SMART QUESTION ARCHIVE Question: Please tell me how the Chart Master automatically follows the position of my yacht. Answer:
Press the HOME key. This will focus the unit on the boat icon. Any time you use
the cursor, the unit is now focused on the cursor. Press the HOME key again to
focus on the boat. It is possible to toggle between the cursor and the boat icon
by using the HOME key. When the unit is focused on the boat icon, it is also possible
to activate the cursor from that location. Simply touch the 4-way Cursor Key and
the cursor will appear on top of the boat icon. Question: What frequency does the forward scanning sonar operate at? Can I run another sonar at the same time without interference problems? Answer: The Forward Scanning Sonar operates at 200kHz. If your other sonar operates at the same frequency, then they will interfere with each other. Question: I primarily boat on inland waterways (lakes) which lately has been exciting due to declining water levels. I am looking at either the Sea Scout or Probe unit, which product is best for my application? The Details: These conditions have made for some perilous boating with rocks and treetops now lying just under the surface. The average water depth is 65 - 80 feet, with the deepest being 150 feet. Shallow areas could be as shallow as 4 feet or less. My primary purpose for buying a "look ahead" sonar unit is to prevent an accidental collision with an underwater obstruction). Answer: For this application the PROBE is definately the way to go. The vertical scan starts at the water surface and sweeps to directly beneath the boat. This provides an image that looks like a profile of the bottom directly forward of the boat. The horizontally scanning Sea Scout's sweep is angled downward at a fixed 20 degree angle. Hence, it does not see near the surface. Also of note: The design of the product is helpful in keeping your vessel out of shallow water conditions. Due to the power and range of the unit, forward scanning sonar has limited use in water less than ten feet deep. Question:The PC/View is sold in 2 different configuration at the same price. PC/View with 1 Thru-Hull Transducer, and PC/View with 2 Thru-Hull Transducers. What is the difference between the two configurations? Answer: With the single thru-hull transducer, two side-by-side phased array elements are in a single transducer. There are two cables from that stem that lead to the Black Box Acoustic Interface Module. One array performs the vertical scan. The other array performs the horizontal scan. In the twin thru-hull configuration, one transducer performs the vertical scan and the other performs the horizontal scan. When you switch scans, you switch transducers. The only performance difference is in the horizontal scan. In the single thru-hull configuration the forward scanning beam is angled downward ten degrees beneath the surface. This is where the center of the acoustic beam is aimed. In the twin thru-hull configuration, the center of the beam is angled downward at twenty degrees beneath the surface. The ten degree angle will allow the beam to be closer to the surface and provide better range in shallower water. The twenty degree beam reaches the bottom closer to the vessel. In addition it helps keep the beam beneath surface 'noise' in rough conditions. The aerated water surface appears to sonar as a semi-solid return. If the beam intersects with the surface it will produce a muddy, clouded image. This is more likely to occur with the ten degree downward angle than with the twenty degree downward angle. One reason for choosing the twin thru-hull configuration over the single thru-hull configuration is boat performance. If the transducer cannot be mounted on or near the centerline of the boat, it may cause a noticable difference in steering. This is sometimes experienced on high performance boats. In this instance, the twin transducer configuration is sometimes chosen to provide more even water flow on both sides of the hull. In other cases, simply adjusting the trim tabs will compensate for the difference. The same configurations
are available in our popular Twinscope model. Question: I'm interested in the Color Twinscope for a sailboat, to avoid rocks in anchorages! How quickly does the screen refresh? For instance, if it is in the forward vertical mode and we see a shallow obstruction ahead and change course, how much time does it take for the display to show the new forward view? Answer: There are three factors that influence the screen refresh time: 1. Forward Range. Since sonar uses time as one of the factors in judging a return, the unit sends a sound pulse and waits for its return. The shorter the range, the less time it waits before sending out the next scanning beam. 2. Scanning Speed. The scanning speed is variable. There are two scanning speeds, Fast andNormal. The faster the scan, the less detailed the resulting image is. The slower the scan, the greater the resolution of the image. 3. Sector Steer. The forward scan is typically 90 degrees. However, this can be reduced for a variety of applications. For instance, if you are looking for rocks forward of the vessel you could program the unit to ignore the lower half of the scan, since that part of the scan is nearly under the vessel. By narrowing the sector, the unit will scan that sector more often. Ocean going vessels often adjust the scan so that it is scanning only a narrow band near the surface. This is popular for looking for shipping containers and sleeping whales. They can then scan at a long range and still get fast updates. These three factors create a variable refresh time from nearly instantaneous, to a maximum of 20 seconds. Question: I am considering a iScan V90 fishfinder. An option is a "fairing block" for the thru-hull transducer. What is that, and why would I need one? Answer:
The transducer must be mounted level, parallel with the water surface. On a V-hull
there is often not a level mounting surface. The fairing block is a preshaed block
to match the transducer. The installer cuts through the block at the angle of
the hull. This then provides a level mounting surface on the exterior of the hull
for the transducer as well as providing a level surface for the retaining nut
inside the hull. Ask your installer if they want a fairing block or if the are
planning to fair it without the block. Question: I have an older Interphase fishfinder/depthsounder that needs a new transducer. Is it still possible to get a new transducer for my unit? Answer:
We carry transom mount transducers for the following discontinued models: *NOTE: All prices are subject to change without notice.
|
All Interphase Sonar products are proudly
made in the USA!