FLS 3D
Industrivej 24C
DK-3550 Slangerup
Denmark
Tel. +45 4737 3800
Fax: +45 4737 3809
www.daniamant.com
FLS 3D Manual Version 1
Daniamant A/S
6
3. How FLS Technology Works
Sonar Beam
The EchoPilot 3D is a unique and patented invention. It can see through a full arc of 90 degrees,
from straight ahead to straight down.
The transducer has a horizontal beam of 60 degrees (port to starboard).
Distance Ahead
The distance ahead that the FLS can see depends on the depth of water below the vessel, and the
laws of physics. The transmit ‘ping’ radiates at all angles down and out from the vessel, hits the
seabed and some of it is returned to the transducer’s receivers.
As the ‘ping’ travels further away from the boat, it hits the sea bed at an increasingly acute angle.
At a certain point the angle will be so acute that the ‘ping’ is not returned, and the seabed
information is lost - this determines the maximum view ahead.
When on a flat muddy bottom (e.g. river or estuary) the FLS will show the seabed up to ten times
the depth away from the boat. This ratio increases if the seabed shoals upward. Rocky bottoms are
better targets than muddy ones, and hard vertical surfaces like quay walls, rocks or coral reefs will
often be seen at considerable distances.
