Topic: Robert....Would this be possible?

[Bob B]

I have an idea that I can't get out of my head, but don't know if it would be possible or work the way I am thinking.
 
Would it be possible to modify the software to add a view that would be a "reverse of contour mode?"  In contour mode, the water column is eliminated in order to get a better view of what the bottom features are.  Would it be possible to do the opposite to get a better view of suspended fish?

I like fishing for suspended fish, especially fish chasing suspended bait balls.  These suspended fish are very visible in the water column, but harder to see further out to the side.  Would it be possible to "turn off" the bottom reading via the software, and only show the water column even further out to the side?  I would then just use the GPS to run a depth range.....wouldn't care about bottom features when doing that.

Maybe just another crazy idea?

[RGecy]

Absolutely.  You could just set the range to something close to the current depth.   

As far as automatic, it would be easy to implement from HB, just a matter of if its something that enough people would want.

Robert

[Bob B]

Thanks for the feedback Robert.......decreasing the range would give more detail in the water column that you can already see, I was more wanting to have the water column type view at a wider range than typically displayed.....not sure if I am makes sense.

[RGecy]

Try it.  I am not sure exactly what you are getting at, but setting the range to the current depth will only show the water column.  You cant get any more detail than that.

Robert

[rnvinc]

Roberta's suggestion is basically doing the same thing as the "Lower Range" setting in 2d...

Setting the SI Range to the actual water depth is taking the water column and "zooming" it out to fill the entire screen left and right...

Also, then...you could set the SI to "Left" or "Right" side only and "zoom" the water column out even more...

Or maybe we are just not understanding your exact thought yet...??

Rickie

[mako101]

Bob B means take out all the bottom returns and show only fish returns, even when the range setting is set to 2-3 times the depth. Its harder to spot fish against the bottom return, easier to spot fish against a black background.

[rnvinc]

I see... That is different than my thoughts anyway....

I can easily understand how "painting" suspended fish echoes (out to the side) against a dark background would make the suspended fish easier to see...

But how would one estimate the suspended fish's depth with no shadow...??

(It's still an interesting concept tho)...

Rickie

[Humminbird_Greg]

Bob B means take out all the bottom returns and show only fish returns, even when the range setting is set to 2-3 times the depth. Its harder to spot fish against the bottom return, easier to spot fish against a black background.

That is what I was thinking that he was meaning mako101 which is not the inverse of what the Contour Mode does.  The Contour Mode automatically sets what would be a Lower Si Range menu setting to the water depth (as determined from the 2D sonar).  It does so regardless of any sonar readings from suspended targets.

What Bob B wants we cannot do without also being able to separately recognize suspended targets from the lake bottom, which we cannot do at this time.  Now I’m not going to say that it cannot be done (any Sonar Techs from the USN care to comment?) with a new and much more costly product; but it cannot be done with the current product that we make.

[RGecy]

I am starting to understand it a little better now.  You would need a thinner beam that looked mainly out to the sides vs down like the older matrix units that shot out and showed the bank.  This way you would be seeing the fish and other structure in the column but only out to the sides.

This could probably be done easily with current units, just have to manipulate the transducer. 

Robert

[rnvinc]

So we wait for more technological advances...yay..

I like technology...

Rickie

[Bob B]

What I was thinking was kind of a combination of you guys suggestions.  Not sure technically how it could be accomplished, but just wanting a screen view where the unit would recognize what is  the bottom returns and somehow filter them out to make suspended fish more easy to see out to the side.

I like Rvinc's way of thinking about it too.  We are always hung up on getting those crisp bottom features....I would like to focus more on hunting fish......The bottom structure is extremely important, but sometimes ignoring the bottom and focusing on what is in the water above the bottom is more important.

Thanks to everyone for trying to understand what I am trying to communicate.....especially since I don't completely know myself .   

[promapper]

how about creating a "bottom" where the furthest points are always assumed to be the bottom.  points that change dramatically in the vertical within a given horizontal distance are considered not part of the bottom and therefore a point of interest.  All of those points are displayed while the bottom is not.

the user would select the type of bottom, flat, gently changing, rough.  This would be required for the filter to process correctly.

this is currently being done with airborne LIDAR in determining the surface of the ground by filtering out vegetation , buildings , cars etc in a similar fashion.

[rnvinc]

I have been experimenting with the Inverse Pallete on my 1197 and it seems that fish echoes are easier to discern from bottom detail in this pallette choice...

And turning the "Sharpness" up in the SI Enhance makes the fish echoes stand out even more...

(The Inverse Pallete is not so good in bright sun on my CCFL backlit 1197....I have to use blue or green in bright sun...)

Rickie

[Gattlin]

 That my friend is an excellent idea. Those suspended eyes would have a lot harder time trying to hide way out to the side