Vexilar or MarCum?

I have an old Vexilar FL-8, and think it's time to upgrade to a new "flasher" for ice fishing. I had thought about getting a Vexilar FL-18 or 20, but have been hearing a lot of good things about the new MarCum Lx-3 or 5. Anyone use one of these, and can you give an opinion as to which one to get?

Vexilar is the only way to go. Customer service is outstanding. Great product, time proven. The FL20 is a fishing machine....but can you afford it? Big bucks last I checked. The FL18 is a great unit, and has come down a lot in price. Good luck.

[skeeter]

Vexilar, is the only way to go! IMHO Skeeter

Use the WALLEYE CENTRAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY "Skeeters Stuff" under marine supplies (boat cleaning supplies), it really does work.

https://www.walleyecentral.com/wcdire...ry=Boat%2FMari

[CI_Guy]

I was surprised how long it took for a Vexilar vs Marcum post to get started.
I own a Vex FL8 but have used an LX-1 and an LX-3 with the true color. Both companies make a good product and stand behind them.
One thing to consider is interferance rejection and what brand your fishing partners use. Have a freind with a Marcum LX-1 the rest of us have Vexilars. There are times we can't block out the interference from his Marcum but he has no trouble blocking the Vexes.

the vexilar fl 18 or 20 if you need zoom, the fl 12 is a great flasher for the money marcum lx 1 are a steal for 249.00 with 50 rebate till end of dec, it has zoom of 5 ft on 20 and 40ft scale 10ft zoom on 80ft and 120ft the lx 5 is a great machine also any were in scale zoom 5ft or 10ft window super fine line with dual transducer beem this is a panfishes worst nightmare, bottom line they are both great units i like vexilars new flat screen you can view it at any angle. also aqua view has a new vpg graph vertical pixel graph, they are a neat finder for 229.00 gone fishing mr sunfish:grd:

[Private Eyes]

Vexilar... all the way Ive been using Vex since 1990

Yes and some folks are still using their Zebco reel from 1980 I'd bet! Vexilar works okay but the Marcum flashers have it all over the Vexilar products. The Lowrance ice machines do all things that the mechanical flasher do only better, and on top of that they do things the mechanical flashers just can't do.

The truth is out there.

The technical specs have proven that MarCum has outperformed the Vexilar in sonar capabilities.

MarCum Technologies LX5 VS: Vexilar FL20

Receiver sensitivity :

Receiver sensitivity is the measurement of a sonar receiver’s ability to detect an input signal. This measurement tells just how small of a return signal the unit is able to pick up and display. The LX5’s receiver is more sensitive.

Measurement:

LX5- 24uV
FL20- 40uV

Receiver Gain:

Receiver gain is a measurement of the total system gain or amplification. Typically the more gain a receiver has the smaller signal it will be able to detect.
The LX5 receiver has more gain.

Measurement:

LX5- 89.77db
FL20- 70.89db

Receiver distortion:

Receiver distortion is a measurement of the sonar receiver to filter, amplify, detect, and display a return signal. A receiver with less distortion will give a more accurate display. The LX5 has less distortion.

Measurement:
LX5- less than 1%
FL20- more than 40%

Transmitter power:

Transmit power is a measurement of the output power into the transducer. This is usually defined in Watts peak to peak or Watts RMS. In the sonar world more power means a better return signal with less noise and less filtering. The LX5 has more power.

Measurement:

LX5- more than 2000 Wp-p or 300 Wrms
FL20- more than 400 Wp-p or 50Wrms

Conclusions: The LX5 surpasses the FL20 in every sonar measurement that was made. With these measurements it becomes clear that the LX5 is a superior product in respect to its receiver/transmitter design. These measurements were made on off the shelf units using an industry standard tester.
What this means to the ice fisherman is that with the LX5 you will get a clearer, less distorted picture of what’s below the transducer. We at MarCum believe that these measurements reflect what LX5 users have been seeing on the ice. The MarCum Technologies LX5 is truly the best and this can be backed up and verified by scientific measurements.

Vexilar has a great tradition and a lot of people own them. However I believe the momentum is in MarCum's favor. There are a lot of guys switching from Vexilar to MarCum but I have never heard of anyone switching from MarCum to Vexilar. All I used to fish with was a vexilar, I too have made the switch and can tell you that the clarity, QUIETNESS!!!, and Target separation is way better than any vexialr I had. Before you say which one is better, try both of them. Opinions are fine and I respect that 100%. But saying vexilar is better just because you have used one for 20 year means nothing to me. Hyundai has only been around for a few years but has close to the same ratings as the Lexus line. New technology and better engineering goes along way. The new 20 is very confusing to look at and really did not improve from the FL-18. No power increase, they did nothing to fix the noise of the motor, they added an extra filter for interference which only caused more distortion but will help with interference, the y did add an extra zoom window which now allows you to zoom in on the bottom 6 or bottom 12 feet.(something they said you didnt need last year and was useless on the MarCums because the fish are always on the bottom, hmmm.....) and still no good battery charger like that of the Digital charging system on the MarCums. Before you go out and spend your hard earned money on a tool, compare the feature benefits of the two companies and remember MarCum is made in the USA. Vexilar is a Japanese Company that imports stuff in under the Vexilar name. I believe everything is still made by the original manufacturers, Hondex. Ask yourself if you want a computer that is 25 years old or something that is running on today's technology. MarCum's engineers are top notch and they will continue to stay ahead of the game.

Either way, they both will do the job but one is better that the other.

Now, Go FISH!

This past year I picked up a Lowrance 334C for the boat and just picked up the ice fishing kit for it last night - I have used a vexilar in the past but needed to upgrade. The kit cost $150 and seemed like a try if it works. I can't wait to try it out. The gps will be great for Mille Lacs. Just another idea to think about.

[Fish For Fun]

I have been a Vex fan for years and have a FL-8 which works great for me. My friend bought a Marcum LX-5 last year and all I can say is WOW, color is super clear and bright, separation is amazing, has the zoom to any level in the water column. It's not cheap but as they say you get what you pay for. Now I have not seen the new Vexilars so I cannot say which is better the new Vex or the Marcum, but the Marcum LX-5 is head and shoulders above the FL-8 & FL-18.

I think we would still only have the FL-8 and FL-18 if it wasn't for Marcum giving Vexilar a kick in the pants to get them going. You cannot go wrong with any of them, they all work well, it's just the added bells and whistles that makes them different as far as functionality.