Thread: Lowrance SPOTLIGHT Update

Yep Okie, that's what I meant it didn't read that way I suppose. I just don't understand why it has to make a sweep to update? Why can't it just work like the side & down work? Do you know or have any theories why that is? The spotlight is the biggest disappointment I've ever seen Lowrance put on the market.

Scout, I don't understand it either.
Kosmos, I thought the same thing, a separate mount that you turn by hand as you maneuver towards a waypoint might work but, why should we have to re-engineer a product for Lowrance?

My thought is that Lowrance had to come up with an answer to HB's 360 and for whatever reason, this is all they could come up with. Part of the problem IMHO is L is only interested in bass fishing with no though to any other application. Crappie fishing is totally different with different needs and L doesn't recognize the size of this growing market segment. I doubt they have done any focus groups or marketing surveys targeting other markets than bass, if even that. And, I also suspect their R&D budget is very limited and that they will suffer in the long run. I'm thinking they are leaving the door wide open for the Garmin and Raymarine competitors to blow them away. Since both have great salt water offerings it was enevitable they would move into fresh water and have some excellent products starting out and my bet is they blow the socks off L and HB shortly!
To say I'm disappointed and upset with both L and HB is putting it mildly. HB (or MK, if you will) came out with their iPilot/iPilotlink and after investing in it, I came back to L since that product is a joke for crappie fishing.
Ok, I'll get off my soapbox and have another cup of coffee to cool down.

Originally Posted by Okie Bob

Scout, I don't understand it either.
HB (or MK, if you will) came out with their iPilot/iPilotlink and after investing in it, I came back to L since that product is a joke for crappie fishing.

I disagree. The iPilot with a Terrova is great for crappie fishing. I imagine the iPilotLink is too.

My guess is that the SpotLight technology still falls under the general category of "Thin Slice" imaging...wherein the successive pings are received, recorded and "stacked" together to build the image...thus the TM "Sweep" is necessary for the piezoes in the SpotLight xducer to ping successive "slices" of new water to update...

My guess (also)..is that SpotLight uses 2 piezoes fixed at the angle seen in the Spotlight image ...and the "sweep" is receiving and recording the echo return data from each of the 2 piezoes separately...and then the processor uses the data from both piezoes to determine how to "paint" the image...

My guess (also) is that the HB patent lawyers have their 360 "radar type" sweep very carefully worded... in order to protect their technology ...

Rickie

Originally Posted by rnvinc

My guess is that the SpotLight technology still falls under the general category of "Thin Slice" imaging...wherein the successive pings are received, recorded and "stacked" together to build the image...thus the TM "Sweep" is necessary for the piezoes in the SpotLight xducer to ping successive "slices" of new water to update...

My guess (also)..is that SpotLight uses 2 piezoes fixed at the angle seen in the Spotlight image ...and the "sweep" is receiving and recording the echo return data from each of the 2 piezoes separately...and then the processor uses the data from both piezoes to determine how to "paint" the image...

My guess (also) is that the HB patent lawyers have their 360 "radar type" sweep very carefully worded... in order to protect their technology ...

Rickie

Rickie, I believe you have hit the nail on the head. Explains it perfectly.

Originally Posted by Stymie

I disagree. The iPilot with a Terrova is great for crappie fishing. I imagine the iPilotLink is too.

Stymie, I notice you are from Alabama and suspect you mainly spider rig? If so, you
are probably not using the spotlock feature in the iPilot/Link?
Down here, we are either vertical jigging or dock shooting. The brush piles we fish are mainly man made and pretty small. You have to be able to position on top of them to catch fish and I could NOT maintain a 20' radius of a brush pile with iPilot. I had a PowerDriveV2 with factory iPilot and later a Terrova also with factory iPilot. MK had me take it to a factory authorized repair center in Dallas where they replaced all the electronics with factory new and it didn't help one bit. They advertise a 5' radius but, I'll bet the farm you won't get that performance in an enclosed swimming pool!
It may work great if you don't need precise positioning but, if you do, forget it.

Fellow Fishermen,
Send me the ipilot and spotlight scam, I'll pay postage, (up to 10$)

That is why they call it spotlight instead of flashlight.