Echosounder?

[Chris Wren]

Which echosounder for reliability and use out on deck with large figures easy to read in bright daylight please? Must be able to be fitted through 2 inch hull.

 

[lenseman]

Which echosounder for reliability and use out on deck with large figures easy to read in bright daylight please? Must be able to be fitted through 2 inch hull.

Welcome to the forums Chris.

All echo sounder displays are easy to read in bright sunshine for normally sighted people (watch-keepers).

The more worrying question is, if you cannot easily read the display, how are you at keeping watch/look out whilst at the helm as I would have thought noting the track of distance vessels approaching is a far more difficult task?

Regarding the hull thickness question, are you considering drilling through the hull and fitting a depth sounder 'tube' or are you hoping for 'through hull', the latter would also depend on the type of construction which you do not mention?

 

[VicS]

Which echosounder for reliability and use out on deck with large figures easy to read in bright daylight please? Must be able to be fitted through 2 inch hull.

Any of those with a digital LCD display, and that is practically is all of them these days, should be readable in bright light.

It was the old type with rotating a LED, or even a neon in the very old ones, that could not be seen in bright light.
I only know one of that type still made and that's the Nasa Stingray.

There is no mention in any of the Nasa manuals of a limit to the thickness of a GRP hull through which they will work.
I suggest you check other manufacturers manuals. Many, if not all, are available on line.

Manufacturers on line specs will also tell you the size of the displays.

 

[Chris Wren]

Welcome to the forums Chris.

All echo sounder displays are easy to read in bright sunshine for normally sighted people (watch-keepers).

The more worrying question is, if you cannot easily read the display, how are you at keeping watch/look out whilst at the helm as I would have thought noting the track of distance vessels approaching is a far more difficult task?

Regarding the hull thickness question, are you considering drilling through the hull and fitting a depth sounder 'tube' or are you hoping for 'through hull', the latter would also depend on the type of construction which you do not mention?

The display is not only some distance from the helm but if the font is very small difficult to read. Bright sunlight makes some displays unreadable outside on deck.

For reliability I intend to install a through-hull fitting [cutting through the hull] as the hull is 2 inch oak [and copper sheathed].