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Allafloat

Ipad and depth sounder.

By Allafloat on Sep 21, 2012 at 6:47 PM 4 Vote 0 Votes

Greetings all,

I'm intending to use an Ipad as a GPS unit - though a secondary system and then inside a wheelhouse and on fresh, not salt, water. I'd like to record the depths on tracks but am really struggling to find a way to go about doing this. Could anyone suggest an answer?

I currently have an Echopilot FLS silver unit but this has no NMEA output so I'd expect to be buying a new depth sounder though, hopefully, without a display.

Many thanks.

Allafloat.

4 Replies

  • guy.hollister
    guy.hollister | December 30, 2012 2:48 PM

    What do you want ? A sounder OR a GPS ? I have Navionics Software on my iPad [GPS]. I can get a separate device that is tethered to the iPad and is a underwater sonar device. Thats all I know of.

  • Ben E
    Ben E | December 31, 2012 8:33 AM

    Guy, I'm curious what specific sonar to iPad device you mean? But note that it's already quite possible for a single app to receive and display GPS, depth, wind, and even more info.

    Allafloat, I think that hardware you're looking for is a NMEA 2000 stand alone depth sounder, available from Airmar or Maretron, and a N2K-to-WiFi adaptor like the Digital Yacht NavLink or Chetco SeaSmart. I'm not sure that any of the apps that work with boat data over WiFi -- like iNavX or iRegatta -- can record depth with track points right now but it's quite possible and I think there will be lots more apps coming.

    Also, this could probably be done with NMEA 0183 for less money right now, but I still think 2000 is the way to go for a quality install with nearly unlimited growth possibilities. Note also that you probably won't be able to set a keel or waterline offset on the depth sensor unless you also get a N2K-PC adapter so you can run Airmar or Maretron utility software.

  • Ben E
    Ben E | January 2, 2013 12:05 PM

    Thanks, Guy! I just wrote the Deeper folks and asked to try one. But let's acknowledge that it is not a boat sonar; it's for use with a fishing rod. Humminbird has actually had something similar for a while, though without the Bluetooth and apps:

    http://store.humminbird.com/category/296590/SmartCast_Series

    I tried a SmartCast once and wasn't very impressed but did wonder if such a gadget could be used from the bow of a cruising boat to reconnoiter an anchorage.