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Does Marcum make a Magnifying cover like Vexilar?


steeplechaser2

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Bought a new flatscreen Vexilar. Get to laugh at you folks now with these problems \:\)

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 Originally Posted By: Mike412
Bought a new flatscreen Vexilar. Get to laugh at you folks now with these problems \:\)

I havent had any problems other then snow blowing around when its cooking 30mph+ out of the west. Ya I got some snow in the screen, I also had snow drifts building up around my feet as I fished

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There seems to be a large price span in the Marcum cameras. What are the differances other than Color VS Black and White? Also can you see the screen in bright daylight?

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 Quote:
Can you see very well with a Aqua View in Red Lake? and if you can like how far?

There were times when I could see maybe 8-12 feet and times where I couldnt see more than 5 feet.

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 Originally Posted By: Mike412
Bought a new flatscreen Vexilar. Get to laugh at you folks now with these problems \:\)

Just like everyone that owns an Lx-5 is laughing at the people who actually believe there flat screen fl-20 is something better then a regular Fl-18. Everything internal is the same. Just a flat screen. Marcum lx-5 put the fl-18 to shame. And the only thing vexilar could do to respond, was put a flat screen on the fl-18. \:\/ Don't get me wrong, I also like vexilar as a company. I had my fl-8 for years and loved it. I was kind of dissapointed when they came out with the fl-20. I expected them to respond with something better then they did.

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I believe the quality on the vexilars are way better than marcums. Buddies dad had TWO marcums and both of them had either buttons fall off or wiring issues. Vexilar have been around for a long time and they know what their doing.

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Marcum has some good qualities but I can't switch from Vexilar!!!! The Vex has been good to me and I just bought a 12 to go with my 8.....I personally don't like the marcum although it might show individual fish easier the ones I have used are confussing and just haven't convinced me that they are a better product then Vexilar!!! I have used lx-3 and lx-5 and still prefer the vexs'

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I am not downgrading vexilar as a company. They have been the leader for a long time. I am just saying that the flat screen models are the same exact unit as the fl-8's and fl-18s. And when marcum came out with lx-5. I expected them to come out and top that. And all they came up with was a flat screen? And they jack up the price more then marcum. So people are fooled into thinking that it's some new crazy flasher. When all it really is, is a fl-18 or 8 with a flat screen. And I don't really know why you would need a flat screen in the first place. If you are having problems with snow getting on your unit. Then you should probably buy a case for your equiptment.

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Not really. With any new technology, things will get stronger, smaller and faster. Plus, you keep saying they are the same. No true. The 20 now has 12 foot zoom that the 18 doesn't. Plus, vexs are easier on the batteries.

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okay. so they are almost the same unit. And with the battery I doubt you would tell the difference. I have ran my marcum for a whole weekend without charging.

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I actually bought the 12 so when I go out with my wife or a friend that doesn't know how to read a flasher I can sit next to them and read the flasher from an angle where I definatly couldn't without the flat screen.....not the only reason i bought it but it is a big plus for me......but to each their own....ford and chevy is about right!

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kdawg thank you!! some of you guys need to read on the produced before you start bashing it!!!!!!!!

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 Originally Posted By: Jimmy from Cottage Grove
I am not downgrading vexilar as a company. They have been the leader for a long time. I am just saying that the flat screen models are the same exact unit as the fl-8's and fl-18s. And when marcum came out with lx-5. I expected them to come out and top that. And all they came up with was a flat screen? And they jack up the price more then marcum. So people are fooled into thinking that it's some new crazy flasher. When all it really is, is a fl-18 or 8 with a flat screen. And I don't really know why you would need a flat screen in the first place. If you are having problems with snow getting on your unit. Then you should probably buy a case for your equiptment.

Ugh... Apparently you aren't familiar with Vexilar at all. Let's take a look at the comparison between the FL-20 features and the FL-18 and FL-18.

Vexilar FL-8

-400 Watts of Peak-to-Peak Power

-9°, 12°, 19° (standard), or Dual 9/19 Beam Transducer

-Exclusive Interference Rejection: 10 Step

-2.65" Target Separation

Vexilar FL-18

-400 Watts of Peak-to-Peak Power

-12° (standard), or Dual 9/19 Beam Transducer

-Exclusive Interference Rejection: 10 Step

-2.65" Target Separation

-Auto Zoom Mode

-Bottom Lock Mode

-Low Power Mode

-Weatherproof High Impact Case

Vexilar FL-20

-400 Watts of Peak-to-Peak Power

-Auto Zoom Mode (AZ): Gives a half screen zoom window of the

bottom six feet or bottom 12 feet of depth

-12° (standard), or Dual 9/19 Beam Transducer

-Large Wide-Angle Display: The flat-screen display is 12% larger

than the FL-8

-20' Low Power Mode (LP): Reduces the output power by 50%

-Super Bright and Rock Solid Display

-Exclusive Interference Rejection: 10 Step

-2.65" Target Separation

-Target ID: .5”

A thanks to Matt Johnson for analyzing why the FL-20 clearly stands above the rest of their models, and is worth the few extra dollars.

-Weatherproof High Impact Case

Five Depth Scales: 20', 40', 60', 80', and 200'

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2.65" of target separation? My LX-5 has .75 with 2000 watts of Peak to Peak power (simulated grunt like "Tim the Tool Man Taylor").

Just joking I really don't care I have both and I have been happy with both, but I always fish with my LX-5.

This rivalry with continue ever year, and it really gets fun when you talk about over a few drinks...

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I think the poster was implying the 12 and 18 are just 8 and 18s with a flat screen not that the 20 is the same as an 8 or 18, and even with your comparisons it looks as though the only upgrade on the 20, other than the flat screen, was a zoom option of the bottom 6 or 12 feet. Marcum's zoom can be set anywhere in the water column... quite handy for suspended crappies.

I was a die hard vex man my whole life until I got my LX-5 last year. Even tried a LX-3 once and did not care for it at all... I almost never use my 18 any longer, it's there for back-up and to use if someone I'm fishing with doesn't have a sonar... and I won't even consider a 20. When I see some dramatic difference in the Vexilar units after a major upgrade, I will consider buying another. I really did like my vex back in the day... But Marcum's super fine line option, better target seperation, adjustable zoom, super bright display and quietness of operation has me a Marcum man for now.

As a company Vexialr is very stand-up! But so is Marcum! Look at all the true color upgrades they did, and how many transducers did they replace when they got a bad batch... no questions asked and immediate turn around.

I agree that it's a Ford / Chevy deal, but thought I'd throw some insights in from a guy who's ran a Hondex f-8, the first vexilar fl 8, another fl 8 and a fl 18... If Marcum can win me over, I'm sure there will be others too!

Good Luck!

Ken

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I am not saying they are exactly the same. I am just saying they are pretty close too it. They had six years to develop something new, and they came up with two little upgrades. Your comparison of the models, look pretty similar to me.

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 Originally Posted By: LABS4ME
Marcum's zoom can be set anywhere in the water column... quite handy for suspended crappies.

Ken

The 12' zoom is high enough for me. I'm not sure if the 18 has the split screen feature or not, but in case there is a suspended fish, the FL-20 will show it on the right side of the screen, while the left side is focused in on the bottom.

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Well when we are fishing in 40 ft of water and the fish are 20 ft down, your zoom window of 12 ft is coming up a little short.... about 8 ft acctually. And Marcum's will also show both sides of the water column in zoom mode.

I've fished with both and I fish side by side with my LX-3 and a friend who has an FL-18. The target seperation is so much better on the LX-3 it is sad. His bait even if it is a small panfish jig takes up two feet of his screen, and that is even with the LP mode. When fish come in he has a solid bar of color on his screen with maybe some changes in color where empty water space is but no empty space on the screen. I can count indivdual fish out of a school.

Also Vex has 3 transducer options 9, 12, or 19 degrees, a complete joke and sales pitch IMO. Why would I want a smaller cone down there? On sharp drop-offs, very sharp drop-offs a blind spot can develop but this is not a common occurance on most lakes and structure. Marcum comes with a 20 degree cone, larger than anything Vexilar can offer, this allows me to veiw fish from further away from my hole.

Battery life is about equal, I have ran my LX-3 longer than Vexilars before when both started with full batteries, however I have also had Vexilars out run me in the same situation. It's always close however. Marcum is way ahead of Vexilar though with its charging system and digital battery moniter.

Vexilar seems to stick development money into cosmetic improvments like the "Pro Pack" or the "Genz Box" or "Ultra Pack" which may incorporate a handy rod holder or tackle box but do nothing in the way of improving the acctual flasher function. Marcum doesn't come out with something new until it is an acctual improvment.

I think that Vexilar makes alot of sales on the fact that they have been around for so long and they have the name. But Marcum is edging into the market and growing quickly in popularity amoung people who want a flasher that is just a flat out improvment over anything Vexilar can offer.

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The fact that Vexilar uses a dual-mode covers it completely. I'm completely fine with zooming in on the bottom of the lake, while you can watch the entire water column on the right column of the Vexilar.

Your friend probably had his gain up far too high. You need to change your gain in different fishing situations.

Why would the fact that they offer different degree transducer options be a joke? The 9 and 12 degree options are offered for those who fish deeper waters, and also those who'd like to avoid the interence a little more. I would say it's only a good thing offering your buyers with more options. Besides, Marcum's transducer is one degree bigger. And the fact that their transducers seem to be larger in size than those of Vexilars doesn't comfort fishermen that fish with smaller holes.

Marcum has gone further in charging systems? Don't we only need to know when it's finished charging? \:D The charging system on my FL-20 lets me know when it's charging, and when it's charged completely. The light-gauges provides me with enough information to know the power of the battery. Most can tell when their flasher is about to die without even having a gauge anyway.

Vexilar has gone far enough in their technology, and choose not to complicate it any further. I'm glad that they choose to improve the setups. Do Marcums even fit in a 5 gallon pale? They look inconvenient to carry around. The case looks just like the Marcum camera I own, and I personally don't like that setup very much.

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My FL-18 Genz Pak wont fit in a 5-gal pail. I hate that but I like the unit. I did fish with a 20 once and thought it was more clear but mine will do fine for now.

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I don't care if it is a Vex, Ice Machine, Aqua View or Marcum, none of them put enough fish on the screen! ;\)\:\)

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I will agree, the smaller cones do come in handy. Does the vexilar system allow you to switch cones with the push of a button? Or do you have to take each cone off, and put the other one on? I have the lx-5 and I am constantly switching to the 8 degree. Which is changed with the push of a button. Whenever I am fishing in a portable with friends, I use the 8 degree. I can't stand watching the guy next to me's bait. I also believe that the next vexilar flasher to come out, will have a zoom feature for anywhere in the water column. It is very usefull to have. I know 90 percent of the time the bottom zoom is all that is neaded. Yet it sure is nice to have the option, if needed.

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 Originally Posted By: late night
My FL-18 Genz Pak wont fit in a 5-gal pail. I hate that but I like the unit. I did fish with a 20 once and thought it was more clear but mine will do fine for now.

eek.gif Not a fan of the Genz Pak. It's worth the few extra bucks to upgrade to the pro pack.

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It seems like I got the best of both worlds. I can have a moveable zoom, split window zoom/water colum, not sure on the target seperation but easeir to read, I can pick out how many fish are down there, I've had no interference issues, and I got it all for less than 300$. I've fished side by side with a vex and a marcum and never had any issues. To each his own.

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Let's clear a few things up.

 Quote:
And the fact that their transducers seem to be larger in size than those of Vexilars doesn't comfort fishermen that fish with smaller holes.

The only Marcum unit with a larger transducer is the LX-5. This is because the dual-beam ducer is standard on an LX-5 and both are inside the same larger housing, rather than an add-on option which costs more money.

 Quote:
Marcum has gone further in charging systems? Don't we only need to know when it's finished charging? The charging system on my FL-20 lets me know when it's charging, and when it's charged completely. The light-gauges provides me with enough information to know the power of the battery. Most can tell when their flasher is about to die without even having a gauge anyway.

The digital charging system with digital display is superior for a few reasons. Automatic shut-off prevents you from frying the battery. Also, rather than dealing with alligator clips which can promote corrosion on battery leads and pull off of the wire in the most inconvenient of times, marcum utilizes a male/female sealed plug system. Did I mention you know exactly how much remaining battery life you have?

 Quote:
Do Marcums even fit in a 5 gallon pale? They look inconvenient to carry around.

Yes, they fit in a 5-gallon bucket, but one has to be smarter than the bucket :). Tip it on its nose and it slides right in or out. And, speaking from experience, they're very convenient to carry around. The rugged case fares better on long LOW or URL excursions than did the FL-8 I owned. For hole hopping, I now use the LX-5 in conjunction with their Ice-tote system for even more mobility.

I mean not to offend, and I respect those folks that also use a Vexilar. I was one of them for years. In line with providing customers more options as the poster states, Marcum continues to be on the cutting edge of technology. That's why I use their flashers and cameras. Period.

Joel

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