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Do you think it would be possible to use a make a homemade SS sonar using a Humminbird SI Transducer (readily available for around $100-$200US) and build my own circuitry to power it and decode return data and connect to a display or laptop. I think if somebody could design a packaged circuit with USB output, it would provide a very cheap way of getting the performance of a humminbird SI unit for much lower cost. What do you think would be involved, and do you think it would be difficult or even doable?
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I'm a mechanical engineer by profession, so I don't know too much about the electronics and software programming, but I may work with a electrical engineer friend to devolop such a device. If I do devolop and package a product, and sell it at a price point of around $250-350 as a product with no transducer included, do you think it would sell reasonably to this (somewhat niche) audience?
This device could be then coupled with a bluetooth gps and a small netbook computer and may provide more benefits, functionality, and flexibility than a Humminbird unit. Perhaps down the road, an iphone app could be made to connect to the decoder box for real-time sidescan functionality on the iphone or ipod touch. Any feedback is appreciated!! Thanks! -
A demanding task
Hi,
Since the electronics in the control unit represents about 98 % (my intuitive estimate) of the total system complexity of a HB SI system you have a very demanding task in front of you if you start with an SI transducer and intend to design the rest of the system yourself. The transducers are really simple devices with just a few piezo-electric elements inside them. It used to be a kind of sport to build one's own transducer in the past. This is difficult but possible to acheive for an amateur. The electronics are, and have been, a very different thing and just a few people have succeeded with their own control devices over the years. Today I don't think anyone tries this since the from-the-shelf systems have become relatively affordable. The most successful constructor was Sture Hultqvist (deceased a few years ago). His drawings were posted at this forum but I think they vanished from the archive when the forum moved to a new domain. If you can find them, you have a chance for a kick-start in your work.
Wish you good luck
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