Is Panoptics the future of marine sonar

[ifishinxs]

I was on the water with my PS21 yesterday. I just giggled and laughed most the day watching the trout swimming Around my boat. I was targeting Small mouth bass so the Trout went unmolested for the day. Watching how the fish would react to my boat was just fun to watch. I never once switched to my traditional sonar all day. I thought if, and when I put a PS30 on the transome I'll never use tradional sonar again. Why would I want to see the past when I can see the present.
So my fortune tellers what do the cards say. Is Panoptics the future of Marine Sonar?

[LWINCHESTER2]

Haha!! Nope. It's the present. I'm using the PS21 and PS30 most every day.

[Tx2va07]

I think yes and no. I still think there would be very good use for regular sonar when graphing, as compared to a live view.

[ifishinxs]

In the next few years I see Panoptics taking marine electronics by storm. The guy's that create, design and test Garmins transducers are the best in the business. Now that the Navico suit has been adjudicated these folks have free reign again and can get out of the garage so to speak.

The guys in the northern states are using Panoptics under the ice to locate crappie on brush piles. They drill one hole, drop in the Panoptics and rotate until they see the brush pile. Then pace off the distance and drill a hole over the brush pile. Crazy. I'm using it to see fish but I'm seeing rocks, brush, trees and everything in between. For my needs Panoptics covers it all..
I also see Panoptics having much sharper images in the future. Now I need a PS 30 on the stern and I should be in sonar Nirvana.



Your right, it is the present!

[kry29]

I think live sonar/imaging is the future. Does Garmin have a patent on panoptix? That would be the only thing that would slow down the growth I would think. Surely the big 2 are working on their own versions but who knows

[Larry3215]

Garmin bought another company that originated the tech and is developing it into Panoptix. Furuno just released something very similar that has more range and works well in deep water, but looks to me like it may not have the same detail level. It operates on lower frequencies, so those rules probably apply here as well as normal sonar.

I have no idea why the two of them are not squabbling over patents already.

[Larry3215]

Panoptix is great for what it is, but it doesnt replace traditional sonar. There are a number of things traditional sonar does much better than Panoptix. The three main limitations with Panoptix are range and structure detail and target discrimination - especially at a distance.

[Treeguyus]

Larry another limitation with panoptix, speed of use. Panoptix is scanning sonar and should be looked as another tool added with 2D