Author Topic: ShowDown Digital Fish Finder by Nature Vision (Read 23354 times)

baldy · « **Reply #30 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 09:32 AM »

Well, I made my mind up about them this weekend. I bought a Marcum LX3.
After talking to the guy about wanting to buy the LX2, and they didn't have any, he sold me the LX3 for $315. Took it out on my inflatable pontoon yesterday and it's awsome. Can't wait for ice.
Nick

coloradokid · « **Reply #31 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 10:40 AM »

Thanks Bottom Dweller!

Wow, seems like a lot of rumors on the street regarding theese showdown units... 'my friend told me' or 'I heard from so and so..'.... I wonder who could be spreading such rumors?

Vexilar and Marcum getting a little nervous???

In all seriousness I've fished with the vex in the past and this display is so much more intuitive to use. There is a horizontal line, it moves when you move your rod... that is your jig. Any other horizontal line that comes into view is a fish, when the line that is your jig and the line that is a fish come together set the hook.. doesn't get much simpler than that. Time will tell how the unit holds up to the elements. I think it is funny how I hear people bashing theese units all over the internet that have never actually fished with one

We have a cold snap coming this week, I plan on doing some further product testing and will report back with my findings 8)

baldy · « **Reply #32 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 12:16 PM »

I'm not bashing the unit. I was in the market for a unit this year. Had some bonus $ this year and wanted to take the plunge..
I actually saw the unit on the "Discoveries on Ice" DVD that was in the In Fisherman issue. I really liked the concept and was serious about getting one. However, the first year of the product VPG saw a ton of issues. Some/most were addressed with a software upgrade to the ShowDown. I haven't seen a lot of reviews on this new unit. I think if it were the 3rd or 5th year for the unit to be out, I would have gone for it. Just didn't want to spend that kind of money on something that would have issues.
Also, I used my Marcum this weekend and it's pretty simple to understand. I'm not sure why folks think it's difficult.
Anyway, just my opinion.
Nick

icetechy · « **Reply #33 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 01:14 PM »

Who said anything about the show down?

I hope they got all the bugs worked out of the VPG first. Crushed wires, block of wood and tape for battery support

, no water column in O' to 5', now that's engineering you can hang your hat on...

uglyokuma · « **Reply #34 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 04:42 PM »

what is this about no water column under 5 fow? Most of the time I fish in 8 fow or less, would this unit be useless for my type of fishing?

Thanks for any feedback

icetechy · « **Reply #35 on:** Nov 19, 2007, 08:21 PM »

Read for yourself..

The Aqua-Vu VPG was a nice concept but that is the last good thing I have to say about it. Upon first examination the case for the unit is nice but getting it to stand up on an uneven surface is tough to say the least. The unit is shaped like a cone that tips over easily. The battery on my unit had a small wood block taped to it to hold the battery in place. After doing some checking, this is how they all come. Well, my tape lasted one day and my battery was moving all over and I had to fix the power connector that is inside the battery box. This is a terrible design.

As for the function of the unit, well, it functions but not well around any other units. The VPG has a “Noise” button that is supposed to make the unit work around other units, but it does not. Whether it is the Vexilar or the MarCum, both units locked the VPG up and it was worthless. Using the Noise button seemed to limit the gain so bad you get a trailing signal that made it almost impossible to use. When you bring another unit close to the VPG the Auto Range jumps all over and it cannot find bottom. You had to restart the unit to get it to work again.

One other problem I had was after I left all 3 units outside over night, the next day the VPG heater took 2 minutes to heat up the unit enough where it would work but it was still very slow. In addition, when you put the unit into Ice Mode, the 0-5ft scale is gone and the scale starts at 5ft. I am not sure why, but it would not make a good shallow water unit. I was not impressed with this unit one bit; the design needs a lot of work!

BottomDweller · « **Reply #36 on:** Nov 20, 2007, 08:03 AM »

i think it makes a lot of sense to wait a couple years for a products designers to iron all the bugs out. it's just a shame that the designers couldn't wait to release it, sticking their customers with a lot of headaches and technological foul-ups.

whoopie · « **Reply #37 on:** Dec 03, 2007, 12:56 PM »

Just signed up today! Cool Site!

I'm actually interested in the Showdown...Does anybody have a video of it showing how it displays on the screen? It would be very helpfull to see the actual action on screen.

Whoopie

baldy · « **Reply #38 on:** Dec 03, 2007, 01:30 PM »

Whoopie,
if you go to nature vision's website, you can get a free DVD (discoveries on ice) that shows a few of their products including the SD. Also, the infisherman ice fishing edition has the DVD in it.
the DVD shows it working. the guy is catching smelt and you can see the tiny little fish suspended very well.

Kierran · « **Reply #39 on:** Dec 03, 2007, 01:54 PM »

I am another satisfied owner of a VPG/Showdown. Among other things, it helped me catch my first Laker last season and I had no trouble seeing my jigs in 100 FOW. The noise issue was taken care of with the upgrade so let's stop beating that dead horse. The customer service was great too. It seems that the anglers who have issues with these units are die-hard Marcum and/or Vex guys and that will not change. Will I have a flasher someday, yes. Was this inexpensive (relatively speaking) unit worth every penny, absolutely.

whoopie · « **Reply #40 on:** Dec 03, 2007, 02:31 PM »

Thanks for the reply.

I've already requested the free dvd yesterday. Kinda a bit anxious to see it already... $:-\$

Just wondering if there was a video online somewhere...tried you tube, google videos, etc...nothing, nada.

Thought maybe any of you guys might have taken a video shot of your own Showdown and post it online?

Trying to decide wether or not to nag at my wife to get one.

See, it'll be my first ice fishing tool...I've gone many times with friends in the past with their flashers..mostly vexilar and it's kinda confusing to see all the cluster and in a circle format..seems like it makes more sense to see in a vertical format, you know what I'm saying?

Whoopie

ickirby · « **Reply #41 on:** Dec 03, 2007, 10:46 PM »

Quote from: whoopie on Dec 03, 2007, 02:31 PM

Just wondering if there was a video online somewhere...tried you tube, google videos, etc...nothing, nada.

Thought maybe any of you guys might have taken a video shot of your own Showdown and post it online?

Trying to decide wether or not to nag at my wife to get one.

I say nag away.

Sorry I don't have a vid but I wrote a review of the VPG last year. and since the software upgrade (making it a Showdown) I have been very happy.

The only changes I would make to the review are

The retractable transducer arm works very well but was not up to its task in life and became very brittle in the extreme cold and snapped off at the joint under normal operation. Only thing here is be conscious of where you place the battery strap because it could interfere with the retracting of the retractable arm.

Kierran · « **Reply #42 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 07:49 PM »

Quote from: Kierran on Dec 03, 2007, 01:54 PM

I am another satisfied owner of a VPG/Showdown. Among other things, it helped me catch my first Laker last season and I had no trouble seeing my jigs in 100 FOW. The noise issue was taken care of with the upgrade so let's stop beating that dead horse. The customer service was great too. It seems that the anglers who have issues with these units are die-hard Marcum and/or Vex guys and that will not change. Will I have a flasher someday, yes. Was this inexpensive (relatively speaking) unit worth every penny, absolutely.

For anyone curious about what the unit looks like in action, I found this screen shot of my VPG from last season. The pic shows my Swedish Pimple right off the bottom in 108 FOW.

doggbiter · « **Reply #43 on:** Dec 09, 2007, 09:40 PM »

I don't see your swedish-pimple!

I see a spoon and I can see a treble-hook with waxies or maybe a perch-eye...attached to said spoon.......I see no fish.......however I do recognize the type of substrate that the bottom is composed of

YES THE VPG IS THAT GOOD I KNOW!!

Thanks for the screenshot

Dog-out

Bean · « **Reply #44 on:** Dec 10, 2007, 06:35 AM »

This is a couple honest questions, because I've never fished with a VPG/Showdown... Where is the top 80' shown? If a laker were to come suspended shallower than 80', how would you know in the mode that is shown in that picture? Does it have a split screen zoom mode?

BottomDweller · « **Reply #45 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 07:17 AM »

Quote from: Bean on Dec 10, 2007, 06:35 AM

This is a couple honest questions, because I've never fished with a VPG/Showdown... Where is the top 80' shown? If a laker were to come suspended shallower than 80', how would you know in the mode that is shown in that picture? Does it have a split screen zoom mode?

it is probably automatically set to zoom in on the lower 30 or 40 ft unless you change the preferences otherwise. like regular fishfinders. looks like it works pretty good if it can pick up a swedish pimple at that depth that clearly.

Bean · « **Reply #46 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 05:19 PM »

Quote from: BottomDweller on Dec 11, 2007, 07:17 AM

it is probably automatically set to zoom in on the lower 30 or 40 ft unless you change the preferences otherwise. like regular fishfinders. looks like it works pretty good if it can pick up a swedish pimple at that depth that clearly.

So I'm guessing it doesn't have a split screen zoom mode then.

ickirby · « **Reply #47 on:** Dec 11, 2007, 11:45 PM »

Quote from: Bean on Dec 11, 2007, 05:19 PM

So I'm guessing it doesn't have a split screen zoom mode then.

No split zoom mode.

TeikasDad · « **Reply #48 on:** Dec 12, 2007, 06:34 PM »

OK, after much gnashing of teeth, tossing and turning, back and forth, up and down, pro and con, I finally got off dead center and ordered a sonar. Unfortunately....or maybe fortunately, I tend to research the living S**T out of everything before I buy it.

So.... If I was going to buy a traditional flasher it would have been a Marcum LX-5. But at this point in my ice fishing career it's a bit of overkill. I just got back into ice fishing a couple of years ago after a 40 year absence.

After talking to Gary and Blaine at Connecticut Outfitters, (Blaine is a member here!) and getting their recommendations for the type of fishing I do, I asked Blaine to order me a Showdown. (For the same price as a big box store) I trust Blaine's and Gary's opinion along with those of Kierran and members on CTFisherman.com, so I'm looking forward to getting the unit and hitting the ice. Again, one more reason to support your local tackle shop rather then the big box.....you get info from people who really know what they are talking about.

I like the simplicity of it, the way it shows the whole water column and doesn't require that you use the 20, 40, 60 or 80 foot scales. It fills the whole screen with the water below. But best of all I like the price. If I ever get to the point that I need a LX-5 I can buy it down the road. From everything I have read here and on other ice fishing forums from people who have the LPG and Showdown I made the right decision for me.

See you on the ice!

mmb · « **Reply #49 on:** Dec 13, 2007, 02:35 PM »

Quote from: TeikasDad on Dec 12, 2007, 06:34 PM

Regardless of what anyone here says, the best choice is one you are happy with.

Have fun out on the ice and good luck!

stumper · « **Reply #50 on:** Dec 14, 2007, 11:58 AM »

Quote from: doggbiter on Nov 17, 2007, 12:57 AM

We had 5 VPG'S in my ice circle last year 8)

No one had any problems, I fished 15ft from flashers and only had to adjust a little on sensetivity. Now all but 1 of our crew has the shodown-upgrade.
Who needs color? When you can see EVERYTHING instantly with the vpg\shodown

I caught over 600 perch on that screen last year! I see it all when that duece touches water!

Curious as to why you wated money sending them in for the upgrade if they worked so good last yr.

Is this where I get to say I TOLD YOU SO,LOL. (in otherwords ,I said last yr that they would be upgrading these because they were having issues)

ScreaminSpool · « **Reply #51 on:** Mar 03, 2009, 06:09 PM »

The Showdown by Nature Vision Aqua View is by far the BEST portable digital icefishing unit ever produced. (period)

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Author Topic: ShowDown Digital Fish Finder by Nature Vision (Read 23354 times)