Doc Sonar Technology
Sep 20th, 2016 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Sep 20th, 2016 at 12:00 AM
Technology Review By Bruce “Doc”Samson Long article but our electronics world is changing fast. CHIRP, linking trolling motors to electronics and new mapping are 3 hot ones lately. CHIRP is showing up in many new models. I have used CHIRP with the Lowrance SonarHub
and the Elite HDI/CHIRP.
I also used the CHIRP with Raymarine’s DownVision and it produced really nice images like these. DrDepth used to be the ticket for live mapping but now we have more choices with Navionics
and Vexilar teamed up for live mapping
Humminbird ONIX has live mapping and ReefMaster can be used on a laptop for live mapping.
Lowrance Insight Genesis and Navionics SonarCharts are programs you can update data
from your sonar/GPS model and create maps.
Lowrance now let’s people like me build maps for their models that are really unique like this
sample of Lake Oahe created by my map maker Warren Parsons The Minn Kota Ulterra which you can deploy and stow with a remote from anywhere in the boat is
what I will put on my new boat. I am 66 and in adverse conditions like huge waves or if I am
hiding under my sun top with curtains in cold, rainy windy days it will be great to not have to
get to the bow and pull up the motor.
Linking trolling motors to electrics will have both Lowrance/MotorGuide and
Humminbird/Minn Kota. Think about this, drive over fish, place a waypoint
on the fish on the sonar side, press Go To and the trolling motor goes to
the waypoint and stays put like an anchor. I don’t use follow the track or
contour much but it was once helpful in a tournament
where the drop off was where the fish were located and my trolling run could be 3 miles long.
I placed waypoints on the drop off (it took a few hours before the tournament)
and had my Garmin TR-1 Autopilot on my kicker go from waypoint to waypoint in a cross wind
and stay on course while we netted fish.
The boat was always in the fish zone even when we were busy.
Garmin is releasing many new products and I will be interested in seeing their new maps they
have been collecting data on. And there will be more releases in the future since we want
stuff that helps us catch fish and the companies need to provide
“the next big thing”.
