How Sonar Works
Sonar technology is based on sound waves. The 100 Series™ Fishing System uses sonar to locate and define structure, bottom contour and composition, as well as depth directly below the transducer.
Your 100 Series™ Fishing System sends a sound wave signal and determines distance by measuring the time between the transmission of the sound wave and when the sound wave is reflected off of an object; it then uses the reflected signal to interpret location, size, and composition of an object.
Sonar is very fast. A sound wave can travel from the surface to a depth of 240 ft (70 m) and back again in less than 1/4 of a second. It is unlikely that your boat can "outrun" this sonar signal.
SONAR is an acronym for SOund and NAvigation Ranging. Sonar utilizes precision sound pulses or "pings" which are emitted into the water in a teardrop- shaped beam.
The sound pulses "echo" back from objects in the water such as the bottom, fish and other submerged objects. The returned echoes are displayed on the LCD screen. Each time a new echo is received, the old echoes are moved across the LCD, creating a scrolling effect.
When all the echoes are viewed side by side, an easy to interpret "graph" of the bottom, fish and structure appears.
The sound pulses are transmitted at various frequencies depending on the application. Very high frequencies (455kHz) are used for greatest definition but the operating depth is limited. High frequencies (200kHz) are commonly used on consumer sonar and provide a good balance between depth performance and resolution. Low frequencies (83kHz) are typically used to achieve greater depth capability.
The power output is the amount of energy generated by the sonar transmitter. It is commonly measured using two methods:
•Root Mean Square (RMS) measures power output over the entire transmit cycle.
•Peak to Peak measures power output at the highest points.
The benefits of increased power output are the ability to detect smaller targets at greater distances, ability to overcome noise, better high speed performance and enhanced depth capability.
Single Beam Sonar
Your 100 Series™ Fishing System uses a 200 kHz Single Beam sonar system with a 20° area of coverage. The 20° beam is focused on the bottom, to show you structure, weeds and cover.
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