Humminbird Side Imaging Forums
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: jseasor on August 03, 2010, 12:31:15 PM
-
what does this do?
-
It turns on and off a Time Variable Gain (TVG) filter.
After the unit transmits it will turn on the receiver at full power to show all of the possible sonar returns that it can. This would be what you would basically see with the SwitchFire menu set to the Max Mode.
If instead of turning the receiver on at full power just after transmitting, you instead turn it on to full power over a period of time – and since time is distance in sonar – what you end up with is a receiver that varies its power (gain) over a distance of water (time). This is what you have with the SwitchFire menu set to the Clear Mode setting. It will filter out some of the signal from sonar returns that are close to the transducer. This allows us to show a 3 pound bass with the same intensity signal at 5 feet deep as we would use at 30 feet deep. We call this ‘normalizing’ the signal for depth.
That confuse anyone?
-
uhhh..ya :o
-
Hmmmm, okay. Try reading the attached.
You just have to keep in mind that the SwitchFire menu was originally called the TVG menu.
TVG On = SwitchFire Clear Mode.
TVG Off = SwitchFire Max Mode.
-
After reading the pfd, it looks like the screen view is better with swithfire turned off. Am I missing something?
-
Majflyboy,
That depends on what you are wanting to see on your sonar. With the SwitchFire set to the Clear Mode (TVG turned On) than the unit is filtering out many of the weaker sonar signals as well as decreasing the levels of many of the sonar signals that are still being shown (again, this is all done by depth-distance). Some like this and so don’t so everyone is given the option to turn it on or off (Clear or Max).
-
Does the switchfire setting affect side imaging?
-
I think this only effects the 200 khz transducer. Unless I set something wrong it did not effect the si display when we tried it.
Chuck
-
It only affects the 2D sonar (83kHz and 200kHz) data.
-
I use switchfire max mode in water deeper than 10 ft to make brushpiles "popout" on the screen...this is because the smaller water logged limb tips are being picked up also....
It just takes a little interpretation to pick out what is extra clutter from what I am wanting to see...
-
Does anyone have shots of the Switchfire "ON" and "OFF"? this would be very helpful!!
Thanks, Dbak
-
This video describes it pretty well.
http://www.youtube.com/user/HumminbirdTV#p/c/4CBA1BA9BED8AFF4/4/FjV_mPpBSqA (http://www.youtube.com/user/HumminbirdTV#p/c/4CBA1BA9BED8AFF4/4/FjV_mPpBSqA)
-
Looking at the examples both on this post, other websites, fishing tv shows, etc...they all display the sonar with the fish ID turned off. So what's the reason and if experienced fisherman has no use for the fish ID...why have it in Humminbird units?
-
Some people like seeing the "fish symbols"...(maybe a confidence booster?..)
Some echos that the unit interprets as fish... Is not really fish...it's floating debris or limbs or who knows...
I look for structure that my target species is relating to...fish id clutters up my screen...
My HB Welcome screen says....
"Just because you can see 'em
Doesn't mean you can catch 'em"
Rickie
-
So if the switchfire mode is set to "clear," would that still pick up balls of shad or would the shad be difficult to see?
-
Well I pretty much always use clear mode I have never had a problem marking bait.I fish saltwater but have seen plenty of bunker bait balls and that's as close to shad as it gets..
-
Here's an example.. when switchfire if off you may see a ball of bait and bass around them , but can't see your lure going thru the school of bait.
When switchfire is on, you can actually see ( a spoon ..silver buddy for ex.) being lowered into the school of bait and being ripped up and down.
-
New user of a 998c,1st couple of times out "clear mode" worked fine. Now the clear mode is just about blank (almost no detail), Max mode and DI seem fine. Have re-set to factory settings and played with settings, "clear mode" remains very clear.
Charlie S
-
Switchfire settings are greatly affected by the water quality at the time...
The same area of water may be dirtier (or cleaner/clearer) today than it was yesterday...
Use the Switchfire setting in conjunction with the sensitivity setting every time....
If your screen is showing nothing in Clear mode...turn the sensitivity up ....or set the Switchfire to Max mode and adjust the sensitivity down to an acceptable clutter level...
Rickie
-
Thanks, will give it a try.
Charlie S
-
I like to troll and I ALWAYS have Fish ID on.
I, like everyone else would like to catch more, and bigger fish, but I do consider myself an
experienced fisherman.
With Fish ID on, it's the easiest way to see what depth the fish are holding.
If Humminbird ever did away with Fish ID, then I'd change brands.
For me Switchfire set to max clutters up the screen too much.
I keep it off. I can still see baitballs perfectly with it off.
-
i find that the max mode is really helpful in droping my lure in front of the fish. dry it ive caught a few doing it the deeper the better i think the boat spokes them when its less than 15 ft but u can see your line and bait drop rite on the fish
-
The fish ID symbols Depth reading is really the slant distance of the fish to the transducer not the actual depth in the water of the fish. This is important when slow trolling for crappie especially if the fish are off to the side of the boat. They will show up at being 30 ft deep when actually they are 30 ft away from the transducer (as measured by the sound waves) and only 22 ft deep in the water. If you set your bait to run 30 ft deep you will be under the crappie and may not catch them. Crappie tend to look up and feed up when suspended in open water.
This is an extreme example but it make the point. Other times the fish may be 10 ft away from the transducer and only 9 ft deep in the water. Or they may also be right under the boat and the depht reading is spot on. It depend on where the fish are located in the sonar's beam. Off to the side or right under the boat. This is also the reason fish arches are formed on the graph. The top of the arch is when the fish are closer to being directly under the transducer where the beginning and ending of the arch is where the fish are furhter away from the transducer.
I like to troll and I ALWAYS have Fish ID on.
I, like everyone else would like to catch more, and bigger fish, but I do consider myself an
experienced fisherman.
With Fish ID on, it's the easiest way to see what depth the fish are holding.
If Humminbird ever did away with Fish ID, then I'd change brands.
For me Switchfire set to max clutters up the screen too much.
I keep it off. I can still see baitballs perfectly with it off.
-
I never have fish ID on. Have no confidence in what it is showing me. Guess I am to old to change. I use the Clear mode to filters out the noise when shallow, 10 ft or less, or in rough water. When you switch to the Max mode you are going to see every detail displayed. I use Max mode to see my bait and fish directly under the boat. I like unsung the red color palette because the fish under the boat will show up in red and fish off to the side will show up as orange or yellow. Just my preference.
-
Looking at the examples both on this post, other websites, fishing tv shows, etc...they all display the sonar with the fish ID turned off. So what's the reason and if experienced fisherman has no use for the fish ID...why have it in Humminbird units?
One reason to keep it on is that the depth of the fish is displayed on the screen next to the fish signal. Actually it's the distance from the transducer to the fish not the actual depth of the fish in the water, unless the fish is straight down below the transducer when you pass over the fish. If the fish is off at an angle then it's just the distance to the fish from the transducer. The error can be larger in deeper water.
I like to troll crank baits for bass and crappie and using a book with tables of depth vs amount of line out for different types of crank bait. It's call the Trollers Bible or something to that effect. So I turn the fish symbols on so that I know the aprox depth that the fish are suspended. I can then change the amount of fishing line I let out to control the depth of my crank baits. It works great too.
-
Can ya'll give examples of how you use it fishing
directly over a brushpile?
Finding brushpiles or going to brushpiles and what
you expect to see as far as the sonar showing fish
are there.
-
New user of a 998c,1st couple of times out "clear mode" worked fine. Now the clear mode is just about blank (almost no detail), Max mode and DI seem fine. Have re-set to factory settings and played with settings, "clear mode" remains very clear.
Charlie S
Check your settings for the noise level and the Surface clutter as well as the frequency settings you are using. You will see a lot more of the bottom and more of the water column using 83 KHz setting that the 200 KHz setting. The cone of sound waves is larger when using 83 KHZ setting therefore you will see more fish. Fish symbols are different colors. Blue and Orange. I can't remember which color is which frequency but you can read up on that in the manual. Of course you will have to have fish ID turned on and the fish sensitivity setting turned up high to see the fish better. Fish alarm can distinguish between week return signals, smaller fish, and strong return signals, bigger fish, There are four settings. Look under the alarms menu. That's the first column on the left after you press the menu button twice.
If you decrease the noise setting you will see more details. And if you set the surface clutter to 10 you will se much more details. Setting it to 1 will filter out much more information at the surface and also at depths IMHO. I experimented with this setting for a few hours and this is the results I found. They don't say anything about exactly how this setting affects the sensitivity of the readings at depth but I'm assuming that is does have an affect. You will get a lot more signal return at the surface when you set it to 10. 10 is minimal filter of the surface clutter.
And of course if you use switchfire clear mode you will see less than when using max mode.
The type of transducer you chose and use will also have some affect on the readings.
And then you can chose fresh water or salt water deep or salt water shallow settings.
The 83 KHz setting also has a separate sensitivity setting for this frequency. It goes from -10 up to +10 with the middle reading being 0 on a number line. I keep mine set at zero but I've turned it up a few times to +3 or +5 just to play with it and see what it does.
You can also use a split screen to see both the 83 KHz 2D readings and the 200 KHz reading on the same page.
And you can use both the 83 and the 200 settings at the same time. Got to the main menu (Press menu button twice) and then move over to the sonar page and drop down until you see the frequency settings. chose the setting that combines the two frequencies. But you have to have the right unit and transducer to do this. It works on my 898 unit with the high definition si transducer which also included the special 2D transducer that can send and read two different frequencies at the same time. I forget the name that Humminbird gave to that transducer. It's in the manual.
Perhaps that separate 83 KHz Frequency Sensitivity setting is for the Down Imaging screen? I'm not really sure.
You can also change the chart speed to expand the signals and make them exaggerated with a faster speed setting. But most of the time I try to match the boat speed to the chart speed. If I'm going 3 mph I choose the 3 setting on the chart speed or maybe a 4 or 5 setting to exaggerate the fish arches.
You can also use the contrast and sharpness settings in the DI and SI screens by pressing menu one time and then using the new menu item that allows you to adjust these two setting along with the sensitivity and the SI water column on or off setting. Contour mode is the name, I think. Increasing the sharpness setting will help you see fish better on the screen. They will appear more white and show up better. And adjusting the contrast with the sensitivity will help you see things on the bottom a bit better. You may have to play around with these two settings to see what you like best.
And of course you can always change the color palate on the 2D Screens and also the color of the display with DI and SI. I like the amber color for the SI and the DI. I like the original color palate for the regular 2D sonar screen views. Red signals indicate a stronger signal return. So if you go over a harder bottom the bottom signal may be more red in color than before. It also may appear thicker too.
Think of the sonar sound waves as a beam of light from a flash light at night. Note how a beam of light from a flash light can be adjusted to spot on or flood into a wider cone angle. That's like changing the frequency of the sonar sound waves. 83 KHz is like the flood light and 200 KHz is more like a spot light beam.
-
Very interesting. Lots of info here, especially for a new guy just learning how to use it.