Humminbird Side Imaging Forums

Other Interest => DIY - Side Scan Sonar and towfish => Topic started by: yvautrin on May 13, 2013, 03:02:51 AM

Title: altimeter/depth gauge
Post 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
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: Rüdiger on May 13, 2013, 03:55:32 AM
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
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: yvautrin on May 13, 2013, 04:14:32 AM
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
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: Rickard on May 16, 2013, 08:30:17 AM
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
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: Rickard on May 16, 2013, 08:05:14 PM
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
 
 
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: Jolly Roger on May 29, 2013, 05:01:58 PM
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
Title: Re: altimeter/depth gauge
Post by: yvautrin on May 30, 2013, 04:11:34 AM
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!
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