# testing a flasher unit at home



## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

is there a way to test a flasher unit at home on the counter? tried putting the transducer in a bag filled with water. set the gain lightly and tried to track a small jig with no response to the floor or the jig while playing with the gain. any help is appreciated. i will try this on hard water fri at skeeter. just dont wanna be upset when i get out there. thanks. this is a used marcum xl-3


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## RUDDER (Feb 5, 2005)

I've never heard the bag trick work. Try it on the hardwater. If it doesnt work buy a vex.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

This is what I was told
Water is more dense than air the flasher unit you got was made for use in the water. When out of the water the sonar roughly doubles the distance that the item is away from the transducer. So if you hold the transducer 3 feet off of tha ground than the sonar unit should read around 6'. I dont think you can set your gain this way, but the gain can be set in seconds while on the ice.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

looks like i will try this on the ice by my house somewhere asap prior to going out to skeeter. thanks for the responses guys.


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Haven't heard of the bag of water trick before. But i just got a showdown and it showed me a reading. The surface that the signal bounces off has to be hard to get a reading. I turned my sensitivity way up and could see my hand as i passed thru the signal. Hope your set is okay. Is it a new unit or used? May have transducer problem.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

its a used marcum lx-3. i think it has too much power emitted thru the transducer{1500 watts} as the vexs have less, so maybe thats why i cant get a reading. i just hope it doest have a serious problem with the ducer or head unit. i tried it over concrete with no success. i will call marcum techs now to see what they say.


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## JIG (Nov 2, 2004)

What is the diff between a flasher and a transducer? I know diff cone angles and such but dont they all tick? My graph has the flasher built in but doesnt change the way the trans works. Just if its tickin its workin?


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## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

May have already doneit but check the connection where the transducer plugs in and make sure that the battery is fully charged a bad battery can do thy some times.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

well i am going on the ice tomorrow afternoon and hopefully all is well. its plugged in the wall charging, the ducer is hooked up and im ready too. just wanna increase my chances of putting fish in the winners bracket come next weekend at skeeter. so i hope this thing works


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## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

a flasher best I know is the older way they worked with a whirling wheel.transducer is the pick up.back to the air verses the water you sure you do not have it back wards.thought air was a poor conductor and water was better thus in air it be half not double reading as you say.the floor to makes a bit differance as what type it be. hard wood viynle ? best try it in water.bet it is a junker.or not hooked up wright.will you see the wheel flaser light spinning if so thats a good sign it works if not it is not working at all.as it admits a sound wave then the flash and when the wave gets back it flashes again.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

the marcum performed flawlessly today. fished a private impoundment in 21-49fow. awesome little flasher. its a marcum xl-3tc. the zoom is a sweet feature. and to think i got ripped, sheesh, i need to understand the unit before i jump to conclusions. caught 1 eye and 1 crappie. i will say that i will never be going on the ice without it. never woulda knew these fish were suspended if i hadnt had the marcum. thanks for the replies guys.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

now u'll never fish on the ice without one.


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