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Posts Tagged ‘GPS fishfinders’
Too funny. Recently our 15-year-old went camping with a friend of ours, trying to make the most of the end of summer. They really like to get together to hike and fish, have plenty of cookouts and just hang out together. Anyway, after one long day of tramping around in the wooded trails and cooking hotdogs on sticks over the fire pit they decided to relax out on the lake with fishing poles in hand. After a while of just floating around casting his line and reeling it in, our son started complaining that he caught a snag. They both worked a little to try to get it free when they finally managed to begin reeling the snag back toward the boat. I am thinking if they had bothered to bring the GPS fishfinder along they would have known that “snag” was one of the largest large mouth bass our friend had ever seen! Now there’s a fish story to remember, certainly a memory to last a lifetime.
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We got a call recently from someone wondering whether he would be able to use the existing transducer that came with his boat with new GPS fishfinder combination. That opened a conversation about compatibility. Not all brands of ducers will be compatible with all brands of GPS fishfinder combination. You really want to do your homework on that one to be sure that you have the correct match. Also, his old fishfinder was set into his boat, permanently affixed; and he wanted to be able to drop his new model into the same slot. We did the homework and found the GPS fishfinders that would meet all his criteria. That was an interesting exploration, but we found some great options that would fit perfectly. During that search it brought out the fact that, although some GPS fishfinders will work permanently affixed to the boat, some will actually get much better reception and give you better screen visibility if they are on a swivel mount which gives clearance all around. These are all important things to consider when shopping for a replacement GPS fishfinder combo for your boat to give you the best fishing possible. Happy fishing, and I hope you catch the Big One!
Anglers tend to take one of two approaches to a fishing trip: either they’re in it for the relaxation and camaraderie or they’re deadly serious about reeling in a trophy fish. Family fishing trips seldom become competitive; it’s usually enough to catch a few bass or trout in an inland lake while spending the rest of the time shooting the breeze and enjoying a cold beverage or two.
Fishing competitions are another matter entirely. Serious anglers often realy possess keen fishing instincts that have been honed through years of experience. Still, they accept help wherever they can get it. An Eagle fishfinder features a combination of sonar and GPS mapping technology, allowing anglers to pinpoint the likeliest location where a school of fish might be hanging out. When pride and prize money are on the line, a fishfinder is practically as essential as the boat itself.
What are Gimbals, and Why do I Need Them?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
posted by outdoorlover 12:24 PM
Gimbals are used in mounting systems, especially for marine vessels, which consist normally of two concentric rings mounted such that their axes are able to pivot at right angles from each other such that one swings freely within the other. They work much like a gyroscope and are used as a mount for equipment such as a compass or other nautical equipment (even stoves, lamps, etc). Gimbals operate in such a manner that objects are permitted to swing freely between them so that the object will remain suspended in a level manner regardless of any motion of their support. Gimbals are commonly used for sea-faring instruments so as to counteract the motion of the vessel.
There are several parts to a gimbal mount. Normally it is made of a set of rings, but sometimes is a ball and socket arrangement, attaching ultimately to a bracket which will support the equipment and another part which will attach to the vessel. In this case, we would use them to attach our GPS fishfinders and/or chartplotters as important and useful marine accessories.
Most marine GPS fish finders and chart plotters either include or need a transducer to work properly. The question comes to mind “What is a transducer and what does it do?” According to Wikipedia a transducer is a device, usually electrical, electronic, electromechanical, electromagnetic, photonic or photovoltaic that converts one type of energy or physical attribute to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer (for example: pressure sensors).
There are three kinds of transducers. A sensor is used to detect a parameter in one form and report it in another form of energy (usually an electrical or digital signal), such as a tachometer. An actuator is used for the transformation of energy or in other words, it converts electrical signal into generally nonelectrical energy. An example of an actuator is a loudspeaker which converts an electrical signal into a variable magnetic field and, subsequently, into acoustic waves. The third kind of transducer has both functions — for example, typical ultrasonic transducers switch back and forth many times a second between acting as an actuator to produce ultrasonic waves, and acting as a sensor to detect ultrasonic waves.
The bottom line here is that a transducer is what helps the fish finder or chart plotter “find” the fish or the contours of the bottom of the lake, river or other body of water.