(CAMAS, Wash.) — Furuno and Electronic Navigation Ltd. (ENL) have introduced the WASSP (Wide Angle Sonar Seafloor Profiler) Generation 3 multibeam CHIRP sonar, a groundbreaking new system that allows you to simultaneously view and record bathymetry and seafloor hardness, find fish targets, and utilize true multibeam sonar technology to discover wrecks and structures. WASSP Generation 3 delivers a real-time, 3D view of the underwater world at very high resolution.
WASSP Generation 3 gives you the ability to see more, catch more, discover more, and map more. This next-generation multibeam sounder has been redesigned from the ground up around a new fully digital DRX transceiver.
Survey, dredging and scientific research vessels will find the WASSP S3 package to be invaluable, as the new system has been developed to bring the benefits of multibeam sonar to their work. WASSP S3 is ideally suited to dredgers and hydrographic surveyors who currently use single beam sonars, but don't have enough projects to warrant the use of a more costly multibeam system. This more affordable WASSP solution provides operators the ability to carry out their own surveys without the more expensive cost of out sourcing to a third-party survey firm to undertake these projects, while still obtaining the accurate and reliable information they need.
WASSP S3's practical design and intuitive ease of use require minimal installation or operational training. In the case of users such as wind farm operators or port authorities, WASSP S3 can be permanently fitted to their workboat, and is able to perform on-site when required.
Available as an option for both the F3 and S3 WASSP systems, the new high precision motion sensor WSP002-INU brings a compact and complete solution for stabilization, particularly useful for survey and dredge operations where high-precision mapping is the goal. The combination of Hemisphere's compact satellite compass and Advanced Navigation's Spatial Inertial Navigation Unit, or INU, provide precise pitch, roll, heave and yaw information, allowing smaller vessels that are more susceptible to these forces to fully compensate for these effects.
WASSP is compatible with mapping software available from a variety of sources. When combined with their optional WASSP module, TZ Professional series mapping software from Nobeltec offers a comprehensive PC program set for commercial fishermen. In addition to TZ Professional, many fishermen have preferred to use Olex for mapping bathymetric contours, and we are pleased to announce a renewed connection between WASSP and this widely accepted bathymetry recording software. Compatible with the popular Hypack & QINSY software, WASSP Generation 3 will soon be IHO Order 1A Compliant, and is set to be one of the lowest cost systems to meet this requirement by far. Finally, WASSP's own software program, called Navigator, is available for license. Navigator is ideal for tracking the movement of sediment plumes from a dredge or monitoring schools of fish, both of which can be viewed in 3D from any angle throughout the survey area. Images in Navigator can instantly be rotated at different viewing angles, giving you a great deal of information without the need for data processing in the field.
Its low weight, compact style, and minimal power requirements make WASSP Generation 3 an ideal system for small boats. Its compact transducer is easily adaptable to suit over-the-side pole mounting. With 224 detection points per ping, WASSP Generation 3 returns significantly higher definition information for pin-point accurate location of obstructions, undersea structures and seafloor mapping — all in real time.
To learn more about WASSP Generation 3, or the complete line of Furuno marine electronics, see your local Furuno dealer or contact Furuno U.S.A., 4400 N.W. Pacific Rim Blvd., Camas, WA 98607. Phone (360) 834-9300.
