The successor to the Simrad FS70 headline sonar, the updated and uprated FS80 was first shown last year and has now been released by Kongsberg, following extensive sea trials that returned excellent results.
The FS70 has a strong reputation for reliability and ease of use, so the question for the developers was how to improve on this. Kongsberg has done this by incorporating the new unit into a modular, multifrequency system billed as the first sonar system to combine net monitoring, intake profiling and bottom detection in a single unit.
A significant feature is the broad range of cable telemetry supported – although there’s no barrier to sticking with conventional third wire tech.
According to Kongsberg, the FS80 is smaller and lighter than the FS70, and designed from scratch to be even more robust, versatile, and feature-rich. It features a net profiler with multifrequency capabilities to accommodate different types of fisheries within a single sonar.
“The Simrad FS80 operates reliably on both low and high-bandwidth netsounder cables. The FS80 offers the perfect opportunity to expand your gear monitoring equipment without replacing existing cable infrastructure,” Kongsberg states.
The standout feature is a net profiler with multifrequency capabilities to accommodate different types of fisheries within a single sonar.
In addition to the net opening view generated by the single-beam sonar, up-sounder and down-sounder views are also included. Two down sounders monitor the footrope, the seabed, and fish entering the gear. The up sounder monitors the headline and fish escaping above the net. This combination of sonar and sounders gives the skipper an overall view of the fishing gear, including pinpointing individual targets in the vertical plane and the fish/mark location, while providing gear and seabed location, and gear geometry.
Pitch and roll sensors are integrated into the headline unit to monitor the position and orientation of the FS80 in the water, with temperature and depth sensors as part of the package. A catch hydrophone within the headline unit communicates with Simrad PI catch sensors – all of which transmits real-time data to the wheelhouse.
“This is the first time a truly integrated system has hit the market, with a wide range of functionality and advanced multifrequency performance, delivering an operational flexibility and reliable results that all customers can take advantage of – whatever the pelagic fish types, whatever the size of the trawl,” Kongsberg Discovery’s VP Sales Mads Dahl said, adding that the FS80 builds on the strong pedigree of the FS70, and takes performance to a new level.
“To enable more sustainable trawling, both environmentally and commercially, fishery businesses need precise targeting, control and monitoring abilities. We’re delighted to see the potential of the FS80 fully delivered in an exhaustive series of sea trials, demonstrating an outstanding performance ability in a wide spectrum of sea states.”
Dahl stated that Kongsberg Discovery is about to launch its FH80 HUB, a central platform upon which modular components, such as the FS80, can be based. This allows customers to pick and choose optimal Kongsberg Discovery technology to fit their requirements.
“The FS80 can be integrated with components such as cameras, lamps, active selectors and acoustic modems for door control. This creates a scalable ecosystem that will continue evolving as it matures, with the ability to add the very latest innovations – such as AI-driven monitoring and intervention technologies – in the years to come. We see this as the beginning of a new era of sustainable success, both for Kongsberg Discovery and Simrad, and our many valued customers.”
