Sound
in water
- fifty years at
the forefront…
MAXIMIZING YOUR
PERFORMANCE
AT
SEA
Fifty years at the forefront…
The first echosounder
from Simrad was
launched in 1951.
The ”Skipper Sounder”
from 1957, was small
enough to be mounted
in the wheelhouse.
Skipper Sounder
Making
Making Waves
Waves
In 1953 Simrad introduced the first Sonar to the fishing
world. Since then, the ways and means of fishing have
evolved to become technology based. And at the forefront
of this evolution, you’ll find Simrad.
To lead in this technological change is to shape the world
of fishing and through ideas and innovations Simrad has
done just that. You could say that fifty years ago, fish were
relatively safe. Now though, with Simrad’s help, fish can
be caught in a far more efficient manner, which in turn
increases profitability and makes life at sea less stressful
for the fisherman.
The technology of sound in water has transformed the
world of fishing. And with the constant development of
Sonar, Echosounders and Net Instrumentation Simrad
continues to forge an unprecedented path.
SONARS
3
From the Navy to commercial fishing
Simrad developed the first ever fishing
Echosounder and like Sonar, it was
based on a military design, this time
from the Norwegian Defence Research
Establishment.
The system needed a complete redesign
to make it suitable for fishing and was
first launched two years before Sonar
in 1951.
Sonar, or Sound Navigation and Ranging,
started out as a military application during
the 1st World War. In fact, it was originally
referred to as ASDICS, or Anti-Submarine
Detection Investigation Committee. It was
devised to detect enemy submarines and
ultimately destroy them.
It wasn’t until 1953, following a deal with
the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen,
Norway, that Sonar was used for anything
other than military applications.
Simrad’s technicians had been tasked with
commercialising Sonar and were preparing
to revolutionise the world of fishing. It’s a
question as to whether Sonar would be part
of the fishing world at all, if Simrad had failed
in this task. The concept of Sonar in fishing
was the first great leap but there were many
more to come…
Submarine attack on a British convoy to Russia.
Proving Grounds
The ”Ramoen” was the first commercial
vessel to be fitted with Sonar. The technicians
at Simrad needed a testing ground, and the
Norwegian trawler would provide the perfect
solution. Active Sonar – which sends as well
as receives – was a young technology at the
time of the ”Ramoen”, so compared to today’s
standards, the first Sonar was bulky, expensive
and not exactly user friendly.
The ”Ramoen” - the first commercial vessel with sonar.
The ”Ramoen” however, was an amazing
success, because without it, the Simrad technicians would never have come up with the
Basdic Hand Operated Sonar. In 1955 it became
the first widely used Sonar mounted in the
skiff. The ”Basdic” Sonar sold over 5000 units
and is still in use by some of the original
”early adopters” today - testament to the build
quality still apparent in all Simrad products.
SONARS
The ”Basdic”
Where as the ”Ramoen”
featured fixed Sonar,
the Basdic had a handle,
allowing the transducer
to be directed at all
angles. This opened up
a whole new era for
Sonar, and was the first
of many innovations that
Simrad has given the fishing industry.
The ”Basdic”, here shown in
a water proof cabinet juring
an exhibition in 1954.
”Basdic” transducer unit.
5
The
The cost
cost of
of the
the catch
catch
The average Sonar is not cheap. It’s money well
spent of course, and money recouped in a short
space of time thanks to the catch improving
qualities of such high-tech instruments. In the
early days of Sonar though, it was simply
impossible for the everyday fisherman to be
able to afford this new technology.
Simrad recognised this problem, and during the
fifties, worked hard at lowering the cost. Come
the end of the decade, Simrad had succeeded.
The need for a fully functioning, affordable
Sonar was fulfilled and a new era for commercial
fishing the world over was ushered in.
SONARS
The earliest fishing Sonar displayed
the signal using wet paper. This system
lacked defi-nition and flexibility. Simrad
was the first to move from early paper
based displays to full electronic screens.
In 1975 the CD Sonar Situation
Display introduced a true motion
image that waved
goodbye to paper
in Sonar for good.
7
Sonar for all
It wasn’t until 1959 that Simrad made Sonar
a true commercial viability. The ”Silde ASDIC”
(Sild means Herring in Norwegian) was so
popular in fact, that it was blamed for
depleting Herring stocks in the North
Sea at the time! With the success of the
Sild ASDIC, the cost of Sonar became
a very important aspect for Simrad when
developing future Sonar systems. The emphasis
on cost has been shared with a focus on
innovation ever since, which is why Simrad
Sonar is still the preferred choice for
commercial fishermen fifty years on.
SB Sonar hull unit - 1964
SK Sonar - 1964
SB Sonar - 1964
SONARS
In 1968 Simrad introduced
the SU Sonar series, which
featured a transducer deployed
by hydraulics. The success of
the SU didn’t deter Simrad
in working to develop a more
cost-effective solution and in
1975 the ST Sonar was released. It used an inflatable dome
system (as an alternative to
hydraulics), which created
aerodynamic protection for the
transducer. Another simple
idea that demonstrates
Simrad’s forward thinking
attitude and customer
commitment.
The ST Sonar was mounted
in a special rubber dome that
was inflated during use.
SL Sonar - 1972
SQ/ST Sonar - 1975
SY Sonar - 1978
9
Evolution
Evolution through
through
innovation
innovation
Mechanically steered
nickel transducer from
the late fifties.
Having created new thinking in Sonar systems
Simrad would strive to develop affordability
to make the technology available to a wider
market. Many of the developments in fishing
Sonar we take for granted have come from the
intrinsic link between cost and innovation,
which has driven Simrad since day one.
After commercialising Sonar during the
fifties, Simrad strived to make use of emerging
technologies to make its Sonar systems more
efficient, easier to use, and of course more
cost effective.
SONARS
At the beginning of the
eighties Simrad introduced
digital signal processing –
a system which is still unique
to Simrad today. It offers
faster and more accurate
processing in addition to
simplifying the electronics
and also makes it possible
to upgrade without extra
hardware.
In the early eighties Simrad introduced
the SX202, which was the first 90 o
vertical tilt sonar on the market.
The development of advanced transducer technology
demands considerable patience, accuracy and hours
of testing.
The true motion display showed
ships track, the fish target and
motion in colors.
The first Multibeam sonar,
the SM600, gave better range,
greater target definition and
was easier to understand.
All at a much lower cost.
11
The first long range omni
directional sonar, the SR240,
was introduced in 1989.
This new technology
gave better verticle
views and much
improved target
defininition.
Sonar screen without, and with
interference from other sonars
in the area.
The Simrad sonars are tailor
made for various types of fishery.
The SP90 low frequency long
range sonar is optimized for
searching for tuna.
Coming of age...
Dual beam
The combination of horizontal and vertical beams,
displays the school of fish
from above and from the
side at the same time. It is
not necessary to go over
the target to see the vertical distribution on the
echosounder.
Omni stabilizing
The constant pitch and roll
of the sea surface makes it
extremely difficult to track
a target perfectly. Simrad’s
answer to this problem is
Omni Stabilising: a system
that allows the beam to stay
on the target, independent
of a vessel's movement.
Simrad prides itself on being close to its customers
and whenever a need of the fishing industry is identified,
Simrad is first with a solution. In fact, many of Simrad’s
solutions remain unique to this day, such as the 90° vertical
tilt Sonar, which was first seen in the early eighties.
The 90° vertical tilt Sonar allows forward fish detection
helping fishermen to find and track large schoals of fish.
The first Sonar capable of this was the SX202, which proved
one of Simrad’s biggest challenges to date. Commitment
and hard work paid off though, and Simrad is still the only
company to offer 90° vertical tilt Sonar today.
Simrad has concentrated its efforts over the last few years
on building a Sonar system that operates using PC based
technology. The goal of which is to make Sonar systems
upgradeable through software, and not via the usual hardware route. This is another first in Sonar technology from
Simrad to add to the very long list.
SONARS 13
Dedicated transducer profiles
and frequencies, used for different
fishing applications.
The new Simrad sonars
tracks targets others
can´t see!
The
The first
first steps...
steps...
In 1962 transistors replaced
radio valves reducing size and
power consumption dramatically.
This enabled echosounders to
be used on much smaller
fishing boats.
The first ever fishing echosounders
came from Simrad in 1957. This gave
the fisherman a real advantage in being
able to see the depth, bottom contours
and even fish!
CK Scientific echosounder - 1962
Partnersounder - 1967
S160 Echosounder - 1970
ECHOSOUNDERS 15
A typical trawlers bridge from 1972.
Simrad has been the leading manufacturer of Echosounders since day one. Fishermen trust Simrad to
provide the very best in build quality and to come
up with better, more advanced designs. It’s a wellplaced trust as Simrad has shaped the path of the
Echosounder in the same way as it has Sonar. Early
Echosounders were distinctly lacking in performance.
Range was short and results weren’t always reliable.
Simrad recognised this and concentrated its efforts
on boosting power and efficiency. In parallel to this,
Simrad worked on improving readouts, which were
originally black and white, on wet paper. Both sets
of problems have now been solved, and Simrad
Echosounders are extremely high-tech tools, but
we didn’t get to this standard in one giant leap…
EK Scientific echosounder - 1968
EX Echosounder - 1972
EQ Echosounder - 1973
Material Advances
Nickel transducer - 1959
The first Transistor
based Echosounder
Simrad has always strived to provide
the very best electronic tools for all
types and size of vessel. In 1962,
Simrad introduced the first ever
transistor based Echosounder.
The EC series had a powerful 20W
transmitter and ran on a 24v DC
supply, making it ideal for use by
smaller vessels. It proved popular
and was mimicked by companies
from all over the world.
Nickel transducer - 1962
New developments in design
have made Simrad transducers
more effective and needing less
power output per channel.
These instruments are highly
sensitive at any depth and
capable of detecting single
fish below 1000 meters.
Multi element transducer 1970
Split beam transducer 1984
Split beam transducer 2001
Split beam transducer,
Composite Technology - 2002
Recordings
The first Echosounders used wet paper to depict the results of an echo
and gave only a 2 step black and white picture. The advance to dry paper
gave bettert definition with 12 step grey scale recording. The natural
progression of this was the Skippersounder, which had dry paper with
full colour readouts and 32 step recording. But it wasn’t until 1978
and the microprocessor driven EK400 that Echo information could be
viewed on a screen (CTR).
ECHOSOUNDERS 17
In the early days, the only material available
to make transducers – which form the essential
component of an Echosounder – was nickel.
This was expensive, heavy, and as Simrad would
soon find out, not very efficient.
For much of the 70’s, Simrad technicians worked
on finding a better material for the transducers,
and by 1976, were ready to release the greatest
innovation since Echo Integration – the moulded
multi-element ceramic transducer. Whereas nickel
was about 25% efficient, ceramics offered
approximately 50-75% effeciency.
With this one invention, Simrad could offer a
more capable, more sensitive and less power hungry
Echosounder than before. It had also made Echosounders a more affordable prospect to fishermen.
The innovations
didn’t stop here
though…
A big scientific tranducer
from the early sixties
with 24 nickel elements.
The small, commercial
transducers had only
one each. New txt?
Wet paper recording.
(2 step)
Dry paper recording.
(12 step)
Color recording.
(32 step)
CTR recording.
Size matters
Takes fishfinding
to a new level
1989 saw Split-beam technology taken one step further with
the introduction of Dynamic
Ranging, which covers all
signals from the smallest to
the largest – from plankton to
whales. The first Echosounders
from Simrad using this method
set standards, which still exist
today.
1
2
3
4
1
Simrad has always shaped the echosounder
landscape but in 1984, it changed forever.
Research into split-beam technology was
about to pay off with the release of the
Simrad ES series.
Early echosounders gave different results
for same sized fish, depending on where
in the beam they were located. This is
because the beam strength gets weaker
away from its centre. Split-beam technology
measures the exact position of the fish in
the beam, and compensates to give an exact
picture of the fish making it possible to
measure size distribution in advance.
As a tool for the fisherman, split-beam
technology is one of the most invaluable
that has ever been created. Simrad’s
dedicated approach to research, and its
long standing commitment to the needs of
the fisherman made this possible.
Fish Size histogram
2 Fish Plot
3 Echogram
4 Bottom Expansion
White line, bottom lock and A-scope
presentation.
Split beam display.
Multi-frequency presentation.
ECHOSOUNDERS 19
Simrad ES60 Echosounder – with Single,
Dual or Split Beam
By choosing various modules, with different transceiver
frequencies, transmitting powers and transducers you
can build a fish finding system to suit your needs.
Dual vertical and horizontal presentation and Dual
frequency feature, improves the ability to separate
and identify various species.
ES60 Echosounder
First
First Sight...
Sight...
Before the advent of net instruments, the fisherman was practically fishing blind. There was no way
of telling the position of the trawl and nets would
be destroyed on uneven ground, schoals would be
missed and time would be wasted – all adding extra
stress to an already stressful job!
It was obvious to Simrad that the fisherman
needed to ‘see’ under the water. He needed to know
the net’s position in relation to the bottom, the
surface, the fish and the vessel. He needed to know
how much fish is in the net, at what rate it’s filling up.
Though dedicated catch sensors were to come
later, Simrad started to tackle these problems and
in 1965, released the cable based FH Trawl Eye.
Simrad, using Up/Down Echosounder technology
was able to offer a wealth of information about the
net, though the real revolution was yet to come…
The need for net instruments
Net Instrumentation arrived later than
Sonar and Echosounder. The technology
existed, but it wasn’t until the sixties,
when pelagic trawls started to grow in
size that it was really needed.
Once the need had been identified
though, Simrad went straight to work
and was the first company to offer net
instrumentation.
Cable Ties
CATCH MONITORING 21
The trawl is often towed at great distances from
the vessel, making cable based net instrumentation
too expensive for bottom trawlers. So, in 1969,
Simrad introduced a brand new acoustic system
called the FL Trawl Link.
It was the first wireless based Net Instrumentation
system and its lack of cable made it a viable option
for the smaller operator. It offered all the functionality
of the earlier Trawl Eye system without the expense
of a cable. The Trawl Link didn’t kill off cable based
systems – they are still around today – but cable free
set-ups are less prone to damage, making them the
obvious choice for bottom trawlers.
Though Simrad had successfully implemented
acoustic net instrument technology, there was still
a long way to go, and many problems to overcome
if the full trawl picture was ever going to be
presented to the fisherman without the use of cable.
Simrad FL Trawl Link
monitor - 1969
Net instruments
Simrad ITI is a complete wireless trawl
positioning and monitoring system designed
to improve control and efficiency in pelagic
and bottom trawling.
The system allows the skipper to monitor
the exact position of the gear and what is
happening in and around the trawl, providing
crucial information for effective, profitable
and responsible fishing.
Seawater Switch
The FL Trawl Link had an
On/Off switch that was
activated by pressure when
submerged – making it a very
energy efficient unit.
This mechanical device
sparked the idea for the
switch devices, which form
part of Simrad’s net sensors
today. ( The first electronic
seawater switch - 1979.)
The Catch Indicator
A catch indicator was required to measure how full the net was. Simrad
established a research team who realised that the mesh opening in the cod
end would change depending on how full it was. With this knowledge,
the team created a small device that utilised rubber connected to a sensor,
which measured the holes and became
the first ever catch indicator.
Exploding trawl
CATCH MONITORING 23
Throughout the seventies, Simrad came
up with a multitude of ideas and innovations
that form the basis of the high-tech net
instrumentation we have today.
A particular problem that arose in the
Blue Whiting fishing grounds to the West
of Ireland would be the catalyst for one
of Simrad’s most notable achievements.
Fishermen were complaining of damage
to expensive nets as fish expanded on
coming to the surface, in turn causing a
full net to practically explode, showering
fish everywhere!
Effective and responsible fishing with Simrad ITI monitoring system.
FA100 Catch sensor 1979
FA701 Catch sensor 1989
ITI Catch sensor
1991
PS30 Catch sensor
2000
The Complete Picture
Simrad FA100 catch
indicator, commonly
known as ”Eggs”.
Net instrumentation is subject
to extreme stress, especially on the
power block or net drum.
Simrad’s modern sensors are
sealed entirely in polyurethane for
protection, making them virtually
unbreakable. They look great too –
with the PI range recently winning
a top Norwegian design award!
Catch indicator, and indeed net instrumentation
technology reached a high in 1980, with the release
of the FR500. This cable system featured an up/down
transducer, temperature/depth sensor, a true motion
display and a cable free FA100 catch sensor. It was the
birth of the modular ”pick & play” systems used today.
Commonly known as ”Eggs”, the FA100 sensors
were completely sealed, making them highly durable.
This raised the problem of how to power them,
so Simrad introduced a rechargeable battery and
charging cabinet to solve this particular problem.
Simrad’s PI system launched in 2000, is the natural
progression of the FA100. The general idea of a fully
sealed unit remains the key but many new features
such as a seawater switch and even easier recharging
reinforce the fact that Simrad is still the leading
innovator in net instrumentation.
Depth sensor
Bottom contact
sensor
Temperature sensor
Catch sensor
Rip sensor
Spread/Remote sensors
Designed to survive...
CATCH MONITORING 25
The PI sensors are the natural
progression of the FA100
catch indicator.
A typical mounting of a bottom
contact sensor on a trawl.
A major problem fisherman have
faced for years is net damage caused
by hitting obstacles on the seabed.
Simrad recognised the problem
and Like all the best ideas, the solution
is simple: hang a weight, connected to
a PI sensor, from the bottom of the net.
When the weight hit’s the ocean floor
the line slackens, telling the sensor that
the net is too close to the bottom.
Simple!
A history in Fishery Research
1959
Triton
The research vessel ”Johan Hjorth”.
Collaboration is an aspect
of Simrad’s past that has
given rise to many of the
breakthroughs made.
As well as the Bergen
Institute in Norway,
Simrad has worked with
the Norwegian Research
Institute and the Naval
Institute.
ITI Catch Monitoring
EK60 Echosounder
1970
SP70 Sonar
The research vessel ”G.O. Sars II”.
One of the great milestones was the
introduction of the Echo Integrator.
The acoustic knowledge and technology
aquired through the development of
scientific echosounders and sonars is
transferred into all Simrad fish finding
equipment.
FS20 Catch Monitoring
2003
FISHERY RESEARCH 27
The new Norwegian research vessel
”G.O. Sars III”is equipped with two
independent drop keels, one with echosounder transducers the other with
multi beam echosounder transducers
for hydrographic use.
The drop keel reduces interference
from air bubbles, increasing the
performance and accuracy of the survey.
The split beam multifrequency echosounders enable accurate measurement
and improved potential for fish species
identification.
EM1002 Echosounder
EM300 Echosounder
Neptun
SM2000 FR Sonar
Topas PS040
Highlights
Highlights of
of Simrad’s
Simrad’s sound
sound
in
in water
water innovations…
innovations…
1953 – First Sonar / Echosounder
1955 – Basdic hand operated Sonar
1957 – First commercial fishing Sonar
1959 – Sild ASDIC released
1961 – First Echosounder for fishery research
1962 – First Echosounder using transistors
1965 – FH Trawl Eye cable based trawl instruments
1969 – FL Trawl Link radio based trawl instruments
1970 – Echo Integration
1974 – Hydraulic deployed SU Sonar
1976 – Moulded multi element ceramic transducers /
Catch sensors
1977 – First Sonar screen display
1978 – First microprocessor menu-driven Echosounder
1979 – FA100 Acoustic catch sensor /
ST Sonar with inflatable dome deployment.
1981 – Multi-beam Sonar / Digital signal processing
1984 – First 90° vertical tilt Sonar / Split-beam Echosounders
1989 – Dynamic Range Echosounder / Spherical transducer Sonar
1991 – ITI introduced
1992 – First Trawl Sonar
1996 – First multi-frequency Sonar
1998 – Computer style operation of Echosounders
2000 – PI Sensors introduced /
Computer style operation of Sonar
MAXIMIZING YOUR
PERFORMANCE
AT
SEA