A depth sounder measures water depth and can activate an alarm at a predetermined depth to prevent boats from hitting the bottom or damaging the engine. It also provides an accurate picture of the bottom contour and makeup using radar. It helps ships navigate shallow areas and allows safe navigation for smaller boats.
A depth sounder is an electronic device that measures the depth of water in which a ship travels. Most depth sounder designs allow an alarm to be activated at a predetermined water depth. This ensures that the boat does not hit the bottom and become stranded. It also ensures that the engine or propeller is not damaged by bottoming out. Many fancy depth sounder designs have provisions to set certain areas on the Global Positioning System (GPS) so that the ship can be warned on its next trip to the same location.
Before the invention of the depth sounder, ships used to troll heavy objects and take measurements from weights attached to long ropes. The weight could be lowered and the rope measured when the weight hit bottom. Often this slow process found the ship running aground or damaged before the measurement could be completed. Modern electronic depth sounding devices have real-time feeds and measure exact depth instantly.
The depth sounder not only provides an accurate measurement of water depth, but most units give an accurate picture of bottom contour and makeup. The device can show the outline of rocks or sunken ships or humps and falls by using radar. The depth sounder uses a radar beam to scan the bottom and receives the radar beams as they bounce off the bottom. Radar not only allows the operator to “see” the depth of the water, but also the slope of the drop or any objects that may be higher than the bottom and could damage the boat even though the boat is in deep enough water.
Entering many ports, some of today’s large ships miss the bottom of the harbor by a very narrow margin. Often the difference of just a minuscule amount will determine the success or danger of a ship. Depth sounders allow the ship’s crew to precisely navigate shallow areas and avoid any situation that could put the ship in distress: for these ships, the sounder’s ability to not only monitor below the ship but also to Scanning each side of the ship helps in navigating the canals. For smaller sports or pleasure boats, the depth sounder allows for safe navigation when entering an unfamiliar area for the first time or even at night. When the captain hears the audible alarm sound, it’s time to drop anchor or slowly back out of the shallow area.
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