Marcum's advantage

[Crappiekeith]

Over-engineering or total sonar system performance?
High Power MarCum Flashers offer the highest standards in sonar engineering today

Minneapolis, MN – “Over-engineering”…in the realm of flasher-sonar units (as well as sports cars) it’s a beautiful thing. Consider a Ferrari F430 Spider. Powered by Ferrari's new 490 hp, 4,308cc 90° V8, the Spider jets to a top speed of over 193-mph, sprinting from 0- to 62-mph in just 4.1 seconds. It’s not just power for power’s sake, either. It’s an intelligently managed drive system that improves both speed and the overall driving experience.

Indeed, a driver who says power makes no difference in performance probably hasn’t been behind the wheel of this sweet road rocket.

So it is with flasher-sonar units the likes of a MarCum LX-5. When MarCum originally set out to build a new class of flasher, it would have been easy to match the features and technology present in competing products. Instead, they chose the high power, exclusive technology route.

MarCum’s line of high power flashers have been designed from the ground-up, relying on the modern principles of sonar and science. Maximum performance for the money—that’s the idea. Better technology, wiser engineering—all in the name of premium fish-finding on the ice. The following is a glimpse at why MarCum remains the high-performance leader in ice electronics today; why more power really does mean more fish on the ice for you this winter:

More Power – MarCum flashers transmit the highest power in the industry. Power directly affects the unit’s ability to effectively detect its own return signal. More power means superior performance, period.
Most Efficient – MarCum manufactures its own transducers in the U.S.A. When paired with the flasher’s other components, this ensures quality, balance, and efficiency.
Increased Sensitivity – Better transducers, paired with more power and efficiency yields the best target separation available. The gain sensitivity on a MarCum flasher is nearly surgical, with the lowest signal/noise ratio in the industry. This translates into finer detail with less distortion.
Better Resolution – TrueColor™ razor thin display is not blended like competitors. MarCum never distorts any of its display segments by widening the signal. The result is the most acute resolution, a crisp display, and finest picture detail in the industry.

In addition to standard performance traits, the LX-5 also offers numerous features exclusive to MarCum. More evidence of over-engineering by design—these units are built better and with more features than they have to be. The winners are the anglers.
Adjustable, Optical Zoom – While many folks know that MarCum offers the only zoom feature that’s adjustable anywhere in the water column, few are aware that the zoom on a MarCum is a true, optical zoom. Unlike competitors, whose resolution never increases and whose display is merely “blown-up,” the MarCum optical zoom feature actually increases your ability to discern distance and size between targets. Rather than a larger display of the same data, you’re getting better information through a true optical zoom. It’s the same principal that applies to digital photography.
Patented Interference Rejection (IR) Technology – Due to the very positive signal/noise ratio put out by MarCum units, the IR allows the receiver to better separate noise and clutter from true signal. The result is a clean, perfectly functioning screen, even in the presence of multiple neighboring sonar units.
Super Fine Line™ – This patented feature reduces the width of target display to increase the target separation and give you more information, especially in weeds, cover or among schooling fish.
TrueColor™ – Marcum makes the only flasher that utilizes three (3) separate, distinct colors; Red, Green, and Yellow. TrueColor offers the most crisp, distinct display, giving the user the best accuracy in distinguishing targets. No fuzzy target blending.
Ice-Arm – Rather than a float that moves around the hole, the Ice-Arm allows the transducer to be placed anywhere in the hole. This includes up against the edge, hiding most of the transducer under the ice to the far edge of the hole. This results in fewer tangles and less confusion from changing bottom depths.
3 Stage Digital “Smart” Charging System – An accurate, digital battery life display, along with a single plug, 3-stage charging system maintains the electrical performance of the unit. The single plug prevents reversing the polarity and burning up your battery, and promotes less corrosion on the battery charging posts themselves. Even if you only have an hour to charge your MarCum, the initial charging stage loads heavily at first, and backs down to top the battery off. No other charging system can claim this!
Standard SoftPack – Rather than being an add-on feature, MarCum includes the special padded SoftPack to anchor and protect your investment.

Are all these features and technology necessary? Some flasher makers don’t seem to think so. MarCum sees things differently. They know the difference power makes.

Some call it over-engineering. To MarCum, it’s “total system performance.” All the features in the world won’t help you if they’re working independent of one another. But a unit with more power, better efficiency, increased sensitivity, and better resolution, all working in concert—that’s the complete ice sonar package. For the angler, the result is a better understanding of what’s going on below; something that can’t help but put more fish on the ice this winter. Like a Ferrari versus the old family sedan. If the Ferrari cost the same or less than the sedan, what would you be driving?

Manufactured in the U.S.A. by Versa Electronics, MarCum Technologies offers the highest standards in flasher-sonar units and underwater viewing systems available today. For more information and a 2010 MarCum catalog, contact Versa Electronics, 3943 Quebec Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55427. For customer service, please contact us at 888-778-1208 or email us at service@versae.com. Website is www.marcumtech.com.

[biglakeba$$]

I really like my Vexy. Thank you for your opinion.

[Haywood]

I have both an FL 18 and the LX5 and love them both! Both are a bajillion times more helpful at putting fish in the bucket, but the one benefit of the LX5 that I can find is the Interference Reduction. I have the Lowrance X67 for my kid and he can fish that next to the LX5, but not next to the FL 18. Other than that, they are both great pieces of equipment.

[thevanrat]

Seems like this was already covered.

Last year.

[Crappiekeith]

Not everyone is well tuned to this type of info.There are many that may never even post ,but read to pick up on different fishing info.
Let's not condone a topic because we already know what's what.

[mnfisherguy]

I love the Marcum .And now the lx3tc which i got this year as a xmas gift off ebay new in the box has 2000 peak to peak as my other lx3 only had 1500 p-p. BUt thier service is awesome as well.

[SlipperyBob]

The one thing that Marcum fail to improve upon is the power/range knob. They're still using an analog knob. There are little spring clips that makes contacts. When the temperature changes a lot from warm to extreme cold or vice versa, metals tend to warp somewhat. This can make the Marcum units a tad bit touchy sensitive over years of ownership. Other than that it's a very useful machine.