Author Topic: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!  (Read 5251 times)

Offline Whitefish Slayer

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SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« on: Nov 22, 2017, 11:52 AM »
Tried to fire up the Marcum a couple weeks ago and got a beep with a black screen.  Sent the old girl in for a check-up and her motherboard is shot!! 

$445 dollar repair for her.

I bought it in 2012 for $1000CAN so I guess I can't complain too much.

Hopefully the repairs happen fast as the fish are biting!!


Offline Old Goat

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #1 on: Nov 22, 2017, 11:54 AM »
hope your repair has you good to go soon and for a long time

Offline tbern

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #2 on: Nov 22, 2017, 11:56 AM »
Man that sucks, but hopefully you get your unit back quickly!

Offline 3300

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Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #4 on: Nov 22, 2017, 06:24 PM »

PRESS RELEASE - MARCUM INCREASES VALUE FOR CANADIAN CUSTOMERS, ANNOUNCING AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTER IN MANITOBA

Winnipeg, MB

Announcing an authorized repair center in Winnipeg, Manitoba
 Minneapolis, MN - Performance, value, and premium product quality are at the forefront in the minds of our engineers. But sometimes your unit takes a tumble off of the 4-wheeler, or your transducer gets stuck in the ice. That is why getting you back on the ice as fast as possible is the mantra of our customer support team.
 As a result of the growing demand for the MarCum products in Canada, we have sought out a service center to enable owners to immediately receive warranty and non-warranty service without the hassle of international shipping.
 Starting June 5th, 2017, The Video Re-Fit Shop on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, MB will start repairing all MarCum units. This will include flashers, cameras, Showdowns, and all digital series units. "The growth of our brand is what has driven this change" says Jeremiah Cich, Brand Strategist for MarCum Technologies. "Customers have been asking for this for years and I am excited that we have found such a trusted partner."
 The Video Re-fit Shop has been in business since 1986, when they started repairing televisions. In 2006, they started repairing trolling motors and in 2008, fishing electronics. Today, they have entered a new chapter by adding MarCum to the list.
 "We are very excited to help MarCum customers get back to fishing faster" says Co-owner Helen Lee-Huynh.
 Manufactured in the U.S.A. by Versa Electronics, MarCum Technologies offers the highest standards in flasher-sonar units and underwater viewing systems available today. For all warranty registration, FAQ's, and troubleshooting guides, please visit MarCum's support site. For customer service, please email us at [email protected]. If you live in Canada and are in need of a repair, you can ship just the head unit and the transducer to:
 The Video Re-fit Shop
 3220 Portage Ave
 Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y8 Canada
 Thank you for your ongoing support,
 MarCum Technologies






Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline dkfry

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #5 on: Nov 22, 2017, 10:04 PM »
For a 5 year old flasher you paid a grand for, you sure do have plenty to complain about IMO. That unit should easily last 15 or 20 years without trouble.(unless you abuse it) But it seems par for the course with Marcum. If it doesn't need several software updates to TRY and fix glitches, it just plain doesn't work.

Offline happyheber

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #6 on: Nov 22, 2017, 10:50 PM »
sounds like I would've shot the chevy  and bought a cummins  ::)
PIKEMAN99's avatar

Offline missoulafish

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #7 on: Nov 22, 2017, 11:48 PM »
not sure at all that you got your moneys worth...

Offline yotepounder

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #8 on: Dec 08, 2017, 01:59 AM »
That’s to much for something that new. Marcum should stand behind that a little better.

Offline RyanW

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #9 on: Dec 08, 2017, 06:23 AM »
Now you’ve spent $1500 CDN. Sorry for luck man.
“When the fish are biting, it really doesn’t matter what you’re using. When the fish aren’t biting, it really doesn’t matter what you’re using” - Uncle Dave

Offline Spider1

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #10 on: Dec 08, 2017, 06:48 AM »
I'm sorry for your troubles, but I gotta agree with these guys. Sometimes things break down suddenly but a 5 yr old machine costing almost $500 to fix? I would have plenty to complain about.

Offline lefty2053

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #11 on: Dec 08, 2017, 07:20 AM »
Not to mention it most likely was a cold solder spot that they will just reheat. Spit shine it up and claim it was replaced.
<===Lefty===

Offline Mancaveburnett

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #12 on: Dec 08, 2017, 07:51 AM »
Thats one of the problems in my opinion about having advanced and more complex equipment, theres more to go wrong/ more costly. Not to mention unlike a smartphone or appliance that you can justify replacing the marcum gets used minimal in comparison. That sucks, I dont know why ice fisherman spend so much money on unnecessary equipment. last night I was getting my equipment ready. Marcum, clam, powered auger, striker float suit, buddy heater, snowmobile, and etc etc. LMAO ITS AN ADDICTION

Offline Spoondangler

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #13 on: Dec 08, 2017, 08:17 AM »
I have an lx-7 and why it isn't necessary, once you use a digital flasher it is hard to go back.  For me at least, one of my buddies finds it unusable in comparison to a traditional vex, but i wouldn't go back. anyone try one of the new hummingbird ice units yet?

Offline Fisherman 1

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #14 on: Dec 08, 2017, 08:36 AM »
Funny thing is people just keep buying them and almost expect them to grenade and then have to wait for updates or costly repairs.

Offline 3300

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #15 on: Dec 08, 2017, 10:12 AM »
Funny thing is people just keep buying them and almost expect them to grenade and then have to wait for updates or costly repairs.
the repair is only 125$ us in the usa. the transducer cost more than the repair flat rate (in the usa) and they give you a new one when sent in for service. that is not expensive at all. they work fine with out updates. because they are updateable some think they should keep them rolling out for them. some even want to call "foul" for not getting a free software update.

in another post about the costs for electronics in canada, they do pay a lot more than we do in usa. in this topic they said this unit for this person cost 175$ in the end and i think they meant us dollars.
so try not to get confused when you read/hear repair costs between usa and canada dollars/exchanges and fee's.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=348907.msg3717404#msg3717404
it seems like alot but when its all said and done and the smoke clears the return on the dollar from the flat rate and shipping and whatever hidden charge that might pop up the difference is maybe $75-100  plus the time in transit that like anything else coming up from the U.S. takes a couple weeks. less time in delivery means less time handled and moved around possibly preventing more damage.

i would expect everyone to be smart enough to do their homework and know upfront what repairs will be before buying electronics. every thing breaks and only one person knows how their equipment was taken care of. if you think 125$ us is bad wait until you send in a hb helix or hb ice machine, lol. a simple hb ice flasher will cost close to 200$ us for usa residents and that's a very simple machine. my hb ice-55 broke so i know what i am saying. i wounder what that will translate to in canada after dues/fee's/exchanges/shipping?

so how many marcum digital units out the many thousands have you read about need service? less than a handful. how many of those were the owners fault? no one knows. do you need an update to use these units? no. is it expensive to have one repaired? no, unless you live in canada, maybe.

these are very reliable units and one of the most advanced in the world. for certain they are one of kind and not a copy cat unit.

Offline HWeber

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #16 on: Dec 10, 2017, 10:17 AM »
You won't change the Vexilar fan boys minds. There's many that still think the FL8 is the greatest flasher in the world while every other company has moved forward to digital and vex is still doing the same old same old.

Offline dkfry

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #17 on: Dec 10, 2017, 12:12 PM »
One could argue the true "fanboy" in this thread are those defending their expensive Marcums with known hardware and software issues and failures. Far more than a "handful" over the years, even on this forum alone. You can have the most advanced electronics in the world but if it craps out on the water and is not reliable then it is worthless.

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #18 on: Dec 10, 2017, 12:24 PM »
One could argue the true "fanboy" in this thread are those defending their expensive Marcums with known hardware and software issues and failures. Far more than a "handful" over the years, even on this forum alone. You can have the most advanced electronics in the world but if it craps out on the water and is not reliable then it is worthless.
very true.plus you really don't need all that tech to fool a fish to bite the jig,i choose reliability when I spend a lot of money on my equipment.jmo

Offline lostbrit

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #19 on: Dec 12, 2017, 09:48 AM »
I feel for the OP, I would use the repair cost money and look for a different unit. 

Offline Alex Delarge

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #20 on: Dec 15, 2017, 07:05 AM »
Those aren't marcum fanboys, they're salesman. Think about it.
It must be something in the water.

Offline missoulafish

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #21 on: Dec 15, 2017, 07:52 AM »
I’ve used both the vexilars and marcum... I know for certain which one has been the lest problematic..

Offline 3300

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #22 on: Dec 16, 2017, 01:38 AM »
Those aren't marcum fanboys, they're salesman. Think about it.
if your speaking about me, i make nothing from helping others here and i am not affiliated with marcum in any way. i love their digital products because they are one of a kind. if you don't like them or don't like reading about them then don't.
i am here to try to lend a hand and help as always.

Offline Alex Delarge

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #23 on: Dec 17, 2017, 05:32 PM »
Me thinks thou doth protest too much.
It must be something in the water.

Offline Kevin in maine

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #24 on: Dec 26, 2017, 06:13 PM »
Me thinks thou doth protest too much.
:clap: Where's the like button.

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #25 on: Dec 27, 2017, 08:32 AM »
unfortunate to see that it looks like his unit crapped out before the new Canadian repair shop was open for servicing versa/marcum products. could of saved him $2-300. on another note IMO today's digital equipment flashers/graphs are very fragile. from the cheap plastic casings to the internal parts. the external buttons will freeze and some are not completely waterproof. there is a big difference running ice machines and running a graph on your boat. the #1 difference or reason for all ice machines that malfunction is that we have to handle them a lot... as careful as we might be in the cold temperatures.  getting banged or bumped around throughout the ice season is inevitable. unlike your boat mounted unit. things will break or become loose or damaged over time. so i don't think its going to be one specific brand of digital flasher or graph that people will be talking about over the next few years that are in the repair shop more frequently. marcum was just the first real time ice fishing only digital unit to be available to us ice anglers. that's what made it so appealing. just my opinion on the whole digital ice age.   and thanks 3300 for all your advice and help on troubleshooting electronics.

Offline lunkerslayer

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #26 on: Dec 27, 2017, 06:32 PM »
unfortunate to see that it looks like his unit crapped out before the new Canadian repair shop was open for servicing versa/marcum products. could of saved him $2-300. on another note IMO today's digital equipment flashers/graphs are very fragile. from the cheap plastic casings to the internal parts. the external buttons will freeze and some are not completely waterproof. there is a big difference running ice machines and running a graph on your boat. the #1 difference or reason for all ice machines that malfunction is that we have to handle them a lot... as careful as we might be in the cold temperatures.  getting banged or bumped around throughout the ice season is inevitable. unlike your boat mounted unit. things will break or become loose or damaged over time. so i don't think its going to be one specific brand of digital flasher or graph that people will be talking about over the next few years that are in the repair shop more frequently. marcum was just the first real time ice fishing only digital unit to be available to us ice anglers. that's what made it so appealing. just my opinion on the whole digital ice age.   and thanks 3300 for all your advice and help on troubleshooting electronics.
yeah where is the like button  :clap:

Offline dkfry

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #27 on: Dec 28, 2017, 04:03 PM »
My boat mounted units see far more abuse than my ice units. From bouncing around on the boat in waves, to bouncing around while trailering hundreds or thousands of miles a year in all kinds of weather conditions and temps. Especially on my small 16' boat, takes much more bouncing on the water and on the trailer than the larger boat. And those boat units are not in soft packs either, nothing to protect them.

Is the Canadian government nailing the units sent in for repair (for money) in customs on the return trip? I don't see why Marcum can't charge the Canadian guys what they charge the US guys for the repair and parts. The credit card will take care of the exchange rate. Of course the shipping will be more going to Canada but they can charge whatever difference is in shipping. Never saw the point in hosing the Canadians just because they are on the other side of the line.

Offline lunkerslayer

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #28 on: Dec 28, 2017, 05:14 PM »
All that is true about bouncing around and such what is the problem is freezing temps then bringing them in to warm up then bringing them out in the freezing  temps repeat over and over. The insides begin to corrode from condensation which eventually will become damaged. Temps and moisture are the worst when it comes to electronics.
That's why the vexilar company  stays true to the design and why a vex has a great resale value becuase they are simple to run and maintain so yes they are not immune to faulty manufacturer  or operators negligent. They do have the best customer care it's like you are getting a warranty for the life of the product.
Condenstion and extreme change in temps is the worst on electrodes diodes and transiters it will corrode the aluminium leads which will eventually stop the power from being passed along the differnt parts in the unit.
As long as Marcum stands by their products with service work that is reasonably priced I see nothing wrong with the cool blinking lights.

Offline dkfry

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Re: SAD DAY ... Marcum LX-9 kicked the bucket!
« Reply #29 on: Dec 28, 2017, 05:49 PM »
Again my boat electronics see the same temperature extremes.(I don't park my stuff when it starts getting close to freezing) Even worse they sit out for a week or more at a time in the rain, humidity, temp changes, screen fog ups etc all with intermittently getting hammered when running the boat. And my one boat gets both freshwater and saltwater use. Then add in that softwater electronics most often see more use per season by a large margin. Sorry nobody is going to tell me ice electronics have it any worse off than softwater electronics, especially in my case. This isn't my first rodeo with electronics both residential and industrial and I sure didn't just fall of a turnip truck either. Regardless the affects on hardware still doesn't account for all the software issues that one manufacturer seems to have the most problems with. If you can't get hardware to last at least have the software be right. Struck out on both accounts I am afraid.

 



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