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Second Return: The Second Return is a term that describes the appearance of a second
sonar return below the primary sonar return (bottom contour) at exactly twice the true
depth. The second return is caused by the same sonar energy bouncing off the bottom
once, rebounding to the water surface and then traveling back down to the bottom to
be reflected again. Second returns are more common in shallow water and over hard
bottoms; it is actually possible to see a third sonar return under some circumstances.
The second return provides useful information to help determine bottom hardness, as
areas with harder bottoms will generally create a second return. The second return can
be used as a guide to set Sensitivity when in shallower water.
Sensitivity: Sensitivity is a user feature that adjusts the sensitivity of the sonar system
to show more or less detail in the water. Higher sensitivities are often preferred;
however, when the water contains debris (silt, storm debris, etc.) it can be difficult to pick
out targets. Conversely, if sensitivity is set too low, relevant targets may be missed.
SONAR: SONAR is the acronym for SOund and NAvigation Ranging. Sonar technology
uses precision sound bursts transmitted underwater to determine the distance and
other attributes of objects in the water. Distance can be determined because the speed
of sound in water is constant, and the time for the signal to return is measured. Sound
also travels very quickly underwater, making sonar a responsive, cost-effective tool.
Sonar is the basic technology behind all recreational and commercial fishfinding and
depthfinding devices.
Sonar Echo Enhancement: Sonar Echo Enhancement is a Humminbird® feature that
describes the high degree of sonar sensitivity achieved through a combination of
transmitter/receiver and software algorithms. The result of Sonar Echo Enhancement is
to display virtually everything in the water that is of interest to the angler, including bait
fish, game fish, thermoclines, weed beds, subtle structure, and more.
Sonar Update Rate: Sonar Update Rate is the number of times per second that the
transmitter/receiver sends and receives sonar signals. A very fast sonar update rate
collects more information and provides a more detailed image of the bottom, fish and
structure. Many Humminbird® units operate at up to 40 times per second when in single
frequency operation. Due to the limitation of the speed of sound in water, the update rate
begins to slow as depth increases to deeper than 50 feet. In very shallow water (less than
10 feet), however, update rates as much as 60 times per second can be achieved.
Speed: Speed is the rate at which the boat moves through the water. Boat speed can be
measured as Speed Over Ground or Speed Through Water. Speed Over Ground is
provided by GPS, and is the measurement of the boats progress across a given distance.
Speed Through Water is provided by a speed paddlewheel, and is the measurement of
the flow past the boat, which may vary depending on current speed and direction.
Speed Through Water is most critical for anglers using downriggers, as it impacts the
running depth of the down riggers. Speed Over Ground is optimal for navigation, as
accurate destination times can be derived from this measurement. Humminbird®
products allow for input and display of both sources.
Structure: Structure is a general term for objects on the bottom that present a
discontinuity and are a likely attractor for fish. This includes bottom contour features
(drop-offs, humps, and holes), standing structure (stumps, timbers, brush piles) and a
wide range of other potential objects (sunken boats, reefs). Humminbird® units excel at
showing structure with great detail over a wider area due to unique sonar
configurations developed for the angler.
Structure ID®: Structure ID® is a Humminbird® feature that describes the traditional
grayscale method of presenting sonar information. See Grayscale.
Surface Clutter: Surface Clutter is a phenomenon where sonar returns are reflected off of
tiny objects near the surface of the water, including algae and even air bubbles. Typically,
saltwater environments have significantly greater surface clutter than freshwater due to
continuous wind and wave action that causes aeration at the surface. The Surface Clutter
menu provides manual control to bias the default settings under extreme conditions.
Target Separation: Target Separation is the measurement of minimum distance that a
fishfinder needs to be able to recognize two very close objects as two distinct targets (i.e.
two fish hanging very close, or a fish hanging very close to structure). Humminbird®
fishfinders provide a very good 2 1/2 inches of target separation in shallower than 100
feet of depth. Target separation decreases as depth increases due to the need for a
longer Pulse Width to achieve greater depth. See Pulse Width.
Thermoclines: Thermoclines are water layer(s) of distinctly different temperatures that
create a sonar reflection due to the density of the differing water temperatures. Typically
a thermocline will appear as a continuous band across the display at some distance
above the bottom contour. Thermoclines are of interest to anglers because fish will
suspend above or below the thermocline as they seek the optimum temperature and
oxygen levels.
Time Variable Gain: Time Variable Gain is a processing step applied to the sonar return
to "normalize" the data so that objects of equal size (i.e. fish) appear to be the same size,
even if they are separated by a good distance. Time Variable Gain is a fundamental
attribute of good sonar.
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