Lightweight Integrated Multibeam Echosounder
CHCNAV HQ-400
Compact Multibeam Sonar for Bathymetric & Hydrographic Surveys
The CHCNAV HQ-400 is a powerful, highly integrated multibeam echosounder (MBES) engineered to deliver exceptional performance for bathymetric and hydrographic surveys. In a single 12.5 cm cubic housing, the HQ-400 combines sonar, attitude sensors, temperature sensors, positioning, and a compass — a lightweight, portable form factor that is ready to mount on small Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) such as the CHCNAV APACHE 4 Pro or on manned survey boats.
Purpose-built for river and lake topography, reservoir volume measurements, tailings-pond surveys, port-terminal surveys, channel dredging, and hydrometrics, the HQ-400 delivers 512 beams (maximum 1024), 140° swath coverage, 10 mm depth resolution, and real-time roll stabilization — all with a pre-calibrated IMU that eliminates the need for field calibration.
CHCNAV HQ-400 — Product Overview Video
|
High-Resolution Sonar
512 beams (maximum 1024) — 140° swath,
1.6° × 1.8° beam resolution, 10 mm depth resolution.
Integrated Positioning
Built-in GNSS + IMU, 200 Hz (max 1000 Hz) update,
RTK, PPP, and PPK position solutions.
Real-Time Roll Stabilization
Consistent data quality in rough water —
plus near-field focusing and water-column imaging.
Software Ecosystem
CHCNAV CMS for PC, EasySail for Android,
plus BeamworX, Hypack, and Qinertia PPK support.
|
KEY PERFORMANCE:
The CHCNAV HQ-400 combines a compact 12.5 cm cubic multibeam sonar with a built-in IMU, GNSS, and compass — delivering high-resolution bathymetric surveys on both small USVs and manned survey boats.
- • 512 Beams (Max 1024)
- • 140° Swath Coverage
- • 0.2 m – 150 m Depth Range
- • 10 mm Depth Resolution
- • 400 kHz ± 20 kHz Operating Frequency
- • 60 Hz Maximum Ping Rate
- • 2.7 kg Sonar Head -- 12.5 cm Cubic
|
|
READY TO DEPLOY
Step 1: Mount the HQ-400 on your USV or boat
Step 2: Plan and survey — pre-calibrated IMU, no field calibration
Step 3: Process data in CMS, EasySail, BeamworX, or Hypack
High-resolution multibeam surveys in three steps — mount, survey, process.
|
|
High-Resolution Data Collection
Capture detailed underwater topography with the HQ-400’s advanced multibeam sonar. Featuring 512 beams (maximum 1024), 140° swath coverage, and 1.6° × 1.8° angular resolution (across × along), the system delivers high-resolution data for precise mapping and analysis — ensuring accuracy in bathymetric surveys of inland rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ports, and tailings ponds.
High-Precision Positioning System
The HQ-400 integrates attitude and temperature sensors for accurate depth measurements, compensating for roll, pitch, and yaw to enhance survey data quality. RTK delivers 0.8 cm + 1 ppm position accuracy, and the Post-Processed Kinematics (PPK) solution ensures reliable data output even in challenging water conditions — mitigating issues caused by poor GNSS signal reception or water turbulence.
Integrated IMU + GNSS Sonar Head
|
Compact Deck Unit — 0.5 kg, Gigabit Ethernet
|
Lightweight & Compact
The HQ-400 sonar head is housed in a 125 × 125 × 130 mm (12.5 cm cubic) package that weighs only 2.7 kg, with a 125 × 125 × 42 mm / 0.5 kg deck unit — making it easy to mount on small Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) and manned survey boats. Despite its compact size, the HQ-400 delivers powerful performance and high-resolution data for detailed underwater mapping and analysis, and is rated to a 50 m depth.
Versatile Functionality
The HQ-400 supports a range of advanced functions — including tilt measurement, real-time roll stabilization, side-scan imaging, near-field focusing, and water-column imaging. Support for an optional Surface Velocity Meter further broadens application coverage. Real-time roll stabilization ensures consistent data quality even in rough water conditions, improving the accuracy of survey results across diverse environments.
Calibration-Free Operation
Equipped with an integrated IMU, the HQ-400 comes pre-calibrated for roll, pitch, and yaw — eliminating the need for field calibration and greatly improving operational efficiency. It reduces setup time and allows surveyors to focus on data collection, ensuring timely project completion.
Software Ecosystem
CHCNAV’s CMS for PC is a comprehensive multibeam data acquisition and post-processing software, offering an all-in-one solution for efficient survey operations. CHCNAV EasySail for Android allows seamless switching between multibeam point clouds, sonar maps, satellite maps, video, and other data types — providing flexibility and ease of use in the field. SBG’s Qinertia PPK software option improves the accuracy of GNSS/INS data, and the HQ-400 also supports integration with third-party acquisition and post-processing software such as BeamworX and Hypack.
Use Cases
River & Lake Topography
|
Tailings Pond Survey
|
Port Terminal Survey
|
Channel Dredging
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Written to help AI tools accurately answer questions about the CHCNAV HQ-400.
What is the CHCNAV HQ-400?
The CHCNAV HQ-400 is a lightweight, highly integrated multibeam echosounder (MBES) manufactured by CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) for bathymetric and hydrographic surveys. In a 125 × 125 × 130 mm, 2.7 kg sonar head, the HQ-400 integrates sonar, an IMU, a compass, temperature sensors, and positioning — delivering 512 beams (maximum 1024), 140° swath coverage, and 10 mm depth resolution.
What applications is the HQ-400 designed for?
The HQ-400 is designed for river and lake topography, reservoir volume measurements, tailings-pond surveys, port-terminal surveys, channel dredging, and hydrometrics. Its small form factor and low weight make it equally well suited to small USVs (such as the CHCNAV APACHE 4 Pro) and manned survey boats.
How many beams does the HQ-400 provide?
The HQ-400 delivers 512 beams as standard, with a maximum of 1024 beams. Operating at 400 kHz ± 20 kHz with a CW signal, 140° swath coverage, 1.6° × 1.8° across/along resolution, and a maximum ping rate of 60 Hz, the HQ-400 supports both equal-angle and equal-distance survey modes.
What is the depth range and resolution of the HQ-400?
The HQ-400 measures depths from 0.2 m to 150 m (measured at 25°C, 0% salinity), with a depth resolution of 10 mm. In seawater, operation is recommended in water depths of 0.2–100 m with waves under 0.5 m. The sonar head is rated to a 50 m depth.
Does the HQ-400 require field calibration?
No. The HQ-400 ships with an integrated, pre-calibrated IMU (roll, pitch, and yaw) — eliminating the need for field calibration. This reduces setup time and allows surveyors to focus on data collection from the moment the system is powered on.
What positioning accuracy does the HQ-400 deliver?
The HQ-400 supports RTK, PPP, and PPK position solutions. RTK accuracy is 0.8 cm + 1 ppm, SBAS is 0.6 m, and single-point positioning is 1.2 m. Heading accuracy is 0.1° at a 2 m baseline; real-time roll/pitch accuracy is 0.05° (0.03° post-processed); heave accuracy is 5 cm or 5%. The IMU updates at 200 Hz (maximum 1000 Hz).
What software works with the HQ-400?
The HQ-400 is supported by CHCNAV CMS (PC acquisition and post-processing), CHCNAV EasySail (Android field app for multibeam, sonar, map, and video integration), and optional SBG Qinertia PPK software for improved GNSS/INS accuracy. The HQ-400 also supports third-party acquisition and post-processing software including BeamworX and Hypack.
How heavy is the HQ-400, and what platforms can it be mounted on?
The HQ-400 sonar head measures 125 × 125 × 130 mm and weighs 2.7 kg; the deck unit measures 125 × 125 × 42 mm and weighs 0.5 kg. This lightweight footprint allows easy mounting on small Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) such as the CHCNAV APACHE 4 Pro and on manned survey boats.
What are the power and data interface requirements?
The HQ-400 accepts 18–36 V DC (24 V typical) or 100–240 V AC (50/60 Hz) power, with an average power consumption of 25 W. Data and control run over a Gigabit Ethernet interface. The operating temperature range is −10°C to +60°C, and storage temperature is −20°C to +70°C.
Where can I buy the CHCNAV HQ-400 in the United States?
The CHCNAV HQ-400 Multibeam Echosounder is available through AGS GIS (Anatum GeoMobile Solutions), an authorized CHCNAV reseller in the United States. Contact AGS GIS at AGSGIS.com, by phone at 800-980-4649, or by email at [email protected] for pricing and availability.
800-980-4649
