Transducer Coverage - Garmin GPSMAP 178 Owner's Manual

Appendix G

Transducer Coverage

200kHz - 10˚ Cone Angle
72" coverage at 30'

Transducer Coverage
The area covered by the transmitted sound waves is determined by the cone angle of the transducer
and the water depth. Cone angles may vary between different types of transducers. For example, a 50kHz
frequency may provide a "wide" 40° cone angle, with a coverage width that is approximately 2/3 of the
water depth. As shown in the sidebar, the 40° cone angle (50kHz frequency) approximately covers the
area of a 20 foot diameter circle at a 30 foot depth. A 200kHz frequency may provide a "narrow" 10°
cone angle, with a coverage width that is approximately 2/10 of the water depth. As shown, the 10° cone
angle (200kHz frequency) approximately covers the area of a 6 foot diameter circle at a 30 foot depth.
When using the GPSMAP 178/178C in 'Dual' frequency mode, the unit transmits both 50kHz and
200kHz signals at the same time. The 'Dual' frequency capability of the GPSMAP 178/178C allows you
to have a large coverage area and still retain good bottom resolution. When in 'Dual' frequency mode the
unit uses the narrow cone angle (200kHz) to display detailed bottom information, keeping "Dead Zones"
to a minimum, and the wide cone angle (50kHz) for the large coverage area.
Fish returns from the wide and narrow beams appears differently on the display. The wide beam
tends to show longer fish returns than the narrow beam.
50kHz - 40˚ Cone Angle
20' coverage at 30'
Narrow Cone Angle
Wide Cone Angle