Simrad EK80 - Choose a Position Far Away from the Bow Thruster(S); Summary and General Recommendations

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Chooseapositionfarawayfromthebowthruster(s)
Bowthrusterpropellersareextremelynoisy.
Wheninoperation,thenoiseandcavitationbubblescreatedbythethrustermaymakeyour
EK80Widebandscienticechosounderuseless,almostnomatterwherethetransduceris
installed.
Andwhennotinoperation,thetunnelcreatesturbulence.Ifyourvesselispitching,the
tunnelmaybelledwithairoraeratedwaterintheupperpositionandreleasethisinthe
lowerposition.
Ingeneral,alltransducersshouldthereforebeplacedwellawayfromthebowthruster(s).In
mostcases,alocationforwardofthebowthrusterisadvantageous.
However,thisisnotaninvariablerule.Certainthrusterdesignscombinedwiththeirphysical
locationsonthehullmaystilloffersuitablelocationsnearthethruster.Ifyouareindoubt,
consultanavalarchitect.
Summaryandgeneralrecommendations
Someoftheinstallationguidelinesprovidedfortransducersmaybeconicting.Forthis
reason,eachvesselmustbetreatedindividuallyinordertondthebestcompromise.
Ingeneral,themostimportantfactoristoavoidairbubblesinfrontofthetransducerface.
Forthisreason,therecommendedtransducerlocationisnormallyintheforepartofthehull,
wellaheadofthenoisecreatedbythebowwave.Themaximumdistancefromthebowis
normallyequaltoonethirdofthetotalwaterlinelengthofthehull.
Ifthevesselhullhasabulbousbow,thismaywellbeagoodtransducerlocation,butalso
inthiscasetheowpatternoftheaeratedwatermustbetakenintoconsideration.Often
theforemostpartofthebulbispreferable.
Thisappliestothevesselinnormaltrimandspeed.
Important
Undernocircumstancesshouldthetransducerbetiltedbackwardswhenthevesselismoving
atanappreciablespeed.Mountingscrewsmustneverbeextrudingfromthetransducer,and
thespacearoundthescrewsmustbelledwithacompoundoralockingring.
Preparations