Inexpensive side scan sonars for sale

[Unregistered]

sharing

...<snip> The transducer alone could cost you more in parts to build then you could buy one from me already built[/i]. The reason?? Quantity. These are not off-the-shelf parts. The parts are all high precision custom made. When you onesy twosy custom parts you pay though the nose for them. I buy in bulk, did my own R & D and is the reason I can sell a side scan ducer all completed for $699.00. That's the heart of the system, and it can tolerate serious PSI. <snip>...
It amazes me that some will still spend hundreds of dollars chasing the Fishfinder transducer array's for a suitable sidescan only to throw them out and not spend twice that for something that really works because it is made for the purpose. An extra high resolution ducer at $600 more can give images on a Lowrance recording sonar that equal systems costing 10s of thousands of dollars. <snip> The transducer is a precision component.
<snip> For $699.00 with your own H Q sounder, cable and home made towfish you could have something very good and you can still proudly call your systems something you made yourselves.

This forum is for sharing of information. Shure did a lot to help others as he developed his systems. Much on this board.
So what about you? Are you willing to share in your knowledge and materials of transducer construction?
How are they built? Do you use multiple element arrays? Why are your better?

etc. etc. etc.

Please help us get better. You can still build and sell your own.

thanks,

[GLB]

Hi,
I do share information. I will not share specifics on what I have done. I would do so gladly for those who would only build their own. Problem is I don't know who the hobbiests are or who the sharks are. The sharks would steal what I have done and sell it as there own in a heartbeat. It's been reported to me over the years that my pulse induction metal detector circuit was copied and by more than one. At least they had to buy one, pull it apart and find out what I did. I could have been a real fool and handed it to them on a silver platter. What I have done, I did for you guys, those who can't afford big bucks for these things. There is a small market for it. Sure, at some point I will also offer more high end product but for now it's you guys who have been wanting something affordable that I have tried to accomodate, and I will continue to provide for as long as I can. I'm even willing to sell just the transducer's for those who really want to start off on a budget. Make your own cable asemblies and towfishes, mess around with the old paper machines and have a ball. Then upgrade with either stuff from me, home made or whatever as you go along. Again, you cannot buy the components to make a proper side scan transducer for the price I am offering you a completed unit. Where have you seen a sidescan transducer well under 4 figures?? I mean well under 4 figures. I buy the components for the ducers in bulk, that is why. When you want custom parts for one or two transducer's, the price per part skyrockets.

[Glennk]

I've been checking the quest electronics site for quite awhile now just waiting for them to post the software so I can start on it...no luck yet.

The software for the TVS4 have been availiable for a long time now. Where are your sidescan unit? Or ain't it built yet?
I recon that even if the schematics and the software are common availiable to the public, not many of us are actually going to build the unit!
It is still going to cost you and me a lot of $ to build a working sidescan.

I am looking for more schematics for sidescan towfish' and would personaly like to know even more about how the different producers have designed their units, and how they have solved out different things regarding the mechanics and electronics.

But I still dont think I'm actually going to BUILD my selv a working sidescan sonar. But hopefulle I'll manage to gain myself enough know-how and experience to maintain, repair and may be rebuild/upgrade a sidescan towfish if I run into a defect one, or run my own towfish into a underwater rock....

Glenn

[Charles Oak Island, NC]

Suppose you are sold plans for $100.00. You think your now going to build this for a few dollars more??? These parts gonna fall out of the sky somehow?? Local RShack bargain bin?? I would bet the printheads alone on Hultquists exellent home built sidescan were a couple of G's. Your gonna have to spend money no matter how you look at it. The transducer alone could cost you more in parts to build then you could buy one from me already built. The reason?? Quantity. These are not off-the-shelf parts. The parts are all high precision custom made. When you onesy twosy custom parts you pay though the nose for them. I buy in bulk, did my own R & D and is the reason I can sell a side scan ducer all completed for $699.00. That's the heart of the system, and it can tolerate serious PSI. Any High quality modern fishfinder can be converted to a single channel side scan using one of these ducers. I prefer the Lowrances because of their exceptional capabilities. It amazes me that some will still spend hundreds of dollars chasing the Fishfinder transducer array's for a suitable sidescan only to throw them out and not spend twice that for something that really works because it is made for the purpose. An extra high resolution ducer at $600 more can give images on a Lowrance recording sonar that equal systems costing 10s of thousands of dollars. See the quality of the images posted by one of my customers. That was unsolicited by the way. The Gentleman is resposible for several direct sales because his friends also wanted one for themselves. The transducer is a precision component. Why get down to the level of precision component manufacture for your sidescans?? Why stop there, why not try and manufacture your own IC chips etc.? I mean surely if you start with a bag of sand some metal and a hot oven you do all the work you can eventually have something the quiality of an Edgetech or Klien for $50 bucks. . Realisticly, for $1800.00 and your own High quality sounder (like a modern recording Lowrance) you can have everything you need for a conversion including an inline microprocessor, which helps to stabilize the image under wide and varying conditions. For $1299.00 (including 100 ft of cable) and a homemade towfish you can make your H Q sounder into something practicaly as good. For $699.00 with your own H Q sounder, cable and home made towfish you could have something very good and you can still proudly call your systems something you made yourselves.

Will your side scan transducer work with a Lowrance paper graph ? Or if not can (will) you tell me which units it will interface with.

[Glennk]

According to G.Burton, all RECORDING Lowrance echosounders can be used.
If i am right, it all depends on that a paper graph would have problems recording the GPS positions. And without GPS the sonar print is not worth anything.
It would be impossible to go back on a paperprint without GPS positions and find the actual place out in the field.
So the answer will give it self, as I see it..... Go for a recording unit!

Glenn

[Glennk]

Hi,
These are singler channel because they are based on single channel echosounders. I have a dual channel laptop based sidescan in a testing phase now. No specifics on a release date but I hope soon.
Regards

Could you please give us more info about this new system of yours Burton?
It would be nice to know what might be availiable from you in the future.

How is this system configured? Is it a towfish and a microcontroller unit, tht just connects to a laptop and 12vdc?
And what kind of software is to be used?
Is the sidescan running analogue or digital signals through the cable?

And in what price range will it be? 10-thousands of dollars? -/+?

Lots of questions, and more to come!

Regards,
Glenn

[Unregistered]

also interested...

Could you please give us more info about this new system of yours Burton?
It would be nice to know what might be availiable from you in the future.

How is this system configured? Is it a towfish and a microcontroller unit, tht just connects to a laptop and 12vdc?
And what kind of software is to be used?
Is the sidescan running analogue or digital signals through the cable?

And in what price range will it be? 10-thousands of dollars? -/+?

Lots of questions, and more to come!

Regards,
Glenn

Yes ! I am also interested in getting more information about that new dual channel SSS.
Same questions as above , and is it 200KHz as the single one ?

Im planning on buing a unit, and will be very dissapointed if the release of a laptop-based unit turns up right after my buy
Right now, Im holding my order, so I can get more information about this new system first.

[Glennk]

The M1 system has arrived!


But first, I had to have some dinner...


This is the system after unpacking (the Lowrance recorder/GPS unit is not in the picture) The towfisk is wery light and easy to handle, and seems to be well made.



But let's hope that the sidescan lasts longer than the dinner....



I will post some images when the system "gets wet", as in "in use"

Glenn

[Glennk]

For those willing to build their own sidescan system....

Ill buy a set of plans for $100.00 where do i send the money?

I'll send you a set of plans for a sidescan system.
Please PM me for address & where to wire the money.
The plans include source code and drawings for pcb's and front panel.
It comes in a zip'ed file, and would require some skills in electronics, but should be no problems for someone with a bit of experience.
The system is about 300kHz working freq, port/stern side scan.

This is NOT the system from G.Burton, but some other (and maybe simpler/easyer?) system.
The offered plans are NOT a kit, It contains NO needed parts, this is just the PLANS for a sidescan system!
The total cost for the system depends on what parts you are able to manufacture your self, and if you need to buy every bit of parts.

Regards
Glenn

[Rickard]

Congratulations to your M1 system!

It will be interesting to hear about your experiances. Hopefully, that "fish" won't end up as sushi.

Regards
Rickard

[Glennk]

I hope to get to try the system in 2 or 3 days, got to weld something on my boat first.
I am making an interface/connector box for the power and RS-232 GPS signals right now. The Lowrance system has the ability to send and receive GPS communications (NMEA) or DGPS info by a RS232 interface, so I'll install a DB9 port in the box as well as fuses and connections to the Lowrance display unit and the LGC-2000 GPS unit.

Have you done any more testing on your unit? Please add pictures if you got any!

Glenn

[Glennk]

As I would not post to many messages in GLB's thread, I have started a new thread http://thunting.com/geotech/forums/s...ad.php?t=11855
This is a thread regarding my M1 system from GLB, and shows the system, my projects, and my experiences.

Glenn

[Rickard]

100 elements?!

Hi,

A question for G. Burton. When browsing the archive I found a post where the quality differences between fishfinder arrays and a fullfledged array (Burton's) was illustrated by the info:

Hi,
Here is an image taken with a recording fishfinder, 100 ft range, with a sidescan transducer that I designed, hull mounted and only a few inches under the surface. The water was about 20 feet deep and CALM. As you can see it can be done.
Please note that this 'ducer has over 100 elements in the array. Do not expect the same results with 4 puck style elements.
Regards
G. Burton

Unfortunately the image file in the archive seems corrupt. But is it really true you have around 100 elements in the array? They must be tiny indeed. I can understand that answering is difficult as this may be propriotary but you can probably tell if the figure is far from correct or not?


Kind regards,
Rickard

[goldcorundum]

for those like me

Hey GLB,
There are maybe more folks like me who don't have the kind of expertice to homebuild equipment like you are selling. I really like the idea that if or when I get back into the kind of situation where I could use something like a SSS, there will be one I may afford.

Something I would love to see built simple and affordable is a ROV.....small..

:o