Humminbird 727, 717 User Manual

700 Series™

Operations Manual

700 Series™

Operations Manual

531524-1

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 1

Thank You!

Thank you for choosing Humminbird®, America's #1 name in fishfinders.
Humminbird® has built its reputation by designing and manufacturing top­quality, 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.

Contact our Customer Resource Center at either 1-800-633-1468 or visit our
website at www.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.
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.

Humminbird®, DualBeam PLUS™, SmartCast®, Selective Fish ID+™, WhiteLine®, QuadraBeam
PLUS™, RTS®, X-Press™ Menu, Fish ID+™, WideSide®, Structure ID®, TrueArch™, UltraBlack™,
Angler Profile Presets™, and WeatherSense® are trademarked by or registered trademarks
of Humminbird®.

© 2006 Humminbird®, Eufaula AL, USA. All rights reserved.

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.

i

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 2

ii

How Sonar Works 1

DualBeam PLUS™ Sonar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

QuadraBeam PLUS™ Sonar (with optional-purchase QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer) . . . . 4

WideSide® Sonar (with optional-purchase WideSide® transducer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Universal Sonar 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

What’s On the Display 7

Views 9

Sonar View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Understanding Sonar History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Real Time Sonar (RTS®) Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Freeze Frame and Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Bottom Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Sonar Zoom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

200/83 kHz Split Sonar View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Big Digits View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Circular Flasher View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Side Beam View (with optional-purchase QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer) . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

WideSide® View (with optional-purchase WideSide® transducer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Key Functions 24

POWER/LIGHT Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

VIEW Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

MENU Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4-WAY Cursor Control Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

EXIT Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Accessory Bus 27

Powering Up the Unit 28

The Menu System 29

Start-Up Options Menu 31

Normal Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

System Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Self Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Accessory Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

PC Connect (with PC Connect Cable Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Table of Contents

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 3

Sonar X-Press™ Menu 35

Side (WideSide® transducer: WideSide® view only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Upper Range (Advanced: Sonar, Split Sonar, Big Digits and Circular Flasher Views only) . . 38

Lower Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Side Beam Range (WideSide® transducer: WideSide® view only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Chart Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Quad Layout (with optional-purchase QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer,

Side Beam View only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Zoom Level (Sonar Zoom view only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Bottom Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Bottom Range (Sonar Zoom View only, when Bottom Lock is On) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Sonar Menu Tab 45

Beam Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Fish ID+™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Fish ID Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Real Time Sonar (RTS®) Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Zoom Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

83 kHz Sensitivity (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

455 kHz Sensitivity (Advanced, with QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

WideSide® Sensitivity (Advanced, with WideSide® transducer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Depth Lines (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Surface Clutter (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Noise Filter (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Max Depth (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Water Type (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Transducer Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Alarms Menu Tab 57

Depth Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Fish ID Alarm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Low Battery Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Aux. Temp. Alarm (with optional-purchase temp. probe or Temp/Speed only) . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Temp Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Alarm Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Setup Menu Tab 61

Units - Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Units - Temp (International only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Table of Contents

iii

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 4

iv

Units - Distance (with Temp/Speed or GPS receiver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Units - Speed (with Temp/Speed or GPS receiver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

User Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Language (International only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Triplog Reset (with Temp/Speed or GPS receiver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Restore Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Select Readouts (Advanced, Sonar view only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Depth Offset (Advanced). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Aux. Temp. Offset (Advanced; with

optional-purchase temp. probe or Temp/Speed only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Temp Offset (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Speed Calibration (Advanced, with Temp/Speed only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Digits Format (Advanced) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

NMEA Output (Advanced). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Views Menu Tab 71

Accessories Menu Tab 72

Troubleshooting 73

700 Series™ Doesn’t Power Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

700 Series™ Defaults to Simulator with a Transducer Attached . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Display Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Finding the Cause of Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

700 Series™ Fishing System Accessories 76

Specifications 78

Glossary 81

Contact Humminbird® 91

NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (International only) are only available on
products sold outside of the US by our authorized International Distributors. To obtain a list of
authorized International Distributors, please visit our website at www.humminbird.com or
contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468 to locate the distributor nearest you.

NOTE: Entries in this Table of Contents which list (with Temp/Speed or GPS Receiver), or (with
PC Connect Cable Only) require the purchase of separate accessories. You can visit our website
at www.humminbird.com to order these accessories online or contact our Customer Resource
Center at 1-800-633-1468.

Table of Contents

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 5

How Sonar Works

Sonar technology is based on sound waves. The 700 Series™ Fishing System
uses sonar to locate and define structure, bottom contour and composition, as
well as depth directly below the transducer.

Your 700 Series™ Fishing System 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 utilizes 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.

When all the echoes are viewed side by side, an
easy to interpret "graph" of the bottom, fish and
structure appears.

1

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 6

2

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.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 7

3

DualBeam PLUS™ Sonar

Your 700 Series™ Fishing System uses a 200/83 kHz
DualBeam PLUS™ sonar system with a wide (60°) area
of coverage. DualBeam PLUS™ sonar has a narrowly
focused 20° center beam, surrounded by a second
beam of 60°, expanding your coverage to an area equal
to your depth. In 20 feet of water, the wider beam
covers an area 20 feet wide. The 20° center beam is
focused on the bottom, to show you structure, weeds
and cover. The 60° wide beam is hunting for fish in the
wide coverage area. DualBeam PLUS™ sonar returns
can be blended together, viewed separately or
compared side-by-side. DualBeam PLUS™ is ideal for a
wide range of conditions - from shallow to very deep
water in both fresh and salt water. Depth capability is
affected by such factors as boat speed, wave action,
bottom hardness, water conditions and transducer
installation.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 8

4

QuadraBeam PLUS™ Sonar

(with optional-purchase QuadraBeam PLUS™

transducer)

Your 700 Series™ Fishing System also
supports QuadraBeam PLUS™ sonar with
the purchase of an additional QuadraBeam
PLUS™ transducer. QuadraBeam PLUS™
sonar provides an extremely wide 90° area
of coverage. QuadraBeam PLUS™ starts
with two fan-shaped 35° 455 kHz Side
Structure locating sonar beams to spot fish,
bait and structure to the left and right of the
boat over an area of the bottom that’s
always equal to twice your depth. For a
detailed view below the boat, QuadraBeam
PLUS™ uses DualBeam PLUS™ technology,
with precision 20° and wide 60° beams.
QuadraBeam PLUS™ finds more fish faster,
and can even tell you where to put your bait
by showing if fish are to the left, right or
directly beneath your boat.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 9

WideSide® Sonar

(with optional-purchase WideSide® transducer)

Your 700 Series™ Fishing System also supports
WideSide® sonar with the purchase of an
additional WideSide® transducer. The
WideSide® transducer is a specialized "side­looking" transducer that is extremely useful for
bank fishing or looking for bait fish in open
water. The WideSide® transducer uses three
different sonar elements that transmit signals
to the left, right and straight down from your
boat. The downward beam is 200 kHz with a
24° area of coverage. This beam maintains a
continuous digital depth readout from the
bottom directly beneath your boat. The side
beams are 455 kHz with a 16° area of
coverage. The side-looking elements can be
used independently, or together to locate
targets near the surface of the water on either
side of your boat.

5

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 10

Universal Sonar 2

Your 700 Series™ Fishing System supports Universal Sonar 2, a state-of-the­art, integrated and protected transducer that is built into the lower unit of
Minnkota trolling motors. With Universal Sonar 2, all wiring is concealed inside
the indestructible composite shaft—out of sight and out of harm’s way, with
no clamps, ties, or exposed wires. Universal Sonar 2 features new temperature
sensing and the performance of DualBeam PLUS™ technology (available with
all Humminbird® DualBeam PLUS™ models). An expanded view and greater
bottom detail gives you a totally new perspective of the water below, along
with optimal sonar performance to help you find fish.

6

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 11

7

What’s On the Display

The 700 Series™ Fishing System can display a variety of useful information about the

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

Timer - elapsed time with Temp/Speed

Accessory or GPS Receiver.

Average Speed - average speed reading with

Temp/Speed Accessory or GPS Receiver.

Depth - water depth; can be set to alarm

when the water becomes too shallow.

Speed - if a Temp/Speed accessory or GPS
Receiver is attached, the 700 Series™ can
display the speed of the boat, and can keep a
Triplog of nautical or statute miles traveled.

Second Sonar Return - when the sonar
signal bounces between the bottom and the
surface of the water and back again. Use
the appearance of the second return
to determine bottom hardness. Hard
bottoms will show a strong second return,
while soft bottoms will show a very weak
one or none at all.

Cursor Dialog Box - indicates cursor depth on

of the bottom directly below the cursor.

Bait Ball

Hard Bottom

Rocky Bottom

Cursor - available in Freeze Frame and can be po

to provide depth of a sonar return and bottom dep

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

Temperature - water surface temperature.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 12

8

Battery Voltage - the voltage of the boat’s
battery; can be set to alarm if the voltage
falls below a certain point.

RTS® (Real Time Sonar) Window

Soft Bottom

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
many gray levels moving across the display at
the same depth.

Structure - where fish may be hiding.

Fish - fish are displayed as arches and/or

fish icons, and the unit can be set to alarm
when a fish of a certain size is detected.
When a target is detected and Fish ID+
is on, a Fish ID+™ symbol with depth is
displayed. The size of the symbol shows 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.

Frame and can be positioned in the Sonar View

return and bottom depth below the cursor.

83 kHz, Wide Beam Hollow Fish Symbol

200 kHz, Narrow Beam Shaded Fish Symbol

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 13

9

Views

The views available on your Fishing System are:

• Sonar View

• Zoom View

• 200/83 kHz Split Sonar View

• Big Digits View

• Circular Flasher View

• Side Beam View

• WideSide® View.

Sonar View is the default view. When the VIEW key is pressed, the display
cycles through the available views. When the EXIT key is pressed, the display
cycles through the available views in reverse order. Any view can be hidden or
displayed as part of the view rotation using the Views Menu tab.

NOTE: When you change any menu settings that affect the sonar, the view will update
immediately (i.e. you don’t have to exit the menu to apply the change to the screen). For
instance, by switching between "Inverse" and "Structure ID®" from the X-Press™ Menu it is
possible to quickly alternate between the two viewing methods.

NOTE: Side Beam View and WideSide® View require the purchase of the QuadraBeam PLUS™
transducer for the Side Beam View and the WideSide® transducer for the WideSide® View. You
can visit our website at www.humminbird.com to order these accessories online or contact
our Customer Resource Center at 1-800-633-1468.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 14

10

Sonar View

Sonar View presents a historical log of sonar returns. Depth is always
displayed. Readouts for temperature and speed are automatically displayed if
the appropriate accessory is connected. The most recent sonar returns are
charted on the right side of the window; as new information is received, the
older information is moved across the display to the left. A Digital Depth
Readout is displayed in the upper left corner. A scale with Upper and Lower
Depth Range readouts appears along the right edge of the Sonar View. The
scale indicates the distance from the surface of the water to a depth range
sufficient to show the bottom. Depth Range is automatically selected to keep
the bottom visible on the display, although you can adjust it manually as well
(see Sonar X-Press™ Menu). Six Digital Readouts display information from
optional-purchase accessories.

These information boxes can be customized to show only the information
desired (see Setup Menu Tab, Select Readouts).

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

Temperature

Triplog

Lower Depth
Range

RTS® Window

Cursor

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 15

11

Understanding Sonar History

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.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 16

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 always 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 - RTS® Window).

Freeze Frame and Cursor

Freeze Frame - Pressing any arrow on the 4-WAY Cursor Control key will freeze
the screen and a cursor will be displayed on the screen. The cursor can be
positioned on the display using the 4-WAY Cursor Control key to determine the
depth of any sonar return. The RTS® Window continues to update in Freeze
Frame. In addition, see the effects of menu setting changes with Instant Image
Update. Pressing EXIT will exit Freeze Frame and the display will start to scroll.
Freeze Frame is available in Sonar, Sonar Zoom and 200/83 kHz Split Sonar Views.

The

Narrow RTS® Window

indicates the sonar intensity
through the use of grayscale.
The grayscale used matches
the bottom view grayscale
setting used in the sonar
history window (i.e. Inverse,
Structure ID®, WhiteLine®,
Bottom Black). The depth of
the sonar return is indicated
by the vertical placement of
the return 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 provides an
indication of 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
make use of grayscale.

12

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 17

13

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

Bottom Contour Profile with RTS® Window.

Temp/Speed Accessory is optional.

Rocky Bottom

Hard Bottom

Soft Bottom

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 18

14

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.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 19

15

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.

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. Any targets such as fish,
structure and thermoclines will be shown using the Structure ID® method.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 20

16

Sonar Zoom View

Sonar Zoom View increases the displayed resolution to separate sonar returns
that are very close together, such as those caused by fish suspended close to
the bottom or within structure. In Zoom View, the display is split to show a
narrow slice of the full range view on the right and the zoomed view on the left.
The full range view on the right also contains the Zoom Preview Box that shows
what part of the full range view is shown in zoom view on the left; the Zoom
Preview Box tracks the bottom in the full range view.

As the depth changes, the zoomed view updates automatically to display a
magnified image of the bottom. The Zoom Preview Box shows where the
zoomed view is in relation to the full range view. The Zoom Level, or
magnification, is displayed in the lower left corner and can be changed to suit
conditions (see Sonar X-Press™ Menu: Zoom Level). Upper and Lower Zoom
Depth Range numbers indicate the depth of the water which is being viewed.

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

Sonar Zoom View

Upper Depth Range,
Zoom View

Upper Depth Range,
Full Range View

Full Range
View

Zoom
Preview Box

Lower Depth Range,
Full Range View

Zoomed

View

Zoom

Level

Depth

Lower Depth Range,
Zoom View

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 21

17

200/83 kHz Split Sonar View

Split Sonar View displays sonar returns from the 83 kHz wide beam on the left side
of the screen and displays sonar returns from the 200 kHz narrow beam on the
right side of the screen. Depth is always displayed in the upper left hand corner.
You can use the Split Sonar View to make side by side comparisons between the
sonar returns from the 83 kHz wide beam and the 200 kHz narrow beam.

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.

200/83 kHz Split Sonar View

Depth

83 kHz

Sonar History

Window

200 kHz
Sonar History
Window

Lower Depth
Range

Upper Depth
Range

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 22

Big Digits View

Big Digits View provides digital data in a large, easy-to-see format. Depth is
always displayed. Readouts for temperature, speed and Triplog information are
displayed automatically if the appropriate accessory is connected to the
system. The Triplog shows distance traveled, average speed, and time elapsed
since the Triplog was last reset. The digital readouts in the Big Digits View
cannot be customized.

Big Digits View

Depth

Temperature

Speed

Timer shows the time
elapsed since Triplog
was last reset

Distance is the
distance traveled since
the Triplog was last
reset

Voltage displays the
battery voltage.

Average Speed shows
the speed since the
Triplog was last reset

18

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 23

19

Circular Flasher View

Circular Flasher View displays Real Time Sonar (RTS®) data in the traditional
flasher format. Depth and temperature are always displayed. The digital
readouts in the Circular Flasher View cannot be customized.

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 24

Side Beam View

(with optional-purchase QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer)

Side Beam View is only available if you have connected an optional-purchase
QuadraBeam PLUS™ transducer accessory and when Transducer Select is set
to QuadraBeam (see Sonar Menu Tab: Transducer Select). The QuadraBeam
PLUS™ transducer requires a separate purchase. This view shows sonar
information from both the left and right 455 kHz beams and the 200 kHz down­looking beam in one view. You can customize the way the sonar data is
displayed in the Side Beam View to suit your personal preferences. Depending
on the layout selected from the Quad Layout Sonar X-Press™ menu (only
available on the Sonar X-Press™ menu when in Side Beam View), the display
will represent the same sonar data in one of the following three layouts:
Default, Classic, and Slanted.

Default layout: The top portion of the display presents a historical log of sonar
returns from the 200 kHz down-looking sonar beam. New information in the
down beam panel scrolls from right to left. The bottom portion of the display
presents a historical log of sonar returns from the 455 kHz right- and left­looking sonar beams. New information in the side beam panels scrolls from the
center out.

Side Beam View, Default Layout

Depth

Temperature

Left Side 455

kHz Sonar

History Window

Right Side
455 kHz
Sonar
History
Window

200 kHz
Sonar
History
Window

Water Surface
Line for
455 kHz Sonar
History Windows

20

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 25

21

Classic layout: The top portion of the display presents a historical log of sonar
returns from the 200 kHz down-looking sonar beam. New information in the
down beam panel scrolls from right to left. The bottom portion of the display
presents a historical log of sonar returns from the 455 kHz right- and left­looking sonar beams. New information appears at the top, and scrolls down the
display.

Side Beam View, Classic Layout

Depth

Temperature

Left Side 455

kHz Sonar

History Window

Right Side
455 kHz
Sonar
History
Window

200 kHz
Sonar
History
Window

Water Surface Line
for 455 kHz
Sonar History
Windows

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 26

Slanted layout: This layout presents the two 455 kHz side sonar beams and the
200 kHz down-looking sonar beam as three panels of historical data. This layout
is presented as three slanted panels. New information appears on the right,
and scrolls to the left.

In all of these layouts, the sonar information from the side-looking beams
reveals bottom contour, structure and fish similar to the down-looking beam,
but the area covered is to the left and right of the area shown in the down­looking portion, so you actually see more of the bottom. The distance covered
by the right and left beams is based on the depth setting for the down-looking
beam, up to a maximum of 160 feet.

Side Beam View, Slanted Layout

Depth

Temperature

Right Side

455 kHz Sonar

History Window

Left Side

455 kHz Sonar

History Window

200 kHz Sonar

History Window

22

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 27

WideSide® View

(with optional-purchase WideSide® transducer)

WideSide® View is only available if you have connected a WideSide®
transducer accessory and when Transducer Select is set to WideSide® (see
Sonar Menu Tab: Transducer Select). The WideSide® transducer requires a
separate purchase. The WideSide® View displays information from the 455 kHz
WideSide® transducer. Three views are available: Left, Right and Both. The
default view is Both. Information from both the left and right beams are
displayed simultaneously. The depth of the water beneath the boat is always
displayed. A bottom contour may be present while bank fishing or fishing river
channels. When fishing in the open water, a bottom contour will not be
present, and only sonar returns from either debris or fish will be displayed.

WideSide View

Left Side

View

Bank

Contour

Water
Surface Line

Depth

Right Side View

Open Water
(no bottom
contour visible
on-screen)

Side Beam
Depth Range

23

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 28

24

Key Functions

Your Fishing System user interface consists of a set of easy-to-use keys that
work with various on-screen views and menus to give you flexibility and control
over your fishing experience.

POWER/LIGHT Key

The POWER/LIGHT key is used to turn the Fishing System on and

off, and also to adjust the backlight and contrast of the display.
Press the POWER/LIGHT key to turn the unit on. The Title screen is then
displayed until the Fishing System begins sonar operation.

Your Fishing System will start up with the
backlight on and will automatically turn it off to
conserve power. To turn the backlight on for night
fishing, or to adjust the display contrast, press the

POWER/LIGHT key to access the Light and
Contrast menu. Use the 4-WAY Cursor key to select Light or Contrast and then
use the LEFT or RIGHT Cursor key to change the settings. Press EXIT to exit the
Light and Contrast menu.

Press and hold the POWER/LIGHT key for 3 seconds to turn the unit off. A
message will appear telling you how many seconds there are until shutdown
occurs. Your Fishing System should always be turned off using the
POWER/LIGHT key. This will ensure that shutdown occurs properly and any
menu settings will be saved.

VIEW Key

The VIEW key is used to cycle through all available views. Press
the VIEW key to advance to the next view. Repeatedly pressing
VIEW cycles through all views available. Views can be hidden to
optimize the system to your fishing requirements (see Views
Menu Tab).

531524-1_A - 717 & 727 Man_Eng.qxp 9/30/2006 7:23 PM Page 29