[PSUBS-MAILIST] Forward Facing Scanning Sonar

[Alan via Personal_Submersibles]

Just wondering whether a forward facing scanning sonar is worth it.
I have been re-looking at them to see if there have been any recent
developments.
A couple that I have looked at that are for the rov market, are around
10-15k. I looked at a video showing a camera image with the scanner
screen image in the corner of the screen, & it looked unintelligible.
Am wondering if just a depth sounder mounted horizontally would do
just from the low visibility collision avoidance perspective. I could make a
small fibreglass plug to fit in a small through hull & mount a "shoot through
hull" depth sounder inside my hull. Did a quick analysis & a 2" diameter 
fibreglass plug 1/2" thick fitted over a 1" diameter hole would give me a 
15,000ft depth rating. Have talked with sonar people who have advised not 
to go more than 1/2" thick with the fibreglass I am shooting through & to 
leave no air gaps between the transducer & fibreglass. 
I did pursue the idea of adapting the cheaper Simrad Forward Scan for boats
but after getting little information from manufacturers & reps, dropped the
idea. They also said they didn't think it would work with a shoot through hull
& had no idea of it's depth rating.
Has anyone had any experience with forward scan or a forward mounted
depth sounder. Or from your submarine experience do you think this is
not really necessary.
Cheers Alan
  

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