Those of you running this unit or have ran it how do you like it? I have a lx5 now and want another unit for my wife to use and think the simple vertical graph would be good for her.1/2 ” target separation is same as lx7. Upgradeable also. Just wanting to know of issues with them…
I am surrounded by fancy Marcum units while out on the ice. This generally leads to alot of interference. That’s why I love pulling out the Humminbird. I would recommend either an Ice 45 or Ice 55 instead so that your able to fish in close quarters with minor issues.
Aside the issues i’ve seen with showdowns is generally buttons. They fail to work. The units are also more likely to fall in a hole due to it small size, im terrified of using it near 10″ cut holes. But as a flasher unit it works and detects fish just as good as any out there.
What do you mean the Showdown is upgradeable?
I don’t use the dual beam, but I have the single beam unit. I love it. I haven’t had many issues with it. My model has the fuse that popped when I first got it and then I was informed to use a different amp than what was specified. That issue has gone away and I carry spares just in case.
I have had no issues with the buttons. It has acted up a couple times on me briefly, usually when moving from hole to hole. I think I need to clamp down the connections a little better.
The issues I have seen were it “whigging” out and showing a bunch of interference, but it usually self correct within about 10 seconds. The other issue was it shutting off when moving, which is why I suspect the connections. I’ve tried just jiggling the wires at home to see if I have a short and it doesn’t do anything.
I love the unit because it is simple. Shows me the hardness of the bottom, marks fish and gives me great separation.
Hamms
I purchased the 5.6 dual beam this year I only had it out on the ice a few times and love it. It is easy to use and easy to teach some one else how to use. (I also have a LX7,LX5, and a showdown troller)
I sometimes think the Show Down does not get the attention that other more colorful units get due to it not having a color display. The performance of the unit is great and easy to read in both daylight and at night. At this point I have every intention of keeping mine for quite some time. I really like the zoom and is easy to adjust where you want to place the zoom.
I bought mine new and was looking for a used one but had no luck finding used. I guess I’am an electronics sonar junkie.
I did consider a Hummingbird 55 but for me I did not like to settle for lower specs (target separation) and spending more money. Like others have said you would have no problems fishing around others due to different frequency and no interference issues. (who knows I may still buy one cause I do like the way its display is laid out) However I usually am fishing by my self So I cannot comment on interference issues when using the SD 5.6
I also recently upgraded my Troller version 1 to version 2 and am pleased with the version 2. I like the bottom zoom lock.
FYI
I did stop by a buddies shack with 6 guys fishing with vexilars and Marcums and I brought my LX7 in and I could not get the interference rejection to cancel out all the interference. But then neither could any of them but I don’t think they were trying to hard. I am sure many had their gains up too high.
Hope this helps you!
Bob
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What do you mean the Showdown is upgradeable?
If they ever come out with changes or things to make it better you are an upgrade away just plug in computer and download.
Thanks bob for the run down. I won’t go backwards in separation either. The h bird is nice but not an interest of mine. I think the zoom features and auto depth scale is nice. I just have heard issues with guys losing bottom or bouncing bottom a little bit. To think guys like Tony Roach and Brad Hawthorne are using these all day every day well at least unitl the 7 came out say alot about the function and features of the unit. I know they have marcum behind them but so do we for 2 years of warranty and more I have heard because of the way this company represents itself.
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What do you mean the Showdown is upgradeable?
If they ever come out with changes or things to make it better you are an upgrade away just plug in computer and download.
Thanks bob for the run down. I won’t go backwards in separation either. The h bird is nice but not an interest of mine. I think the zoom features and auto depth scale is nice. I just have heard issues with guys losing bottom or bouncing bottom a little bit. To think guys like Tony Roach and Brad Hawthorne are using these all day every day well at least unitl the 7 came out say alot about the function and features of the unit. I know they have marcum behind them but so do we for 2 years of warranty and more I have heard because of the way this company represents itself.
I hope you meant LX6, 7, 9. Showdowns are not upgradeable at home via your PC or software download.
Updates are done via Marcum, you will need to bring your unit in to have the update performed. To be straight forward, on a black/white LCD showdown there isnt much more you can do to it as far as updates or features. Its likely minor tweaks, as to reason why you havent seen an update for it since Marcum took over the showdown lineup.
As far as separation I think you guys may have meant visual target ID? As for target separation it plays an important role too, especially when you got bottom hugging fish or in a school of fish. It works with target ID so one can distinctly see a mark or ID in crisp detail lines.
Either way once fish appears on screen and you notice it is moving towards your bait/lure is really all that matters in the end.
I got an old version of the Showdown (3.2VPG?) off E-Bay cheap for my wife. We were not at all impressed. So I paid the $50 to send it in to be updated to 5.6. What they sent me appears to be a whole new head unit. We took this out with my LX-5 to compare and I was indeed impressed with the new one! Mine is a single beam.
My wife isn’t tech savvy and cannot understand how to interpret the round dial, colors, and decipher depth on my LX-5. So the Showdown is perfect for her – great resolution (separation), auto depth, and the LCD is very responsive. For me, I feel lost without color so the LX-5 is perfect for me.
I wouldn’t be concerned with upgradability. I doubt they’ll be making any more changes to that unit.
John S.
Color is nice, but for me the bottom line is I just want to know what is going on under the hole.
I think the auto depth would be great, just not sure if I would need dual beam… Have it on the 5 and would like it on one but for the right deal might consider just 20 degree..
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I think the auto depth would be great, just not sure if I would need dual beam… Have it on the 5 and would like it on one but for the right deal might consider just 20 degree..
I normally fish relatively shallow, so it isn’t really necessary for me. It would be a nice option though, especially if I was fishing a steep break and fish were hugging the bottom or I wanted a more accurate depth.
Is it possible to upgrade to the dual beam? I can’t remember.
Hamms
I have used a showdown(single beam) for 3 years now and absolutely love it. For your wife it just might be the perfect flasher unit, it is incredibly simple and does the job flawlessly, for me anyway. I have a cousin who fished along side me with a Humminbird flasher before a couple times and next year he ditched the Humminbird for a showdown 5.6 dual beam, not saying it is better by any means but that is what he chose. I agree that color would be nice on this unit but it is not necessary because as the fish get closer they become a more solid black line similar to the color idea, and I also think Marcum may be working on adding color to this unit in the near future, just speculating though. If you fish under 30 feet of water most of the time I wouldn’t bother with the dual beam, I have the single and it works just fine in 25+ FOW. As far as the question on upgrades you have to send them in and that will cost you money inevitably, but IMHO you don’t need the minor changes to the unit they have come out with thus far. You can also have your transducer swapped as well according to a Marcum rep I talked to at the WI ice show. Hope some of this helps. Tight lines 
Hard to make color on an LCD. However, I’d sell mine and upgrade if they came out with a new one with a color screen. I suspect that won’t happen though. It probably bumps the cost up to where you might as well get one of the otehr digital displays where you can have rotary style and top down style.
The showdown 5.6 retails (from marcum) for $399. The color units (lx6) start at $599. If they could come out with a showdown color for $499 they could really have something. They would have a good spread in their LCD units.
I would bet they leave it be and keep the price point down to get people into a digital unit without paying 500…. Keeping my eyes peeled for one to trade for… 
I completely agree with the price issue of making an color LCD showdown but it is something they may explore just to sell units. Plus for me I would buy a color showdown for 100 bucks more just because of my familiarity and trust in the unit plus the sheer simplicity of the showdown. We will have to wait and see though.
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The showdown 5.6 retails (from marcum) for $399. The color units (lx6) start at $599. If they could come out with a showdown color for $499 they could really have something. They would have a good spread in their LCD units.
We can count on lower priced color digital units to be offered with the next round of products released.
That would be cool! Love my lx5 but the showdown in color would be cool too. Can’t believe the stuff they can put into a small package…Think of smart phones..
What time of year does Marcum release new products? Spring, or just before the freeze?
Wow that will definitely be cool, thanks for the inside scoop James, can’t wait to see what they come up with, regardless I’m sure it will be an outstanding product with all of the technology and experience Marcum has with flashers already. 
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What time of year does Marcum release new products? Spring, or just before the freeze?
The last couple years new products have been announced at I Cast which is in July.
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What time of year does Marcum release new products? Spring, or just before the freeze?
The last couple of years new products have been available mid December.. 
I’ve recently heard marcum will not be releasing anything new next year, maybe that doesn’t include the showdown product line?
Thanks James. Forgot about iCast.
Always enjoy looking at new products. We are in a great time and I am really looking forward to the next BIG thing in ice fishing. 
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What time of year does Marcum release new products? Spring, or just before the freeze?
The last couple of years new products have been available mid December..I’ve recently heard marcum will not be releasing anything new next year, maybe that doesn’t include the showdown product line?
They will probably showcase it at icast and then make it available in dec/jan or later.
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Thanks James. Forgot about iCast.
Always enjoy looking at new products. We are in a great time and I am really looking forward to the next BIG thing in ice fishing.
The next big thing from MarCum in the short term likely won’t come as a new model as the updatability of the digital series platforms allow for some major additions to functionality without forcing consumers into new models. Anglers can count on new functionality and features to be made available to owners of digital series units… for free.
Long term we can expect new digital platforms, all in color, to be introduced at the lower price points.
Thats great James. So buying a showdown now wouldn’t be a bad idea knowing it can be updated.. This is the main thing I was thinking about when I started investigating the showdown series. Doing upgrades even if there is a small fee you get alot out of the digital being able to do just that. Can single beam units be updated to dual beam right now? Is that a software thing and a transducer swap? Or not an option for those wanting DB that have single beam unit now?
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Thats great James. So buying a showdown now wouldn’t be a bad idea knowing it can be updated.. This is the main thing I was thinking about when I started investigating the showdown series. Doing upgrades even if there is a small fee you get alot out of the digital being able to do just that. Can single beam units be updated to dual beam right now? Is that a software thing and a transducer swap? Or not an option for those wanting DB that have single beam unit now?
I’d wait for a reply. I think he means the KX color digitals are going to get updates, not the Showdown, but it wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong.
Figured he meant showdown being it was on the showdown post… What is KX?
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Figured he meant showdown being it was on the showdown post… What is KX?
Whoops, I meant LX- series. You might be right, but I’m just saying I’d make sure if you are buying with the hope of being able to upgrade in the future.
True. Think it would be a good unit just as is but the possibilities digtal units have are crazy.
Absolutely a good unit as is. I wouldn’t trade mine for a radial/analog fish finder.
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