NorthStar Navigation NorthStar 491 Fish Finder User Manual
Contents
1. as the Configure the navigator s navigator s Aux Port for the 491 See Aux Port been Section 1 of this manual configured for instructions for the 491 491 is communicating with Check fuses and circuit the navigator breakers STEADY Check power to 491 with p Check GREEN a voltmeter the 491 s STAT ah i roper wiring Verify that the data cable indicator 5 F nee econ hoek between the navigator and g Isc 3 the 491 is properly wired rensducar impedance and connected 3 If the transducer is open or shorted replace it 1 Check transducer connector for the FLASHING GREEN The 491 and the navigator aren t communicating properly Check the wiring of the data cable between the navigator and the 491 There s a hardware problem with the 491 Figure 10 Troubleshooting the echo sounder 957 958 Checking the transducer To provide the best possible performance with the 491 echo sounder Northstar recommends the use of an Airmar 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 65 transducer The models below can be purchased from Northstar Table 3 Northstar recommended transducers Manufacturer Airmar Model Power Northstar P N B260 1 kW TD1004 Airmar B744V 600 W TD1005 w 3 wire speed Airmar P66 600 W TD1006 Maintaining a transducer Page 66 Airmar Technology Corporation may be reached at 35 Meadowbrook Drive Milford New Hampshire 032. 35 Viewing the seabed depth 36 Viewing the depth marker 36 Changing the depth settings 36 Setting the picture s shift starting depth 37 Setting the picture s range 38 Other Functions Using the MORE key 41 Using the MORE key 42 Changing the advance speed 42 Displaying the A sc0pe sasa wana wi 43 Setting the ECHO screen data 44 Introducing snapshots Setting up the video image overlay 6 Reviewing past echoes using SoundTrac Viewing past echoes using SoundTrac Marking fish as waypoints Navigating to a past echo position 7 Setting the Alarms Understanding the alarms Setting the fish alarm Setting the bottom alarm Setting the temperature alarm 8 Troubleshooting 491 Operations Troubleshooting the echo sounder Checking the transducer Welcome Welcome to the Northstar 491 Using this manual Technical support How echo sounding works Powering the 491 on and off Setting up the 491 This chapter introduces the Northstar 491 Operations Manual explains how to contact Northstar for technical support and service and describes the 491 s basic set up and power on off procedures 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 1 Welcome to the Northstar 491 Congratulations on your purchase of the Northstar 491 Echo S
3. eeeee0s 5 42 Changing the advance speed 5 42 Displaying the A scope 00005 5 43 Setting the ECHO screen data 5 44 Introducing snapshots 68 5 46 Setting up the video image overlay 5 49 This chapter describes all of the functions of the MORE key except for the alarms which are covered in Chapter 7 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 41 Using the MORE key Pressing the MORE key accesses the following functions e alarms described in Chapter 7 advance speed e A scope data numeric and graphic information on the ECHO screen snapshots 961 962 only e video overlay setup 957 958 only When the menu function is in use in the 961 962 the ECHO screen moves every half second giving the picture a less than smooth appearance Press RETURN to go back to the main screen for a normal smooth appearance Changing the advance speed Advance speed refers to the speed at which the vertical scan lines move from right to left across the ECHO screen There are five advance speeds plus the STOP setting which freezes the advance of all data 2 1 two identical lines of data are displayed for every ping lt 1 1 one line of data is displayed for every ping 1 2 one line of data is displayed for every two pings 1 4 one line of data is displayed for every four pings 1 8 one line of data is displayed for every eight pings For speeds 1 2 1 4 an
4. Return Figure 4 961 962 echo sounder menu structure 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 9 STAR key Auto Picture Frequency Zoom Depth More ECHO SCREEN Depth settings Picture settings Gain More settings Shift Clutter Range Noise Limiter Hue Bottom box Signal level Return Return Alarms Advance Speed Video A Scope Data Return e Data on screen Video setup Alarm settings Temp box Video on Temp graph Bottom box Fish alarm Bottom alarm Temp alarm Speed eoeeeee Return Return Figure 5 957 958 echo sounder menu structure Page 10 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Quick Start Using the Echo Sounder Displaying the echo sounder s picture 2 12 Using demo mode cccececnees 2 14 Introducing the displayed information 2 15 Using automatic mode 2 16 Changing the frequency of echoes 2 17 Zooming in and Out eeeeeee 2 19 Setup functions 0 cece cence eceecen 2 22 This chapter shows you how to start using the echo sounder and explains several of the echo sounder s important features 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 11 Displaying the echo sounder s picture Depth marker and indicator Once the navigator has been configured to operate with the 491 you re ready to start viewing echo sounding data To see the echo sounding screen at
5. When you select bottom lock zoom the magnified sea bottom is flattened out and displayed on the left side of the screen at the lower edge You can see any fish that are swimming near the bottom 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Using bottom lock center zoom Using marker zoom LLI T LANG 25047 0434 1 596 136 ehm Vy More 080 06 333 u To coord S OG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 When you select bottom lock center zoom the sea bottom is flattened out and displayed in the center of the screen You can see any fish near the bottom as with the bottom lock zoom and also examine the seabed s composition TO Auto i Fishing Picture a MA Automatic jT Frequency TDepth BAN TERR uor 25 46 984y 1499 137 ahi Lhu More 080 06 247 w_To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 When you select marker zoom you can choose the part of the water column to magnify The top edge of the magnified area is determined by the location of the depth marker To move 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 21 Leaving zoom mode Setup functions Accessing the setup screen Page 22 the magnified area up or down press the CURSOR PAD to move the depth marker TG Auto i Fishing Picture omatic al G9 Frequency 57 69 ft EE epth THE 0 NANI ra 25246 820 n_1 228m 137 atl lak More 080 06 007 w To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 You can return to the normal u
6. e signal level to remove weak echoes Gain and clutter changes are applied only to new echoes as they appear on the right side of the screen earlier echoes are not affected NOTE When you override the gain s automatic settings the tabs on the PICTURE key and AUTO key change from green to yellow indi cating the system is no longer in automatic mode When you turn the noise limiter on only the PICTURE key tab changes from green to yellow Changing the hue or adjusting the signal level has no effect on the operating mode the tabs stay green Adjusting the gain strong echoes The gain setting selects the echo strengths that will be displayed using the top color in the color bar the strongest echoes Any echoes stronger than this selection will use the same color and no detail can be distinguished The gain is usually set so that seabed echoes are displayed in brown the strongest level The gain can be also be set automatically by pressing the AUTO key This will provide an excellent picture under most conditions and will allow the 491 to reliably detect the seabed depth Gain is normally adjusted in conjunction with clutter as described on the next page to maximize its effectiveness To adjust the gain 1 On the ECHO screen press PICTURE 2 On the PICTURE screen press GAIN Page 28 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual 3 At the GAIN window press the CURSOR PAD left or right to adjust the gain or use the KEYPAD
7. Navigation vessel s current lat lon on the SOUNDTRAC screen this lat lon indicates the position marker s location vessel s SOG and COG active waypoint if any and graphic steering indicator vessel s Speed Through the Water if speed sensor is con nected can be turned off Status tabs To help you use the echo sounder s functions many of the key s labels on the right edge of the screen show the status of that key s function in a tab directly under the label 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 15 Using automatic mode Cruising or fishing The status tabs Page 16 To operate the echo sounder automatically just press AUTO All of the 491 s adjustments will be set to produce a useful picture under most conditions When you re too busy to optimize the settings manually the echo sounder can automatically set the optimal gain clutter and range settings to show an excellent picture from the surface to the bottom When you select auto the range setting may change from time to time to keep the seabed in view as the water depth changes It is recommended that the 491 be operated automatically whenever possible The 491 can reliably detect the seabed depth only when it controls the gain and clutter settings You can always press AUTO on the ECHO screen to remove any manual settings you ve made and return to the standard automatic configuration Automatic mode has two variations autocruising and au
8. is now displayed To move back to echoes that were displayed within the past few minutes continue pressing and holding the CURSOR PAD to the left As you move the position marker with the CURSOR PAD the marker speed accelerates to quickly scroll to the desired location Go to 107 Picture 005 T x Snapshot 0 9 A Scope OFF M Mark Leg PRL 25 46 644 n 0 0369 313 AT n Lohu V Live data 080 05 751 y To Coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 SoundTrac screen The lat lon of the position marker is displayed at the bottom of the picture along with the time elapsed since the ping and the distance and bearing from your present position to the marker assuming the navigator is providing position data As you move the position marker left and right these coordinates change accordingly NOTE When you use the position marker on a split screen showing either two frequencies or Zoom mode each half of the screen has a posi tion marker Both markers designate the same physical location 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Echoes from the last 3000 pings are stored The number of minutes of past echo data available depends on two factors lt the depth of the water lt the advance speed In deeper water the 491 pings at a slower rate so the echo sounder saves data over a longer period of time A slower advance speed will have the same effect Marking fish as waypoints The 9
9. sequence number restarts at 00 and the oldest waypoints with this same name will be overwritten unless they have been renamed To turn this feature on or off or to change the maximum number of each of these waypoints 1 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to highlight the waypoint type you want to change The line Fish controls fish waypoints The line Therm controls temperature waypoints The line Mark Wpts controls waypoints marked by the user 2 Press EDIT 3 Press the CURSOR PAD left or right to highlight the desired number of waypoints to be saved 4 Press ACCEPT Speed and These functions are set during installation The calibrations should not be changed unless they are known to need temperature sensor adjustment setup From the ECHO SOUNDER SETUP screen press SPEED TEMP to access the SENSOR SETUP screen alarms service gt setup Speed Sensor Installed _ Speed Calibration 00 Temperature Calibration 00 F ei or nota Speed Sensor is Installed and connected to the 490 sensor 961 962 sensor setup screen 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 25 Page 26 EchoSounder Setup Select item with cursor Press EDIT to change VIDEO Transducer depth Depth units Temperature units scale 50 kHz calibration 200 kHz calibration Demo Mode RETURN 957958 sensor setup screen To simplify operation the sensor install
10. 080 05 654 u To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Fish alarm window Setting the alarm s To set the fish alarm s minimum echo strength level echo strength level 1 At the FISH ALARM window press SET ALARM LEVEL 2 Press the CURSOR PAD up and down to set the echo strength level from 1 to 15 as represented on the vertical color bar Echoes received that are strong enough to be within the crosshatched area on the vertical bar will cause an alarm weaker echoes will be ignored Setting the upper as fish ics will o only Lame a are cant es or optionally outside the upper and lower markers These and lower pried markers are displayed on the ECHO screens epths To set the depth of the upper marker 1 At the FISH ALARM window press SET UPPER MKR The upper marker window is highlighted in black 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 57 Setting inside or outside fish markers Turning the fish alarm on and off The alarm 2 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to set the depth or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired depth The depth is displayed in the tab below the SET UPPER MKR key To set the depth of the lower marker 1 At the FISH ALARM window press SET LOWER MKR The lower marker window is highlighted in black 2 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to set the depth or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired depth The depth is displayed in the tab below the SET LOWER MKR key If you desig
11. 134 wales M Reun 080 05 642 u_To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Bottom alarm window Setting the bottom You can set the depth level for the seabed so that as soon as level the bottom is shallower than this depth the bottom alarm will sound To set the bottom level at the BOTTOM ALARM window press the CURSOR PAD up or down to set the depth or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired depth NOTE The 491 s depth indicator reflects the depth below your vessel s transducer not below the keel Ask your installer for the exact dis tance between your transducer and your keel This value must then always be manually added to the 491 s depth indicator or else entered into the transducer s depth setting on the ECHO SOUNDER SETUP screen for an automatically correct reading 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 59 Turning the bottom alarm on and off The alarm To turn the alarm on at the BOTTOM ALARM window press TURN ALARM ON To turn the alarm off press TURN ALARM OFF When the bottom is detected the alert tone sounds and the message Bottom Collision is displayed This message clears automatically after 20 seconds and the alarm is reset Setting the temperature alarm This alarm isn t present unless a temperature sensor is installed and configured Page 60 When the temperature alarm is set an alarm sounds if the echo sounder detects that the water temperature has either r
12. Other Screen color palette Depth marker Position marker Zoom in out Shift Ranges 15 30 60 120 200 400 800 1000 2400 feet 5 10 20 40 80 150 300 500 800 meters Advance 1 8 to 2 1 speed Depth units Feet meters fathoms Installation Include speed temperature gain and transducer calibrations type Page 69 Page 70 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual A scope COG clutter current default echo echo sounder fathom gain GPS hue interference latitude 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Glossary A horizontally magnified view of each echo where the strength is shown by the width as well as the color of the line Course Over Ground The actual path of your vessel relative to the surface of the earth Distracting echoes caused by turbulence plankton etc Can be reduced by the clutter control The horizontal movement of water caused by tidal or other forces A choice made automatically by the echo sounder some defaults can be overridden in partial automatic mode The sound returned by either an object below the water s sur face or by the seabed when this object or seabed is detected by a sound wave An instrument that uses sound waves to measure the depth of a body of water or an object such as a school of fish below the water s surface A depth measurement that equals six feet or 1 83 meters of water The amount of amplification given to the received echo before it is displ
13. Sounder Operations Manual Page 67 Page 68 Table 4 491 echo sounder features Continued Screen notations Echo data Seabed depth various size digits Frequency of each window Speed through water if connected Water temperature if connected Depth scale for each window Depth of depth marker Latitude longitude of position marker and vessel Alarm status and auto manual status Zoom mode Name of waypoint and distance and bearing to waypoint Steering indicator Interfacing Connects Northstar 961 962 GPS Chart Navigator Northstar 957 958 6000i GPS Chart Navigator Northstar recommended or compatible transducer Other Transducer outputs protected against open circuit short circuit LED monitors input power and system status Physical characteristics Dimensions 8 78 x 7 22 x 2 35 inches Weight 2 pounds Environmental characteristics Temperature Protection Standards 25 C to 60 C operating temperature 55 C to 90 C storage temperature 8 to 36 VDC 8 Watts reverse polarity and over voltage protection Waterproof design meets the following IEC60529 IP6 IEC60945 emissions CE mark 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Table 4 491 echo sounder features Continued 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Manual controls Gain 0 to 75 db Clutter 0to9 Signal level 0to5 Noise limiter ON OFF White level Any single color
14. and huge Press the CURSOR PAD up and down to set the position of the box at the left edge of the screen 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 45 Temperature graph This key won t appear unless a temperature sensor is installed and configured Speed through the water This key won t appear unless a speed sensor is installed and configured Press TEMP GRAPH to turn the temperature graph on or off The temperature graph displays an orange temperature scale at the left of the screen and an orange line tracing out the varying water temperature measurements superimposed on the echoes Press SPEED to turn the Speed Through the Water display on or off STW is displayed on the bottom right corner of the screen Introducing snapshots Taking and storing a snapshot Page 46 A snapshot is a picture of the 961 962 s echo sounder screen You can store up to 10 different snapshots of echo sounder screens for later review These can be stored on floppy disk one snapshot per floppy or zip disk for permanent archiving The snapshot feature is not available in the 957 958 or 6000i To take a snapshot press MORE and then SNAPSHOT The echo sounder screen will be recorded at that instant To store the snapshot you must save the snapshot in one of the ten available storage slots Choose a slot by pressing the CURSOR PAD up or down to highlight the desired slot then press SAVE to store the snapshot 491 Echo Sound
15. and you can view old alarms which are alarms that already have cleared To alert you automatically in situations related to echo sounding you can set three alarms e fish alarm e seabed bottom alarm e temperature alarm NOTE You also can set the echo sounder to automatically save FISH or THERM waypoints when fish or a certain temperature are detected if the fish or temperature alarms are on To automatically save these waypoints see Number of special waypoints starting on page 2 14 Setting the fish alarm When the fish alarm is on an alarm sounds if an echo returns from either inside or outside specific upper and lower limits you ve set To set the fish alarm 1 At the ECHO screen press MORE 2 Press ALARM 3 At the ALARM screen press FISH ALARM The options on the FISH ALARM window are on off echo strength level upper and lower marker depths and inside or outside markers Page 56 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual 4 Follow the instructions below for each of these five settings G Turn alarm On OFF Set alarm level When alarm is turned on alarm will activate if echo is inside markers and as strong as the crosshatched area Upper marker Level ANNA iin Ti Set lower mkr Oi 100 9 Inside outside mkrg inside Press cursor pad up down or use keypad to set depths Seer JANI ry 25 46 578 n 0 2668 n 134 25 NM
16. any time press STAR from any screen You ll see live echoes moving across the screen Echo data Depth Scale Water temperature iksi box ae Color bar Water temperature scale Navigation information Page 12 Frequency selection and indicator KEE WI 25 47 303 n 2 026 136 gi AT More 080 06 713 w To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Lat lon of vessel Dist brg Steering indicator Speed course and speed to waypoint through the water Figure 6 Illustrated ECHO screen You can also review old echoes using Northstar s SoundTrac feature To activate SoundTrac press the CURSOR PAD left or right on the ECHO screen The position marker appears controlled by the CURSOR PAD and movement of echoes to the left stops The data boxes at the bottom of the screen turn white and refer to the position marker rather than to your current position Press the green LIVE DATA key to return to 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual real time echoes For details see Reviewing past echoes using SoundTrac starting on page 51 Depth marker Echo data Depth Scale and indicator Water NG j Go to temperature box Picture 36 Color bar 5 ER 4 Position Water 7 AH heh el Snapshot a ker temperature 3 ree Sle jue t and ae 57 uN i JAN ET RAR indicator RIT TA Mark TES Lalalala PAE 25 47 350 n 0 1536 313 25 NM 25 NM 080 06 782 w To Coo
17. but may miss the bait fish Finer resolution is better at find ing small fish baitfish and subtle bottom details Wider beam is good for seeing fish not directly beneath the boat Narrower beam is very focused Reduces the influence of a rough sea You can choose from four settings for the transducer frequency 50 kHz displayed on a full screen 200 kHz displayed on a full screen lt 50 kHz on the left half of the screen and 200 on the right lt 200 kHz on the left half of the screen and 50 on the right There are two reasons why you might want to operate with your preferred frequency on the right side of the screen lt the zoom function magnifies the frequency on the right side 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 17 lt when adjusting the picture you can see the effect of changes on the right side 50 kHz echoes 200 kHz echoes Adjusts the frequency of the data displayed currently showing dual frequency on a split screen with 50 kHz to the left and 200 kHz to the right meee WARAH 25 47 159 n 1 787 136 25 NM 25 NM More 080 06 502 w To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Figure 8 ECHO screen with both frequencies displayed To change the display frequency 1 On the ECHO screen press FREQUENCY until you display the desired frequency or frequencies The frequencies in use are shown pictorially on the tab just below the FREQUENCY key When
18. echo strengths Weaker echoes are displayed with colors near the bottom of the scale and stronger echoes are displayed with colors near the top You can choose any one of nine palettes of colors to represent the echo strengths from weakest to strongest Color bar 1 is the one most often used Color bar 2 is similar but with fewer colors to aid visibil ity under some conditions Color bars 3 8 are additional variations with different background colors Color bar 9 uses only a single color ranging from very dark to very bright Selecting the color To select the color bar bar hue 1 2 3 Page 32 On the ECHO screen press PICTURE Press HUE At the HUE AND WHITE LEVEL window press the CURSOR PAD left or right to select the color bar desired or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the number of the color bar 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Dirrty alsin peer real use a Hue and White Level To select hues use keypad 1to 9 or press cursor pad left right M Press cursor pad up down to select white level 10 2 3 4 65 6 7 8 HO a Signal level mee VEER 95 47 182 n 1 264 133 sill 6 bl 080 06 536 w_To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Hue and white level window 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen Setting the white You can replace any single color in the color bar with white level On the HUE AND WHITE LEVEL window press the CURSOR PAD up or down to select tha
19. marker to accurately measure the depth of an echo To display the depth marker a dashed horizontal line and move this marker up or down press the CURSOR PAD down Attached to the depth marker line is a small black box which displays the marker s exact depth The depth marker also affects the display in Marker Zoom mode Changing the depth settings You can adjust the shallowest and deepest echoes to be shown on the ECHO screen In automatic mode the echo sounder sets these values based on its current environment However Page 36 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual you can manually override these auto values for your specific needs at any time There are two depth settings e shift how far below the surface the echo sounder picture starts range the depth covered by the echo sounder picture from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen Setting the picture s shift starting depth The shift setting adjusts the depth of the top edge of echoes pictured on the ECHO screen You can shift the entire pic ture up and down to start at the surface of the water or any other depth you choose To shift the picture 1 At the ECHO screen press DEPTH 2 Press SHIFT 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual i Range i covered by the display 4 iniii TEES Shift sets how far below the surface m the display starts E Press cursor pad up and down or use the keypad E to adjust the shif
20. screen press PICTURE 2 On the PICTURE screen press SIGNAL LEVEL 3 At the SIGNAL LEVEL window press the CURSOR PAD up or down to remove the weaker color levels from the picture or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired signal level The available settings range from 1 minimum to 5 max imum For example if you select a signal level of 3 echo strengths of 0 through 3 are all displayed using the same color 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen Suppressing interference the noise limiter The noise limiter reduces the adverse effects of interference from other nearby echo sounders or electronic devices however the noise limiter may cause some very weak echoes to be made smaller or entirely eliminated since it removes any echoes that aren t sustained for at least two pings To turn on the noise limiter 1 At the ECHO screen press PICTURE 2 At the PICTURE screen press NOISE LIMITER 3 At the NOISE LIMITER window press the CURSOR PAD up to turn the noise limiter on or press NOISE LIMITER again 4 Press the RETURN key to go back to the ECHO screen Turning the noise limiter on changes a portion of the PICTURE key tab from green to yellow as a reminder 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 31 Selecting the color bar hue and white level Understanding the The color bar displayed at the extreme left of the ECHO screen color bar shows the range of colors used to display different
21. to manually enter the desired gain value The available settings range from zero minimum to 75 maximum Press cursor pad left right to set the gain Gain sets the strongest echoes that appear on the screen gt ig Very Strong Strong Moderate Weak None Echo Strength HAH WER 25 A7 228 n 1 340 133 ahl 6 la ORNCNK ANA L To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Gain window The window shows the effect of adjusting the gain The fish symbols near the bottom of the window represent various echo strengths and the expanding and contracting color bar above shows the colors that will be used to display these echoes As you adjust the gain to obtain the best looking picture also watch the real echoes on the right side of the screen 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen When you adjust the gain the color of the AUTO and PICTURE key tabs changes from green to yellow since the echo sounder is no longer in automatic mode Also a yellow tab appears under the DEPTH key indicating that the range setting is no longer automatically controlled and that the 491 may not always identify the bottom reliably Adjusting the clutter weak echoes The clutter setting selects the echo strength that will be displayed using the bottom colors of the color bar the weaker echoes Any echoes weaker than this selection will not be 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 29 displayed If you select 5 for example a
22. 055 4613 phone 603 673 9570 fax 603 673 4624 NOTE Detailed information on maintaining and troubleshooting a trans ducer is outside the scope of this manual Refer to the transducer manufacturer s documentation Do not return a transducer to North star If you need to return a transducer for service contact the man ufacturer directly for instructions Do not expose a transducer to gasoline or clean it with strong solvents These can penetrate and degrade the housing If a transducer will be exposed to saltwater coat it with anti fouling paint to prevent sea growth To clean a transducer of sand debris or sea growth use a stiff brush or putty knife Use sanding sparingly as repeated sanding may affect a transducer s performance at high speeds If necessary wet sand with finer grade wet or dry paper Check the transducer periodically 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual 491 Features and Specifications Table 4 491 echo sounder features Performance characteristics Output Single Dual Channel 50 200kHz 600W Alarms Fish seabed temperature Update rate 10 Hz maximum depends on water depth Auto modes Fishing and cruising Zoom modes Marker bottom bottom lock bottom lock center Features Mark present or past echo as waypoint 961 962 Go directly to any past echo A scope analyzes present or past echoes Navigation data shown at bottom of screen Demo mode for training 491 Echo
23. 133 STW 0 0 A scope on dual frequency echo screen Using the A scope If you re in zoom mode the A scope magnifies the unzoomed with zoom mode echoes on the right side of the screen Setting the ECHO screen data Screen data refers to numeric and graphic information displayed on top of the echoes including bottom depth water temperature and speed through the water STW To access these functions press MORE and then DATA Page 44 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Bottom depth box Temperature box This key won t appear unless a temperature sensor is installed and configured Press the Bottom box menu Bottom box key to set digit size Use cursor pad to move box up and down Temp box Small AG Temp grap e ON E ee 25 46 783 0 605 133 ehm MA Reun N8N NS 983 u To icoord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Echo screen data selections Press BOTTOM BOX to set the size and location of the box displaying the bottom depth white numbers on a black background Press this key again to cycle through the available sizes small medium large and huge Press the CURSOR PAD up and down to set the position of the box at the left edge of the screen Press TEMP BOX key to set the size and location of the box displaying the water temperature white numbers on a black background Press this key again to cycle through the available sizes off small medium large
24. 61 962 s fish marking function lets you use SoundTrac to mark fish wrecks or any other objects that you see at any past echo displayed on the screen To mark echoes as waypoints 1 At the ECHO screen press the CURSOR PAD to the left to move the position marker a dashed vertical line to the position of the echo 2 Press MARK A MARK waypoint immediately appears on the SOUNDTRAC screen and on the CHART screen Each marked echo becomes a waypoint named MARK stored in the waypoint database You can perform all of the usual waypoint functions including going directly to this waypoint adding it to the end of your trip changing its name etc Navigating to a past echo position On the SOUNDTRAC screen the GO TO function can be used for any of the following functions to go directly to a past echo position lt to add a past echo position to the end of your trip to store a past echo position as a waypoint or avoidance point lt to make a new route with a past echo position as its first waypoint 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 53 Going directly to a past echo position Page 54 lt to add a past echo position to the end of an already dis played route Going to a past echo position is described below The other options are described in the Operator s manuals for your Northstar navigator To go directly to a past echo position as long as the GPS is providing position data 1 On the S
25. Northstar 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual This manual is for using the 491 sounder with the Northstar 957 958 961 and 962 navigators For the Northstar 6000i information in Section 6 of its manual can be used instead Revision A Part Number GM494 Northstar a unit of Brunswick New Technologies Marine Electronics www NorthstarNav com 30 Sudbury Road Service 978 897 6600 Acton Massachusetts 01720 Sales 800 628 4487 Contents Welcome eee eaaa eee 1 Welcome to the Northstar 491 2 Using this manual 2 Technical support neds as 4 How echo sounding works 5 Powering the 491 on and off 7 Setting up th 49i sopp kii sanan a 7 Quick Start Using the Echo Sounder 11 Displaying the echo sounder s picture 12 Using demo mode asana ana s 14 Introducing the displayed information 15 Using automatic mode fidaxeccxcicns 16 Changing the frequency of echoes 17 Zooming in and out 19 Setup functions eseese sd roerei ris 22 Adjusting the Echo Sounder Picture 27 The picture menu isss ke kokaiini 28 Adjusting the gain strong echoes 28 Adjusting the clutter weak echoes 29 Adjusting the signal level weak echoes 30 Suppressing interference the noise limiter 31 Selecting the color bar hue and white level 32 Understanding Depth Settings
26. OUNDTRAC screen press the CURSOR PAD left or right to move the position marker to the desired posi tion then press GO TO The SELECTED CURSOR POSITION window appears 2 Press GO NOW The navigator creates a new temporary waypoint called COORD and returns to the SOUNDTRAC screen The COORD waypoint isn t stored in the waypoint database instead it s placed in the trip where it replaces any future trip points To see this current waypoint on the CHART screen press CHART at any time Your present vessel position and time have now become a past trip point 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Setting the Alarms Understanding the alarms 7 56 Setting the fish alarm 0000 7 56 Setting the bottom alarm 7 58 Setting the temperature alarm 7 60 This chapter describes the echo sounder s three alarm functions for fish bottom and temperature conditions the settings for each alarm and how to turn them on and off 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 55 Understanding the alarms The echo sounder s alarms work just like the other alarms Their status is updated every second and their messages are displayed in the following ways lt at the bottom of the ECHO screen and also on various windows that may be overlaid onto these screens lt onthe ALARMS screen On this screen you can manually clear or stop new alarms although some are auto clearing
27. a dealer to get an RMA number call the dealer with the serial number The 491 s serial number is located at the top of the unit The 491 should be shipped in a properly designed carton with packing material Please reference the RMA number on the outside of the carton Shipments to Northstar should be made to the following address Northstar Technologies 30 Sudbury Road Acton MA 01720 If you have overnight or second day shipping requirements please call the Northstar factory for turnaround time and freight costs before shipping your 491 How echo sounding works An echo sounder produces high voltage electrical pulses that the transducer converts into sound waves called pings The sound waves are sent downward through the water When a sound wave hits and reflects off an object such as fish debris seaweed or the seabed the reflected sound wave an echo returns back to the transducer along an imaginary vertical line called a water column The transducer converts this echo into a tiny electrical pulse The 491 digitizes these pulses and sends them to the navigator so that echo sounding pictures of the water and seabed can be displayed and analyzed on the echo sounder screen In essence this system lets you see a real time cross section of what s happening underneath your vessel Figure 1 957 958 echo sounder system components below and Figure 2 961 962 echo sounder system components belo
28. ayed Global Positioning System The gradations of a color The electromagnetic interruption of a radio signal that causes a poor signal reception Interference may originate from exter nal sources such as another nearby echo sounder or from the vessel itself such as alternator noise Imaginary lines on the earth s surface running East West and expressed in degrees 0 90 north or south of the Equator Used in conjunction with the North South lines of longitude to determine position Page 71 longitude meter nautical mile nm ping SOG tide transducer waypoint Page 72 Imaginary lines on the Earth s surface running North South and expressed in degrees 0 180 east or west of the Prime Meridian a line running from the North to South Pole passing through Greenwich England A unit of measurement length equal to 39 37 inches slightly more than a standard yard An international unit equal to 6 076 115 feet 1 852 meters used officially in the U S since 1959 A nautical mile is about 800 feet more than a statute mile One nm is equal to 1 minute of latitude A pulse transmitted from the 491 echo sounder Also the act of transmitting a pulse from the echo sounder pinging Speed Over Ground The actual speed of your vessel relative to the earth not the water The vertical rise and fall of water caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun The device mounted through the hull to send and
29. d 1 8 each displayed line of data is averaged over 2 4 or 8 pings To set the advance speed 1 At the ECHO screen press MORE then press ADVANCE SPD 2 At the SET ADVANCE SPEED window keep pressing the ADVANCE SPD key to select the desired advance speed 3 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen Page 42 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual The A Scope shows every ping received even when the advance speed setting causes pings to be averaged before display Displaying the A scope The echo sounder s A scope lets you look closely at present or past echoes by horizontally magnifying the echo from each ping To display the A scope 1 Press MORE 2 Press A SCOPE to turn the A Scope on or off Gb Auto Fishing Picture Automatic ifs Frequency Depth z KEET EEE 25 46 909 0 813 133 ehm Vy Moren 080 06 137 w To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 A scope on single frequency echo screen The A scope appears on the far right hand side of the screen magnifying the water column designated by the position marker 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 43 Using the A scope If you re displaying both 50 and 200 kHz echoes the A scope with dual magnifies echoes from the frequency shown on the right side of the screen frequencies Gb Auto Fishing Picture Automatic Gb Frequency l 25 46 909 n 0 813 133 si 080206 137 4u To coord SOG 7 00 COG
30. e depth settings to choose what portion of the water under the vessel you ll display Chapter 5 explains other functions the A Scope etc Chapter 6 describes Northstar s exclusive SoundTrac feature for accessing past echoes and navigating back to their locations Chapter 7 tells how to use the echo sounder s alarms the fish alarm bottom alarm and temperature alarm At the back of the manual are a glossary and an appendix outlining the 491 s specifications Conventions Specific conventions are used to provide a consistent way to recognize certain information as follows A is the universal symbol used for caution and warning information that pertains to your personal safety or pre vents damage to the 491 The CAUTION and WARNING boxes contain critical information please read them lt NOTE is the type style used for titles of reader notes These notes contain valuable information purposely highlighted so that you don t miss it while reading the main text lt KEY is the type style used to refer to the menu keys on the display screen lt DISPLAY TEXT is the type style representing text on the display screens A bulleted list contains a series of related items or topics lt A numbered list contains a series of steps in a procedure 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 3 Technical support After you follow the instructions in this manual if you need technical support or if you have any other
31. ed options can be set to No to remove all references to temperature and speed from all the screens Highlight the appropriate line and press EDIT to change an option Speed calibration is entered as a percentage from 99 to 99 to make the speed read lower or higher than the uncalibrated value NOTE You must enable the speed setting under the Data menu on the ECHO SOUNDER screen see Setting the ECHO screen data starting on page 5 44 Temperature is calibrated by entering the temperature error as a number of degrees from 99 to 99 This offset is added to the uncalibrated temperatures before they are displayed or graphed 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Adjusting the Echo Sounder Picture The picture menu ss 3 28 Adjusting the gain strong echoes 3 28 Adjusting the clutter weak echoes 3 29 Adjusting the signal level weak echoes 3 30 Suppressing interference the noise limiter 3 31 Selecting the color bar hue and white level 3 32 This chapter explains the different ways you can adjust the echo sounder s picture including gain clutter the noise limiter white level and signal level 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 27 The picture menu You can adjust the appearance of echoes in five different ways lt gain for high intensity echoes e clutter for low intensity echoes e noise limiter for interference e hue to choose colors and white level
32. er Operations Manual Echo Sounder Snapshots Name SNAPSHOT 0 i Name SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT 4 Name EMPTY SNAPSHOTS Empu Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 6 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 7 __ Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT8 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 9 Empty Snapshot screen 961 962 only To rename a stored snapshot from the SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired slot and press RENAME Use the KEYPAD to enter a new name and press ACCEPT To display a stored snapshot from the SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired slot and press DISPLAY When finished press RETURN To erase a snapshot from a slot from the SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired slot and press ERASE You ll be asked to confirm erasure by pressing YES The slot will be erased to make room for a new snapshot Archiving and If your 961 962 has a floppy disk drive installed you can save restoringa Snapshot on each disk i To save a stored snapshot onto a floppy disk from the snapshot Wila a SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the floppy disk desired slot and press ARCHIVE Insert a floppy disk and press OK Any old data on the disk will be erased To restore a snapshot from a floppy disk to any empty slot from the SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired empty slot and press RESTORE Insert the f
33. isen above or dropped below the limit you ve set To set the temperature alarm 1 At the ECHO screen press MORE 2 Press ALARM 3 At the ALARM screen press TEMP ALARM The options on the TEMPERATURE ALARM window are on off upper and lower limits and inside or outside limits G Turn alarm On OFF TT sar rai cet Temperature Alarm When alarm is turned on alarm activates when temperature is inside crosshatched range 6 limit 5 m Set upper limit Lower limit ay 0 Lb Mert a TW JAN A k HN laa iil NAMA Set lower limit 100 9 Inside outside limits Inside 7 Press cursor pad up down oF use keypad to set temperature limits nee Y 25 46 562 n 0 2396 134 AM 080 05 630 u To coord S0G 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Temperature alarm window 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Setting the upper You can set the upper and lower temperature limits When the andlower Water temperature is either inside or outside these limits the eg temperature alarm will sound temperature limits To set the upper temperature limit 1 At the TEMPERATURE ALARM window press SET UPPER LIMIT The upper limit window is highlighted in black 2 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to set the temperature or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired temperature The temperature is displayed in the tab just below the SET UPPER LIMIT key To set the lo
34. lay If you ve connected the 957 958 to an NTSC compatible device you can display the image on the echo sounder screen To display the video image on the ECHO SOUNDER screen first press MORE then press VIDEO To change the transparency of the image while you re displaying the ECHO SOUNDER screen go to a different screen press the navigator s IN or OUT keys then return to the ECHO SOUNDER screen To change the size and placement of the image on the ECHO SOUNDER screen press the STAR key to display the navigator s VIDEO SETUP screen then follow the instructions on the screen 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 49 Page 50 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Reviewing past echoes using SoundTrac Viewing past echoes using SoundTrac 6 52 Marking fish as waypoints 6 53 Navigating to a past echo position 6 53 This chapter describes how to use SoundTrac to view past echoes and how to navigate to any past echo positions 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 51 Viewing past echoes using SoundTrac Echoes from at least the past three minutes are available depending on the depth of the water and the advance speed you ve set Page 52 On the SOUNDTRAC screen you can use Northstar s exclusive SoundTrac feature to look back and examine past echo data To enable SoundTrac at the ECHO screen press the CURSOR PAD to the left A dashed vertical line called the position marker
35. ll weak and moderate echoes will be displayed using the background color just as if they weren t there You might choose this setting to eliminate high levels of background noise and echoes from turbulence or plankton A setting of 0 allows all echoes to be displayed To adjust the clutter 1 At the ECHO screen press PICTURE 2 At the PICTURE screen press CLUTTER 3 Press the CURSOR PAD left or right to adjust the clutter or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired clutter value The available settings range from zero minimum to nine maximum Press cursor pad left right to set the clutter Clutter sets the weakest echoes that appear on the screen IAN None Weak Moderate Strong Very Strong Echo Strength ny ae E aa Webi NANING ATANG To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Clutter window 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen When you adjust the clutter the color of the AUTO and PICTURE key tabs changes from green to yellow since the echo sounder is no longer in fully automatic mode Adjusting the signal level weak echoes As with the CLUTTER key the SIGNAL LEVEL key controls the appearance of low level noise in the picture Whereas clutter compresses or expands the available colors to fit the Page 30 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual desired signal range Signal Level completely removes the weaker colors and their echoes To adjust the signal level 1 On the ECHO
36. loppy disk and press OK 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 47 Archiving and If your 961 962 has a zip drive installed you can save up to 10 restoring snapshots snapshots on each disk a in di To save a stored snapshot onto a zip disk from the SNAPSHOT with a Zip disk screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired slot and press ARCHIVE A new screen appears displaying the 10 slots available on the zip disk Archive Snapshot to Zip Dis Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 1 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 2 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT3 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT4 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT5 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT6 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT7 Empty kaidi Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT8 Empty Name EMPTY SNAPSHOT 9 Empty Archive will copy the Snapshot SNAPSHOT 3 to the Zip disk from the Hard Drive w Return Archiving snapshots screen 961 962 only Press the CURSOR PAD to select an empty slot on the disk and press OK The snapshot will be written to that slot on the zip disk To restore a snapshot from a zip disk to any empty slot from the SNAPSHOT screen press the CURSOR PAD to highlight the desired empty slot and press RESTORE A new screen appears displaying the 10 slots on the zip disk Use the CURSOR PAD to select the slot containing the snapshot you want to restore and press OK Page 48 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Setting up the video image over
37. meters or fathoms on the screen temperature units Celsius or Fahrenheit on the screen temperature scale lowest and highest on the screen 961 962 only automatic saving of FISH or THERM waypoints when the 491 detects the presence of fish or a certain water temperature that you ve set Using 491 with the Before starting you should double check that the 961 962 s 961 962 Port 3 is set to the 490 option 1 Press STAR until you reach the SERVICE MENU screen 2 Press PORT SETUP 3 Press PORT 3 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 7 4 Check that the FORMAT option is set to 490 If not set it now Using the 491 with Before starting you should double check that the navigator s the 957 953 AUX port is set to the Sounder option 1 Press STAR until you reach the OPTIONS SERVICE INFO screen 2 Press the PORT SETUP OPTIONS key 3 Check that the AUX PORT option is set to Sounder If not set it now Page 8 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Figure 3 STAR key Auto Picture Frequency Zoom Depth More ECHO SCREEN Depth settings Picture settings Gain More settings Shift Clutter Range Noise Limiter Hue Bottom box Signal level Return Return Alarms Advance Speed Snapshot A Scope Data Return Data on screen Snapshot Alarm settings Bottom box Temp box Temp graph Fish alarm Bottom alarm Temp alarm Speed e 6 6 o 6 6 6 o eeeeee Return
38. nate the markers as inside markers the fish alarm sounds when fish are detected within these markers If you set these markers as outside markers the fish alarm sounds when fish are detected outside of these markers To set the markers to inside or outside at the FISH ALARM window press INSIDE OUTSIDE MKRS to toggle between the inside and outside settings The setting is displayed in the tab below the INSIDE OUTSIDE MKRS key To turn the alarm on at the FISH ALARM window press TURN ALARM ON Generally you ll want to turn the alarm on after making all the other settings To turn the alarm off press TURN ALARM OFF When fish are detected the alert tone sounds and the message FISH is displayed This message clears automatically after 20 seconds and the alarm is rearmed Setting the bottom alarm Page 58 When the bottom alarm is set an alarm sounds if the echo sounder detects that the bottom is shallower than the limit you ve set 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual To set the bottom alarm 1 At the ECHO screen press MORE 2 Press ALARM 3 At the ALARM screen press BOTTOM ALARM The options on the BOTTOM ALARM window are on off and the depth setting Bottom Alarm When alarm is turned on G Turn alarm O alarm activates if bottom is above 20 OFF i Press cursor pad up down jj or use keypad to set depth 2 aggin I A Wit wlabig sida Pree Ma a a ra 100 men VEEN 25 46 570 n 0 2532 n
39. ning the equipment for factory service 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 63 Troubleshooting the echo sounder No echoes displayed when STAR key is pressed Is the Advance Change the Advance Speed Speed set to setting zero Is the 961 962 software Version 3 0 or greater Contact Northstar Service to upgrade to the latest version of 961 962 software Configure NMEA Port 3 for NMEA Port 3 the 491 See Section 1 of been configured this manual for instructions for the 491 491 is communicating with the navigator Check fuses and circuit breakers 2 Check power to 491 with 1 Check transducer Check STEADY FF connector for the a voltmeter Q the 491 s STAT GREEN proper wiring 3 Verify that the data cable indicator If wiring is correct check between the 961 962 and the 491 is properly wired and connected transducer impedance with an ohmmeter If the transducer is open or shorted replace it FLASHING GREEN The 491 and the 961 962 aren t communicating properly Check the wiring of the data cable between the 961 962 and the 491 There s a hardware problem with the 491 Figure 9 Troubleshooting the echo sounder 961 962 Page 64 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual No echoes displayed on sounder screen Is the Advance Change the Advance Speed Speed set to setting zero
40. number is added to all depths measured by the 491 so they will refer to depth from the surface not from the transducer This value should have been set correctly during installation and should not be changed You can change the depth units to feet meters or fathoms 1 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to highlight the DEPTH UNITS option 2 Press EDIT 3 Press the CURSOR PAD left or right to highlight the desired units Press ACCEPT You can change the highest and lowest water temperatures that will be displayed on the temperature graph 1 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to highlight the line containing the temperature scale 2 Press EDIT 3 Press the CURSOR PAD left or right to highlight C or F as desired then press ACCEPT 4 To change the endpoints of the scale press EDIT DATA 5 Enter the lower temperature limit using the KEYPAD 6 Press the CURSOR PAD to the right to highlight the upper limit and enter its value on the KEYPAD 7 Press ACCEPT In the 961 962 the echo sounder can be set to store waypoints automatically at the following location e where fish are detected by the fish alarm lt where the water temperature passes preset limits lt where fish or other echoes are marked by the user These waypoints are automatically given names such as FISH where is a waypoint sequence number that increases to a preset limit When this limit is reached the 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual
41. nzoomed display just by pressing and holding ZOOM for more than one second or by pressing ZOOM repeatedly until you have cycled through all the zoom modes Several setup functions are available to configure the echo sounder to your preferences CAUTION Be careful not to change any of the functions that are not described here unless you first read about them and understand their functions in the Northstar 491 Installation Manual To access the ECHO SOUNDER SETUP screen press STAR several times until Echo Sounder is highlighted at the top of the screen 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Meters Fathoms Echo under Setup Select it with cursor Press EDIT to change VIDEO Transducer depth Depth units Temperature units scale 50 kHz calibration 200 kHz calibration Demo Mode RETURN 957 958 echo sounder setup screen Entering numerical When changing the numerical value of the echo sounder s values settings you can either press the CURSOR PAD to increase or decrease the value or use the KEYPAD to manually type in the desired value 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 23 Transducer depth Changing the depth units Changing the temperature graph s units and scale This option only appears on the screen if a temperature sensor is connected Number of special waypoints Page 24 This option specifies how far below the surface of the water the transducer is mounted The
42. ounder The 491 connects with a Northstar navigator and a third party transducer to add echo sounding capability to the Northstar 957 958 961 and 962 navigators See the Northstar 491 Installation Manual part number GM495 for recommended transducers You may be adding the 491 to your existing Northstar navigator for echo sounding or you may have purchased your navigator complete with echo sounding In either case the 491 should be installed and configured by a qualified marine technician To get started right away Section 2 Quick Start Using the Echo Sounder starting on page 2 11 CAUTION A Proper installation and configuration of your Northstar 491 is of utmost importance for accurate and effective performance under a variety of conditions To get the best performance from your 491 Northstar strongly rec ommends installation and set up by a qualified marine technician For installation procedures see the Northstar 491 Echo Sounder Installation Manual Part Number GM495 Using this manual Page 2 Organization Chapter 1 introduces you to the 491 echo sounder and to this operations manual Chapter 2 gives you a quick start introduction to get you started with echo sounding as soon as the 491 has been installed and configured Chapter 3 tells how to adjust the echo sounder s display the gain clutter colors etc 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Chapter 4 describes how to adjust th
43. questions you can contact Northstar by email fax phone or U S mail as follows Table 1 Contacting Northstar Email Service service northstarnav com Sales sales northstarnav com Fax Service 978 897 1595 Sales 978 897 7241 Telephone 978 897 6600 or 800 628 4487 U S mail 30 Sudbury Road Acton MA 01720 Web site www northstarnav com you can send email to Northstar directly from this site Hearing from you Your feedback is important and helps ensure that this manual is a valuable resource for all 491 users Send your questions comments or suggestions about this manual to docs northstarnav com Service and repair In case of an operating problem with your Northstar 491 you may contact your dealer or return the unit to the Northstar factory for diagnosis and repair When describing an operating problem be as complete and accurate as possible Be sure to have the serial number available whenever contacting or corresponding with either your dealer or the Northstar factory The 49 1 s serial number is located at the top of the unit If you need help feel free to call the Northstar Service Department at 978 897 6600 between 9 00 a m and 5 00 p m weekdays excluding major holidays Page 4 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual To prevent delays it is critical that you first obtain a Return Materials Authorization RMA number before returning your unit to the factory If you purchased your 491 through
44. r in automatic mode Setting the picture s range The range setting adjusts the overall depth covered by the echo sounder picture from the top of its display to the bottom The range can be set automatically by pressing AUTO or manually on the SET RANGE window To set the range 1 At the ECHO screen press DEPTH 2 Press RANGE Page 38 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual aiar Set Shift sets how far below the surface the display starts Shift IE Press cursorpad up and iz down or use the keypad Ie to adjust the range Ne Range 120 ft S Range is the depth z covered by the display 130 HAH WAH 25047 1271 1 173 138 ahan Ll 080 06 455 w_To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Range window The vertical black arrow in the SET RANGE window ind cates the values that this window adjusts the range of the echo sounder picture relative to the depth of the water The white number in the black box indicates the current range setting 3 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to adjust the range or use the KEYPAD to manually enter the desired depth 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen Adjusting the range changes the AUTO and DEPTH sta tus tab from green to yellow since the echo sounder is no longer in fully automatic mode 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 39 Page 40 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Other Functions Using the MORE key Using the MORE key
45. rd SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Lat lon of Dist brg to Steering indicator Speed course and speed position position through the water marker marker Figure 7 Illustrated SOUNDTRAC screen NOTES All of the alarm messages always appear on all of the echo sounder s screens You wont miss any alarms while displaying echo sounding data and you never have to press any keys to view the current alarms although you must press STAR to clear alarms that don t automatically clear The SAVE and MOB functions always work normally Moreover on the 961 962 whenever you press either of these keys the corre sponding SAVE or MOB waypoints will be displayed automatically on the echo sounder s picture as well as on the CHART screen after you press CHART 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 13 Using demo mode The echo sounder can be operated in demo mode for training and familiarization Simulated echo data generated by the 491 will be displayed To enter demo mode 1 Press STAR several times to display the ECHO SOUNDER SETUP screen 2 Press the CURSOR PAD down to select demo mode then press EDIT 3 Press the CURSOR PAD left or right to highlight ON then press ACCEPT While in demo mode the word Demo appears in the upper right corner of the ECHO screen To leave demo mode repeat this procedure selecting OFF instead of ON Displaying echo You can overlay a smaller ve
46. receive ultrasonic beams that determine seabed conditions and locate fish A particular location saved by marking fish on the echo sounder s LIVE DATA screen which is used as an intermediate or final destination 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual
47. rsion of the echo screen onto the sounder data on the CHART screen CHART screen For the 961 962 To overlay the echo screen 1 Press CHART to display the CHART screen then press OVERLAY 2 At the CHART OVERLAY SELECTION window press SHOW 490 Both chart views A and B will display live echo sounder data on the right hand side of the screen 3 To remove echo sounder data press HIDE 490 on the CHART OVERLAY screen For the 957 958 To overlay the echo screen 1 Press CHART to display the CHART screen then press SOUNDER The CHART screen will display live echo sounder data on the right hand side of the screen Page 14 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Introducing the displayed information The following information can be displayed on the ECHO screen Echo sounding e echo sounder data e echo sounder frequency in use 50 or 200 kHz or both e A scope automatic mode indicators fishing or cruising lt manual operation indicator e echo colors in use the color bar at the far left SoundTrac s position marker for scrolling to old echoes Depth and lt water depth digital display on the left side of the screen temperature depth scale on the right side depth marker press the CURSOR PAD to scroll the marker down lt water temperature digital display if temperature sensor is connected can be turned off water temperature graph if temperature sensor is con nected can be turned off
48. t mm Bottom box ie small Range is the depth 130 nen On 25 47 139 1 192 133 ash an 080 N6 479 u_ To coord SOG 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0 Shift window The SET SHIFT window shows a picture of the current shift settings and range The large white number in the black box shows the current shift value A sliding vertical bar shows the portion of the water that the echo sounder displays on the screen based on the shift and range set tings Page 37 In the large rectangle on the right the blue area at the top with waves represents the surface of the water and the brown area below represents the seabed The number at the bottom is the depth of the picture and the seabed depth is also labelled The smaller rectangle inside the larger one represents the echo sounder s picture AS you move the shift and range settings this rectangle adjusts to show what you will see on the echo screen A horizontal black arrow points to the value that this win dow adjusts the depth at which the echo sounder picture Starts relative to the surface of the water 3 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to shift the picture or use the KEYPAD to enter the digits of the desired depth If you type the number on the keypad wait a moment for the system to enter the number 4 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen Adjusting shift changes the AUTO and DEPTH key tabs from green to yellow since the echo sounder is no longe
49. t color To remove the white level and return to using all the colors on the color bar press the CURSOR PAD down until the white level moves off the color bar 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 33 Page 34 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Understanding Depth Settings Viewing the seabed depth 4 36 Viewing the depth marker 4 36 Changing the depth settings 4 36 Setting the picture s shift starting depth 4 37 Setting the picture s range 4 38 This chapter explains how to override the system s auto matic depth settings and manually control the depth range shown on the screen and how to use the depth marker 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 35 Viewing the seabed depth The seabed depth the bottom is displayed in a black box at the left edge of the ECHO screen You can change the size and location of the depth box on the ECHO screen Its size on the SOUNDTRAC screen is always small There are four available sizes lt small lt medium lt large lt huge To resize the depth box or move it up or down 1 At the ECHO screen press DEPTH 2 To cycle through the size choices repeatedly press BOTTOM BOX To move the box up and down press the CURSOR PAD 3 Press RETURN to go back to the ECHO screen The depth box can also be adjusted by pressing MORE then pressing DATA Viewing the depth marker You can use the depth
50. tofishing autocruising optimizes the gain and clutter for tracking the bottom with less emphasis on any fish in the water autofishing optimizes the gain and clutter for searching for fish Press AUTO to switch between autocruising and autofishing The colored tab below the menu key indicates whether the unit is optimized for cruising or fishing Colored status tabs just below the AUTO and PICTURE keys are green when the echo sounder is operating fully automatically They turn yellow when any of the settings has been set manually In some cases the picture tab may be yellow while the auto tab is still green if the Noise Limiter is turned on for example 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Manually overriding automatic mode You can always manually change any of the echo sounder s settings the gain clutter noise limiter shift and range Changing the appearance of the picture colors gain clutter and the noise limiter is described in Chapter 3 Setting the range and shift is described in Chapter 6 Changing the frequency of echoes The 491 uses two transducer frequencies 50 kHz and 200 kHz The advantages and disadvantages of each frequency are shown below Table 2 50 kHz vs 200 kHz 50 kHz 200 kHz Longer wavelength goes deeper but with somewhat lower resolu tion Shorter wavelength provides a sharper picture but can t go as deep Less resolution is better at finding big fish
51. uency was previously shown on the left is replaced by a magnified view of the right side NOTE You cannot zoom out to a scale that shows more water than the original picture For example if the original picture is set to a scale of 50 the only zoom scales available will be 15 and 30 Choosing a zoom Press ZOOM on the ECHO screen to cycle through the four mode 200 modes and choose the one you want lt bottom zoom lt bottom lock lt bottom lock center 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 19 Using bottom zoom Using bottom lock Page 20 zoom e marker zoom The original unzoomed echoes are on the right side and the magnified area is shown on the left side of the screen A tab below the ZOOM key shows which zoom mode is in use When you select bottom zoom the contour of the bottom is magnified clearly displaying canyon edges and echoes near the seabed The 491 automatically locates the seabed and displays it on the lower left side of the screen normal echoes are displayed on the right side If the seabed moves out of the lower half of the screen for example if you travel into deeper water the 491 automatically repositions the bottom back into the lower half You ll see the zoomed image jump up or down from time to time as the 491 keeps the seabed displayed on the screen LLI Ml ep 25 47 104 n 1 697 136 ne AT More 080 N6 493 u_ To coord S0G 7 00 COG 133 STW 0 0
52. w show how the 491 connects to these navigators to enable echo sounding functions 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 5 GPS antenna 33 foot cable part of transducer 957 958 6000i Navigator 10 foot cable Northstar supplied 10 foot cable Northstar supplied GPS antenna 33 foot cable part of transducer 961 962 Processor 10 foot cable 6 7 Northstar supplied ransducer 10 foot cable Northstar supplied Figure 2 961 962 echo sounder system components Page 6 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Powering the 491 on and off As part of its power up sequence the navigator automatically activates the 491 The 491 is automatically shut off by the navigator when you press and hold PWR until the screen goes dark Setting up the 491 Your 491 should be installed by a qualified marine technician Your satisfaction with the system s performance will be greatly influenced by the practical knowledge and experience of the installer Unlike GPS or other marine electronics systems echo sounder installation is as much an art as a science The installation procedure includes setting up the following options the transducer s depth the speed and temperature the calibration for the speed sensor the calibration for the temperature sensor the gain calibration for the transducer You may wish to change the following options from time to time to match your personal preferences depth units feet
53. wer temperature limit 1 At the TEMPERATURE ALARM window press SET LOWER LIMIT The lower limit window is highlighted in black 2 Press the CURSOR PAD up or down to set the temperature or use the KEYPAD to enter the desired temperature The temperature is displayed in the tab just below the SET LOWER LIMIT key Setting inside or If you set the upper and lower temperature limits as inside outside limits the temperature alarm sounds when the temperature is _ detected within these limits If you set these limits as outside temperature limits limits the temperature alarm sounds when the temperature is detected outside of these limits Press INSIDE OUTSIDE LIMITS on the TEMPERATURE ALARM window to switch between the inside and outside settings The current setting is displayed in the tab just below the INSIDE OUTSIDE LIMITS key Turning the To turn the alarm on at the TEMPERATURE ALARM window temperature alarm press TURN ALARM ON To turn the alarm off press TURN ALARM OFF on and off 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Page 61 The alarm When the temperature alarm sounds an alert message is displayed This message clears automatically after 20 seconds and the alarm is reset Page 62 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual Troubleshooting 491 Operations Troubleshooting the echo sounder 8 64 Checking the transducer 8 65 Ta chapter explains how to troubleshoot the echo sounder system before retur
54. you change the frequency echoes already on the screen don t change they just move off the screen as they are replaced by echoes at the new frequency A dual frequency screen is split into two halves separated by a gray vertical line in the center Page 18 491 Echo Sounder Operations Manual When using the zoom feature which also splits the screen into halves both sides of the screen always display the same frequency Zooming in and out On the ECHO screen the echo sounder s zoom feature expands a portion of the echoes You can examine closely any part of the water column to determine the composition of the bottom or look at the echoes of fish rocks or wrecks When fishing the zoom function is useful for showing a detailed view of any echoes below the vessel Choosing the zoom Press IN to zoom in and increase the magnification of the scale echoes you see below the top edge of the marker Press OUT to zoom out and increase the amount of water seen You can choose from any of six depth scales for the magnified echoes These scales cover the same depths regardless of the scale of the original echoes The available scales are 15 30 60 120 240 and 480 when using units of feet Similar scales are available for the other depth units NOTE When zoom is in use only a single frequency is displayed Unzoomed echoes are on the right and the same frequency is shown magnified on the left Whatever freq
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