Echopilot FLS Gold III c/w Standard Transducer

Echopilot FLS Gold III c/w Standard Transducer

Echopilot FLS Gold III features

• 200 metres range (ahead)
• 100 metres range (down)
• Digital depth
• Speed option
• Forward alarm
• Flush mount case
• Choice of standard or
• Professional transducers
• Sunlight viewable
• Transflective LCD display
• Cold cathode backlight
• Waterproof case (bulkhead mounting)

Echopilot FLS Gold III extra features

• GPS display
• NMEA input and output
• Repeater option
• Larger screen

Echopilot FLS Gold III new features

• Better performance
• Manual or autogain
• Manual or auto range change
• New enhanced processing software
• History display of sea bed
• Digital display not dependent on correct range being selected

Echopilot have spent many thousands of man hours at sea improving sonar design, and almost as much time at shows or on the phone listening to customer's needs. This information was the basis of the brief to Echopilot's design department that resulted in the greatly improved EchoPilot FLS Silver III and EchoPilot FLS Gold III.

The EchoPilot FLS Gold III display may be switched to show GPS data (from almost any GPS), including all Waypoint information, forward sonar display or a combination of them both.

NMEA0183 the world marine industry standard protocol interface allows the instrument to output speed and depth to other instruments or if appropriate to receive and display it.

For larger vessels with a separate navigation area or second steering position, a full function EchoPilot FLS Gold III repeater with all controls may be supplied. Echopilot have taken great care with our choice of LCD and many days were spent comparing transmissive with transflective, cold cathode lit with electroluminescent, the result is a system which is good in sunlight, darkness and (more difficult) badly lit situations. The screen is also the largest that can be fitted in the case.

Simple selection of range in use is by pressing the ▲ or ▼ buttons. The shortest range for maximum detail in shallow water is 20m ahead x 10m down (60‘ x 30‘) and the longest is 200m ahead x 100m down (450‘ x 225‘) on the EchoPilot FLS Gold III. Four intermediate ranges fill the gaps. Auto ranging may also be selected.

Many of our early customers loved the FLS's display of the seabed ahead, but also asked for the actual depth below too. This we now do, without adding a second vertical transducer. The EchoPilot FLS Gold III software will average the left hand third of the screen (most of which is under the bow anyway) and display the mean figure in the bottom left hand corner of the screen in metres or feet, even if the bottom is off the screen. To add speed just buy our “speed kit“ of paddle wheel transducer and thru-hull fitting and a complete log with miles, trip and speed appears in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Many (vertical) depth sounder alarms are a joke, often warning you many seconds after you have gone over a hazard. The EchoPilot FLS Gold III system allows you to alarm a section of the screen 2, 4, 6 or 8 metres below the transducer right up to 150m ahead. If more than a certain number of pixels above the line light up the alarm sounds (on the Repeater too, if fitted).

Standard or Professional transducer?
Having chosen the EchoPilot FLS Gold III for your boat the only remaining choice is which transducer is most appropriate. Our larger professional transducer comes with a bronze 2" BSP thru-hull fitting and with 3" of useable thread is excellent for most larger boats. The standard transducer fits through a glass filled Polypropylene thru-hull with 1" of useable thread. Most flat bottomed GRP hulls can take the standard transducer.

If however you have a thick hull, or a significant degree of dead rise requiring wedges or chocks to keep the transducer vertical then the professional is the choice to make.

Performance of different transducers
Both work well. With its smaller face, the standard transducer offers slightly less turbulence. The
professional transducer with its larger crystals has a narrower beam giving slightly greater range and better definition, (however compared side by side the standard picture often looks better as it's like painting with a broad brush). Both are designed to shear off if hit really hard by an underwater obstruction without affecting the water tight integrity of the hull.

IMPORTANT - the transducer must be mounted vertically. If a 1" (25mm) of thread does not allow for hull thickness plus wedges specify the professional transducer which has 3" of usable thread.