Side Imaging for Dummies " Entry Level"

I think I've printed out some recommended 'things to try' that maybe Rickie has in a sticky, or else I'm thinking of LWinchester on bbc. Contrast and brightness will be the things you play with. I expect to change my settings at each lake I go to, variables with different waters, different bottoms, etc. Find a palette you can see best under that day's conditions (may change) and go right back where you spoke of..a place of known cover and structural changes. Don't fish, just try to learn your unit at this point. Adjust one of the two elements until things start popping for you. Know where you start at so you can return if you aren't happy. If you get lost you get confused and frustrated. Contrast may very well be the bigger ticket for you, but if not then it may take a combination. It sometimes takes a bit to get really comfortable with them, I'm happy with my displays. I agree that for sv I'm looking for cover or structural differences. If I see soft targets so much the better. 2d for that and then dv. Freq's can matter also. When you set contrast and brightness on sv and dv I think they are independent one from the other and also per freq

Thanks d_a and TeeDee.

I'm going to have to go find that list of things to try you're talking about. I'll be on the water again Super Bowl weekend.

Here is what I keep handy, altho Rickie penned it toward HB's much of it is applicable anywhere. I cannot recall where I first saw it. "The 2 most important settings for satisfactory imaging in HB units is Chart Speed and Sensitivity...
*Match Chart Speed to boat speed for best ratio of data collected to data plotted
*Then adjust Sensitivity Up/Down to brighten/darken the SI (sv) image
*Contrast and Sharpness--only increase when looking for fish echoes..because the image becomes grainy the higher the Contrast and Sharpness
*Choose a palette color that contrasts light and dark well (in the image) for the specific ambient light at that time (brighter palettes for sunny days--darker palettes for cloudy)
*Set SI (sv) range at very close (30-50') until things seen in the image make sense...then longer ranges as experience grows in recognizing what stuff looks like in SI (sv)

I keep this inside my cover to remind me. Been a great help to me. I make adjustments to Contrast and Gain as I see fit now that I am more familiar and comfortable, but always know where I started so as not to get too lost or confused. The units are great. Hope you enjoy

Thanks TeeDee!!

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Originally Posted by TeeDee

Here is what I keep handy, altho Rickie penned it toward HB's much of it is applicable anywhere. I cannot recall where I first saw it. "The 2 most important settings for satisfactory imaging in HB units is Chart Speed and Sensitivity...
*Match Chart Speed to boat speed for best ratio of data collected to data plotted
*Then adjust Sensitivity Up/Down to brighten/darken the SI (sv) image
*Contrast and Sharpness--only increase when looking for fish echoes..because the image becomes grainy the higher the Contrast and Sharpness
*Choose a palette color that contrasts light and dark well (in the image) for the specific ambient light at that time (brighter palettes for sunny days--darker palettes for cloudy)
*Set SI (sv) range at very close (30-50') until things seen in the image make sense...then longer ranges as experience grows in recognizing what stuff looks like in SI (sv)

I keep this inside my cover to remind me. Been a great help to me. I make adjustments to Contrast and Gain as I see fit now that I am more familiar and comfortable, but always know where I started so as not to get too lost or confused. The units are great. Hope you enjoy

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Keeping that info on the inside of the cover is a great idea!!! Thanks.

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Originally Posted by TeeDee

Here is what I keep handy, altho Rickie penned it toward HB's much of it is applicable anywhere. I cannot recall where I first saw it. "The 2 most important settings for satisfactory imaging in HB units is Chart Speed and Sensitivity...
*Match Chart Speed to boat speed for best ratio of data collected to data plotted

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Ive found that using Ultrascroll at all speeds kept the images from looking squished.

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Originally Posted by Schins

Ive found that using Ultrascroll at all speeds kept the images from looking squished.

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personally on mine these days I use autoscroll or ultrascroll. It does elongate the images a bit and may make them a little easier to see. The list that Rickie put together is of more value to me now as a reference and a place to always be able to return to in case of meltdown