Why right to left Downscan and Sonar

[Tackleholic]

Why does Downscan and Sonar always show right to left movement?  

[Jig Man]

My guess is because that is the way engineers designed them.

[Russ E]

Every sonar brand I have seen works the same way.

The very right side of the screen is live under the boat. anything to the left of that is history.

[MN Fisher]

28 minutes ago, Russ E said:

Every sonar brand I have seen works the same way.

The very right side of the screen is live under the boat. anything to the left of that is history.

Even my very basic Hook 2-4 works this way.

[NHBull]

I suspect it mirrors the military and is based on earlier technology.  When the military makes decisions it is usually based on the majorities predisposition. ....r handed, r eyed dominance, ect

[Tennessee Boy]

It’s a graph of sonar signals over time.  Every graph I can think of where time is represented on one axis has time advancing left to right on the x-axis.  An example would be a stock market chart.   I doubt if anyone knows when or how this tradition started but to do it any other way would be confusing.

[12poundbass]

9 hours ago, NHBull said:

I suspect it mirrors the military and is based on earlier technology.  When the military makes decisions it is usually based on the majorities predisposition. ....r handed, r eyed dominance, ect

I’m left handed and I’m very offended by this! ?

[NHBull]

15 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I’m left handed and I’m very offended by this! ?

?

[Bankc]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

It’s a graph of sonar signals over time.  Every graph I can think of where time is represented on one axis has time advancing left to right on the x-axis.  An example would be a stock market chart.   I doubt if anyone knows when or how this tradition started but to do it any other way would be confusing.

Tradition is why they still do it.  It's pretty much the reason why we do everything.  Creatures of habit and all.  But this would be my guess for why it started off that way.  You're basically looking at negative time, i.e. the past, and below the surface of the water/air barrier.  So in the traditional graphing layout world, you're looking at the lower, left quadrant.  My guess is engineers designed it this way to begin with because this is what made sense to them.  If it ran from left to right, it would be suggesting that it's showing what it predicts the bottom to look like in the future.  

 

Just put a little sticker of your boat over the top, right corner.  Now it looks like all of that info on the graph is what is behind you, which if you're traveling forward, is going to be what the graph is showing.  

[ghost123123]

Well, using the English language we read from left to right. The last word on the right is the most recent word we have read or comprehended. So, a graph running left to right also provides you with the latest “word” on the right of the screen. Just my ignorant two cents worth.

[Tennessee Boy]

I know one thing.  If my fish finder suddenly reversed and started going left to right,  I don’t think I would be able to find my way back to the ramp.  ?

[Tackleholic]

How do you know which direction the fish are coming from, and where they are going??

[Choporoz]

52 minutes ago, Tackleholic said:

How do you know which direction the fish are coming from, and where they are going??

I don't.   But wish I did.

[slonezp]

there are a ton of videos on YouTube that will answer your questions.