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Depth Sounders
By Capt. Dan Berg
Depth recorders
or Depth Sounders (sometimes also referred to as fish
finders) come in a wide variety of sizes and styles. Each
with different features. For many these are one of the most
important pieces of marine electronics available. They
permit divers and fisherman to find shipwrecks. They allow
us to watch the bottom contour and composition and some even
provide water temperature. With a simple depth sounder you
will know when you are in the channel in deep water or off
course in shallow water. Think about trying to run a boat of
any size without this valuable information!
As with all
visual marine electronics I highly recommend arranging the
units on one level. This will prevent the boat operators eye
from having to jump around to scan the gps, loran, chart
plotter and radar. It prevents eye fatigue and just makes
navigation a little more enjoyable.
Above you will
find links to many of the most popular chart recorders.
Check out what is available, compare price and find a unit
that fits both your boat, and wallet. Also most require a
transducer to be mounted below the water line. This can be
done through hull or on a bracket to the transom. Please do
not let anyone talk you into mounting the transducer inside
your bilge. They will claim that the unit will transmit
through the fiberglass and still provide and accurate
picture. For basic bottom profile this might work fine but
try to find a low lying wood shipwreck when your just
looking for slight changes in bottom composition. If you are
going to pay for a good unit you might as well get top
performance out of it. |
