360 contour mode = correct horizontal distance to target

**suvowner** · 02-10-2018, 01:17 PM

thought this would be a useful tip to point out:
There is a helix specific 360 manual on humminbird support pages
from page 31 of the 360 user manual for helix which i found online, it did not come in my transom mount 360 box !!

Contour Mode:
Controls how the water column is displayed in the view.
When Contour Mode is turned off, the water column is displayed on the view. The location ofa target on the display is based on the slant range to the target.
When Contour Mode is turned on, the water column is removed from the view, which allowsthe display to show targets at their linear horizontal distance. The location of a target may beeasier to interpret when the water column is removed.

and also the same is true for Side imaging per the helix manual

**Tone357** · 02-11-2018, 12:09 AM

Thanks posting that, I was wondering what the contour mode would do.

**Lojack** · 02-19-2018, 05:30 PM

I installed a bow mount 360, but am on ice for a couple months and trying to learn from others until I can get out.
I have noticed that many people have the water column showing when they post screen shots, which I believe alters the actual linear distance to target as posted by suvowner. I've seen a picture of a tree at the 30' casting ring, but right on the edge of the water column. Would that mean the tree is right under the boat? What is the benefit of showing the water column? I often fish with the boat in 20 to 30 feet of water and it looks like a large portion of the 360 view would be consumed with the water column.
I will learn it soon enough, but looking for pros and cons to showing and/or not showing the water column.

Thank you

**Wayne P.** · 02-19-2018, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Lojack

I installed a bow mount 360, but am on ice for a couple months and trying to learn from others until I can get out.
I have noticed that many people have the water column showing when they post screen shots, which I believe alters the actual linear distance to target as posted by suvowner. I've seen a picture of a tree at the 30' casting ring, but right on the edge of the water column. Would that mean the tree is right under the boat? What is the benefit of showing the water column? I often fish with the boat in 20 to 30 feet of water and it looks like a large portion of the 360 view would be consumed with the water column.
I will learn it soon enough, but looking for pros and cons to showing and/or not showing the water column.

Thank you

It's those fish things in the water column some want to see.

No different than using Side Imaging with the water column. 360 IS Side Imaging.

Turning off the water column distorts any vertical objects.

This is the same "fish structure":

Contour Mode with 360:

**Lojack** · 02-19-2018, 06:53 PM

It will make sense once I actually get to use it.
So with the water column off, you are only seeing the terrain and will not see bait fish balls or fish, except maybe their shadow?

**suvowner** · 02-19-2018, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Lojack

It will make sense once I actually get to use it.
So with the water column off, you are only seeing the terrain and will not see bait fish balls or fish, except maybe their shadow?

you won't see the ones in the water column under the boat, but you will have correct horizontal distance to whatever you do see.......if you have the water column turned on then the horizontal distance to the target you see is based on pythagorus theorem from trigonometry.

**Wayne P.** · 02-19-2018, 08:07 PM

Fish in the water column:

**Lojack** · 02-19-2018, 08:29 PM

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=880722
Wayne and suvowner, thanks for working with me to figure this out. The water column per the casting rings takes up the first 17 feet of the screen on the above photos. Are you then only seeing 23 feet of ground terrain around the boat? The link I posted shows a picture from Wayne. Is the tree and fish nearly under the boat to the right? Last for now, if the water column is taken out, would you see fish/bait balls away from the boat or are you removing everything suspended in the water?

**Wallace** · 02-19-2018, 11:02 PM

Yes you will see bait all around you. I normally fish with contour on for some reason and I don’t know why but the column of water always messes with me . Fish I have a problem with sometimes depends on wind and how much I’m moving but bait always . Sometimes I run with it on but like said above depends on the situation. It’s a cool tool to have l! If you beat the banks you won’t anymore, you just have to get the hang of it. It doesn’t take to long to learn.

**suvowner** · 02-20-2018, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by Lojack

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=880722
Wayne and suvowner, thanks for working with me to figure this out. The water column per the casting rings takes up the first 17 feet of the screen on the above photos. Are you then only seeing 23 feet of ground terrain around the boat? The link I posted shows a picture from Wayne. Is the tree and fish nearly under the boat to the right? Last for now, if the water column is taken out, would you see fish/bait balls away from the boat or are you removing everything suspended in the water?

Think of the water column as the cone on the bottom of the down imaging, remember in di the size of the cone is roughly the depth of the water. The terrain viewed is the same but the terrain portion of the image is compressed/distorted to fit on the screen, when the water column is off the terrain no longer has to be compressed/distorted to fit so the horizontal distance is correct

for me it helps to imagine myself hovering directly over the top of the 360 transducer and looking down what would I see, so in the real world that water column would be 3 dimensional, but the display is 2d, so then that 3d water column has to be displayed in 2d so it gets flattened out on the display.........think of the illustration of the folded piece of paper that gets flattened out for the SI image on humminbirds site on side imaging, but with 360 that piece of paper is round rather than rectangular.....

hope that helps and doesn't make it worse trying to visualize what is going on !!

**Lojack** · 02-20-2018, 03:43 PM

Thank you all for the information. I am anxious to get out and experiment with it. All the information gives me a good bit of base knowledge to get started.

**mullanator66** · 02-20-2018, 04:11 PM

So in order for contour mode to work do i have to have a di or si helix? Mine is chart /sonar

**suvowner** · 02-20-2018, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by mullanator66

So in order for contour mode to work do i have to have a di or si helix? Mine is chart /sonar

it is a function of si or 360

**mullanator66** · 02-20-2018, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by suvowner

it is a function of si or 360

Right on thanks

**cactusflyr** · 02-21-2018, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Wayne P.

It's those fish things in the water column some want to see.

No different than using Side Imaging with the water column. 360 IS Side Imaging.

Turning off the water column distorts any vertical objects.

This is the same "fish structure":

Contour Mode with 360:

that a dead body in the 360 view?😲

**Wayne P.** · 02-21-2018, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by cactusflyr

that a dead body in the 360 view?��

A distorted subject caused by Contour Mode.

That "dead body" is a GIANT, note the 12' range rings.

**suvowner** · 02-21-2018, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Wayne P.

A distorted subject caused by Contour Mode.

That "dead body" is a GIANT, note the 12' range rings.

looks more like an underwater geometric crop circle.......probably an old transformers landing site.....

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360 contour mode = correct horizontal distance to target