Topic: DrDepth vs. SonarWiz?

[bigkahuna]

Anyone try both?  If so how do they compare?  SonarWiz is here:  http://www.chesapeaketech.com/products/sonarWiz-5.php

[plastikboot]

Hi,

I use both programs - and they both have their advantages: Dr. Depth is good for depth mapping but has big problems with mosaicing when you search for a target.
With SonarWiz you get the perfect program to do surveys and find YOUR target in houndreds of others. The price is a big difference too
When using sidescans I won't go without Sonarwiz - If you can afford it, it is the first choice. When you just want to use the sidescan to map some fishing lakes and see sometimes known targets in a mosaic you can use Dr.Depth.
The support for both programs is very good.
So in the end it can be divided this way:
Professionals who live from it go with Sonarwiz (expensive).
Affordable and usable for all others is Dr.Depth .

Regards

Plastikboot

[Rüdiger]

Hi,

I use both programs - and they both have their advantages: Dr. Depth is good for depth mapping but has big problems with mosaicing when you search for a target.

Hi Plastikboot

I use DrDepth via ethernet and i have no problems. With the live sidescan mosaic option, you can scan a search area coverage without white spots.

mvh
Rüdiger

[plastikboot]

Hi Rüdiger,

sorry, that was just a missunderstanding - Dr.Depth can do mosaics (and is affordable for most users) and they work with Humminbird. But you cannot effectively search for targets in a search and rescue operation. With Sonarwiz I have multiple possibilities to manipulate the mosaic and the data; with Dr. Depth I even have problems to tell which sidescanline shall be on top or if they all should be shinning through.

Sonarwiz 5, which cost 20 times more than DrDepth can do some extra things:
- divide each line and cut part out of a line
- detect turns
- can use an old mosaic of the same area as a basemap and help with changedetection
- change the TVG for each line
- calculate layback
- change navigation/gps data for each line
- make the mosaic average/shine through or on top of each other
- decide the drawing order of each line
- can search for a target in other lines automatically
- measure each target and calculate the height
- make target reports as pdf or html website
- use your own maps as background
- draw features directly in the map
- ... this can go on for some time

So that´s the main difference between Sonarwiz and Dr.Depth: you can make mosaics with both but to work in the search for a drowning victim with them and you can afford it, you have to use Sonarwiz 5.

I hope that clarifies my first post And I just can say: Dr.Depth is a great piece of software - you can make depthcharts (which is not possible with Sonarwiz 5) or even built your own 360 degree rotational sonar out of you Humminbird (which is not possible with Sonarwiz 5 too).

Regards

plastikboot

[piebook]

Hello both together,
I just saw your discussion. I use SonarWiz (SW) since 2004. Before we purchased SW at my company, we tried some other Sidescan processing Software, like Triton. It's pretty strange to compare SW with Dr. Depth or similar Software, I assume that the intention of SW is more to support comercial Sidescan Sonar Operations. But I observed since a few years that the "semiprofessional" sidescan Systems will be more effectiv and efficient. So the specialized Softwarecompanies have to act. For Instance, since spring 2012 Hypack provide a special package for tasks like you both have descibed before ( BOS tasks or underwater Object search) .  The price is above Dr Depth, but I assume the posssibilities are broader than some low cost software. The same like a Trabant and a Mercedes.
Hope to hear something from you.

Cheers Piebook

[Rüdiger]

Hi Piebook

Most of us use their sonar for the hobby as the price of an additional software comes into play.
DrDeth is continuously improved by Per Pelin and can now more that the most can use. The comparison Trabbi and Mercedes lags, then even more shovels or excavators, each for its needs.

mvh
Rüdiger

Hello both together,
I just saw your discussion. I use SonarWiz (SW) since 2004. Before we purchased SW at my company, we tried some other Sidescan processing Software, like Triton. It's pretty strange to compare SW with Dr. Depth or similar Software, I assume that the intention of SW is more to support comercial Sidescan Sonar Operations. But I observed since a few years that the "semiprofessional" sidescan Systems will be more effectiv and efficient. So the specialized Softwarecompanies have to act. For Instance, since spring 2012 Hypack provide a special package for tasks like you both have descibed before ( BOS tasks or underwater Object search) .  The price is above Dr Depth, but I assume the posssibilities are broader than some low cost software. The same like a Trabant and a Mercedes.
Hope to hear something from you.

Cheers Piebook

[piebook]

Hello Rüdiger,
I agree with you in parts. If there are further interests about Sidescan Sonar Data Processing, there is an article about low budget/low cost Sidescan Sonar Data Processing available. You'll find this article by using this link: http://www.dhyg.de/joomla/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=99
The article is written in german language.

cheers piebook

[Rüdiger]

Hi Pebook

Which article do you mean exactly?

mvh
Rüdiger

[piebook]

Hello Rüdiger,
the article that I mentioned is called : "Side-Scan-Sonar-Auswertung fast zum Nulltarif"

cheers piebook