Flasher interference, the good, bad and ugly

[thump55]

Can anyone relay some good or bad experiences relating to interference with other flashers?
Does your flasher interfere with another brand?
Do you have no interference with certain brands, but do with others?

I will be buying a new graph this year, and this is just one piece of the puzzle to aid my choice. The guys I fish with most use Vexilars, so I'd be specifically interested in hearing from Vex, Marcum or Humminbird owners on how their units are affected by, or affect the Vex's.

Thanks for any input.

[hondo]

I mostly use Marcum flashers now, and previously I used Vex flashers for years and have quite a bit of experience with both of those brands.

The IR on Vexs works well enough with other Vexs, but Vexs have problems cleaning up the interference from Marcums.

Marcums will clean up nicely around other Marcum or Vex units. The most telling examples I've seen are on Lake Of The Woods where we typically fish in wheel houses or permanent houses so you don't have the option to move a ways away to clean up interference. I've seen 2 Marcums render a brand new FL-18 almost unusable due to the amount of interference on the FL-18, even though both Marcum screens were clean. And last year I was on a trip were 3 of us in a permanent had LX-5s and the 4th guy had a Vex (I don't recall which model Vex it was). The Vex was absolutely unusable but I had brought along an LX-3 for a backup unit, and we stowed the Vex and used the LX-3 in its place and it worked great. For 3 days we used the 3 LX-5s and the LX-3 continually, in very close proximity in 30 fow, with hardly any interference blips at all. Very impressive in my opinion.

I don't have much experience with HB flashers around other flashers, but the HBs operate on different frequencies so interference should not be an issue.

Hope that helps.

[thump55]

Very informative- thanks.

I have looked at all of them, and I do like the Marcum except for that bracket that the transducer cord runs through. Is it removable, do you have to use it? It looks like it would get in the way since it is over the hole.

[Dacotah Eye]

Others don't like the bracket that the transducer hangs through and put a float on the transducer cable. You can buy a float kit from Vexilar or buy a pool noodle and figure out a way to keep it in place.

[hondo]

Dacotah Eye makes a good point, it's not hard to make or buy a float for an ice-style transducer if you want one.

Personally I prefer not having the float. The float takes up more space than the arm, and IMO the float system is more apt to get tangled with the fishing line. With Marcum I extend the arm just far enough over the hole to have the transducer hang level ---- or I drop the transducer deep enough to get just below the ice, and then position the transducer cable over so it's tight against the side of the hole (almost never any tangles with that setup).

Another reason I like the arm is for hole-hopping (which I do a lot). With a float system there is always extra cable between the unit and the float, plus the cable from the float to the transducer. With the arm system there's only as much cable as the depth of your transducer --- it makes it much easier to pick up and carry from hole to hole, especially when you have a rod in your other hand.


Here's another reason I like Marcums - they are the smallest, most compact ice flashers. Vexs and HBs are taller, or have bigger footprints, or both. Some of the Vexs and HBs have larger displays than the Marcum too, a consideration which may be important to you. But I like to be compact and mobile and quick to set up and take down and move, and for me Marcum fills that bill nicely with its compact size.

[Backwater Eddy]

I have personally ran a MarCum LX-3, a Fl-20, and a Hummingbird 45 all in the same hole, all running at the same time, to prove one can tune out cross talk interference.

Simply start with the unit that is having the most issues with interference, cycle that units IR function tell it is gone.

If a second unit then has developed an IR issue, do the same for it...cycle that units IR tell gone.

In that particular test I had the most difficulty getting the Hummer 45 to behave playing next to the MarCum...but I did get it tuned and all could read the jig as intended with no counter rotation.

This was just to prove it can be done....I wouldn't advise multiple units in the same hole as a practice. But knowing how you can cycle the IR is key no matter what unit you own.

Do not start cycleing both the units at the same time...you will never get it figured out that way. Just the one effected the most first, and on to fishing you go.

Occasionally the higher watt unit may need to have it's transducer raised in the hole a bit, as to limit the splatter effect and then the other unit near exhibiting cross talk interference will more easily be tuned.

With the new higher functioning processors and the enhanced IR feature in the FL-20's I have never had an issue tuning out other units in the area if they are causing me complications. The earlier FL-8's may have more significant issues with interference, and to a lesser point the FL-18's, but not so with the new FL-12's and FL-20's of today.

Another point to consider is a duel beam configuration transducer helps to offer options to limit cross talk interference as well as to focus your sonar more directly on your bait. With a flip off a switch you can go from 19 degree to 9 degree beam angles and limit the overlap effect that leads to cross talk interference. A narrow beam in most situations also lends itself to greater target separation in values less than 1/2". I strongly believe one of the most useful upgrades one can do on a flasher unit is go with the duel beam transducer as it has many benefits in a wide range of fishing situations.

When considering a new flasher unit, you save by purchasing it with the duel beam right away. But if an older transducer fails or is getting poor performance, then I automatically opt to upgrade it with a duel beam as your more than 2/3 the way there in price anyway...so why not.

I personally recommend the new FL 20, in whatever package you see best fits your needs. I just added the New FL-20 50th Anniversary Edition FL-20 Ultra Pac with an added "Cool Blue" conversion to my seasonal arsenal....man is it ever sweet. I use my Vexilars all year around, would feel naked without one on my boat. I love the wide view angle Flat Screen display, Low Power mode, Night mode, and the Split 6/12 zoom modes, and the duel beam 9/19 transducer on my FL-20's, very handy features.

I hope this proves useful to you in making your choice in a flasher unit.

[thump55]

You guys have provided a lot of info, but I don't know if it has made my choice any easier!

Anyone wanna chime in on the Lowrance Ice Machine and reall mess my mind up?

[hondo]

Anyone wanna chime in on the Lowrance Ice Machine and reall mess my mind up?

They're good units, a lot of guys use them and like them.

IMO there's WAY more advantage to going with a 522c (with the built in GPS) in an ice pack over the x67c (which is a sonar only unit).

However, I firmly believe that the flashers (including the Showdown) from Marcum, Vex, and HB ----- that are specifically designed for ice fishing ----- are better ways to go for the overall best performance on the ice.

[Backwater Eddy]

That touches on a point I neglected in my previous post. Most graphs do not play the "IR" tag game well, and do not play well with other flashers in the immediate area, they are not easily tuned to eliminate cross talk interference commonly seen on the ice.

You want to see some crazy graph reading once, get a graph in a herd of flashers and try to tune them out, not an easy task if at all doable.

I would strongly encourage modern sonar/graph manufactures to install a very good high functioning "IR" (Interference Rejection Function) on future Graph/GPS units, as they will and would very likely see more on the ice time in years to come.

A "IR" function would be a big bonus on open water too, with multiple brands commonly on board. Make it with programmable pre-sets to tune out IR and not have to do it over and over every time you boot up a sonar on the boat. Universal sonars from time to time also cross talk with transome units in deeper water situations, and a pre-set "IR" mode would sure come in very handy there as well.

[hondo]

Ed's point is right on, interference on the "ice graphs" is a much bigger problem and a lot of times the only way to clean it up is to move away from the flashers.

[duckhuntrrus]

You guys have provided a lot of info, but I don't know if it has made my choice any easier!

Anyone wanna chime in on the Lowrance Ice Machine and reall mess my mind up?


I love mine, the nice thing about it is, is that I can use it on soft water also. I don't know what took me so long to get one, but couldn't fish without one again. I have the X67c

[Danger Dan]

Yep.......Lowrance X67 ice machines rock..... I sold my Vex FL18 ultra pak 2 years ago and bought the 67.......no more whirly wheels for me.........never again...........and I was a died in the wool vex fan.....nope no more.........I once turned around and drove back home 20 miles because I forgot my 67........not even a comparison in my book............what is interference???? don't even notice it........heck my buddy runs a LMS332 twenty foot from me and I don't even know its there........and he's dumping big watts into the water......

[used to log in]

Respectfully Ed, I don't buy the Vex being able to drown out the Marcum's.

I've been in far too many ice houses where the Vex's were useless to the point their owners were crying, threatening to leave, etc. We had to take turns one time. Marcum's on for an hour, then the Vex's.

Maybe your experiment worked. Maybe it's because there was one Marcum. I really don't know because I haven't tried.

But I can see that if you put 2 or 3 of each together in a wheel house. It's all she wrote for the Vex's.

I don't fish that way much, and I have a Marcum, so I don't really care.

Both units work well. The Marcum moveable zoom to me is a plus for crappie fishing.

The Vex's can be outfitted for 160' Lake Trout fishing, that's a huge plus if you do that.

The Marcum has a cleaner, crisper screen with better separation.

The Vex fits in a bucket.

Both have excellent service.

I've had a lot of buddies switch over to Marcum from Vex. Two are holding out, but we don't fish in ice houses unless we bring extra Marcum's now. Honest truth.

[Backwater Eddy]

It's not a matter of drowning the cross talk out, just tuning it out with the IR function, or if need be adjusting your ducer in the hole.

Done it many times, I often fish side by side with friends who are using MarCum LX-3's or LX-5's and I just tune them out by means of the IR function.

Older FL-8's will find this more difficult to do, not the newer FL-12's or FL20's with the enhanced IR.

[eye4aneye]

Marcum LX-5's and Vexilar FL18's don't mix in most bottom conditions. If you fish where there's other fishermen, I'd suggest not buying an FL18 for that reason.

[winnebago viking]

thumper,

I've been running the x67c for 3 seasons now, I love it. If you have any questions or want to get out early ice to see it in action, you know where to find me.

[thump55]

I ended up purchasing a Marcum LX-3 ($350). I used it both days this weekend and am very happy with it.

Some of the little features I like:

-The unit is small in overall size. Requires less room in the sled and in the shack.

-The case encloses the entire unit when closed. (There is a see thru portion where you can see the LCD display of the battery life in %, also a very nice feature) The case opens easily (velro)

- Zoom anywhere in the water column 5' or 10' span. To zoom on the bottom 5' press the button once, bottom 10' press it again. Simple to use.

- I do like the arm that holds the transducer. As mentioned in another post, it is great for hole hopping and keeps the transducer cord right tight against the side of the hole, preventing tangles when bringing in fish.

-I'm not sure how the new Vex's or HB's are, but on my friend's older Vex he has to remove the battery wires and clip on a pos and neg alligator clip. The Marcum has one plug in and you're done.

- The sensitivity, color, noise etc. are all great. The only feature I may miss is the dual beam transducer, but for 95% of my fishing, the 20 degree one would be what I use anyway.

- I can't speak on the interference rejection yet. I did fish with two friends in 6' of water (they both had Vex's). We fished as close as 12' from each other and I had zero interference for whatever that's worth.

Overall, I'm very happy with the unit. For the money, I don't think you can go wrong with it.