Hello everyone.
New here, but feel like home.
I used to dive up till -95 when sold all equipment but on the market now for a new or used rig and refresher course. Back then I was always on the look out and brought up some nice but mostly odd objects from never wrecks, once 10 pry bars 5 foot long.
Question on side scan sonar’s, as I definitely want one to do some serious mapping.
I want to mount one on a sailboat, with a good autopilot connected to gps and do 10 mile runs back and forth, the boat will have enough electrical power and a engine to keep constant speed if wind goes down.
The sail boat idea comes from 2 factors, I enjoy sailing and saving in fuel costs, 7 days a week 12 hours a day for a few weeks is a lot of fuel for me on a power boat and don’t want to sit at home hugging my sonar for not having fuel money.
Mono hull, speed 5-6 knots I understand is a good speed for a side scan sonar and easily kept up with sail or motor.
Multi hull, speed 8-15 knots under sail and les motoring, faster is better for me but what about the sonar.
Been looking at sonar system 10-15 k USD and some Chinese ones 5-7 k USD and then of course there are the Hummingbird and Lowrance systems, any input for a beginner who is serious about mapping and finding some wrecks, and wanting to make a stitched map covering the entire grid of the scanned area and viewing and editing it on a PC os. Linux or Win 95.
What are your favorite scanners and software you have used and how low on the price tag would you go before it’s a waste of time towing one.
Depths from 15 feet to 100 feet and occasionally max 150 feet if possible, transom mounted model could maybe be converted to be used on a sea wing or installed onto a torpedo.
Cheers: P
New here, but feel like home.
I used to dive up till -95 when sold all equipment but on the market now for a new or used rig and refresher course. Back then I was always on the look out and brought up some nice but mostly odd objects from never wrecks, once 10 pry bars 5 foot long.
Question on side scan sonar’s, as I definitely want one to do some serious mapping.
I want to mount one on a sailboat, with a good autopilot connected to gps and do 10 mile runs back and forth, the boat will have enough electrical power and a engine to keep constant speed if wind goes down.
The sail boat idea comes from 2 factors, I enjoy sailing and saving in fuel costs, 7 days a week 12 hours a day for a few weeks is a lot of fuel for me on a power boat and don’t want to sit at home hugging my sonar for not having fuel money.
Mono hull, speed 5-6 knots I understand is a good speed for a side scan sonar and easily kept up with sail or motor.
Multi hull, speed 8-15 knots under sail and les motoring, faster is better for me but what about the sonar.
Been looking at sonar system 10-15 k USD and some Chinese ones 5-7 k USD and then of course there are the Hummingbird and Lowrance systems, any input for a beginner who is serious about mapping and finding some wrecks, and wanting to make a stitched map covering the entire grid of the scanned area and viewing and editing it on a PC os. Linux or Win 95.
What are your favorite scanners and software you have used and how low on the price tag would you go before it’s a waste of time towing one.
Depths from 15 feet to 100 feet and occasionally max 150 feet if possible, transom mounted model could maybe be converted to be used on a sea wing or installed onto a torpedo.
Cheers: P
