Forward Facing Sonar

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Pgutierrez's picture
Pgutierrez
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Forward Facing Sonar

Is anyone using this technology?

 

peter g

2000 C36, MK2, Hull. #1897
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! ! !.   5 th Catalina

 

 

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Siler Starum
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Yes, but not on a Catalina...:-))

 

Durk Nijdam
S/V "SILER"
Catalina 36MKII - 2001 / hullnr. 2013
Stavoren - Holland

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Pgutierrez
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And what were your thoughts on it???  Brand? Ease of use? Would you buy one???

peter g

2000 C36, MK2, Hull. #1897
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful ! ! !.   5 th Catalina

 

 

True Wind
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Posts: 139

I am using it on my C36. I'ts actually manufactured by Airmar but labeled by B&G and Simrad. It works great, It's basically it's a transducer that is angled in a forward manner.

2003 Catalina 36

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McFly
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I have B&G Zeus 2 with a NMEA2000 backbone, so plugging in another sensor is relatively easy.  I was considering forward scan for the empty spot up in my hull.  I anchor in some gunk holes with skinny water.  It might be nice to have an alarm go off if I was approaching some kind of obstruction or anything else not on the chart.  It is a bit pricey, about $500.  I certainly think its relative to the forum and worthy of the question.  I think it comes down to the kind of waters you cruise in.  If you're in skinny, unfamiliar water frequently, I think it's great technology.  

Jackfish Girl, 1999, C36 MKII, Tall Rig, Wing Keel, In-mast furling, Monument Beach, Bourne, MA

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Siler Starum
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Hi Peter,
The forward facing sonar I am referring to is installed on a very big pleasure yacht, make Farsounder, never used and a real waste of money. 
This kind is all beyond our Catalina-hobby and not relevant for this forum.

 

Durk Nijdam
S/V "SILER"
Catalina 36MKII - 2001 / hullnr. 2013
Stavoren - Holland

True Wind
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Posts: 139

The forward looking sonar does not connect to a NMEA 2000 network. It is installed directly to the back of the B&G MFD in sonar #2 connector..

2003 Catalina 36

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LeslieTroyer
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On one Panbo review the guy broke the transceiver before he could test it. A stray chunk of wood destroyed it. As was said earlier it has an angled face that sticks out about 1.5” below the hull.

Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo 
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor. 

Commodore

 

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Sojourn
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Some arithmetic might called for here.  B &G website indicates the device can see about 8x the depth in good conditions.  Soft mud and rocking type of bottom may defuse the signal and reduce reliability to 5 times the depth.  Now assume your in 10 feet of water best view 80 feet, reliably maybe 50 feet.  Speed counts, a boat travels at 100 ft/minute/knot or 1.67 ft/sec/knot.

Example:  Traveling at 3 knots in 10 feet of water.  The obstruction is 50 to 80 ahead.  Time to impact = distance/1.66/knots

At 80 feet, (80/1.66)/3 kts = 16 seconds  At 50 feet ahead  the time is 10 seconds.  All this assumes your staring at the screen, reconize the object, plan a new course of action and execute.  At 5 knots of speed the times are reduced by by 40%.  Your new reaction times at 80 feet the time is 9.6 seconds, at 50 feet the time is 6 seconds.

Unless your actually trying to survey the bottom, its probably a waste of money.

Lou Bruska
Sojourn
1985 C-36 MK1 hull #495

Lou Bruska
Sojourn
1985 C-36 Mk-I TR #495
Eldean Shipyard
Lake Macatawa (Holland, MI) Lake Michigan
Rallyback@comcast.net

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