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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Ok, this is a rip off of another post. For those of you that have a temp reading on your locator, how accurate do you feel those readings are? I have 2 different brands of locators on my boat, and both read the same. Am I safe to assume that these are accurate? I know that they only read the temp of the depth of water the transducers are in, but I'm curious. Up in Boulder Jct. this weekend, I never found water cooler than 80.1 degrees. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | If you are wondering if the temps in Boulder were really 80+ degrees, yes they were.
Sure some locators will be off 1-3 degrees, it all depends on your locator.
I remember being around 3 boats this spring, I had 61 on mine, the second boat had 62.5 and the third had 60.5 so yes they are going to give you a pretty close degree mark, but they all will differ some. |
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| Test it out of the water. It will read the temp of the air, then verify its accuracy. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | That won't work, that will not give you an accurate reading. I wouldn't suggest trying that. |
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| This spring when I was crappie fishing my uncles boat was anchored within 20' of me and he was showing about 8 degrees different.He got out his ownersmanual thumbed through it for a bit and then said how does xx degrees sound? Who knew they print useful stuff in those books. I have no idea what brand his locator is. |
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Posts: 56
| Mike,
I'm curious as to why a locator's water temperature sensor will not also be a reasonably accurate measure of air temperature? I ask because my boat's locator temperature reading out of the water matches or is very close to standard=type thermometers. Isn't the temperature probe embedded in the speedometer wheel base? Maybe mine's the oddball of the lot. I have a Lowrance unit. If you could explain what causes the inaccuracy problem I'd appreciate it. I like to keep learning.
Steve |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Out of water- The only thing I can think of would be the effect of the thermal mass it's mounted on, i.e., how well it's insulated from the trolling motor. If it's not insulated very well, it will take some time for the motor and the sensor to reach the actual air temperature. Another thing to consider is when you pull the motor up of the water, the water that is on the sensor starts to evaporate, this will effectively lower the temperature reading (same as taking a wet bulb temperature reading).
Also depending on the mounting/insulation of the sensor, the temperature reading may be affected by operation of the trolling motor, i.e., heating from the motor itself. This could obviously cause the temp reading to be high.
Al |
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Posts: 1086
| Another thing to keep in mind too...when comparing your temperature reading via your temp sensor on your depthfinder to other fishermen's temp readings that are around you........a body of water can have pockets of cooler and/or warmer water right next to each other. Water doesn't have to be the same temp all across the board across the top of the water nor down through the water column. There's mixing of warmer and cooler pockets of water at all times.
I've noticed this for many, many years just swimming in lakes. I'll be swimming along and hit a warmer pocket of water and then a cooler pocket then another wamer pocket. No..I didn't pee there just then! LOL!  I also notice this about every day when I get in the pool to take the solar cover off the pool. As I'm in the pool...I'll come across much warmer pockerts of water then I'll come across much cooler pockets of water.
I always thought while swimming in lakes, when I'd come across a cooler pocket of water, meant I hit an area where a spring was located, ie, spring fed lakes. Spring fed lakes could potentially keep the water cooler. But when noticing the warm and cool pockets of water in the pool, where there are no springs, it made me realize warm and cool pockets of water exist in any body of water as the water mixes.
I would agree, yes, that each depthfinder's temp sensor could have a 1-3 degree variance in accuracy....but it very well could be too, that the boat's around you could happen to be sitting in a cooler or warmer pocket of water at that given time.
Just something else to ponder.
Edited by MACK 8/10/2005 8:36 AM
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| When the sun beats on your sensor for a long period of time it will exaggerage the temperature. One time I turned on my depthfinder after it had been sitting in the sun and it said it was 121 degrees outside.
If it is sitting in the shade it is actually very accurate to the actual air temperature. Most sensors need to sit in the water for quite a while before they really lock on to the exact temp. |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Great posts, guys! Thanx! |
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Accuracy of Locators