[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Cheap side imaging sonar (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/24/2015 3:13:55 PM EDT
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This is the cheapest I have seen, Humminbird c398ci for $234, I ordered, and got 3% back on the Amazon Visa. http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-409380-1-Imaging-Chartplotter-Fishfinder/dp/B00BSJDRDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424805065&sr=8-1&keywords=398ci The screen is small, but what is cool about it is I can record the data to SD card then analyze it on my Mac with Hum Viewer at home. If I see something interesting, the GPS coordinates are right there so I can go back later to fish the spot or image it again.  |
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Quoted:
This is the cheapest I have seen, Humminbird c398ci for $234, I ordered, and got 3% back on the Amazon Visa. http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-409380-1-Imaging-Chartplotter-Fishfinder/dp/B00BSJDRDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424805065&sr=8-1&keywords=398ci The screen is small, but what is cool about it is I can record the data to SD card then analyze it on my Mac with Hum Viewer at home. If I see something interesting, the GPS coordinates are right there so I can go back later to fish the spot or image it again.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07pZOAn_Ac
I'm going to need an MS paint overlay explaining what I'm looking at. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: This is the cheapest I have seen, Humminbird c398ci for $234, I ordered, and got 3% back on the Amazon Visa. http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-409380-1-Imaging-Chartplotter-Fishfinder/dp/B00BSJDRDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424805065&sr=8-1&keywords=398ci The screen is small, but what is cool about it is I can record the data to SD card then analyze it on my Mac with Hum Viewer at home. If I see something interesting, the GPS coordinates are right there so I can go back later to fish the spot or image it again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I07pZOAn_AcI'm going to need an MS paint overlay explaining what I'm looking at. |
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Not even going to mount it in a kayak. Thinking about mounting on a cheap boogie board and towing it behind the kayak. Will be cool to find some wrecks or something underwater. ETA: I will need some research $$$ for a deluxe boogie board, and a new Mac for processing sonar data. Anyone have the phone number for NSF?  |
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Quoted: I am confused as to what you are trying to accomplish? Is the battery getting mounted to the board along with the Display? I know, you'll have to mount the transducer to the board but where are the other things going? The Humminbird can record the sonar / gps data to an SD card. I will review the data on my Mac at home, the screen on the Hummingbird is too small to be much use. Just wanted it for the cheap way to record side scan sonar of areas I kayak. |
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Everything mounts on the board and will be towed behind the kayak. The Humminbird can record the sonar / gps data to an SD card. I will review the data on my Mac at home, the screen on the Hummingbird is too small to be much use. Just wanted it for the cheap way to record side scan sonar of areas I kayak. Quoted:
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I am confused as to what you are trying to accomplish? Is the battery getting mounted to the board along with the Display? I know, you'll have to mount the transducer to the board but where are the other things going? The Humminbird can record the sonar / gps data to an SD card. I will review the data on my Mac at home, the screen on the Hummingbird is too small to be much use. Just wanted it for the cheap way to record side scan sonar of areas I kayak. I know why you want to use it. I was just curious as the application. You will probably do this, but. test the buoyancy of the skim board with the weight of the battery and unit before you launch it.  Those boards are not very buoyant.
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Quoted: I know why you want to use it. I was just curious as the application. You will probably do this, but. test the buoyancy of the skim board with the weight of the battery and unit before you launch it. Those boards are not very buoyant.Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am confused as to what you are trying to accomplish? Is the battery getting mounted to the board along with the Display? I know, you'll have to mount the transducer to the board but where are the other things going? The Humminbird can record the sonar / gps data to an SD card. I will review the data on my Mac at home, the screen on the Hummingbird is too small to be much use. Just wanted it for the cheap way to record side scan sonar of areas I kayak. I know why you want to use it. I was just curious as the application. You will probably do this, but. test the buoyancy of the skim board with the weight of the battery and unit before you launch it. Those boards are not very buoyant.I can probably mount a pool noodle on each side or something to help stabilize it. |
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Hmm, didn't think of that. I can probably mount a pool noodle on each side or something to help stabilize it. Quoted:
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I am confused as to what you are trying to accomplish? Is the battery getting mounted to the board along with the Display? I know, you'll have to mount the transducer to the board but where are the other things going? The Humminbird can record the sonar / gps data to an SD card. I will review the data on my Mac at home, the screen on the Hummingbird is too small to be much use. Just wanted it for the cheap way to record side scan sonar of areas I kayak. I know why you want to use it. I was just curious as the application. You will probably do this, but. test the buoyancy of the skim board with the weight of the battery and unit before you launch it. Those boards are not very buoyant.
I can probably mount a pool noodle on each side or something to help stabilize it. Maybe, I know you are mounting the transducer to the skim board, where are you planning on mounting the Display and the power source, also what type of power source you plan to use? |
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Quoted: Maybe, I know you are mounting the transducer to the skim board, where are you planning on mounting the Display and the power source, also what type of power source you plan to use? Quoted: Hmm, didn't think of that. I can probably mount a pool noodle on each side or something to help stabilize it. Maybe, I know you are mounting the transducer to the skim board, where are you planning on mounting the Display and the power source, also what type of power source you plan to use? Thinking of mounting the battery and display in some kind of plastic box for water protection, I don't need to see the display obviously. Probably on some kind of stand to get it higher off the water level. |
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12v, 7 amp/hr battery, they aren't that big or heavy. Thinking of mounting the battery and display in some kind of plastic box for water protection, I don't need to see the display obviously. Probably on some kind of stand to get it higher off the water level. Quoted:
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Hmm, didn't think of that.
I can probably mount a pool noodle on each side or something to help stabilize it. Maybe, I know you are mounting the transducer to the skim board, where are you planning on mounting the Display and the power source, also what type of power source you plan to use? Thinking of mounting the battery and display in some kind of plastic box for water protection, I don't need to see the display obviously. Probably on some kind of stand to get it higher off the water level. IMO, Depending on how heavy the battery is, you should buy somthing like this. Link This should keep everything dry and it should be very stable. The only issue you would have would be to mount the transducer. Which won't be an issue, you can use the supplied mounting hardware and then through bolt it to the container. Make sure you use somthing on both sides of the mounting location to stiffen that area up and to use a marine sealant to make sure it doesn't leak. The aluminum plates to stiffen it up can be bought at the local lowe's for not that much coin. You may need a 3 x 3" piece. maybe a little longer. Since you aren't going very fast and won't be worried about tacking straight, you won't need to make a keel for the box. I looked at the price on that skim board and you will actually save money this way or it may be a wash at worst case. |
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Playing with a sample sonar data file with Hum Viewer What is cool is that tree on the right has sonar 'shadows'. And the length of the shadows can help estimate how tall it is. http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=73722 That is pretty cool. |
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This is how I am thinking of putting it together. Battery and sonar head unit in box, I will have the transducer cable coming out the back and mount the transducer center bottom at the back, to also act as a rudder. Might mount the box on blocks to rise it up off the surface of the board a bit. And I will add a eyelet to the front center to attach the tow rope. Got a 9 amp/hr battery at the store today. Will put it all together this weekend.  |
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The Sonar Sled lives! Decided to knock it out today. I will try it out this weekend if the weather is decent. Transducer mounted in the back.   Now this is ghetto, I admit, didn't have an eye bolt and didn't feel like driving to Lowes, lol  Battery and sonar head unit velcro'd in.   |
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Not even going to mount it in a kayak. Thinking about mounting on a cheap boogie board and towing it behind the kayak. Will be cool to find some wrecks or something underwater. ETA: I will need some research $$$ for a deluxe boogie board, and a new Mac for processing sonar data. Anyone have the phone number for NSF?
You should get decent images of that shark, right before he takes a bite out of the boogie board.
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This is what I decided to go with. One of those portable Humminbird fish finder bags (has a 7 amp/Hr battery in the back). I don't want to do a permanent install as I will be getting a higher end unit at some point.   And I ordered a magnetic mount for the transducer from these guys. |
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Finally was able to get out and try some recording with this. Nothing exciting to look at with this one, just sandy bottom in a channel leading into the St. Johns River, but recording works, now need to find something interesting underwater to capture. My path in the kayak in the lower left. Also here in Google Earth  |
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Quoted: I really like the google over lay track feature. Yeah, this HummView software is pretty slick, and the only reason this small screen side scan sonar has any value, IMHO. I am going to build up quite an archive log of where I have been in the kayaks and jon boat with this, and collect GPS coordinates of the interesting spots I find after reviewing the recorded data on the Mac. |
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Finally was able to get out and try some recording with this. Nothing exciting to look at with this one, just sandy bottom in a channel leading into the St. Johns River, but recording works, now need to find something interesting underwater to capture. My path in the kayak in the lower left. Also here in Google Earth http://www.ar15.com/media/viewFile.html?i=74856 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDGn311VTPg&feature=youtu.be
Tag for coolness, even though I can't figure out WTF I'm looking at in that video. |
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Quoted: Do you have the settings set to the stock adjustments? If you haven't found his you tube page, Doug Vahrenburg has some great videos about humminbird electronics. You may have to dig a little, most of his newer vids talk about the Onix I will search for Doug V. vids Got the GPS coords for these 2 new reefs in the St Johns river loaded up, will try to get some images of the bottom structure this weekend, they are not far from where I did the one above. |
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Quoted: So when you watch the video, is the bottom contour what's being shown down the middle? Left and right views of the bottom? The line is the boat path, and the area to the left and right near the line is the water column directly under the boat. When that area gets wider, the deep the water is. At the :25 second mark that is most likely weeds under the boat (or kayak in this case) |
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I set the setting that Navionics wants when you upload sonar logs to them, although they rejected the upload as being corrupt, so I still have some tweaking to do it looks like. I will search for Doug V. vids Got the GPS coords for these 2 new reefs in the St Johns river loaded up, will try to get some images of the bottom structure this weekend, they are not far from where I did the one above. Quoted:
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Do you have the settings set to the stock adjustments? If you haven't found his you tube page, Doug Vahrenburg has some great videos about humminbird electronics. You may have to dig a little, most of his newer vids talk about the Onix I will search for Doug V. vids Got the GPS coords for these 2 new reefs in the St Johns river loaded up, will try to get some images of the bottom structure this weekend, they are not far from where I did the one above. What Navionics software are you using, I thought you were using all humminbird? |
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Quoted: What Navionics software are you using, I thought you were using all humminbird? Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Do you have the settings set to the stock adjustments? If you haven't found his you tube page, Doug Vahrenburg has some great videos about humminbird electronics. You may have to dig a little, most of his newer vids talk about the Onix I will search for Doug V. vids Got the GPS coords for these 2 new reefs in the St Johns river loaded up, will try to get some images of the bottom structure this weekend, they are not far from where I did the one above. What Navionics software are you using, I thought you were using all humminbird? You can upload Humminbird sonar logs to them off the SD card. http://www.navionics.com/en/plotter-tutorial/humminbird |
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Oh ok, I can't wait to see images of the reefs .
I haven't found anything neat with mine yet, but have marked a couple spots I want to check out on some lakes in my area. One of the lakes has an old farm with the silo still standing, an old shoe factory foundation and a few bridges (underwater). I would love to find something that stands out really well in 12 feet of water so I can really fine tune my settings. TWRA uses sunken bicycles to do their down/side image training with. |
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Quoted: Oh ok, I can't wait to see images of the reefs . I haven't found anything neat with mine yet, but have marked a couple spots I want to check out on some lakes in my area. One of the lakes has an old farm with the silo still standing, an old shoe factory foundation and a few bridges (underwater). I would love to find something that stands out really well in 12 feet of water so I can really fine tune my settings. TWRA uses sunken bicycles to do their down/side image training with. |
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Too choppy on the St. Johns today for a 12 ft flat bottom boat, so I took the kayak the other direction up Goodby Creek. The water is really murky, can't see shit under water. Mostly it is 3 ft or so, at 1:10 it opens up to 14 ft and looks like several fish hanging in the hole on the 2D sonar on the left where my cursor is pointing out. You would have no idea that hole was there without sonar, now I know where I will be fishing next time out there. Also several spots with underwater debris (tree limbs, etc) that are worth a few casts. All captured on SD card with GPS coordinates. I love this reviewing data after the fact.  |