ForwardScan and Sonar

ForwardScan^® Components

ForwardScan^® transducers plug straight into Vulcan and Zeus³ series chartplotters, giving you immediate information about what lies ahead of your vessel.
You can also add ForwardScan^® to Zeus², Zeus² Glass Helm and Zeus³ Glass Helm systems with a plug and play SonarHub Sounder Module.

Chartplotter

B&G Vulcan and Zeus³ chartplotters accept a ForwardScan® transducer plugged straight in.

ForwardScan^® Transducer

ForwardScan® transducers are available in two sizes: Standard and Long Stem. Both come with a stainless steel thru-hull fitting.

SonarHub

Zeus², Zeus² Glass Helm and Zeus³ Glass Helm MFDs need an extra plug and play SonarHub. Zeus³ MFDs will also need a SonarHub if a cable run greater than 12m is required.

Look ahead

Explore poorly-chartered or unfamiliar waters confidently, avoid upcoming dangers or obstructions and set custom shallow depth alarms with B&G’s forward-looking sensor. With an effective range eight times the actual depth, ForwardScan^® helps you avoid groundings or damage to keels and rudders while pinpointing the ideal spot for anchoring.

ForwardScan was awarded a Pittman Innovation award by SAIL magazine in 2015. The judges wrote:

'B&G has so improved every other aspect of this technology that it's nearly a no-brainer...'

'ForwardScan is much faster than previous FLS systems, so you get instant feedback as you maneuver through obstacles with its 15-degrees-wide-by-90-degrees-high forward beam. In addition, to augment the typical but hard-to-interpret dotty raw data, ForwardScan's algorithms are constantly working to fill in a vivid, easy-to-read bottom line. ForwardScan can also display on a chart window as an 'ice cream cone' heading line that's color-coded and optionally alarmed to the depths seen in the beam. Finally, installing a B&G ForwardScan is quite simple, only requiring a plug-and-play sonar hub and transducer.'

ForwardScan® is a powerful defence against running around, and an invaluable tool for locating secure sites to drop anchor.

The ForwardScan^® transducer operates at 180 kHz to reduce interference from traditional 200 kHz echosounders, and provides:

Maximum forward view of 8X your current depth e.g. at 3 m (10 ft) depth, see up to 24 m (80 ft) ahead.
Nominal forward view of 4-5X your current depth e.g. At 3 m (10 ft) depth, see 12-15 m (40-50 ft) ahead.

ForwardScan^® connects quickly and easily to Vulcan* series displays via the Sonar port, with no additional hardware necessary. On the Zeus² and Zeus² Glass Helm modular systems, ForwardScan^® may be connected via an optional SonarHub sounder module.

*Pre-2016 Vulcan 7 models (part number: 000-12213-001) are not ForwardScan^® compatible.

Bottom Colour Tracking offers a solid 2D rendering of the bottom ahead of your vessel for an uncluttered, immediately understandable view. Make fast and well-informed navigational decisions, without needing to interpret the individual data points returned by the echosounder.

Heading Line View integrates ForwardScan^® depth data with the heading line displayed on the navigation page of your B&G multifunction display. The line is colour-coded in segments to represent deep, medium, and shallow water, with customisable depth ranges to suit your boat’s draught.

ForwardScan’s forward range scale is automatically synchronised with the length of the heading line: in split-screen ForwardScan^®/Navigation view, the full distance from your vessel to the end of the heading line is represented in 2D on the ForwardScan^® display. Quickly reconcile ForwardScan^® data with charted depth and your present course, for a comprehensive understanding of what’s ahead.

ForwardScan can be installed on almost any vessel, with a 50.8 mm (2 inch) stainless steel through-hull mount. The mount can accommodate 25.4 mm (1 inch) thick hulls at 12 degrees dead rise, or 19 mm (3/4 inch) hulls at 20 degrees.

An optional pre-install kit includes sleeve and blanking plug only, allowing boat-builders to provide ForwardScan as an upgrade option. A ForwardScan transducer can then be added by the dealer or customer, even once the boat has been splashed.