Norway''s Simrad reports it will be launching new catch monitoring systems in May, the PI44 and PI54 and in the meantime it is putting a new height sensor on the market.
It says it has been successfully selling two different wireless catch monitoring systems; the ITI and the PI, and adds that the ITI system is the only commercial system in the world providing detailed information about trawl position in 3D.
The position information enables the skipper to trawl close to wrecks or other obstacles. It explains the success of the system is because a skipper commonly sees the warps going off on the starboard side and believes the trawl is on the starboard side. But because of tide and wind the trawl is on the port side of the ship's track line. This information is crucial for all types of trawling. Some 3D chart plotters offer an interface to the ITI and this lets the skipper see the trawl is in relation to canyons for example.
A pelagic skipper may spot a school on the sonar (SP60, SP70, SP90), says Simrad. He then puts a target track on the school and starts approaching it. The information from the sonar is interfaced with the ITI system and the skipper will see school data (Speed, course and distance from the trawl, ETA, etc) on the ITI system. Information about trawl position is also transferred from the ITI to the sonar to give the skipper full control. This enables tactical fishing and puts the skipper in control.
The PI system is a combined Echosounder and catch monitoring system. The PI44 and PI54 will not only provide the skipper with accurate and fast update information from the new height sensor, it is also a dual frequency 1kW echosounder, Simrad says.
Information is displayed from up to six sensors either on a 10" or a 15" LCD screen, at 38/200, 50/200 or 38/50 kHz. Connect to a Simrad Combi transducer means you can also read the water surface temperature.
The PI height sensor has the fastest update on the market and enables the skipper to do real time adjustment to be more efficient, Simrad says, adding they have sold several hundred systems.
They have also brought out a new PI sensor charger which can fast charge all the latest new sensors and slow charge older models. It 'talks' to the sensor to monitor its battery state giving a quick one to two hour safe charging period.
The PI Sensors are made of titanium to eliminate rusting and moulded soft polyurethane to protect the electronics. Simrad says the PI catch sensor can be programmed to work as a catch sensor in the Simrad FS20/25 trawl sonar system.
Sensors available for the PI system:
Door Spread Sensor (Single, twin and triple trawl)
Height sensor
Catch Sensor
Depth Sensor
Temperature sensor
Bottom Contact Sensor
Rip Sensor
