Humminbird Side Imaging Forums
Other Interest => DIY - Side Scan Sonar and towfish => Topic started by: yvautrin on May 13, 2013, 03:02:51 AM
-
Hi All,
Using my side scan, I would like to add a "altimeter" or "depth gauge" to it in order to know at exactly what depth from the bottom is my unit when i tow it inctead of doing calculation with the length of rope, etc...
The idea would be to attach a "sensor" to the unit, with a cable running along the towfish rope, with a lcd display on board providing real time information about the sonar.
JW Fisher sells one of this kind for the very affordable price of 1 300$ !!!?
If anyone has a DIY alternative solution, I would love to hear about it!
Thanks.
Yann
-
Hi Yann
Welcome to the forum :)
Use the same time a second depth sounder, then you've got the original depth and when you peel the depth of the towfish which you can get the running depth of the fish.
mvh
Rüdiger
-
Hi rudiger,
Thanks for your answer!
I am quite new in SS technology, as I am only recently in charge of operating our JW SSS-100k.
The software we have is "sonar View", and on the boat, we have a raymarine c140w plotter/echosounder.
The problem I have is to be able to read in real time the depth of the unit as accurate as possible.
As far as now, I did not find a way to connect the raymarine unit to any software allowing me to read the SSS information in the same time as the echosounder...
I can do that by post-processing the information but i would like to be able to do it live...
Sorry if my question look stupid, but as I said, i am a newbiw in this field!
Thanks for your assistance !
Yann
-
Hi Yann,
You really have some good gear, we are jealous! I have no solution to your integration problem, but it strikes me that towfish depth could be measured with a depth sensing transducer that is mounted to the towfish, but directed towards the surface. The water-air boundary is very reflective so the surface should be easy to detect. Perhaps this is how towfish depth is sensed in some systems?
Rickard
-
When a standard HB SI or HDSI transducer without cork cover is used with a towfish the surface appears clearly in both SI views. I think it's the same with some other towfish systems. Depth is about 30 m in the example below. Of course, range must be set to something longer than depth for this to be possible.
Rickard
-
Well Yann,
you actually have the "depth sensor" right there in your fish. Just use it ;) !
Here's how I get the depth of my fish when towing it:
I mounted a transducer switch and hooked up both the fish and the transom mount transducer. I switch back and forth between the two ducers. By doing so I just have to substract the fish reading from the transom mount transducer's reading. Then I have the depth the fish is at.
Regards/Harry
-
Hi Guys,
First of all, thank you for your replies!
As I told before, I am new in using this technology, and your explanation appears to me to be in chinese language! ;)
Could you tell me in "basic terms" what I have to do? To my understanding, I do not need to "add" anything to My JW Fisher SSS?
Thanks a lot again for your help!