Another consumer side scan unit

[Nemrod]

Apparently Lowrance will offer side scan sonar (they call it side view) later in 2009. That will put them head to head with the amazing Humminbird side scan units. I suppose competition is at least a good thing and nice to see another mainstream company acknowledge that side scan is not a gimmick.

HDS Side-Viewing Sonar Video | Lowrance

I did not know this but was at a marine supply store picking up some items for seasonal repairs now that it is that time again and noticed these new units proclaiming side scan capability but then I learned it will not be available until later this year.

So, if in the market, might be something to research.

N

 

[simcoediver]

Thanks Nemrod for the heads up. I am in the market for one and will wait till this comes out.

 

[Katamuki]

Check out this website...
StarFish Seabed Imaging System - Digital CHIRP Side Scan Sonar Systems

 

[Nemrod]

There is also a PC program (not Mac) that allows the signal from the Humminbrid to be fed into a PC for display and refinement. I read about it on the Humminbird site somewhere.

The Lowrance may be an exciting entry into consumer level side scan.

N

 

[Nemrod]

Check out this website...
StarFish Seabed Imaging System - Digital CHIRP Side Scan Sonar Systems

Not an integrated unit but interesting and the least expensive towed fish to date, thanks for the info.

The advantage of the Humminbird and Lowrance to the consumer level/casual user are that they are an integrated chart plotter, sonar, side scan sonar, fish finder, gps navigation that accepts Navionics and Blue Chart mapping chips with transom mounted transducers. These are stand alone multi-functional units that do not require a PC or software or a towed fish. The price for the integrated Humminbird 797c is under 1,000 dollars.

N

 

[DwayneJ]

The Hummingbird's weakness is lack of radar which is a major consideration due to regular fog where I live.

Lowrance has suffered from some major issues with their broadband sonar with the solution as I understand it to drop the speed of their network connection from 100Mbps to 10Mbps. Wait and see how their new Broadband Radar and Side Scan work out. Check out the website The Hull Truth for all the details.

Raymarine, Furuno, and Garmin are my choices.

 

[Nemrod]

Dwayne, those are excellent choices but most small boats don't have or need radar and the side scan is like radar underwater. It is actually very useful in finding new dive spots. Perhaps somebody who needs radar and has a larger boat would probably have multiple units and the room to install a stand alone side scan or utilize the towed fish system linked above by another poster. To bad radar does not work underwater.

Another consideration with Lowrance is that they have had issues with customer service and quality control in recent years. Not sure how much of that is real and how much imagined, I understand it is something they are addressing. I also understand some of the early units in this new HDS series were not sealed properly and had water intrusion problems, again, I understand this has been solved. The side scan or as they call it side view is due third quarter of 2009 or sooner for release.

In any case, if side scan is the feature one is looking for, neither, Furono, Garmin or Raymarine have that feature but Humminbird and Lowrance do. So then the F, G and R brands are non starters in this thread.

N

 

[DwayneJ]

Given the daily customer service issues detailed on other boards, I would not go near Lowrance.

Hummingbird is well priced so Navico (Lowrance, Simrad, Northstar) would be hard pressed to compete in this area. I agree a Hummingbird in conjunction with Furuno, Garmin, or Raymarine would be a great combination for a larger boat.

Dwayne

 

[SkipperJohn]

I have owned and currently own many Lowrance devices with great success. In my parts on the ocean we have traditionally thought of Hummingbird as a fresh water company (which may explain the lack of radar).

years ago I had looked into side-scan sonar but the transducer was large and had specific mounting considerations. Is this still the case? Does anyone know? The transducers of years ago protruded below the hull up to 12 inches if I recall correctly. With all the junk in the waters around NY after a moon, I wouldn't think such a thing would last a month. Also, what affect would this have on fuel consumption and, to a lesser degree, high speed boat performance unless it was perfectly centered which is unlikely die to a typical hull design.

 

[Nemrod]

The Humminbird transducer is a skimmer type and does not stick down 12 inches, it is similar to other skimmers but a little longer and wider because it contains multiple sender/receivers.

The Humminbird works great in saltwater. Traditionally Humminbird has, like Lowrance, had some low end units sold at Wall Mart etc. Their top end devices are equal to or better than anything Lowrance has currently. It is true they lag on the NMEA stuff and no radar but then it is not like Garmin has side scan either. I have found several new areas to dive with the sidescan in saltwater at depths over 130 feet.

Skipperjohn, you may be confusing some tow fish type pro sidescans such as in the link in post 3 above.

While I don't know how because I have not bothered to research it but you can convert a Humminbird to a tow fish and then output the data to a PC (not Mac) using various software and produce much improved images. One of the problems with a transom mount sidescan is that sometimes the unit reflects from the motor lower unit or propellers, it can pick up bubbles and turbulence from the hull, the rocking of the boat side to waves produces an image distorted exactly like the wave pattern. Towing a fish eliminates all of that but also is no longer convenient to switch modes, run at speed etc. Note, the side scan feature is operated ALWAYS at low speed, 2 to 6 MPH. At planning speed the unit can be used in it's standard dual band bottom sonar. Mine stays locked well to about 35MPH unless I am getting air under the hull--which happens.

Unfortunately I accidentally reformatted my SD cards and lost most of my scans but this one I have shown before is offshore Destin Florida, it is in open ocean in saltwater and is completely typical of what one would expect at 60 to 100 foot depths. The new units image even better.

Passed over the center of the wreck:

Wreck to port, the clouds are fish:

This is the Destin Pass buoy, I did not reset my bottom depth so it is squished, sorry about that, but you can see the cloud of bait fish that hang at the buoy and you can see the buoy cable:

A three foot natural bottom drop off, these sometimes are barely visible like this one and other times they light up like a Christmas tree depending upon my orientation to the ledge, the ledge is best visible in the starboard pane but relief can be seen at the interface on both panes. It was tight two footers with some three footers this day so not optimal:

A wreck in freshwater, triple deck paddle wheeler and three thermoclines visible and some fish and a few flooded trees:

Humminbird also offers a thru-hull transducer in addition to the transom mount.

N