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The Marcum LX-5i appears to be the best mid-level flasher. Everyone seems to agree the dual beam transducer and SFL are worth it over the LX-3i. But, I can't find the LX-5i for under $454 which is pretty steep. But it if lasts..perhaps it is worth it.
i have had a real bad time with my hb ice-55! their customer service is just as bad and VERY expensive. go look at what they want for service for what ever you want to buy to make a smarter choice as that should be part of everyone's home work. hb wants 180$ to service their equipment and then they don't fix it, they just take your money!the marcum lx5i is the best choice from what you are shopping, although it's analog. marcum has a 10% off when you sign up on their site for emails.another option would be their showdown that is digital and costs 359$ after signing up on marcums site.also, marcum won the poll taken last season as far as what brand is used the most here. hb was not a contender at all.
In the past I've had the chance to play with Marcum, Vexilar and Humminbird! My first flasher was a simple Vexilar FL8 and after 15 years it still works fine. For the past 10 years I've used a Vexilar FL20 that I found on Ebay. If I had to replace it I would probably save some money by buying a FL18. They both have the bottom zoom that I won't do without. I just found a FL18 at amazon for $380.I think Marcum makes a fine flasher and they are a Ice Shanty sponsor. I don't think I would invest in a Humminbird Ice 55 for a price of $415.Humminbird seems to have swapped quality for a bunch of gimmicks and 6 or 7 screen colors. I don't think I would ever want more than the three colors on my Vexilar. All extra gimmicks will mean something else to go wrong. BUT! Any flasher is better than no flasher. ALSO! I prefer a flasher since I'm not a fan of LCD screens that read slower just to provide pictures of fish. After spending months open water fishing with an LCD fish finder many ice fishermen don't understand the simplicity of a flasher? Whatever flasher you buy I'm sure it will help you find and catch more fish!Dick
I've had my ICE 55 for 5 years now. I bought it in the Bargain room at Cabela's for like 1/2 price of a new one. When I got it home it was broken, and instead of bringing it back to Cabela's I sent it back to Hummingbird, where they replaced it with a new one a week later, and honored the rebate that was in effect at the time. I can't complain at all about their product or the service I received.
agreed that any sonar is better than none at all.however, the marcum digital is used all year long and doesn't draw a picture of a fish. some cheap old school sonars for open water used to and maybe still do.marcum digital allows up to four charts from a choice of six and one includes the traditional wheel chart. it also offers four color palettes including vex three color and six color and gray scale for the color blind.here is how mine is set up. the graph is very nice to see subtle changes in fish motion and is a short recording of motion.(Image removed from quote.)
If you can part with the $450 I would definitely buy the LX5i. How deep are you typically fishing? If you never fish over 20 FOW and don't need the zoom feature, I would buy a Vex FL8 and that will keep you at or under $300.
Depends, typically anywhere between 10 FOW and 50-60. After looking at so many models, I do like the zoom feature.
The lx5 is a top of the line flasher, certainly not mid-level IMO.