showdown

[crowrosa13]

I want to invest in a new showdown for ice fishing. Right now I have a vexilar fl8 but I'm looking for a good cheap fish finder. Any opinions or help with the showdown will be helpful

[MN Mike]

Are you looking at a Troller or the bigger 5.6 models?

I use my Showdown 5.6 more than my LX5, if I had to do it again, I would spring for the dual beam transducer rather than the single beam, I found a situation last year where I could have really used it but that's the first time in 3 years that has happened.

Otherwise, they are great units, I'd buy one again.

Mike

[amateurfishing]

trollers are a little cheaper and i like mine alot

[pushbutton]

I personally think it is one of the best bangs for your buck out there. Its target separation, interference rejection, battery life, and zoom is close to the best on the market. While it does not have a color display, by design or not, you will have a "shading" process taking place that will tell within reason if the fish is bigger, smaller, or circling your bait. Also, after using it often, you will start to see patterns that can help identify if the fish is near your bait or on the edge of your cone angle, this is not full proof, however. Regardless, if you do have a camera, it is a great way to learn this system better and quicker. Good luck!

[Chaws]

I fish all the time with a buddy that has the 5.6 with the dual beam and I personally think it's a POS. He's sent it back numerous times because it just can never maintain display on a lure regardless of how much adjusting is done. Also it doesn't seem to graph very smoothly like a regular flasher can. Also any time he pulls it out of the water during a catch, it's supposed to automatically reset and zoom as it was when it was in the water. That has never been the case. He sent it back in yesterday for the 3rd time in the past 2 years. We were fishing over the weekend and he hadn't used it since he got it back from them at the end of last season and supposedly they replaced half of the components and tested it, however it was still doing the same thing.

[pushbutton]

So, I have 4 different apple computers. Two of them are over 12 years old and have never once crashed, froze up, been defragged, firewalled,serviced....nothing... not one teeny tiny problem. As for another one, my son dropped it pretty darn good one day and does not work so well anymore My newest one, however, has been serviced 3 times within 4 months and still does not work right. Yes, I am also frustrated as well, but cant say the others and apple are junk because this one is a POS. Do I believe that your buddy has a lemon.....sure, why not...it happens; for all we know maybe he dropped that one too. But my showdown, and suspect many many others have never had a problem. Not trying to be the poster child for them, like I mentioned above, for the money and its capabilities it is a great value. Are there others out there that can do some things better....yep....do some of them break....sure, but those two things can be said for any other unit on the market.

[tisosy11]

I have the old Showdown from probably 4-5 years ago and was wondering if it is worth it to set it in for updates. What is the cost to do this?

[kfk]

I bought one Troller a few years back and liked it so well that I bought my wife one also so that we can both have our own while fishing.

We both like them alot.

[pushbutton]

I have the old Showdown from probably 4-5 years ago and was wondering if it is worth it to set it in for updates. What is the cost to do this?

Think its around 50 bucks. Can't speak for any first hand knowledge of the update. If the old one does not have zoom and can get that along with the 1/2 inch separation in an update, would sure think it would be worth it. Put it this way..... I just picked up a 3 year old used one for around 200. Would you rather pay that, 400 ish for a new one, or the 50 for the update?

[EDUB]

I have the old Showdown from probably 4-5 years ago and was wondering if it is worth it to set it in for updates. What is the cost to do this?

Totally worth it, you get 1' increments on zoom and took out some interference on mine. I love it...target separation, battery life, size, no humming...I had mine done last season and I think it was $50.00.

EW

[bbfenatic]

I fish all the time with a buddy that has the 5.6 with the dual beam and I personally think it's a POS. He's sent it back numerous times because it just can never maintain display on a lure regardless of how much adjusting is done. Also it doesn't seem to graph very smoothly like a regular flasher can. Also any time he pulls it out of the water during a catch, it's supposed to automatically reset and zoom as it was when it was in the water. That has never been the case. He sent it back in yesterday for the 3rd time in the past 2 years. We were fishing over the weekend and he hadn't used it since he got it back from them at the end of last season and supposedly they replaced half of the components and tested it, however it was still doing the same thing.

User error! You think they tested it and sent it out still not working properly? I highly doubt it.

[MN Mike]

I fish all the time with a buddy that has the 5.6 with the dual beam and I personally think it's a POS. He's sent it back numerous times because it just can never maintain display on a lure regardless of how much adjusting is done. Also it doesn't seem to graph very smoothly like a regular flasher can. Also any time he pulls it out of the water during a catch, it's supposed to automatically reset and zoom as it was when it was in the water. That has never been the case. He sent it back in yesterday for the 3rd time in the past 2 years. We were fishing over the weekend and he hadn't used it since he got it back from them at the end of last season and supposedly they replaced half of the components and tested it, however it was still doing the same thing.

Sounds like you definely have some issues there, I can say mine has been rock solid and I'm not that easy on my equipment, most of the time it rides on the back of the sled, the first year I had my Showdown I lost it off of the back, didn't notice it until I arrived at my fishing spot 3 miles out on Lake of the Woods. Came back to where it had fallen off and it was strew'n across the ice, parts for about 10 - 15 feet, battery over there, ducer and cord over here, head unit over there, only thing that took a beating was the ducer arm. Put the whole works back together and its worked great and hasn't missed a beat.

As with any of these electronic devices ( no matter the manufacture ) you'll run into a unit that needs some attention sometimes.

Mike