Forwardscan transducer

Ken O

Ken O

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
129
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1
C Dory Year
1990
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Ravens' Roost
A forwardscan transducer (and a plotter that supports it) sounds like a very useful navigation safety tool. I currently run 2 depth finders, but, since both transducers are mounted aft, they tell me nothing about what lies ahead. The problem is, all forwardscan transducers appear to require cutting a hole in the hull, which I prefer not to do. It appears that the same transducer could be mounted below the transom, sticking down enough to see forward. Any experience here? Thanks
 
Be aware that all the forward transducers I've seen have a pretty limited range. They are ok when going slow picking your way through a channel or anchorage. They don't seem to be that useful at cruising speeds.
 
I have seen them mounted to the shaft of bow mount trolling motors - but like ssobol said only used for low speed hunting not cruising. My chartplotter scans the projected coarse I am on and will alarm if an obstruction/shallow water is on that coarse based on the map info.

Rob
 
Furuno has had a sonar scanner, and it costs more than most used C Dorys. There are sonar transducers which can be used mounted forward, which do forward scans. They are limited by the depth of the water.

Mounting these on the transom, does not work well, because of the interference of the boat's hull.

I have been using the Raymarine "Real Vision" and would not find it all that helpful, except for establishing "trends"--but the sudden flat vertical face will be show when it comes in range--that is the trick--range is limited.

The Echo pilot FLS 20 is a thru hull which seems to work fairly well. A "wall" is easier to see than a "gradually sloping bottom".

A bit better is the Echo Pilot FLS 3D:

The importance of Forward Looking Sonar Technology is the depth to range ratio. The FLS 3D has a staggering 20 x depth ratio! This means that you will see 100 meters ahead with only 5 meters of water underneath your boat. This is the highest ratio in Forward Looking Sonar Technology!
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Garmin has the Panoptic, which can be mounted on a trolling motor and aimed forward. This is best used with slow speeds (as is true of all of the forward looking sonars).

The Panoptix multibeam thru-hull transducer with premium FrontVü forward-looking sonar helps you avoid running aground¹ by displaying the bottom ahead of your boat in real time on your chartplotter. It also includes LiveVü Forward sonar to give you the unique ability to see fish — even divers — swimming in real time under and ahead of your boat with a 100-foot forward range.

Panoptix FrontVü sonar displays bottom up to 300 feet ahead of the boat (at 8 to 10 times the current depth) and delivers nearly instant feedback to give you more time to react. You can be more confident when navigating unfamiliar water because Panoptix FrontVü has a narrow beam, forward-looking sonar (20 degrees). This allows you to focus on the bottom in front of your boat and not be confused with what is off to each side.
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The Simrad (Lawrence and B & G) has the same restrictions; Nominal forward view of 4- 5 times your current depth Maximum forward view of 8 times your current depth.

Hummingbird has "MEGA Live Imaging". I don't know anything about it--but many bass fishermen use this in fresh water.
 
I have 2 Garmin Panoptics on the back of my boat. A firsts generation and a second generation. They work great up to about 8 mph after that you couldn't respond fast enough to not hit what you are seeing. I had the first generation mounted to the transom and I have since moved it to a pole so if I need to retract them I could.

Pano002.jpg

Pano001.jpg

The second generation can be turn to point the direction casting for fish or put in prospective mode for 180 degrees of coverage. They are really nice to not be surprised by rocks up close to shore and all the rocks at Lake Powell. I can see the exacted clearance to the bottom of the boat. I can see the anchor and the rode when at anchor. Here a link to what pictures I have.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _album.php
 
Great discussion. Thanks for the ideas and photos. For us at present it sounds like these units would not pass the cost-benefit test.
 
Ken,

We looked into it, absolutely did not pass the cost test for us, with a draft of 24 " and a typical tide of the same 24".

We heard the Garmin tech rep for the SE say at a SE FL meet that 'it won't do what you are looking for in under 15 feet of water' to laughter.

When you run aground at slow speed, just push it off.

When you run aground at high speed, it wouldn't have saved you anyway.

Send any pics you have of our Hontoon Loop!

John
 
John--Check PM. I sent you a link to Claire's photos
 
We heard the Garmin tech rep for the SE say at a SE FL meet that 'it won't do what you are looking for in under 15 feet of water' to laughter.
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Our 42' Symbol Trawler came with an early version of the echo pilot. Agree with what John said above. The gravel hitting the bottom of the boat if you got too close to the bottom (24" props) was a better sign for us![/quote]
 
I think you guys need to spend more time at Lakes like Powell. I'd love to have forward or side looking sonar for the various bodies of water I've cruised slow in, that have boulders barely popping above the surface, or right below the surface, all the while being in 2 or 3 didget feet deep water! This includes places in Rainy Lake, Isle Royale NP, and other such fun places! However, I'm too cheap to pay for it, and just remain scared or cautious in such waters! :mrgreen: Colby
 
Colby one of the issues we see with these less expensive systems, is that you are limited to slow speeds. Try what you are seeing with a sailboat with 6 or 7 foot draft! When we got our 62' ketch, there was one of the old "flasher" type of depth sounders mounted by the bow sprit, and the transducer was on a piece of what appeared to be electrical conduit pipe, and was so fixed when it hinged down from the end of the Bow Sprit (about 5 feet long) it read the depth in front of the 7' keel of that boat. It turned out the first owner (only owned it for 6 months, before donating it to University Calif. Sailing program in New Port Beach Ca.). He was going in and out of a harbor where he had struck bottom in the middle of the channel a few times, and crept in at a knot or so in the area with his wife calling out the depth at the front of the bow sprit: about 20 feet before the 7' draft would run the boat aground!!
 
thataway":24pq049m said:
Colby one of the issues we see with these less expensive systems, is that you are limited to slow speeds. Try what you are seeing with a sailboat with 6 or 7 foot draft! When we got our 62' ketch, there was one of the old "flasher" type of depth sounders mounted by the bow sprit, and the transducer was on a piece of what appeared to be electrical conduit pipe, and was so fixed when it hinged down from the end of the Bow Sprit (about 5 feet long) it read the depth in front of the 7' keel of that boat. It turned out the first owner (only owned it for 6 months, before donating it to University Calif. Sailing program in New Port Beach Ca.). He was going in and out of a harbor where he had struck bottom in the middle of the channel a few times, and crept in at a knot or so in the area with his wife calling out the depth at the front of the bow sprit: about 20 feet before the 7' draft would run the boat aground!!
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I think we are talking about slow speeds in a boat that only drafts 2 feet. I can think of several places where forward or side looking sonar would be a great addition to the C-Dory. Specifically one spot that comes to mind is at Isle Royale entering Passage Lighthouse Cove. There is a shoal just outside the entrance that is not marked on several charts. I don't need to tell you about Lake Powell. Rainy Lake, along with the North Channel, has boulders close to surface level in deep water. These are all areas where side or forward looking sonar could save a boat from serious hull damage, even at hull speeds. I'm just not willing to pay for it myself.
 
This picture shows moving at 6 mph with 12' of clearance under the boat for 300'

ps21003.jpg
 
This one shows 1.7 mph in 5.6' of water and I'm going to hit the shore in 50'

ps21001.sized.jpg

The transducer is a PS21 and has been replaced with the PS22. The PS21 was $800 and the PS22 is $999 they just plug into the Garmin network or a network port on the display. Nothing else is needed other than making some sort of mount. To move up to the Livescope is $1500-$1800. Your buying a black box and the transducer and it's range is 200 forward and 200 feet down. The PS22 is 300 feet forward and 300' down. The Livescope draws fish and trees and structures. They are both live sonar. Your Garmin display would need to be compatible. If the only thing your looking for is to avoid rocks and shallows then you just need the PS22 transducer.
 
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