M/V Atlantic Challenge

Sonartron Ltd is delighted to be heavily involved in the new venture to enable Irish vessel M/V Atlantic Challenge to fish in South Pacific this year.

Owner Martin Howley along with Captain Stevie McSharry took this opportunity to update the netsonar system with the Wesmar TCS380 system. Having previously bought a complete two sled Wesmar System from Sonartron in the past, Mr.Howley had great foresight in seeing that a new fishing venture was the perfect time to upgrade his systems. A software update allows the Atlantic Challenge to be able to run the Wesmar TCS770 or the TCS380 depending on the vessels needs.
The Wesmar TCS 380 is a completely new design of netsonar/sounding equipment allowing for Dual Net Profile with down sounder. This completes complete with Depth and Temperature sensors along with being able to receive Simrad/Wesmar/Marport eggs. Split screen or dual screen options are available.
One of the biggest differences from the TCS770 and the TCS380 is the weight different, both in air and water, the TCS770 can require up to three men to position on the net however the TCS380 is easily manoeuvrable with one man.

As we all know the South Pacific is along way from home, for this reason the M/V Atlantic challenge again selected Sonartron limited to provide communication in the harshest environments. Sonartron installed two Iridium Satellite Communication Telephones, one in the wheelhouse of M/V Atlantic Challenge and one in the crew recreation room. This was done so that both the crew and Captain(s) would have instance communications to loved ones at home, family, friends and other vessels or their offices.
The New Iridium Sailor SC4000 provides a much easier to use telephone/communication system with absolute global coverage and extremely competitive air time rates, with optional crew calling so that no-one is left in the dark!

Sodena in Ireland was built with the help of Sonartron, and the M/V Atlantic Challenge, chose to upgrade her Electronic Navigation Systems with new shuttle P.C. units with the latest version of Sodena Turbowin and of course a new chart database from C-Map to cover the selected areas in which they would be fishing. New NMEA buffer boxes were installed along with NMEA combiners and Uninterrupted Power Supplies to provide the most efficient redundancy possible.

Sonartron and Marport have lead the way in marine acoustic equipment, an thus Sonartron were able to supply a new Hybrid catch sensors to M/V Atlantic Challenge, this new type of catch sensor will transmit both Simrad and Scanmar/Marport codes at the same time in the one egg, however not effecting battery life,
at least four weeks transmission time! Thus you get two eggs in one! This offers great advantages being able to use fewer eggs and still provide both systems with all the information.
Sonartron also serviced all of M/V Atlantic Challenge’s catch sensors with new batteries, pull wires, magnets etc.

Sonartron also provided a “Health Check” to both Kaijo Denki Sonar’s on board M/V Atlantic Challenge to make sure they were performing at optimum peak capacity.


Sonartron would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Martin Howley and Mr. Stevie McSharry along with Mr. Seamus Tully for choosing Sonartron to be involved in this exciting new venture, and we wish them every possible success in the future along with great fishing.