Depth Sounder Setup options

MudShipper

MudShipper

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I'm upgrading my old Seafarer Depth sounder, and would appreciate some thoughts on best setup of the new one.

One of the menu options is to set an Offset. This can be either Positive or Negative.
If I am reading it correctly, this gives me either Actual water depth or Depth below Keel respectively.

If you have this option, which one would you choose and why?


Thanks
 
Really does not matter which, so long as you know which you have used.

Arguments for below waterline are readings closer to those based on chart data, below keel shows clearance before running aground. Both have uses, but mental arithmetic can quickly adjust from one to another. Also important to know which is usd when setting alarm for critical depths (particularly if shallow).
 
+1

Personal preference.

If doing the same I would probably prefer to not set an offset leaving it as depth below transducer because that is what the Seafarer reads and what I am used to.

However which do you find you are doing the most at present, converting the reading to depth or converting it to depth below the keel? Chose the option that does your most frequent conversion for you.
 
I use the offset to depth below the keel but I could see why you would set it to actual depth of water (making it easier when working out depths at states of tides). I can't see why you would leave it as depth below transducer, that seems a kind of odd halfway house to me. Would there be a benefit for depth below transducer?
 
As others have said - personal choice.

My choice is to offset to waterline as I find it makes tidal height calcs for anchoring etc much easier. I anchor far more often than I try to make the most of shallows when sailing. Also have a shallow alarm set for about 3m to remind me when sailing though.
 
Options?

Thanks for the responses so far, I can see the arguments for and against either offset, and also for leaving it with no offset.

As I sail in mostly/frequently shallow water with a 1.2m draft, I am inclined towards the depth below keel option, but can see that is not always the best option.

At least it is easy to change if I want to try the alternatives.

Thanks again all.
 
This question comes up on these forums from time to time. I know that lots of people set their echo sounder to read all sorts of things, and a friend of mine even sets his to feet as he can't visualise meters! Personally we always have ours set to meters of true depth. This is done for two reasons: firstly the charts and tide tables are all in meters and our boat doesn't float in water that I can imagine but the real stuff. Secondly, although people say they like to know when they are about to run aground by the echo sounder approaching zero (when it's set for depth below keel) with the greatest of respect to them, if I can't remember that my boat needs 1.8 metres to float in I wonder whether I should be out sailing?

In real life you can choose - but just make sure everyone knows what you have set it to. Some people put a big sign over the echo sounder to remind themselves and visitors.
 
The problem with setting it as depth below keel is a mental one. If you set it to show zero just as you are running aground you start to get unnecessarily nervous when it reads 1.5m because you know that you need 1.2m to float in. despite the fact that you are actually in 2.7m of water

It's a human thing and around the east coast there is very little water at the best of times so I see these shallow figures every time I go out. I prefer total water depth.

BTW I am with others who cannot see the point in leaving it with zero offset.
 
No offset to worry about if you get ( or make) one of these:

840103.jpg
 
Swinging the led

NickRobinson said:
Burning issue- Can it cope with variations in 12v unlike cheap leds?

N
Click to expand...

This traditional technology is surely the same as a positive offset, and totally indifferent to 12v fluctuations. Funnily enough, I've just been clearing my garage out and come across the lead line I made during my pottering in day boats phase.

Thanks for the views so far, very enlightening.
 
VicS,

being paranoid I have 2 sounders on my boat, one in the cockpit used for quick decisions and one in the saloon largely for anchor watch on shallow & deep alarms - at the time I fitted these a whole separate system was the same price as a repeater so I went for the redundancy of 2 separate systems & makes.

The Navico saloon one has bitten the dust, and I fancied fitting a Fishfinder to replace it, as it gives at least a little more information, some reports say a lot more.

I've been rather surprised to find fishfinders are quite a bit cheaper than basic depthsounders; I'm reliably informed that 'transom mount' fishfinder transducers can be bonded inside a grp hull, thus avoiding any need for holes in the hull.

Haven't tried it yet but it seems promising.
 
VicS said:
As you probably realised I still have an old Seafarer 3. I have been wondering about replacing the LED with a modern ultra bright one. Any thoughts
Click to expand...

Interesting how flasher sounders are so popular as ice fish finders, check out the modern ones at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=026VA8F1G1E543FKFN1R

I started fishing professionally with a Lowrance flasher and progressed though to heavy duty crt units, one I bought second-hand from a trawler cost the original buyer the equivalent of a decent house. Now retired I'm just updating the digital one on my yacht. I have had several failed attempts on EBay uk trying for a late version of a Seafarer but keep getting outbid by other people who obviously think like me.
 
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