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Author Topic:   Reading a fish finder in the sun

Taylor posted 08-29-2002 07:44 PM ET (US)
A Humminbird fishfinder came with my Montauk, its mounted on a bracket on the top of the console. I have a lot of trouble reading it in the sun, particularly if I'm wearing polarized glasses. It seems to read better from a low angle than standing above it.
Does anyone have any suggestions about makes or models that are particularly good in bright sun, and perhaps mounting ideas to make it easier to read.
dgp posted 08-29-2002 08:21 PM ET (US)
I've had trouble viewing Raytheon products with polarized sun glasses but have no trouble with my Lowrance display.
jimh posted 08-29-2002 09:23 PM ET (US)
I believe that there are factors in the display technology which affect how well it can been seen with polarized glasses.
It sounds like LOWRANCE have done their homework and realize that most boaters will be using polarized sun glasses. They use the proper type display.
dgp posted 08-29-2002 09:46 PM ET (US)
This is what Lowrance has to say about their display technology.
"Film SuperTwist
Many Lowrance fish finder and GPS/mapping units use this technology for liquid crystal displays (LCD). Film SuperTwist provides excellent contrast and readability...in direct sunlight or with the backlight for fishing at night or in low light...and from virtually any viewing angle. Lowrance Film SuperTwist screens are also easy to see with polarized sunglasses."
Jay A posted 08-29-2002 09:50 PM ET (US)
The #1 reason I chose my ff was because it is great in the sun. I have a Si-Tex Pro III color fishfinder. The more sun there is, the better!
whalerron posted 08-30-2002 08:40 AM ET (US)
I have no problems reading my Garmin in the sun with or without polarized sunglasses on.
Barnett Childress posted 08-30-2002 08:53 AM ET (US)
Taylor,
You can get a small visor like shroud that fits over the top & shades the face of fish finders etc. It attaches using the side knobs that lock your unit into the mounting bracket. Look at Cabela's, Bass Pro etc.
Barnett
where2 posted 08-30-2002 12:38 PM ET (US)
the problem with reading an LCD with polarized sunglasses on is due to the whole concept of polarizing. Imagine a whole bunch of vertical lines very close together
where2 posted 08-30-2002 12:39 PM ET (US)
the problem with reading an LCD with polarized sunglasses on is due to the whole concept of polarizing. Imagine a whole bunch of vertical lines very close together. The lines allow light which is reflected in one direction to pass through, while blocking light which has been reflected the other way. LCD's use a built in polarizing filter to allow you to read the LCD. If you place a horizontal polarizing filter on top of a vertical polarizing filter, no light passes through because you've created a ### pattern blocking all the light. You can see for yourself if you're wearing an LCD watch, and have a pair of polarizing sunglasses. Take the watch off your wrist, hold it so the numbers are horizontal, see if you can read it. Now turn the watch 90° so that the numbers are vertical. Can you only read the watch one direction? Does the display look totally black the other direction. If not, slowly rotate the watch, and somewhere the polarizing lenses will ber perpendicular to one another, causing the display to look completely black.
Depending on the orientation of the polarizing filter glued to the LCD display, you can make an LCD that is readable w/o sunglasses unreadable with polarized sunglasses on if the net effect is two polarizing filters at 90° to one another. Better designs recognize that boaters wear polarized sunglasses, and align their LCD polarizing filters parallel with those of a typical pair of sunglasses.


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Author	Topic: Reading a fish finder in the sun
Taylor	posted 08-29-2002 07:44 PM ET (US) A Humminbird fishfinder came with my Montauk, its mounted on a bracket on the top of the console. I have a lot of trouble reading it in the sun, particularly if I'm wearing polarized glasses. It seems to read better from a low angle than standing above it. Does anyone have any suggestions about makes or models that are particularly good in bright sun, and perhaps mounting ideas to make it easier to read.
dgp	posted 08-29-2002 08:21 PM ET (US) I've had trouble viewing Raytheon products with polarized sun glasses but have no trouble with my Lowrance display.
jimh	posted 08-29-2002 09:23 PM ET (US) I believe that there are factors in the display technology which affect how well it can been seen with polarized glasses. It sounds like LOWRANCE have done their homework and realize that most boaters will be using polarized sun glasses. They use the proper type display.
dgp	posted 08-29-2002 09:46 PM ET (US) This is what Lowrance has to say about their display technology. "Film SuperTwist Many Lowrance fish finder and GPS/mapping units use this technology for liquid crystal displays (LCD). Film SuperTwist provides excellent contrast and readability...in direct sunlight or with the backlight for fishing at night or in low light...and from virtually any viewing angle. Lowrance Film SuperTwist screens are also easy to see with polarized sunglasses."
Jay A	posted 08-29-2002 09:50 PM ET (US) The #1 reason I chose my ff was because it is great in the sun. I have a Si-Tex Pro III color fishfinder. The more sun there is, the better!
whalerron	posted 08-30-2002 08:40 AM ET (US) I have no problems reading my Garmin in the sun with or without polarized sunglasses on.
Barnett Childress	posted 08-30-2002 08:53 AM ET (US) Taylor, You can get a small visor like shroud that fits over the top & shades the face of fish finders etc. It attaches using the side knobs that lock your unit into the mounting bracket. Look at Cabela's, Bass Pro etc. Barnett
where2	posted 08-30-2002 12:38 PM ET (US) the problem with reading an LCD with polarized sunglasses on is due to the whole concept of polarizing. Imagine a whole bunch of vertical lines very close together
where2	posted 08-30-2002 12:39 PM ET (US) the problem with reading an LCD with polarized sunglasses on is due to the whole concept of polarizing. Imagine a whole bunch of vertical lines very close together. The lines allow light which is reflected in one direction to pass through, while blocking light which has been reflected the other way. LCD's use a built in polarizing filter to allow you to read the LCD. If you place a horizontal polarizing filter on top of a vertical polarizing filter, no light passes through because you've created a ### pattern blocking all the light. You can see for yourself if you're wearing an LCD watch, and have a pair of polarizing sunglasses. Take the watch off your wrist, hold it so the numbers are horizontal, see if you can read it. Now turn the watch 90° so that the numbers are vertical. Can you only read the watch one direction? Does the display look totally black the other direction. If not, slowly rotate the watch, and somewhere the polarizing lenses will ber perpendicular to one another, causing the display to look completely black. Depending on the orientation of the polarizing filter glued to the LCD display, you can make an LCD that is readable w/o sunglasses unreadable with polarized sunglasses on if the net effect is two polarizing filters at 90° to one another. Better designs recognize that boaters wear polarized sunglasses, and align their LCD polarizing filters parallel with those of a typical pair of sunglasses.