Boating USA — January 2018

AskKEN

Q&A

ELECTRONICS

E

74 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018

ELECTRONICS

LOWRANCE

HOOK2 SONAR/

PLOTTER SERIES

Simple to use, aff ordable and highly eff ective

PHOTOS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) COURTESY LOWRANCE, CRAIG HASHIMOTO, COURTESY POWER-POLE

Lowrance delivered. The

new Hook2 series serves as

a prime example of how less

can be more. For example, the

auto-tuning feature actively

corrects the sonar setting for

the clearest underwater view.

Before changing the Hook series, Lowrance

asked anglers what they really want in these

units. Turns out, they want less — less futzing

with controls, cables and add-on modules. And

they want combo units that are affordable.

That means less time spent

adjusting the sensitivity and

more time finding fish.

The Hook2 series comes

in 12-, 9-, 7-, 5- and 4-inch

display sizes, and most include

full navigational capability

and pre-loaded, high-detail

mapping with 1-foot contours.

A wide-beam-angle broad-

band sounder and chirp fish

finder have more than double

the sonar coverage of most

other models.

The Hook2 series also offers

SideScan and DownScan

Imaging. Bundled features

include packages called

TripleShot (3-in-1 sonar

with High CHIRP, SideScan

and DownScan Imaging),

SplitShot (2-in-1 sonar with

High CHIRP and DownScan

Imaging), and Bullet (vertical

4-inch display with broadband

sounder). With the exception

of Bullet, models include a

built-in chart plotter for sav-

ing way points and navigation

to favorite fishing spots.

On the downside, none of the

Hook2 units feature touch-

screen operations, but the

menu-driven user interface is

simple to use. I found access to

functions quick and easy.

Lowrance kept prices at

affordable levels, with MSRPs

as low as $99 for the 4-inch

model. The priciest 12-inch

model is $1,499. To learn

more, visit lowrance.com.

By Jim Hendricks

ARE THERMAL

CAMERAS SUCH

AS THOSE FROM

FLIR BETTER THAN

RADAR?

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Power-Pole helped revolutionize shallow-water fi shing with its

articulating, hydraulic anchor arms that bolt to the transom of a bass

or bay boat. Once deployed, these secure into position within seconds.

Power-Pole is innovating again with its Vision marine multimedia tablet,

which allows for control of multiple boat accessories — including a

Power-Pole — with this touchscreen device.

Running on an Android platform with NMEA 2000 compatibility, the

Vision’s six-outlet switch integrates operation of marine accessories

via C-Monster 2.0 protocol. The Vision can connect to the internet

through Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot. It can also support thousands of

Android apps.

The Vision communicates with the Power-Pole Charge for an instant

real-time view of your battery’s power levels and power fl ow. Mapping

lets you easily see and track your position using satellite images. The

7-inch display is easy to read in full daylight, even with polarized

sunglasses. There are three mounting options: fl ush, gimbal and

Ram. It retails for $1,595. Learn more at power-pole.com.

Both have their purpose,

advantages and limitations.

Detection: Radar detects

and displays echoes of

any object, be it land, rock,

floating debris or boat.

Thermal imaging is more

like turning on a light switch

to reveal a more recogniz-

able, lifelike picture of any

physical object above the

water’s surface.

Range: Typically, radar

can reach from 24 to

64 miles and beyond,

depending on the model.

Thermal-imaging cameras

offer a range of about a

quarter-mile. Yet some

models that have zoom

ability extend the view out

to 3 miles or more.

Direction: Thermal

imaging concentrates its

view and focus in a single

direction of interest. Radar

gives you a 360-degree

picture of all objects around

your boat.

Advantages: Radar is

best for collision avoidance

and navigation to spot

landmarks and nav aids, as

well as follow a coastline

and reveal harbor entranc-

es. Thermal imaging is

best suited for identifying

and distinguishing among

objects such as buoys,

bridge abutments, docks,

protruding rocks and

vessels. — Ken Englert

POWER-POLE

VISION

MULTIMEDIA

TABLET