Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) for a sonar depth-finding device includes a matrix of pixels, each pixel having a first dimension and a second dimension greater than the first dimension such that a ratio of the second dimension to the first dimension is approximately an integer value greater than one. Pixels in the matrix are configured to be operatively associated by the sonar depth-finding device to define a substantially square combined pixel.

Abstract: A portable fish finder device with a housing that defines a wrap cavity for receiving a signal cable that communicates between a depth finder device and a transducer attached to the water craft. A skirt connected to the housing moves between a first position covering the wrap cavity and a second position uncovering the cavity for winding or unwinding the signal cable. The depth finder device pivotally mounts to the housing to move between a storage position with a display screen received in a recess of the housing and an extended position for viewing the display. The cable winds into the wrap cavity for storage and unwinds when the housing is disposed on a portion of a water craft for use of the depth finder with the transducer communicating signals in a body of water for detecting underwater articles.

Abstract: A fishfinder device (10) with an integrated controller (11) for simplified operation, in which a control switch (20) causes a display (14) to present in a looping sequence an identifier (64) associated with each of a plurality of operational features (74) for selecting operational features to enable, disable or modify by operating a selection button (22, 24) during presentation of the identifier associated with the operational feature, the fishfinder device (10) including a transducer (62) for periodically transmitting an acoustic wave beam (63) and for receiving return signals of the acoustic wave beam reflected from detected underwater articles (65) and a display (14) for displaying images representative of the detected underwater articles (65, 67, 69) based on the return signals from the transmissions of acoustic wave beams, while the controller (18) provides the plurality of operational features (74) for the fishfinder device (10). A method of operating the fishfinder device (10) is disclosed.