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Now it is time to make a thread on Burtons fine and inexpensive sidescan sonar.
I will post pictures and write comments as time goes and I get more experience with the sonar.
First, I needed a storage/transportation container/box. Since the equipement is delicate, we like to store and transport it in a rugged box.
So i looked up some prices on woody-boxes and other stuff, but it was too expensive.
I ended up with 2 plywood boards and 15 meters of 1x1.5".
Will this ever become a useable box?
I also needed a box to connect power to the NMEA bus and the display unit, and decided to connect a DB-9 connector also. This is just to have the possibilities to connect a external GPS/DGPS or to get NMEA instructions from the Lowrance unit and use it in e.g. a chartplotter on the PC, or a autopilot. This is because I would like the system to be PORTABLE and not install the GPS/Lowrance units and wirering permanently.
This is the PCB after the etching.
Backside after soldering the DB-9 and the terminals for the GPS/power/NMEA.
And frontside...
This PCB will be installed in an plastic casing, also containing the fuses for the display unit and the GPS, as well as a "main switch" for the 12VDC power.
So after 3 hours this was the thing I came up with....
It has space enough for the towfish, the cable, microcontroller, GPS, display unit, lead for weights, tools, manuals.... and so on...
This is the unit in the box. It will be padded with CNC machined foam (I hope) in the future. For now I will just pad it with some kind of foam, just to protect the towfish and the electronics.
Please comment if you have anny suggestions to me!
regards,
Glenn from Norway
I will post pictures and write comments as time goes and I get more experience with the sonar.
First, I needed a storage/transportation container/box. Since the equipement is delicate, we like to store and transport it in a rugged box.
So i looked up some prices on woody-boxes and other stuff, but it was too expensive.
I ended up with 2 plywood boards and 15 meters of 1x1.5".
Will this ever become a useable box?
I also needed a box to connect power to the NMEA bus and the display unit, and decided to connect a DB-9 connector also. This is just to have the possibilities to connect a external GPS/DGPS or to get NMEA instructions from the Lowrance unit and use it in e.g. a chartplotter on the PC, or a autopilot. This is because I would like the system to be PORTABLE and not install the GPS/Lowrance units and wirering permanently.
This is the PCB after the etching.
Backside after soldering the DB-9 and the terminals for the GPS/power/NMEA.
And frontside...
This PCB will be installed in an plastic casing, also containing the fuses for the display unit and the GPS, as well as a "main switch" for the 12VDC power.
So after 3 hours this was the thing I came up with....
It has space enough for the towfish, the cable, microcontroller, GPS, display unit, lead for weights, tools, manuals.... and so on...
This is the unit in the box. It will be padded with CNC machined foam (I hope) in the future. For now I will just pad it with some kind of foam, just to protect the towfish and the electronics.
Please comment if you have anny suggestions to me!
regards,
Glenn from Norway
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