Bluesounder

What is it?

Bluesounder is essentially a stand alone accessory which converts the radio transmissions received from the standard echo sounder in an Angling Technics Microcat, Technicat or even original standard baitboat to a signal that connects to an Apple iPhone or iPad. Effectively your phone/pad/tablet becomes a full blown high resolution, narrow beam, full colour echo-sounder display with up to four hundred times the picture resolution of the low resolution monochrome LCD handset which was originally supplied with the boat. It consists of a small black box with a removable antenna, an on/off switch and a bankstick thread with power provided by way of three ‘AA’ batteries. Bluesounder works with any Angling Technics baitboat with echo sounder version 1.4 and later (from February 2008). There is a completely free app available from the iTunes store which allows you to choose from several colour schemes, bottom surface indication, units and contact visibility. The display can be frozen, swiped back in time so that the last few minutes of depth profile can be reviewed and the units, speed and zoom levels can all be changed to suit the user and conditions. A radio transmission strength indicator(from the baitboat) and Bluesounder battery condition meter are present to provide all the information you need to survey your venue and find that perfect spot. Bluesounder uses the latest incredibly efficient BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) system also known as Bluetooth 4 which uses a fraction of the power that previous versions of Bluetooth did and subsequently has almost no effect on iPhone/iPad device operating times.

FAQ

How does it work?

Doesn't Bluetooth drain my phone battery really quickly?

No, not this latest new version 4 or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) It is far better in terms of battery life and efficiency than the previous, older Bluetooth system. We ran a fully charged iPhone 5S connected to Bluesounder for 24 hrs and it dropped to 88% full. We charged it back up, turned off Bluetooth and measured it again after 24 hrs - the same 88% - enough said!

 

How often do I need to change Bluesounder's batteries?

Standard off the shelf alkaline Batteries will last up to 250 hours, so enough for most sessions. You can also use rechargeable batteries if you wish.

 

Which devices work with Bluesounder?

From iPhone 4S or above, iPod Touch (5th gen), iPad 3rd generation, 4th generation, mini, mini 2, mini 3, mini 4, Air, Air 2, iPad Pro.

 

Will Bluesounder interfere with my phone calls, browsing etc?

No, you can run your device exactly as before, taking and making calls as before.

 

Does Bluesounder work with any Baitboat echo?

It is designed to work with any Angling Technics installed echo from version 1.4 (2008 onwards). You do not need the Graphic handset to use Bluesounder, and no work on your boat is required.

What is the range of the Bluesounder?

Up to 300 metres between the boat and Bluesounder and 30 metres between your iPad/iPhone device and Bluesounder.
Where can I buy Bluesounder?
Bluesounder can be bought here with free postage (in the UK) SHOP

Apps

Bluesounder