Comparison Lowrance Hook2 4x GPS Bullet vs Lowrance Hook 4x

The type defines the general purpose of the device.

— Echo sounder. Echo sounders are devices designed to study water bodies using sonar. The principle of operation of an echo sounder is similar to that of a radar, but it does not use radio waves, but ultrasound. The initial purpose of such devices is the creation of topographic maps of the bottom of a reservoir, the determination of its topography and depth in various places. However, in addition to this, the echo sounder can be used to detect fish, and with good quality of the device and correctly set settings, you can even determine the approximate size of potential prey.

— Chartplotter. A chartplotter can be described as a dedicated GPS navigator designed for marine use and equipped with related additional features. Such functions include, at a minimum, working with sailing directions (detailed maps of water bodies, indicating depths, currents, etc.); in addition, support for meteorological services, additional equipment such as radars or specific navigation sensors, etc. can be provided. Note that the GPS receiver can be either built-in or external; see Chartplotter Specifications for details.

— Sonar chart plotter. Models that combine the capabilities of both types described above in one device. Such devices are the most versatile, however, and cost accordingly.

— Sonar fl...asher. A specific type of echo sounder, designed specifically for use in one place, without movement. Initially, such devices were generally developed for fishing from an ice hole in winter — although this is not limited to such fishing — flashers are also used in summer, including in open water when fishing from a boat. Such devices are by definition capable of displaying fish in real time (see "Functions"), however, instead of a traditional screen, a circular indicator is used, thanks to which the user can determine the direction of the detected object. And the features of this object (more precisely, the signal reflected from it) can be determined by the colour of the mark on the indicator: for example, a red mark corresponds to a strong signal, yellow to an average signal, green to a weak one. Another advantage of a flasher over a traditional fish finder is its high sensitivity, which allows you to follow even small baits. Thanks to all this, such devices are quite popular among anglers, however, they are not cheap.

the maximum depth at which the sonar locator (see "Type") is able to operate effectively — in other words, how deep underwater the device is able to "see".

It is worth choosing an echo sounder according to this parameter, taking into account the actual depths at which it is planned to be used. Of course, this does not place a certain margin, but within reasonable limits (15-20%, less). For example, it hardly makes sense to specially take a model with a scanning depth of 200 m for a lake with pits of 30-40 m — such devices are expensive, while there will simply be nowhere to realize their full potential, and a powerful signal can also scare away the fish. But for marine or oceanic applications, a depth of a kilometer or more may be required; the most advanced echo sounders are quite capable of providing it.

The number of individual beams of radiation emitted by the device with the echo sounder function (see "Type"). The general principle is as follows: the more rays, the more advanced the device is considered and the more additional features it provides. Specific features may be:

— 1. Single- beam echo sounders are the simplest variety; accordingly, one of their key advantages is low cost. On the other hand, the shortcomings of any beam — both narrow and wide — are fully realized in them (for more details, see "Total angle of radiation"), and there is no question of a detailed determination of the position of individual detected objects (for example, fish).

— 2. In models with two beams, these beams most often have a common axis, but differ in coverage angle: one is made narrow, directly for measuring depths, the other is wider, for searching for fish and other individual objects. Thus, this option combines the advantages of beams of large and small widths. However such an echo sounder is not capable of fixing the location of the fish relative to the boat.

— 3. Three- beam echo sounders have all the capabilities of the two-beam echo sounders described above, and in addition, they are also able to determine the location of a fish or other object relative to the boat (right or left).

The number of individual radiation frequencies that can be operated by a device with echo sounding function (see "Type").

The features of the frequencies themselves are described in detail below, but here we note that different models may provide different options for distributing frequencies over individual beams (see "Number of radiation beams"). So, in some devices, each beam has its own frequency, in others, individual emitters can be switched, choosing the best option depending on the characteristics of the situation. In general, more frequencies indicate greater versatility, but it significantly affects the price.

The frequency(s) of radiation at which the device with the echo sounder function is capable of operating (see "Type").

The higher the frequency, the better the resolution and noise immunity of the device, the better it is suitable for working at high speeds, but the range and coverage suffer. Low-frequency (up to 200 kHz) sensors, on the contrary, "reach" deep and cover a wide angle, but are sensitive to interference and do not work well with fine terrain details and small objects. Accordingly, the first option is considered optimal for shallow depths and high-precision topographic measurements, while the second option is for deep water bodies, as well as for searching for fish and other tasks that require wide coverage.

Models with several radiation beams (see “Number of radiation beams”) often provide different frequencies for individual beams, which allows you to combine the advantages of different options in one device and compensate for their disadvantages.

The power output by the fishfinder (or fishfinder-chartplotter, see "Type") when operating.

The more powerful the emitter, the more “long-range” the device turns out, the greater the depth at which it can work normally (see above). However, do not forget that the practical capabilities of an echo sounder depend on a number of other parameters, ranging from operating frequencies and angles (see above) to the quality of the receiver and the features of signal processing algorithms. In addition, different manufacturers may indicate different types of power in the characteristics: in some cases it is peak (maximum power at the time of a single pulse), in others it is RMS (rms power calculated over a certain period of time and obtained below peak). Therefore, we can say that the role of this parameter is usually purely reference, and when choosing, it is worth focus on moments that are closer to practice (for example, the same scanning depth).

Sonar support for CHIRP technology.

The meaning of this technology is to use the echo sounder at the same time several frequencies. In other words, each pulse consists of several signals, each at its own frequency. According to the creators, this allows you to improve image quality, increase detail (including at great depth and high speed) and at the same time reduce the level of noise and other interference on the screen compared to single-frequency sonars. However, models with CHIRP are noticeably more expensive.

Echosounder support for special bottom scanning technologies.

"Viewing" the space under the bottom of the boat is a classic sonar mode and is supported by all models by definition. However, in normal mode, the sound beam propagates in the form of a cone, and the area of the bottom that falls under the beam has the shape of a circle. This degrades the accuracy and does not allow you to achieve a detailed image. Thus, many echo sounder manufacturers have developed special technologies to improve the performance of the instrument; Lowrance has DSI, Hummingbird has DI, Garmin has DownVü. The nuances of these technologies may differ, but the basic principle of operation is the same: the echo sounder beam narrows and goes not in a cone, but in a strip. Due to this, the resolution of the device is significantly increased; at shallow depths, such an echo sounder can “draw” even individual stalks of algae, making it possible to distinguish underwater thickets from schools of fish. Some models combine a narrow beam with a classic cone to further expand detection capabilities. However, such devices are expensive.

— 3D maps. Support for maps rendered using 3D graphics. This provides additional visibility in the work: the relief on the screen can be seen not in the form of conditional lines and colour spots, but in the form of protrusions and depressions, the shape of which most closely matches the real shape of the surface. In this case, the three-dimensional image can be supplemented with colour and/or numerical indication to clarify additional data (for example, specific depth values). This feature is typical for high-end models with the chartplotter function (see "Type").

— Sound alarm. The presence of an audible alarm in the design of the device. The types of alarms and their triggering situations can be different: fish detection, critical depth reduction (see “Shoal/Shoal” below), reaching a checkpoint, man overboard(see below), etc. However, anyway, this type of notification is more reliable than graphic indication on the screen — the user does not have to look at the device to hear the sound. This greatly reduces the risk of missing an important message.

— Determining the distance to the fish. Ability to determine the distance to the fish detected by the echo sounder. Usually, we are talking about the distance in depth, and the indication itself can be carried out in different ways: in some models, fish marks are displaye...d opposite the depth scale, in others, a specific value can be given for each mark separately.

— Indication of symbols in the form of fish. The ability to display on the screen a signal from a fish detected by an echo sounder in the form of, in fact, “fish” icons. This option is better suited for non-professional users than standard icons in the form of arcs of various shapes: working with arcs requires some practical knowledge to distinguish fish from other signal sources, and in the case of “fish”, the device itself solves this task for the user. Of course, no such system is perfect, and therefore false positives are not ruled out; on the other hand, recognition technologies are constantly improving. Many echo sounders with this function even have a gradation according to the size of prey — large, medium, small.

— Indication of fish in real time. In devices with this function, fish signals are displayed on the screen when a fish enters the echo sounder beam — and disappear when it leaves the beam. This allows you to track the movements of potential prey as quickly as possible and evaluate the prospects of a particular location — while models without real-time indication display marks constantly, upon detection of fish, and make it difficult to assess its movements.

— Fast screen refresh. The refresh rate of the echo sounder screen determines how evenly the relief “visible” by the device is drawn on this screen. This parameter is important when moving at high speed: if the screen is updated slowly, there is a high probability of the appearance of "steps" with sharp drops — due to the fact that the device did not have time to process and display data on the bottom section passed. By “fast” update is meant a mode that allows you to comfortably use the echo sounder at high speed; for different manufacturers, the specific values \u200b\u200bof this speed may vary, however, usually, we are talking about at least 30 – 40 km/h, developed by powerful motor boats.

— Shallow water/shallow. This function provides an indication of a critical decrease in depth, fraught with grounding with all the associated unpleasant consequences. The depth at which the alarm is triggered can most often be set at the request of the user.

— Automatic change of depth scale. Automatic change of scale of the image on the screen depending on the depth "seen" by the echo sounder. This function adjusts the screen of the device so that the entire scanned volume of water from the surface to the bottom is completely visible on it, and it is not necessary to move the image up and down to assess the situation. For example, at depths of 35-40 m, a model with auto-zoom can use a 50-metre scale, and when reaching greater depths, switch to 80- or 100-metre, at smaller depths, to 20-metre, etc. At the same time, automatic adjustment "makes life easier" for the user, eliminating the need to adjust the scale manually.

— Displayed depth range. The ability to manually set the device to a specific depth range shown on the display — so that the space above and below this range will be outside the screen. This function can be useful, for example, to search for fish walking in a certain depth range; while limiting the range allows you to get an image on a larger scale than when viewing the entire space from the surface to the bottom.

— Determination of bottom density. The ability to use an echo sounder to determine the density of the bottom surface. A device with this function allows you to determine what is under the vessel — stone, sand or soft silt; this information may be useful when catching some types of fish. In addition, bottom density data is useful when searching for underwater objects — for example, sunken ships are often distinguished by "hard" spots on a soft surface.

— Indication of water temperature. Possibility to display the water temperature on the device screen. The specific features of such an indication can be different: some models show only data on the water in direct contact with the sensor (that is, in fact, the temperature on the surface), others are also able to display data on the thermocline (temperature jump layer).

— Indication of speed. The ability to display the speed of movement on the screen of the device. This feature provides additional information and can be useful even on boats equipped with their own speedometers — getting speed data directly on the sonar / chartplotter screen is often more convenient than being distracted by a separate device. This data can come from different sources — for example, from a GPS module or from a specialized sensor (log).

— Display of the distance traveled. The ability to display the distance traveled on the screen of the device. Features of this function may vary depending on the model: in the simplest devices only the total distance traveled is shown, more advanced ones (usually with a chartplotter function, see "Type") can also draw the route on the map.

— Function "man overboard". As the name suggests, this feature facilitates rescue operations in the event of a person falling overboard. The specific functionality associated with this may vary in different models, but usually there is at least the ability to quickly fix the scene in the device and switch it to the navigation mode to this point. And in more advanced models, DSC maritime radio communications may also be provided, as well as the reception and processing of similar signals from other ships.