Eagle Map Guide INSTALLATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Map Guide TM

INSTALLATION AND

OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 Eagle Electronics

All rights reserved.

Map Guideis a trademark of Eagle Electronics

Eagle® is a registered trademark of Eagle Electronics

WARNING!

USETHIS UNIT ONLY AS AN AIDTO NAVIGATION. A CAREFUL NAVIGATOR NEVER RELIES ON ONLY ONE METHOD TO OBTAIN POSITION INFORMATION.

Never use this product while operating a vehicle.

CAUTION

When showing navigation data to a position (waypoint), this unit will show the shortest, most direct path to the waypoint. It provides navigation data to the waypoint regardless of obstructions.Therefore, the prudent navigator will not only take advantage of all available navigation tools when travelling to a waypoint, but will also visually check to make certain a clear, safe path to the waypoint is always available.

The operating and storage temperature for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 to +75 degrees Celsius). Extended storage temperatures higher or lower than specified will cause the liquid crystal display to fail. Neither this type of failure nor its consequences are covered by the warranty. For more information, consult the factory customer service department.

All features and specifications subject to change without notice.

Eagle 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 screens in this manual are simulated.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Note:

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

Consult the factory customer service department for help.

Specifications

 

Dimensions .................................................

6.75” L x 2.25” W x 1.625” D

Display ..................................................................

160 H x 104 W pixels

Power .......................................................................................

5-35 vdc

Waypoints .........................................................................................

750

Routes ................................................................................................

99

Waypoints per Route (maximum) ........................................................

99

Total Waypoints used in Routes ......................................................

1500

Icons ...............................................................................................

1000

Savable Plot Trails.................................................................................

3

Maximum Plot Trail Points ..................................................

3000 per trail

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................

1

S/A - What is it? .......................................................................................................

2

Don’t Get Lost ..........................................................................................................

2

GETTING STARTED ......................................................................................................

3

Power .................................................................................................................

3

BATTERIES ..............................................................................................................

3

Battery Installation .............................................................................................

3

NiMH Battery .....................................................................................................

3

OPERATION .................................................................................................................

4

Keyboard .................................................................................................................

4

Menus .................................................................................................................

4

Turning Power On ....................................................................................................

5

Satellite Status Screen ............................................................................................

5

Finding Your Position ................................................................................................

6

Auto Search .......................................................................................................

6

Manual Initialization ...........................................................................................

7

Position Acquisition ...........................................................................................

7

POSITION/NAVIGATION SCREENS ......................................................................

8

Navigation Screens ...........................................................................................

8

Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) ................................................................

10

Map .................................................................................................................

11

Cursor .........................................................................................................

12

Map Setup ...................................................................................................

12

Change Maps ..............................................................................................

12

Map Options ......................................................................................................

12

Map Orientation ..........................................................................................

12

Autozoom ....................................................................................................

14

View Destination .........................................................................................

15

Range Rings/Grid Lines ..............................................................................

15

Earth Map Options ............................................................................................

16

Earth Map On/Off .......................................................................................

16

Text Labels ..................................................................................................

16

Locations .....................................................................................................

16

Map Detail ...................................................................................................

16

Gray Fill .......................................................................................................

17

Plot Trail Options ...............................................................................................

18

Clear Trail ....................................................................................................

18

Flash Trail ....................................................................................................

18

Update Options ...........................................................................................

18

Save Trail .................................................................................................

18

Show Trail .................................................................................................

19

ICONS ...............................................................................................................

19

Place Icon - Present Position ..................................................................

19

Place Icon - Cursor Position ....................................................................

20

Icon Options ............................................................................................

20

WINDOWS .........................................................................................................

21

Reprogram Boxes .......................................................................................

26

RESET GROUPS ..............................................................................................

27

WAYPOINTS ......................................................................................................

27

Waypoint Menu ...........................................................................................

27

Saving Your Present Position as a Waypoint (Quick Save Method) ...........

27

Saving The Cursor Position as a Waypoint ................................................

28

Saving Your Present Position as a Waypoint (Select Number Method) .....

28

Saving a New Position ................................................................................

29

Waypoint Averaging ....................................................................................

29

Project a Waypoint ......................................................................................

30

Selecting a Waypoint ..................................................................................

31

Waypoint Number .......................................................................................

31

Waypoint List ...............................................................................................

31

Editing a Waypoint ......................................................................................

31

Edit Position .............................................................................................

31

Edit Name ................................................................................................

32

Edit Icon ...................................................................................................

32

WAYPOINT NAVIGATION ........................................................................................

32

Navigating to a cursor location ..........................................................................

32

Navigating to a Waypoint using the Map ...........................................................

33

OTHER WAYPOINT OPTIONS .........................................................................

33

Move a Waypoint .........................................................................................

33

DISTANCE BETWEEN WAYPOINTS .........................................................

29

Delete a Waypoint .......................................................................................

34

Delete All Waypoints ...................................................................................

34

Waypoint Options ........................................................................................

34

ROUTES .................................................................................................................

35

Create a Route ..................................................................................................

35

Add From Waypoint List ..............................................................................

35

Add From Map ............................................................................................

36

Delete a Waypoint .............................................................................................

36

Waypoint Statistics ............................................................................................

37

Following a Route ..............................................................................................

37

Waypoint Information ..................................................................................

38

Delete a Route ...................................................................................................

39

CANCEL NAVIGATION ............................................................................................

39

Navigation Notes ......................................................................................................

39

SYSTEM SETUP .....................................................................................................

40

Sound ................................................................................................................

40

Contrast .............................................................................................................

40

Set Local Time ...................................................................................................

40

Units of Measure ...............................................................................................

41

NMEA / DGPS ...................................................................................................

41

NMEA Output ....................................................................................................

42

Configure NMEA Output ...................................................................................

42

DGPS .................................................................................................................

42

Serial Communication Setup .............................................................................

44

Reset Options ....................................................................................................

44

Reset Groups ....................................................................................................

45

System Info ........................................................................................................

45

GPS SETUP ............................................................................................................

45

Power Save ........................................................................................................

45

Position Format .................................................................................................

46

DATUM ...............................................................................................................

46

PCF (Position Correction Factor) ......................................................................

47

POSITION PINNING .........................................................................................

48

ALARMS .................................................................................................................

49

MESSAGES .............................................................................................................

49

SUNRISE/SET MOONRISE/SET CALCULATOR ...................................................

50

SIMULATOR .............................................................................................................

51

DEFINITION OF TERMS/ABBREVIATIONS ...........................................................

52

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the exciting world of GPS! Whether you’re a first-time user or a professional navigator, you’ll find the Map Guide is a full-featured GPS receiver at a price that was impossible just a few years ago. The Rockwell® receiver built inside has 12 channels that will track all of the satellites that are in view of your location. It’s acquisition time and tracking ability are second to none in its class.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the United States Department of Defense as a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year global navigation system for the military. Civilian availability was added (but with less accuracy) using the same satellites.Twenty-four satellites orbit the Earth. Three of these satellites are spares, unused until needed. The rest virtually guarantee that at least four satellites are in view of anyplace on Earth at all times.

The system requires three satellites in order to determine a position.This is called a 2D fix. It takes four satellites to determine both position and elevation, (your height above sea level - also called altitude.) called a 3D fix.

Remember, the unit must have a clear view of the satellites in order to receive their signals. Unlike radio or television, GPS works at very high frequencies. The signals can be blocked easily by trees, buildings, even your body. Fortunately, they do travel through glass and plastic, so your receiver will work in the car, if it has a clear view of the satellites through the windshield or side windows. Let someone else drive if you use it in a car or other vehicle.

Never use this GPS receiver while operating a vehicle!

The first time you use this unit, walk outside and turn it on in your backyard, an open field or park. Once it locks onto the satellites, you can experiment with it around buildings and trees. This will give you some idea of its sensitivity to blockage.

Like most GPS receivers, this unit doesn’t have a compass or any other navigation aid built inside. It relies solely on the signals from the satellites to calculate a position. Speed, direction of travel, and distance are all calculated from position information.Therefore, in order for it to determine direction of travel, you must be moving and the faster, the better. This is not to say that it won’t work at walking speeds - it will.There will simply be more “wandering” of the data shown on the display.

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S/A - What is it?

Another factor that greatly influences the receiver’s ability to determine position is SA. The United States government intentionally degrades the satellite’s signal for civilian users. They introduce small errors into these signals that makes the GPS receiver less accurate.These errors are called selective availability, or SA. How bad is it? They guarantee that the position reported by a GPS receiver that meets their specifications is within 100 meters horizontally and 150 meters vertically 95% of the time. (The position can be better than that or worse than that the other 5% of the time.) In other words, the position shown on your receiver is within 100 meters of your actual position, 95% of the time. That’s over 300 feet! Not exactly pinpoint accuracy, but then few people need positioning accuracy greater than this. However, if you do want better performance, (and who doesn’t?) many manufacturers (including Eagle) sell a DGPS receiver that attaches to your GPS receiver. The DGPS system transmits correction signals that nullify the effects of SA.The DGPS receiver takes signals from these land-based transmitters and gives them to the GPS receiver which then uses them to show a more accurate position.The ironic part is the federal government implemented SA and is also operating many DGPS transmitters. (You can use the signals from all of the Coast Guard DGPS stations for free, by the way.) The downside to this is it requires another piece of electronic gear (the DGPS receiver) which usually isn’t small enough to carry with you, but will work nicely on a vehicle. And you have to be close enough to a station to receive the DGPS signals.

Don’t Get Lost

Generally, you find that using your GPS receiver without DGPS is both easy and amazingly accurate. It’s easily the most accurate method of electronic navigation available to the general public today. Remember, however, that this receiver is only a tool. Always have another method of navigation available, such as a chart or map and a compass. It’s a good idea to carry spare batteries with you, especially if you’re venturing into unknown territory.

Also remember that this unit will always show navigation information in the shortest line from your present position to a waypoint, regardless of terrain! It only calculates position, it can’t know what’s between you and your camp, for example. It’s up to you to safely navigate around obstacles, no matter how you’re using this product.

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GETTING STARTED Power

The Map Guide operates from AA batteries, a DURACELL® NiMH rechargeable battery, or from 5 to 35 volts DC using the external power cable. If the power cable is used, the Map Guide automatically switches to it if the external power is greater than the battery voltage. If for any reason the external power fails, the unit automatically switches to the batteries.

BATTERIES

The unit requires four AA batteries. We recommend you use alkaline batteries for the best trade-off between battery life and cost. However, you can use nickel-cadmium (ni-cad), or lithium batteries. You can also use rechargeable alkaline batteries such as RayOVac® Renewals®. With the exception of lithium, none of the above batteries will last as long as standard alkaline batteries. We recommend DURACELL® brand, but others will work. Do not use “heavy-duty” batteries or any type other than the ones listed above. Do not mix different types of batteries. (For example, don’t use both alkaline and ni-cad batteries at the same time.)

Battery Installation

First turn the unit so that its back is facing you. Push the two tabs to the left and remove the battery cover as shown at right. Install the batteries according to this diagram. (There’s a decal in the battery compartment showing the correct polarity, also.) Replace the battery compartment cover and the unit is ready for use.

NiMH Battery

The DURACELL® DR-121 nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery replaces the four standard batteries. It is sold as an accessory, (model BR-1) which includes a charger that’s custom designed for the DR-

121.The battery never needs to be removed from the unit, since the charger connects to the GPS receiver and charges the DR-121.You can even use the receiver while the battery is charging!

To install the NiMH battery, remove the battery cover and place the battery into the compartment as shown on the next page. It will only fit one way, so if it’s difficult to install, simply turn it over and drop it into place. Replace the compartment cover and follow the charging instructions included with the BR-1.

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MENU
EXIT
PAGES
WPT

(Note: The DR-121 is the only battery that can be recharged in this unit! Using the external power cable alone does not charge the battery! You must use a charger supplied by Eagle in order to charge the battery. Also, this charger will only charge a DR-121. It will not charge any other type of battery, including nicads or rechargeable alkallines.)

OPERATION Keyboard

There are 12 keys on the keyboard. You navigate through the menus, adjust the chart’s cursor, and enter data using the arrow keys. The five major modes of operation are accessed

using the PAGES key. Press the MENU key to select or adjust a feature from a list. The Z-IN and Z-OUT keys zoom-in or zoom-out the view on the plotter screen.The ENT and EXIT keys are used to enter or clear data or

screens. Save and edit waypoints using the WPT key. The PWR key turns the unit on

and off. Pressing it once while the unit is

ZOUT ZIN

ENT PWR

operating turns on the screen’s backlight.To

 

prevent an accidental shutdown, you must

 

hold the PWR key down for a few seconds

 

in order to turn the unit off.

 

Menus

Most of the unit’s features are found on “menus’.You can view the menus by pressing the MENU key. This product has “Intelligent Menus”. There are many menus that pertain to only the map, for example. When you press the MENU key and the plotter is showing, menu items for the plotter show in addition to the normal menus. For example, if the navigation screen is showing, and you press the MENU key, plotter menu items won’t show on the list. This helps you find the needed item without scrolling through unnecessary menus.

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Turning Power On

To turn the unit on, simply press the PWR key. A GPS logo screen appears, then the screen similar to the one at right appears. Read the message on the screen, then press the EXIT key to erase it or wait a few seconds and it automatically clears. The screen shown below appears next.

Satellite Status Screen

This screen appears each time you turn the unit on. It shows a graphical view of the satellites that are in view. Each satellite is shown on the circular chart relative to your position. The point in the center of the chart is directly overhead. The small inner ring represents 45° above the horizon and the large ring represents the horizon. North is at the top of the screen. You can use this to see which satellites are obstructed

by obstacles in your immediate area if you hold the unit facing north.

The GPS receiver is tracking satellites that are surrounded by a black box. If the satellite number is not surrounded by a box, then the receiver hasn’t locked onto that satellite and it isn’t being used to solve the position.

Beneath the circular graph are the bar graphs, one for

each satellite in view. Although the unit has twelve channels, it dedicates one channel per visible satellite.Therefore, if only six satellites are visible, only six bar charts show at the bottom of the screen. The higher the bar on the graph, the better the unit is receiving the signals from the satellite.

The number in the upper left corner is the “expected horizontal position error” or expected error from a benchmark location. In other words, if the expected error shows 50 feet, then the position shown by the unit is estimated to be within 50 feet of the actual location. However, this number is only valid if you’re using DGPS or if S/A is turned off. Due to S/A, the accuracy can only be less than 100 meters, 95% of the time, per U.S. government specifications. Although the expected error is not accurate unless you have a DGPS receiver, it does give you an indicator of the fix quality the unit currently has. The smaller the expected error number, the better (and more accurate) the fix is.

If the expected error is flashing, then the unit has not locked onto the satellites, and the number shown is not valid.

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The fix indicator on the left center shows either 2D or 3D. A 2D fix means the unit has locked onto three satellites and has calculated its position. A 3D fix means the unit has locked onto at least four satellites and has calculated both the position and altitude. (Remember, it takes three satellites to determine the position - four to determine position and altitude.) If neither 2D nor 3D are showing, then the unit doesn’t have the position or altitude.

A battery level indicator on the lower right side of the screen shows approximately how much life is in the batteries. This runs from “F” (fully charged) to “E” (expired).

A light bulb indicator at the top right corner of the screen appears when the backlights are on.

Finding Your Position Auto Search

To lock onto the satellites, the GPS receiver needs to know it’s current position, local time, and date. (Elevation (altitude) is also used in the equation, but it’s rarely required to determine a position.) It needs this data so that it can calculate which satellites should be in view. It then searches for only those satellites. When your GPS receiver is turned on for the first time, it doesn’t know what your position or elevation (altitude) is. It does know the current UTC time and date since these were programmed into it at the factory and an internal clock keeps the time while the unit is turned off. It begins searching for the satellites using the above data that it acquired the last time it was turned on. This probably was at the Eagle factory. Since it’s almost certain that you’re not at the Eagle factory, it’s probably looking for the wrong satellites. If it doesn’t find the satellites it’s looking for after five minutes, it switches to Auto Search.The receiver looks for any satellite in the sky. Due to advanced technology, the auto search time has shrunk to about five minutes, so the longest time you should ever have to wait is ten minutes from the time you turn the unit on until it locks onto the satellites and shows a position. Once the unit locks onto the satellites, it should take less than a minute to find your position the next time it’s turned on, provided you haven’t moved more than approximately 100 miles from the last location it was used.

Manual Initialization

If you don’t want to wait for the Auto Search, then you may be able to speed up the initialization process by using the manual initialization feature. Using this feature tells the unit it’s approximate position. Once it knows

6

it’s location, it determines exactly which satellites should be in view and starts looking only for those satellites.

To manually initialize the unit, press the MENU key. Now press the down arrow key until the “GPS SETUP” label is highlighted. Press the right arrow key. The “INIT GPS” (Initialize GPS) label is highlighted. Press the right arrow key again.The screen at right appears. Use the arrow keys to move the crosshairs to your approximate location on the map. You may use the ZOUT key to zoom the map out. This will make it easier and faster to find your location on the map. Once you have the crosshairs on your location, press the ENT key. The unit returns to the satellite status screen.

Using the manual initialization method loads a position that’s close to yours into the GPS receiver. It should now have position, time, and date, thereby giving it the data it needs to determine which satellites are in view. Once the satellites are known, the receiver searches for only those satellites, making a lock faster than an auto search method.

Position Acquisition

When the receiver locks onto the satellites and calculates a position, it shows the message “Position Acquired” on the screen. All position and navigation data flashes until the unit acquires a position. Do not rely on any data that is flashing! When the numbers are flashing, they represent the last known values when the unit lost it’s lock on the satellites.

(Note: The altitude data may still flash even if the unit shows a “Position Acquired” message and all other data is not flashing. The unit must be locked onto at least four satellites to determine altitude. It only takes three satellites to determine position. You can navigate with this unit if the altitude is flashing, simply ignore the altitude display until it quits flashing.)

REMEMBER, DO NOT NAVIGATE WITH THIS UNIT UNTIL THE

NUMBERS STOP FLASHING!

Once the unit has acquired the satellites and it’s showing a fix on the status screen, or the position acquired message appears, it’s ready for use.

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Eagle Map Guide INSTALLATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS

POSITION/NAVIGATION SCREENS

This unit has four modes: status, map, navigation, and window groups. Use the PAGES and arrow keys to switch between the different screens. The four screens that show by default are shown below.

STATUS

NAVIGATION

MAP

WINDOWS

To change modes, simply press the PAGES key. A screen similar to the one at right appears. Use the up or down arrow keys to change modes. (The windows mode is shown as “groups”. Group “A” is the first windows group.)

Press the right arrow key while the above menu is showing to switch between different versions of each mode. When the desired screen appears, press the EXIT key to erase the menu.

Navigation Screens

There are two different navigation screens. Nav screen number one shows a graphical view of your trip, Nav screen number 2 shows all navigation details in large digital numbers. You can also customize both navigation screens to show data other than the default. See the “Programming Boxes” section for more information.

Nav Screen #1

This screen has a compass rose that shows not only your direction of travel, but also the direction to a recalled waypoint. The navigation screen looks like the one at right when you’re not navigating to a waypoint. Your position is shown by an arrow in the center of the screen. Your trail history, or path you’ve taken is depicted by the line extending from the arrow. The arrow

8

pointing down at the top of the compass rose indicates the current track (direction of travel) you are taking. This is also shown in the “TRK” (track) box at the top of the screen. On the example shown at right, the track is 355°. The current ground speed (GS) shows in the box in the lower center of this screen.

When navigating to a waypoint, Nav screen number one looks like the one at right. Bearing to the destination waypoint is in the box in the upper left corner. Bearing is also shown by the large arrow pointing up towards the compass, above the present position arrow. Distance from the present position to the waypoint (DIS) shows beneath the compass on the lower left side of the screen.

Lines on either side of the present position show the

current cross track error range. Cross track error is the distance you are off-course to the side of the desired course line. The course line is an imaginary line drawn from your position when you started navigating to the destination waypoint. It’s shown on the screen as a vertical dotted line. The default for the cross track error range is 0.25 mile. For example, if the present position symbol touches the right cross track error line, then you are .25 mile to the right of the desired course.You need to steer left to return to the desired course. The cross track error is

also shown in the “XTK” box. In the upper right corner is the course (CRS) box showing the direction from your starting position to the waypoint. Remember, a course is a proposed path from the starting position to the destination. Track is your actual direction of travel.

A circle depicting your destination (waypoint) appears on the screen as you approach the waypoint as shown on the screen at right.

Nav Screen #2

This navigation screen shows all navigation information in large digital numbers.To view this screen, press the PAGES key, then press the up arrow key until the “NAV1” label is highlighted.While it’s highlighted, press the right arrow key.The screen shown at right appears. Press the EXIT key to erase the menu.

This screen is composed of eight digital boxes. Track (TRK) and ground speed (GS) data are all that show if

9

you’re not navigating to a waypoint. If you are navigating to a waypoint, then bearing (BRG), distance to waypoint (DIS), estimated time en route (ETE), cross track error (XTK), destination arrow, and the CDI also operate. See below for more information on the CDI.

The destination arrow shows the direction to the destination when the top of the screen is pointing in your direction of travel.

Course Deviation Indicator (CDI)

Once navigation to a waypoint is established, the CDI shows your distance to the left or right of the desired course. The vertical line in the box shows both the direction you must steer to get back on course and the distance to the course line. For example, if you’re trav-

elling straight towards the destination, from the start, then the line stays in the center. If you drift off course to the right, the line moves to the left.This signifies that you need to steer to the left to get back on course. This is called “chasing the needle”. If you steer towards the line (needle), you’ll always be heading in the correct direction to get back on course.

The CDI’s range shows beneath the CDI label. On the above screen, the CDI range is .20 mile, which is the default. You can adjust the range by selecting the “ALARMS/CDI” label on the main menu. This is also shown by the dotted lines at the far left and right side of the CDI. If the solid line is on either of the dotted lines, then you are 0.20 mile off course. Remember, if the line moves to the left, then you are too far to the right of the desired course line and vice-versa.

Using the CDI with a mapping screen helps you visualize your position in relation to the course.The screen on the right shows that we are off course to the right. The vertical bar has moved to the left side of the CDI, showing the direction to the desired course line. The CDI gives you a quick, easy to read visual indicator of your relationship between your direction of travel and the desired direction.

10

Map

The Map Guide has a ground map of the world built inside. This map has the majority of its detail in far southern Canada, the

continental United States and Hawaiian islands, northern Mexico, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. The map screens show your course and track from a “birds-eye” view. If you’re navigating to a waypoint, the map shows your starting location, present position, course line, and destination. You don’t have to navigate to a waypoint, however, to use the map.

Using the map is as simple as pressing the PAGES key, then highlighting “MAP 1”. A screen similar to the one at right appears. The arrow flashing in the center

of the screen is your present position. It points in the direction you’re travelling. The solid line extending from the arrow is your plot trail, or path you’ve taken. The plotter’s range shows in the lower left corner of the screen. In this example, the plotter’s range is two miles from the left edge of the screen to the right.

There are three different mapping screens.To view the other map screens, press the PAGES key, highlight the MAP label, and press the right arrow key until the desired map screen appears. Press the EXIT key to erase the menu. Map-2 (shown below) has navigation data added at the bottom of the screen, beneath the map. The data includes bearing to waypoint (BRG), track (TRK), and distance to waypoint (DIS).

MAP-1

MAP-2

MAP-3

Map-3 is similar to Map-2. It shows ground speed (GS), track (TRK), and the CDI at the bottom of the screen.

The Z-IN and Z-OUT keys zoom-in and out all maps to enlarge or reduce their coverage area.The available ranges are: 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 miles.

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Cursor

Pressing an arrow key turns on two dotted lines that intersect at the present position symbol. These lines are called a “cursor” and have a variety of uses.

To turn the cursor on, simply press the arrow key in the direction you want the cursor to move. This lets you view areas on the plotter that are away from your present position.The zoom-in and zoom-out keys work from the cursor’s position when it’s active - not the present position. You can zoom in on any detail, anywhere. The cursor can also place icons and waypoints.

Press the EXIT key to erase the cursor. The unit centers your present position on the screen after erasing the cursor.

Map Setup

The map has many customization options. To change them, first press the MENU key while a map is showing on the screen. The map setup screen is highlighted. Press the right arrow key. A screen similar to the one at right appears.

Change Maps

Changes made to the map using the options in the Map Setup is normally made to all map screens. The

change can be limited to the map screen currently in use, however, by switching the “All Maps” to “This Map” in the “Change” menu. To do this, simply highlight the “Change” label, then press the right arrow key. To switch back, repeat the above.

Map Options

The following map options are listed under the “Map

Options” menu: Map Orientation, Auto Zoom, View

Destination, Range Rings, and Grids.

Map Orientation

By default, this receiver shows the map with north always at the top of the screen. This is the way most maps and charts are printed on paper. This is fine if you’re always travelling due north.What you see to your

left corresponds to the left side of the map, to your right is shown on the right side of the map, and so on. However, if you travel any other direction, the map doesn’t line up with your view of the world.

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To correct this problem, a track-up mode rotates the map as you turn. Thus, what you see on the left side of the screen should always be to your left, and so on. A course-up mode keeps the map at the same orientation as the initial bearing to the waypoint.

In the north-up view shown at right, we're travelling southeast towards camp, saved as waypoint number 14. In this view, the present position indicator appears to move towards the lower right corner of the screen.

NORTH-UP

In the track-up view, the present position moves straight towards the top of the display. A "N" shows to help you see which direction is north when the track-up mode is on. Remember, in the track-up mode, the screen rotates as you change direction. It always keeps your direction of travel (track) heading towards the top of the screen.

TRACK-UP

In the course-up mode, the screen is locked into your original bearing to the recalled waypoint, regardless of your track.

COURSE-UP

To select the desired mode, first press the MENU key, select “MAP 1 SETUP”, then select “MAP OPTIONS”. Finally, select “ROTATE” and press the right or left arrow key until the desired mode appears. Press the EXIT key to erase this menu.

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AUTOZOOM

This receiver has an autozoom feature that eliminates much of the button pushing that competitive units force you to make. It works in conjunction with the navigation features. First, recall a waypoint. (See the waypoint section for more information on navigating to a waypoint.) Then, with the autozoom mode on, the unit zooms out until the entire course shows, from the present position to the destination waypoint (recalled waypoint). As you travel towards the destination, the unit automatically begins zooming in, one zoom range at a time, keeping the destination on the screen.

The screens below show a slice of the progression of a trip near a lake. Screen number one is the start and is on the 6 mile range. Intermediate stages progressively zoom in as it gets closer to the destination.

1

2

3

4

5

6

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To use the autozoom feature, first press the MENU key, select “Map 1 Setup”, then “Map Options”. Highlight “Auto Zoom”, then press the right arrow key to turn it on. Press the EXIT key repeatedly to erase the menus.

VIEW DESTINATION

The GPS receiver normally centers the present position on the screen and moves the map past it. If a waypoint is recalled, the unit can center the waypoint on the screen, instead of the present position. To do this, press the MENU key, select “Map 1 Setup”, then “Map Options”. Highlight “View Dest”, then press the right arrow key to turn it on. Press the EXIT key repeatedly to erase the menus.

VIEW DESTINATION

VIEW DESTINATION

OFF

ON

Range Rings/Grid Lines

The map screen can be customized with rings that are 1/4 of the range and/or grids that divide the plotter into equal segments of latitude and longitude. To do this, press the MENU key, select “Map 1 Setup”, then “Map Options”. Highlight the desired option, then press the right arrow key to turn it on. Press the EXIT key repeatedly to erase the menus. A sample screen of each type shows below.

RANGE RINGS

GRID

BOTH RINGS & GRID

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EARTH MAP OPTIONS

The earth map consists of the built-in background map of the world. To change the Earth map options, first press the MENU key, then select the Earth Map label. Press the right arrow key. The screen shown at right appears.

Earth Map On/Off

The background map can be turned on or off using the “Earth Map” menu. The earth map is the background map that shows on the map screens. Simply highlight the menu, then press the left arrow key to turn it off.

EARTH MAP ON

EARTH MAP OFF

Text Labels

Select “Map Text” to turn all names on the map (such as Lake Tahoe or Mississippi River) off or on. The default is “on”. Press the left arrow key to turn them off.

Locations

Normally, text disappears as you zoom out. This declutters the screen, making it easier to see significant map detail. Turning “Locations” on from the earth map menu places a dot on the screen where a text label should be when the screen is zoomed out. The arrows on the screen at right show two locations where, if zoomed in, text will show.

Map Detail

The detail shown on the background map diminishes as the screen is zoomed out. This prevents cluttering of the display, or overlapping of text and graphics which can make it unreadable. There are two detail levels:

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