We posted an earlier discussion on the importance of the power of the transducer in “seeing” through the water. Let’s discuss transducers in a bit more detail. First a definition, according to dictionary.com, a transducer is “a device that receives a signal in the form of one type of energy and converts it to a signal in another form.”
In the case of the fishfinder, the sonar transducer is the heart of the unit. When activated by an electrical signal from the fishfinder, the transducer emits sound waves (acoustic energy). This is much like a loudspeaker. When the sound waves bounce back to the transducer, it collects that acoustic energy and converts it back into electrical energy. This is much like a microphone. The electrical energy is interpreted by the fishfinder electronics. Since this interpretation is based on the differences between the acoustic energy transmitted from the transducer and the energy received on the bounce back, the quality and capabilities of the transducer determine the quality of the data reported to you. By measuring the elapsed time between transmitting the signal and receiving it back, the fishfinder is able to calculate the distance from the transducer to the object reflecting the signal. The quality of the signal helps to define the characteristics of the fish, structure or bottom reflecting the signal. So, although the bells and whistles are on the fishfinder unit, remember that the quality begins with the transducer.
