Showdown FishFinder

dont know if your looking for used or brand new but dont forget about the new humminbird ice models...i bought the ice 35 last year, love it...found one another one bay yesterday for 102$ might be worth lookin at for ya...but as for that model, it has more features for the money, my dad has a vex...they both show they fish, and both show your lure...there is no interference between the 2 models due to different signals...both have 3 colors...humminbird has larger screen, and zoom features for any part of water column, and its quieter...over all pretty similar just depends on what perks aree most important to you...

 

There is a fella on here who has one, hopefully he'll chime in!

 

I was in the same position when looking for a flasher. I did my homework and wanted the best bang for the buck. My buddy Val had the showdown and I fished right next to him with it. He hated it so much he returned it. I wasn't impressed in the least. The vertical water line on that unit is overrated and nothing special.

The Birds were nice but they were too new. Based on the hundreds of websites I read with multiple reviews the jury was still out. Plenty of people complaining about them not working out of the box or not past the first day, others had better success. Not enough to push me to pay for the Bird yet. There were a ton for sale on ebay and they were already on clearance on some fishing tackle websites .......hmmmm...

If you can hold off and save another $75.00 or less there are two choices. The Lowrance X67 ice Machine and the Marcum Lx3-tc..... Vexilar doesn't even make the list for the best bang. The X67 is nice with the scrolling sonar or the color LCD flasher. I chose the Marcum LX3-tc. 1500 Watts strong, 3 color technology, waterproof case, digital batter readout and a zoom option to move anywhere in the water column for suspended fish.

Both of those two units do more then a vexilar that costs a hundred dollars or more then both. Vexilars are dependabale but outdated. They are weak, Japanese made, overpriced, and don't offer the zoom flexability of the Marcums, just the bottom six feet. Any flasher that needs a low power setting or a cable to reduce power isn't made right where the transducer is in perfect tune with the unit is one to avoid. You could get the top dog in the Marcum LX-5 but for a person on a budget the two above Flashers are your best bet as of now. Vexilar is actually charging $599 for their top flasher because they give you a cup holder, knit hat, 99 cent tackle box, two plastic rod holders and a special emblum. Spend your money on quality not gimmicks.

 

wow, three color technology.... and 1500 watts? wow....

yawn.

vex's have been three color for a LONG time. the 1500 watts claim is a bunch of hooey.

there is a difference in zoom, that being said, i don't find it that big of a deal, but some may. also, vex's are time tested and proven reliable.

 

Yawn all you want. Marcums use three TRUE independant colors not a combination of two colors to make a blob for a third like Vexilar. Marcums give better resolution PERIOD! More power gives the Marcum a better return signal for better performance Period! Show any tests with all flashers that disputes this? Marcums have better target separation PERIOD! And the zoom feature anywhere is a big deal.

Yawn all you want the above information is true and it apparently hurts the feelings of those who swear by Vexilars, Any unit this gives you the BS line of needing a low power setting is junk. If the the transducer and head unit were in sync it could use the high wattage fine with the gain control fine just like a Marcum. The weak Vexilar can't and doesn't.

Facts are facts .......... I said Vex's are reliable but the above is not hooey in any form. In what features does a Vexilar that is comperably priced at $349 like the Marcum LX3-tc or the Ice machine offer that is more or better? Absolutely nothing ........ Well, the vexilars fit into a five gallon bucket ........ got us there on that huge benfit. You can find countless people who have switched to Marcum after owning both but you'll be pressed to find the opposite of those going from Marcums back to Vexilar.

 

The showdown was actually named something else like VPG or something like that, I can't remember. There were problems with the units and lots of people had to get them fixed.

The X67 machines have many many more options and features than the Marcums or Vex's and they have a much higher resolution and zoom features as well.

The X67 doesn't have any parts to wear out, longer battery life, easy to use menus I could go on....

Basically its similar to this....would you want to use a computer that was designed in the 80's and still uses 80's technology for its display (Vex's and Marcum) or would you want one that was designed and uses technology of the 2000's? Pretty easy decision once you cut through all the buzz words used by mechanical flashers to attract a somewhat uneducated buyer to the world of sonar.

I mean in this day and age why would anyone want to design a sonar unit with a mechanical display to wear out and fail, when there are now better ways to display the information. Then charge $200 or $300 more for an outdated product. Vex and Marcum fall a little farther behind each year.

 

I have a Aqua View VPG (now its called the Showdown). I wouldnt waste my money if I were you. At times it has a hard time marking the correct depth, like it will say I'm fishing 99 ft when I know I'm fishing 35 ft. I still use it, it'll mark fish. But I wish I would have spent my money more wisely.

Get a Vex, Marcum, or X67. The Showdown may be cheaper but is not in the same class as the others mentioned.

 

very well put

 

You're dead on again as usual Ian.

 

ih772 do you ever get tired fighting this fight every year?

iH772 speaks the truth about the x67c. Well worth the money and what he didn't mention, the x67c ice machine comes with two gimbal mounts for winter and summer. You can even have split screen, flasher on one side, graph on the other, but once you fish graph you never go back!

 

I saw a clip on VS. last year about the Showdown. I guess it is supposed to mark every fish rather than a blob, the display showed like 10 or so ticks that were fish. I personally dont like how slim and slender they are, seems like they would fall through the hole too easy. If I can find one cheap I may try it out this season.

 

The mark is just a black block. TRUST ME IF YOUR GONNA SPEND YOUR MONEY BUY SOMETHING ELSE!!!

 

On second thought....