marcum or vex?

[ddlpole]

For all the Marcum slappies..........you always brag about the "power" of your marcum.  Do you even understand what that is, and if it is even relevant for ice fishing?  Please, entertain me with your answers........if you have one.

[scavengerj]

Got brass? 

[Junior58]

For all the Marcum slappies..........you always brag about the "power" of your marcum.  Do you even understand what that is, and if it is even relevant for ice fishing?  Please, entertain me with your answers........if you have one.

Sounds like envy to me ...... all flashers besides the Vexilars have more then double to tripple the power, you must be a Vex owner. Having more power means you can mark more objects in the water, and more precisely. It aids in the ability of the head unit to more precisely read a return signal from the transducer.  Added power allows the flasher to distinguish between two fish holding next to each other, between a fish and the bottom, or between you presentation and the fish with greater ease. Movements are more noticeable and this can be important when focusing on bottom hugging fish. The ability to pick out small movements can be important when situations call for it. More power means better target separation and more marked fish. It's simple fishing basics. Many regular fish finders get into the 3500 watt range and it's a standard in fish finders and ice flashers the more power gives better performance , not worse. So can YOU tell us why your outdated underpowered Vexilar is better then every other known type of flasher and fish finder made. Fishing basics .......... more is better not worse. Just because other flashers have used their R&D to handle and interpret their signals with the higher wattage shouldn't make you envious. What should make you mad is the fact that Vexilar hasn't updated their old flashers because they don't want to spend the money to redesign their entire line. Why should they, they still have suckers who believe less is best, will pay more for less, and 1980 is the current year. How about you?

[timetwofish]

i like my VEX

[esox_magnum]

For all the Marcum slappies..........you always brag about the "power" of your marcum.  Do you even understand what that is, and if it is even relevant for ice fishing?  Please, entertain me with your answers........if you have one.

 Can't explain all the technical stuff but I know from fishing a Marcum and Vexilar side by side the Marcum is the better unit. I do know a 8000 watt unit on my boat will tell me whats down there where a 1500 watt one is just a bottom finder so there must be something to all the power.

 I also know that my Marcum will show my bait on or near the bottom but my partners Vex shows he's on bottom when in reality he may be 12" off it, advantage of having gin clear water and using a camera to do tests between the top end units from both companies. Other than battery life thats about all the Vex beats the Marcum in during our tests.

[flagguy83]

Sounds to me like junior58 spends to much time reading up on marcum and not enough time fishing.. lol. Buy what ever the hell ya want. Any flasher will help catch more fish. tight lines everyone.

[flagguy83]

Can't explain all the technical stuff but I know from fishing a Marcum and Vexilar side by side the Marcum is the better unit. I do know a 8000 watt unit on my boat will tell me whats down there where a 1500 watt one is just a bottom finder so there must be something to all the power.

 I also know that my Marcum will show my bait on or near the bottom but my partners Vex shows he's on bottom when in reality he may be 12" off it, advantage of having gin clear water and using a camera to do tests between the top end units from both companies. Other than battery life thats about all the Vex beats the Marcum in during our tests.

Well then somethings wrong with your friends vex. My fl-18 can show the barell swivel at 190 fow. And with the bottom zoom I can see my jig sitting on the bottom. Like I said to each his own. What ever brand the person owns is gonna be the best in there book. Ive tried them all And my opinion vex is the best.

[esox_magnum]

Vex does not have the seperation to show your jig on the bottom, at best it will show you 2-3" in optimal conditions. Theres nothing wrong with his FL-20, neither of us are stupid when it comes to fine tuning our electronics. I got my wife a FL-18 last year, she used it mext to my LX for 20 minutes and saig " I WANT THAT" 1 and only day she used the FL-18 she now owns my old LX-5. She was new to flashers and she could understand the finer, crisper lines in the Marcum over the BLOB she called it on the 18. Think what you want but Vexilar is still using the same technology they did in 1980, Marcum has stepped ahead to 2010. Bring your Vex and sit a day next to my LX in my gin clear water I'll prove to you the Marcums better.

[Junior58]

Sounds to me like junior58 spends to much time reading up on marcum and not enough time fishing.. lol. Buy what ever the hell ya want. Any flasher will help catch more fish. tight lines everyone.

No, I just know how to read and educate myself before dropping $300+ dollars ...... I don't buy a name or on a referral from old Jeb down the street. Someone wants to call people a "slappie" and wants answers. He got his answers and it sounds like the answers and the truth hurt some people ........... I'd like to see rebuttal of facts where I'm wrong. I'm basically being told that all other newer units should cut their power into a fifth which is basically a joke. You're right, buy what you want but calling an entire product line "junk" is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

[ddlpole]

Sounds like envy to me ...... all flashers besides the Vexilars have more then double to tripple the power, you must be a Vex owner. Having more power means you can mark more objects in the water, and more precisely. It aids in the ability of the head unit to more precisely read a return signal from the transducer.  Added power allows the flasher to distinguish between two fish holding next to each other, between a fish and the bottom, or between you presentation and the fish with greater ease. Movements are more noticeable and this can be important when focusing on bottom hugging fish. The ability to pick out small movements can be important when situations call for it. More power means better target separation and more marked fish. It's simple fishing basics. Many regular fish finders get into the 3500 watt range and it's a standard in fish finders and ice flashers the more power gives better performance , not worse. So can YOU tell us why your outdated underpowered Vexilar is better then every other known type of flasher and fish finder made. Fishing basics .......... more is better not worse. Just because other flashers have used their R&D to handle and interpret their signals with the higher wattage shouldn't make you envious. What should make you mad is the fact that Vexilar hasn't updated their old flashers because they don't want to spend the money to redesign their entire line. Why should they, they still have suckers who believe less is best, will pay more for less, and 1980 is the current year. How about you?

What do you need to mark?  I piece of algea?  Seriously?  This is ice fishing, not rocket science.  My old Vex has more years in the field than MarCUM has been in existance.  More marked fish?  How do you figure?  Barrel swivel at 180 fow.  What more do you need?  I just dropped a jet engine in my truck too bad the governor cuts in at 80mph.  what a joke.  Why is the Vex better?  I dont know, ask me in 5 years when you send your marcum in for repair, to find out they no longer exist.

[esox_magnum]

I have owned 4 Vexilars and 2 had to be sent in, 1 was fixed the other they replaced. My old LX my wife has is 4 years old, lasted longer than any Vex I owned.

[roverman]

Marcum..All the WAY! I have both the FL20 and LX5, the Marcum is by far the superior flasher, with the vexilar your just paying for the name! there technology is way older than Marcums and the Vexs are way overpriced for what you get.

 But if you diehard Vex guys are to scared to try a Marcum or see the light its your loss, I finally came to my senses when I just went and bought both and tryed them side by side, hands down the Marcum wins, its the facts just deal with it , go see for yourself, try one! you wont regrett it.    

[esox_magnum]

I agree most think since they been around the longest they must be the best. I was sold 5 minutes after seeing the LX next to my old FL-18. If Vex don't catch up in 5 years they will be left in the dust. Read the summery of the tourney above if Vex is so great why did Marcum users dominate the tourney. I know several guys that fish the Brainerd tourney that went to a Marcum for the same reasons, their Vex's didn't cut it.

[Junior58]

What do you need to mark?  I piece of algea?  Seriously?  This is ice fishing, not rocket science.  My old Vex has more years in the field than MarCUM has been in existance.  More marked fish?  How do you figure?  Barrel swivel at 180 fow.  What more do you need?  I just dropped a jet engine in my truck too bad the governor cuts in at 80mph.  what a joke.  Why is the Vex better?  I dont know, ask me in 5 years when you send your marcum in for repair, to find out they no longer exist.

Wow, that was insightful ............ Your Vex is old ........... so it's better? I guess I should get rid of my Mountaineer and get a moped since the speed limit is 45.  Great debate Al Bundy ........ I guess anything in existance from the past is better then anything new today. How's that new VHS player? ....... amazing eh?

[scavengerj]

 

[prchslyr]

Wow guys. This is some true passion right here. Good example you guys are setting for the youngsters on the board. I'm partial to my Marcum lx-1. Yes I said lx-1. I got it around 10 years ago and I'm still using the original battery. And yes, I fish my butt off. This thing has taken a lickin and keeps on tickin. I'll stick to the Marcum brand simply due to the fact this unit has been so good to me. I keep telling myself to upgrade but don't want to part with "'ol faithful".

[Lifeguard]

what is the best marcum to buy and at what price? thanks for the help, i'm sold, my buddy a really respected fisherman in the Irish Hills area was in that tourney in Wisconsin and he told me the same thing, that his vex was getting interference. he's sponsored so he has all the best vex and all that. hope this helps!

Well without knowing your fishing species or style, or what your budget is, it's hard to tell you what you should consider.  If your budget will allow it go with the LX-5.  It's the top of the line and it'll do everything the others do and more.  Price for one should be in the $450 range, however they seem to be out of stock most places right now.  The LX-3tc is the mid line one and sells in the $350 range, and finally the entry level VX-1 leading the pricing off around the $300 range.  I would highly recommend the LX-5 if you can afford it, and if not the LX-3tc.  Do some research on the differences between them and decide which one does what YOU will need it to.

[Lifeguard]

I found the noise rejection. But its in sonar features so will that help when im using the flasher?

A flasher is still a sonar, so all the options in the sonar features menu should apply to the flasher mode.  There are a lot of people very happy with their x-67c ice machines, so I wouldn't write it off just yet.  I think if you explore the features and play with it a little more you might end up liking it.

[DakotaElkSlayer]

  Ya, some passionate replies.  Remind anyone of the Ford vs. Chevy?  Well, today my buddy bought a LX-1 and we went fishing all day.  I had along my 2 week old Vexilar FL-8SE and we fished three feet apart so I could really honestly compare the two.  First off, for all you folks who like to compare wattage, that is only a PART of the story.  The Marcum has over twice the wattage of my Vexilar, but the Marcum had to have its GAIN TURNED UP to see the same thing as my unit with the gain off.  You can't argue that, sorry, both my buddy and I saw it with our own eyes.  As for interference....there was absolutely NONE and neither of us touched our IR's.  Obviously, if you read a news release from Marcum like someone posted above, it will tell a different story.  If Vexilar offered a news release, it would say the opposite.  Common sense people! 
  The Marcum has the ZOOM, which my Vexilar does not have.  Zoom, depending on what you are fishing, I feel, could be a really big deal to you.  The Marcum comes with a nice soft case which is a nice bonous.  My vexilar came with a smart charger that allows you to just plug it in and not disconnect the battery from the unit which is really handy.  Both units had problems in shallow, weedy water.  Don't think my buddy can do anything with that, I, on the other hand, can buy the S-Cable and reduce most of the clutter.  If you have a shanty, that doesn't matter since you can just sight fish.
  I definitely prefer the Vexilar float ice-ducer over Marcum's hanging arm.  Totally a personal preference thing and not really a consideration since you can throw the Vexilar float and stopper on the Marcum for a couple of nickels.

Which unit is better, seriously, only a MORON could make that generalization.  For me, I would be perfectly happy with my Vexilar.  After seeing the Marcum in action, I feel absolutely stupid for stressing my decision between the two.  I would be just as happy with a Marcum as I would with my Vexilar.   

Jim

[esox_magnum]

I have never used a VX-1 so no opinions on those. All my Vex/Marcum comparisons are with any Vex unit made today and the LX-3 and LX-5.
 On my LX-5 I have never needed more than 2 on the gain, in shallow weeds the LX-5 will blow any Vex away without the need for an additional S cable or low power mode. These observations I know to be fact having fished both brands side by side for a few years now.

[DakotaElkSlayer]

On my LX-5 I have never needed more than 2 on the gain, in shallow weeds the LX-5 will blow any Vex away without the need for an additional S cable or low power mode.

Wow, you really have to explain this to me!  The Marcum has so much more power than the Vexilar, but in shallow weeds there is no "clutter" from all the signals from the weeds?  How is that possible unless you can lower the reception on the transducer or wattage of the output?  You are talking about having the same cone angle on the two units, right? 

Jim

[esox_magnum]

Marcums are able to zero out their gain on the higher end units( can't say on the VX-1 since I have not used one) I also run in narrow beam since I have the option out of the box of a dual beam. I'm running 8 degree transducer. My partners FL-20 has the 12 degree since the dual bean is an extra on Vexilars.

 LX-5 $449 or less at most places gets you dual beam transducer, soft case DCS charging system and Super Fine Line feature.

 FL-20, $489? soft case extra, dual beam extra, better charging system extra, but they come with a cool $2 tacklebox and a beer holder.

 Anytime your in NW Iowa on the IGL's your welcome to sit next to mine and see.

[Junior58]

 Ya, some passionate replies.  Remind anyone of the Ford vs. Chevy?  Well, today my buddy bought a LX-1 and we went fishing all day.  I had along my 2 week old Vexilar FL-8SE and we fished three feet apart so I could really honestly compare the two.  First off, for all you folks who like to compare wattage, that is only a PART of the story.  The Marcum has over twice the wattage of my Vexilar, but the Marcum had to have its GAIN TURNED UP to see the same thing as my unit with the gain off.  You can't argue that, sorry, both my buddy and I saw it with our own eyes.

Guy, all flashers see weeds. How is it possible not to? The thing is you have it backwards ........ You and your vexilar should NOT be able to see anything with your gain turned all the way down. When the guy with the marcum turns his gain all the way down everything disappears. Hence why the Vexilars have a low power setting or an "S" cable. It's poor design and engineering by Vexilar, no unit should see anything with the gain off ....... The Marcum should have his gain turned up a bit to see anything but he can also lower it. The vexilar can't get the gain low enough so their band-aid was to add some "special" cable or just cut the power instead of properly engineering the transducer to work with the unit more precisely. Any flasher will see weeds on the screen in shallow weedy water but your theory is false. His is designed properly, Vexilars are not. Do you see any other flasher mfr. using a low power mode or cable? ..... no. Their return is read properly, weeds or not. The Vexilar can't get the gain low enough without using the "work-around" option. Flashers don't magically eliminate weeds in shallow water ....... You and your Vex should not see anything but a blank screen with the gain off. The Marcum is working properly. Needing an "S" cable or a power cut in place of better/proper gain capabilities is not.

When you turn the volume down on your radio to you expect to hear sound still? .......no. So when the other radio is turned up from zero and sound is heard is that incorrect? ......no, that's correct. See what I'm getting at....?

[two_fish_tommy]

these flasher debates are no different than politics, one guy says something and weather he is wrong or right somebodyelse disagrees with it gets mad and shouts back then an all out fight starts then friends become enimies. when people ask for advice they are not asking for people to tell them what they think not just buy a vex or buy a marcum its the best and nothing else. if we do the reserch or have the knowledge we can help, know if we would have checked he is right about the marcum in the weeds or in shallow water, now with that said vex is a great uint and will help you catch more fish, I did the reserch before i bought mine, I tried the asking the question on here and decided to go with the marcum. my discision was done soley because when I talked with vex guys the only response I got was because they are the best, the marcum guys would say adjustable zoom, better target seperation, more power, and cheaper price. I hope some vex guys chime in here about what makes a vex good without just taking a shot at everbodyelse. mabey I would have bought a vex if I got better feedback

[prchslyr]

So what you are saying is...Marcum guys are more inteligent than Vex guys. Right???

[two_fish_tommy]

So what you are saying is...Marcum guys are more inteligent than Vex guys. Right???

not what i was saying at all what i was saying was these guy are looking for info on theses units, not just mines the best. I did not take a shot at anyones intelligance.

[Junior58]

I know I probably irritate some people on here, that's not my intention. I'm not here to name call at all. There is more to buying a flasher then just picking a name or taking the word of someone else. Too many people don't weigh what you get for your money from each manufacturer and what the options and technology really does for that unit. What do all these options and measurements mean? I'll say this ......... If history is what you want and your unit is reliable then a Vexilar is just fine. I feel that Marcum, Humminbird, and Lowrance give you a lot more of everything for less money. Some guys are die hard Vex owners. I'll bet the ratio of people that have taken a chance and gone from Vex to a Marcum, Bird', or X67 and never turn back is 90%. I have not seen many posts on the net with the reverse. A first time flasher/sonar owner should remove the name from their perspectve purchase and get the best bang for their buck because I feel that all the newer flashers are reliable. We all know that Vexilar is the big name in flashers but many choose to look past that now. I know everyone who owns a flasher has read somewhere that an individual has had a problem with their brand specific flasher as well. No mfr. is batting a thousand.

[ice dawg]

Here is my story. I started ice fishing with a flasher way back in about the early seventies. I started with a Ray Jefferson, went to a Lowrance green box, went to a newer Lowrance flasher and then bought a used Micronar FL8 for 45 bucks from a guy that needed some money. I used the FL8 for quite a few years and decided to buy a new flasher. I went to one of the local baitshops and talked about buying a Marcum and the owner told me that he wasn't going to sell Marcum anymore because he had a lot of them come back due to problems and their tech support was lousy. He doesn't sell Marcum to this day. I ended up buying a Vex FL18 and have probably had it for eight years or more. I was in the same baitshop this winter and took a look at a HB Ice 55 and asked the owner what he thought about me buying the unit. He told me to stay with my FL18 as I wouldn't gain anything by buying the HB. I hear about the power of Marcum units and I wonder if all this power is really necessary if you have a good receiver with the unit that you have. I can sit in 40' of water and watch the bead for a slip float slide all the way down my line to my jig. Why would this not be good enough to see a fish approach my bait? If I ware to buy a new flasher tomorrow, I don't know which one I would buy, but I think I would do some research and choose the one that I liked best. I'm not going to say that my Vex is any better than any other flasher, but I will say that I won't buy another brand because some guy on a forum says that his is the best that there is. If I thought that tons of power were necessary for sitting on the ice, I would have bought a different flasher in a heartbeat.

[beerbellybob106]

this is just like a truck arguement. everyone has opinions some like dodge some like chevy and some like ford. its the same way with ice fishing equipment wether its augers, bait, shelters, tip ups, beer, flashers evryone has a personal preference. i like vexilar its the only thing ive used im not bashing marcum or lowrance or any other brand every company has its loyal customers and people who have had a certain brand over the years tend to stay with that brand because they have had good experiences with them but any flasher you choose im sure you will be happy with every company these days makes reliable products

[esox_magnum]

As far as customer service I have used Vex's, Marcums and Lowrance, by far Marcum treated me the best.... Lowrance I still love but hope I never need their service again.