Humminbird PIRANHA MAX, PIRANHAMAX20, PIRANHAMAX10, PIRANHAMAX15 User Manual

Thank You!

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Thank you for choosing Humminbird®, America's #1 name in fishfinders.Humminbird® has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing top-quality,thoroughly reliable marine equipment.Your Humminbird® is designed for trouble-free use in even the harshest marine environment. In the unlikely event that your Humminbird® does require repairs, we offer an exclusive Service Policyfree of charge during the first year after purchase,and available at a reasonable rate after the one-year period. For complete details, see the separate warranty card included with your unit. We encourage you to read this operations manual carefully in order to get full benefit from all the features and applications of your Humminbird® product.

Contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468 or visit our website at www.humminbird.com. The PiranhaMax comes in three models:

•PiranhaMax10 - Single Beam, 160V x 132H Display

•PiranhaMax15 - Dual Beam, 160V x 132H Display

•PiranhaMax20 - Dual Beam, 240V x 160H Display

WARNING! This device should not be used as a navigational aid to prevent collision, grounding, boat damage, or personal injury. When the boat is moving, water depth may change too quickly to allow time for you to react. Always operate the boat at very slow speeds if you suspect shallow water or submerged objects.

CAUTION: Do not handle the bottom of the transducer while it is transmitting sonar. Prolonged contact with the transducer element can cause physical discomfort or minor tissue damage.

WARNING! Disassembly and repair of this electronic unit should only be performed by authorized service personnel. Any modification of the serial number or attempt to repair the original equipment or accessories by unauthorized individuals will void the warranty. Handling and/or opening this unit may result in exposure to lead, in the form of solder.

WARNING! This product contains lead, a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm.

PiranhaMax Sonar Technology

The PiranhaMax is the easiest to use fishfinder ever. For most anglers, all you’ll ever need to do is power on and fish! The PiranhaMax automatically determines depth and makes adjustments to keep the bottom and fish visible on the display.

The PiranhaMax uses sonar technology to send sound waves from the transducer into the water. The returned “echoes” are plotted on the display, creating a very accurate picture of the underwater world, including distance to underwater objects such as the bottom, fish and structure.

Your PiranhaMax will have either Single Beam or Dual Beam sonar. Find the correct sonar description that applies to your unit.

Single Beam Sonar

Your PiranhaMax10 uses a 200 kHz single beam sonar system with a 20° area of coverage. Boat speed, wave action, bottom hardness, water conditions and transducer installation can all affect depth capability.

Dual Beam Sonar

Your PiranhaMax15 or PiranhaMax20 uses a 200/83 kHz dual beam sonar system with a wide (60°) area of coverage. Dual Beam sonar is optimized to show the greatest bottom definition using a narrow (20°) beam yet can still indicate fish found in the wide (60°) beam when the Fish ID+TM feature is turned on. Dual Beam is ideal for a wide range of conditions - from shallow to very deep water in both fresh and salt water. Boat speed, wave action, bottom hardness, water conditions and transducer installation can all affect depth capability.

What You See On the Display

The PiranhaMax displays underwater information in an easy-to-understand format. The top of the display corresponds to the water surface at the transducer, and the bottom of the display corresponds to the Depth Range automatically selected for the current water depth. The Bottom Contour varies as the depth under the boat changes. Digital readouts provide precise information for depth, fish and water temperature.

Surface Clutter

Water Surface Line

Upper Range

Depth – Measured at

the Transducer

Temperature

83 kHz, Wide Beam Hollow

Fish Symbol (Dual Beam

Units Only)*

200kHz, Narrow Beam

Shaded Fish Symbols

Bottom Contour

* Units with 83 kHz dual beam	Structure	Lower Range
sonar show targets in the wide
beam as hollow fish icons.

(Setting Not Saved in Memory)

Press the POWER-MENU key until ZOOM appears. Select Auto to magnify the area around the bottom in order to reveal fish and structure close to the bottom that may not be visible during normal operation. When ZOOM is set to Auto, the upper and lower Depth Ranges are automatically adjusted to keep the area above and below the bottom on the display. Select Off to return to normal operation. (Off, Auto, Manual Ranges, Default = Off)

There is also a series of manual ranges which can be selected. The manual depth ranges are determined by the present depth conditions.

Upper Zoom

Range

.	Structure

Magnified Bottom

with More Detail Lower Zoom Range

Display

LEFT Arrow Key

POWER/MENU Key

RIGHT Arrow Key

A

to

Chart Speed

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Press the POWER-MENU key until CHART SPEED appears. Select a setting from 1-5 to increase or decrease the chart speed, where 1 is the slowest and 5 is the fastest chart speed. Chart speed determines the speed at which the sonar information moves across the display, and consequently the amount of detail shown. A faster speed shows more information and is preferred by most anglers; however, the sonar information moves across the display quickly. A slower speed keeps the information on the display longer, but the bottom and fish details become compressed and may be difficult to interpret. (1 to 5, Default = 5)

Fish Alarm

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Press the POWER-MENU key until FISH ALARM appears. Select Off for no fish alarm, or one of the following symbols to set the alarm. An alarm will sound when the PiranhaMax detects fish that correspond to the alarm setting. Fish Alarm will only sound if Fish ID+ is also set to On.

Large fish only

Large/Medium fish only.

All fish.

(Off, Large, Large/Medium, All, Default = Off)

Depth Alarm

(Setting Not Saved in Memory)

allows you to access additional set-up menu choices. See SetUp Menu for more information.

Press the POWER-MENU key until DEPTH ALARM appears. Select OFF for no Depth Alarm, or select 3 to 99 feet to set the alarm depth. An audible alarm sounds when the depth is equal to or less than the setting. (Off, 3 to 99 feet, Default = Off)

Filter

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Press the POWER-MENU key until FILTER appears. Select either Off or On. Filter adjusts the sonar filter to limit interference on the display from sources such as your boat engine, turbulence, or other sonar devices. (On, Off, Default = Off)

	Light	SetUp Menu
	(Setting Not Saved in Memory)
		(Setting Not Saved in Memory)

Press the POWER-MENU key until LIGHT appears. Use the

Press the POWER-MENU key until SetUp appears. Select

backlight for night fishing. Select either 0 (Off), or 1 through 5

to activate the backlight at the desired level. (0 to 5, Default = 0)

either Off or On. (Off, On, Default = Off)

NOTE: Continuous backlight operation will significantly decrease the

When you choose SetUp, additional menu choices will

battery life for PiranhaMax Portables.

become available that are not a part of the Main Menu

Sensitivity

system. After selecting SetUp, press the POWER-MENU key

to display the SetUp menu choices, one at a time. SetUp

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Menu choices include:

• Contrast

Press the POWER-MENU key until SENSITIVITY appears.

• Fish ID+

Sensitivity controls how much detail is shown on the

display. Increasing the sensitivity shows more sonar returns

• Bottom View

from small baitfish and suspended

debris in the water;

• Battery Alarm

however, the display may become too cluttered. When

operating in very clear water or greater depths, increased

• Language (International Only)

sensitivity shows weaker

returns that

may be of

interest.

• Units (International Only)

Decreasing the sensitivity

eliminates

the clutter

from the

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

number of possible fish returns will be displayed with their associated depth. (On, Off, Default = On)

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

Fish ID+, 83 kHz, Wide beam

Fish ID+, 200 kHz, Narrow beam

Raw Sonar

NOTE: Returns from the 200 kHz narrow beam are shown with shaded fish symbols while the 83 kHz wide beam returns are displayed with hollow fish symbols.

NOTE: Hollow fish symbols are only available on 200/83 kHz Dual Beam sonar units.

Bottom View (SetUp Menu)

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Make sure that the SetUp menu is selected, then press the POWER-MENU key until BOTTOM VIEW appears. Bottom View selects the method used to represent the bottom and structure on the display.

Structure ID® represents weak returns as light pixels and strong returns as dark pixels. This has the benefit of ensuring that strong returns will be clearly visible on the display.

Black (Bottom Black) displays all pixels below the bottom contour as black, regardless of signal strength. This has the benefit of providing a high contrast between the bottom and other sonar returns on the display.

WhiteLine® highlights the strongest sonar returns in white resulting in a distinctive outline. This has the benefit of clearly defining the bottom on the display.

Inverse is a method where weak returns are shown with dark pixels and strong returns with lighter pixels. This has the benefit of ensuring that weak signals will be clearly visible on the display.

(Structure ID, Black, WhiteLine,

Inverse, Default = Inverse)

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

Battery Alarm (SetUp Menu)

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Make sure that the SetUp menu is selected, then press the POWER-MENU key until BATTERY ALARM appears. Select Off or 8.5 to 13.5 Volts. Battery Alarm sounds when the input battery voltage is equal to or less than the menu setting. (Off, 8.5 to 13.5 Volts, Default = Off)

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

Language (SetUp Menu: International Only)

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Make sure that the SetUp menu is selected, then press the POWER-MENU key until LANGUAGE appears (International Units Only). LANGUAGE selects the display language for menus. (Settings vary, Default = English)

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

Units (SetUp Menu: International Only)

(Setting Saved in Memory)

Make sure that the SetUp menu is selected, then press the POWER-MENU key until UNITS appears (International Units Only). UNITS selects the units of measure. (Feet/F, Meters/C, Fathoms/C, Default = Meters/C, where F stands for Fahrenheit and C stands for Celsius)

Scroll through all SetUp menu choices to exit the SetUp menu.

in the bottom indication.

feet (0.9 meter) measured from the

POWER-MENU

jacket of the cable bare metal, you

. If there is no transducer from the confirm the source

liquid detergent.

If your boat remains out of the water for a long period of time, it may take some time to wet the transducer when returned to the water. Small air bubbles can cling to the surface of the transducer and interfere with proper operation. These bubbles dissipate with time, or you can wipe the face of the transducer with your fingers after the transducer is in the water.

Never leave the unit in a closed car or trunk—the extremely high temperatures generated in hot weather can damage the electronics.

Troubleshooting

Do not attempt to repair the PiranhaMax yourself. There are no user-serviceable parts inside, and special tools and techniques are required for assembly to ensure the waterproof integrity of the housing. Repairs should be performed only by authorized Humminbird technicians.

Many requests for repair received by Humminbird involve units that do not actually need repair. These units are returned “no problem found.” If you have a problem with your PiranhaMax, use the following troubleshooting guide before calling the Customer Resource Center or sending your unit in for repair.

1. Nothing happens when I turn the unit on.

Check the power cable connection at both ends. Be sure the cable is connected correctly to a reliable power source — red lead to positive, black lead to negative or ground. Ensure the power available is between 10 and 20 VDC. If the unit is wired through a fuse panel, ensure the panel is powered. Often accessory fuse panels are controlled by a separate switch or the ignition switch.

Also, often a fuse can appear to be good when it is not. Check the fuse with a tester or replace it with a fuse known to be good. Check the power connection to the PiranhaMax. It is possible to force the power cable connector into the cable holder incorrectly. If the connector is reversed, the unit will not work. Examine the contacts on the back of the unit to ensure there is no corrosion.

.

transducer is available to you: height, and running angle. Make small adjustments and

run the boat at high speeds to determine the effect. It may take several tries to optimize high-speed operation. This can also be a result of air or turbulence in the transducer location caused by rivets, ribs, etc.

7. My unit loses power at high speeds.

Your PiranhaMax has over-voltage protection that turns the unit off when input voltage exceeds 20 VDC. Some outboard motors do not effectively regulate the power output of the engine’s alternator and can produce voltage in excess of 20 Volts when running at high RPMs.

8.The display begins to fade out. Images are not as sharp as normal.

Check the input voltage. The PiranhaMax will not operate on input voltages below 10 VDC.

9.The display shows many black dots at high speeds and high sensitivity settings.

You are seeing noise or interference caused by one of several sources. Noise can be caused by electronic devices. Turn off any nearby electronics and see if the problem goes away. Noise can also be caused by the engine. If engine noise is causing the interference, the problem will intensify at higher RPMs. Increase the engine speed with the boat stationary to isolate this cause. Propeller cavitation can also appear as noise on the display. If the transducer is mounted too close to the propeller, the turbulence generated can interfere with the sonar signal. Make sure that the transducer is mounted at least 15" (380 mm) from the propeller.

International Purchases

A separate warranty is provided by international distributors for units purchased outside the United States. This warranty is included by your local distributor and this distributor maintains local service for your unit. Warranties are only valid in the area of intended distribution. Units purchased in the United States or Canada must be returned to our factory in the United States for service.

2. There is no transducer detected.

The PiranhaMax has the ability to detect and identify that a transducer is connected. When powering on, if a message indicates “transducer not connected”, make sure that an appropriate transducer connector is plugged into the unit. In addition, inspect the transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, or cuts in the outer casing of the cable. Also make sure that the transducer is fully submerged in water. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a switch, temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of these actions identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself is probably at fault. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.

3. There is no bottom reading visible on the display.

If the loss of bottom information occurs only at high boat speeds, the transducer needs adjusting – see your Piranha Installation Guide for details. Also, in very deep water, it may be necessary to increase the sensitivity setting manually to maintain a graphic depiction of the bottom. If you are using a transducer switch to connect two transducers to the PiranhaMax, make sure that the switch is in the correct position to connect a transducer that is in the water. (If a trolling motor transducer is selected and the trolling motor is out of the water, no sonar information appears.) If none of these actions solves the problem, inspect the transducer cable from end to end for breaks, kinks, or cuts in the outer casing of the cable. If the transducer is connected to the unit through a switch, temporarily connect it directly to the unit and try again. If none of these actions identifies an obvious problem, the transducer itself may be at fault. Be sure to include the transducer if returning the unit for repair.

Contact Humminbird

Your Humminbird accessory is designed for trouble-free operation and is backed by a one year warranty.

If you have any questions, contact our

Humminbird Customer Resource Center:

By Telephone (Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to

4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time):

800-633-1468

By e-mail

(typically we respond to your e-mail within three business days):

[e-mail]

For direct shipping, our address is:

Techsonic Industries, Inc.

Service Department

678 Humminbird Lane

Eufaula, AL 36027 USA

S P E C I F I C A T I

PiranhaMax10 Specifications	:
............................................Depth Capability		600 feet (180 m)
Power Output ..................................................		100 Watts (RMS)
Sonar Operating Frequency	kHz and 83 kHz Dual Beam
Sonar Coverage	20° @-10 dB in 200 kHz
LCD Display	60° @-10 dB in 83 kHz
Transducer	160V x 132H (PiranhaMax15)
Transducer Cable Length	240V x 160H (PiranhaMax20)
		XHS-9-20-T
		20 ft (6 m)