Humminbird 581i DI Combo Operation Manual

531966-1EN_A

581i DI Combo Operations Manual

Thank You!

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 Policy - free 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.

To contact our Customer Resource Center, call 1-800-633-1468 or visit our Web site at humminbird.com.

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.

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.

WARNING! This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and/or reproductive harm.

WARNING! Do not travel at high speed with the unit cover installed. Remove the unit cover before traveling at speeds above 20 mph.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE STATEMENT: It is the intention of Humminbird® to be a responsible corporate citizen, operating in compliance with known and applicable environmental regulations, and a good neighbor in the communities where we make or sell our products.

WEEE DIRECTIVE: EU Directive 2002/96/EC “Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE)” impacts most distributors, sellers, and manufacturers of consumer electronics in the European Union. The WEEE Directive requires the producer of consumer electronics to take responsibility for the management of waste from their products to achieve environmentally responsible disposal during the product life cycle.

NOTE: Some features discussed in this manual require a separate purchase, and some features are only available on international models. Every effort has been made to clearly identify those features. Please read the manual carefully in order to understand the full capabilities of your model.

WEEE compliance may not be required in your location for electrical & electronic equipment (EEE), nor may it be required for EEE designed and intended as fixed or temporary installation in transportation vehicles such as automobiles, aircraft, and boats. In some European Union member states, these vehicles are considered outside of the scope of the Directive, and EEE for those applications can be considered excluded from the WEEE Directive requirement.

This symbol (WEEE wheelie bin) on product indicates the product must not be disposed of with other household refuse. It must be disposed of and collected for recycling and recovery of waste EEE. Humminbird® will mark all EEE products in

accordance with the WEEE Directive. It is our goal to comply in the collection, treatment, recovery, and environmentally sound disposal of those products; however, these requirements do vary within European Union member states. For more information about where you should dispose of your waste equipment for recycling and recovery and/or your European Union member state requirements, please contact your dealer or distributor from which your product was purchased.

ROHS STATEMENT: Product designed and intended as a fixed installation or part of a system in a vessel may be considered beyond the scope of Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

500 Series™, Down Imaging™, Fish ID+™, Humminbird®, RTS™, RTS Window™, Structure ID®, SwitchFire™, WhiteLine™, UniMap™, and X-Press™ Menu are trademarked by or registered trademarks of Humminbird®.

Navionics® Gold, HotMaps®, and HotMaps® Premium are registered trademarks of Navionics®.

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Products sold in the U.S. are not intended for use in the international market. Humminbird® international units provide international features and are designed to meet country and regional regulations. Languages, maps, time zones, units of measurement, and warranty are examples of features that are customized for Humminbird® international units purchased through our authorized international distributors.

To obtain a list of authorized international distributors, please visit our Web site at humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at (334) 687-6613.

Power On 1

How Sonar Works 2

Down Imaging™ Sonar............................................................................................ 4

How GPS Works 5

What’s on the Sonar Display 6

Understanding the Sonar Display .......................................................................... 8

Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window .......................................................................... 8

SwitchFire™ ............................................................................................................ 9

Freeze Frame and Active Cursor.............................................................................. 9

Bottom Presentation .............................................................................................. 10

What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display 12

Understanding the Down Imaging™ Display ...................................................... 14

Interpreting the Display ........................................................................................ 14

Down Imaging™ Sensitivity.................................................................................. 15

Freeze Frame and Active Cursor............................................................................ 15

Sonar View ............................................................................................................ 18

Sonar Zoom View .................................................................................................. 19

Split Sonar View .................................................................................................... 20

Down Imaging™ View .......................................................................................... 21

Down Imaging™/Sonar Combo View ....................................................................22

Big Digits View ...................................................................................................... 23

Bird’s Eye View ...................................................................................................... 24

Chart View.............................................................................................................. 25

Chart/Sonar Combo View...................................................................................... 26

View Orientation .................................................................................................... 27

Viewing Cartography.............................................................................................. 27

Table of Contents

Introduction to Navigation 30

Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks ............................................................................ 30

Save, Edit, or Delete a Waypoint .......................................................................... 32

Navigate to a Waypoint or Position...................................................................... 34

Add a Waypoint Target or Trolling Grid ................................................................ 35

Save, Edit, or Delete a Route ................................................................................ 36

Save or Clear a Current Track................................................................................ 37

Edit, Delete, or Hide Saved Tracks........................................................................ 37

Add Maps to Your Fishfinder ................................................................................ 38

Export Navigation Data.......................................................................................... 39

What’s on the 500 Series™ Control Head 40

Key Functions 41

POWER/LIGHT Key ................................................................................................ 41

VIEW Key................................................................................................................ 42

INFO Key ................................................................................................................ 42

MENU Key.............................................................................................................. 42

4-WAY Cursor Control Key .................................................................................... 43

MARK Key.............................................................................................................. 43

GOTO Key................................................................................................................ 44

ZOOM (+/-) Key...................................................................................................... 44

EXIT Key.................................................................................................................. 44

SD Card Slot 45

The Menu System 46

Start-Up Options Menu 47

Normal.................................................................................................................... 47

Simulator ................................................................................................................ 48

System Status ........................................................................................................ 48

Table of Contents

iii

Self Test .................................................................................................................. 49

Accessory Test........................................................................................................ 49

GPS Diagnostic View ............................................................................................ 50

X-Press™ Menu 51

Main Menu 52

Quick Tips for the Main Menu

.................................................................................. 53

Note for all Menu Settings .......................................................................................... 53

User Mode (Normal or Advanced) .............................................................................. 54

Sonar X-Press™ Menu

(Sonar Views only)

Sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 57

Upper Range

(Advanced: Sonar and Big Digits Views only) .......................................... 58

Lower Range .......................................................................................................... 58

Chart Speed............................................................................................................ 59

Bottom View .......................................................................................................... 59

Cancel Navigation

(only when navigating)................................................................ 59

Down Imaging™ X-Press™ Menu

(Down Imaging™ Views only)

Imaging Sensitivity ................................................................................................ 61

Upper Range

(Advanced) ........................................................................................ 61

Lower Range .......................................................................................................... 62

Chart Speed............................................................................................................ 62

Imaging Palette ...................................................................................................... 62

Navigation X-Press™ Menu

(Navigation Views only)

Waypoint [Name] (Only with an active cursor on a waypoint) .................................... 64

Cursor To Waypoint

(Chart or Combo View only) ...................................................... 64

Save Current Track ................................................................................................ 64

Clear Current Track ................................................................................................ 65

Save Current Route

(only when Navigating) ............................................................ 65

Table of Contents

Skip Next Waypoint (only when Navigating) ............................................................ 65

Cancel Navigation

(only when Navigating) .............................................................. 65

Remove Target

(only if Target is Active) .................................................................... 65

Remove Grid

(only if Grid is Active)............................................................................ 66

Sonar Window

(Combo View only) .......................................................................... 66

Waypoint [Name]

(Most recently-created waypoint) .................................................. 66

Alarms Menu Tab 67

Depth Alarm .......................................................................................................... 68

Fish ID Alarm.......................................................................................................... 68

Low Battery Alarm ................................................................................................ 68

Temp. Alarm .......................................................................................................... 69

Off Course Alarm .................................................................................................. 69

Arrival Alarm .......................................................................................................... 70

Drift Alarm.............................................................................................................. 70

Alarm Tone ............................................................................................................ 70

Sonar Menu Tab 71

Beam Select .......................................................................................................... 72

Imaging Frequency

(Down Imaging™ Views only) .................................................... 73

Surface Clutter ...................................................................................................... 74

SwitchFire™ .......................................................................................................... 74

Fish ID+™ .............................................................................................................. 75

Fish ID Sensitivity .................................................................................................. 76

Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window ........................................................................ 76

Zoom Width .......................................................................................................... 76

455 kHz Sensitivity

(Advanced, Down Imaging™ only) .............................................. 77

Depth Lines

(Advanced) .......................................................................................... 77

Noise Filter

(Advanced) ............................................................................................ 77

Max Depth

(Advanced) ............................................................................................ 78

Table of Contents

Water Type (Advanced) ............................................................................................ 78

Imaging Palette

(Down Imaging™ Views only) .......................................................... 78

Navigation Menu Tab 79

Current Track.......................................................................................................... 80

Saved Tracks .......................................................................................................... 80

Waypoints .............................................................................................................. 81

Routes .................................................................................................................... 82

Chart Orientation.................................................................................................... 82

Lat/Lon Grid............................................................................................................ 82

Chart Select............................................................................................................ 83

North Reference .................................................................................................... 83

Waypoint Decluttering

(Advanced).......................................................................... 83

Grid Rotation .......................................................................................................... 83

Trackpoint Interval.................................................................................................. 84

Track Min Distance

(Advanced) .............................................................................. 84

Map Datum

(Advanced) .......................................................................................... 84

Set Simulation Position

(Advanced) ........................................................................ 85

Set Map Offset

(Advanced)...................................................................................... 85

Clear Map Offset

(Advanced) .................................................................................. 85

Course Projection Line .......................................................................................... 86

Export All Nav Data................................................................................................ 86

Delete All Nav Data

(Advanced) .............................................................................. 86

Chart Detail Level .................................................................................................. 87

Map Borders .......................................................................................................... 88

Spot Soundings...................................................................................................... 89

Setup Menu Tab 90

Units - Depth.......................................................................................................... 91

Units - Temp

(International only) .............................................................................. 91

Units - Distance...................................................................................................... 91

Table of Contents

Units - Speed ........................................................................................................ 91

User Mode.............................................................................................................. 92

Language (International only).................................................................................... 92

Triplog Reset .......................................................................................................... 92

Restore Defaults .................................................................................................... 92

Select Readouts

(Advanced, Sonar View only) .......................................................... 93

Depth Offset

(Advanced).......................................................................................... 94

Temp. Offset

(Advanced).......................................................................................... 94

Speed Calibration

(Advanced, with Temp/Speed only) .............................................. 94

Local Time Zone

(Advanced) .................................................................................... 94

Daylight Saving Time

(Advanced)............................................................................ 95

Position Format

(Advanced) .................................................................................... 95

Time Format

(Advanced, International only)................................................................ 95

Date Format

(Advanced, International only)................................................................ 95

Digits Format

(Advanced) ........................................................................................ 96

NMEA Output

(Advanced) ...................................................................................... 96

Sonar ...................................................................................................................... 97

Demonstration........................................................................................................ 97

Sound Control ........................................................................................................97

Views Menu Tab 98

Troubleshooting 99

Fishfinder Doesn’t Power Up ................................................................................ 99

Fishfinder Defaults to Simulator with a Transducer Attached............................ 99

Display Problems ................................................................................................ 100

Finding the Cause of Noise..................................................................................101

500 Series™ Fishfinder Accessories 102

Specifications 103

Table of Contents

vii

Glossary 104

Contact Humminbird® 112

NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (International Only) are only available on products sold outside of the U.S. by our authorized international distributors. To obtain a list of authorized international distributors, please visit our Web site at humminbird.com or contact our Customer Resource Center at

(334) 687-6613.

NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (with Temp/Speed only) require

the purchase of separate accessories. You can visit our Web site at humminbird.com to order these accessories online or contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468.

Table of Contents

Power On

Follow the instructions below to power on your Humminbird® control head.

1. Press the POWER/LIGHT key.

2. When the Title screen is displayed, press the MENU key to access the Start-Up Options Menu.

3. Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to select Normal (if there is a transducer attached to the control head), or Simulator (if there isn’t a transducer attached to the control head).

NOTE: See Start-Up Options Menu for more information.

• If a functioning transducer is connected, Normal operation will be

selected automatically at power up, and your Fishfinder can be used on the water.

• If a transducer is not connected and you wait too long to select a

Start-Up Option, the system will default to whichever menu is already highlighted.

• In Simulator you can learn how to use your control head and save settings in advance for later use.

581i DI Combo Title Screen

How Sonar Works

Sonar technology is based on sound waves. The 500 Series™ Fishfinder uses sonar to locate and define structure, bottom contour and composition, as well as depth directly below the transducer.

Your 500 Series™ Fishfinder sends a sound wave signal and determines distance by measuring the time between the transmission of the sound wave and when the sound wave is reflected off of an object; it then uses the reflected signal to interpret location, size, and composition of an object.

Sonar is very fast. A sound wave can travel from the surface to a depth of 240 ft (70 m) and back again in less than 1/4 of a second. It is unlikely that your boat can “outrun“ this sonar signal.

SONAR is an acronym for SOund and NAvigation Ranging. Sonar uses precision

sound pulses or “pings“ which are emitted into the water in a teardrop-shaped beam.

The sound pulses “echo“ back from objects in the water such as the bottom, fish, and other submerged objects. The returned echoes are displayed on the LCD screen. Each time a new echo is received, the old echoes are moved across the LCD, creating a scrolling effect.

How Sonar Works

When all the echoes are viewed side by side, an easy to interpret “graph“ of the bottom, fish, and

structure appears.

The sound pulses are transmitted at various frequencies depending on the application. Very

high frequencies (455 kHz) are used for greatest definition but the operating depth is limited. High frequencies (200 kHz) are commonly used on consumer sonar and provide a good balance between depth performance and resolution. Low frequencies (83 kHz) are typically used to achieve greater depth capability.

The power output is the amount of energy generated by the sonar transmitter. It is commonly

measured using two methods:

• Root Mean Square (RMS) measures power output over the entire transmit cycle.

• Peak to Peak measures power output at the highest points.

The benefits of increased power output are the ability to detect smaller targets at greater distances, ability to overcome noise, better high speed performance and enhanced depth capability.

How Sonar Works

Down Imaging™ Sonar

Your 581i DI Fishfinder uses Down Imaging™ technology. The Down Imaging™ transducer scans the water with razor-thin, high-definition beams. The beams are wide (side to side) but very thin front to back.

The Down Imaging™ beams can be operated at two frequencies: 455 kHz (75°) or 800 kHz (45°). Select 455 kHz for the best overall image quality and depth. Select 800 kHz for the sharpest image. See Down Imaging™ X-Press™ Menu: Imaging Frequency for more information.

The transducer also uses conical beams to provide data in traditional 2D format (see What’s on the Sonar Display). Select 455 kHz for a narrowly focused 16° center beam, or select 200 kHz for a wider 25° beam (see Sonar Menu Tab: Beam Select).

Depth capability is affected by such factors as boat speed, wave action, bottom hardness, water conditions, and transducer installation.

75 Degree Total Coverage

16°

75°

25°

455kHz

200kHz

455kHz

45°

800kHz

How GPS Works

Your 500 Series™ Fishfinder also supports GPS (Global Positioning System) and chartplotting. It uses GPS and sonar to determine your position, display it on a grid, and provide detailed underwater information.

GPS uses a constellation of satellites that continually send radio signals to the earth. The GPS receiver on your boat receives signals from satellites that are visible to it. Based on time differences between each received signal, the GPS receiver determines its distance to each satellite. With distances known, the GPS receiver mathematically triangulates its own position. With once per second updates, the GPS receiver then calculates its velocity and bearing.

GPS was originally intended for military use; however, civilians may also take advantage of its highly accurate position capabilities, typically within +/- 10 meters, depending on conditions. This means that 95% of the time, the GPS receiver will read a location within 10 meters of your actual position. Your GPS Receiver also uses information from WAAS (the Wide Area Augmentation System), EGNOS (the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), and MSAS (the MTSAT Satellite Augmentation System) satellites if they are available in your area.

The following GPS functionality is currently supported by the 500 Series™ Fishfinder when it is connected to the included GPS receiver:

• View current position

• View current track (breadcrumb trail)

• View precision speed and heading from your GPS receiver

• Save tracks, waypoints, and routes

• Travel a route and navigate from one waypoint to the next.

See Chart View and Introduction to Navigation: Add Maps to Your Fishfinder for more information.

What’s on the Sonar Display

The 500 Series™ Fishfinder can display a variety of useful information about

NOTE: Entries in this view that list (with Temp/Speed or GPS Receiver) are available if either the information from the GPS receiver will be displayed on the view.

Depth - Water depth; can be set to alarm when the water becomes too shallow.

Temperature - Water surface temperature.

Timer - Elapsed time with Temp/Speed

Accessory or GPS Receiver.

Distance - Distance traveled with Temp/Speed Accessory or GPS Receiver.

Average Speed - Average speed reading with Temp/Speed Accessory or GPS Receiver.

Second Sonar Return - When the sonar signal bounces betweenthebottomandthesurfaceof the water and back again. Use the appearance of the second return to determine bottom hardness. Hard bottoms will show a strongsecondreturn, whilesoft bottoms will show a very weakone or noneat all.

Cursor Dialog Box - Indicates cursor depth on the display and the depth of the bottom directly below the cursor. The Latitude and Longitude of the cursor position, the distance to travel to the cursor position, and the bearing to the cursor position are shown with a GPS receiver. A waypoint can be marked at the cursor position for later retrieval and use with a GPS receiver.

Speed - If a Temp/Speed accessory or GPS Receiver is attached, the Fishfinder can display the speed of the boat and can keep a Triplog of nautical or statute miles traveled.

What’s on the Sonar Display

the area under your boat, including the following items:

device is connected to the 500 Series™ Fishfinder. If both devices are connected, then only

RTS (Real Time Sonar) Window™

Structure - Where fish may be hiding.

Thermoclines - Layers of water with different

temperatures that appear at different depths and different times of the year. A thermocline typically appears as a continuous band of gray levels moving across the display at the same depth.

Bait Ball

Cursor - Available in Freeze Frame and can

be positioned in the Sonar View to provide depth of a sonar return andbottom depth below the cursor.

Hollow Fish Symbol (See Fish ID+™)

Shaded Fish Symbol (See Fish ID+™)

Fish - The Fishfinder displays fish as arches

and/or fish icons, and can be set to alarm when a fish of a certain size is detected. When a target is detected, a Fish ID+™ symbol appears on the display with the depth displayed above it. The size of the symbol indicates the intensity of the sonar return. The unit will clearly show schools of Bait Fish as "clouds" of different shapes and sizes, depending on the number of fish and boat speed.

What’s on the Sonar Display

Understanding the Sonar Display

It is important to understand the significance of the display. The display does not show a literal 3-dimensional representation of what is under the water. Each vertical band of data received by the control head and plotted on the display represents something that was detected by a sonar return at a particular time. As both the boat and the targets (fish) may be moving, the returns are only showing a particular segment of time when objects were detected, not exactly where those objects are in relation to other objects shown on the display.

The returned sonar echoes are displayed on the screen. As a new echo is received, the historical data scrolls left across the view.

Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window

A Real Time Sonar (RTS™) Window appears on the right side of the display in the Sonar View only. The RTS Window™ updates at the fastest rate possible for depth conditions and shows only the returns from the bottom, structure, and fish that are within the transducer beam. The RTS Window™ plots the depth and intensity of a sonar return (see Sonar Menu Tab: RTS Window™).

The Narrow RTS Window™ indicates the sonar intensity through the use of grayscale. The grayscale used matches the Bottom View grayscale setting (Inverse, StructureID

, WhiteLine™, Bottom Black). The depth of the sonar return is indicated by the vertical placementof thereturn on the display depth scale.

The Wide RTS Window™ indicates the sonar intensity through the use of a bar graph. The length of the plotted return indicates whether the return is weak or strong. The depth of the sonar return is indicated by the vertical placement of the return on the display depth scale. The Wide RTS Window™ does not use grayscale.

What’s on the Sonar Display

SwitchFire™

SwitchFire™ controls how the sonar returns are displayed in the Sonar Views. SwitchFire™ settings are available in the Sonar Menu Tab.

To see the maximum sonar information available within the transducer beam so more fish arches and better jig tracking are shown, choose Max Mode.

To see less clutter and more fish size accuracy interpreted from the transducer beam, choose Clear Mode. See Sonar Menu Tab: SwitchFire™ for more information.

Freeze Frame and Active Cursor

Freeze Frame & Active Cursor - Press any arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key, and the screen will freeze and a cursor will be displayed. Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to move the cursor over a sonar return, and the depth of the sonar return will be displayed at the bottom of the screen in the cursor information box.

The RTS Window™ continues to update in Freeze Frame. Pressing EXIT will exit Freeze Frame, and the display will start to scroll. Freeze Frame is available in the Sonar and Sonar Zoom Views.

Instant Image Update - You can change a variety of sonar menu settings (such as Sensitivity or Upper Range), and the adjustments will be shown instantly on the screen.

What’s on the Sonar Display

Bottom Presentation

As the boat moves, the unit charts the changes in depth on the display to create a profile of the Bottom Contour. The type of bottom can be determined from the return charted on the display. A Hard Bottom such as compacted sediment or flat rock appears as a thinner line across the display. A Soft Bottom such as mud or sand appears as a thicker line across the display. Rocky Bottoms have a broken, random appearance.

The sonar returns from the bottom, structure, and fish can be represented as

Inverse, Structure ID®, WhiteLine™, or Black (Bottom Black). See Sonar X-Press™ Menu: Bottom View to set the bottom view.

Bottom Contour Profile with RTS Window™

Hard Bottom

Rocky Bottom

Soft Bottom

What’s on the Sonar 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® 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.

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.

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.

What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display

Down Imaging™ uses its unique transducer and sonar technology to provide definition profiling beams produce the detailed sonar data that you see on the can interpret the structure and bottom contour, including the following items:

NOTE: Entries in this view that list (with Temp/Speed) are available if the accessory is connected

Depth - (water depth) can be set to alarm when the water becomes too shallow.

Temperature - Water surface temperature.

Speed - If a Temp/Speed accessory is connected,

the Fishfinder can display the speed of the boat and can keep a Triplog of nautical or statute miles traveled.

Topography Changes - The light part of the display shows where the beam is hitting hard bottom or rising terrain. The dark part of the display indicates soft bottom (sand, mud) or descending terrain.

What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display

information about the area directly below your boat. The razor-thin, highdisplay. Down Imaging™ reveals a variety of recognizable features so that you

to the 500 Series™ Fishfinder.

Clouded Area may indicate a bait ball and White Streaks may indicate fish.

Upper Range

Structure

Lower Range

Bottom Return - Use the appearance of the

bottom return to determine bottom hardness. Rock and gravel provide a clearer sonar return than mud and sand because hard objects reflect sonar better than soft objects.

Shadows- Result from a lack of reflected sonar from a particular area and can be as valuable for interpretation than the sonar reflected by the object itself. Use shadows to help you see the image in 3 dimensions, oriented in space. You can gain insight into the actual shape of an object, or the depth to which it has sunk into the bottom, through shadows on the display. Objects standing on the bottom cast a sonar shadow. The longer the shadow, the taller the object. Fish also cast shadows. You can use the shadow to interpret how close the fish is to the bottom.

What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display

Understanding the Down Imaging™ Display

The images you see on the Down Imaging™ display are produced using sonar technology. Each time the unit pings, a strip of data representing all the echoes received by the transducer are put together on the display to form the image that you see. Like traditional 2D Sonar, the sonar history scrolls left across the screen.

Interpreting the Display

Down Imaging™ beams “illuminate” the bottom contour, structure, and fish. The beams are wide (side to side) but very thin front to back.

Use the light and dark parts of the display to interpret the objects under your boat as follows:

• Dark shades represent soft returns (mud, sand) or descending terrain.

• Light shades represent denser terrain (timber, rocks) or rising terrain. A very hard bottom may appear as white on the display.

• White Streaks or Clouds may represent fish on the display.

• Shadows are not caused by light but by the lack of a sonar return. Objects standing on the bottom cause a sonar shadow to appear on the display. The longer the shadow, the taller the object. Fish may also cast shadows. You can use the shadow to interpret where the fish or object is located in relation to the bottom.

What’s on the Down Imaging™ Display

Down Imaging™ Sensitivity

Use Imaging Sensitivity to control how the sonar returns appear on the display. Increase the sensitivity to reveal weaker returns that may be of interest, especially in very clear water or greater depths. Decrease the Imaging Sensitivity to eliminate the clutter from the display that is sometimes present in murky or muddy water. See Down Imaging™ X-Press™ Menu: Imaging Sensitivity for more information.

Freeze Frame and Active Cursor

Freeze Frame and Active Cursor - Press any arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key, and the screen will freeze and a cursor will be displayed. Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to move the cursor over a sonar return, and the depth of the sonar return will be displayed in the cursor dialog box.

Views

The sonar and navigation information from your Fishfinder is displayed on the screen in a variety of easy-to-read views. There are many views available on your Fishfinder.

• Default View: When you first power up the 581i DI control head, Down Imaging™ View will be the default view.

• Cycle: When you press the VIEW key repeatedly, the display cycles through the available views on your screen. When you press the EXIT key, the display cycles through the available views in reverse order.

• Customize: You can display or hide any view to suit your fishing preferences. See the following pages for more information about each View.

NOTE: When you change any menu settings that affect the sonar, the view will update immediately. You don't have to exit the menu to apply the change to the screen.

Views

To customize your view rotation:

You can choose which views are hidden or visible in your view rotation.

1. Press the MENU key twice to access the tabbed Main Menu, then press the RIGHT Cursor key until the Views tab is selected.

2. Press the UP or DOWN Cursor keys to select a View.

3. Press the LEFT or RIGHT Cursor keys to change the status of the view from Hidden to Visible or vice versa.

To change the Digital Readouts:

Each view displays digital readout information (such as speed or time), which varies with the view selected, the accessory attached, and whether or not you are navigating. The digital readouts on the Sonar View can be customized. See Setup Menu Tab: Select Readouts for more information.

1. Press the MENU key twice to access the tabbed Main Menu, then press the RIGHT Cursor key until the Setup tab is selected.

2. Press the DOWN key to highlight Select Readouts, and press the RIGHT Cursor key to access the Select Readouts submenu.

NOTE: If the Select Readouts option does not appear under the Setup tab, change the User Mode to Advanced.

3. Press the UP or DOWN Cursor keys to select a Readout position, then press the RIGHT or LEFT Cursor keys to choose what will be displayed in that position. To hide the data window, select Off. (Course, Navigation, Off, Position, Speed, Temperature, Time+Date, Triplog, Voltage, Time)

Views

Sonar View

Sonar View presents a historical log of sonar returns. The most recent sonar returns are charted on the right side of the display. As new information is received, the historical information scrolls left across the display.

• Upper and Lower Depth Range numbers indicate the distance from the

surface of the water to a depth range sufficient to show the bottom.

• Depth is automatically selected to keep the bottom visible on the display,

although you can adjust it manually as well (see Sonar X-Press™ Menu).

• Digital Readouts shown on the display will change based on the Select Readouts settings or the optional-purchase accessories attached (see Setup Menu Tab: Select Readouts).

• Freeze Frame - Use the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to freeze the display and move the cursor over a sonar return. The depth of the sonar return will be displayed at the bottom of the screen in the cursor information box.

NOTE: If the Depth number is flashing, it means that the unit is having trouble locating the bottom. This usually happens if the water is too deep, the transducer is out of the water, the boat is moving too fast, or for any other reason that the unit can’t accurately receive continuous data.

Sonar View

Upper Depth Range

Sonar History

Window

Depth

Cursor

Dialog Box

Speed

Temperature

Triplog

Cursor

Lower Depth Range

RTS Window™

Views

Sonar Zoom View

Sonar Zoom View provides a magnified view of the bottom and structure. The Sonar Zoom View makes it easier to see separate sonar returns that would usually be displayed close together, such as those caused by fish suspended close to the bottom or within structure.

• The Zoom Level, or magnification, is displayed in the lower left corner of the display. Press the + or - ZOOM keys to increase or decrease the zoom level.

• The Zoomed View is displayed on the left side of the screen. As the depth changes, the zoomed view updates automatically.

• The Full Range View is displayed on the right side of the screen. The Full Range View includes the Zoom Preview Box, which shows where the zoomed view is in relation to the full range view.

• The Upper and Lower Depth Range numbers indicate the high and low range of the water which is being viewed.

Sonar Zoom View

Digital depth is displayed in the upper left hand corner. The digital readouts in the Sonar Zoom View cannot be customized; therefore, information such aswater temperature and voltage are unavailable in the Sonar Zoom View.

Upper Depth Range, Full Range View

Upper Depth Range, Zoom View

Zoom Preview Box

Full Range View

Lower Depth Range, Zoom View

Lower Depth Range, Full Range View

Depth

Zoomed View

Zoom Level

Views

Split Sonar View

Split Sonar View displays sonar returns from each down beam frequency on separate sides of the screen. You can use the Split Sonar View to make side by side comparisons between the sonar returns from both beams.

• Down Imaging™ models (581i DI) display sonar returns from the 455 kHz narrow beam on the left side of the screen and sonar returns from the 200 kHz wide beam on the right side of the screen.

• Depth is displayed in the upper left hand corner.

• The Digital Readouts in the Split Sonar View cannot be customized;

therefore, information such as water temperature and voltage are unavailable in the Split Sonar View.

455 kHz/200 kHz Split Sonar View

200 kHz Sonar History Window

Upper Depth Range

Lower Depth Range

Depth

455 kHz Sonar

History Window

+ 92 hidden pages

Humminbird 581i DI Combo Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual