It's every yachtsman's dream: to know what's in front of his keel! A classic depth sounder sends its echo under the boat and indicates the depth below. With this instrument, which is already very practical and precise, there is no question of anticipating any upwelling of the bottom.
With the Panoptix probe it is now possible. This through-hull model protrudes under the hull by a few centimetres. Sailing enthusiasts who don't like to drag unnecessary things in the water won't appreciate it. But for all other boaters, this forward looking probe is a real plus.
The Panoptix is a multi-beam, electronically scanned, through-beam probe that allows you to visualize obstacles and display the seabed located at the front of the boat and up to 90 meters (300 feet) away.
Our experience with a similar model from a competitor (Simrad Fowardscan) shows that forward vision is only effective when travelling at very low speed and in shallow water.
Garmin's answer to this is a multibeam, electronically scanned sounder (where competitors use interferometry). Electron scanning is a much more powerful technology in terms of accuracy and refresh rate (responsiveness). In addition, the lateral aperture angle has been deliberately restricted to 20° (the competition "sees" over 40°) in order to have a smaller covered area and faster analysis.
Panoptix technology operates at high speeds (over 45 knots). The refresh rate of the image on the screen is such that Panoptix can be operated at high speed. However, for safety reasons, Garmin will communicate at an approach speed of up to 8 knots, which leaves 10 seconds to react before touching the bottom in 10 meters of water.
Indeed, this probe will be adapted to search for an anchorage while approaching the coast or for fishing sessions during which one moves at very low speed. For fishermen, the Panoptix probe allows them to benefit from the FrontVü sounder mode on their Garmin GPSMAP or EchoMAP CHIRP chartplotter. Featuring an intuitive interface, FrontVü mode displays a clear picture of the bottom while indicating depth and water temperature. FrontVü Mode allows you to instantly locate the heads of submerged rocks and allows you to get closer to shore safely.
The sensor is compatible with the 7" and 9" echoMAP CHIRP series GPS handsets, as well as the GPSMAP 7400, 8000, 8400, 8500 series multifunction displays and the GPSMAP 721, 722, 820, 922, 1020, 1022 and 1222 series GPS handsets.
Available from 1 er quarter 2017 at the recommended retail price of 1,499 euros
