Date
1 - 20 of 24
Forward Looking Sonar
|
I had the EchoPilot 2-D on my boat when purchased 10 years ago. I found it of little use because it only sees a little over a boat length ahead when you really need it in water less than 4M deep. In muddy water if you are looking for a channel, it only sees directly in front of the boat. You have to turn the boat in hopes if identifying deeper water. I was rarely successful, and was as likely to stumble on the channel as find it with the sonar.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
The transducer has since failed. I’m waiting until the 3D units get better and cheaper before I replace it. Kent Robertson S/V Kristy SN243 On Aug 20, 2019, at 11:34 AM, Oliver Henrichsen, SV Vela Nautica <oliver.henrichsen@...> wrote:
Hi Scott, To place the charger in the engineroom has some downsides: - hunidity - heat - limited space so probably the charger is mounted sideways what lowers airflow. - long wires I customized widened the switch area and drilled ventilation holes to the alley. I install 120mm thermocontrolled fans with heat alarms to blow fresh air into the cabinet. The 120A5000W fits vertical. The lifepo is smaller than batteries before with same capacity so i could install a new separation. The starter batt is now behind the onan in the engine room. No more dirty lead in the cabin. Hydrogen Should not be an issue as most other yachts place the starter batt around the engine room. Oliver from Vela Nautica A54#39 Portugal Sent from my Huawei Mobile -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Amel is going lithium From: Scott SV Tengah To: main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io CC: I guess this is a reminder that I still owe the group my writeup. :) |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Ken Powers SV Aquarius <ken@...>
I think the EchoPilot 2D is AWESOME. Great performance for a
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
reasonable price. Yes, You can say, "O in a particular situation it didn't work for me, so for that reason I'm going to wait til the price to come down on the next best thing.... BUT, that's like saying "I aint going to buy a VHF radio until I can get one for a dollar that has a range of 50 miles." If you're leaving on a circumnavigation now, in my opinion, you need a forward looking sonar on your boat... And, if I would own an insurance company, I wouldn't insure a boat sailing without a forward looking sonar. Yes, 3D would be better, but 2 D can save your boat... AND YES EchoPilot 2D did help Aquarius from hitting the reef in French Poly. Ken Powers Aquarius Currently in Indonesia On 8/20/19, karkauai via Groups.Io <karkauai@...> wrote:
I had the EchoPilot 2-D on my boat when purchased 10 years ago. I found it |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Ken Powers SV Aquarius <ken@...>
And one more thing... "it only sees a little over a boat length"
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
This statement is completely false..... Maybe this is true in 4 meters, but in 4 meters (2 meter under your keel) you should not be moving very fast, maybe 1 knot or so unless you have local knowledge. I have found the EchoPilot a big help and I can see in front of the boat about 20 meters in this situation... But, in 10 meters, where you usually drop your anchor you can see out at least 40 to 50 meters, and in 40 meters you can see a wall coming at you 70 meters or more before you hit it, giving you plenty of room to slow down if moving 6 kts. And, yes, this did happen to me, because you can't always trust your charts. Case in point here in Indonesia; Google overlays are a MUST here anytime you're in less that 100 meters. But, the statement that you have to weave to see the whole picture of what is in front of you this is very true, and sometimes you will see Aquarius doing a circle before dropping the anchor just so I can see what is around. And, my echoPilot will show me what the bottom of the anchorage looks like which is very helpful in getting the anchor set just the way I like it. I am not a sales person for EchoPilot, but have used one for the past 2.5 years, and I love it. We use it every time we anchor, or moving through water less than 50 meters unless we know the area well. Which we rarely do because we are halfway through a one way trip around the world. I don't want to seem mean, but when I see a patently false statement, or a statement that is misleading I have to say something. Ken Powers Aquarius Currently in Indonesia On 8/20/19, karkauai via Groups.Io <karkauai@...> wrote:
I had the EchoPilot 2-D on my boat when purchased 10 years ago. I found it |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Scott SV Tengah
We have the Interphase forward looking sonar on our A54 and use it often. It's not perfect, but definitely useful.
As Ken noted, we often use it to scope out the surrounding depths to account for any swinging. And more than once it has showed us that the charts aren't perfect and given us time to go astern hard to avoid a collision with an uncharted obstacle. -- Scott 2007 A54 #69 SV Tengah http://www.svtengah.com |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Patrick McAneny
When we replaced all our electronic due to lightning damage ,we went with the latest B&G equipment,including forward looking sonar. We had Interphase prior and for me it was like trying to read a ultrasound . The B&G sonar sends false images of things that do not exist ,with the bottom going up and down and what looks like walls showing and then disappearing . These false signals have instilled no confidence to the point I never turn it on and at this point I consider a big waste of money. It was professionally installed and I have spoken to the installer as well as B&G reps. at the boat show , I have gotten no answers . I got to the point that I assume this is the state of the art ,when it comes to sonar.
But after reading what a few of you have said about your sonar,which are older than mine ,I am convinced that something is wrong with my unit. Does anyone have B&G forward looking sonar ,how is it working for you, false images ?
Thanks,
Pat
SM Shenanigans -----Original Message-----
From: Scott SV Tengah <Scott.nguyen@...> To: main <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> Sent: Wed, Aug 21, 2019 1:36 am Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Forward Looking Sonar We have the Interphase forward looking sonar on our A54 and use it often. It's not perfect, but definitely useful.
As Ken noted, we often use it to scope out the surrounding depths to account for any swinging. And more than once it has showed us that the charts aren't perfect and given us time to go astern hard to avoid a collision with an uncharted obstacle. -- Scott 2007 A54 #69 SV Tengah http://www.svtengah.com |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
I have ZEUS 2 With foward looking, works nice, helpful in low water. During the docking I can estimate how deep is below and how far is the other lip of the Harbour. Never used between submerged rocks, till now.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Stefano N’EVEREST Super Maramu 185 Italy Il giorno 21 ago 2019, alle ore 16:02, Patrick McAneny via Groups.Io <sailw32@...> ha scritto:
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Maybe I should have a look on someone else’s boat that finds it useful. It will take some serious convincing given my past experiences.
I’ve not been in many places where I’m anchoring in 10+ meters thus far, maybe my opinion will change when I get to the Pacific. In clear water we rely heavily on slow speed and eyeball navigation, and travel when the light is good. In muddy water it’s all about going slow and asking for local knowledge. I’ve only run aground twice when I got bad advice from local marina and fisherman, I was going at a snail’s pace and no damage was done. To say we shouldn’t be insured without forward looking sonar is a bit over the top. Kent SM 243 Kristy |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Patrick McAneny
Stefano , That is the unit I have. Do you not get a lot of false signals ,both vertical and horizontal ? If not then there must be something wrong with my unit.
Thanks,
Pat
SM#123 -----Original Message-----
From: Stefano Biffi <cptbiffi@...> To: main <main@amelyachtowners.groups.io> Sent: Wed, Aug 21, 2019 10:50 am Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Forward Looking Sonar I have ZEUS 2 With foward looking, works nice, helpful in low water. During the docking I can estimate how deep is below and how far is the other lip of the Harbour. Never used between submerged rocks, till now.
Stefano
N’EVEREST Super Maramu 185
Italy
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Our Interphase unit died....well the transducer did, and we couldn't get one so I installed a B&G Vulcan 7 with ForwardScan in its place.
The ForwardScan is very susceptible to boat movement, I think this is what leads to the "false images" . It seems to work well in calm water and at low speed. If there is any up and down movement of the boat, the image will not be useful as the device can't compensate for that. Cheers Alan Elyse SM437 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Patrick,
I installed a B&G sonar and I have similar erratic signals. I think we need to find out why from B&G. At anchor, it seems to work fine except that it can be confused by reflections from the chain. While on the way, it can give you a good signal for a while and the start with total garbage. Now that I know you have the same problem, I will go back and try to work the kinks with B&G. I agree with Ken that a forward scanner should be very useful in remote places. Jose Ipanema SM278 Boston until October, then is the world. |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Patrick McAneny
Jose, I agree with Ken as well,that is why I spent probably over $1000. ,I can't remember the exact amount. But for me it has been a total waste of money and would not advise anyone to buy the B&G unit ,unless I find a fix ,if you do please report back. We took video of the erratic images ,maybe we will send it to B&G .
Good Luck,
Pat
SM Shenanigans
Sassafras River, Md. -----Original Message-----
From: Jose Venegas via Groups.Io <josegvenegas@...> To: main <main@AmelYachtOwners.groups.io> Sent: Wed, Aug 21, 2019 7:15 pm Subject: Re: [AmelYachtOwners] Forward Looking Sonar Patrick,
I installed a B&G sonar and I have similar erratic signals. I think we need to find out why from B&G. At anchor, it seems to work fine except that it can be confused by reflections from the chain. While on the way, it can give you a good signal for a while and the start with total garbage. Now that I know you have the same problem, I will go back and try to work the kinks with B&G. I agree with Ken that a forward scanner should be very useful in remote places. Jose Ipanema SM278 Boston until October, then is the world. |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Peter de Groot
La Querida (SM 207) got the Garmin panoptix 3 months ago
So far so good, but we’re not cruising until fall of 2020, so it’s only seen short trips. A crew member actually watched the anchor go down on our last overnight excursion My biggest concern now is the next time we haul out, the transducer is very vulnerable to the lift sling Has anyone got a better (drier) technique to exchange the transducer with the 40mm plug? Peter de Groot Moss Landing, California |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Normally quiet stable, never gave me wrong. I learned to use pause when I don’t need, long navigation no obstacles, and start the reading few minutes before the cost line. If I must find a complaint the auto scale feature not ever following approaching the high terrain. Most of the time I have to reduce manually.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Stefano N’EVEREST Super Maramu 185 Italy Il giorno 21 ago 2019, alle ore 23:56, Patrick McAneny via Groups.Io <sailw32@...> ha scritto:
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
I have purchased an Echopilot 2D and now the question is where to install it. Amel advises it needs to be installed 1.5 m away from the sonic speed transducer. They are suggesting 1.5 m forward of that which would put it very far forward in a place where it may come out of the water and contrary to the instructions from Echopilot. For those who have it installed, where is it installed on your boat?
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Nick Fowle SM 404 Rascal <svrascal@...>
Ken,
where did you mount your transducer please? Not many instructions in the book of words from Echopilot on where best to place it. Thanks Nick SV Rascal SM 404 Antigua |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Ken Powers SV Aquarius <ken@...>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOQeR_3fQcE&t=7s
Hello Nick, This video shows the placement of the transducer, from the outside while Aquarius was on the hard, and video from the inside of Aquarius. You need to build up the fiberglass where you plan to install the transducer. Should not be difficult, and fairly cheap. Then drill and install the through hole. I would install the display in the same location as on Aquarius. This was installed before I bought Aquarius, so I can not take credit, but I have found the placement of the display perfect! Running the transducer cable through the boat take about 1 hour with two people. Had to do this because I hit a log in Columbia and this cracked my transducer. I felt blind without my EchoPilot. Some have said that the forward looking sonar is worthless because you can't see more than a boat length in less than 4 meters of water. When I have 4 meters of water under Aquarius, I can see out about 40 meters. When it gets really shallow, 2.5M, I can usually see about 30 meters. And this information is priceless in those situations. And for those Amel Owners that want to go 6 knots in 2.5 meters of water.... Buy a boat that is better suited for this task.. A Beneteau. Sorry Beneteau owners, but there are so many Beneteau's, 1 missing won't be a big deal. We have a very limited amount of Amel's and we need to keep our fleet safe and sound. Ken Powers Aquarius SM2K#262 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Nick Fowle SM 404 Rascal <svrascal@...>
Ken,
many thanks for this, super helpful as usual... Will leave the Beneteau comment well alone...🙈 Hope you are both well Nick SV Rascal SM 404 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
🙊
On Mon, Feb 15, 2021 at 6:35 AM Nick Fowle SM 404 Rascal via groups.io <svrascal=protonmail.com@groups.io> wrote: Ken, |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Hi Ken,
what type of the Transducer do you have? Professional or Standard? There is a difference in hole diameter. One is 60mm and other is 45mm for Standard. Thank you for answer. -- Slavko SM 2000 #279 Bonne Anse in Portoroz |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
We have a Professional transducer, you can tell by the color. Bigger is better, that is what I heard.
Ken |
|||||||||||
|
|
