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googarra
02-02-2010, 08:04 PM
Tried the Structure Scan for the first time today outside of Dunk & Hinchinbrook Islands. I spent a bit of time going over the wreck of the 'Lady Bowen', a 1000 ton converted paddlewheel that sunk in the late 1800's. No secret location, even on the Navionics Gold map

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I am still trying to figure out what I am looking at so I went backwards and forwards, up and across, round in circles until I was confused. I liked the downscan more the the sidescan, but I could see the ship in its current form, more of a reef than a wreck.

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The lady bowen marks on the map are from various friends that gave me their mark, all different.

I normally fish the reef out a bit further and have never bothered with the wrecks before. There were lots of fish on it so I dropped a rig over the side and pulled up 3 Nanny's and busted off by some unstoppables ( only using 60lb braid on that rod)

I looked at three other wrecks as well and may post soon, if this works, first post with pics

Anyone care to interpret some of the pics

Cheers

leelee
02-02-2010, 08:38 PM
Looks good.

Turn the contrast down from the high 90's to say mid 70's and things should become much more clearer.

Cheers

Lee

Dicko
03-02-2010, 10:05 AM
As with what lee said with the contrast, and you could also try selecting the 800hz transducer instead of the 455hz one. Mine is happier on 800 for where I've used it so far.

I'm not sure at what depth the 455 becomes clearer (better ?). Most of the good pics I see on the US sites show them using the 800, but keep in mind they're mostly 100ft deep or less and in fresh water. --for whatever difference that makes.


I also notice there is another update available

http://www.lowrance.com/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/

It allows micro SD cards. It looks to have a few other changes as well



2.5.31.56 regardless of Platform version includes the following enhancements:

SONAR/ECHOSOUNDER

Enhances Broadband Sounder automatic mode for optimum target detection and display without manual adjustment
Overall improvements in Broadband Sounder PerformanceCHARTPLOTTER

Adds radar overlay viewing option function for all Navionics® chart displays
Adds adjustable transparency feature to Navionics® satellite photo overlays (land and/or sea) with Platinum+ and Platinum chart displays
Resolves and improves media readability of Navionics® Platinum+, Platinum and Gold chartcards, with expanded support for other SD cards
Improves vessel positioning display accuracy while enhancing improved navigation to waypoints and navigating/retracing trailsIncorporates support REQUIRED for StructureScan™ Sonar Imaging functionality:

Unifies SideScan and DownScan Imaging™ display with 455/800 kHz imaging transducer soundings
Expands split-screen viewing to 3- and 4-window displays on HDS-8 and HDS-10 models
Enables new synchronized TrackBack™ feature for simultaneous scroll-back through sonar history and chartplotter trails in all displayed windows (DownScan Imaging™, SideScan, Broadband Sounder™, cartography) for waypoint marking
Activates new DownScan Overlay™ feature, merging Broadband Sounder and DownScan™ views in a single, adjustable display for the clearest structure and fish target interpretation ever achievedIncludes the following changes from previous updates

Dicko
03-02-2010, 10:53 AM
I was just on a US site and came across this.


Other optimum settings for use of Structure Scan:

Use pallet #6 for best viewing on the structure scan panes only.
Contrast for pallet #6 is best at 72 to 76%. Pallet #5 works well on Structure Scan with 80% contrast. Pallet #1 or 13 work very well for conventional 2D sonar. Set the ping speed at 18 for good performance. Optimum speeds for the use of Structure Scan technology would be 3 to 10 mph. It can read at higher speeds depending on where the transducer is placed. Use 800khz for looking left/right from 0 – 120 feet. For 120 -300+ feet use 455khz for peak performance.
To optimize key strokes while Structure Scan panes are active (on HDS 8&10) press the view soft key in the bottom right side of screen and leave the view menu up on the screen while trolling around looking at cover or structure. This will allow you to change the view to all left or right based or where the object would appear on the screen. Then range less as much as possible keeping the object visible; and move the cursor over the object and press Zin. This will shift the object to the center of the screen and zoom it in. BE SURE TO ZOOM BACK OUT AND GO BACK TO VIEW LEFT/RIGHT menu.
To save the settings or wpts and turn the product off:
Press the power key one short stroke, the menu will come up with the standby mode active (blue box around standby), arrow down to power off and press the enter key. You should turn the product off in this manner every time.

myusernam
03-02-2010, 06:41 PM
Tried the Structure Scan for the first time today outside of Dunk & Hinchinbrook Islands. I spent a bit of time going over the wreck of the 'Lady Bowen', a 1000 ton converted paddlewheel that sunk in the late 1800's. No secret location, even on the Navionics Gold map

55675

I am still trying to figure out what I am looking at so I went backwards and forwards, up and across, round in circles until I was confused. I liked the downscan more the the sidescan, but I could see the ship in its current form, more of a reef than a wreck.

55676
55677
55678
55682

The lady bowen marks on the map are from various friends that gave me their mark, all different.

I normally fish the reef out a bit further and have never bothered with the wrecks before. There were lots of fish on it so I dropped a rig over the side and pulled up 3 Nanny's and busted off by some unstoppables ( only using 60lb braid on that rod)

I looked at three other wrecks as well and may post soon, if this works, first post with pics

Anyone care to interpret some of the pics

Cheers

I dived the lady bowen quite a few years ago. the main part of the wreck isn't very high off the bottom from memory - the green attached to the wreck is probably a bit of vegitation and the rest of the green cloud would proably be small trevally or some other baitfish. Was a while ago but might have to give it another go soon.

googarra
03-02-2010, 08:20 PM
Thanks to all,

myusernam

someone that had dived down to the wreck told me that it is silted up on the up current side and then drops off. Lots of anchors and fish life. I could see 3 or 4 large sea snakes around the boat as well as a number of turtles, which is true to the dive companies advertising of the wreck to divers.

Dicko

how are you going with your unit? Does it make more sense after a few outings?

As usual, I read every forum & anything I could about the LSS-1 but left the book at home and couldn't remember what frequency was better detail or better depth. Every time I backed off the contrast it seemed to 'wash out' or switched to 800khz, but in hindsight I think I should have switched to 800 and backed off the contrast. It wasn't a real good trial, it blew up big time, 20knts from the north, so I was hanging on between swell

Good info on the user settings, thanks.

Just finished the download for the new update, wondered why there was no was to overlay the downscan onto the 2d sonar.

On a different note, bit off the topic, I have broadband radar which was plugged into the ethernet port on the back of the HDS. Along came the LSS-1 and it also had to plug into the back of the HDS. I rang Navico support and asked if the LSS-1 module was actually a 'hub' as it has ethernet connections 1 2 & 3. All of the advertising and literature says that they are for extra HDS units but I suggested I plug the radar into ethernet port 2 and plug the LSS-1 into the back of the HDS.

Navico did not know and said that if I figure it out, ring them back and let them know, 'I must be testing it for them', anyhow it works fine, the 1 2 & 3 ports work as a hub for any ethernet conections

LeeLee

what are your settings and experience with your unit. Are you using 800khz for clarity.

Cheers

Googarra

leelee
03-02-2010, 09:20 PM
The best bit of advice I can give you is to set up a basline to perform tests against.

Get a good bit of structure, like that wreck and use the log funtion to take some recordings of down scan and side scan. Not screen shots because they are not as easy to play with after the boat is on the trailer.

Adjust the palette and contrast and see what happens.

Once you have gotten the soundings you don't have to play with it out on the water. I just got back in form the garage after playing with the sounder and logs and came up with really good findings and settings. Palette 5 seems to be good in shallow water with a setting around 62-65% fro side scan.

I am goign out this weekend in the river to just play around wit the settings and not fish so hopefully I can get soem better readings.

Cheers

Lee

tednted
04-02-2010, 07:57 AM
G'day Guys
I've got the humminbird 798 & have not long dowloaded the downscan version & I gotta say I was quite impressed with the results !!
Once I master the settings I'll post acouple of pics of screen shots ! I'm unsure wether they are as good as the lowrance because I've seen varying quality of pics but for a free download I'm certainly impressed . I'll be playin around withit this w/end so I'll try to take some screen shots

cheers AL

finding_time
04-02-2010, 08:34 AM
googarra

Mate first let me say that i haven't got one of these units but i have experience with other side scan units and looking at the pics the first thig that stands out is that your at the limit of effectiveness for that unit. Side scan is just that SIDE SCAN not 45 degree scan once the water gets to deep the unit is no longer performing how it was designed. This is the problem with sidescan that have boat mounted transducers, your always looking at the image from a differant perspective depending on water depth. Comercial side scan units run there transducers ( fish) off cable behind the boat ( swimming the fish) and they regulate the depth of the fish to the water depth so they are always looking at the same perspective on the screen. I'm sure dicko's tunning tips will help but there are limits to the effectiveness of these units over say 25m depth
ian

BlackArrow
04-02-2010, 08:22 PM
I have Lowrance HDS Radar and LSS and I pluged the radar into the LSS and it works fine.http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/images/icons/icon14.gif

On another matter has anyone set the LSS transducer in a skimmer position, in other words to read all the time.:-/

regards

Blackarrow

googarra
05-02-2010, 11:47 AM
Hi,

I actually mounted the LSS-1 to skim near the standard transducer. I had the option to mount under the pod as it sits well down in the water at low speed but decided I wanted the downscan to work at slow cruise, which it does very well, and includes a readable but broken side scan. My reasoning was that I wanted to cover a reasonable amount of country looking for reef and unknown bommies as I am usually fish a long way out.

My only concern was than the original transducer is now in the 'beam/path' of the LSS-1 on the left side. This will be similar on most boats given the design angle of the hull. If I mounted it on the port side the original transducer would not be in the path of the LSS-1 but would be 2 foot away. I am not sure if the overlay feature onto 2D sonar is any real gain, but I have used it yet

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I am not sure if this affects performance. I adhered to installation instructions to mount within a foot of the transducer so that one can overlay onto the 2D sonar.

There does not seem to be any excessive drag, but I would not really know as it is well back under the pod.

If I were mounting it in a smaller boat and used it up the rivers and creeks I would certainly mount it as high as possible to avoid damage.

Fishton
05-02-2010, 02:18 PM
Wrecks / ships are tricky things to interpret and get detail on. Look at this screenshot from the Navico LSS-1 Brochure:-

Just imagine if you were driving along and you saw this on your screen -

http://i50.tinypic.com/2iupycl.jpg

Only when you see this image do you realise how accurate it is:-

http://i48.tinypic.com/27x0avb.jpg

I got this shot of the MV Produce off the Aliwal Shoal KZN South Africa in a very choppy sea while fishing off my jetski.

http://i47.tinypic.com/j0xu8h.jpg

Here is the full story - http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=31905&forum_id=20

sagair
05-02-2010, 02:34 PM
Thanks and welcome to the forum. You seem to get the very best out of the different sonar's,;D Looking forward to some great advise and interesting reading. 8-)

Fishton
05-02-2010, 02:57 PM
Thank you for inviting me over here sagair. I look forward to sharing and learning with the rest of the members here ar Ausfish. :)

BlackArrow
05-02-2010, 08:30 PM
http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerothread/485619-lss-installation-pictures (http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerothread/485619-lss-installation-pictures).


Here is an extract from the above site about LSS distance between transducers.

“Just been advised that not having it mounted within 1 foot of your 2d transducer makes absolutely no difference at all. In my last pro staff meeting I was told by the primary tech and field tester for the LSS-1 that it makes no difference at all how far apart they are. You have to realize that your 2d transducer mounted on the back is actually shooting at an angle that is in front of the transom and not straight down like the lss-1 does, so you will actually pick up something on your 2d before you will on the lss-1. I realize it says that in the instructions but was told by my tech that that comment was not suppose to be in there and doesn't know why it was added.”

Also ther is a new update out for all HDS models, it takes about 45 minutes to download to computer.

googarra
10-02-2010, 08:53 PM
Thats better, looks like a ship

2D sonar shows lots of arches over the wreck. Dropped a line in and the larger fish are huge Tea Leaf Trevally smashing the smaller fish hiding on the wreck, or on the way up on the hook.

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I went to a reef where I knew it came up shallow very quickly and had a look. It comes up from 35 metres to 14 metres almost instantly onto large bommies. Not a lot of detail

Does not show much around the reefs in either down or side scan.

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Cheers