Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | sworrall - 8/27/2010 10:19 PM
What does that have to do with the question I asked? I'm curious about the display on the Bird. Thomas Allen tells me it's analog, and he's certain. All I wanted to know.
Steve, this thread is almost to funny, except I understand that the folk's like jwelch posting or Thomas Allen are serious. Actually the Bird display is digital, it's ludicrous to state it's analog. Don't believe everything you hear come out of a salesman's mouth. W/ ~ 44 years in electronics, its easy to see the flawed logic that unscrupulous salesman have infected the potential buyer/user's with in respect to one versus the other.
Part of the problem may be related to articles like this one.
http://www.eetimes.com/design/power-management-design/4009946/Under...
Given the title, if you're not an electronics engineer, you may come away with the impression that the Bird is analog.
"The MPU drives the display, almost certainly doing some pretty sophisticated image processing to translate raw return signals into usable LCD imagery. The CPU manages the analog elements of the 535's design. A semi-sinusoidal pulsed signal is boosted by a push-pull amplifier, sizable storage capacitor and step-up transformer; the intense burst is sent out and a timer in the processor starts a counter for later determination of the return pulse delay.
In generating a usable return signal, the NXP SA604A FM intermediate-frequency subsystem chip is used, but only for its received-signal strength indicator (RSSI) circuitry. The return transducer ping creates a logarithmic RSSI voltage, which is digitized using Samsung's built-in A/D converter. Its timer is also stopped when the return ping is detected/digitized, and now both the delay and signal-strength data needed to build the picture are available. "
Yeah, I know you understood 100% everything he said! He did say "analog", in fact all modern sonars are part analog and part digital. The analog part is the transducer circuitry - the transducer uses analog high frequency signals or as the author says -"semi-sinusoidal pulsed signal", the weak return signal has to be amplified and converted to a digital signal for the MPU (micro-processor unit). That's where the A/D converter a.k.a. analog to digital converter comes into the picture. Once it's in digital format, it's digital all the way from the MPU to the LCD. Lowrance is the same, i.e., the transducer portion is analog.
Where the real differences my exist could be in the DSP (digital signal processing) architecture, i.e., how the unit manages the digital signal..... The Bird definitely uses an "firmware" update methodology, i.e., the functionality can be changed "on-the-fly", by on-the-fly I mean you don't have to buy new hardware or a new unit. The real horse power is in the firmware, not the hardware.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/firmware
F. ex. I upgraded my SI 997NVB this year to the new Downscan and Switchfire functionality from Humminbird. I had two choices, as a registered owner of the HB 997SI, I could download the new firmware from the Bird website and install it myself for free or I could send the unit in and for a nominal fee - $60 they would upgrade it for me - I chose the latter, because I didn't want to take any risk's of accidently corrupting the install by doing it wrong. The HB service dept is top notch. I can't wait to see what the next refinement is from HB for my 997SI, it can only get better.
I can't attest or comment about the Lowrance, although I do like what the downscan display looks like from what I've seen on the www. However, that's just one aspect of selecting a product. jwelch has the right persective - play with them before you leap. Go for a ride w/ someone who already has them. At the time I bought my Bird, it was the only game in town. But given my investment, I'm not dashing out & buying the Lowrance.
BTW: I am by no means an expert on sonars. But, I do own 4 Birds that haven't failed me yet. 66 Flasher, LCR2000, Pirhana 160, SI997NVB. I also have an Eagle that came with my boat-ESOX Maniac.
FSF. Either the Humminbird or the Lowrance side imaging should let you find the nooks & cranny's. You will be amazed at what you haven't been seeing w/ regular sonar. One of the features I like about the Bird is the fact I can display all three at the same time - side scan, downscan, and regular sonar. Hit the "Mark" button and you've got a snapshot saved of the screen with a GPS waypoint marked on your GPS track data. I don't know if the Lowrance can do the same thing, i.e., display all three...
My current project is to make my HB 997SI portable for next year's muskie flyin - already aquired a spare TM mount SI transducer w/cable at a local sport shop clearance sale, next is spare GPS puck & cable (this winter) & weather sense module. Wahoo, flyin muskies w/side scan technology & GPS & weather sense- In the past I've taken my Pirhana, or before that my fishing partner's "Fishin' Buddy". Our last trip we put 17 muskies in the net, that's also allowing for chasing laker's (a guy's gotta eat some fish). But next year I'll finally be able to see those hidden nook's & cranny's on the flyin -> fish on!
My brother inlaw put it pretty well on our Canadian walleye trip, i.e., once he understood how to use the HB w/side imaging and GPS tracking- "Al, this should almost be illegal". Actually, I don't want all you muskie hunter's to go for side imaging, just do it the old fashion way, stick the rod in the water and see if you can touch bottom or get a long string and a stone!
Have fun!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 8/28/2010 12:11 PM
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