FURUNO INTRODUCES WORLD’S FIRST DUAL-FREQUENCY SEARCHLIGHT SONAR
24th March 2006
Camas, WA — Furuno is proud to introduce the new CH-300 Dual-Frequency Searchlight 
Sonar, the world’s first dual-frequency sonar! This sonar is built specifically for sport fishing battlewagons and commercial fishing vessels that are looking for an extra edge. With traditional sonars, you pick either a low frequency or high frequency version, but with the CH300 it’s like getting two sonars in one.
This revolutionary, dual-frequency sonar has the advantage of both high and low frequencies in one unit to search on a rough seabed and to greatly enhance fish school detection. Its operating frequency can be selected from either 60/153kHz or 85/215kHz. The lower frequencies enable long-range searches of over 1,600 feet. The higher frequencies, give a highly detailed search near and around the vessel.
The CH300 comes in two versions: a display version, packaged with a 10.4-inch color LCD, or a Black Box version that allows you to connect nearly any size display to it, such as Furuno’s 12”, 15” and 17” ultra-bright monitors. A variety of presentation modes are available: horizontal and vertical scan, echo sounder and vertical scan/historical/plotter presentations. The combination of horizontal and vertical scan helps evaluate the distribution of fish schools in both the horizontal and vertical planes simultaneously.
A unique mix mode is available, which uses an overlay of the two frequencies. By comparing the returned echo intensity of both frequencies, the mix mode picks out the echoes of tiny fish and displays them in vivid colors, while other echoes are displayed in weaker colors. This helps to discriminate tiny fish, such as small bait, from other fish.
Two target lock modes are provided to either manually or automatically track a fish school or stationary position, such as a fish shelter or reef. The Target Lock mode will automatically track the fish school, while the Position Track mode will lock the beam onto a specified Lat/Lon position. In addition, the CH300 also displays vessel position, heading, cursor Lat/Lon, and vessel’s track line and water currents when interfaced with appropriate sensors.
Fish and underwater targets are displayed in eight or 16 colors, including white, on a high-resolution color TFT LCD display. The CH300 has user-selectable background colors to adjust for every lighting condition, from pitch-black to full sunlight. For those who prefer to specify their own display, the CH300BB allows you to choose what type and size of display to connect to the unit. It doesn’t matter if it is a CRT or a flat panel LCD, as long as it is a non-interlaced, VGA (640 x 480) or higher monitor. The intuitive, easy to use control panel includes one-touch selection of sonar display modes with user programmable “custom” mode keys.
When operating the CH300 in Full-circle mode, it offers 15 range scales from 40 to 2,500 feet. The Vertical Fan Scan mode, also offers 15 range scales from 30 to 2,000 feet.
Because of the slim design of the LCD display and control panel, the unit needs less space on your bridge than its CRT counterparts. The CH300BB Black Box version allows for shared monitor utilization of other Black Box products with a standard PC monitor switching system. This means you can use one monitor for several different Furuno Black Box products. Furuno’s CH300 and CH300BB feature a 190 mm (approx. 8”) hull tube.
For more information on the new Furuno CH300 Dual-Frequency Searchlight Sonar or any product in Furuno’s full line of marine electronics, contact: Furuno U.S.A.,
4400 N.W. Pacific Rim Blvd., Dept. P, Camas, WA 98607. Phone: (360) 834-9300. Fax: (360) 834-9400. Online boaters can also check out Furuno U.S.A.’s Web site (www.Furuno.com).