficial to us all ! I wouldn't be surprised if Vex introduces something new next season. ;)
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I was very happy with mine as well but the LX-5 is just remarkable.
You're right that competition is beneficial to us all ! I wouldn't be surprised if Vex introduces something new next season. ;)
I would be surprised if Vexilar has anything new (Okay folks at Vexilar - Here's your challange!!). They seem to be happy with what they have. I know that helps keep costs down but their prices don't reflect them taking advantage of mass producing unchanged models. Marcum on the other hand, has ran with the wind in seeing the needs of the fishermen and keeps pushing ahead with improved features, and quality. I love my Vexilar FL8-SLT but they are about to be eaten up by the competition.
My hat's off to the folks at Marcum.
Great review LW!
:tipup:
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I would be surprised if Vexilar has anything new (Okay folks at Vexilar - Here's your challange!!). They seem to be happy with what they have. I know that helps keep costs down but their prices don't reflect them taking advantage of mass producing unchanged models. Marcum on the other hand, has ran with the wind in seeing the needs of the fishermen and keeps pushing ahead with improved features, and quality. I love my Vexilar FL8-SLT but they are about to be eaten up by the competition.
My hat's off to the folks at Marcum.
Great review LW!
:tipup:
I couldn't agree more. They welcome our input for designing equipment to meet our needs. I believe Marcum is innovative and offers fishermen what we need or want ... not what they are willing to offer.
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Rumors are that Vexilar will be releasing a new model this year called the FL-20. No info on the features yet but I would hope they try to keep up with the Marcum's.
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Im reading up on all of them before I make a big purchase next season. Been lurking on threads like this to gather as much information as possible. This thread has steared me towards the Marcum. Have to wait and see what Vex comes up with. If I am going to spend a lot of money on one. It might as well be the best available.
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Just consider depth when buying one of these units folks. Don't make the mistake of buying one and then finding out you can't see bottom in 170fow when you're jigging lake trout which doesn't apply to a lot of people but it's a consideration for some. I'm not sure of the MAX depth range with the Marcum but for the fishing we do here it won't work because it doesn't go deep enough where the FL-18 does the job from 200' to 2' and is a more versatile unit when combined with the dual beam tranducer that allows you to switch cone angles from 9 to 19 degree in one nice package. Good review Lone Wolf and how deep does that LX-5 read? I though maybe 120' ???
I'm getting pulled in different directions on deciding on which. But their is plenty of time for me to consider what. Thing is, I have to decide on pure research and reading and reviews like this one from LoneWolf. I cant hold them in my hands and look them over, sadly, As their is none here in Sweden- that I know of. Till I get mine ;D So, interference is not an issue really. I do want versatility and good cone angle. And the best of all the other stuff that I have yet to learn about them. I appreciate the reviews from actual experience with them. Thats what I am counting on.
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Good point slipbob ! The Marcum will read to 160'. I believe the Vex is good to 200' and a special order to read 300' ... I believe they call it the deep water model.
The Marcum also comes standard with the 8 deg and 20 deg dual beam transducer ... an option with Vexilar.
They are both good units but I believe Marcum has the edge and Vexilar will now have to do some improvements.
Another thing I noticed in "deep water" was the FL-18 had a delay between jigging and display .. usually beyond 60'. I didn't notice any delay with the Marcum. ( I'll add this to my review)
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No ... even in regular mode on the FL-18 I noticed the delay. I could mark a fish 80' down in 100 fow. When active jigging there was a delay on the display. Granted it was only 1/2 second or so but it was interesting. I noticed this two seasons ago and while fishing with Jig-a-Whopper ... he has the FL-18 as well .... he had the same delay.
As you said in deep water zoom mode I noticed it as well.
On another note I was a Vex fan but not a fanatic. When something better comes along I go with it. It really gets me thinking when people will defend one brand over another ... is it because they own it or truly believe it's better ?
I would venture to say if Vex comes out with a new unit that is similar to Marcums you will here how great and innovative they are. Hopefully they will if only to keep the innovations coming !
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LoneWolf,
What model number did you buy???????? I've been thinking of getting a portable to take with me in both waters. It would be better than lugging my old unit around all the time. Also , what's the price range and where would you buy one. Thanks.
Kim :tipup: :bow: :bow: :bow:
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I purchased the LX-5 ... Marcums newest model and it goes for $479.00. I first checked with Fish307 but they didn't have it. I ended up ordering it from the Fishing Pro Store which offers free shipping. I also ordered the high speed transducer kit to get the free shipping at the same time. ;)
http://www.fishingprostore.com/ (http://www.fishingprostore.com/)
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Checked the site. Nice write-up for the units. I noticed they were out of stock for 2 of their models. Must be a HOT ticket right now. Thanks for the reply....
Kim :tipup: :) :)
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Oh lonewolf Im just wondering what kind of dollar you get for that ghost writting job.....JUST JOKING!
Nice to see someone doing a non biased write up after hearing VEX..VEX..VEX all of the time.At least up here in Canada.Actually where im from i see very little fishermen/women using any type of flasher.thanks
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Oh lonewolf Im just wondering what kind of dollar you get for that ghost writting job.....JUST JOKING!
Nice to see someone doing a non biased write up after hearing VEX..VEX..VEX all of the time.At least up here in Canada.Actually where im from i see very little fishermen/women using any type of flasher.thanks
You're welcome Kim !
I wish I was getting paid ... from anybody !! ;D
I purchased my FL-18 several years ago, I purchased my LX-5 this past season and I purchased the wolfram jigs this past season. I think once someone has the chance to use a flasher they will see a big difference in how they fish and catch fish.
I've been using flashers for over twenty five years now. My first was the old Lowrance Fish-Lo-K-Tor aka the Green Box (circa late 70's). My second was an old Hondex .... predecessor to Vexilar. The third was the Zercom Clearwater Classic ... the first LCD flasher designed. My fourth was the Vex FL-18. And now as you've read I have the Marcum LX-5.
They've all contributed to how I fish, my understanding of subsurface activity as well as subsurface structure, fish reaction to my jigging and my catch rate. This not only goes for hardwater fishing but open water as well.
I was just fortunate enough to have both to do a comparison and possibly help others with their decision. ;)
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yes lonewolf..you did a side by side comparison but did you have the equivalent product,model,price or was one model better and had more options that the other......that is the question of the day here.How many models of flashers does Mercum and Vex have anyway,also?
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My intention was to give my review of the LX-5 to help members but I guess it ended up going into a comparison.
I purchased and used Marcums top of the line ... the LX-5.
I had and used Vexilars top of the line ..... The FL-18 Ultra Pack.
The price of the FL-18 Ultra Pack w/ dual beam transducer is $499.00 and that's without the soft case.
The price of the LX-5 , which comes with the dual beam trans standard and soft case is $479.00 .
Obviously one unit is going to have different options than the other. The FL-18 has bottom zoom and the LX-5 has adjustable zoom. One unit has more power , etc., etc. .
I think you should re-read this review and do some research of your own.
You can go to either manufacturers website and find out a wealth of info. ;)
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I still like to watch my livies do the jitterbug when a fish gets near.....perhaps Marcum could provide me with a demo to change my mind....Grump ;D
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Ahhh yes the jitterbug. That was sweet man, real sweet. Kind of reminded me of my first date when I tried to show her my livie. :woot: :woot: :woot: But thats another story ;)
In BC we can't use livies. I will be checking into the Marcum. I have a vex FL-18 now. Thanks for posting reviews guys.
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Fished Devils lake & had to use FL-18 with the guide service my wife & myself used, we were in portable shanty side by side & could not get the interference to stop so we could both could use the VEXES at the same ! I shut mine off so she could fish. Wife said they can have their Junk she is keeping her LX-3 !!!!!! With my LX-5 we can fish side by side using both units at the same time! MARCUM !!!!!!!! ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
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Vex Forever - Flat Screen and 12% larger display / bright-dim switch for select fit / perfect match of componants is what matters .... whatever works for you, but ;D ;D
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Gander, what are you talking about? You're still running an 8. ;D ;D
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Gander, what are you talking about? You're still running an 8. ;D ;D
Yeah exactly what I heard too Bean . ROTFLMAO ;D Good too see you again you ol dog Michigander . What happened to that sharp memory though or did you loose your goose . ??? ;D LMAO
TD
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Picked Up my LX 5 yesterday at Cabelas in Dundee MI. Super impressed with the workmanship. Now I have to sneak out of the house when the "old lady" isn't lookin and try it out!
I called last week to the Dundee store and they had 1 (THATS O-N-E) LX 5 left in stock. Lots of Vex's,LX 1's, LX 3's, and VXR's in stock though. I put it on hold and picked it up yesterday. As of Saturday all thats left is the display model. When I went to customer service to pick it up, they couldn't find it. Stood there at the counter while they looked for it for 45 minutes to an hour with a real sad look on my face. Long story short, the sweetheart (and really cute) young lady behind the counter worked her pretty little tail off and finally found it. On top of that they gave me a 10% discount for having to wait for it.
NOW THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE! GOOD JOB CABELAS!
For all that want the LX 5 there will be more in sometime in October. There are other retailers on the Marcum website that have them but the LX 5 is apparently selling really well at Cabelas
Look out Vexilar.....Here comes Marcum ;D
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Picked Up my LX 5 yesterday at Cabelas in Dundee MI. Super impressed with the workmanship. Now I have to sneak out of the house when the "old lady" isn't lookin and try it out!
You're gonna' love it!
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owned almost every flasher..my lx-5 is the best..
(http://img506.imageshack.us/img506/4725/killedthecrappiedec312005andch.jpg)
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Nice catch of fish Ryan . Congrats . ;D
TD
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yeah been a long time since we caught our limits of crappie,we usually don't take that many home, but we were having a huge fry back at the cabin 15+ people... ate them all.. ;D thx..
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owned almost every flasher..my lx-5 is the best..
Used an FL18 Dual Ultra last season!
Seems to have trouble getting rid of noise from other flashers in the same vicinity, no matter how often I would use the noise reducer.
Picked up an LX-5 a couple of months ago from Marine General in Minnesota!
They told me anyone can order from them anytime, cause if they don't have it in stock they will order direct from the factory which is just around the corner from them.
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Just an FYI, I heard thru the grapevine that you won't be able to get these or any other Marcum "named" flasher from "The World's Foremost Outfitter" anymore. It seems that "another flasher company" is worried and bought the rights to be the sole supplier of flashers to "The World's Foremost Outfitter". I also heard thru the grapevine that one of IceShanty's sponsors, Fish307, should start carrying Marcum flashers shortly.
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Just an FYI, I heard thru the grapevine that you won't be able to get these or any other Marcum "named" flasher from "The World's Foremost Outfitter" anymore. It seems that "another flasher company" is worried and bought the rights to be the sole supplier of flashers to "The World's Foremost Outfitter".
Bean, the "rumor" I heard was this decision was based on Marcum's inability to meet orders based on slow production.....not the "worried about the competition" you heard. Since Marcum is now a site sponsor, maybe someone in the know will shed some light on this to clear it all up....Tim you there??
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I've been trying to compare the LX-3 and LX-5. At quick glance, it looks like the main difference is the adjustable cone to 12 degrees. Am I missing any other features? Being new to flashes, is that smaller cone worth the extra $100 or so?
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Well actually it's 20 degrees and 8 degrees for the Marcum LX-5 . Yes the biggest difference between the LX-3TC and the LX-5 is the dual cone but also there is the SFL super fine line with the LX-5 . In order for me to give you an opinion and I'm sure others will agree it would help if you had an idea of what type of fishing you do .
What I would like to know is if you fish tight to steep drop offs especially in deep water and also do you fish heavy weeds . I always got along just fine using the 20 degree cone on the LX-3 and never as of yet ran into what is the dead zone situation where a smaller cone would be needed but I'm sure it can happen and I do have an LX-5 . I know quite a few lads that fish heavy weeds and from what I've been told is that the 8 degree cone really cuts out alot of the extra lines the weeds will show and you can see your jig alot better amongst them with the tighter cone and it makes sense to me to utilize the feature if this occurs . Also if your fishing close to other sonars the smaller cone will help with interference issues that may occur .
I think it's worth the extra 100 bucks if you really run across these situations regularly but if not then the need is not there and no use in spending the extra . In most situations that I fish and thats alot of lakes just the one cone has been fine but areas and how they have to be fished may differ . Anyways good luck with your choice .
TD
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I've been trying to compare the LX-3 and LX-5. At quick glance, it looks like the main difference is the adjustable cone to 12 degrees. Am I missing any other features? Being new to flashes, is that smaller cone worth the extra $100 or so?
There's 3 things.
1st there is the addition of the 8 degree transducer as Trapperdirk mentioned.
2nd is the power output is increased from 1500 watts to 2000 watts.
3rd which has to do a little with the 2nd item is a feature called Super Fine Line. What it does is allows you to be in the non zoom mode(full screen) and have your target separation decreased to .75" instead of the normal 2.15". It will allow you to see fish that are real close to the bottom more easily without being in the zoom mode. It allows you to improve your separation while viewing the entire water column.
Also, the difference is $80 and not $100.
So when looking at both of those units, you'll have to decide if the added features would be something you would use.
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For what it's worth, The Worlds Formost Outfitter still has them on thier website.
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For what it's worth, The Worlds Formost Outfitter still has them on thier website.
Yep, I guess the "rumors" that myself and CSP88 heard were not valid. I see they are in stock now. I also see that FISH-307 has updated their website and now has the Marcum flashers and underwater cameras listed.
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Almost everyone seems to be pro-Marcum here (yes, I know the subject is on LX-5's), but has anyone tried the new FL-20's yet? Just wondering.
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Almost everyone seems to be pro-Marcum here (yes, I know the subject is on LX-5's), but has anyone tried the new FL-20's yet? Just wondering.
I was gonna buy a Vex FL-20 but after everything I've been reading about the Marcum LX-5, I decided to get one instead. UPS just dropped it off an hour ago, and it seems very well designed. I can't wait to try it [maybe in the bathtub]. I have used a Vex FL-8 for years and I love that, it was just time to upgrade.
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The LX5 is a very nice, very capable unit. You won't be disappointed.
That being said. I own an LX5. I have no experience with any Vex products.
When I fish, I am the only one with electronics. The first time I used my LX5,
I could have just as well been watching the simulation mode. I am very happy with it.
I just wish I could spend more time using it!
MD.
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I just picked up a lx 5 from the fishing pro store for $399.99 it was a referb from marcum, Brand new unit for a steal!
Great store, check it out!
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I just picked up a lx 5 from the fishing pro store for $399.99 it was a referb from marcum, Brand new unit for a steal!
Great store, check it out!
I'm all over it, just placed the order. Looks like the kids are getting handed down the ole FL-8
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I purchased one yesterday, can't wait to get it. feel like a little kid waiting for christmas now. ;D ;D
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I bought one this year. Every thing I read pointed me at buying one of these units. I have had it out a few times. First time out was magical and I caught more eyes than I ever had before. I was greatly disappointed though that my unit didn't arrive with the plug in to charge the battery... and dispite the good intentions of Marcum and some pushing from the World's Biggest Supplier of fishing and hunting gear .... two months later and a couple of weeks away from closing of the ice fishing season I still don't have the part. I have been charging the battery using a Deep cycle charger..... but when I paid almost 500 US for this item.... I want everything thanks.
Here are some points in retrospect though from my few outings with this unit.
I have yet to move the zoom and only use it every now and again.
the little nut that holds together the cable holder that folds out is already showing signs of rust or caking and will probably have to be watched closly
It would be nice to have a cover for the opening so that snow doesn't get in there because it is really hard to get out.
I will know today if I will be sending this item back .... or if I will be getting a part Special Delivery this week. I think that it will be going back and I might just try a Vexilar Pro Pack ... but I will probably just wait and get another LX-5 next year. I can't believe that these guys ran out of stock on all of their chargers and just packed up their units anyways and sold them without any way to charge them. Very poor customer support so I hope all you LX-5 users got good units.
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Seaweed check your P.M. MarCum will take care of this immediately... No way should you have had this type of delay for a wall charger....
Sincerely
Tim aka CNY Tim
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If you want to take a look at the capabilities of an LX-5 Marcum go to this http://www.fishfever.com/node/202/play.
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You can easily replace the arm bolt with a stainless steel one from Home Depot, I did, no rust. Here's some interesting info on the Marcum Lx-5 sonar superiority to the FL-20, vex owners might be a little upset, but it's true.
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
Conclusions: The LX5 surpasses the FL20 in every sonar measurement that was made. With these measurements it becomes clear that the LX5 is a superior product in respect to its receiver/transmitter design. These measurements were made on off the shelf units using an industry standard tester.
What this means to the ice fisherman is that with the LX5 you will get a clearer, less distorted picture of what’s below the transducer. We at MarCum believe that these measurements reflect what LX5 users have been seeing on the ice. The MarCum Technologies LX5 is truly the best and this can be backed up and verified by scientific measurements.
Duane Cummings
Chief Sonar Engineer
MarCum Technologies Inc.
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If you want to take a look at the capabilities of an LX-5 Marcum go to this http://www.fishfever.com/node/202/play.
http://www.fishfever.com/node/202/play (http://www.fishfever.com/node/202/play)
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HI Gang!
I can keep up with everything except an LX-5. I have an Upgraded LX-3 tc up graded by Marcum tech and returned in 14 days. There customer service is outstanding. If I e-mail their customer service a question and within a business day I recieve a direct uncomplicated answere. If you call there you can talk to a Human who actually speaks english! I am really pro marcum and have never been paid by them or even sponsored. I do Pro ice fish too. I do alot of tourneys. I rely on my Marcums to help me put fish in my hut. I try to fish with the best winter gear thats why I chose Marcum for my electronics exclusively. I use their VS250 camera too.
Da-Roc
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I feel ya Roc.. Jon and Chris are busy as a bee these days with MarCum's expanding product line but they do know customer service, and do it very well. Customer service is a thankless job, I know I have been doing it since 1982 from my military background to the contractor side of the house, customer service is my main focus.
MarCum's technology and sonar advancements have inspired me from the very beginning and opened my eyes up to the vast improvements engineers Ray "Mar"zean and Duane "Cum"mings at "MarCum" have achieved. You can see it on the screen and once you do, you are like most converts and sit back and say to yourself, "Why didn't I try MarCum 5 years ago? " The LX-5 leaves every other unit I have owned in the dust...The LX-5 delivers innovation, interference rejection, shallow water and thick weed gills and crappies to bottom hugging perch and walleyes, nothing escapes the MarCum unless you fish over 160', add bang for the buck and Made in the U.S.A and a friend to our Armed Forces and you can see my excitement.
Yes I do pro staff for MarCum and I am proud to do it, especially a U.S. company that has gone about it right. It's o.k. to feel proud of a US product again!
Innovations, product reliability, performance and reliable customer service have been key for this company and any successful business. U.S. companies could take a page out of MarCum's playbook and run with it and maybe we wouldn't have so many products made overseas. "One Step Ahead"
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HI Gang!
I can keep up with everything except an LX-5. I have an Upgraded LX-3 tc up graded by Marcum tech and returned in 14 days. There customer service is outstanding. If I e-mail their customer service a question and within a business day I recieve a direct uncomplicated answere. If you call there you can talk to a Human who actually speaks english! I am really pro marcum and have never been paid by them or even sponsored. I do Pro ice fish too. I do alot of tourneys. I rely on my Marcums to help me put fish in my hut. I try to fish with the best winter gear thats why I chose Marcum for my electronics exclusively. I use their VS250 camera too.
Da-Roc
I just want to say I think The MarCum customer service is satisfying too. I've called there a few times and it's nice to talk with someone that speaks English !!! I called there this afternoon because I took a small part off mine this Summer and thought I had it in a safe place. I forgot that when my wife cleans everything that doesn't belong in that place gets thrown out. Anyway, Marcum is sending the part tomorrow and guess what !!! NO CHARGE !!!! ;D
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I to think that marcum customer service is GREAT if you have a problem with anything they take care of their customers :thumbsup:.Thats the way you do business the customer always come first.From what I have used of their equipment is outstanding in my book I want to thank all at Marcum for their time and service keep up the good work guys :thumbsup:
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It's o.k. to feel proud of a US product again!
Okay there mr. icetechy ;) When is Marcum going to send me out one of these LX-5's so I can do a review and feel proud and be one step ahead :whistle: :thumbsup: You, me and Mr. PWR BAIT there need to go and do some fishing soon too ;D
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Okay there mr. icetechy ;) When is Marcum going to send me out one of these LX-5's so I can do a review and feel proud and be one step ahead :whistle: :thumbsup: You, me and Mr. PWR BAIT there need to go and do some fishing soon too ;D
Hey,
Don't forget about the Marine's!!! I'd like to tag along and :icefish:
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Hey,
Don't forget about the Marine's!!! I'd like to tag along and :icefish:
guess others aren't invited ::)
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guess others aren't invited ::)
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: That would be too many Marcums in the area for Slip's Vex to work!! ;) ;)
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Can we get back to the review please ::) ;) ;D :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
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Sorry Tim, ;) ;D :flex:
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I got a lx-5 a few weeks ago and do like it, esp. the sfl feature and how bright and crisp the display is. The only problem I am having is fishing next to my son with my old fl8se, I can not get rid of the interference from his machine, anyone else have this problem when fishing around others?
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I will have a review soon. I just got one. now i just need safe ice to try it out.
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The only problem I am having is fishing next to my son with my old fl8se, I can not get rid of the interference from his machine, anyone else have this problem when fishing around others?
Never had that issue especially when I flip on the NBT, try that if your heavy into fish and need a quick fix. Adjust your gain down and use a more horizontal presentation this will also help... You can still fish wide beam and experiment with different settings. Try one IR off and one on and so on. I have never been able to not fish a LX-5 because of interference. You can virtually eliminate 90% to all in most situations. Transducer placement below the bottom of the ice is critical. Good luck...
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Never had that issue especially when I flip on the NBT, try that if your heavy into fish and need a quick fix. Adjust your gain down and use a more horizontal presentation this will also help... You can still fish wide beam and experiment with different settings. Try one IR off and one on and so on. I have never been able to not fish a LX-5 because of interference. You can virtually eliminate 90% to all in most situations. Transducer placement below the bottom of the ice is critical. Good luck...
I have tried that and it does knock it down a bit but I still get that circling flash that just drives me nuts. What do you mean by placement? I have mine down to the bottom of the hole so as to get a reading from the top (bottom of the ice) down .
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Are you guys fishing rock?
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Are you guys fishing rock?
No it's a soft bottom.
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Well normally what is your gain set on when fishing? Did you try dropping the transducers a bit further down? If that doesn't fair well my bet would be customer service for possible suggestions other than the one's I mentioned. Did it do it all day even when you moved?
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Well normally what is your gain set on when fishing? Did you try dropping the transducers a bit further down? If that doesn't fair well my bet would be customer service for possible suggestions other than the one's I mentioned. Did it do it all day even when you moved?
As low as I can and still see my jig. I've tried moving the the ducer down, up, the only way to get rid of it is to move at least 30 yards away.
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Give customer service a call Jon or Chris will be able to help you.
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Give customer service a call Jon or Chris will be able to help you.
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS GREAT !
I received my part for my LX5 today free of charge and I noticed they pd almost 2 bucks to send it too. My own fault that I lost the part. I took it off and left it in a safe place or so I thought. My wife is is an avid cleaner and so when she found it where it wasn't supposed to be she threw it out. Nice of Marcum to understand about wives. She's an ole dinosaur I call[ Not to her face ;D} CLEANALOTAPUS !!!!
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I wont go there :)
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I just wanted to post that the Customer Service at Marcum came through with a charger and a nice Ball cap for my troubles.
I thought that I posted this last year but I can't find the post. I am a very satisfied Marcum user and am I ever glad that I stuck with the LX-5... what a great tool for ice fishing. ;D
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I recently was using my LX-5 and the power cord just came disconnected. When I put it back in it bent one of the contacts which snapped off when I tried to bend it back. First thing is, I'm annoyed that it just came unplugged without any jostling and that it's so sensitive that I put it back and bent the contact (one of two).
What can I do to solder it back on? And how expensive is it to replace the piece? I got it to work for now and I electrical taped the plug on so it doesn't fall off again. Drag.
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Sorry I missed this, check you p.m's
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well i have to say that i love my new lx-5. it is deff what caught me my winning perch in the last tourney i was in. I used to zoom on the suspended fish and was able to get him to bite. The more i use it the better i get at it and the more fish i have caught. I would recommend that any one thinking about getting one go for it, i could not be happier.
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Picked up mine of ebay about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately the weather here in Ottawa hasn't exactly been cooperating this winter. It's either too warm (not enough ice) or like the other day, it was so freakin windy my fishtrap blew away every time I stood up to go check my tip-up. Anyhow, I did manage to try it out last week during the freak windstorm we had and its pretty cool. I'm going to venture out tomorrow if there's enough ice and try to jig some eyes (ice permitting, supposed to be 10 degrees celcius = 50 degrees farenheit). I really cant compare to the competitors as this is the first unit I have ever owned. I read internet articles and reviews for about a month before I took the plunge on it.
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Marcums customer service is #1 had minor problem talked with one of their pro staffers he emailed cust. serv. were all ready for me taking care of it with bonus .All I have to say is EXCELLENT!
Thanks to all of you who helped!
Chris
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It's nice to know when something happen's a company does step up... Jon and Chris are great! Keep me posted, my pleasure...
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Hi Tim it's Tuzzy. I love my LX-5 :thumbsup:
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When I got my LX-5 last year I gave my FL-8 to my brother. On a recent trip I could mot believe how "fuzzy" the FL-8 display looked compared to the Marcum. I love the higher line definition on the new unit. I used the Vex for years and still think it is a great unit, but I would not want to go back to one after using the Marcum.
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Talked to Zig (on right) at the nationals this year, he fishes the NAIFC Tourney trail with his partner Jack (Team Poland/Salmo) Congratulations on your win in NY guys... MarCum hits the podium again!
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8163/img7222wo8.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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Just bought the LX-5 from a promotion Cabela's offered. I had the FL-8 and gave it to my Dad. Hope I like it. The FL-8 was a good unit for me. All the feature on the Marcum intimidate me a little. I really wanted the split screen and the seperation feature though.
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Congrats on the new LX-5. All I can say is your going to love it. Enjoy your new unit.
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Just to let you guys know the new 2008 LX-5's Mainedog and I recently received have not had the screen print on the box cover updated to read 2,500 watts This glitch will be fixed. Inside your LX-5 box you will have a user manual revision dtd 9/5/08 on page 3 it will have the new power requirements. That's the easiest way to tell.
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Just to let you guys know the new 2008 LX-5's Mainedog and I recently received have not had the screen print on the box cover updated to read 2,500 watts This glitch will be fixed. Inside your LX-5 box you will have a user manual revision dtd 9/5/08 on page 3 it will have the new power requirements. Also if your softpack has no LX-5 logo embroidered on the bottom right of your front cover it is a new 08 model. That's the easiest way to tell.
So if I just recieved a brand new LX-5 on 14 Nov 08 and have the logo on the cover that means a I recieved an older model with less power???
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In your box there should be an 8.5" x 11" manual with the Nature Vision logo in the bottom corner if it's the 2500 watt unit. If not it maybe a leftover from last season but the I highly doubt it since they were virtually sold out.
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Here's what I know the first 200 units shipped with 2,000 watts printed on the outside of the boxes and no logos on the front of the softpack also 75 more units were shipped with embroidered LX-5 on the front of the pack. Bottomline is if you have the Nature Vision 8 x 11 manual you have the 2500 watts. Perchchaser looks like you were one of 75 that received an embroidered one which personally looks better.
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Here's what I know the first 200 units shipped with 2,000 watts printed on the outside of the boxes and no logos on the front of the softpack also 75 more units were shipped with embroidered LX-5 on the front of the pack. Bottomline is if you have the Nature Vision 8 x 11 manual you have the 2500 watts. Perchchaser looks like you were one of 75 that received an embroidered one which personally looks better.
I better save my box and put aside the pack! Looks like they're going to be collector's items!
MD
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Here's what I know the first 200 units shipped with 2,000 watts printed on the outside of the boxes and no logos on the front of the softpack also 75 more units were shipped with embroidered LX-5 on the front of the pack. Bottomline is if you have the Nature Vision 8 x 11 manual you have the 2500 watts. Perchchaser looks like you were one of 75 that received an embroidered one which personally looks better.
Well after talking to several people in the companies it was determined that nothing in or on my box indicated that I had the 2500 watt unit so they sent me a fedex label so I could send it back and they are going to Fedex me a new one. Everyone I spoke to from Reedssports to Marcum to Nature Vision was very helpful. I shipped my unit back yesterday so hopefully I will receive the new one in a few days. ;D
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I'm glad your customer service went smoothly., kinda interested to see if you'll have an embroidered pack like Mainedog ;)
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Based on my experiences with both Nature Vision, and Marcum (both before and after acquisition), they have fantastic customer service.
MD
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Congratulations to Myron and Joe, 2008 NAIFC champs excerpt from Joe and video. Fished with them last year and talked with them at the Nationals great guys and something they have worked hard for many years. Well done!
Nature Vision provided us with our MarCum LX5 flashers. When fishing among other teams the LX5 uses its feature to reduce feedback. This makes it possible to fish between teams. Thanks Trevor and John.
http://titancast.titantv.com/p/wjfw/v/NAIFC-Champions-Crowned-in-Bad-Weather/1ACA0UPW.aspx
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I love my Marcum Lx-5......but I've had an issue arise with it. I've been fishing in -20F or more over the last month here in MT. I popped holes and checked for fish and so forth. After one of these outings I was sitting in the house and decided to go and look at the Lx-5 just to make sure it was still running after all the extreme cold. I was looking it over and saw a crack in my cable! I never noticed it before but Im not sure what happened to it. It appears to still work well but has anyone else had this happen? I put some electrical tape around it to keep the majority of the water out but this seems weird to me. Any input is greatly appreciated.
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Sorry Cutbow, still waiting to test out the new unit. I'd be lucky to fish in 0 degree weather, let
alone -20.
MD
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I take it Im the only one that fishes with the Lx-5 when it's this cold? Thus the only one to have trouble with the cord?
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I love my Marcum Lx-5......but I've had an issue arise with it. I've been fishing in -20F or more over the last month here in MT. I popped holes and checked for fish and so forth. After one of these outings I was sitting in the house and decided to go and look at the Lx-5 just to make sure it was still running after all the extreme cold. I was looking it over and saw a crack in my cable! I never noticed it before but Im not sure what happened to it. It appears to still work well but has anyone else had this happen? I put some electrical tape around it to keep the majority of the water out but this seems weird to me. Any input is greatly appreciated.
cutbow_07 - Did you lube the cable before sliding the stopper ??? Spit works great or water. That's one thing I did with my new unit I took the stopper off and took a butter knife and pryed it open a bit more so it would slide a bit smoother when adjusting the stop. I would bet that's what happened. Man are you fishing in some extreme temps :bow:
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Yeah I think you're right about what happened. I tried to open it as much as I could with my fingers but it didnt seem like much. Figured it would be fine but forgot to take into effect the relatively brisk temperatures and the increased ice build up, which would require a wider channel/hole to pass through. Im going to go fix that lil problem right now. Im hoping the ol' girl holds tough and keeps a workn. If it can and does, I will never ever buy a different sonar. Thanks icetechy!
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i have a LX-3 for two seasons now But still can't figure it out Fishing in 35 FOW
for perch in lake george Dial set at 40 Gain set so i can see my jig moving up
and down Have used both ways regular and Zoom modes. But i still haven't seen
any green or red screen lines moving towards my jig eather off the bottom or any at all Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I red the instructions and did what it says
The bottom solid red and top solid red are there to see OK but I'm not marking fish
but I'm catching them any info appreciated ?????
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Its been as low as -25 when I've been out fishing with my LX-5. No problems. I would think sliding the stopper might have done it was well.
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I'm planning on fishing this weekend in seventy fow with my LX-2 with a twenty degree transducer will it work ok. Thanks for any info.
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at 70 ft a 20 degree cone will show spread approximately 14' in diameter.....Not too bad, but not the greatest either......
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at 70 ft a 20 degree cone will show spread approximately 14' in diameter.....Not too bad, but not the greatest either......
@ 70' with a 20* transducer it will be around 24' in diameter.
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i just noticed the error......i had figured 24 and typed 14...lol......
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Hello,
This may have already been addressed and if so, I apologize. I purchased via Cabela's website the LX-5 unit on 11/20/09. It has NOT been delivered yet. After reading some posts here, I went back to their website and it clearly states that the unit has 2000 watts peak to peak power. I am praying that this is a misprint on Cabela's end and that they are in fact going to ship the 2500 watt unit. Has anyone purchased one within the last month or so from Cabela's and can verify? I would greatly appreciate a reply.
Tim
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Hello,
This may have already been addressed and if so, I apologize. I purchased via Cabela's website the LX-5 unit on 11/20/09. It has NOT been delivered yet. After reading some posts here, I went back to their website and it clearly states that the unit has 2000 watts peak to peak power. I am praying that this is a misprint on Cabela's end and that they are in fact going to ship the 2500 watt unit. Has anyone purchased one within the last month or so from Cabela's and can verify? I would greatly appreciate a reply.
Tim
If it actually has 2000 watts, then that unit is 2 years old. The easy way to tell is when you get it, look at the front of the soft case. If it has LX-5 embroidered on the soft case, it's a 2000 watt unit. If it doesn't, it's a 2500 watt unit.
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That is what I was told from Marcum as well. No one from Cabela's can tell me for certain what it actually is that was shipped. Marcum said not to worry but it is tough when you spend close to $500. If anyone has recently purchased a unit from Cabela's, please let me know.
Regards,
Tim
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Tim, I just bought the LX-5 that's on sale at Cabela's as well; the reason for the sale price may be that it is the 2000W model, not the new 2500 watt model. According to the item description from Cabela's: "The LX-S is the most powerful and sensitive flasher ever, boasting 2,000 watts of peak-to-peak power". On another e-retailer, the LX-5 is listed at $549.99 and the product description defines it as having 2000W of peak power, so there may be some suppliers clearing out the older pre-2500W stock, or it may be some typos in the ad copy, hard to know. I'll check mine when it arrives and see if the case has the logo or not. I may just send mine back since I'd rather not pay $450.00 to get the 2000W model........That said, I don't know how much difference the 2500W vs 2000W will make, so I'm going to contact Marcum about it. But if that's the case that Cabela's is selling 2 year old units, I'd personally feel a bit burned to think I'm buying a two year old unit, even if its on sale......
I did find a site that has the LX-5 rated on their site as being the 2500W model, for $459.00......feel the burn! >:(
Chris
That is what I was told from Marcum as well. No one from Cabela's can tell me for certain what it actually is that was shipped. Marcum said not to worry but it is tough when you spend close to $500. If anyone has recently purchased a unit from Cabela's, please let me know.
Regards,
Tim
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The retailers that have the price at $549 are using last years MSRP(when they were owned by Nature Vision). The MSRP was lowered to $449 this year when they were bought by Versa Electronics (the maker of the unit for the last 3 years).
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it also should say on the front of the box before you open......since if it was old stock the box wouldnt have the 2500 watts listed in the description
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Thanks for the info Ken. Here's hoping that the model Cabela's is selling for $449 is the newer model. If the sales numbers were highthe past few years, I would hope that the older 2000W stock has since been sold, but I have a funny feeling I'm going to see a logo on the case of my new LX-5..........
The retailers that have the price at $549 are using last years MSRP(when they were owned by Nature Vision). The MSRP was lowered to $449 this year when they were bought by Versa Electronics (the maker of the unit for the last 3 years).
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Thanks for the info Ken. Here's hoping that the model Cabela's is selling for $449 is the newer model. If the sales numbers were highthe past few years, I would hope that the older 2000W stock has since been sold, but I have a funny feeling I'm going to see a logo on the case of my new LX-5..........
I'll bet you a shiny new quarter you'll get the 2500 watt unit. ;D
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Here's hoping! ;D
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All was good w/ mine, 2500 watt. Cabela's just needs to keep up on their website updates. From a marketing perspective, it would drive additional volume. But that is just me being a "typical" salesman. Thanks for all the replies and emails. This is a great site. Good luck to all this winter!
Tim
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Good news my friend!
I'm interested to see if mine is also the 2500 watt version, which I would guess it would be. Everything I'm reading about the Marcum LX-5 here and on other sites is very positive. It would be nice to see a series of instructional videos on the Marcum site such as they have on the Vex site on the tricks of the trade in using the flashers.
One of my buddies who bought a flasher went Vex because Vex had instructional videos on their site, and they were very helpful to him after only ever having used conventional fishfinders........
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Good news my friend!
I'm interested to see if mine is also the 2500 watt version, which I would guess it would be. Everything I'm reading about the Marcum LX-5 here and on other sites is very positive. It would be nice to see a series of instructional videos on the Marcum site such as they have on the Vex site on the tricks of the trade in using the flashers.
One of my buddies who bought a flasher went Vex because Vex had instructional videos on their site, and they were very helpful to him after only ever having used conventional fishfinders........
They are not "rocket science". Once you get and use one, a couple of hours and a few different fishing spots will make you a pro. Don't worry about it, they are very simple to operate. It will change your perception of fishing. Knowing there are fish down there "seeing them" will keep you interested in fishing all day long. You will spend your time trying find what the fish will be interested in rather than moving because you didn't catch anything.
But, you are right, Marcum should have an instructional video - it would make a great sales promoter.
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Well, for the average joe who hasn't used one before, the fact is that a quick instructional video gives you a much quicker step into the use than reading a book does, at least would for me. I checked out the Vex website and watched their videos. Even though its not for the Marcum, I have a much better understanding of how the flasher appears, how the split screen works on the magnification aspect, etc.
For me, the great thing would be to be able to sonar through the ice before drilling to check depth and to see if there is anything showing up, if ths is possible.
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When you get your unit, put it in simulator mode.
It really will look the simulator when there is a fish following your lure and smacking it!
Only thing the simulator doesn't do, is bend your rod.
Having used both the 2000 and 2500 watt units in about 30-70fow, I see no noticeable difference.
I kind of like the 2000 unit a bit better due to less noise, but that may be more a function of transducer.
Next time I have access to both, I might swap transducers and compare.
MD
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Little water on the ice and you can read depth through it before drilling, finding fish that way is pretty tough though.
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Got the LX-5....as per the box, its the 2500 watt and the carry pouch has no embroidery, so I think I'm good. Bean, I owe you a shiny quarter ;D! Coffee's on me if we ever meet up....I'll send a line to Cabela's to advise them to perhaps ammend their ad copy.
Nice unit, came fully charged. I connected the positive terminal lead, the digital charger read out 100% charge, and I ran the simulator. Great colours and colour separation on the screen. I've disconnected the terminal lead now, pending the ice.......
Time to read the manual a few times and get familiar with the unit.
C'mon ice!
Chris
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Purchased a new LX-5 in the off-season and got my first chance to use it this weekend. I have been ice fishing pretty hard for the last 15 years. For all of those 15 years, I always had a Vexilar. My first Vex was an FL-8. I upgraded that to an FL-18 and about 3 years ago, I upgraded to the FL-20. Was always very happy with the Vex and never had any problems with them. I live close to their corporate headquarters and had stopped in there a few times for software upgrades and things like that. Excellent service too. So, why switch? Some of it came down to things I read on this site and how happy guys have been with the Marcum units. There were also some features of the Marcum that I really liked. I also figured that I could sell the Marcum for what I paid for it if I didn't like it. So after using the Marcum for about 12 hours this past weekend, I have some feedback for anyone that is in the market. The first thing I noticed is that the Marcum unit is substantially quieter than the Vex. I fished with a buddy that has an FL-18 and he asked me how they made it so quiet. You can barely hear anything from the Marcum. Not a big deal, but kind of nice to reduce the noise. We had both units right next to each other and it was clear that the Marcum had a sharper readout. I was really nervous about what sort of interference the two units would have as I have only every fished with a Vexilar, with guys that also have Vexilars. I was shocked to see that neither of us had any interference; even though our ducers were only about 6 feet apart. I had more interference last year when both of us were fishing Vexilar units. The main feature of the Marcum that caused me to buy it was the move-able zoom. I was able to use this feature over the weekend and can tell you it did help me catch more fish. I was fishing crappies and was mostly fishing the bottom, however, I did have some suspended fish come through and was able to move the zoom on the fly right up to where the fish were. Really, really nice feature. The other things I noticed was that switching the beam angle on the Marcum (standard dual beam on the LX-5; $100 option on the FL-20) was really easy. The button to switch is right on the front of the unit and there is an indicator light that lets you know when you are in the "narrow beam" mode. With my FL-20, the switch was mounted under the unit (ultra-pack) and there was no indicator on the screen to let you know which beam angle you had on. The only way to tell was to lift up the case and look under the unit to see where the switch was. As far as the case, I really like the Marcum set up. I was also very skeptical of the little swing arm that holds the transducer. I was very pleasantly surprised on how well that worked. I was fishing with my hand auger (6 inch) and not having the big float in the hole was really nice. Made it much easier to get fish on the ice. Also nice to have a soft case and not have to try to stuff the styrofoam float into the case. The case has velcro in all the right places to hold the case open when you are using it. Has easy access to the battery to charge the unit. Also has a clear window in the case that allows you to see the digital battery status display. The way you charge the LX-5 is another reason to buy it. The charger is very easy to use and provides excellent battery maintenance. All you have to do is plug the charger in to the connection on the battery and plug it into the wall. Even if you keep your Vex, look into this battery charging unit (can be purchased as a stand alone product). Fantastic set up. In terms of negative things about the LX-5; not much to say. Based on the battery status indicator, I think it did use slightly more juice than I would have expected. I fished with the unit for about 5 hours and the status indicator said I was at 70%. One other thing I had to get used to was when I turned on the zoom. I turned it on and figured out that the zoom was showing me the top 5 feet of the water column. I had to move the zoom down to the bottom to see where I was fishing. Not a big deal, but it was an extra step I wasn't expecting. Overall, my 1st experience with the LX-5 was very positive. I bought the unit primarily for the moveable zoom and it performed better than I expected. My feeling is that you get more features for your money with the Marcum than you do with the Vex. You can tell this unit was designed by guys that actually fish through the ice. Everything from the features, to the case, to the battery charger are very well thought out and function very well. I can't speak to durability and reliability yet since this is a new unit for me, but my first impression makes me glad I made the switch. I know that the "best flasher" debate will rage until the end of time, but all I can do is provide you my experience as a hardcore Vexilar owner of 15 years.
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Just got the Lx- 5 yesterday. It rocks. It comes already charged! What a relief yesterday when I thought I would have to wait to charge it a full charge before using it but much to my surprise I hooked up the battery and saw 100% on the read out. Way to go Marcum! Needless to say I went out right away to a local perch pond. Remarkable just how crisp and clear it was. And quiet, I didn't even think it was on at first. I upgraded in a big way from my old fl-8. So many more features and so much more power. The zoom rocks and I don't think that it is that slow at all to adjust it up or down. I could see if you were using it up to 160 like it says you can but the lakes around here don't even get that deep so not a problem for me. I tried it today on steep drop offs on a dam and can't say that the transducer switch is that amazing but it was relatively shallow water <30 fow. I could see it making a big difference in 60 + feet but I only noticed about 6" to a foot less of "dead water" so I don't think that's the most power full selling point. Super Fine line is though. Not so much on the zoom side but on the water column side for sure. On the zoom side I would still say its sort of "blobbish", but looking on the other side you can definitely see each individual fish. I found I was fishing in a nursery at one point this morning. On on the zoom side of the display I saw one big red blob below my jig but the water column side 3-4 individual lines separating jig and individual fish. So far 100% satisfied and very very impressed. I do realize that comparing the lx-5 to an older model fl8 is like comparing apples to oranges but I feel like I'm driving a Caddi now were as before I was in a low grade luxury vehicle. (poor analogy I know, but it works)
Thanks for all the reviews and helping my choose a sonar that I shouldn't have to "upgrade" for many many years
Tight lines
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Purchased a new LX-5 in the off-season and got my first chance to use it this weekend. I have been ice fishing pretty hard for the last 15 years. For all of those 15 years, I always had a Vexilar. My first Vex was an FL-8. I upgraded that to an FL-18 and about 3 years ago, I upgraded to the FL-20. Was always very happy with the Vex and never had any problems with them. I live close to their corporate headquarters and had stopped in there a few times for software upgrades and things like that. Excellent service too. So, why switch? Some of it came down to things I read on this site and how happy guys have been with the Marcum units. There were also some features of the Marcum that I really liked. I also figured that I could sell the Marcum for what I paid for it if I didn't like it. So after using the Marcum for about 12 hours this past weekend, I have some feedback for anyone that is in the market. The first thing I noticed is that the Marcum unit is substantially quieter than the Vex. I fished with a buddy that has an FL-18 and he asked me how they made it so quiet. You can barely hear anything from the Marcum. Not a big deal, but kind of nice to reduce the noise. We had both units right next to each other and it was clear that the Marcum had a sharper readout. I was really nervous about what sort of interference the two units would have as I have only every fished with a Vexilar, with guys that also have Vexilars. I was shocked to see that neither of us had any interference; even though our ducers were only about 6 feet apart. I had more interference last year when both of us were fishing Vexilar units. The main feature of the Marcum that caused me to buy it was the move-able zoom. I was able to use this feature over the weekend and can tell you it did help me catch more fish. I was fishing crappies and was mostly fishing the bottom, however, I did have some suspended fish come through and was able to move the zoom on the fly right up to where the fish were. Really, really nice feature. The other things I noticed was that switching the beam angle on the Marcum (standard dual beam on the LX-5; $100 option on the FL-20) was really easy. The button to switch is right on the front of the unit and there is an indicator light that lets you know when you are in the "narrow beam" mode. With my FL-20, the switch was mounted under the unit (ultra-pack) and there was no indicator on the screen to let you know which beam angle you had on. The only way to tell was to lift up the case and look under the unit to see where the switch was. As far as the case, I really like the Marcum set up. I was also very skeptical of the little swing arm that holds the transducer. I was very pleasantly surprised on how well that worked. I was fishing with my hand auger (6 inch) and not having the big float in the hole was really nice. Made it much easier to get fish on the ice. Also nice to have a soft case and not have to try to stuff the styrofoam float into the case. The case has velcro in all the right places to hold the case open when you are using it. Has easy access to the battery to charge the unit. Also has a clear window in the case that allows you to see the digital battery status display. The way you charge the LX-5 is another reason to buy it. The charger is very easy to use and provides excellent battery maintenance. All you have to do is plug the charger in to the connection on the battery and plug it into the wall. Even if you keep your Vex, look into this battery charging unit (can be purchased as a stand alone product). Fantastic set up. In terms of negative things about the LX-5; not much to say. Based on the battery status indicator, I think it did use slightly more juice than I would have expected. I fished with the unit for about 5 hours and the status indicator said I was at 70%. One other thing I had to get used to was when I turned on the zoom. I turned it on and figured out that the zoom was showing me the top 5 feet of the water column. I had to move the zoom down to the bottom to see where I was fishing. Not a big deal, but it was an extra step I wasn't expecting. Overall, my 1st experience with the LX-5 was very positive. I bought the unit primarily for the moveable zoom and it performed better than I expected. My feeling is that you get more features for your money with the Marcum than you do with the Vex. You can tell this unit was designed by guys that actually fish through the ice. Everything from the features, to the case, to the battery charger are very well thought out and function very well. I can't speak to durability and reliability yet since this is a new unit for me, but my first impression makes me glad I made the switch. I know that the "best flasher" debate will rage until the end of time, but all I can do is provide you my experience as a hardcore Vexilar owner of 15 years.
thank you because I have been comparing and leaning 1 way then to another and UGH. But the LX-5 seems to be the route I will take. Now time to see where to buy..
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On the ice yesterday, I found a reasonable depth on a shallow lake and set up camp. I'd been jigging for a while, watching the LX-5 when all of a sudden a red bar came out of nowhere and went right at my jig, seen as the small yellow bar. Hookset and match for the first perch of the day. I find I prefer using the SFL as opposed to the zoom, I think the zoom works better in deeper water columns.
C
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Zoom combines SFL when you see a false bottom of fish is really beneficial to separate things.
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I can second everything Holehopper said about his Marcum. I got an lx-3tc this year, first flasher ever. Last year I nearly bought a vex fl-18 ultra pack, glad I didn't. The adjustable zoom did it for me too. I love that feature. He was right on about how well this thing is designed and works. I only have about 3 hours on it so far, but I can't wait to get out again! BTW, my LX-3, after 3 hours, is still at 100%. Maybe because it has less power output than the lx-5.
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to purchase one of these, are they all retailing at MSRP, I think $449.99? Or is there someone who deals on them?
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got my lx3tc for 289 delivered
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to purchase one of these, are they all retailing at MSRP, I think $449.99? Or is there someone who deals on them?
$399 at Scheels
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$399 at Scheels
which scheels? I just looked on their website for an lx-5 & all they showed was the marcum underwater camera
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In the store unless they are sold out.
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but which store were u referring too? I used to cover a bunch of Scheel's in my last job and have friends that are near them as well who can grab and ship me one.
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(Clipped) I can't speak to durability and reliability yet since this is a new unit for me, but my first impression makes me glad I made the switch. I know that the "best flasher" debate will rage until the end of time, but all I can do is provide you my experience as a hardcore Vexilar owner of 15 years.
I'm on my 5th yr with the LX-5. Performs as advertised. Colors are very crisp. Never had a problem with the unit. Same battery, fished hard most weekends from sun-up to sun-down, and have never run it down to less than 30%. I charge it up right after I'm done fishing, as I don't like to leave the unit sitting idle with a partial charge. After full charging, I usually unhook the (+) terminal to turn the meter off if I'm not going to be using it for an extended period (i.e., over the summer). The zoom and SFL are great. The only thing I wish Marcum would change - I'd set it up the zoom to default to the bottom of the water column instead of the top. Not a big deal, but it would save a few seconds not having to position the zoom to the bottom (since that's where I spend 80% of my time fishing the bottom 5 feet). The LX5 is my first flasher, and I will never go ice fishing without one again! I've never used the Vex FL20 and I know many folks love theirs, but the Marcum LX5 is a really nice unit, and the carrying case is well built.
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I've own my lx-5 for almost two yrs. Great unit until yesterday. About mid day the The flasher just starting going crazy. All the lights started plusating eratically, I couldn't even tell where my jig was. I got home and charged the battery since it was a little low- thinking that mayb the problem, so I charged for a few hrs and when I turned it on , there was three flashing red lights that I never noticed b4. **censored**. This is very bad timing since our season just started.My unit is under warranty but by the time marcum gets it back to me the season may over.
Has anyone have any suggestions on how to save the season. I can't see me fishing with out my marcum. I may just have to buy another one, only problem with that is marcum has lx5 in back order. I'm screwed all the way round. Buy a vex??? I just may hav too. Any help would appreciated. Thks
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Johnny.....Sounds like it still may be a battery problem....Maybe you can stop over and hook your unit up to one of my batteries and see if the problem is still there.
Phil
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Hey Phil,
Thanks for the offer but chris came over last night with his battery
and it did the same thing. Not sure what to do, do u know where I can atleast
a used flasher or where near us carry flashers???
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Well, HAD TO DO- JUST ORDER A NEW MARCUM 430.00 SHIPPED TO MY DOOR 2-3DAYS...IVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD
OF MARCUM-LEFT 2 MESSAGES AND NOTHING.... NOT SURE WHAT THINK,ITS NOT GOOD THOUGH....ILL TRY THEM AGAIN 2MORROW....
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Well, HAD TO DO- JUST ORDER A NEW MARCUM 430.00 SHIPPED TO MY DOOR 2-3DAYS...IVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD
OF MARCUM-LEFT 2 MESSAGES AND NOTHING.... NOT SURE WHAT THINK,ITS NOT GOOD THOUGH....ILL TRY THEM AGAIN 2MORROW....
For what its worth, I sent them a few messages with some tech questions, and I have never received a reply although people on this forum report having very good customer service when you phone in.
I've been using the LX-5 for this season, its working veyr well, and although I never owned a flasher before so I have no frame of reference to compare it to, I can state the following:
1. The battery holds a charge through a full, full day on the ice, even in extremely cold temps;
2. Once the transducer is in the water and you throttle up, the display comes on immediately and is easy to see in bright sunlight;
3. Once you adjust the gain, you can see your bait/jig on the display and it runs in real time, there is never any delay or lag in time between the movement you see on the screen of your bait and the movement you are performing when jigging;
4. Every fish I've caught I saw coming up to my lure and striking, very similar to the simulation mode that the unit provides (minus the audible alarm);
5. I've even seen fish working around the bait without taking it, easily the most maddening thing in the world as I sit on the ice talking to the LX-5 screen yelling, "C'mon! Its right there! Strike! Strike!" which usually accounts for other fishermen giving me a wide berth as they walk past my spot...........
Its an excellent device, I can tell its a winner by how well it performs on every level. I generally operate on a gain just to the point where my lure disappears when I don't move it, it only registers yellow when it moves. Once I have that dialed in, I put the device on Super Fine Line (SFL) as opposed to the zoom, unless I'm in deeper water. I like looking at the screen and knowing that what I see on the right side is what there is under water. I keep the transducer on the 20 degree wide angle read, and this seems to be best for general applications where there are no strange drop offs beneath.
Great unit, very happy with the performance so far, and I would like to see/try another model or another brand to be able to draw a comparison. I would imagine that most of the established brands out there make a pretty good flasher for the money, so when I was in the market, I applied the same principle to buying my flasher that I would apply to buying power tools; buy the best you can afford, it'll be appreciated in the years to come.
Take care all, and happy new year to everyone, tight lines and be safe, ;)
Chris
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Well, HAD TO DO- JUST ORDER A NEW MARCUM 430.00 SHIPPED TO MY DOOR 2-3DAYS...IVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD
OF MARCUM-LEFT 2 MESSAGES AND NOTHING.... NOT SURE WHAT THINK,ITS NOT GOOD THOUGH....ILL TRY THEM AGAIN 2MORROW....
thank u, got 1 ordered as well!!!!
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I used my lx-5 for the first time this weekend. I'm a little disapointed.I would have rather had my Fl-8. I was fishing 8'. with the gain just above 2 i could see my split shot but not my lure. I'm thinking about returning it. I don't like it.
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I used my lx-5 for the first time this weekend. I'm a little disapointed.I would have rather had my Fl-8. I was fishing 8'. with the gain just above 2 i could see my split shot but not my lure. I'm thinking about returning it. I don't like it.
I don't have that problem with mine in 8ft of water, with or without weeds. Did you play with the settings to see what you could do? i.e. gain, narrow vs. wide beam, zoom and sfl? I can't remember what settings I use in the shallows, I'll have pay attention the next time I'm out.
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I played with the buttons. It just made things worse.
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Well it appears to me the 2500 watt LX5 has more difficulty finding vertical type lures vs the older 2000 watt LX5. Maybe there's no foundation for it, but that just seems to be my observations.
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Mine's the new 2500W - no problems with the "tiniest" of jigs.
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I have both units and no issues in shallow weeds, I run mine at about 2 or less gain, NBT and SFL. Real thick weeds no unit will work well in. Try it in an area you know is clean bottom and see how it works.
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I had to send my Marcum LX-5 to the company to get fixed. When I am in 60 feet of water I can't pick up the bottom even on my 80 or 120 foot setting. I am looking forward to getting it back. Fished yesterday without it and it was not the same.
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just got my lx-5 and pumped to get out there and use it! pretty simplistic playing with all the options so far before going live.
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I was out yesterday. The unit is so powerful that I can adjust the gain to see my jig--a tiny #8 jighook with a Berkley maggot--drifting to the bottom, then see the bottom start to flutter as the bottom-holding fish take interest when I slowly bring the jig about a foot off the bottom, then watch as the bars of light around my jig progress from yellow to green to red and bang! there's a fish on the line.
Its great to get an exact depth reading too. I generally use lake maps that have depth indications, so I can better locate shoals. By drilling a few holes in the area, I can take a few depth readings and know if I'm on the shoal or not before I set up.
The LX-5 also seems to hold a charge for a very long time depsite constant use in very cold weather.
C
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Where can I find a place that has teh lx-5 in stock ?
thanks
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Where can I find a place that has teh lx-5 in stock ?
thanks
I got mine from www.productsthatsave.c om Jan. 4th
unit was $416.61
they gave a $5 discount to bring it to $411.61
then shipping was $18.64.
So delivered was $430.25
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Be careful with that website as a few people on here got screwed over from them.
Buy it from a brick and mortar store that has a website.
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Be careful with that website as a few people on here got screwed over from them.
Buy it from a brick and mortar store that has a website.
screwed over how??
I got mine right away and emailed the tracking and everything. I had not 1 problem.
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Bean,
That is what I was concerned about. Any suggestions on who has them in stock ? I shouldn't have waited so long.
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Be careful with that website as a few people on here got screwed over from them.
Buy it from a brick and mortar store that has a website.
this web site is a rip off me and my friend ordered different time then the other one 2 weeks later called them e mail them no response my credit card was charged no response no showdown what a joke
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this web site is a rip off me and my friend ordered different time then the other one 2 weeks later called them e mail them no response my credit card was charged no response no showdown what a joke
I ordered mine right online and didn't have 1 issue. Ordered it New Years Day night online and received the unit that Wednesday the 6th.
Here is the owners number from what I was given if u have issues.
Mark 708 337 2340. let me how it worked out.
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I ordered mine right online and didn't have 1 issue. Ordered it New Years Day night online and received the unit that Wednesday the 6th.
Here is the owners number from what I was given if u have issues.
Is the unit you received the older 2000W model (as advertised and pictured with the embroidered front) or is it the new 2500W model?
I appreciate the feedback.
FB
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Is the unit you received the older 2000W model (as advertised and pictured with the embroidered front) or is it the new 2500W model?
I appreciate the feedback.
FB
its the brand new 2500W lx-5.
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this web site is a rip off me and my friend ordered different time then the other one 2 weeks later called them e mail them no response my credit card was charged no response no showdown what a joke
I had the same experience. I got an e-mail from "Mark" stating that they would credit my account in a day or 2 and they did not. I reported them to credit card company and NYS Attorney General's office for fraud. Stay away from this site and deal with locals or "Brick and mortar shops". I only paid a few $ more for my lx-5 since place where I ended up ordering from offered free shipping. Got it in 5 days and am very happy with it.
Would also note that Visa and Mastercard offer free protection from clowns like these guys (Products that Save). Don't get sucked in for a couple of $ savings.
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wow, this was the 1st I have heard about this website being like this. I found it and ordered and had not 1 issue. Product was here lickitysplit. I also paid thru PAYPAL with my Mastercard.
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Got my lx-5 out on ice today and it worked great on crappies. I would note the following in comparison to my Vexilar FL-8se:
Zoom feature on lx-5 is terrific, but as earlier post noted, it should default to bottom rather than top. Much more practical and easier for perch and crappie fishing. Not a big deal, but good observation by previous poster.
I don't like the 20'/40' selection in my case since most of the water I fish is in the 20-30 foot range. I wish it had a 30 foot setting like my vexilar. The zoom more than makes up for this however.
The battery supplied has a 7 amp rating whereas my vexilar had a 9 amp battery. I used it for 5 straight hours in some windy cold conditions and it read 70% on battery indicator when done. I hope this is not a problem for really cold days where the unit runs all day. My vexilar never died unless I forgot to charge it. Has anyone tried swapping out the battery for a 9 amp battery? If so, please let me know.
Display is crisp and bright. I was running gain between 2 and 3 in 23 feet of water. Tiny jigs like a Marmooska should up easily, especially on zoom side.
I wish it fit in a five gallon pail like my vexilar. I will end up putting it in a small storage container which will double as a table to get unit up off ice so I don't get a sore neck looking down at it all day. I had same problem with vexilar and used 5 gallon pail for table. Coincidentally, the small storage container fits in my Clam Scout better than the 5 gallon pail. Sometimes you can solve you own problems!
Overall, very happy with unit. Nice display. Easy to get used to it. I plan on trying it in deep water for lakers and will post what I find out.
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I wish it fit in a five gallon pail like my vexilar. I will end up putting it in a small storage container which will double as a table to get unit up off ice so I don't get a sore neck looking down at it all day. I had same problem with vexilar and used 5 gallon pail for table. Coincidentally, the small storage container fits in my Clam Scout better than the 5 gallon pail. Sometimes you can solve you own problems!
I sit mine on a 5 gallon fish bucket and on top I have 1 of those half moon cushion seats, so it sits on that and I put my fish in thru the open side. Works like a charm.
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I also set mine on a 5 gallon bucket and I adjust the viewing angle to my preference. I always carry my Marcum by hand. It'll fit fine in my sled and my buckets already have fish, tackle boxes, rod holders, etc ... in them anyhow. I don't take any chances of my flasher falling out of my sled if it's in my hand ..... too valuable to me. I'd rather have the nice waterproof case over it fitting into a bucket anyhow.
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I put my LX5 in a Igloo Playmate Elite cooler for the ride out on the ice (I am not sure on the size), it fits in there perfectly! Has the button on top to push and the cooler top slides over and it opens.
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:)Will try the cooler trick. Those things are tough and fit in my clam. Thanks!
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I ordered mine right online and didn't have 1 issue. Ordered it New Years Day night online and received the unit that Wednesday the 6th.
Here is the owners number from what I was given if u have issues.
Mark 708 337 2340. let me how it worked out.
got an email from mark after two weeks saying its going to take a month before i get my show down i guess the web site is OK
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Have also learned to like this better than vexilar especially since they give u dual beam transducers on their without having to specify. Wish they would have been around and more heard of instead of vexilar when I bought my vex. Who wouldn't want a dual beam transducer compared to the single, they should come standard like that. Wish they did have a 30' setting as the guy posted above. Some newer vex's don't either. Buddies all fish with those and they have 20 and 40 on the newer ones they bought. Overall have been happy with mine also zoom is so much easier to see details and being able to move whereever u want is great. Would recommend to anyone.
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Update on "Products that Save". For background - I placed an order for a lx-5 with them and they billed my credit card without having any in stock. I questioned them on this and the "Mark guy" referred to in previous posts said he would credit me in a day or two. It took over 3 weeks after numerous e-mails, etc. Do yourself a favor and stay away from these guys.
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Oops! Forgot this was supposed to be an lx-5 review thread instead of a moan and groan about internet marketeers/pirates. I am very happy with unit. Got it out fishing for lakers in deep water and this is where unit really shines when compared to my vexilar Fl-8se. I was running the gain between 2 and 3 in 70-80 feet of water and jigs show up easily. The best part is the zoom feature where you can focus anywhere you want in water column. I had mine set to bottom 20 or 40 feet which is perfect to see lakers race up off bottom or come in from side to wallop the jig. Almost too much fun watching this thing.
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a top quality flasher. :)
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I didnt have a problem with products that save I ordered a showdown back in january i canceled it beginning of february (showdown shortage is not there fault showdown isnt making any this year cause of some problem they have at the company) called mark had my money back in about five mins ( payed with pay pal) ordered a Marcum lx-5 feb 5th they shipped it feb 10 I should have it this monday or tuesday feb 15,16
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oh and yeah i will leave a review after i try my lx-5 out in this week i hope give it a true northern canada test ;D
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Thanks for all the input on the lx-5, made my decision easy & its on the way.
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Ordered mine a few days ago from Reed's. Anyone know how long they take to send it. They ship USPS I think, but I have no tracking number. Are Reeds Sporting Goods good to deal with? I'm itching to get mine and try it out !
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Reeds are first class, great service, you cant buy from a better place,period. They ship speede truck service youll have it in 2-3days max.
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Yeah reeds is awesome. When mine shipped they sent me a ups tracking notification. You should call their stor and see if it has been processed yet. They are very good to deal with....
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Third time I tried my LX-5 was yesterday!!!!First time to much current for the cone to read lure,second time didnt work good cause I was fishing a drop off...
Third time was a charm,less current and flat....1 word "AWESOME",real easy to figure out the gain!!!!!! 8) But I did ge skunked..... >:(
One question though,when I put it on zoom why couldnt I see my jig on that side????
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did you drag your zoom down to the bottom? when you hit the zm button, you have to hold the arrow down button and drag it down to the bottom on the right side of the flasher (whole water colum) till on the left side the bottom shows up and your jig. It will make a beep sound when you hold it down.
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did you drag your zoom down to the bottom? when you hit the zm button, you have to hold the arrow down button and drag it down to the bottom on the right side of the flasher (whole water colum) till on the left side the bottom shows up and your jig. It will make a beep sound when you hold it down.
No I didnt,thats the problem then!!!Will try it next time out,Thanks....
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Got my LX5 today! Ordered it on a Saturday Night, got it Thursday. That was fast, now I'm excited to use it this weekend, wish me luck !
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LUCK! ;D
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Ahhh Haaa, you're right! who needs luck, I have my LX5 now !
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I ordered mine from Reed's on Sunday & cant wait til it gets in!!!! I didn't receive any tracking # though even after I called for a confirmation. Once again thanks for the info.
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I ordered mine from Reed's on Sunday & cant wait til it gets in!!!! I didn't receive any tracking # though even after I called for a confirmation. Once again thanks for the info.
Based on when I ordered mine and when I got it, you should have yours today. Let me know how you like it, I'm gonna try mine out tomorrow !
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My unit showed up this week, supposedly new, but my case does have the logo embroidered on the front?? The User Manual states that my unit is 2500W, and the revision Date on the Manual is 9/23/2009. Nothing appears to have been re-packaged, is there another way to tell if my unit is the 2000W or the 2500W??
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My unit showed up this week, supposedly new, but my case does have the logo embroidered on the front?? The User Manual states that my unit is 2500W, and the revision Date on the Manual is 9/23/2009. Nothing appears to have been re-packaged, is there another way to tell if my unit is the 2000W or the 2500W??
go use it! ;D
If you see some fair green, then it's the new unit. The old unit barely even show's green.
New unit comes with epoxied transducer. Old unit comes with clean plastic bottom on transducer. Although you can switch transducer...
Open the main unit box! Look at the mfg date on the card. Nah, don't go there...
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Well i used my Lx-5 today, it worked great seeing the trout come off botom and hit your lure ;D Did some playing around with it to trying it out on really rocky bottom in deep water worked really well better then i thought it would 8) I give the unit two thumbs up. ;)
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Been using mine quite a bit this season, I have no negative comments. Its been working very well, although I have no previous ice flasher experience to draw a comparison against.
C
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Received mine on Friday, have over 13 hours on it & no complaints.
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used mine all weekend and it worked great. just wondering if anybody elses does this to, i noticed that my battery dropped down to 50% using it for about 4-5hrs but when i turned it off it went back up to 100% does everyone elses do the same thing?
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Yes
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Thanks
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sorry Merv, I check mine and its not done that so far in the couple uses.
used mine for the 1st time without the aqua-view (have to ween off it)
and it produced beyond belief. Had non stop color on it and guys next to me not catching
fish as I was because they were suspended and everyone was on the bottom.
I had a crowd around my back watching and now they want one.
After this weekends use, made the confidence level boost and may be lighter
travels with not taking the aqua view... I'll miss it somewhat..
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Mine does the same thing but I just thought it wasn't fully charged from the factory. I think in the manual it says some thing about the DCS & it jumping around. Good luck & tightlines
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mine came fully charged from the factory it was at 100% but i guess the new ones do this 10% per hour loss i think they just need to up date the manual and put 10-12 hours instead of 16-20
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I had same experience with charge level dropping to 50% after 4-5 hrs. Does not seem to be a problem. I used it for several hours afterward and it worked fine. I would agree with the previous post that 10-12 hrs. is reasonable.
Also, getting better with zoom feature which allows you to see lakers hanging on bottom (and I mean bottom) 90 feet down. I would have never seen these fish with my Fl-8se. I am not knocking the Fl-8se; it is a great unit. However, compared to the lx-5 it is like comparing apples and oranges. I would use the analogy that the lx-5 has a lot more horsepower and useful features.
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My first season with the LX-5 and I gotta say overall, as a fishing unit, I love it.
However I have a few bones to pick and if any of you guys from Marcum are listening......
This is what I would improve.
The swing arm really isn't good, I like the idea but the material leaves a little to be desired. One stray dog and SNAP. Oh well a little epoxy and we are back in business but that was my second day with the thing.
Soft case, again a lot to be desired. Maybe three times out and the velcro holders started coming off, not cool at all.
Third and final thing....or combination of two things. Something needs to be done to hold the puck. two or three times I have had the puck freeze into the holder while moving from spot to spot. I hate wasting good beer to get my transducer back out so I have been flipping the display horizontally and resting the puck on the display. Whoever else has marcums DO NOT DO THAT, if you do you will pay. Yesterday I was checking out our first hole turned it on and the whole fricken display started to spin. The numbers and everything about 90 miles an hour spinning around in side my unit. $450 and fifty dollars and this is what I am getting. Turns out from having my puck on there it must have bounced enough going across the ice to break the seal of the cover plate on the actual flasher itself. It would have been an easy fix but Marcum used the smallest allen wrench known to man to lock on the gain and depth knobs so you cant gain access to the plate itself with normal tools. I still caught some fish but I don't want to fish without my sonar when I have a sonar. Again $450 and only used for 1/2 a season and all of these problems. I owned a vex before this and never in three years had ANY problems, and it was second hand. Its just like anything I guess everything has strength and weaknesses so to all the engineers at Marcum you have a superior product so go out and actually fish with it and work the bugs out
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My first season with the LX-5 and I gotta say overall, as a fishing unit, I love it.
However I have a few bones to pick and if any of you guys from Marcum are listening......
This is what I would improve.
The swing arm really isn't good, I like the idea but the material leaves a little to be desired. One stray dog and SNAP. Oh well a little epoxy and we are back in business but that was my second day with the thing.
Soft case, again a lot to be desired. Maybe three times out and the velcro holders started coming off, not cool at all.
Third and final thing....or combination of two things. Something needs to be done to hold the puck. two or three times I have had the puck freeze into the holder while moving from spot to spot. I hate wasting good beer to get my transducer back out so I have been flipping the display horizontally and resting the puck on the display. Whoever else has marcums DO NOT DO THAT, if you do you will pay. Yesterday I was checking out our first hole turned it on and the whole fricken display started to spin. The numbers and everything about 90 miles an hour spinning around in side my unit. $450 and fifty dollars and this is what I am getting. Turns out from having my puck on there it must have bounced enough going across the ice to break the seal of the cover plate on the actual flasher itself. It would have been an easy fix but Marcum used the smallest allen wrench known to man to lock on the gain and depth knobs so you cant gain access to the plate itself with normal tools. I still caught some fish but I don't want to fish without my sonar when I have a sonar. Again $450 and only used for 1/2 a season and all of these problems. I owned a vex before this and never in three years had ANY problems, and it was second hand. Its just like anything I guess everything has strength and weaknesses so to all the engineers at Marcum you have a superior product so go out and actually fish with it and work the bugs out
Huh - I've had mine for three + years now and have not experienced one of your stated problems (except the freezing of the puck in the base). Now I just dry the puck off before putting it into the base, I carry a hand towel anyways.
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just undo the bolt of the swing arm, buy a vex float or insulating foam for pipes, and make a stopper(i use a twist tie that can slide easily up and down to adjust for ice thickness) and your in business without that stupid swing arm
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Yeah, the swing arm has to go. My little epoxy job lasted about 45 seconds today. I was able to fix the display with epoxy and it shouldn't be going anywhere.
For the record, in case anybody got the wrong idea, I LOVE my marcum.......just had a few bad experiences that chapped my hide.
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;D ;D Sounds like a love hate relationship... ;D ;D
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I always have a hand towel with me because when I pull up my aqua view, I am wiping down the cord as I do, so I always wipe down the LX-5 transducer & cord as well, so my pucking sticking is very minimum. I like the swing arm personally, I keep the unit toward my right hole then the cord is right up against the hole at 9 o'clock and the puck is just under the ice so I may get 1 to 2 fish a day caught in the cord when reeling up.
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well I have another weekend under my belt with the lx-5 caught two nice lakers and some perch and i wasnt really trying to catch them the perch that is lol I caught them on my spoon that was twice there size and have no idea how they got the hook in there mouths lol, anyways the lx-5 did its job today marking the lake trout and catching them cause i was the only one that caught fish all weekend. its been real slow fishing the past couple of weeks the fish have not been biting, if it was not for the flasher i would not have got the fish this weekend I would have been like every one else skunked. My battery today was way better then it has been, it was dropping about 10% and hour but today after the third charge it only dropped 20% for 6hrs of fishing which is really good so lets hope it stays like that. But i did have one glitch today with it but it only did it twice in a row for about two seconds total the bottom and my hook shifted about 1-4 ft up and down so i will be keeping an eye on that to see if it does it again.
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i FIANLLY broke down and purchased a flasher...After much hemming and hawing it was the Marcum lx-5 and i cant wait to get it!
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i FIANLLY broke down and purchased a flasher...After much hemming and hawing it was the Marcum lx-5 and i cant wait to get it!
I upgraded from an older LX-3 last season, I am glad I did. It is a world of difference. The LX-5 is fun to use, you'll have a blast.
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i FIANLLY broke down and purchased a flasher...After much hemming and hawing it was the Marcum lx-5 and i cant wait to get it!
I think you're just building up. ;D Guard it well and treat it well.
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came in the mail today....SWEET! Alright hardwater, lets go!!!
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came in the mail today....SWEET! Alright hardwater, lets go!!!
Awesome piece of equipment. You will enjoy it. My LX5 changed my life, as far as ice-fishing goes ;D
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Awesome piece of equipment. You will enjoy it. My LX5 changed my life, as far as ice-fishing goes ;D
Ditto Brother, I'll be getting a second one this season cause my boys are hoggin my LX-5 everytime we hit the ice!!! :tipup:
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The 5 is an awesome unit, especially when you're fishing close too buddies. They hate when I'm around because the unit takes care of the problem with interference.....it drowns them out....If you don't have a 5 get a 5......I love mine.
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Has anyone used the Showdown "Ice Stroller", and if so, how did it perform?
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Ice troller, post it in a new post dude, this post is old. ;)
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LX5 rocks the rest!!!
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how dose lx 5 work next to a vexlar 20 will it drowned one or the other.. or is the rejection take care of that?
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how dose lx 5 work next to a vexlar 20 will it drowned one or the other.. or is the rejection take care of that?
Just play with the interference rejection.
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Been running them side by side for 2-3 years now, not often theres an issue but once in awhile the Vex won't be able to 100% clear.
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how dose lx 5 work next to a vexlar 20 will it drowned one or the other.. or is the rejection take care of that?
They will work fine together.
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I have a fl20 and just got a LX3tc, they work fine together, even 3feet apart, just some IR adjustments and you can clear up any interference, not like two hummingbirds, wow these thing don't like each other, wicked interference, but no interference from the marcum or the vex
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On my LX-5 I have the hardest time with interference from the Showdown 5.6 my buddy uses, I get most of it to go away with the IR, but sometimes not all of it.
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On my LX-5 I have the hardest time with interference from the Showdown 5.6 my buddy uses, I get most of it to go away with the IR, but sometimes not all of it.
try using the NBT button witch narrows the beam, usually takes care of any x-tra interference
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going to buy a new marcum this winter. Just trying to decide between the 3 and the 5. I don't really have any areas around here where the narrow cone will come in really handy, so deciding if the extra $100 is worth it. Thoughts?
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I think the extra 100$ is worth it because of the super fine line. Seperation is amazing in sfl. And helps to fine tune your jig to a very thin line without flickering out all the time. Thats why I love it. I personally dont want to look at my tiny jig as a thick red mark on the screen, especially when trying to distinguish how close a fish is to my jig.
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The LX-5 can be had for a fair price at Fleet Farm, which happens to be a sponsor of this site. I am not going to post the price, but if you look for it you'll find it. Unfortunately this sale forced me to drive to two stores last weekend to find one in stock. I had it out for its first very long use this weekend. I am very pleased with its performance and highly recommend the new model.
It is unfortunate that I have learned first hand that Versa Electronics has made the business decision to put 5,000 marred flasher dispay covers (or whatever it is called) into production. Just put your new LX-5 into simulation mode and you too will see the minor mar near the 8' line as the fish strikes the bait/lour. Even with the mar I am very pleased with my purchase. I also recommend you get on it now if you want a new one that you can still use this season! :)
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what "minor mar" are you talking about? I put my new lx-5 into demo mode and nothing seems out of the ordinary to me. Or maybe I'm missing something?
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Did you just buy yours in the last week or so? I got mine from Fleet Farm on Sunday the 15th. I drove down to Versa Electronics and spoke with Chris about it. He said there are a bunch just like mine in the production line that they are not intending to pull out. He also said that the customer complaint rate is so low that it doesn't make sense for them to perform a recall.
I thought this explanation was a bit odd, but it is what it is basically. I wonder how I could go about getting one without the mar as nobody was home on the production floor when I stopped by Monday the 16th at 3:30pm. I would usually just exchange it, but after talking with Chris I was left with the impression that all of the new units have this problem. I am anxious to hear if anyone else has the same issue or not.
The mar can be seen as the fish swims up to get the bait/jig in simulation mode. It appears on the clear portion of the flasher dispay right before the fish hits the bait at around 8 feet.
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I got mine in November. I don't think I saw anything on mine. Does yours look like a blip on the screen, or a scratch in the lens or what? Can you take a picture of it? I'm kinda interested in seeing what you're trying to explain.
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I'll try taking some pictures of it later this week. I'm not sure how well the mar is going to show, but I'll give it a shot.
On a side note, I had to call Marcum today about the fact that my charger never goes green. I fished with my LX-5 for about 14 hours. After leaving my 9amp battery on the charger for more than 24 hours the charger light didn't go green. Chris from Marcum stated that the charger I have will work, but will never turn green to indicate a full charge. Marcum is going to send me a new charger and told me I can keep the one that shipped with my LX-5 as a backup. More than likely I'll just throw the original charger away because I do not trust it. I would hate to ruin my new battery by over charging it!
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Will never turn green? Sounds a little suspect to me. I have 2 of those chargers (flasher and camera), and they both turn green.
As for charging times though, I've put in solid 10 hour days on the ice with the flasher going non-stop. When I get home, I let the battery warm up to room temp, and it usually takes overnight and a bit into the next day to turn green (It's green when I get home from work).
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I know what known1 is talking about! Mine too has the "marred" screen. Its noticable. The first one I ordered had this and the base was broken also, as well as the battery was bad and wouldnt take a charge. Marcum sent me a whole new unit! The 2nd one had scratches also so I complained again and had them send me a new one again! The 3rd one was worse than all 3 of the units and was actually very blurry all over with MAJOR scratches and grainy plastic! Id compare it to trying to see through scratched up lexan! It was pretty bad and its beyond me how it made its way to my door!!! I sent that one back and kept my 2nd one. I believe its a problem in the mold of the clear plastic screen piece. Some are worse than others. The only scratch I really notice during use is one around the 12ft area. Its pretty bad there. What made me mad was that I explained this to marcum and they sent me one that was even worse!!! All in all it marks fish and I enjoy using it.
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I bought mine 25 months ago... used it a ton. However, last winter I noticed that sometimes, the bottom (and my jig and any fish I was marking) would bounce a couple feet slowly up and down. Also, seemed to have a deadspot around 7-9 feet that my jig would fade into a real faint color, and any fish that I would mark would be faint or non-existant. Sent it in this past summer (just sucked it up during the winter since I didn't want to waste any fishing time) and they fixed it... until I noticed a couple weeks ago, the dead spot was back around 15-18 feet. So when I'm fishing 15-19 feet of water, I needed to turn the unit to 40 feet, so it was all on the right side. Also interfered with using the zoom function. Since it's the wife's b-day this weekend, I figured I wouldn't be getting out, so I contacted Chris and sent it in today (express over night shipping!) and hopefully I'll have it back early next week. We'll see. Not real happy about the issues I've had, but the unit does work well!
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I have nothing to comare my Marcum LX-5 against because it is my first flasher which I purchased in December 2011. I do find it easy to use and take care of for the most part. I love the zoom feature that allows me to adjust the 5' or 10' zoom window to anywhere in the water column. Battery last all day and easily recharges overnight. One of the connectors to the battery is loose and comes off all of the time, but I should be able to fix with a pair of pliers.
I have ice fished since 1988, and this is my first year with a flasher so I have a good idea what I am doing on the ice, just new to focusing so much energy on jigging and looking at a dial....
I called Marcum customer support to ask about some additional option they sell to store and transport the LX-5. They told me that they have nothing.... I was told that most get a square kitty litter bucket, which I did and seems to work okay....
I found the pricing of the Marcum much more reasonable than the Vex. Incentives from Cabela's and Marcum mail in rebate made it an even better deal....
At this point I am pleased with my purchase and I think it is a great tool to help you improve the limited time you have on the ice...
Have a great day!
- ZG -
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Hey ZG- if your looking for a hard case they have them at Fleetfarm. http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case (http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case)
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Hey ZG- if your looking for a hard case they have them at Fleetfarm. http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case (http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case)
eyestroker;
Thanks for pointing me in this direction... Do you have one and use it?
- ZG -
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No, actually just sold my lx-3tc. Just had seen it while scouring the internet for sonars
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I bought mine 25 months ago... used it a ton. However, last winter I noticed that sometimes, the bottom (and my jig and any fish I was marking) would bounce a couple feet slowly up and down. Also, seemed to have a deadspot around 7-9 feet that my jig would fade into a real faint color, and any fish that I would mark would be faint or non-existant. Sent it in this past summer (just sucked it up during the winter since I didn't want to waste any fishing time) and they fixed it... until I noticed a couple weeks ago, the dead spot was back around 15-18 feet. So when I'm fishing 15-19 feet of water, I needed to turn the unit to 40 feet, so it was all on the right side. Also interfered with using the zoom function. Since it's the wife's b-day this weekend, I figured I wouldn't be getting out, so I contacted Chris and sent it in today (express over night shipping!) and hopefully I'll have it back early next week. We'll see. Not real happy about the issues I've had, but the unit does work well!
howdy....did you get it back and was it fixed? mine was doing the same but i was going to wait until after ice off. last 2 times mine has been doing better, just wondering what they might of told you.....Thanks
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My lx-3 had the same issue in my first season. Called chris and he said they had a bad batch of parts that went into some units. Got an RMA and sent it in for a free repair. Still had to pay to ship it which sucked but what r ya gonna do. So this is a known problem and if your out of warranty I would ask that they fix it for free because it is known.......
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My lx-3 had the same issue in my first season. Called chris and he said they had a bad batch of parts that went into some units. Got an RMA and sent it in for a free repair. Still had to pay to ship it which sucked but what r ya gonna do. So this is a known problem and if your out of warranty I would ask that they fix it for free because it is known.......
thanks, i will tell them that for sure when i send it in, cuz its out of warranty
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So I got it back within 6 days (overnight shipping there saved a couple days, but costed an extra $20). They gave me a new transducer, unfortunately, this did not fix the problem. Noticed it again, but had a trip set up last week, so waited until Monday to call them. Still had deadspots around 15-19 feet which made it really hard to see jig or if fish would come in. They were very understanding and said that they would "make sure it's fixed" this time. I know this would piss a lot of people off, but I'm just happy I'm getting all this work done out of warranty. I couldn't make it out this week anyways, so I overnighted it again (another extra $20...). I'm hoping I get it back today, since I know they had it Tuesday by Noon, so I can get out this weekend. I'll let you know if it's fixed. Better be this time. I won't be so nice if it's not.
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Update. Sent it back in last Monday (overnight), got it back on Friday. Took it out this weekend, Sat and Sun. Worked great. Finally got it fixed, it's hard to read the writing of what they replaced, but it's working great now. Nice to be able to use the zoom feature and to see the whole water column when fishing 15-18 feet of water. Was a hassle, obviously, but great customer service to fix a unit that is technically out of warranty (by a few months).
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Upgraded from a 15 yr old FL8 to the Marcum LX5 this season. Love the LX5. The super fine line option and zooming in on any part of the water column is sweet. I have def caught more fish because of the LX5.
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Bought my lx5 this week after owning vex for years. I love the options and separation is awesome! Wish I had switched long ago. SFL is great. Having all control in gain switch and no low power mode to deal with is nice. Used it in 6 ft of water with weeds today worked perfect. Hands down best unit I have used.
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Bought an LX5 after reading 15 out of 15 5-star reviews on a major outdoors web site. I fished with it for the first time yesterday. All I can say is "Why didn't I buy this years ago?".
It worked great right out of the box. The SLF feature was awesome in 6-7 feet of water. I could see the fish coming for my jug and was ready when they hit it. Far less missed strikes then before. Also makes it easy to see when there's nothing happening at the hole so you can feel confident in moving sooner.
Can't wait to try it in deeper water.
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The thing I love about my LX-5, (and I'm not sure about the LX-7, LX-9 being digital, at least Jason Mitchell keeps pounding this idea on his show) that I can indeed see how a fish reacts. I can tell when it turns around and starts bee-lining for my jig just by looking at how the reds/yellows change in a given mark. I tried explaining this to my wife while she was using it, but she just thinks I'm crazy.
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I use the detail it provides the same . Was different at first watching how the marks changed color compared to the blend of the vex which I didn't mind ,It was the thick lines I wanted to get away from. Marcum has fine lines.
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GOT A NEW LX3TC LOVE IT USED IT YESTERDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON ONEIDA. WORKED GREAT AND GOT MY LIMIT OF WALLEYES
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Congrats on both! Did you run marcum before the lx3?
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Was in perfect situation today to utilize the adjustable zoom. Suspended crappies in 30ft of water fish stacked up to 15ft. Huge Christmas tree and was great to move zoom and pick off fish high in the school. Great feature!
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Just got my LX5 and I have been out with it a few times. Caught a nice Mac with it that I would not have caught without the flasher. I was able to see him coming and retrieve it to cause the strike. I am still learning but I love it so far
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I love mine....its awesome....the movable zoom is awesome....you can see a size 12 tungsten jig in 50 FOW....
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I can see crawdads on bottom in 50 ft.
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Hey ZG- if your looking for a hard case they have them at Fleetfarm. http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case (http://www.fleetfarm.com/catalog/product_detail/fishing/ice-fishing/fish-finders-underwater-cameras/marcum-ice-flasher-hard-case)
Just got my LX-5 tonight, and was wondering how many of you guys are using this case. Is it any good? How much protection does it really afford the unit? Thanks in advance.
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Nope never used anything other than what mine came with, I had one of the first year units and just sold itthis last spirng still in perfect working order other than a new battery. I never worry about my flashers when in the shack behind the quad I now run LX-7's and even bounce them off the ice when the fall off the quad or I forget and leave them sit on the seat of the shack when moving....
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how long is the battery good for
??
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Do you mean how long does it last while using it or how many years do they last? I have run mine for over 8 hours and still had juice left. If you take care of the battery and charge it after every use and once a month in off season they last 3-5 years more or less.
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I ran my battery all day Friday (14 hours) and again on Saturday morning for 3 hours without a charge. I forgot to hook it up Friday night and was actually surprised that it lasted so long. The batteries are good for three or four years using them a couple dozen times a year.
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A heads up. I just bought a 2nd LX5 from Marine General in Duluth MN Blowout sale brand new in box $415.99 and free shipping. I drove 170 miles round trip and picked it up today. They had 3 or 4 left in stock and I'm not sure how long the sale goes on? I just got my wife into jigging crappie and she took over on my lx5, I had to get another one and couldn't pass up this price. After taxes state and local it was about $445 out the door. I think MN has high sales taxes it probably would have been cheaper to buy on there website but I wanted it now. Still the best price I could find anyplace else, next closest was from Amazon about $472 out the door.
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I got me LX5 last March and loving it.I figure its the best unit in its class.The others tried to talk me into Velar but after research was done it was a no Rainer,LX5
:icefish: SPANKIN GILLS and SPECKS :icefish:
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love my Lx5, but its onto its 3rd motor in 2 years. got the original motor replaced because of bottom bouncing last year but I put up with it due to being in Canada and it taking approx 3 weeks to get back.
took it on the ice for 45 mins last week, zoom rotated 90 degrees and now screen is stuck in 40ft depth range and doesn't zoom at all with the bottom bouncing.
luckily enough Marcum sent me a free shipping label and I have sent it and il receive it again mid Jan. after a motor replacement and if it has other issues.
because of these issues I went out and bought a Fl-12 as I rarely fish in more then 20ft of water. its such a shame really works great when it works but im going to have a hard time taking it somewhere and trusting it.
I was going to buy a vx-1p but couldn't do it because of the problems ive had.
hopefully when I get it back it will be fine and maybe il just sell both the lx5 and fl-12 and buy myself a lx7 or 9
hope everyone has better luck with theirs
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Bought VX-1 Pro 7+ years ago with ZERO PROBLEMS!!!! Basic with bottom zoom, can't go wrong. Stay safe...........
Kim :tipup: :icefish: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: