Marcum or Vexilar???

[t_wolfer]

I tried to search for a past post with no luck, but what do you guys think i should get a Vex. fl-18 or a Marcum
Lx-3? They both seem similar, and I have heard good things about both I can't decide! Thanks.
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[k2muskie]

You can't bet a Vexilar IMHO. The FL-18 allows you to zoom I believe 6' of the bottom. For me I didn't see the need for the zoom feature. I have the FL-12 and I'm not disappointed at all. The tranducer size is what you want to pay attention to. So depending on the depth you want pay attention to the type of transducer. Again for me it's hands down Vexilar.

Here's a link to see some videos on the Vexilar. These are not complicated to use at all. Set the depth and adjust the frequency. Some folks I believe are leary of them because they look complicated. But IMHO a Vexilar is much easier to use plus its all 'real' time not delayed.

[url "http://vexilar.com/pages/support/support_videos.html"]http://vexilar.com/pages/support/support_videos.html[/url]
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[keystonecop]

Before you spend all that money on the Vexilar and Marcum you may want to check out the Showdown. I have one and they work great. I was going to by the Vexilar until I tried out the Showdown. It is very accurate and simple to read. It will show an ice fly at 30 foot down and it is realtime.

I asked these same questions last year and thank goodness "Hooter Patrol" talked me into the Showdown.

[url "http://showdownfishfinder.com/"]http://showdownfishfinder.com/[/url]

[PIKEMAN99]

I have had an 18 for five years and I love it. Bought a marcum five had it for half a season and sold it. Then bought a 20 vexlar. I love the 20 even better than the 18 because of the 2 different transducer sizes. I've heard a few people not being happy with the show down if I had it to do again I would buy another twenty. It is excellant for seeing on sunny days. Just my two cents hope it helps. Pikeman Go Fish
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[RILEYFISH]

I still have an old Vexilar 8 and I love it.

I too also read some posts on here about some members who were very un happy about the Showdown. Not sure what they didnt like or what gave them troubles but I do know tha they were un happy.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Glad you like your Showdown. I took mine back after three trips to the ice. Wouldn't work at all in very cold weather. Didn't even show fish in deeper water...much less my jigs. There was a problem with the software in some of the units and a couple of buyers were able to get it swapped out. But, still did not work as well as a REAL flasher.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The only skunk day I have had in years was while I was trying get my Showdown to work on Jordanelle last January and was essentially fishing blind. I spent so much time and effort trying to get it to work that I would have been better off fishing without any sonar.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Almost everybody I know who bought one in the last year has returned it or quit using it.[/#0000ff]
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[RILEYFISH]

Your one of them now that I think of it TD. Seems that Kent might have toyed with one or put some thought to it also. Short memory these days.

I have never heard any complaints about Vexilar.
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[kj]

I've got the vex fl-8. Great unit. Caught about a gazillion fish with it over the last several years. I think I was one of the first in Utah to own one. Mine was the first I ever saw used on the ice. They have become quite popular the last few years.

Haven't been around the Marcum except that I know when one is around me. They put out a lot more wattage which interfears something terrible with my vex. Don't know why they have so much. Someone once posted the question as to if fish could sense the wattage output by these units. Good question. I think either would probably work well for you. Since I know vex, I'd recommend one.
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[t_wolfer]

Guys thanks for the info, I just about got a showdown last year and was talked out of it. I think I am going to go with the vex, seems like everybody has been happy with theirs!
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[PIKEMAN99]

hey if you wanna learn a little bit about the vex before you buy it you could go on cabelas or other sites that sale vexliars and read the testimonials and read what other buyers like about them . i know that if i had bought a fl 8 a few years ago i know i would have loved at as well as the fl 18. But thed 18 has the zoom and its kinda like everything being maginified which is a plus for someone with only one good eye. the down fall about the 18 over the 20 is that the snow will build up in screen cone and it wont on the 20 because its just flat surface the other plus about the fl 20, the model i got is i chose it with a dual beam switch so you can either have it on a 9 degree which is narrow or a 19 degree which is the wide. the one i have also has the battery level lights which helps keep it charged to the fullest, and an ice fishing pole holder, and small tackle box. for a protective case, i have a 3 gallon frosting bucket with lid to protect it and store it which you could recieve from any bakery. hopefully the bucket tip will help anyone who has a vexilair the two and half gallon bucket will fit for 18 and the 3 gallon bucket is good for the 20 cause its a little taller. and the bucket works as multi uses , a stand to put the flasher on or to fill Full of perch lol
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[IceAndFly]

I have three marcums(LX-3, LX-3tc, LX5) and a Vexilar FL-18. I have fished marcum and Vexilar side by side for years, and have always been able to eliminate the interference. I prefer the Marcum. My son, daughter, and wife prefer the Vexilar...go figure...seems there are more marcums for sale on KLS. Maybe that says something. I like the moveable zoom on the Marcum. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but when I have a picky fish suspended the moveable zoom has helped.

You can compare statistics and features forever, but you will be happy with either a Marcum or Vexilar. They are a blast! I don't have a power auger...but I do have four flashers.

I fished with some guys that had a Showdown, and I wasn't impressed at all. They are a pretty good unit, but didn't compare with the flashers.

If anyone wants to see Marcum and Vexilar side by side drop me line and see where I'll be fishing that week. Bring on the ice!!!
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[RILEYFISH]

[quote PIKEMAN99] the one i have also has the battery level lights which helps keep it charged to the fullest, and an ice fishing pole holder, and small tackle box. for a protective case, i have a 3 gallon frosting bucket with lid to protect it and store it which you could recieve from any bakery. hopefully the bucket tip will help anyone who has a vexilair

I have done the same with mine. I have also made a copy of the instructions and placed it in a sleeve under the lid so I have them to refer back on when needed to make adjustments. Bucket is the cats meow!
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[Hooter_Patrol]

Hey keystonecop!!!!!!!1
And I still love mine had no problems at all with mine either,
The biggest thing is learing how to use it after that they are great they are everything the site says they are []
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[Kent]

I have owned a Vexilar, a Showdown and now own a Marcum.

I owned a Vexilar FL-8se with a dual cone. The unit worked great in water from 20' to about 45'. In water under 20' I had to put on a short cord (can't remember the name of it) in order to decrease the power so that it wouldn't show my jig and everything else as a bright red mark. Putting the cord on and taking it off was a big pain, especially if I moved back and forth in different depths. The dual cone was a nice feature. It was entirely useless fishing deeper water (approximately 60' or deeper as I recall) for macks, because it didn't have enough power to show my jig or a fish on the bottom and it lacked the zoom feature.

I owned a Showdown. The first unit got returned because it fired up fine at home and then wouldn't turn on at all when I took it fishing. I tried using the unit when I got it back, but it was next to useless. I couldn't see my jig most of the time, unless I actively jigged it and it would only show my jig down to about 40' deep. I then returned it again and got a new unit with the new software. Showdown purchased the Marcum company, so they were able to use many of the programming features that were owned by Marcum and it made a huge difference. The only problem (which was a major one in my opinion) I had with the new unit was that if I was fishing next to certain other fish finders I would get interference from the other finder. This was despite trying all of the various reject settings.

I now own a Marcum LX-3TC. I purchased it used this fall and have already put it to good use on several trips fishing from a boat. It has a zoom feature (which I often use while vertically fishing) which can be set at two different widths and can be moved anywhere in the water column. Being able to move the zoom up and down in the water column can be extremely useful at times. I believe the Vexilar zooms are always fixed to the bottom. Most of the time that is fine, but there are times when the fish are suspended too high off of the bottom to show on a bottom zoom.

I also use my Lowrance fishfinder with a color display on the ice that I also have mounted to my boat. It does a great job on the ice and can easily handle any depth of water. The one thing I don't like about it is sometimes when I jerk to set the hook the screen looks like there are fish everywhere. I have talked to at least one other Lowrance owner who has had the same problem.

I have found that I prefer a flasher-type unit for ice fishing and one that has the zoom feature and two or more colors to distinguish my jig from the fish.
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[kastmaster]

The Marcum LX-3 and the Vexilar 18 are both excellent units. The LX3, I think, has a bit better definition than the Vex 18, or for that matter, the FL8SE. I have three flashers (LX-3, FLS8SE, and Humminbird Ice35. The ICE35 (Humminbird's most basic flasher) compares favorably with the LX-3 and the Vex. Its main advantages are bigger and sharper display, has a flat face (like the Vex FL12/20), and a dual angle transducer set up with different frequencies (240 khz (19*)/455 Khz(9*) so there is almost as no interference from other units. I believe Marcum and Vex both run their transducers at 200 khz, but Marcum has better interference rejection than the Vex.

If I were to rank the flashers that I have, I would go with Marcum LX3 first, Humminbird next and the Vex for third. Remember, the FL8 is the only unit in my arsenal that doesn't have a zoom and movable also, which I find handy when fish are suspended. The LX3 and the ICE35 handle shallow water really well, without the use of a special cable (S-Cable, Kent referred to this part).

I started out with a Garmin 160 set up on a Genz box and wasn't very happy with its performance on the hard water. It is now relegated as my fishfinder for my float tube.

Hope this little rant of mine helps.
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[doggonefishin]

OK, now for a little dissent. Well not really.[] I have fished with friends that have Marcums and Vex's and I don't like them. (the fishfinders) The reason? Looking at that flashing screen for more than a half an hour gives me a headache. I have met others that have had the same experience. If you have a good non-flasher fishfinder that has "real time" capability, so you can actively watch your jig and fish in the water column, you will do great. You also get the added advantage of a scrolled history that is sometimes helpful. I use a fishmark 320 from Eagle and I honestly do not feel at any divantage when fishing with my buddies with higher end flashers. The fish counts would tell me there is no divantage[cool]. The unit also serves me well on my float tube.

The point I would like to make is try to fish (not just see one at the store) with several types if possible before you drop $400 on a high end flasher. You may decide, as I did, to go with something else. Nevertheless, many of those that get flashers love them (as you have read) and if your eyes can take the flashing, you will probably be well served by one.
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[redbeard]

I've fished with both the marcum and the vex, both are excellent. I say shop around and find the one with the best deal and go with that one. I got a marcum from the bargain cave at cabellas a few years ago and haven't looked back.
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[fishnutts]

hummingbird also makes a LCD style flasher unit.
Model #s ICE 35, ICE 45, and ICE 55, these finders also come with a digital depth display. May be worth looking at.
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[Widastick]

I use a Marcum LX3 tc. My fishing buddy uses a hummingbird. I like the marcum the best on the hard deck. his hummingbird sometimes works better in the boat. I can't fish with out the Marcum my my side. The zoom is great. One thing is my buddy upgraded to a lx 5 and payed alittle more money and their is not that much of a difference. I do agree that you can get some interferance with the Marcum and the hummingbird but that is almost always easily fixed with the interferance buttons. I am sure the Vexilar is a good unit but I love my marcum. Also, Customer service with my marcum has been sweet. I messed mine up with using a battery that was not the right voltage. I called marcum and they paid for me to ship it to them and they shipped it back fixed in less then 10 days. I did not pay a dime. Love it. Good luck on the hard deck everyone!
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[RDRRM8E]

I own and have used a Marcum LX5 for some time now. I've fished side by side with Vexilars and there really isn't too much of a difference. They do the exact same thing. Frankly, I like an LCD on the ice better so my Marcum usually stays home.
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