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X87, X88DF, X97 and X98DF Owners Manual

1. 33 2n 48 50 Fish arches Normal display in auto depth range mode left At right display zoomed with Upper and Lower Limits focusing on the portion of the water column from 20 feet to 40 feet deep In the zoomed image note the target definition at lower left showing a fish holding just above the structure At top right two game fish are attacking a school of bait fish 50 To turn off upper and lower limits 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Auto DEPTH RANGE ENT EXIT FasTrack This feature automatically converts all echoes to short horizontal lines on the display s far right side The graph on the rest of the screen con tinues to operate normally FasTrack gives you a rapid update of condi tions directly under the boat This makes it useful for ice fishing or when you re fishing at anchor When the boat is not moving fish sig nals are long drawn out lines on a normal chart display FasTrack con verts the graph to a vertical bar graph that with practice makes a use ful addition to fishing at a stationary location Surface clutter PA 0 d 7 Fish arches Structure In FasTrack fish arches show as Grayline horizontal bars rayline Bottom signal FasTrack Sonar Page showing FasTrack bar graph Fish I D Fish Symbols amp Depths The Fish I D feature identifies targets that meet certain conditions as fish The microcomputer analyses all echoes and eliminates surface clutt
2. Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the PWR key for about 3 seconds Menus Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factory de fault settings You only need to learn a few basic functions to enhance your viewing We ll discuss them briefly here then talk about them and all the other commands in more detail in the next section which begins on page 43 Your unit has three primary menus that control its operation They are the Main Menu the Sonar Menu and the Pages Menu Main Menu The Main Menu contains some basic function commands and some setup option commands You access the Main Menu by pressing MENU MENU You run a command by using the or J to highlight the command and then pressing ENT To clear the Main Menu screen and return to the Page display press EXIT Remember our text style for MENU MENU means press the Menu key twice See a full explanation of our instruc tion text formatting on page 4 Instructions Menu Sequences 32 Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Reset Water Distance kx Sonar Simulator Reset Options x Popup Help Set Language Software Information Main Menu Main Menu Commands There are four basic Main Menu commands that you ll really want to read more about They are e Screen command changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen Use this command to adjust how t
3. Sonar Chart Display Options The Pages Menu offers five chart display options for dual frequency models and four options for single frequency models To access them press PAGES J to Option Name EXIT 68 Sonar Chart Simulator Mode Sonar Chart Split Zoom Sonar Chart Peers Split Zoom Sonar Chart Split Frequency Sonar Chart f Digital Data Digital Data p Flasher Flasher i 7 200kHz Pages Menu showing sonar chart display options at left dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu Full Sonar Chart This is the default mode used when the unit is turned on for the first time or when it s reset to the factory defaults The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left Depth scales on the right side of the screen aid in determining the depth of targets The line at the top of the screen represents the surface The bottom depth and surface temperature if equipped with a temperature sensor or a transducer with a temp sensor built in show at the top left corner of the screen The FasTrack display shows just to the right of the scale This changes all echoes into short horizontal bars replicating a flasher so nar The zoom bar on the far right shows the area that s zoomed when the zoom is in use See the Zoom section for more information Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Full Sonar Chart The Overlay Data depth and water temperature are both set to the small text size 69 S
4. som and the sensor with the caulking compound This will help ensure a smooth water flow Route the sensor s cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through the required hole size is 7 8 Caution If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable make sure it is lo cated above the waterline After installation be sure to seal the hole with the same marine grade above or below waterline seal ant used for the screws The sensor is now ready for use Connect the sensor to the in line con nector on the MY 4X adapter cable If you have any questions concern ing the installation of the sensor please contact your local boat dealer Power Connections The unit works from a 12 volt battery system For the best results at tach the power cable directly to the battery You can attach the power cable to an accessory or power buss however you may have problems with electrical interference Therefore it s safer to go ahead and attach the power cable directly to the battery CAUTION When using the unit in a saltwater environment we strongly rec ommend that you shut off the power supply to the power cable when the unit is not in use When the unit is turned off but still connected to a power supply electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug This may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electri cal contacts in the cable and the unit s power
5. Second the transducer angle cannot be adjusted for the best fish arches This can be a problem on some hulls that sit with the bow high when at rest or at slow trolling speeds Follow the procedure listed in the shoot thru hull installation section at the end of this lesson to de termine if you can satisfactorily shoot through the hull TRANSOM TRANSDUCER ASSEMBLY AND MOUNTING The best way to install these transducers is to loosely assemble all of the parts first place the transducer s bracket against the transom and see if you can move the transducer so that it s parallel with the ground The following instructions sometimes vary depending on the mounting bracket that came with your transducer Single frequency Skimmers come with a one piece stainless steel bracket while dual frequency Skimmers come with a two piece plastic mounting bracket Use the set of instructions that fits your model 1 Assembling the bracket A One piece bracket Press the two small plastic ratchets into the sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet Place each ratchet into the bracket with the letter a aligned with the dot stamped into the metal bracket This position sets the transducer s coarse angle adjustment for a 14 transom Most outboard and stern drive transoms have a 14 angle 10 Dot Align plastic ratchets in bracket B Two piece bracket Locate
6. more familiar with the feature The default for Fish I D is off Sensitivity SS Sonar Features Headey 200 kHz Surface Clarity Fish ID 200 kHz Surface Clarity off x ied Symbols forr x Noise Rejection T Depths 50 kHz z RIEF Noise Rejection Low X Low M Sonar Color Mode Grayscale X F Manual Mode x Auto Depth x Auto Sensitivity x Zoom Bar Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Color Mode Fish ID Grayscale Digi Symbols F Depths F Manual Mode x Auto Depth x Zoom Bar x Auto Sensitivity Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Features menu with Fish I D Symbols selected at left dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu When the check box to the left is checked the feature is on 52 Fig 1A Fig 1B Sonar Default Chart sig Sonar Default Chart slg Many fish arches visible FasTrack graph 7 confirms fish TENGD At left figures 1A and 2A show Sonar Page in normal chart mode At right figures 1B and 2B show the same underwater scene with Fish I D turned on Note how arches are replaced with symbols To turn the Fish I D feature on 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press gt 4 or gt to FisH ID Symsots ENT EXIT EXIT To turn off Fish I D repeat the instructions in step 1 FishTrack The FishTrack feature shows the depth of a fish symbol when it ap pears on the display This lets you accurately gauge the depth of
7. transducer with built in temperature sensor is packed with the X88DF and X98DF It has 35 12 cone angles a single frequency with built in tem perature sensor is packed with the X87 and X97 It has a 20 cone angle Transducers op erate at speeds up to 70 mph 61 kts 2 Transmitter X98DF and X97 3 000 watts peak to peak 375 watts RMS X88DF and X87 1 500 watts peak to peak 188 watts RMS Sonar sounding depth capability X98DF 2 500 feet 762 meters X88DF 1 700 feet 518 meters X97 1 000 feet 305 meters X87 800 feet 244 meters Actual capability depends on transducer con figuration and installation bottom composi tion and water conditions All sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water Depth display Continuous display Audible alarms Deep shallow fish zone Automatic ranging Yes with instant screen updates Auto bottom track Yes Zoom bottom track Yes Split screen zoom Yes Surface water temp Yes Speed distance log Optional requires optional speed sensor NOTICE The storage temperature range for your unit is from 4 degrees to 167 degrees Fahrenheit 20 degrees to 75 degrees Celsius Extended stor age in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage the liq uid crystal display in your unit This type of damage is not covered by the warranty F
8. us refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS INC the manufacturer of this product You or your refers to the first person who purchases this product as a consumer item for personal family or household use We warrant this product against defects or malfunctions in materials and workmanship and against failure to conform to this product s written specifications all for one 1 year from the date of original purchase by you WE MAKE NO OTHER EXPRESS WAR RANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER CONCERNING THIS PRODUCT Your remedies under this warranty will be available so long as you can show in a reasonable manner that any defect or malfunction in materials or workmanship or any non conformity with the product s written specifications occurred within one year from the date of your original purchase which must be substantiated by a dated sales receipt or sales slip Any such defect malfunction or non conformity which occurs within one year from your original purchase date will either be repaired without charge or be replaced with a new product identical or reasonably equivalent to this product at our option within a reasonable time after our receipt of the product If such defect malfunc tion or non conformity remains after a reasonable number of attempts to repair by us you may elect to obtain without charge a replacement of the product or a refund for the product THIS REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND AS JUST DESCRIBED IS THE EXCLUSIV
9. E A EN E E E 35 Basic Sonar Quick Reference ccccceceeseessseteceeeeeeees 38 S nar QperationSiz een neno ea a esthetic E NEA 39 Fish Symbols vs Full Sonar Chart cccccccccccccccececeeeeeeeees 41 Other Free Training Aids sssssssssssssssssrerrsssssssssssssesrrrrrreee 42 Section 4 Sonar Options amp Other Features 43 ASP Advanced Signal Processing cccccccccccceceeeeeeeeeeees 43 Alar M Seia dogsess e aaa aa aaa hd ehn a aiin aa 44 Depth Alarms iirin ruanin eE a EE E E E e a 44 LONE ATAT a Vides re whe aaa A che dl ech tA a S 45 Bish Alarincs sisg steve Makan aca et ae Mets ad nS 2 46 IBFIGHENESS 55505555 shebddeusisodocdiosss Cosddeeuanddle i dhaaedeededs he aade 46 Calibrate Speed ccs c siteicccse olssdeiccetelisdesa cost sieeve titi veen ced a eera 46 Chart Speedi cenre cited tactades aoda iaai aa 8 47 aain e e AEE SEE Sos hace E he A N AT NEE eats 48 Depth Cursor eena anao e ao eanais aiat aidan 48 Depth Range Automatic cccccecesssssecceceeccececeeeeeeeeeeeetntaaes 48 Depth Range Manual ccccccccsessseseseseeccecccceeeeeeeeeasaaeaeeeeeeees 49 Depth Range Upper and Lower Limits eeeeeeeeereee 49 Has Track Ma nerean ndre E E Aa ba sede to vas Suse eu SIR RE 51 Fish I D Fish Symbols amp Depths cccccceeeeeeessstsseeeees 51 Eish Track Mosina e ea er weet an e eetaah tec el a Seeekem 53 Fi shReveal M anae
10. Ix Popup Help Ix PaSa a J Set Language Se Display Mode Software Inrormaton g Normal a Screen Command left and Screen Menu with Contrast bar selected right To adjust the display s brightness Press J to BRIGHTNESS Press gt or lt to move the bar The left end of the scale is minimum contrast the right end is maximum contrast To adjust the screen s display mode Press 4 to DispLay Mope ENT press 7 or J to select mode EXIT Sounds Sonar Alarms Urita aF hanna en Se Ca Contrast Re ee K ps k Brightness Hoh gt x Po OW rere J a x Sel PEETA So Normal hd g Normal i High Contrast r Night Viewin g g 3 a E L__ Display Mode menu Sensitivity amp Auto Sensitivity The sensitivity controls the ability of the unit to pick up echoes Sensi tivity can be adjusted because water conditions vary greatly a low sensitivity level from zero to 50 percent excludes much of the bottom information fish signals and other target information High sensitivity levels let you see this detail but it can also clutter the screen with many undesired signals Typically the best sensitivity level shows a good solid bottom signal with Grayline and some surface clutter 64 Automatic Sensitivity The default sensitivity mode is automatic The unit bases the sensitiv ity level on water depth and conditions When the unit is in the auto matic mode sensitivity is automatically adjusted
11. This pre vents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bot tom tracking When you change the setting with auto turned on the unit will continue to track the bottom and make minor adjustments to the sen sitivity level with a bias toward the setting you selected Adjusting sensitivity in Manual Sensitivity Mode is similar to driving a car without cruise control you have complete manual control of the car s speed In the sonar unit manual mode allows you to set sensitiv ity at 100 percent maximum or zero percent minimum Depending on water conditions the bottom signal may completely disappear from the screen when you reduce sensitivity to about 50 percent or less Try adjusting sensitivity in both auto and manual modes to see how they work To adjust sensitivity 1 Press MENU ENT 2 The Sensitivity Control Bar appears Press J to decrease sensitivity press to increase sensitivity When it s set at the desired level press EXIT When you reach the maximum or minimum limit a tone sounds x Auto Sensitivity Grayline Depth Range Ix Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed a N Bae Sensitivity N o A fia o D At left Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected At right the Sensitivity Control Bar 40 NOTE If you want to change t
12. a 8 amp fuse will void your warranty This unit has reverse polarity protection No damage will occur if the power wires are reversed However the unit will not work until the wires are attached correctly An optional 8 foot CA 4 external power cable with a cigarette lighter adapter is available from Lowrance 24 Sonar unit rear view Sonar socket a Power socket Transducer Power wires a f Sonar unit cable connections Mounting the Unit Bracket In Dash or Portable You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied gimbal bracket It can also be installed in the dash or mounted on a portable power supply If you use the supplied bracket you may be interested in the optional R A M bracket mounting system This converts the unit s gimbal bracket to a swivel mount which can be used on the dash or overhead mounting positions Installation instructions are supplied with the R A M mounting kits 25 Optional R A M mounting system Bracket Installation Mount the unit in any convenient location provided there is clearance behind the unit when it s tilted for the best viewing angle You should also make sure there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power and transducer cables a drawing on the next page shows the dimensions of a gimbal mounted sonar unit Holes in the bracket s base allow wood screw or through bolt mounting You ma
13. back cover of this manual Unit won t turn on 1 Check the power cable s connection at the unit Also check the wiring 2 Make certain the power cable is wired properly The red wire con nects to the positive battery terminal black to negative or ground 3 Check the fuse 4 Measure the battery voltage at the unit s power connector It should be at least 11 volts If it isn t the wiring to the unit is defective the battery terminals or wiring on the terminals are corroded or the bat tery needs charging Unit operates only in demo mode 1 The transducer has not yet been connected or has been disconnected To leave demo mode make sure the transducer is securely connected before turning the unit on Unit freezes locks up or operates erratically 1 Electrical noise from the boat s motor trolling motor or an accessory may be interfering with the sonar unit Rerouting the power and trans ducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat may help Route the sonar unit s power cable directly to the battery instead of through a fuse block or ignition switch 2 Inspect the transducer cable for breaks cuts or pinched wires 3 Check both the transducer and power connectors Make certain both are securely plugged in to the unit Weak bottom echo digital readings erratic or no fish signals 1 Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down Clean the face of the transducer Oil dirt and fuel can cause a film
14. clutter thermoclines weed beds and other cover The normal mode of operation with FishReveal turned off shows the weakest echoes as black and the strongest echoes in light gray Since all weak echoes are black fish arches show boldly against the white background The drawback is that all weak echoes such as thermo clines are also emphasized This can make it hard to distinguish fish signals inside thermoclines or other cover In FishReveal mode the weakest echoes are white and the strongest echoes are black Echoes in between vary in gray in proportion to their signal strength The Grayline control determines the range for black to white Also note that when using FishReveal we recommend that you turn off Auto Sensitivity and turn up Sensitivity to near maximum 54 Sensitivitw 200 kHz 50 kHz Sonar Color Mode FishReveal hd Grayscale Reverse Grayscal Bottom Black FishReveal r200 kHz Surface Clarity off hd Noise Rejection Low iv Fish I r Symbols F Depths x Zoom Bar r Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Features Surface Clarity off Z Noise Rejection Low hd Sonar Color Mode FishReveal iy Grayscale Reverse Grayscale Bottom Black FishReveal x Zoom Bar r Zone Alarm Bar Fish D _ r Symbols r Depths Sonar Color Mode command with FishReveal selected at left dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu To turn FishReveal on 1 Fr
15. depth scale chart cursor or fish sym bols is not the exact water depth If the transducer is 1 foot below the surface and the screen shows the water depth as 30 feet then the ac tual depth is 31 feet On sailboats or other large vessels with deep drafts the distance be tween the transducer installation and the keel or lower engine unit can be several feet In those cases an inexact depth reading could result in grounding or striking underwater structure The Keel Offset feature eliminates the need for the navigator to mentally calculate how much water is under his keel Keel Offset lets you calibrate the digital depth chart depth scale chart cursor depth and fish symbol depth displayed on the screen To calibrate the depth indicators first measure the distance from the face of the trans ducer to the lowest part of the boat In this example we will use 3 5 feet We enter this as a negative 3 5 feet which makes the depth indicators per form as if the transducer s lower in the water than it really is 66 1 Press MENU MENU J to SET KEEL OFFSET ENT 2 The Keel Offset dialog box appears Press J to change the plus sign to a minus sign 3 Press to the first number then press to change the number to 3 4 Press to the second number then press to change the number to 5 then press EXIT The depth indicators now accurately show the depth of water beneath the keel NOTE If knowing the exact depth
16. outside of the hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed These boats typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat at speeds faster than 35 mph Typically a good location on alumi num boats is between the ribs closest to the engine 2 The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight down if possible 3 If the transducer is mounted on the transom make sure it doesn t interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat Also don t mount it closer than approximately one foot from the engine s lower unit This will prevent cavitation bubble interference with propeller operation 4 If possible route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat Electrical noise from engine wiring bilge pumps and aerators can be displayed on the sonar s screen Use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires CAUTION Clamp the trans ducer cable to transom near the transducer This will help prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at high speed Good location Poor location Good location Poor angle Good and poor transducer locations Good location How low should you go For most situations you should install your Skimmer transducer so that its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull This will usually give you the best combination of smooth water flow and protec tion from bangs and bumps Transom Tran
17. s wires away from it You may need to route the sonar unit s power cable directly to the battery to isolate it from other wiring on the boat If no noise displays on the sonar unit from electrical equipment then make certain everything except the sonar unit is turned off then start the engine Increase the RPM with the gearshift in neutral If noise ap pears on the display the problem could be one of three things spark plugs alternator or tachometer wiring Try using resistor spark plugs alternator filters or routing the sonar unit s power cable away from engine wiring Again routing the power cable directly to the battery helps eliminate noise problems Make certain to use the in line fuse supplied with the unit when wiring the power cable to the battery When no noise appears on the sonar unit after all of the above tests then the noise source is probably cavitation Many novices or persons with limited experience make hasty sonar installations which function perfectly in shallow water or when the boat is at rest In nearly all cases the cause of the malfunction will be the location and or angle of the transducer The face of the transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of water at all boat speeds Read your trans ducer owner s manual for the best mounting position 81 Notes 82 Notes 83 Notes 84 Section 6 Supplemental Material LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY We our or
18. sebed iced salad iwi dace a ara aed iaeia 73 Stop CHATT inerle eari uc nagleeheaedewetees nace elles Sue E a 74 Surface Clarity roninas ri aaie lai inet Aes 74 Units 0f Measure onari rea E iiL E Aiii 75 Upper and Lower Limits cccssescessseeececcccceceeeeceaeaaeaeeeeeeees 76 ZOOM amp ZOOM Bar aeee aasi ra E AEE A ERES 76 Loom Patis not teen ire na a E E a e A Seatac 79 Section 5 Sonar Troubleshooting ccccccccseseeeeeeeees 79 Section 6 Supplemental Material ccccceeeeeeeeeeeeees 85 Section 1 Read Me First How this manual can get you out on the water fast Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar We know you re anxious to begin finding fish but we have a favor to ask Before you grab your unit and begin installing it please give us a moment or two to explain how our manual can help you get the best performance from your com pact wide screen fish finder First we want to thank you for buying a Lowrance sonar Whether you re a first time user or a professional fisherman you ll discover that your unit is easy to use yet capable of handling demanding sonar tasks You won t find another sonar unit with this much power and this many features for this price Our goal for this book is to get you on the water fast with a minimum of fuss Like you we d rather spend more time boating or fishing and less time reading the manual So we designed our book so that you don t have to r
19. the dot stamped in the bracket Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the transom Again check to see if you can move the transducer so it s parallel with the ground If you can then go to step 3A If it doesn t repeat step 2A but use a different alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the transom correctly Ratchets Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom 12 B Two piece bracket Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown in the following figure Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assembly but don t tighten the nut at this time Hold the assembled transducer and bracket against the transom Looking at the transducer from the side check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to the ground If it does then the a positions are correct for your hull If the transducer s face isn t parallel with the ground remove and disassemble the transducer and ratchets Place the ratchets into the bracket holes with the letter B aligned with the bracket alignment mark Place them on the transducer aligned with the 12 o clock posi tion on the transducer stem Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the transom Again check to see if you can move the transducer so it s parallel with the ground If you can then go to step 3B If it doesn t repeat step 2B but use a different alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the tra
20. the four plastic ratchets in the trans ducer s hardware package Press two ratchets into the sides of the plas tic bracket and two on either side of the transducer as shown in the fol lowing illustrations Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet Place the ratchets into the bracket with the letter a aligned with the alignment mark molded into the bracket Place the ratchets onto the transducer with the letter a aligned with the 12 o clock position on the transducer stem These positions set the transducer s coarse angle adjustment for a 14 transom Most outboard and stern drive tran soms have a 14 angle Alignment letters Alignment positions Transducer Transducer bracket Insert and align ratchets 11 Transducer bracket Transducer coon Ratchet i _ Co CD TA W Add ratchets to bracket and transducer 2 Aligning the transducer on the transom A One piece bracket Slide the transducer between the two ratch ets Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assembly and hold it against the transom Looking at the transducer from the side check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to the ground If it does then the a position is correct for your hull If the transducer s face isn t parallel with the ground remove the transducer and ratchets from the bracket Place the ratchets into the holes in the bracket with the letter B aligned with
21. to form on the transducer reducing its effectiveness If the transducer is mounted in side the hull be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fiberglass and that it is securely bonded to the hull Do NOT use RTV silicone rubber adhesive or Marine Tex epoxy 2 Electrical noise from the boat s motor can interfere with the sonar This causes the sonar to automatically increase its Discrimination or 79 noise rejection feature This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker signals such as fish or even structure from the display 3 The water may be deeper than the sonar s ability to find the bottom If the sonar can t find the bottom signal while it s in the automatic mode the digital sonar display will flash continuously It may change the range to limits far greater than the water you are in If this hap pens place the unit in the manual mode then change the range to a realistic one for example 0 100 feet and increase the sensitivity As you move into shallower water a bottom signal should appear 4 Check the battery voltage If the voltage drops the unit s transmitter power also drops reducing its ability to find the bottom or targets Bottom echo disappears at high speeds or erratic digital read ing or weak bottom echo while boat is moving 1 The transducer may be in turbulent water It must be mounted in a smooth flow of water in order for the sonar to work at all boat speeds Air bubbles in the water disrupt the so
22. to keep a solid bottom signal displayed plus a little more power This gives it the capability to show fish and other detail However situations occur when it becomes necessary to increase or de crease the sensitivity This typically happens when you wish to see more detail so an increase in sensitivity is indicated Or wave action and boat wakes can create enough tiny air bubbles to clutter much of the water column In that case a decrease in sensitivity is indicated to reduce some of the clutter The control bar used to adjust sensitivity up or down is the same whether the unit is in the automatic or manual mode In automatic you can adjust sensitivity up to 100 percent but the unit will limit your minimum setting In auto the unit will continue to make small ad justments allowing for the setting you selected In manual mode you have complete control over sensitivity with the ability to set it anywhere from zero to 100 percent Once you select a level in manual the unit will continue to use that exact sensitivity set ting until you change it or revert to auto mode To adjust sensitivity in auto mode 1 Press MENU ENT 2 The Sensitivity Control Bar appears Press J to decrease sensitivity press to increase sensitivity When it s set at the desired level press EXIT When you reach the maximum or minimum limit a tone sounds Sonar Chi Sensitivity x Auto Sensitivity Grayline Depth Range
23. turned off The right view shows Surface Clarity set at High Units of Measure This menu sets the speed and distance statute or nautical miles me ters depth feet fathoms or meters and temperature degrees Fahr enheit or Celsius To change the units Press MENU MENU J to Units oF Measure ENT 75 Screen Screen Sounds Sounds 0 Sonar Alarms Sonar Alarms f Set Keel Offset A Calibrate Water Speed Speed Distance Depth Reset Water Distance ig Feet Peon pit marl e Nautical Fathoms eset Options Popup Help Metric C Meters Set Language Temperature Software Information amp Fahrenheit C Celsius 3 200kHz Main Menu left Units of Measure Menu right To set Speed Distance Unit of Measure Press T or J to change the Speed Distance then press ENT After the option is set press EXITIEXITIEXIT to return to the page display Upper and Lower Limits See the entry in this section for Depth Range Upper and Lower Limits Zoom amp Zoom Bar Zooming the display is a common fast and easy method used to en large small detail fish signals and the bottom with its associated struc ture This unit lets you zoom the display quickly and easily by pressing the Zoom In key ZIN Pressing ZIN once doubles the size 2X of all echoes on the screen Pressing it again quadruples the size of the echoes 4X The zoom bar on the far right si
24. with Overlay Data turned on This example shows Depth Water Temperature and the Water Speed of the boat 60 Ping Speed amp HyperScroll Ping Speed controls the rate at which the transmitter and transducer broadcast sonar sound waves pings into the water The unit has a default ping speed of 50 percent At normal boating speeds this auto matically provides enough return echoes to refresh the screen and scroll the chart at maximum chart speed However when you are running at high speeds or just want the fastest possible screen update you may want to use the HyperScroll feature When you change the Ping Speed to any setting greater than 50 per cent the unit automatically enters HyperScroll mode These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high detail picture on the screen and the screen refresh rate and chart scroll speed can keep pace with the boat as it moves quickly over the bottom terrain When using HyperScroll you may also need to manually decrease the sensitivity for optimum performance Depending on water depth and other conditions HyperScroll may cause a second bottom echo to return to the transducer during the next ping cycle or sounding This can result in a large amount of clutter appearing on the screen If this occurs just decrease the sensitivity to a level that eliminates the clutter When you turn HyperScroll off you can return to your original sensitivity level Sonar Chart Default Chart s
25. x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Sensitivity At left Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected At right the Sensitivity Control Bar 65 To adjust sensitivity in manual mode 1 First turn off Auto Sensitivity from the Sonar Page press MENU J to AuTo SENsItTIviTY ENT 2 Press T to Sensitivity ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears Press J or T to pick a different sensitivity setting When it s set at the desired level press EXIT To turn Auto Sensitivity back on From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Auto Sensitivity ENT EXIT NOTE To return to the original factory setting for Auto Sensitivity see the entry in this section on Reset Options If sensitivity is in manual mode the Reset Options command will switch back to Auto and re set the factory setting at the same time Tip For quicker sensitivity adjustments try leaving the Sensitivity Control Bar on the screen as the chart scrolls You can see the changes on the screen as you press the up or down arrows This is handy when there s a lot of clutter in the water and you are matching the sensitivity to rapidly changing water conditions Set Keel Offset This unit measures water depth from the face of the transducer Since the transducer is installed below the water surface the distance dis played by the digital depth chart
26. E REMEDY AVAILABLE TO YOU AGAINST US FOR ANY DEFECT MALFUNCTION OR NON CONFORMITY CONCERNING THE PRODUCT OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE WHATSOEVER WE WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY SPECIAL CONSEQUENTIAL INCIDENTAL OR OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGE OF ANY KIND Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential dam ages so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you This warranty does NOT apply in the following circumstances 1 when the product has been serviced or repaired by anyone other than us 2 when the product has been con nected installed combined altered adjusted or handled in a manner other than ac cording to the instructions furnished with the product 3 when any serial number has been effaced altered or removed or 4 when any defect problem loss or damage has resulted from any accident misuse negligence or carelessness or from any failure to provide reasonable and necessary maintenance in accordance with the instructions of the owner s manual for the product We reserve the right to make changes or improvements in our products from time to time without incurring the obligation to install such improvements or changes on equipment or items previously manufactured This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which may vary from state to state REMINDER You must retain the sale
27. L LOWRANCE Pub 988 0105 961 www lowrance com E LOWRANCE X87 X88DF X97 X98DF Fish finding amp Depth Sounding Sonars Operation Instructions Copyright 2002 Lowrance Electronics Inc All rights reserved Lowrance is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics Inc MapCreate is a trademark of Lowrance Electronics Inc Marine Tex is a trademark of Illinois Tool Works Inc Navionics is a registered trademark of Navionics Inc Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies regulations and special offers at any time We reserve the right to do so without notice All features and specifications subject to change without notice All screens in this manual are simulated On the cover X98DF shown Other models covered in the manual are similar For free owner s manuals and other information visit our web site www lowrance com Lowrance Electronics Inc 12000 E Skelly Dr Tulsa OK USA 74128 2486 Table of Contents Section 1 Read Me First cccccccccssseceesessseeeeessesseeeeees 1 Capabilities and Specifications X87 X88DF X97 X98DF 2 How Sonar Works 22 065 cccccehcbsseocncciasiscecivevstbensiceussaancaceehsesteat gees 3 How To Use This Manual Typographical Convention 4 Section 2 Installation amp Accessories 7 PYEPAPATIONIS 350 5 t rere US RGA rte ened babes Pesos tes cate Oe 7 Transducer Installation cccccccccceeeeeesesec
28. Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed lepth Range right the Depth Range Control Scale 2 The Depth Range Control Scale appears Press or J to select a dif ferent depth range a black bar highlights the selected range Range numbers in gray cannot be selected 3 When the new range is selected press EXIT to clear the menu Depth Range Manual You have complete control over the range when the unit is in the man ual mode There are 16 depth ranges from 5 feet to 4 000 feet To switch to Manual Depth Range 1 First turn off automatic depth range From the Sonar Page press MENU J to AUTO DEPTH RANGE ENT 2 Press T to DEPTH RANGE ENT and the Depth Range Control Scale appears 3 Press J or T to select a different depth range a horizontal black bar highlights the selected range 4 When the new range is selected press EXIT to clear the menu To turn Auto Depth Range on again 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Auto DEPTH RANGE ENT EXIT NOTE The sonar s depth capability depends on the transducer installa tion water and bottom conditions and other factors Depth Range Upper and Lower Limits Virtually any segment of the water column can be displayed by using the upper and lower limit feature This lets you pick the shallow and deep depth range limits that are shown on the screen provided there is at least 10 feet between the uppe
29. This al lows you to tell the difference between a hard and soft bottom For ex ample a soft muddy or weedy bottom returns a weaker signal which is shown with a narrow or no gray line a hard bottom returns a strong signal which causes a wide gray line If you have two signals of equal size one with gray and the other with out then the target with gray is the stronger signal This helps distin guish weeds from trees on the bottom or fish from structure Grayline is adjustable Experiment with your unit to find the Grayline setting that s best for you Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Sensitivity x Auto Sensitivity Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed At left Sonar Page menu with Grayline command selected At right the Grayline control bar To adjust the Grayline level 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to GRAYLINE ENT 2 The Grayline Control Bar appears Press 4 to decrease Grayline press to increase Grayline 3 When it s set at the desired level press EXIT 57 Fig 1A Fig 1B Sonar Chart Default Chart sig structure structure Grayline Fig 2A be eas Grayline Fig 3A Fig 3B Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Grayline This series of figures shows how different Grayline settings can
30. allow Alarm Sonar Default Chart sig gt T Enabled 4 Deep Alarm i i i Dep I Enabled 100 ft Upper f Lower Zone Alam I Enabled F Fish Alarm At left Sonar Alarms menu with Adjust Zone command selected At right Adjust Zone Alarm selection box with Upper selected 3 To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm use lt or to select UPPER then press or J to move the top of the bar to the desired depth 4 To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm use or to select Lower then press T or J to move the bottom of the bar to the desired depth 45 5 Press EXIT lt to Zone ALARM ENABLED ENT EXIT Now any echo fish bottom structure within the zone alarm s depth range will trig ger the zone alarm 6 To turn off the alarm press Ararm to Zone ALARM En ABLED ENT EXIT To switch to a different depth setting open the Sonar Alarms menu and repeat the instructions in steps 3 and 4 above Fish Alarm Use the fish alarm for a distinctive audible alarm when fish or other suspended objects are detected by the Fish I D feature Fish I D must be turned on for the Fish Alarm to work a different tone sounds for each fish symbol size shown on the display Sonar Alarms Shallow Alarm th T Enabled 1 z Deep Alarm Dept T Enabled 100 ft soane E aS I Enabled Adjust Zone 1 igiFish Alarm Sonar Alarms menu with Fish Alarm select
31. amage or loss during shipment Lowrance does not assume responsibility for goods lost or damaged in transit 3 For proper testing include a brief note with the product describing the problem Be sure to include your name return shipping address and a daytime telephone number Visit our web site a ASS lowrance com e R ee E LOWRANCE We Lead We Find You Win Lowrance Pub 988 0105 961 Copyright 2002 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 101702 Lowrance Electronics
32. andard Time M F outside Canada and the USA If you have technical return or repair questions contact the dealer in the country where you purchased your unit To locate a dealer near you visit our web site www lowrance com and look for the Dealer Lo cator 86 Accessory Ordering Information for all countries To order Lowrance GPS accessories such as computer cables or MMC cards please contact 1 Your local marine dealer or consumer electronics store Most quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumer electronics should be able to assist you with these items To locate a Lowrance dealer near you visit our web site www lowrance com and look for the Dealer Locator Or you can consult your telephone directory for listings 2 U S customers LEI Extras Inc PO Box 129 Catoosa OK 74015 0129 Call 1 800 324 0045 or visit our web site www lei extras com 3 Canadian customers can write Lowrance Eagle Canada 919 Matheson Blvd E Mississauga Ontario L4W2R7 or fax 905 629 3118 Shipping Information If it becomes necessary to send a product for repair or replacement you must first receive a return authorization number from Customer Service Products shipped without a return authorization will not be accepted When shipping we recommend you do the following 1 Always use the original shipping container and filler material the product was packed in 2 Always insure the parcel against d
33. apply the fill material Before positioning the bracket be sure to hold the cables against the rear edge of the hole Then slide the bracket over the hole and butt the rear of the bracket base firmly against the cables thus pinning them in place against the side of the hole Finally fasten the bracket to the dash Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal knobs and washers 27 In Dash Installation You can mount the unit in the dash with an optional FM 5 In Dash Adapter Kit The kit includes mounting hardware a template for cut ting the hole and an instruction sheet part 988 0147 43 146 5 r 5 76 m Top R 7 9 0 31 In Dash nee Template 4 46 Millimeters Inches ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS In dash mounting template for the sonar unit showing dimensions NOTE The figure above is not printed to scale a scaled template FM 5 In Dash Adapter Kit instructions is available for free download from our web site www lowrance com Portable Installation Like many Lowrance products this sonar unit is capable of portable operation by using the optional PPP 11 portable power pack The power pack and an optional portable transducer expand the uses for your so nar unit The PPP 11 makes it easy to use the unit on your boat or take it to the dock on a float tube on an ice fishing trip or use it as a second sonar in a friend s boat The PPP 11 Portable Power Pack can be used with eight D
34. ar the bottom from the actual bottom and defines bottom composition hardness 34 e Depth Range command manually sets the depth range shown on the sonar chart e Auto Depth Range command automatically sets the depth range shown on the sonar chart to always keep the bottom in view e Upper and Lower Limits command sets the upper and lower depth limits of the sonar chart Lets you zoom in on a specific portion of the water column e Stop Chart command stops the sonar chart from scrolling Used when you want to freeze the image for closer study e Chart Speed command sets the scrolling speed of the sonar chart e Depth Cursor command displays a cursor line on the sonar chart which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target e Overlay Data command chooses what types of information such as water temperature to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen e Sonar Features command launches the Sonar Features menu which controls many functions and options including frequency selection screen color mode auto depth and sensitivity surface clarity noise re jection Fish I D symbols the zoom bar and zone bar e Ping Speed command sets the rate at which sonar pings are made Pages The Pages Menu controls the five major display options They are the Full Sonar Chart Split Zoom Sonar Chart Split Frequency Sonar Chart Digital Data and Flasher You access the Pages Menu by pressing the PAGES key You se
35. ble for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit By highlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds a pop up message appears that describes the function of the menu item This feature is on by default To set up Popup Help Press MENU MENU J to Popup HeLP With the option highlighted press ENT to check it turn on and uncheck it turn off After the option is set press EXIT to return to the page display Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Reset Water Distance Sonar Simulator x Sonar Simulator Reset Options if 30 Reset Options Popup HOD i Popup Help Set Language Set Language Software Information Reset Water Distance Software Information cs A 200kHz A F 30 Main Menu left with Pop up Help command highlighted At right this example shows the Pop up Help message for the Calibrate Water Speed command located on the Main Menu 62 Reset Options This command is used to reset all features options and settings to their original factory defaults This is useful when you have changed several settings and want to return the unit to basic automatic operation 1 Press MENU MENU J to RESET Options ENT 2 Press lt to Yes ENT 3 All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory
36. cattered dots ap pear but individual objects like fish arches or bottom structure can be easily picked out of the background 7 Watch the display for the appearance of fish arches When you see arches you ve found fish Stop the boat and get your lure or bait into the water at the depth indicated on the sonar chart 8 Gauge the fish depth by visually comparing the fish arches with the depth scale on the right side of the screen or get a more accurate measure with the Depth Cursor Press MENU J to DEPTH Cursor ENT Press J or to align the cursor line with the fish arch The exact depth appears in a box at the right end of the cursor line To clear the cursor press EXIT 9 If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored you are not mov ing fast enough for a fish to return the tell tale fish arch signal As you drift over a fish or as a fish swims through the transducer s signal cone the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between the surface and the bottom 10 To turn off the unit press and hold PWR key for three seconds 38 Sonar Operations As you can see from the quick reference on the previous page basic operation is pretty easy right out of the box If you are a sonar novice try operating the unit with the factory defaults until you get a feel for how it s working As you re learning the basics there is one setting you might want to tinker with from time to time Sensitivity Sensitiv
37. cell alka line batteries or an optional sealed rechargeable battery For set up directions refer to the pack s instruction sheet part 988 0147 46 28 Install batteries in power pack battery adapter Face Cover Your unit comes with a white protective cover that snaps on and off the front of the unit This cover is intended for use when your unit and the vehicle it s mounted in are idle WARNING When the unit is mounted in an unprotected area such as an open boat cockpit the protective face cover must be removed when the vehicle is moving at high speed This includes towing a boat on a trailer at highway speeds Otherwise wind blast can pop off the cover 29 Notes 30 Section 3 Basic Sonar Operation This section addresses the unit s most basic sonar operations The in structions presented here in Sec 3 follow a chronological order Sec 4 Sonar Options amp Other Features will discuss options and other more advanced functions and utilities The material in Sec 4 is arranged in alphabetical order Before you turn on the unit it s a good idea to learn about the different keys the Main Menu the Sonar Menu the five Page options and how they all work together BUT if you just can t wait to get on the water turn to the one page Quick Reference on page 38 Keyboard LE LOWRANCE xgs 4 ZOUT ZN 9 PAGES Sonar unit front view with keyboard X98DF shown 1 PWR LIGHT Power amp Light Th
38. d re assemble it with the cable passing through the bracket over the bolt as shown in the following figures For single frequency Skimmer route cable over bolt and through bracket Side view shown at left and seen from above at right 14 Both bracket types Attach the transducer to the transom Slide the transducer up or down until it s aligned properly with the bottom of the hull as shown in the preceding and following figures Tighten the bracket s mounting screws sealing them with the caulking compound Adjust the transducer so that it s parallel to the ground and tighten the nut until it touches the outer washer then add 1 4 turn Don t over tighten the lock nut If you do the transducer won t kick up if it strikes an object in the water Flat bottom hull Deep vee hull Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach transducer to transom Rear view of dual frequency Skimmer shown 6 Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit Make sure to leave some slack in the cable at the transducer If possible route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat Electrical noise from the engine s wiring bilge pumps VHF radio wires and cables and aerators can be picked up by the sonar Use cau tion when routing the transducer cable around these wires WARNING Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the transducer This can prevent the transducer from enter ing the b
39. d to attach the transducer cable to the troll ing motor shaft Make sure there is enough slack in the cable for the motor to turn freely Route the cable to the sonar unit and the trans ducer is ready for use Transducer mounted on trolling motor side view 16 TRANSDUCER ORIENTATION AND FISH ARCHES If you do not get good fish arches on your display it could be because the transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest in the water or at slow trolling speeds Partial fish arches aa gt e a Transducer aimed Transducer aimed too far back too far forward Full fish arch E Proper transducer angle Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches If the arch slopes up but not back down then the front of the trans ducer is too high and needs to be lowered If only the back half of the arch is printed then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised NOTE Periodically wash the transducer s face with soap and water to re move any oil film Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity or may even prevent operation SHOOT THRU HULL PREPARATION The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass lay ers The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass a successful 17 transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation mate
40. dai dade E a e vats dees 54 Frequency Change Transducer Frequency X88DF and X98DEF only sanisivsisssrrsiniess israr rnerei ives 56 OTE AIG ail oot E REA E ETE I E 57 Fy per Scrolls mpe a a a te es a a or E 59 Noise Rejection sennoina rani ee oho TEREE 59 Oyerlay Data siti a nleleie Aas teh ss 59 Ping Speed amp HyperScroll cccccccscscccccccceccccceeeeeeesesstsssseeees 61 Fop Up Hel pisces sasssvcihitissecselecsetis E ei cs een ete vows eds 62 Reset Options iivisc ed rronin a a ii ieo a toes dete 63 Reset Water Distance essseesssssssssssesseerereeeeessrsssssseseerreeeeeesessss 63 Screen Contrast and Brightness ssssssssssessrsserreresrssssssssssesre 63 Sensitivity amp Auto Sensitivity cccccccccccceceeeseeeeeesssnssseeees 64 Set Keel Offs tiics feiseies teats telus Siena a ata be elec 66 Het han geuaces tac sobs aaccs en ee vi ais 67 Software Version Information ccccccccccssseccceseesseeeeessesseeeees 67 Sonar Color Mode eosterien E AAA 68 Sonar Chart Display Options 0 cccccccccccccccceeeeeseeeessnsssseeeees 68 Full Sonat Chart sci 0 caesietitsnte eesti a cee ies 69 Split Zoom Sonar Chart cccccceesssssssssccceeeeececeeeeeeeeeeeees 70 Split Frequency Sonar Chart X88DF and X98DF only 70 Digital DatalGhartiscccs tss tease vets inei Bibel sseseis oleae ae eis hea 71 Flasher fic eit fascist etree caten Seat an eke esto hoe sats Weasel aes 73 vonar SIMULA GOP shes ced
41. de of the screen shows which echoes will be displayed on the screen when the ZIN key is pressed For example pressing the ZIN key once will enable a 2X zoom which will show all echoes that are between the top and bottom of the 2X zoom bar Pressing the key again will give a 4X zoom and only the ech oes between the top and bottom of the 4X bar will show on the screen Press the Zoom Out key ZOUT to return the display to the normal mode 76 Sonar Default Chart sig At left Sonar Page normal view Center same view zoomed to 2X Right same view zoomed to 4X Zoom Pan Your unit has the handy ability to quickly zoom in on any portion of the water column with just the touch of an arrow key The Zoom Pan feature lets you rapidly move the zoomed area up and down to different depths By pointing your zoom at different portions of the chart as it scrolls you can get a good close up look at structure or cover below you To use Zoom Pan switch to a manual depth Range setting see page 23 and turn on 2X or 4X Zoom Then simply press T or J to pan up and down the water column 77 Notes 78 Section 5 Sonar Troubleshooting If your unit is not working or if you need technical help please use the following troubleshooting section before contacting the factory customer service department It may save you the trouble of returning your unit for repair For contact information refer to the last page just inside the
42. e PWR key turns the unit on and off and activates the backlight 2 PAGES Pressing this and the T J arrow keys switches the unit between the five different page options Full Sonar Chart Split Zoom Sonar Chart Split Frequency Sonar Chart Digital Data and Flasher 3 MENU Press this key to show the menus and submenus which allow you to select a command or adjust a feature 31 4 ARROW KEYS These keys are used to navigate through the menus make menu selections move the sonar chart cursor and enter data 5 ENT Enter This key allows you to accept values or execute menu commands 6 EXIT The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen clear data or erase a menu 7 ALARM The Alarm key is a quick shortcut to the sonar alarms menu It allows you to choose which alarms to use and when 8 ZOUT Zoom Out This key lets you zoom the screen out This key returns you to a full sonar chart display showing the entire water column from surface to bottom 9 ZIN Zoom In This key lets you zoom the screen in It enlarges fish signals bottom detail and other sonar returns Power lights on and off To turn on the unit press PWR To change the backlight press PWR again The X87 and X88DF have two backlight levels to select from The X97 and X98DF have three backlight levels Repeatedly pressing PWR will cycle through the back light settings turn off the backlight then turn it back on again
43. e the data type If you wish you may now use J or T to select other Data Types for display v Depth v Water Temperature v Water Speed Temperature 2 Temperature 3 Water Distance Voltage Data Size E Small gt Data list showing Water Speed selected to display on Sonar Page 3 To return to the previous page press EXIT EXIT 59 To turn off displayed data 1 Press MENU J to Overlay Data ENT 2 Press 4 or T to select Data Type ENT The selected data type disap pears from the top of the list and reverts to its previous unchecked po sition If you wish you may now use J or T to select other Data Types to turn off 3 To return to the previous page press EXIT EXIT To change displayed data font size 1 Press MENU J to Overlay Data ENT 2 Press 4 or T to select Data Type press gt or lt to Data Size EXIT The selected data type will be displayed in the new size To change the font size for another Data Type press ENT and repeat these steps be ginning with step two above 3 To return to the previous page press EXIT Tip If you wish you can change the displayed data font size when you select a data type 1 Press MENU J to Overlay Dara ENT 2 Press J or T to select Data Type press or lt to select Data Size ENT The data will be shown in the new font size To return to the previ ous page press EXIT EXIT Sonar Chart Simulator Mode Sonar chart
44. ead the whole thing from front to back for the information you want At the start or end of each segment we ll tell you what content is coming up next If it s a concept you re already familiar with we ll show you how and where to skip ahead for the next important topic We ve also made it easy to look up any tips you may need from time to time Here s how The manual is organized into 6 sections This first section is an intro duction to the sonar unit It tells you the basics you need to know be fore you can make the unit look below the surface to find some fish Section 2 will help you install your unit and the transducer We ll also tell you about some of the available accessories Section 3 covers Basic Sonar Operation It will show you how easy it is to run your sonar right out of the box This section features a one page Sonar Quick Reference If you ve already jumped ahead and fig ured out how to install the unit yourself and you just can t wait any longer turn to the Quick Reference on page 38 and head for the water with your sonar unit After you ve gained some experience with your sonar you ll want to check out Section 4 which discusses more advanced Sonar Options and Other Features When you come to a sonar menu command on the unit s screen you can look it up in the manual by skimming over the table of contents just 1 flipping through Section 3 or scanning through the sonar options in Sec tion 4 If you re
45. ed The check box to the left is blank indicating the alarm is turned off To turn the fish alarm on 1 Press ALARM 2 Press J to Fish ALARM ENT EXIT 3 To turn off the alarm press ALARM J to FisH ALARM ENT EXIT Brightness See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightness Calibrate Speed The speed sensor can be calibrated to compensate for inaccuracies Be fore you change the setting first calculate the percentage that the speed is off You will enter this percentage in a moment For example if you figure the sensor is reading 10 percent faster than actual speed you will enter 10 in the calibration window If the sen sor is reading 5 percent slower than true speed you will enter 5 in the window 46 Perform your test in relatively calm water free of current if possible Unless of course you are taking the current speed into consideration when making your calculation After you have a correction figure here s how to enter it 1 Press MENU MENU J to CaLIBRATE WATER SPEED ENT 2 Enter the number you calculated earlier press T or J to change the first character or then press to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the percentage is correct then press EXIT Chart Speed The rate that echoes scroll across the screen is called the chart speed The default is maximum we recommend that you leave the speed set there for virtually all fishing conditio
46. ed to turn off both automatic and ASP Don t touch the controls once they ve been set Next take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the sump of the boat Observe the sonar signal to see if there is a no ticeable decrease in sensitivity The second bottom signal may disap pear and the bottom signal may decrease in intensity Move the transducer around to find the best location If the sensitivity control must be increased greatly to compensate then the transducer should be mounted on the outside of the hull If not then mark the lo 18 cation that shot through the hull the best and follow the instructions on the following pages for a shoot thru hull mounting Transducer location Transducer location high speed trolling speed Shoot thru hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation Shoot thru hull Installation 1 Make sure the area is clean dry and free of oil or grease then sand both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer with 100 grit sandpaper The surface of the hull must be flat so the entire transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding l Spread epoxy here Sand this surface Epoxy transducer to hull 2 Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly Do not mix it too fast because it will cause bubbles to f
47. en you re in another part of the boat or per forming some task that prevents you from watching the sonar screen Then you can turn on Fish I D and the audible fish alarm When that lunker swims under your boat you ll hear it Fish I D can also be useful when you want to screen out some of the sonar detail gathered by your unit For example in one case fishermen in San Francisco Bay saw clouds of clutter in the water but no fish arches When a down rigger was pulled up it brought up several small jellyfish The fishermen switched their Lowrance sonar to Fish I D which screened out the schools of jellyfish and clearly showed the game fish there as fish symbols 41 Other Free Training Aids The sonar options section discusses Fish I D fish alarms and other features in greater detail If you or a friend has Internet access you can also learn more about interpreting what you see on your sonar screen Visit our web site WWW LOWRANCE COM Be sure to check out the free Sonar Tutorial which includes animated illustrations and more pic tures of actual sonar returns all described in detail There s even a printer friendly version of the tutorial available on our web site it makes a great supplement to this operation manual For the ultimate training aid be sure to download the free emulator software for your unit Aside from being just plain fun this program can help you learn both basic and advanced operations without burning boat f
48. enceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeneeeeees 7 Recommended Tools and Supplies cccccssscssccccceececeeeeeeees 8 Selecting a Transducer Location cccccccccccccccccceeeeeseeeseeenees 8 Shoot Thru Hull vs Transom Mounting ccc0ceseeeeeees 10 Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting 10 Trolling Motor Bracket Installation cccsseesseeceeceeeeees 16 Shoot Thru Hull Preparation and Installation 00 17 Speed Temperature Sensors c cccccccccccccccccccessssessessssssseceeeeeeees 20 Optional Speed Sensor Installation cccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeees 22 Power Connections ccccccccccssessscceceseesseeeeecsessseeeecesssseeeeeeessnaeees 23 Mounting the Unit Bracket In Dash or Portable 25 Bracket Installation ccccccccccccccceeeeeeseeseeennneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeseees 26 In Dash Installation 2 0 0 cecccccsccccccccceeeeeeseeeeessnnnneeeeeeeeseeeees 28 Portable Installation cccccccccccccccceeseesesseennneeceeeeeeeeeeeeseeseees 28 Section 3 Basic Sonar Operation cccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 31 Key boards ss cessed ene E nes ds ate cs dosed san ocbesiudsboev seed Geen ue e 31 Power Lights On and Off ccccccccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeetsesstsseeeees 32 Menus secs atna Reet a e Sata aea eas AE Sede sed odes 32 Maim M nu sinea Sines ac ce ee Aa EE OAA eine aaa 32 Soner Menis rainira eneen ar e ia i a eea S rE 34 PAB OS ee eren ea e a e ase
49. er thermoclines and other signals that are undesirable In most instances remaining targets are fish The Fish I D feature displays fish symbols on the screen in place of the actual fish echoes There are several fish symbol sizes These are used to designate the relative size between targets In other words Fish I D displays a small fish symbol when it thinks a target is a small fish a medium fish sym bol on a larger target and so on The sonar s microcomputer is sophisticated but it can be fooled It can t distinguish between fish and other suspended objects such as trotlines turtles submerged floats air bubbles etc Individual tree limbs ex tending outwards from a group of limbs is the hardest object for the Fish I D feature to distinguish from fish 51 You may see fish symbols on the screen when actually there are no fish The reverse is also true The illustrations on the next page show how Fish I D can actually miss fish that are present Does that mean Fish I D is broken No the feature is simply inter preting sonar returns in a specific way to help take some of the work out of reading the screen Remember Fish I D is one of the many tools we provide so you can analyze your sonar returns for maximum fish finding information This and other features can help you successfully see beneath the boat under varied water and fishing conditions So practice with the unit in both the Fish I D mode and without to become
50. hanged Press ENT or J to select data type ENT EXIT 26 4 Customize 51 9 Customize TEL TA Speed cael wate Speed 5 ater Spee z ater Spee Gg Water Distance Gg Water Distance Water Temperature Water Temperature Temperature 2 Temperature 2 Options List for customizing Digital Data windows At left the list first appears with Water Speed selected At right Temperature 3 has been picked to replace Water Speed in the top digital data window Tip You can customize other digital data windows before returning to the Sonar Page After changing the first window by selecting the Data Type and pressing Enter use the 4 key to select another window to 72 change When the selected window title bar flashes press ENT T or 4 to select data type ENT Repeat these steps until you re finished cus tomizing then press EXIT to return to the Sonar Page Flasher The Flasher page represents a flasher style sonar a circular dial shows all returning echoes at a high screen refresh rate It uses the Grayline feature to show weaker targets as shades of gray The bottom depth is also shown as a black bar across the outer circle There is also a narrow chart display on the left of the screen Surface clutter Fish signal approximately 16 feet Bottom signal 200kHz2 Flasher page Sonar Simulator This unit has a built in simulator that lets you run it as if you were on the water All sonar features and functions are u
51. hart are called surface clutter These markings are caused by wave action boat wakes temperature inversion and more The surface clarity control reduces or eliminates surface clutter signals from the display It does this by changing the sensitivity of the receiver decreasing it near the surface and gradually increasing it as the depth increases There are three levels of surface clarity available low medium or high It can also be turned off The default level is off To adjust the Surface Clarity level 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU to Sonar Features ENT 74 Sonar Features Surface Clarity Fish D _ Off y Symbols l Depths Sensitivitw r200 kHz 200 kHz Surface Clarity Off hd e BENE Noise Rejection Low bd Noise Rejection Low X Sonar Color Mode Grayscale bd F Manual Mode x Auto Depth X Auto Sensitivity x Zoom Bar Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Color Mode Fish Grayscale Symbols F Depths F Manual Mode xk Auto Depth x Zoom Bar x Auto Sensitivity Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected at left dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu 2 Press to Surface Ciarity ENT For single frequency units just press ENT 3 Press J or T to select clarity level EXIT EXIT EXIT Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Sonar Chart Default Chart sig AEN Ji a In the illustration at left Surface Clarity is
52. having difficulty with your sonar you can find an answer to the most common problems in Section 5 Sonar Troubleshooting Finally in Section 6 we offer Supplemental Material including a list of warranty and customer service information Now if you re into the fine details glance over the next segment on specifications to see just how much sonar power your unit contains It s important to us and our power users but if you don t care how many watts of power the unit has skip ahead to important information on how sonar works on page 3 Capabilities and Specifications X87 X88DF X97 X98DF General Display ccceeeeees 5 0 12 7 cm diagonal high contrast Film SuperTwist programmable to viewing pref erence Resolution 05 320 pixel x 320 pixel resolution 102 400 total pixels 10 level grayscale definition Backlighting Fluorescent cold cathode screen with multiple lighting levels backlit keypad Input power 10 to 15 volts DC Case SiZ ccccccceeeenees 5 4 H x 6 9 W x 3 4 D 13 8 x 17 6 x 8 6 cm sealed and waterproof suitable for saltwater use Back up memory Built in memory stores sonar records for decades Languages 00006 10 menu languages selectable by user Sonar Frequency 0006 50 200 kHz for X88DF and X98DF 200 kHz for X87 and X97 Transducers a dual frequency Skimmer
53. he screen looks under various lighting conditions e Sounds command enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and alarms controls the volume and sets the alarm style If you don t like to hear a beep each time you press a key you can turn this off or select tunes or sound effects instead The sounds are especially useful when used with the Fish I D fish symbol feature and fish alarm feature e Sonar Alarms command turns alarms on or off and changes alarm thresholds The fish alarm used with Fish I D is the most popular use It tells you when the sonar sees a fish You can also set deep or shallow depth alarms and zone alarms e Popup Help command turns the pop up help boxes on or off When you select a menu command these information boxes appear to tell you what the command does or how to use the command The default set ting is on which is really handy while you re learning The remaining Main Menu commands are for more advanced functions mostly setting various sonar options They re all detailed in Sec 4 e Units of Measure command selects the units of measure used for showing speed distance depth and temperature e Set Keel Offset command calibrates the unit to show depth under the keel or actual depth from the surface 33 e Calibrate Water Speed command adjusts how a speed sensor measures water speed e Reset Water Distance command resets water distance log to zero e Sonar Simulator command turns t
54. he sensitivity in Manual Mode first turn off Auto Sensitivity from the Sonar Page press MENU J to Auto SENsiTivity ENT T to Sensitivity ENT Press J or to pick a different sensitivity setting When it s set at the desired level press EXIT Important Tip While you are experimenting and learning it s possible to scramble the settings so that the sonar picture disappears from your screen If that happens remember that it s easy to switch back to full automatic operation by simply restoring the factory auto settings Here s how To Restore Factory Settings 1 Press MENU MENU J to Reset Options ENT 2 The unit asks if you want to reset all the options Press lt to Yes ENT All options are reset and the unit reverts back to the original settings Fish Symbols vs Full Sonar Chart You may have noticed in the quick reference that we used fish arches in full sonar chart mode for our example and not the popular Fish I D fish symbol feature Here s why Fish I D is an easier way for a sonar novice to recognize a fishy signal return when he sees it However locating fish by symbol only has some limitations Your sonar unit s microprocessor is remarkably powerful but it can be fooled Some of the echoes calculated to be fish could be tree limbs or turtles To see what s under your boat in maximum detail we recom mend you turn off Fish I D and begin learning to interpret fish arches Fish I D is most handy wh
55. he simulator feature on and off Useful for learning how to operate the unit and all its functions e Reset Options command returns all options and auto functions to their original factory settings It s a great safety net while you re learning and experimenting with various settings e Set Language command your unit has menus in 10 different lan guages This command switches from one language to another e Software Information command tells you which version of the op erating software is loaded in your unit Sonar Menu The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and options You access the Sonar Menu by pressing the MENU key one time You run a command by using the or J to highlight the command and then pressing ENT To clear the menu screen and return to the Page display press EXIT Sensitivity Ix Auto Sensitivity Grayline Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits I Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Sonar Page Menu Most of these functions are discussed in Sec 4 Sonar Menu Commands The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and options Most of them are only described in detail in Sec 4 but Sensitiv ity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that are discussed both here and in Sec 4 The other Sonar Menu commands include e Grayline command separates fish and structure ne
56. ig Sensitivity ix Auto Sensitivity Grayline Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed TA 50 At left Sonar Menu with Ping Speed command selected Ping Speed Control Bar right at default setting To change Ping Speed 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Pina SPEED ENT 2 The Ping Speed Control Bar appears Press T to increase ping speed press to decrease ping speed When it s set at the desired level press EXIT 61 To adjust Sensitivity 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU ENT 2 The Sensitivity Control Bar appears Press 4 to decrease sensitivity press to increase sensitivity When it s set at the desired level press EXIT When you reach the maximum or minimum limit a tone sounds To turn off HyperScroll 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Pinc SPEED ENT 2 The Ping Speed Control Bar appears Press to decrease ping speed to 50 percent When it s set at the desired level press EXIT When you boost ping speed and switch into HyperScroll the width of the FasTrack bar graph display doubles in width at the right side of the screen The allows you to better see the virtually instantaneous sonar returns just as you would on a flasher sonar unit For more informa tion on FasTrack see it s entry in this section Pop up Help Help is availa
57. itten them in a condensed manner for quick and easy reading For example instructions for turning on the Fish ID feature would look like this 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press gt or gt J to FisHID SymBo_s ENT EXIT EXIT Translated into complete English step 1 above would mean Start on the Sonar Page Press the Menu key then repeatedly press or press and hold the down arrow key to scroll down the menu and select highlight the Sonar Features menu command Then press the Enter key Step 2 would mean Press the right arrow key for dual frequency units or press the right arrow key followed by the down arrow key for single frequency units to select highlight the Fish ID symbols com mand Next press the Enter key then press the Exit key twice Notes Section 2 Installation amp Accessories Preparations You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer but we recommend this installation sequence Caution You should read over this entire installation section before drill ing any holes in your vessel 1 Determine the approximate location for the sonar unit so you can plan how and where to route the cables for the transducer and power This will help you make sure you have enough cable length for the de sired configuration 2 Determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable route 3 Determine the location of your ba
58. ity controls the unit s ability to pick up echoes If you want to see more detail try increasing the sensitivity a little at a time There are situa tions when too much clutter appears on the screen Decreasing the sensitivity can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish echoes if fish are present As you change the sensitivity setting you can see the difference on the chart as it scrolls Fig 1 Fig 2 Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Sonar Chart Default Chart sig i i i 200kHz These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same location Fig 1 Sensitivity at 88 percent determined by Auto Sensitiv ity Typical of full auto mode Fig 2 Sensitivity set at 75 percent Fig 3 Sensitivity set at 50 percent Fig 4 Sensitivity set at 100 percent 39 You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in Auto Sensitiv ity mode or Manual Sensitivity mode The adjustment method works the same in both modes but it gives you slightly different results Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensitivity Mode is similar to manually ad justing a car s speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on You can tell the car to run faster but when you let off the gas the cruise control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum speed setting In the sonar unit auto mode will let you increase sensitiv ity to 100 percent but the unit will limit your minimum setting
59. lect a display option by using 7 or 4 to highlight the option and then pressing ENT You can clear the Pages Menu by pressing EXIT 35 Sonar Chart Simulator Mode Sonar Chart Full Sonar Chart l pea Full Sonar Chart Split Zoom Sonar Chart PESA Split Zoom Sonar Chart Split Frequency Sonar Chart E Digital Data Digital Data Flasher Flasher ae g 200kHz Pages Menu showing some Sonar display options at left dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu The Full Sonar Chart is the main display option This is a cross section view of the water column beneath the boat The chart moves across the screen displaying sonar signal echoes that represent fish structure and the bottom Surface signal Surface clutter Digital data Sonar Chart Default hart sig overlay depth amp temperature Depth scale In FasTrack fish arches show as Fish arches horizontal bars Zoom bar Structure rhoKtizds Bottom signal FasTrack bar graph Sonar Page showing full sonar chart mode 36 Sonar Chart Sonar Chart Sonar chart display options from left split zoom all models and split frequency X88DF and X98DF only W Speed 5 1 mph 3 200kHz Sonar chart display options from left digital data and flasher You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are dis played in many ways We ll discuss all of those features and options in Section 4 but to show you how easy the s
60. nar signals interfering with its ability to find the bottom or other targets The technical term for this is cavitation 2 Electrical noise from the boat s motor can interfere with the sonar This causes the sonar to automatically increase its Discrimination or noise rejection feature This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker signals such as fish or even structure from the display Try using resis tor spark plugs or routing the sonar unit s power and transducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat No fish arches when the Fish I D feature is off 1 Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down This is the most common problem if a partial arch is displayed 2 The sensitivity may not be high enough In order for the unit to dis play a fish arch it has to be able to receive the fish s echo from the time it enters the cone until it leaves If the sensitivity is not high enough the unit shows the fish only when it is in the center of the cone 3 Use the Zoom feature It is much easier to display fish arches when zoomed in on a small range of water than a large one For example you will have much better luck seeing fish arches with a 30 to 60 foot range than a 0 to 60 foot range This enlarges the targets allowing the dis play to show much more detail 4 The boat must be moving at a slow trolling speed to see fish arches If the boat is motionless fish stay in the cone showing on the screen as straight hori
61. nd High If you have high noise levels try using the High ASP setting However if you are having trouble with noise we suggest that you take steps to find the interference source and fix it rather than continually using the unit with the high ASP setting There are times when you may want to turn the ASP feature off This allows you to view all incoming echoes before they are processed by the ASP feature Sensitivity Sencitivitw Auto Sensitivity ray 00 kHz Grayline Surface Clarity Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data off a Surface Clarity Fish ID Off Symbols Noise Rejection T Depths Noise Rejection Low Low YI Sonar Color Mode Sonar Color Mode Fish ID Grayscale gt C Symbols T Manual Mode Ping Speed F Depths X Auto Depth F Manual Mode xk Auto Depth ik Zoom Bar x Auto Sensitivity l Zone Alarm Bar x Auto Sensitivity ik Zoom Bar F Zone Alarm Bar At left Sonar Menu with Sonar Features selected In the Sonar Features menu Noise Rejection is selected with ASP in the default low setting center dual frequency menu at right single frequency menu To change the ASP level 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press J or 4 to NOISE REJECTION ENT 3 Press J or T to select a setting then press ENT 4 To return to
62. ns However you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you are stationary or drifting very slowly You may sometimes achieve bet ter images as you slow down the chart speed to match how fast you are moving across the bottom If you are at anchor ice fishing or fishing from a dock experiment with a chart speed around 50 percent If you are drifting slowly try a chart speed around 75 percent When you are stationary and a fish swims through the sonar signal cone the image appears on the screen as a long line instead of a fish arch Reducing the chart speed may result in a shorter line that more closely resembles a regular fish return Sensitivity i Auto Sensitivity 0 Grayline Depth Range ik Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits T Stop Chart Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Y a o al A T G At left Sonar Page menu with Chart Speed command selected At right Chart Speed Control Bar If you do experiment with chart speed remember to reset it to maxi mum when you resume trolling or moving across the water at higher speed To change chart speed 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to CharT SPEED ENT 2 The Chart Speed Control Bar appears Press 4 to decrease chart speed press to increase chart speed 47 3 When it s set at the desired level press EXIT Contrast See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightne
63. nsom correctly Lock washer f Nut Flat washer Bolt Flat washer Assemble transducer and bracket Assembling the transducer A One piece bracket Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets assemble the transducer as shown in the following fig ure Don t tighten the lock nut at this time Metal Metal washer Assemble transducer and bracket 13 A 5 B Two piece bracket Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step 2B Don t tighten the lock nut at this time Drilling mounting holes Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom The transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground The trans ducer s centerline should be in line with the bottom of the hull Don t let the bracket extend below the hull Mark the center of each slot for the mounting screw pilot holes You will drill one hole in the center of each slot Drill the holes For the one piece bracket use the 29 bit for the 10 screws For the two piece bracket use the 20 bit for the 12 screws Transom Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes Side view shown at left and seen from above at right Attaching transducer to transom A One piece bracket Remove the transducer from the bracket an
64. ntions Many instructions are listed as numbered steps The keypad and arrow keystrokes appear as boldface type So if you re in a real hurry or just need a reminder you can skim the instructions and pick out what menu command to use by finding the boldface command text The fol lowing paragraphs explain how to interpret the text formatting for those commands and other instructions Arrow Keys The arrow keys control a horizontal line depth cursor on the sonar screen The arrow keys also help you move around the menus so you can execute different commands They are represented by symbols like these which denote the down arrow key the up arrow the left arrow and the right arrow 4 Te gt Keyboard The other keys perform a variety of functions When the text refers to a key to press the key is shown in bold sans serif type For example the Enter Icons key is shown as ENT and the Menu key is shown as MENU Menu Commands a menu command or a menu option will appear in small capital letters in a bold sans serif type like this DEPTH Cursor These indicate that you are to select this command or option from a menu or take an action of some kind with the menu item Text that you may need to enter or file names you need to select are show in italic type such as data type Instructions Menu Sequences Most functions you perform with the sonar unit are described as a se quence of key strokes and selecting menu commands We ve wr
65. oat if it is knocked off at high speed If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through the required hole size will be 1 Caution If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable make sure it is lo cated above the waterline After installation be sure to seal the hole with the same marine grade above or below waterline seal ant used for the mounting screws 15 7 Make a test run to determine the results If the bottom is lost at high speed or if noise appears on the display try sliding the trans ducer bracket down This puts the transducer deeper into the water hopefully below the turbulence causing the noise Don t allow the transducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET INSTALLATION single frequency only 1 Attach the optional TMB S bracket to the transducer as shown in the following figure using the hardware supplied with the transducer Note The internal tooth washer is supplied with the TMB S TMB K bracket Internal tooth washer x p oe BN washer Attach motor mounting bracket to transducer 2 Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB S through the slot in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor Po sition the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the water Tighten the strap securely pa Route the transducer cable alongside the trolling motor shaft Use plastic ties not include
66. of water beneath the keel is less impor tant you can calibrate the depth indicators so that they show the ac tual water depth from surface to bottom To do this first measure the distance from the face of the transducer up to the surface the water line on the boat In this example we will use 1 5 feet This will be en tered as a positive 1 5 feet which makes the depth indicators perform as if the transducer s higher in the water than it really is 1 Press MENU MENU J to SET KEEL OFFSET ENT 2 The Keel Offset dialog box appears with a plus sign at the front of the box 3 Press to the first number then press T to change the number to 1 4 Press gt to the second number them press to change the num ber to 5 then press EXIT The depth indicators now accurately show the water depth from surface to bottom Set Language This unit s menus are available in 10 languages English French Ger man Spanish Italian Danish Swedish Russian Dutch and Finnish To select a different language 1 Press MENU MENU J to Set Lanauace ENT 2 Use J or to select a different language and press ENT All menus now appear in the language you selected Software Version Information From time to time Lowrance updates the operating system software in some of its products These software upgrades are usually offered to customers as free downloads from our web site www lowrance com These upgrades make the unit pe
67. om the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press 4 to Sonar CoLor Mope ENT to FiSHREVEAL ENT 3 Press EXIT to Auto Sensitivity ENT to Sensitivity ENT 4 Press T until the Sensitivity Control Bar reads 100 or close to it then press EXIT If you reach the maximum limit a tone sounds Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Visible fish Fish arches Sonar chart in regular grayscale mode left and in FishReveal mode right Notice how shallow fish formerly hidden in the surface clutter become visible in FishReveal mode NOTE Water conditions vary greatly and that affects sonar performance Under certain conditions FishReveal will show you more fish than normal grayscale mode but the reverse will be true in other cir cumstances We suggest you become familiar with both modes so you can best match your sonar s performance to the current water conditions Frequency Change Transducer Frequency X88DF and X98DF only The DF in your unit s name refers to its dual frequency transducer which operates with both 200 kHz and 50 kHz The 200 kHz frequency has a 12 cone angle and the 50 kHz frequency has a 35 cone angle The default frequency is 200 kHz which is best for use in shallow water about 300 feet or less This frequency is the best choice for about 80 percent of the fresh and salt water sport fishing applications When you get into very deep salt wa
68. onar unit is to operate the fol lowing page contains a simplified 10 step quick reference that will cover most fish finding situations The quick reference describes how your unit will operate with all the sonar features in their automatic modes which are set at the factory 37 Basic Sonar Quick Reference 1 Mount the transducer and unit Connect the unit to electric power and the transducer 2 Launch your boat 3 To turn on the unit press and release PWR key 4 Head for your fishing grounds Your unit automatically displays digi tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen The auto settings will track the bottom displaying it in the lower por tion of the screen The full sonar chart will scroll from right to left showing you what s under the boat as you cruise across the water 5 As you re watching the sonar returns you can change the display by Zoom in to enlarge the chart for more detail press ZIN Zoom out to return to full chart mode press ZOUT 6 If necessary adjust sensitivity to improve chart readability Press MENU ENT and the Sensititvy Menu will appear on the left of your screen Use T and J to change the setting Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen which may cause clutter Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information but could omit important images We recommend adjusting sensitivity until the background is lightly peppered that is s
69. or more information contact the factory s Customer Service Department phone numbers are listed on the last page How Sonar Works Sonar has been around since the 1940s so if you already know how it works skip ahead to the next segment on the typographical conventions used in this manual But if you ve never owned a sonar fish finder this segment will tell you the under water basics Sonar is an abbreviation for SOund NAvigation and Ranging a technol ogy developed during World War II for tracking enemy submarines Lowrance developed the world s first transistorized sportfishing sonar in 1957 A sonar consists of a transmitter transducer receiver and dis play In simple terms here s how it finds the bottom or the fish 3 The transmitter emits an electrical impulse which the transducer con verts into a sound wave and sends into the water The sound frequency can t be heard by humans or fish The sound wave strikes an object fish structure bottom and bounces back to the transducer which converts the sound back into an electrical signal The receiver amplifies this return signal or echo and sends it to the display where an image of the object appears on the scrolling sonar chart The sonar s microprocessor calculates the time lapse between the transmitted signal and echo return to determine the distance to the object The whole process repeats itself several times each second How to use this manual typographical conve
70. orm in the ep oxy Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as shown above then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the hull 19 Place the transducer into the epoxy twisting and turning it to force any air bubbles out from under the transducer face The face of the transducer should be parallel with the hull with a minimum amount of epoxy between the hull and transducer After the epoxy dries route the cable to the sonar unit Speed Temperature Sensors This unit accepts up to three temperature sensors which can monitor surface water live well bait well and virtually any other temperature If you want to use more than one temperature sensor or a speed sensor you must purchase the optional MY 4X adapter cable You also need to be careful when purchasing the temperature sensors because each temperature sensor has its own fixed electronic address The sensors are labeled Water T 2 or Temp 2 and T 3 or Temp 3 The first Water temperature sensor is built into the transducer This is the sensor that measures surface water temperature If you want two or more temperature readings from other locations you ll need to use the proper sensors For example you can t use two additional T 3 sen sors The sensors that fit this unit are e TS 1X This sensor will over ride the temperature sensor built into the transducer and over ride the tem perature sensor in a ST TGY combination sen sor This sensor is n
71. ot recommended e TS 2X One sensor for T 2 temperature display e TS 3X One sensor for T 3 temperature display e SP X One speed sensor for Speed display e ST TGY This combination sensor will provide speed and temperature readings but the temperature reading will be displayed as the Water tem perature because it will over ride the tempera ture sensor in the transducer This sensor is not recommended See the wiring diagram on the following page for temperature and speed sensor combinations 20 Sensor Chart Sonar unit rear view Temperature a sensor built into CIE E Two temperature transducer sensor installation MY 4X EN wee Cable temperature sensor ed Three temperature sensor installation oS aaa temperature sensor Three temperature sensor installation with speed KR fr SP X speed sensor all 21 Optional Speed Sensor Installation All the units in this series can display speed and distance traveled but only the X88DF and X98DF come packed with a speed sensor If you wish to purchase an optional additional sensor for your unit refer to the accessory ordering information inside the back cover of this man ual The following instructions describe how to install the speed sensor Recommended tools for this job include drill 7 8 drill bit 1 8 drill bit fo
72. outing the cable through the transom you will need a 1 drill bit a transom mount requires use of a high quality marine grade above or below waterline caulking compound The fol lowing installation types also call for these recommended tools and re quired supplies supplies are not included Single frequency transom installations Tools include two adjustable wrenches drill 29 0 136 drill bit flat head screwdriver Supplies none Dual frequency transom installations Tools two adjustable wrenches drill 20 0 161 drill bit flat head screwdriver Supplies four 1 long 12 stainless steel slotted wood screws Single frequency trolling motor installations Tools two adjustable wrenches flat head screwdriver Supplies plastic cable ties Shoot through hull installations Tools these will vary depending on your hull s composition Consult your boat dealer or manufacturer Supplies 100 grit sandpaper good quality epoxy adhesive Selecting a Transducer Location 1 The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of water at all times If the transducer is to be mounted inside the hull then the chosen location must be in the water at all times If the transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water interference caused by bubbles and turbulence will show on the sonar s display in the form of random lines or dots whenever the boat is moving NOTE Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the
73. plit Zoom Sonar Chart a split chart shows the underwater world from the surface to the bot tom on the right side of the screen The left side shows an enlarged ver sion of the right side The zoom range shows at the bottom left corner of the screen Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Sonar Chart Default Chart sig Split Zoom Sonar Chart Image at left shows the left window zoomed to 2X The right image shows the left window zoomed to 4X The depth overlay data is set to the default large text size the water temperature is set to the small text size Split Frequency Sonar Chart X88DF and X98DF only This page shows sonar data from the 50 kHz transducer element on the left side of the screen and data from the 200 kHz transducer on the right side All other functions and features are the same as the Full Chart page Sonar Chart Simulator Mode Full Sonar Chart Split Zoom Sonar Chart Digital Data Flasher 50kHz Split Frequency Sonar Chart page with 50 kHz view at left and 200 kHz view at right You can adjust the sensitivity in each window 70 To adjust sensitivity in auto mode 1 Press MENU ENT 2 The unit asks which you wish to adjust Press lt or gt to select the one you want ENT 3 The Sensitivity Control Bar appears Press J to decrease sensitivity press to increase sensitivity When it s set at the desired level press EXIT When you reach the maximum or minimum limit a tone sound
74. pup Help 100 ft Set Language Software Information Zone Alam F Enabled Adjust Zone 1 F Fish Alarm At left Main Menu and Sonar Alarms command At right the Sonar Alarms menu To adjust and turn on the shallow alarm 1 Press ALARM 2 Press to SHALLOW ALARM DEPTH ENT 3 Press T or J to change the first number then press gt to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct then press ENT 44 4 Press amp to SHALLOW ALARM ENABLED ENT EXIT 5 To turn off the alarm press ALARM ENT EXIT To switch to a different depth setting open the Sonar Alarms menu and repeat the instructions in step 3 above To adjust and turn on the deep alarm 1 Press ALARM 2 Press J to DEEP ALARM ENABLED to DEEP ALARM DEPTH ENT 3 Press T or J to change the first number then press to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct then press ENT 4 Press lt to DEEP ALARM ENABLED ENT EXIT 5 To turn off the alarm press Avtarm to Deep ALARM En ABLED ENT EXIT To switch to a different depth setting open the Sonar Alarms menu and repeat the instructions in step 3 above Zone Alarm The zone alarm is triggered when any echo passes inside the zone alarm bar shown on the right side of the screen To adjust and turn on the zone alarm 1 Press ALARM 2 Press J to Zone ALARM ENABLED gt to ADuusT ZONE ENT Sonar Alarms Sh
75. r pilot holes screwdriver Required supplies for this job include four 8 stainless steel wood screws 3 4 long high quality marine grade above or below waterline caulking compound First find a location on the boat s transom where the water flow is smooth est Don t mount the sensor behind strakes or ribs These will disturb the water flow to the speed sensor Make sure the sensor will remain in the water when the boat is on plane Also make sure the location doesn t inter fere with the boat s trailer Typically the sensor is mounted about one foot to the side of the transom s centerline Once you ve determined the proper location for the unit place the sen sor on the transom The bottom of the bracket should be flush with the hull s bottom Using the sensor as a template mark the hull for the screws pilot holes Drill four 1 8 holes one in each end of the slots Mount the sensor to the hull using 8 stainless steel wood screws not included Use a high quality marine grade above or below waterline caulking compound to seal the screws Make sure the sensor is flush with the bottom of the hull and tighten the screws Good location Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom Transom Bottom of hull Speed sensor mounting configuration side view left and rear view right 22 Bottom of hull If the base of the transom has a radius fill the gap between the tran
76. r and lower limit you select For ex ample a range from 12 feet to 34 feet could be used Changing the upper and lower limits gives you far greater control over the depth range This feature lets you zoom in the display in almost unlimited combinations Nearly any segment of the water column from 49 the surface to the bottom can be shown This enlarges the sonar targets to best suit your fishing needs and water conditions Sensitivity Sensitivity Auto Sensitivity F Auto Sensitivity Grayline 4 Depth Range one ie Ik Auto Depth Range Do Chart Limits RE Upper Limit T Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed r Log Sonar Chart Data b At left Sonar Page Menu with Upper and Lower Limits command se lected At right Sonar Chart Limits menu with Upper Limit selected To change the upper and lower limits 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU 4 to UPPER AND Lower Limits ENT The Sonar Chart Limits menu appears with Upper Limit selected 2 To set the upper limit press ENT Press T or J to change the first number then press to move the cursor to the next number and re peat until the depth is correct then press EXIT 3 To set the lower limit press 4 to Lower Limit ENT Press or J to change the first number then press gt to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct then press EXIT EXIT EXIT
77. reveal more information The A figures to the left show locations with Gray line set at the factory level of 64 percent At right the B figures show the same locations with Grayline increased to 84 percent In Figure 1B no fish are near the left structure but the right structure shows fish holding next to the structure Notice in figures 2B and 3B how Gray line displays a hard rocky bottom the drop offs with a wider gray line The muddier bottom below those drop offs appears as a narrower gray line 58 HyperScroll See the entry on Ping Speed which controls the HyperScroll feature Noise Rejection See the entry on Advanced Signal Processing in this section Overlay Data To change the digital data shown on top of the sonar page 1 Press MENU J to Overlay Data ENT 2 Press J or T to select Data Type ENT Sensitivity Auto Sensitivity v Depth Grayline v Water Temperature Depth Range Water Speed Auto Depth Range Temperature 2 Upper And Lower Limits Temperature 3 F Stop Chart Water Distance Chart Speed Voltage Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Data Size BSE lism SCStstC lt CS S Overlay Data command on the Sonar Menu at left Overlay Data Shown selection menu right In this example we scrolled down the data list to highlight Water Speed When selected the data type shifts to the top of the data list and a check mark appears besid
78. rform better or introduce a new fea ture or function You can find out what software version is running in your sonar unit by using the Software Information command 67 Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Reset ZKIA x Sonar X 98DF Reset Debug 0 1 0 x Popup Build PC Win32 Set L TOR PN z Reset Water Distance Sonar Simulator Reset Options ix Popup Help Set Language Software Information 200kHz At left Main Menu with Software Information command selected At right the Software Information screen 1 Press MENU MENU J to Software INFo ENT 2 Read the information displayed on the screen 3 To return to the last page displayed press EXIT EXIT Sonar Color Mode The default color scheme for the sonar chart is grayscale but we offer other variations to suit your viewing preferences You can select the chart to be displayed in reverse grayscale bottom black or FishReveal mode For more information on FishReveal see the entry on that topic elsewhere in this section To change the chart mode color scheme 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press 4 to Sonar CoLor Mone ENT 3 Press 4 or T to Mode Name ENT 4 Press EXIT EXIT to return to the Sonar Page
79. rials such as plywood balsa wood or foam between layers of fiberglass if the material is removed from the chosen area Fill with epoxy Flotation material Inner hull aren ene BCG Le Se eae Epoxy to hull first Outer hull Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull For example some but not all manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass then a core of balsa wood finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass Removing the inner layer of fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes the outer layer of fiberglass The transducer can then be epoxied di rectly to the outer layer of fiberglass After the epoxy cures the hull is watertight and structurally sound Remember the sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass Any air bubbles in the fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals WARNING Do not remove any material from your inner hull unless you know the hull s composition Careless grinding or cutting on your hull can result in damage that could sink your boat Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to confirm your hull specifications To choose the proper location for thru hull mounting anchor the boat in 60 feet of water Add a little water to the sump of the boat Plug the transducer into the sonar unit turn it on then hold the transducer over the side of the boat Adjust the sensitivity and range controls until a sec ond bottom echo is seen on the display You will ne
80. s Sonar Chart Adjust sensitivity for which frequency 200kHz 60 The Split EEE Sonar Chart page allows you to adjust sensitivity separately for each window Digital Data Chart This mode shows the chart on the right side of the screen The left side has six large digital boxes or windows containing Water Depth Water Speed from an optional speed sensor Water Distance distance traveled or log it also requires a speed sensor Surface Water Temperature Temperature 2 and Voltage used Note Temperature 2 requires an additional optional temperature sensor 51 p17 ft Deepj100 ft Sonar Chart Simulator Mode Digital Data Chart 71 Customizing the Digital Data Chart Screen The Digital Data Chart screen can be customized to show digital data different from the defaults first shown To customize this screen 1 From the Sonar Page in Digital Data mode press MENU J to Customize ENT Sensitivity Depth __ X Auto Sensitivity 38 5 tt Grayline Shaiow 1 ft Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Customize VAIE lt _ j1 47 v Deepj100 ft At left the Customize command selected from the Sonar Page menu At right the selected W Speed box flashes black 2 The W Speed window title bar flashes indicating the window con tents can be c
81. s slip or sales receipt proving the date of your original purchase in case warranty service is ever required LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS 12000 E SKELLY DRIVE TULSA OK 74128 800 324 1356 85 How to Obtain Service in the USA We back your investment in quality products with quick expert service and genuine Lowrance parts If you re in the United States and you have technical return or repair questions please contact the Factory Customer Service Department Before any product can be returned you must call customer service to determine if a return is necessary Many times customer service can resolve your problem over the phone with out sending your product to the factory To call us use the following toll free number 800 324 1356 8 a m to 5 p m Central Standard Time M F Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our ship ping policies regulations and special offers at any time We reserve the right to do so without notice in Canada If you re in Canada and you have technical return or repair questions please contact the Factory Customer Service Department Before any product can be returned you must call customer service to determine if a return is necessary Many times customer service can resolve your problem over the phone without sending your product to the factory To call us use the following toll free number 800 661 3983 905 629 1614 not toll free 8 a m to 5 p m Eastern St
82. sducer centerline Hull bottom Align transducer centerline with hull bottom However there are times when you may need to adjust the transducer slightly higher or lower The slots in the mounting brackets allow you to loosen the screws and slide the transducer up or down If you fre 9 quently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed the trans ducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes Move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this If you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover your transducer may be frequently kicking up from object strikes If you wish you may move the transducer a little higher for more protection There are two extremes you should avoid Never let the edge of the mounting bracket extend below the bottom of the hull Never let the bottom the face of the transducer rise above the bottom of the hull Shoot thru hull vs Transom Mounting Typically shoot thru hull installations give excellent high speed opera tion and good to excellent depth capability There is no possibility of damage from floating objects It can t be knocked off when docking or loading on the trailer However the shoot thru hull installation does have its drawbacks First some loss of sensitivity does occur even on the best hulls This varies from hull to hull even from different installations on the same hull This is caused by differences in hull lay up and construction
83. seable When in simulator mode you will see Simulator Mode in the Sonar Page title bar To use the simulator 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU MENU to Sonar Simucator ENT 2 Turn off Sonar Simulator by pressing MENU MENU J to Sonar SIMULATOR ENT EXIT NOTE If you turn on your unit before attaching a transducer it may enter a demo mode The words demo mode flash on the bottom of the screen and a sonar chart plays much like the simulator Unlike the simulator the demo mode is for demonstration only and will auto matically stop as soon as you turn on the unit with a transducer at tached The simulator will continue to function normally 73 Stop Chart If you are running multiple units on a boat there are times when you may want to turn off the sonar This command turns off the sonar and stops the chart from scrolling Sonar restarts automatically each time you turn on your unit Press MENU J to Stop CharT ENT EXIT To turn on sonar and start the chart scrolling again repeat the above step Sensitivity x Auto Sensitivity Grayline Depth Range x Auto Depth Range A Upper And Lower Limits Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed Sonar Menu with Stop Chart command selected The box is unchecked indicating that the chart is scrolling across the screen Surface Clarity The markings extending downward from the zero line on the c
84. settings Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Re EELU x Sol Q i Reset all the options _Re Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Set Keel Offset Calibrate Water Speed Reset Water Distance x Sonar Simulator Ix Popup Help Set Language Software Information Reset Options dialog box with Yes selected Reset Water Distance The sonar chart s Digital Data display option includes a window that shows distance traveled called Water Distance W Distance This information is calculated from an optional water speed sensor The Wa ter Distance window can be reset to zero using the Reset Water Dis tance command Press MENU MENU J to RESET Water DistaNcE ENT The menus are cleared and the water distance is reset to 0 00 Screen Contrast and Brightness To access the Screen menu press MENU MENU ENT Once in the Screen menu To adjust the display s contrast The Contrast slider bar is already selected Press gt or lt to move the bar The left end of the scale is minimum contrast the right end is maximum contrast 63 Screen Sounds Sonar Alarms Units of Measure Sounds Sonar Alarms Urita aF haan nen Set Keel Offset Se Calibrate Water Speed Ca ale Reset Water Distance Re a Higi x Sonar Simulator x So Reset Options Row Brightness High
85. socket In saltwater environments we recommend you connect the power cable to the auxiliary power switch included in most boat designs If that results in electrical interference or if such a switch is not available we recommend connecting direct to the battery and in stalling an inline switch This will let you shut off power to the power cable when the unit is not in use When you are not using the unit you should always shut off power to the power cable es pecially when the power cable is disconnected from the unit If possible keep the power cable away from other boat wiring espe cially the engine s wires This will provide the best isolation from elec trical noise If the cable is not long enough splice 18 gauge wire onto it The power cable has two wires red and black Red is the positive 23 lead black is negative or ground Make sure to attach the in line fuse holder to the red lead as close to the power source as possible For example if you have to extend the power cable to the battery or power buss attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the battery or power buss This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event of a short It uses a 3 amp fuse B Optional power off switch for y saltwater installations Red wire with 12 volt 3 amp fuse battery Power connections for the sonar unit CAUTION Do not use this product without a 3 amp fuse wired into the power cable Failure to use
86. ss Depth Cursor The depth cursor consists of a horizontal line with a digital depth box on the right side The numbers inside the box show the depth of the Meee Cursor line Depth box Sensitivity Sonar Siopped x Auto Sensitivity F Grayline Depth Range x Auto Depth Range Upper And Lower Limits F Stop Chart Chart Speed Depth Cursor Overlay Data Sonar Features Ping Speed At left Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor command selected At right sonar chart with the depth cursor active The line indicates the large fish is 34 64 feet deep The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen letting you pin point the depth of a target 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU to DEPTH Cursor ENT 2 The depth cursor appears Press J to lower the cursor line press to raise the cursor line 3 To clear the depth cursor press EXIT Depth Range Automatic When turned on for the first time the bottom signal is automatically placed in the lower half of the screen This is called Auto Ranging and is part of the automatic function However depending upon the bottom depth and the current range you can change the range to a different depth To do this 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to DEPTH RANGE ENT 48 Sensitivity x Auto Sensitivity Grayline Sonar Default Chart sig Depth Range ix Auto Depth Range L Upper And Lower Limits 5 F
87. tar gets This feature is available only when the Fish I D feature is on The default setting for FishTrack is off To turn on FishTrack Note These instructions will turn on FishTrack and Fish I D at the same time 53 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press J to FisHID Depths ENT EXIT EXIT To turn off FishTrack repeat the instructions in step 1 Turning off FishTrack in this manner will not turn off Fish I D symbols Sensitivity Sonar Default Chart sig Frequency 200 kHz Surface Clarity Fish ID 29 01t 0 EE Surface Clarity off Symbols 43 4 Symbols with d C50 kH orr ZI Noise Rejection Depths 5 FishTrack depths H i Noise Rejection Low Low ZI Sonar Color Mode Grayscale hg F Manual Mode xk Auto Depth Auto Sensitivity ik Zoom Bar F Zone Alarm Bar Fes eS HAFS Sonar Color Mode Fish ID Grayscale Symbols igiDepths F Manual Mode Depths ik Auto Depth Zoom Bar Auto Senet F Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Featurest menu with Fish I D Depths selected at left dual frequency menu center single frequency menu When the check box to the left is checked the feature is on At right Sonar Page showing Fish I D symbols and FishTrack depths turned on FishReveal When displaying actual sonar returns the FishReveal feature uses 10 levels of gray tones to show fish targets hidden by surface
88. ter 300 to 500 feet or deeper the 50 kHz fre quency is the best choice The 200 kHz transducer will give you better detail and definition but less depth penetration The 50 kHz transducer will give you greater depth penetration but a little less detail and less definition Remember all sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water There is a common exception to these rules of thumb Some fishermen on freshwater lakes or the ocean using downriggers like to see them on the sonar In many of those cases you ll see a 50 kHz transducer frequency in use because the wider cone angle lets them watch the bait Sensitivity _ Sonar Features Frequency 200 kHz 200 kHz Surface Clarity off 50 kHz Noise Rejection Low v Sonar Color Mode Fish ID Grayscale l Symbols l Depths M Manual Mode x Auto Depth x Zoom Bar kx Auto Sensitivity Zone Alarm Bar Sonar Features menu with a frequency of 200 kHz selected To change the frequency setting to 50 kHz 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press 4 to 50 KHz ENT 3 Press EXIT EXIT to clear the menu 56 To change the frequency setting to 200 kHz 1 From the Sonar Page press MENU J to Sonar Features ENT 2 Press EXIT EXIT to clear the menu Grayline Grayline lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes It paints gray on targets that are stronger than a preset value
89. the previous page press EXIT EXIT 43 Alarms This unit has three different types of sonar alarms The first is the Fish Alarm It sounds when the Fish I D feature determines that an echo is a fish Another alarm is the Zone Alarm which consists of a bar on the side of the screen Any echo on the chart that appears inside this bar triggers this alarm The last alarm is the Depth Alarm which has both a Shallow and a Deep setting Only the bottom signal will trigger this alarm This is useful as an anchor watch a shallow water alert or for navigation Depth Alarms The depth alarms sound a tone when the bottom signal goes shallower than the shallow alarm s setting or deeper than the deep alarm s set ting For example if you set the shallow alarm to 10 feet the alarm will sound a tone if the bottom signal is less than 10 feet It will continue to sound until the bottom goes deeper than 10 feet The deep alarm works just the opposite It sounds a warning tone if the bottom depth goes deeper than the alarm s setting Both depth alarms work only off the digital bottom depth signals No other targets will trip these alarms These alarms can be used at the same time or individually Screen Sounds Shallow Alarm a I th Units of Measure ic imi Enabled Set Keel Offset ft Calibrate Water Speed Reset Water Distance Deep Alarm Sonar Simulator Depth Reset Options I Enabled ho xX Po
90. ttery or other power connection along with the power cable route 4 Install the transducer and route the transducer cable to the sonar unit 5 Install the power cable and route it to the sonar unit 6 Mount the sonar unit Transducer Installation These instructions will help you install your Skimmer transducer on a transom on a trolling motor or inside a hull These instructions cover both single and dual frequency Skimmer transducers Please read all instructions before proceeding with any installation The smaller single frequency Skimmers typically use a one piece stainless steel mounting bracket The larger dual frequency Skimmers typically use a two piece plastic mounting bracket The trolling motor mount uses a one piece plastic bracket with an adjustable strap These are all kick up mounting brackets They help prevent damage if the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving If the trans ducer does kick up the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools Read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation Determine which of the mounting positions is right for your boat Use 7 extreme care if mounting the transducer inside the hull because once it is epoxied into position the transducer usually cannot be removed Remember the transducer installation is the most critical part of a sonar installation Recommended Tools and supplies If you prefer the option of r
91. uel Lowrance is the first sonar manufacturer to provide this type of training tool for customers This PC application simulates the actual sonar unit on your computer You can run it from your computer keyboard or use your mouse to press the virtual keys Easy download and installation instructions are avail able on our web site Sonar Chart ZOUT ZIN L moe MENU Free training emulator is available for your unit on our web site The emulator works exactly like your real sonar unit Using the Sonar Simulator feature it allows you to play demo sonar logs and learn all the complex settings available in your Lowrance sonar unit 42 Section 4 Sonar Options amp Other Features Material in this section is arranged in alphabetical order ASP Advanced Signal Processing The ASP feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit that constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed water conditions and interference This automatic feature gives you the best display pos sible under most conditions The ASP feature is an effective tool in combating noise In sonar terms noise is any undesired signal It is caused by electrical and mechanical sources such as bilge pumps engine ignition systems and wiring air bubbles passing over the face of the transducer even vibration from the engine In all cases noise can produce unwanted marks on the display The ASP feature has four settings Off Low Medium a
92. y need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin fiber glass panels to reinforce the panel and secure the mounting hardware Install the gimbal bracket Orient the bracket so the arms slope toward the front of your unit Drill a 1 inch 25 4 mm hole in the dash for the power and transducer cables The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal 26 bracket location This way the bracket can be installed so that it covers the hole holds the cables in position and results in a neat installation Some customers however prefer to mount the bracket to the side of the cable hole it s a matter of personal preference t 72 9 2 87 173 9 6 85 NX Millimeter 56 9 Inch 2 24 Front view left and side view right showing dimensions of the sonar unit when mounted on gimbal bracket After drilling the hole pass the transducer connector up through the hole from under the dash Pass the power cable s bare wire end down though the hole from the top If you wish you can fill in the hole around the cables with a good ma rine caulking compound Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers to conceal the opening No matter what type of installation you prefer be sure to leave enough slack in the cables to allow tilting or swiveling the unit If you choose to fill in the hole be sure to position the cables against the rear edge of the hole as you
93. zontal lines 80 NOISE a major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise This usually ap pears on the sonar s display as random patterns of dots or lines In se vere cases it can completely cover the screen with black dots or cause the unit to operate erratically or not at all To eliminate or minimize the effects of electrical noise first try to de termine the cause With the boat at rest in the water the first thing you should do is turn all electrical equipment on the boat off Make sure the engine is also off Turn your sonar on then turn off Noise Reject also known as the ASP feature Advanced Signal Processing Sensi tivity should be set at 90 95 percent There should be a steady bottom signal on the display Now turn on each piece of electrical equipment on the boat and view the effect on the sonar s display For example turn on the bilge pump and view the sonar display for noise If no noise is present turn the pump off then turn on the VHF radio and transmit Keep doing this until all electrical equipment has been turned on their effect on the sonar display noted then turned off If you find noise interference from an electrical instrument trolling mo tor pump or radio try to isolate the problem You can usually reroute the sonar unit s power cable and transducer cable away from the wiring that is causing the interference VHF radio antenna cables radiate noise when transmitting so be certain to keep the sonar

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