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Pub. 988-0151-451
www.lowrance.com
X510C & X515C DF
Fish-finding and Depth Sounding Sonars
Operation Instructions
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Copyright © 2006 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed for any purpose, without prior written consent of
Lowrance Electronics. Any unauthorized commercial distribution
of this manual is strictly prohibited.
®
Lowrance
Lowrance 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 features and specifications subject to change
without notice. All screens in this manual are simulated. On the cover:
X515cDF shown.
is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
For free owner's manuals and other information,
visit our web site:
www.lowrance.com
Lowrance Electronics Inc.
12000 E. Skelly Dr.
Tulsa, OK USA 74128-2486
Printed in USA.
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Table of Contents
Section 1: Read Me First! ......................................................... 1
Capabilities and Specifications: X-510c & X-515cDF ................. 2
How Sonar Works.......................................................................... 3
How to use this manual: typographical conventions .................. 4
Section 2: Installation & Accessories.................................... 7
Preparations .................................................................................. 7
Transducer Installation ................................................................ 7
Single-frequency transom installations ............................... 8
Dual-frequency transom installations ................................. 8
Single-frequency trolling motor installations ..................... 8
Shoot-through hull installations .......................................... 8
Selecting a Transducer Location .............................................. 8
How low should you go? ............................................................ 9
Shoot-thru-hull vs. Transom Mounting ................................. 10
Transom Transducer Assembly And Mounting .................... 11
Trolling Motor Bracket Installation (single-frequency only) 17
Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches.............................. 17
Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation ................................................. 18
Hulls With Floatation Materials ........................................ 18
Testing Determines Best Location ......................................... 19
Shoot-thru-hull Installation ................................................... 21
Speed/Temperature Sensors ................................................. 22
Optional Speed Sensor Installation ....................................... 22
Power Connections ...................................................................... 24
Powering Your Display Unit ...................................................... 25
Power Diagram A ........................................................................ 27
Power Diagram B ........................................................................ 28
Powering a NMEA 2000 Network Bus ...................................... 28
NMEA 0183 Cable Connections ................................................. 29
Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable.................... 29
Other Accessories ........................................................................ 33
Cleaning Towel ........................................................................ 33
Face Cover ................................................................................... 33
Section 3: Basic Sonar Operation ........................................ 35
Keyboard ...................................................................................... 35
Power/lights on and off ............................................................... 36
Menus........................................................................................... 36
Main Menu............................................................................... 36
Sonar Menu.............................................................................. 38
Pages ............................................................................................ 39
Basic Sonar Quick Reference ..................................................... 43
Sonar Operations ........................................................................ 44
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Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart ........................................ 46
Other Free Training Aids ....................................................... 47
Section 4: Sonar Options & Other Features...................... 49
ASP™ (Advanced Signal Processing) ..................................... 49
Alarms.......................................................................................... 50
Depth Alarms .......................................................................... 50
Zone Alarm .............................................................................. 51
Fish Alarm ............................................................................... 52
Brightness.................................................................................... 53
Calibrate Speed ........................................................................... 53
Chart Speed ................................................................................. 54
Colorline....................................................................................... 55
Contrast ....................................................................................... 56
Depth Cursor ............................................................................... 56
Depth Range - Automatic ........................................................... 56
Depth Range - Manual................................................................ 57
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits ................................... 57
FasTrack™ ................................................................................... 59
Fish I.D.™ (Fish Symbols & Depths) ......................................... 60
FishTrack™.................................................................................. 61
Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency) (X-515cDF only). 62
HyperScroll™............................................................................... 63
Noise Rejection ............................................................................ 63
Overlay Data ............................................................................... 63
Ping Speed & HyperScroll™ ....................................................... 65
Pop-up Help ................................................................................. 67
Reset Options............................................................................... 67
Reset Water Distance.................................................................. 68
Screen Contrast and Brightness ................................................ 68
Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity.................................................... 69
Automatic Sensitivity ............................................................. 70
Set Keel Offset............................................................................. 71
Set Language ............................................................................... 72
Software Version Information .................................................... 73
Sonar Chart Mode ....................................................................... 73
Sonar Chart Display Options ..................................................... 74
Full Sonar Chart ..................................................................... 74
Split Zoom Sonar Chart .......................................................... 75
Split Frequency Sonar Chart (X-515cDF only) ..................... 75
Digital Data/Chart .................................................................. 76
Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen ..................... 77
Flasher ..................................................................................... 78
Sonar with Custom Gauges ........................................................ 79
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Radar............................................................................................ 81
Sonar Simulator .......................................................................... 81
Stop Chart.................................................................................... 82
Surface Clarity ............................................................................ 82
Transducer Type (X-515cDF only) ............................................. 83
Transparency............................................................................... 84
Units of Measure ......................................................................... 85
Upper and Lower Limits............................................................. 86
Zoom & Zoom Bar........................................................................ 86
Zoom Pan ..................................................................................... 87
Section 5: NMEA 2000 Menu.................................................. 89
NMEA 2000 Menu....................................................................... 89
Bus Setup..................................................................................... 89
Engine & Tank Configuration.................................................... 90
Tank Select .......................................................................... 91
Tank Size ............................................................................. 91
Set Configuration button .................................................... 91
Device Configuration Menu.................................................... 92
Device Information and Device Data ..................................... 92
Fuel Management Menu............................................................. 93
Tank Location ...................................................................... 93
Fuel Added ........................................................................... 93
Add Fuel............................................................................... 94
Fill Tank............................................................................... 94
Adding Fuel to Tank ............................................................... 94
Engine Operations................................................................... 94
Engine Select ....................................................................... 94
NMEA 2000 Alarms .................................................................... 95
To set NMEA 2000 Alarm:.................................................. 96
Waypoint Sharing ....................................................................... 96
Backlight Synchronization ......................................................... 96
Configuring EP Sensors.............................................................. 97
EP-35 Temperature Configuration ........................................ 97
Advanced Options menu ......................................................... 97
Instance................................................................................ 98
Restore Defaults .................................................................. 98
To restore default settings .................................................. 98
EP-10 Fuel Flow Configuration.............................................. 98
Advanced Options menu ......................................................... 99
Instance................................................................................ 99
Restore Defaults .................................................................. 99
EP-15 Fluid Level Configuration ......................................... 100
Advanced Options menu ....................................................... 102
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Instance.............................................................................. 102
Restore Defaults ................................................................ 102
To restore default settings: ............................................... 102
Suzuki Engine Interface Configuration............................... 103
Advanced Options menu ....................................................... 104
Instance.............................................................................. 104
Restore Defaults ................................................................ 104
Calibrating EP Sensors............................................................. 105
EP-10 Fuel Flow Calibration................................................ 105
EP-15 Fluid Level Calibration ............................................. 106
2-Point Calibration............................................................ 106
3-Point Calibration................................................................ 107
5-Point Calibration............................................................ 108
Fuel Flow Calibration in a Suzuki Engine Interface.......... 109
Engine Trim Calibration....................................................... 110
Reset Trim Calibration ......................................................... 111
Bennett Trim Tabs Calibration ............................................ 111
Section 6: Sonar Troubleshooting ..................................... 113
NOTICE!
The storage and operation temperature range for your unit is from -20
degrees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-28 degrees to +75 degrees
Celsius). Extended storage or operation in temperatures higher or lower
than specified will damage the liquid crystal display in your unit. This
type of damage is not covered by the warranty. For more information,
contact the factory's Customer Service Department; phone numbers are
listed on the last page of the manual.
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Section 1: Read Me First!
How this manual can get you out on the water, fast!
Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar! We know you're anxious
to begin finding fish, but we have a favor to ask. Before you grab your
unit and begin installing it, please give us a moment or two to explain
how our manual can help you get the best performance from your compact, wide-screen, fish finder.
First, we want to thank you for buying a Lowrance sonar. Whether
you're a first time user or a professional fisherman, you'll discover that
your unit is easy to use, yet capable of handling demanding sonar
tasks. You won't find another sonar unit with this much power and this
many features for this price!
Our goal for this book is to get you on the water fast, with a minimum
of fuss. Like you, we'd rather spend more time boating or fishing and
less time reading the manual!
So, we designed our book so that you don't have to read the whole thing
from front to back for the information you want. At the start (or end) of
each segment, we'll tell you what content is coming up next. If it's a
concept you're already familiar with, we'll show you how and where to
skip ahead for the next important topic. We've also made it easy to look
up any tips you may need from time to time. Here's how:
The manual is organized into 6 sections. This first section is an introduction to the sonar unit. It tells you the basics you need to know before you can make the unit look below the surface to find some fish.
Section 2 will help you install your unit and the transducer. We'll also
tell you about some of the available accessories.
Section 3 covers Basic Sonar Operation. It will show you how easy it is
to run your sonar, right out of the box. This section features a one-page
Sonar Quick Reference. (If you've already jumped ahead and fig-
ured out how to install the unit yourself, and you just can't wait
any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 43 and head
for the water with your sonar unit!)
After you've gained some experience with your sonar, you'll want to
check out Section 4, which discusses more advanced Sonar Options and
Other Features.
When you come to a sonar menu command on the unit's screen, you can
look it up in the manual by skimming over the table of contents or index,
just flipping through Section 3 or scanning through the sonar options in
Section 4.
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If you're having difficulty with your sonar, you can find an answer to
the most common problems in Section 5, Sonar Troubleshooting.
Finally, in Section 6, we offer Supplemental Material, including a list of
warranty and customer service information.
Now, if you're into the fine details, glance over the next segment on specifications to see just how much sonar power your unit contains. It's important to us (and our power users), but, if you don't care how many watts of
power the unit has, skip ahead to important information on how sonar
works, on page 3.
Capabilities and Specifications: X-510c & X-515cDF
General
Display: ............................. 5.0" (12.7 cm) diagonal high color contrast
Film SuperTwist; programmable to viewing
preference.
Resolution: ......................480 pixel x 480 pixel resolution ; 230,400 to-
tal pixels.
Backlighting: ..................X-510c, X-515cDF
White LED backlit screen and keypad.
Input power: ...................10 to 15 volts DC.
Case size: .........................5.4" H x 6.9" W x 3.4" D (13.8 x 17.6 x 8.6
cm); sealed and waterproof; suitable for
saltwater use.
Back-up memory:...........Built-in memory stores sonar records for
decades.
Languages: ......................10; menu languages selectable by user.
Sonar
Frequency: ......................50/200 kHz for X-515cDF; 200 kHz for X-
510c.
®
Transducers:...................A dual-frequency Skimmer
transducer with
built-in temperature sensor is packed with
the X-515cDF. It has 35°/12° cone angles. A
single-frequency with built-in temperature
sensor is packed with the X-510c. It has a
20° cone angle. Transducers operate at
speeds up to 70 mph (61 kts).
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Transmitter:....................X-515cDF:
4,000 watts peak-to-peak/500 watts RMS.
X-510c:
2,400 watts peak-to-peak/300 watts RMS.
Sonar sounding
depth capability:............X-515cCDF: 2,500 feet (762 meters).
X-510c: 800 feet (244 meters).
Actual capability depends on transducer configuration and installation, bottom composition and water conditions. All sonar units
typically read deeper in fresh water than in
salt water.
Depth display: ................ Continuous display.
Audible alarms:..............Deep/shallow/fish/zone.
Automatic ranging: .......Yes, with instant screen updates.
Auto bottom track: ........Yes.
Zoom bottom track:....... Yes.
Split-screen zoom: .........Yes.
Surface water temp: .....Yes.
Speed/distance log: .......Optional (requires optional speed sensor).
NOTICE!
The storage temperature range for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167
degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celsius). Extended
storage in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage the
liquid crystal display in your unit. This type of damage is not covered by
the warranty. For more information, contact the factory's Customer
Service Department; phone numbers are listed on the last page.
How Sonar Works
Sonar has been around since the 1940s, so if you already know how it
works, skip ahead to the next segment on the typographical conventions
used in this manual. But, if you've never owned a sonar fish finder, this
segment will tell you the under water basics.
Sonar is an abbreviation for SO
ogy developed during World War II for tracking enemy submarines.
(Lowrance developed the world's first transistorized sportfishing sonar in
1957.) A sonar consists of a transmitter, transducer, receiver and display. In simple terms, here's how it finds the bottom, or the fish:
und NAvigation and Ranging, a technol-
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The transmitter emits an electrical impulse, which the transducer converts into a sound wave and sends into the water. (The sound frequency
can't be heard by humans or fish.) The sound wave strikes an object
(fish, structure, bottom) and bounces back to the transducer, which
converts the sound back into an electrical signal.
The receiver amplifies this return signal, or echo, and sends it to the
display, where an image of the object appears on the scrolling sonar
chart. The sonar's microprocessor calculates the time lapse between the
transmitted signal and echo return to determine the distance to the
object. The whole process repeats itself several times each second.
How to use this manual: typographical conventions
Many instructions are listed as numbered steps. The keypad and arrow
"keystrokes" appear as boldface type. So, if you're in a real hurry (or
just need a reminder), you can skim the instructions and pick out what
menu command to use by finding the boldface command text. The following paragraphs explain how to interpret the text formatting for
those commands and other instructions:
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys control a horizontal line depth cursor on the sonar
screen. The arrow keys also help you move around the menus so you
can execute different commands. They are represented by symbols like
these, which denote the down arrow key, the up arrow, the left arrow
and the right arrow: ↓ ↑ ← →.
Keyboard
The other keys perform a variety of functions. When the text refers to a
key to press, the key is shown in bold, sans serif type. For example, the
"Enter/Icons" key is shown as
ENT and the "Menu" key is shown as MENU.
Menu Commands
A menu command or a menu option will appear in small capital letters,
in a bold sans serif type like this:
DEPTH CURSOR. These indicate that you
are to select this command or option from a menu or take an action of
some kind with the menu item. Text that you may need to enter or file
names you need to select are show in italic type, such as data type.
Instructions = Menu Sequences
Most functions you perform with the sonar unit are described as a sequence of key strokes and selecting menu commands. We've written
them in a condensed manner for quick and easy reading.
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For example, instructions for turning on the Fish ID™ feature would
look like this:
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press → to
FISH SYMBOLS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
Translated into complete English, step 1 above would mean: "Start on
the Sonar Page. Press the Menu key then repeatedly press (or press and
hold) the down arrow key to scroll down the menu and select (highlight)
the Sonar Features menu command. Then press the Enter key."
Step 2 would mean: "Press the right arrow key to select (highlight) the
Fish ID symbols command. Next, press the Enter key, then press the
Exit key twice."
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Notes
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Section 2:
Installation & Accessories
Preparations
You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, but
we recommend this installation sequence:
Caution:
You should read over this entire installation section before drilling any holes in your vessel!
1. Determine the approximate location for the sonar unit, so you can
plan how and where to route the cables for the transducer and power.
This will help you make sure you have enough cable length for the desired configuration.
2. Determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable
route.
3. Determine the location of your battery or other power connection,
along with the power cable route.
4. Install the transducer and route the transducer cable to the sonar
unit.
5. Install the power cable and route it to the sonar unit.
6. Mount the sonar unit.
Transducer Installation
®
These instructions will help you install your Skimmer
transom, on a trolling motor or inside a hull. These instructions cover
both single- and dual-frequency Skimmer transducers. Please read all
instructions before proceeding with any installation.
The smaller single-frequency Skimmers typically use a one-piece,
stainless steel mounting bracket. The larger dual-frequency Skimmers
typically use a two-piece, plastic mounting bracket. The trolling motor
mount uses a one-piece plastic bracket with an adjustable strap.
These are all "kick-up" mounting brackets. They help prevent damage
if the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the
transducer does "kick-up," the bracket can easily be pushed back into
place without tools.
Read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation.
Determine which of the mounting positions is right for your boat. Re-
member, the transducer installation is the most critical part of
a sonar installation.
transducer on a
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NOTE:
The following installation types also call for these recommended
tools and required supplies that you must provide (supplies listed
here are not included):
Single-frequency transom installations
Tools include: two adjustable wrenches, drill, #29 (0.136") drill bit, flathead screwdriver. Supplies: high quality, marine grade above- or belowwaterline sealant/adhesive compound.
Dual-frequency transom installations
Tools: two adjustable wrenches, drill, #20 (0.161") drill bit, flat-head
screwdriver. Supplies: four, 1" long, #12 stainless steel slotted wood
screws, high quality, marine grade above- or below-waterline sealant/adhesive compound.
Single-frequency trolling motor installations
Tools: two adjustable wrenches, flat-head screwdriver. Supplies: plastic
cable ties.
Shoot-through hull installations
Tools: these will vary depending on your hull's composition. Consult your
boat dealer or manufacturer. Other tools are a wooden craft stick or
similar tool for stirring and applying epoxy, and a paper plate or piece
of cardboard to mix the epoxy on. Supplies: rubbing alcohol, 100 grit
sandpaper, specially formulated epoxy adhesive available from LEI (see
ordering information on the inside back cover). A sandwich hull also
requires polyester resin.
Selecting a Transducer Location
1. The location must be in the water at all times, at all operating speeds.
2. The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow
of water at all times. If the transducer is not placed in a smooth flow
of water, interference caused by bubbles and turbulence will show on
the sonar's display in the form of random lines or dots whenever the
boat is moving.
NOTE:
Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the
hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed. These boats
typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat
at speeds faster than 35 mph. Typically, a good transom location on
aluminum boats is between the ribs closest to the engine.
3. The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight
down, if possible. For shoot-thru applications: Many popular fishing
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boat hulls have a flat keel pad that offers a good mounting surface. On
p
vee hulls, try to place the transducer where the deadrise is 10° or less.
Deadrise less than 10°
Left, vee pad hull; right, vee hull. A pod style transducer is shown
Pad
here, but the principle is the same for Skimmers inside a hull.
Strakes
4. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make sure it doesn't
interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat. Also, don't mount it
closer than approximately one foot from the engine's lower unit. This
will prevent cavitation (bubble) interference with propeller operation.
5. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps and aerators
can be displayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing the
transducer cable around these wires.
CAUTION: Clamp the transducer cable to transom near
the transducer. This will help
revent the transducer from
entering the boat if it is
knocked off at high speed.
Good location
Poor location
Good
location
Poor angle
Good and poor transducer locations.
Good location
How low should you go?
For most situations, you should install your Skimmer transducer so
that its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull. This will
usually give you the best combination of smooth water flow and protection from bangs and bumps.
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Transducer
centerline
Transom
Hull bottom
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom.
However, there are times when you may need to adjust the transducer
slightly higher or lower. (The slots in the mounting brackets allow you
to loosen the screws and slide the transducer up or down.) If you frequently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed, the transducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes.
Move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this.
If you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover, your transducer
may be frequently kicking up from object strikes. If you wish, you may
move the transducer a little higher for more protection.
There are two extremes you should avoid. Never let the edge of the
mounting bracket extend below the bottom of the hull. Never let the
bottom – the face – of the transducer rise above the bottom of the hull.
Shoot-thru-hull vs. Transom Mounting
In a shoot-thru-hull installation, the transducer is bonded to the inside
of the hull with epoxy. The sonar "ping" signal actually passes through
the hull and into the water. This differs from a bolt-thru-hull installation (often called simply "thru-hull"). In that case, a hole is cut in the
hull and a specially designed transducer is mounted through the hull
with a threaded shaft and nut. This puts the transducer in direct contact with the water.
Typically, shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed operation and good to excellent depth capability. There is no possibility of
transducer damage from floating objects, as there is with a transommounted transducer. A transducer mounted inside the hull can't be
knocked off when docking or loading on a trailer.
However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks.
First, some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. This
varies from hull to hull, even from different installations on the same
hull. This is caused by differences in hull lay-up and construction.
Second, the transducer angle cannot be adjusted for the best fish
arches on your sonar display. (This is not an issue for flasher-style
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sonars.) Lack of angle adjustment can be particularly troublesome on
hulls that sit with the bow high when at rest or at slow trolling speeds.
Third, a transducer CAN NOT shoot through wood and metal hulls.
Those hulls require either a transom mount or a thru-hull installation.
Fourth, if your Skimmer transducer has a built in temp sensor, it will
only show the temperature of the bilge, not the water surface temp.
Follow the testing procedures listed in the shoot-thru-hull installation
section at the end of this lesson to determine if you can satisfactorily
shoot through the hull.
Transom Transducer Assembly And Mounting
The best way to install these transducers is to loosely assemble all of the
parts first, place the transducer's bracket against the transom and see if
you can move the transducer so that it's parallel with the ground.
The following instructions sometimes vary depending on the mounting
bracket that came with your transducer. Single-frequency Skimmers
come with a one-piece stainless steel bracket, while dual-frequency
Skimmers come with a two-piece plastic mounting bracket. Use the set of
instructions that fits your model.
1. Assembling the bracket.
A. One-piece bracket: Press the two small plastic ratchets into the
sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration. Notice
there are letters molded into each ratchet. Place each ratchet into the
bracket with the letter "A" aligned with the dot stamped into the metal
bracket. This position sets the transducer's coarse angle adjustment for a
14° transom. Most outboard and stern-drive transoms have a 14° angle.
Dot
Align plastic ratchets in bracket.
B. Two-piece bracket: Locate the four plastic ratchets in the trans-
ducer's hardware package. Press two ratchets into the sides of the plastic bracket and two on either side of the transducer as shown in the following illustrations. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet.
Place the ratchets into the bracket with the letter "A" aligned with the
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alignment mark molded into the bracket. Place the ratchets onto the
Alig
r
transducer with the letter "A" aligned with the 12 o'clock position on
the transducer stem. These positions set the transducer's coarse angle
adjustment for a 14° transom. Most outboard and stern-drive transoms
have a 14° angle.
nment letters
Alignment
positions
Transduce
Transducer bracket
Transducer
Insert and align ratchets.
bracket
Ratchet
Transducer
Ratchet
Add ratchets to bracket and transducer.
2. Aligning the transducer on the transom.
A. One-piece bracket: Slide the transducer between the two ratch-
ets. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assembly and
hold it against the transom. Looking at the transducer from the side,
check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to the ground.
If it does, then the "A" position is correct for your hull.
If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove the
transducer and ratchets from the bracket.
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Place the ratchets into the holes in the bracket with the letter "B"
aligned with the dot stamped in the bracket.
Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the
transom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so it's
parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to step 3A. If it doesn't,
repeat step 2A, but use a different alignment letter until you can
place the transducer on the transom correctly.
Ratchets
Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom.
B. Two-piece bracket: Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown
in the following figure. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer
assembly but don't tighten the nut at this time. Hold the assembled
transducer and bracket against the transom. Looking at the transducer
from the side, check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to
the ground. If it does, then the "A" positions are correct for your hull.
If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove and
disassemble the transducer and ratchets. Place the ratchets into the
bracket holes with the letter "B" aligned with the bracket alignment
mark. Place them on the transducer aligned with the 12 o'clock position on the transducer stem.
Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the
transom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so it's
parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to step 3B. If it doesn't,
repeat step 2B, but use a different alignment letter until you can
place the transducer on the transom correctly.
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r
r
Bolt
Lock washe
Nut
Flat washer
Flat washe
Assemble transducer and bracket.
3. Assembling the transducer.
A. One-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for
the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the following figure. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
Metal
Nut
Rubber
washers
washer
Metal washer
Bolt
Assemble transducer and bracket.
B. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for
the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step
2B. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
4. Drilling mounting holes.
Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. The
transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The transducer's centerline should be in line with the bottom of the hull. Don't
let the bracket extend below the hull!
Mark the center of each slot for the mounting screw pilot holes. You
will drill one hole in the center of each slot.
Drill the holes. For the one-piece bracket, use the #29 bit (for the #10
screws). For the two-piece bracket, use the #20 bit (for the #12 screws).
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Transom
Transom
Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes.
Side view shown, left, and seen from above at right.
5. Attaching transducer to transom.
A. One-piece bracket: Remove the transducer from the bracket and
re-assemble it with the cable passing through the bracket over the
bolt as shown in the following figures.
For single-frequency Skimmer, route cable over bolt and through
bracket. Side view shown, left, and seen from above at right.
Both bracket types: Attach the transducer to the transom. Slide the
transducer up or down until it's aligned properly with the bottom of
the hull as shown in the preceding and following figures. Tighten the
bracket's mounting screws, sealing them with the sealant.
Adjust the transducer so that it's parallel to the ground and tighten
the nut until it touches the outer washer, then add 1/4 turn. Don't
over tighten the lock nut! If you do, the transducer won't "kick-up" if
it strikes an object in the water.
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Page 22
Bottom
of
hull
Flat-bottom hull Deep-"vee" hull
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach transducer to
transom. Rear view of dual-frequency Skimmer shown.
6. Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to the sonar
unit. Make sure to leave some slack in the cable at the transducer. If
possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from the engine's wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio
wires and cables, and aerators can be picked up by the sonar. Use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires.
WARNING:
Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the
transducer. This can prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at high speed.
If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through,
the required hole size be 1".
Caution:
If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is
located above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the
hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline
sealant used for the mounting screws.
7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost at
high speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding the transducer bracket down. This puts the transducer deeper into the water,
hopefully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the
transducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull!
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Page 23
Trolling Motor Bracket Installation
r
(single-frequency only)
1. Attach the optional TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown in the
following figure, using the hardware supplied with the transducer.
(Note: The internal tooth washer is supplied with the TMB-S.)
TMB-S bracket
Bolt
Internal tooth washer
Nut
Flat washe
Attach motor mounting bracket to transducer.
2. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot
in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor. Position the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the
water. Tighten the strap securely.
3. Route the transducer cable alongside the trolling motor shaft. Use
plastic ties (not included) to attach the transducer cable to the trolling motor shaft. Make sure there is enough slack in the cable for the
motor to turn freely. Route the cable to the sonar unit and the transducer is ready for use.
Transducer mounted on trolling motor, side view.
Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches
If you do not get good fish arches on your display, it could be because
the transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest
in the water or at slow trolling speeds.
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Page 24
Partial fish arches
Transducer aimed
too far back
Full fish arch
Proper transducer angle
Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches.
Transducer aimed
too far forward
If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of the transducer is too high and needs to be lowered. If only the back half of the
arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down
and needs to be raised.
NOTE:
Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and water to remove any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity or may even prevent operation.
Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation
Hulls With Floatation Materials
The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area
that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass layers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A successful
transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials
(such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers of fiberglass if
the material is removed from the chosen area. See the following figure.
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Page 25
WARNING:
Do not remove any material from your inner hull unless
you know the hull's composition. Careless grinding or
cutting on your hull can result in damage that could
sink your boat. Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to confirm your hull specifications.
Fill with
Fill with resin
Flotation material
Inner hull
Epoxy to hull first
Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull.
Outer hull
For example, some (but not all) manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass,
then a core of balsa wood, finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass.
Removing the inner layer of fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes
the outer layer of fiberglass. The transducer can then be epoxied directly to the outer layer of fiberglass. After the epoxy cures for 24
hours, fill the remaining space with polyester resin. When the job is
finished, the hull is watertight and structurally sound. Remember, the
sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air bubbles in the
fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals.
Testing Determines Best Location
Ideally, the shoot-thru transducer should be installed as close to the
transom as possible, close to the centerline. This will give you the best
performance during high speed maneuvers.
Transducer location
(high speed)
Transducer location
(trolling speed)
Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for
high speed or trolling speed operation.
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To choose the proper location for shoot-thru-hull mounting, follow these
testing procedures: (You may need a helper to complete these steps.)
1. Anchor the boat in about 30 feet of water. Add a little water to the sump
of the boat. Plug the transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on, then
hold the transducer over the side of the boat in the water. Adjust the
sensitivity and range controls until a second bottom echo is seen on the
display. (You'll need to turn off Auto Sensitivity, Auto Depth Range and
ASP™. Try a range setting that is two to three times the water depth.
The harder (more rocky) the bottom, the easier it will be to get a second
bottom signal.) Don't touch the controls once they've been set.
True bottom
Second bottom
Manual range setting
Example of a second bottom signal. Unit is in 30 feet of water, with
range set at 80 feet and sensitivity set at 87 percent.
2. Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in
the sump of the boat, face down. (The transducer face is shown in the
figure on the following page.) Notice how the signal strength decreases.
The second bottom signal will probably disappear and the bottom signal intensity will likely decrease.
3. Now move the transducer around to find the best location with the
strongest possible bottom signal. If you find a spot with an acceptable
bottom signal, mark the location and move on to step 4.
If you can't get an acceptable bottom signal, try turning up the sensitivity by three or five keystrokes and then move the transducer around
once more. If you find a spot that works, mark it and move on to step 4.
If you have to turn up sensitivity by more than five keystrokes to get a
good signal, the transducer should be mounted on the outside of the
hull. This is especially true if you have to turn sensitivity all the way
up to get a decent bottom signal.
4. Most people can get good results by following steps 1 through 3, so this
step is optional. If you want to make an extra effort to be absolutely
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Page 27
sure that your selected location will work under all conditions, make a
test run with the boat on plane and observe the bottom signal. You'll
need to figure some way to prop the transducer into position while you
make your test run. (A brick or two might be sufficient to hold it in
place.)
5. When you're satisfied with a location, mark it and proceed with
the installation.
Shoot-thru-hull Installation
If you are installing the transducer on a hull with floatation material
sandwiched within the hull, refer to the text "Hulls With Flotation Materials" beginning on page 18.
1. Make sure the area is clean, dry and free of oil or grease, then sand
both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer with
100 grit sandpaper. The sanded hull area should be about 1-1/2 times
the diameter of the transducer. The surface of the hull must be flat
so the entire transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding. After sanding, clean the hull and transducer with rubbing alcohol to remove any sanding debris.
Spread epoxy here
Sand this surface
(unit's face)
Orient the Skimmer
with the nose facing
the bow of the boat.
To bow
Epoxy transducer to hull.
WARNING:
Use only the epoxy available from LEI. It has been formulated to work with these installation procedures.
Other epoxy types may be too thin or may not cure to
the right consistency for optimum transducer performance.
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Page 28
2. The epoxy consists of the epoxy itself and a hardener. Remove the
two compounds from the package and place them on the paper plate.
Thoroughly stir the two compounds together until the mixture has a
uniform color and consistency. Do not mix too fast or bubbles will
form in the epoxy. After mixing, you have 20 minutes to complete the
installation before the epoxy becomes unworkable.
Spread a thin layer of epoxy (about 1/16" or 1.5 mm thick) on the face
of the transducer as shown in the previous figure. Make sure there
are no air pockets in the epoxy layer! Then, apply the remaining epoxy to the sanded area on the hull.
3. Press the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force
any air bubbles out from under the transducer face. Stop pressing
when you bottom out on the hull. When you're finished, the face of
the transducer should be parallel with the hull, with a minimum
amount of epoxy between the hull and transducer.
4. Apply a weight, such as a brick, to hold the transducer in place while
the epoxy cures. Be careful not to bump the transducer while the epoxy is wet. Leave the weight in place for a minimum of three hours.
Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours before moving the boat.
5. After the epoxy has cured, route the cable to the sonar unit and it's
ready to use.
Speed/Temperature Sensors
Optional Speed Sensor Installation
All the units in this series can display speed and distance traveled, but
only the X-515cDF comes packed with a speed sensor. If you wish to
purchase an optional additional sensor for your unit, refer to the accessory ordering information inside the back cover of this manual. The
following instructions describe how to install the speed sensor.
Recommended tools for this job include: drill, 7/8" drill bit, 1/8" drill bit
for pilot holes, screwdriver. Required supplies for this job include: four
#8 stainless steel wood screws (3/4" long), high quality, marine grade
above- or below-waterline sealant.
First find a location on the boat's transom where the water flow is
smoothest. Don't mount the sensor behind strakes or ribs. These will
disturb the water flow to the speed sensor. Make sure the sensor will
remain in the water when the boat is on plane. Also make sure the location doesn't interfere with the boat's trailer. Typically, the sensor is
mounted about one foot to the side of the transom's centerline. Once
you've determined the proper location for the unit, place the sensor on
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Page 29
the transom. The bottom of the bracket should be flush with the hull's
bottom. Using the sensor as a template, mark the hull for the screws'
pilot holes. Drill four 1/8" holes, one in each end of the slots.
Mount the sensor to the hull using #8 stainless steel wood screws (not
included). Use a high quality, marine grade above- or below-waterline
sealant to seal the screws. Make sure the sensor is flush with the bottom of the hull and tighten the screws.
Good location
Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom.
Transom
Bottom of hull
Speed sensor mounting configuration:
side view (left) and rear view (right.)
Bottom of hull
If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between the transom and the sensor with the sealant. This will help ensure a smooth
water flow.
Route the sensor's cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit.
If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through,
the required hole size is 7/8".
CAUTION:
If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is
located above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the
hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline
sealant used for the screws.
The sensor is now ready for use. Connect the sensor to the sonar socket
on the back of your unit and connect the transducer to the speed sensor's socket. If you have any questions concerning the installation of
the sensor, please contact your local boat dealer.
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Sonar unit (rear view)
SP-BL optional
speed sensor
Sonar socket
Power/Data
socket
Ethernet (future
enhancement)
Network
socket
Display unit
power cable
NMEA 2000
Power cable
Data Cable
Transducer
Sonar unit cable connections.
Power Connections
Your unit comes with a power/data cable that splits into three
branches, each with several exposed wires.
The thicker three-wire cable (white, red and black) is the power supply
for your display unit. This cable has no label.
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Page 31
The thinner branch with three wires (red, black and shield) is the
power cable for a NMEA 2000 network. It is labeled "NMEA 2000
POWER."
The branch with four wires (blue, yellow, orange, and shield) is a data
cable, labeled "RS-232 COMM." It supports a serial communication
port. This allows your unit to exchange NMEA 0183 data with another
device, such as an autopilot, DSC marine radio or computer.
Display unit power wires:
white, red and black
To unit
NMEA 2000 power wires:
red, black and shield
Data cable wires:
blue, yellow, orange,
and shield
The Power/Data cable for this unit.
NOTE:
There are two basic power connection options, which are shown in
the following two diagrams. Read the following instructions
carefully to determine which power connection applies to
your unit. Depending on your configuration, you may not use all of
these wires.
Caution:
All of the wires in the power/data cable have bare ends for easier installation. The bare ends on any unused wires could cause
an electrical short if left exposed. To prevent this, you should
cover the individual wire ends – either by capping them with
wire nuts, wrapping them with electrical tape or both. (You
should cut off the bare wire before taping off the ends.)
Powering Your Display Unit
The display unit works from a 12-volt DC battery system. Attach the
display power cable (with provided 3-amp fuse) to an accessory switch
or power bus. If this results in electrical interference, connect direct to
a battery but install an in-line switch on the cable.
Caution:
We strongly recommend that you shut off the power supply to the
power cable when the unit is not in use, especially in saltwater en-
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Page 32
vironments. When the unit is turned off but still connected to a
power supply, electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug. This
may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electrical
contacts in the cable and the unit's power socket. Risk of electrolysis corrosion is even greater when the cable is unplugged from the
unit, but still connected to a power source.
We recommend you connect the power cable to the auxiliary power
switch included in most boat designs. If that results in electrical
interference, or if such a switch is not available, we recommend
connecting direct to the battery and installing an in-line switch.
This will let you shut off power to the power cable when the unit is
not in use. When you are not using the unit, you should always
shut off power to the power cable, especially when the power cable
is disconnected from the unit.
WARNING:
This product must be independently fused with the enclosed 3-amp fuse (or equivalent), even if you connect to
a fused accessory or power bus.
If a malfunction happens inside the unit, extensive damage can occur if the enclosed fuse is not used. As with all
electrical devices, this unit could be damaged to a point
that it is unrepairable and could even cause harm to the
user when not properly fused.
Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty.
If possible, keep the power cable away from other boat wiring, especially
the engine's wires. This will provide the best isolation from electrical
noise. If the cable is not long enough, splice #18 gauge wire onto it.
The display power cable has three wires, white, red and black. Red is the
positive (+) lead, black is negative (–) or ground. The white wire is unused by your unit and should be capped. Make sure to attach the in-line
fuse holder to the red lead as close to the power source as possible.
For example, if you have to extend the power cable to the power bus or
battery, attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the power bus or
battery. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event
of a short.
This unit has reverse polarity protection. No damage will occur if the
power wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the
wires are attached correctly.
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Page 33
Power Diagram A
p
Mandatory
network
power-off
switch
White
(unused)
Shield
Black
3-amp fuse
Black
Red
12 volt DC
power source
Display Unit
Power Cable
Data Cable
To unit
NMEA 2000
Power Cable
3-amp fuse
Recommended
display unit
ower-off switch
Use this method if you are powering the display unit and or the dis-
play unit and a NMEA 2000 network. (Fuses may be different from
those shown.).
The network and any NMEA 2000 devices will not operate unless
the NMEA 2000 Power Cable is connected to power. (However,
never connect multiple power sources to a NMEA 2000 network.
If you have a network that is already powered, see diagram B on page
28.)
The method in diagram B is also used when your display unit is connected to a NMEA 2000 network that is already connected to power.
(Never connect multiple power sources to a NMEA 2000 network.)
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Page 34
To unit
Power Diagram B
White wire
Display Unit
Power Cable
(unused)
Red wire with
3-amp fuse
All unused Data
or NMEA 2000
power wires
should be
capped with
wire nuts and
electrical tape
to prevent
shorts.
Data Cable
Use this method if you are only powering your display unit and are not
powering a NMEA 2000 network or any NMEA 2000 accessory device.
NMEA 2000 Power Cable
(Fuse may be different from that shown.)
Recommended
power off switch
Black wire
12 volt DC
power source
Powering a NMEA 2000 Network Bus
A NMEA 2000 bus must be connected to a power source to operate.
NMEA 2000 devices draw their power from the network bus.
If you have a pre-existing NMEA 2000 network installation, it may already be connected to another power source. If you are not sure about a
network's power status, consult the boat manufacturer or dealer. If your
NMEA 2000 bus is already powered, you can ignore the NMEA 2000
Power cable and use the method shown in Power Diagram B above.
Never attach two power sources to a single NMEA 2000 bus.
If you do need to power your NMEA 2000 bus, attach the NMEA 2000
Power cable to an accessory switch as indicated in power diagram A on
page 27. The NMEA 2000 Power cable's red wire should be attached
(with provided 3-amp fuse) to the positive (+) terminal. The NMEA
2000 Power cable's black and shield wires should both be attached to
the negative (–) terminal.
WARNING:
The NMEA 2000 network bus is always on and constantly
drawing power. You must connect NMEA power to a
switched power source so you can turn off the network
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Page 35
when not in use. Failure to connect to and use a power
switch will drain your boat battery, which could stop
your boat's operation.
Connecting to a NMEA 2000 Network
Your unit can be connected to a NMEA 2000 bus, receiving sensor information from units and devices attached to the network. Contact LEI
Extras (look inside back cover for accessory ordering information) for
NMEA 2000 accessories.
NMEA 0183 Cable Connections
NMEA is a standard communications format for marine electronic
equipment, mainly navigation equipment. Your sonar unit cannot currently communicate with the NMEA 0183 format, so the Data cable
wires will not be used.
Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable
You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied
gimbal bracket. It can also be installed in the dash or mounted on a
portable power supply. If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested in the optional R-A-M
verts the unit's gimbal bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on
the dash or overhead mounting positions. Installation instructions are
supplied with the R-A-M mounting kits.
®
bracket mounting system. This con-
Optional R-A-M mounting system.
Bracket Installation
Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance
behind the unit when it's tilted for the best viewing angle. You should
also make sure there is enough room behind the unit to attach the
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Page 36
power and transducer cables. (A drawing on the next page shows the
dimensions of a gimbal-mounted sonar unit.)
Holes in the bracket's base allow wood screw or through-bolt mounting.
You may need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin fiberglass panels to reinforce the panel and secure the mounting hardware.
Front
Install the gimbal bracket. Orient the bracket so the arms slope to-
ward the front of your unit.
Drill a 1-inch (25.4 mm) hole in the dash for the power and transducer
cables. The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal
bracket location. This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers
the hole, holds the cables in position and results in a neat installation.
Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bracket to the side of
the cable hole — it's a matter of personal preference.
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137.9
[5.43]
173.9
[6.85]
72.9
[2.87]
23.4
[0.92]
157.9
[6.22]
Millimeter
[Inch]
Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the
sonar unit when mounted on gimbal bracket.
56.9
[2.24]
After drilling the hole, pass the transducer connector up through the
hole from under the dash. Pass the power cable's bare-wire end down
though the hole from the top.
If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cables with a good marine caulking compound. (Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers
to conceal the opening.) No matter what type of installation you prefer,
be sure to leave enough slack in the cables to allow tilting or swiveling
the unit. If you choose to fill in the hole, be sure to position the cables
against the rear edge of the hole as you apply the fill material.
Before positioning the bracket, be sure to hold the cables against the
rear edge of the hole. Then, slide the bracket over the hole and butt the
rear of the bracket base firmly against the cables, thus pinning them in
place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to the
dash. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal
knobs and washers.
In-Dash Installation
You can mount the unit in the dash with an optional FM-5 In-Dash
Adapter Kit. The kit includes mounting hardware, a template for cutting the hole and an instruction sheet, part 988-0147-43.
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A
146.5
[5.76]
Top
R 7.9
[0.31]
In-Dash
Template
Millimeters
[Inches]
In-dash mounting template for the sonar unit, showing dimensions.
NOTE: The figure above is not printed to scale. A scaled template (FM-
5 In-Dash Adapter Kit instructions) is available for free download from
LWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS
our web site, www.lowrance.com.
113.5
[4.46]
Portable Installation
Like many Lowrance products, the unit is capable of portable operation
by using an optional portable power pack. The power pack, a magnetequipped antenna module and an optional portable transducer, expands the uses for your sonar unit. It makes it easy to transfer your
unit from a boat to a car, recreational vehicle, airplane or other vehicle
without mounting a second bracket. You can use it in your own car or
boat, then take it along when riding in a friend's vehicle.
The power pack can be used with eight "D" cell alkaline batteries or an
optional sealed, rechargeable battery. Visit our web site for a complete
listing of all the available portable power packs.
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PPP-15 Portable Power Pack with transducer installed. Shown with
the X67C IceMachine™ .
Other Accessories
Cleaning Towel
A lint-free microfiber towel is included for cleaning the unit’s screen.
The towel is highly effective in clearing away water spots, smudges and
finger prints. Just wipe the screen with the dry towel — it's not necessary to moisten the towel with water. If the screen is badly soiled, you
may use water or common window or lens cleaners. However, DO NOT
use polishing compounds or any other abrasive product.
If you lose the towel or wear it out, you can replace it with a similar
microfiber cloth. These are often available where shop towels or automobile cleaning towels are sold.
Caution:
Cleaning fabrics other than the microfiber towel type may scratch
the screen. Polishing compounds or other abrasive cleaners will
scratch the screen. Damage caused by incorrect cleaning is not covered by the warranty. You may wash the towel if it becomes soiled
or loses its effectiveness, but do not use fabric softener. Fabric softener will ruin the towel’s cleaning capability.
Face Cover
Your unit comes with a white protective cover that snaps on and off the
front of the unit. This cover is intended for use when your unit and the
vehicle it's mounted in are idle.
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WARNING:
When the unit is mounted in an unprotected area, such
as an open boat cockpit, the protective face cover must
be removed when the vehicle is moving at high speed.
This includes towing a boat on a trailer at highway
speeds. Otherwise, wind blast can pop off the cover.
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Section 3: Basic Sonar Operation
This section addresses the unit's most basic sonar operations. The instructions presented here in Sec. 3 follow a chronological order. Sec. 4,
Sonar Options & Other Features, will discuss options and other more
advanced functions and utilities. The material in Sec. 4 is arranged in
alphabetical order.
Before you turn on the unit, it's a good idea to learn about the different
keys, the Main Menu, the Sonar Menu, the five Page options and how
they all work together. BUT, if you just can't wait to get on the water,
turn to the one-page Quick Reference on page 43.
Keyboard
4
8
2
3
5
9
7
6
1
Sonar unit, front view, with keyboard. X-515cDF shown.
1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and
off and activates the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this and the ↑ ↓ arrow keys switches the unit be-
tween the five different page options. (Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Split Frequency Sonar Chart, Digital Data and FlashGraf™ .)
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus and submenus, which
allow you to select a command or adjust a feature.
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4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the menus,
make menu selections, move the sonar chart cursor and enter data.
5. ENT (Enter) – This key allows you to accept values or execute menu
commands.
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or erase a menu.
7. ALARM – The Alarm key is a quick shortcut to the sonar alarms
menu. It allows you to choose which alarms to use and when.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out. This
key returns you to a full sonar chart display, showing the entire water
column from surface to bottom.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in. It enlarges
fish signals, bottom detail and other sonar returns.
Power/lights on and off
To turn on the unit, press PWR.
To change the backlight, press
have three backlight levels. Repeatedly pressing
PWR again. The X-510c and X-515cDF
PWR will cycle
through the backlight settings, turn off the backlight, then turn it back
on again.
Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the
PWR key for about 3 sec-
onds.
Menus
Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factory default settings. You only need to learn a few basic functions to enhance
your viewing. We'll discuss them briefly here, then talk about them and
all the other commands in more detail in the next section, which begins
on page 49.
Your unit has three primary menus that control its operation.
They are the Main Menu, the Sonar Menu and the Pages Menu.
Main Menu
The Main Menu contains some basic function commands and some setup
option commands. You access the Main Menu by pressing
MENU|MENU.
You run a command by using the ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command and
then pressing
Page display, press
ENT. To clear the Main Menu screen and return to the
EXIT. (Remember, our text style for "MENU|MENU"
means "press the Menu key twice." See a full explanation of our instruction text formatting on page 4, Instructions = Menu Sequences.)
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Main Menu.
Main Menu Commands
There are four "basic" Main Menu commands that you'll really want to
read more about. They are:
• Screen: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen. Use
this command to adjust how the screen looks under various lighting
conditions.
• Sounds: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and alarms,
controls the volume and sets the alarm style. If you don't like to hear a
beep each time you press a key, you can turn this off, or select tunes or
sound effects instead. The sounds are especially useful when used with
the Fish I.D.™ fish symbol feature and fish alarm feature.
• Sonar Alarms: turns alarms on or off and changes alarm thresholds.
The fish alarm, used with Fish I.D., is the most popular use. It tells you
when the sonar sees a fish. You can also set deep or shallow depth
alarms and zone alarms.
• Popup Help: turns the pop-up help boxes on or off. When you select
a menu command, these information boxes appear to tell you what the
command does or how to use the command. The default setting is on,
which is really handy while you're learning.
The remaining Main Menu commands are for more advanced functions,
mostly setting various sonar options. (They're all detailed in Sec. 4.)
• Transparency: adjust the level of transparency for menus.
Units of Measure: selects the units of measure used for showing
speed/distance, depth and temperature.
• Set Keel Offset: calibrates the unit to show depth under the keel or
actual depth from the surface.
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• Calibrate Water Speed: adjusts how a speed sensor measures water
speed.
• Reset Water Distance: resets water distance log to zero.
• Sonar Simulator: turns the simulator feature on and off.
• Transducer Type (dual-frequency units only): sets the type of trans-
ducer plugged into the unit.
• Reset Options: returns all options and auto functions to their origi-
nal factory settings. It's a great safety net while you're learning and
experimenting with various settings.
• Set Language: your unit has menus in 10 different languages. This
command switches from one language to another.
• Enable Radar Port: allows you to turn the radar port on and off.
• NMEA 2000: gives you access to all NMEA 2000 network setup op-
tions, including the configuration of devices on the network.
• Software Information: tells you which version of the operating
software is loaded in your unit.
Sonar Menu
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
options. You access the Sonar Menu by pressing the
MENU key one
time. You run a command by using the ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command
and then pressing
Page display, press
ENT. To clear the menu screen and return to the
EXIT.
Sonar Page Menu.
Sonar Menu Commands
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
options. Most of them are only described in detail in Sec. 4, but Sensitivity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that are discussed
both here and in Sec. 4. The other Sonar Menu commands include:
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• Colorline command: separates fish and structure near the bottom
from the actual bottom, and defines bottom composition and hardness.
• Depth Range command: manually sets the depth range shown on
the sonar chart.
• Auto Depth Range command: automatically sets the depth range
shown on the sonar chart to always keep the bottom in view.
• Upper and Lower Limits command: sets the upper and lower depth
limits of the sonar chart. Lets you zoom in on a specific portion of the
water column.
• Stop Chart command: stops the sonar chart from scrolling. Used
when you want to "freeze" the image for closer study.
• Chart Speed command: sets the scrolling speed of the sonar chart.
• Depth Cursor command: displays a cursor line on the sonar chart
which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target.
• Overlay Data command: chooses what types of information (such as
water temperature) to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen.
• Sonar Features command: launches the Sonar Features menu
which controls many functions and options, including frequency selection, screen color mode, auto depth and sensitivity, surface clarity,
noise rejection, Fish I.D.™ symbols, the zoom bar and zone bar.
• Ping Speed command: sets the rate at which sonar pings are made.
Pages
The Pages Menu has two tabs, one for sonar, the other for radar. The Sonar tab has six major display options: Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Split Frequency Sonar Chart (X-515cdf only), Digital Data,
Flasher and Sonar with Custom Gauges. Select the Radar tab to display the radar page.
You can access the Pages Menu by pressing the
a display option by using ↑ or ↓ to highlight the option and then press-
ENT. (You can clear the Pages Menu by pressing EXIT.)
ing
39
PAGES key. You select
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Sonar Page Display options (left). Radar Page (right). Remember: the
Split Frequency Sonar Chart will not be listed on the X-510c menu
since it does not have a dual frequency transducer.
The Full Sonar Chart is the main display option. This is a "crosssection" view of the water column beneath the boat. The chart moves
across the screen, displaying sonar signal echoes that represent fish,
structure and the bottom.
Digital data
overlay
(depth &
temperature)
Fish arches
Structure
Surface signal
Surface clutter
Bottom signal
Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode.
40
Depth scale
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
Zoom bar
FasTrack
bar graph
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Split zoom page (left) with split frequency page (X-515 only) (right).
Digital Data page display (left) with the Flasher page (right).
Sonar with Custom Gauge page (left). Radar page display (right).
You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are displayed in many ways. We'll discuss all of those features and options in
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Section 4, but to show you how easy the sonar unit is to operate, the following page contains a simplified, 10-step quick reference that will
cover most fish finding situations. The quick reference describes how
your unit will operate with all the sonar features in their automatic
modes, which are set at the factory.
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Basic Sonar Quick Reference
1. Depress the PWR key to turn on the unit.
2. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digi-
tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.
The auto settings will track the bottom, displaying it in the lower portion of the screen. The full sonar chart will scroll from right to left,
showing you what's under the boat as you cruise across the water.
3. As you're watching the sonar returns, you can change the display by:
Zoom in to enlarge the chart for more detail: press
Zoom out to return to full chart mode: press
ZIN.
ZOUT.
4. If necessary, adjust sensitivity to improve chart readability. Press
MENU|ENT and the Sensitivity Menu will appear on the left of your
screen. Use ↑ and ↓ to change the setting.
Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen, which
may cause clutter. Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information, but could omit important images. We recommend adjusting sensitivity until the background is lightly "peppered" — that is, scattered
dots appear, but individual objects (like fish arches or bottom structure) can be easily picked out of the background.
5. Watch the display for the appearance of fish arches. When you see
arches, you've found fish! Stop the boat and get your lure or bait into
the water at the depth indicated on the sonar chart.
6. Gauge the fish depth by visually comparing the fish arches with the
depth scale on the right side of the screen, or get a more accurate
measure with the Depth Cursor. Press
MENU|↓ to DEPTH CURSOR|ENT.
Press ↓ (or ↑) to align the cursor line with the fish arch. The exact
depth appears in a box at the right end of the cursor line. To clear the
cursor, press
EXIT.
7. If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored, you are not mov-
ing fast enough for a fish to return the tell-tale fish arch signal. As you
drift over a fish, or as a fish swims through the transducer's signal
cone, the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between the
surface and the bottom.
8. To turn off the unit, press and hold
PWR key for three seconds.
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Sonar Operations
As you can see from the quick reference on the previous page, basic operation
is pretty easy, right out of the box. If you are a sonar novice, try operating the
unit with the factory defaults until you get a feel for how it's working.
As you're learning the basics, there is one setting you might want to tinker
with from time to time — Sensitivity.
Sensitivity controls the unit's ability to pick up echoes. If you want to see
more detail, try increasing the sensitivity, a little at a time. There are situations when too much clutter appears on the screen. Decreasing the sensitivity
can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish echoes, if fish are present.
As you change the sensitivity setting, you can see the difference on the chart
as it scrolls.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same
location. Fig. 1: Sensitivity at 88 percent, determined by Auto Sensitiv-
ity. Typical of full auto mode. Fig. 2: Sensitivity set at 75 percent. Fig.
3: Sensitivity set at 50 percent. Fig. 4: Sensitivity set at 100 percent.
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You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in Auto Sensitivity mode or Manual Sensitivity mode. The adjustment method works
the same in both modes, but it gives you slightly different results.
Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensitivity Mode is similar to manually adjusting a car's speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on.
You can tell the car to run faster, but when you let off the gas the cruise
control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum
speed setting. In the sonar unit, auto mode will let you increase sensitivity
to 100 percent, but the unit will limit your minimum setting. This prevents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bottom
tracking. When you change the setting with auto turned on, the unit will
continue to track the bottom and make minor adjustments to the sensitivity level, with a bias toward the setting you selected.
Adjusting sensitivity in Manual Sensitivity Mode is similar to driving a
car without cruise control — you have complete manual control of the
car's speed. In the sonar unit, manual mode allows you to set sensitivity at 100 percent (maximum) or zero percent (minimum.) Depending
on water conditions, the bottom signal may completely disappear from
the screen when you reduce sensitivity to about 50 percent or less!
Try adjusting sensitivity in both auto and manual modes to see how
they work.
To adjust sensitivity
1. Press
MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected (left). The Sensitivity
Control Bar (right).
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NOTE:
If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off
Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press
TIVITY
|ENT|↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT. Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sen-
sitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press
MENU|↓ to AUTO SENSI-
EXIT.
Important Tip:
While you are experimenting and learning, it's possible to scramble
the settings so that the sonar picture disappears from your screen.
If that happens, remember that it's easy to switch back to full
automatic operation by simply restoring the factory auto settings.
Here's how:
To Restore Factory Settings
1. Press
2. The unit asks if you want to reset all the options. Press ← to
YES|ENT. All options are reset, and the unit reverts back to the
original settings.
Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart
You may have noticed in the quick reference that we used fish arches
in full sonar chart mode for our example, and not the popular Fish
I.D.™ fish symbol feature. Here's why.
Fish I.D. is an easier way for a sonar novice to recognize a fishy signal
return when he sees it. However, locating fish by symbol only has some
limitations.
MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT.
Your sonar unit's microprocessor is remarkably powerful, but it can be
fooled. Some of the echoes calculated to be fish could be tree limbs or
turtles! To see what's under your boat in maximum detail
, we recom-
mend you turn off Fish I.D. and begin learning to interpret fish arches.
Fish I.D. is most handy when you're in another part of the boat or performing some task that prevents you from watching the sonar screen.
Then, you can turn on Fish I.D. and the audible fish alarm. When that
lunker swims under your boat, you'll hear it!
Fish I.D. can also be useful when you want to screen out some of the
sonar detail gathered by your unit. For example, in one case fishermen
in San Francisco Bay saw clouds of clutter in the water but no fish
arches. When a down rigger was pulled up, it brought up several small
jellyfish. The fishermen switched their Lowrance sonar to Fish I.D.,
which screened out the schools of jellyfish and clearly showed the game
fish there as fish symbols.
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Other Free Training Aids
The sonar options section discusses Fish I.D., fish alarms and other
features in greater detail. If you or a friend has Internet access, you can
also learn more about interpreting what you see on your sonar screen.
Visit our web site,
WWW.LOWRANCE.COM. Be sure to check out the free
Sonar Tutorial, which includes animated illustrations and more pictures of actual sonar returns, all described in detail. There's even a
"printer friendly" version of the tutorial available on our web site…it
makes a great supplement to this operation manual!
For the ultimate training aid, be sure to download the free emulator
software for your unit. Aside from being just plain fun, this program
can help you learn both basic and advanced operations without burning
boat fuel! Lowrance is the first sonar manufacturer to provide this type
of training tool for customers.
This PC application simulates the actual sonar unit on your computer.
You can run it from your computer keyboard or use your mouse to press
the virtual keys. Easy download and installation instructions are available on our web site.
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Free training emulator is available for your unit on our web site.
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Section 4: Sonar Options & Other
Features
ASP™ (Advanced Signal Processing)
The ASP™ feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit
that constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed, water conditions
and interference. This automatic feature gives you the best display possible under most conditions.
The ASP feature is an effective tool in combating noise. In sonar terms,
noise is any undesired signal. It is caused by electrical and mechanical
sources such as bilge pumps, engine ignition systems and wiring, air
bubbles passing over the face of the transducer, even vibration from the
engine. In all cases, noise can produce unwanted marks on the display.
The ASP feature has four settings — Off, Low, Medium and High. If
you have high noise levels, try using the "High" ASP setting. However,
if you are having trouble with noise, we suggest that you take steps to
find the interference source and fix it, rather than continually using
the unit with the high ASP setting.
There are times when you may want to turn the ASP feature off. This
allows you to view all incoming echoes before they are processed by the
ASP feature.
Sonar Menu with Sonar Features selected (left). Sonar
Features menu (center) with Noise Rejection set to the default low set-
ting. (Note the Transducer Frequency segment of the Sonar Features
menu will not be present in the single frequency X-510c.)
To change the ASP level
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press ↓ to
NOISE REJECTION|ENT.
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
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3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press
4. To return to the previous page, press
ENT.
EXIT|EXIT.
Alarms
This unit has three different types of sonar alarms. The first is the Fish
Alarm. It sounds when the Fish I.D.™ feature determines that an echo
is a fish.
Another alarm is the Zone Alarm, which consists of a bar on the side of
the screen. Any echo on the chart that appears inside this bar triggers
this alarm.
The last alarm is the Depth Alarm, which has both a Shallow and a
Deep setting. Only the bottom signal will trigger this alarm. This is
useful as an anchor watch, a shallow water alert or for navigation.
Depth Alarms
The depth alarms sound a tone when the bottom signal goes shallower
than the shallow alarm's setting or deeper than the deep alarm's setting. For example, if you set the shallow alarm to 10 feet, the alarm
will sound a tone if the bottom signal is less than 10 feet. It will continue to sound until the bottom goes deeper than 10 feet.
The deep alarm works just the opposite. It sounds a warning tone if the
bottom depth goes deeper than the alarm's setting. Both depth alarms
work only off the digital bottom depth signals. No other targets will trip
these alarms. These alarms can be used at the same time or individually.
Main Menu with Sonar Alarms command highlighted (left).
Sonar Alarms menu (right).
To adjust and turn on the shallow alarm
1. Press the ALARM key on the front of the unit or press MENU|MENU and
use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
2. Press → to
SHALLOW ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
ENT.
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3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first number, then press → to move the
cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, then
press
ENT.
4. Press ← to
5. To turn off the alarm, press
SHALLOW ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu
and repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
To adjust and turn on the deep alarm
1. . Press the ALARM key on the front of the unit or press MENU|MENU
and use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
2. Press ↓ to
DEEP ALARM ENABLED|→ to DEEP ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first number, then press → to move the
cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, then
ENT.
press
4. Press ← to
5. To turn off the alarm, Press the
MENU|MENU and use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
press
ENT. Press ↓ to DEEP ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
DEEP ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
ALARM key on the front of the unit or
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu
and repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
Zone Alarm
The zone alarm is triggered when any echo passes inside the zone
alarm bar, shown on the right side of the screen.
To adjust and turn on the zone alarm
1. Press the ALARM key on the front of the unit or press MENU|MENU and
use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
2. Press ↓ to
ZONE ALARM ENABLED|→ to ADJUST ZONE|ENT.
ENT.
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Sonar Alarms menu (left) with Adjust Zone command selected.
Adjust Zone Alarm selection box (right) with Upper selected.
3. To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
UPPER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the top of the bar to the desired depth.
4. To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
LOWER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the bottom of the bar to the desired
depth.
5. Press
EXIT|← to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT. Now, any echo —
fish, bottom, structure — within the zone alarm's depth range will trigger the zone alarm.
6. To turn off the alarm Press the
MENU|MENU and use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
press
ENT. Press ↓ to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
ALARM key on the front of the unit or
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu
and repeat the instructions in steps 3 and 4 above.
Fish Alarm
Use the fish alarm for a distinctive audible alarm when fish or other
suspended objects are detected by the Fish I.D.™ feature (Fish I.D.
must be turned on for the Fish Alarm to work). a different tone sounds
for each fish symbol size shown on the display.
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Sonar Alarms menu with Fish Alarm selected. The check box to the left
is blank, indicating the alarm is turned off.
To turn the fish alarm on
1. Press the ALARM key on the front of the unit or press MENU|MENU and
use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
2. Press ↓ to
3. To turn off the alarm, Press the
MENU|MENU and use ↑ or ↓ to select Sonar Alarms, then press
press
ENT. Press ↓ to FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
ALARM key on the front of the unit or
ENT.
Brightness
See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightness.
Calibrate Speed
The speed sensor can be calibrated to compensate for inaccuracies. Before you change the setting, first calculate the percentage that the
speed is off. You will enter this percentage in a moment.
For example, if you figure the sensor is reading 10 percent faster than
actual speed, you will enter – 10 in the calibration window. If the sensor is reading 5 percent slower than true speed, you will enter + 5 in
the window.
Perform your test in relatively calm water free of current, if possible.
(Unless, of course, you are taking the current speed into consideration
when making your calculation.) After you have a correction figure,
here's how to enter it:
1. Press
2. Enter the number you calculated earlier: press ↑ or ↓ to change the
first character (+ or –), then press → to move the cursor to the next
number and repeat until the percentage is correct, then press
MENU|MENU|↓ to CALIBRATE WATER SPEED|ENT.
EXIT.
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Sonar Page menu with Chart Speed command selected (left).
Chart Speed Control Bar (right).
Chart Speed
The rate that echoes scroll across the screen is called the chart speed.
The default is maximum; we recommend that you leave the speed set
there for virtually all fishing conditions.
However, you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you
are stationary or drifting very slowly. You may sometimes achieve better images as you slow down the chart speed to match how fast you are
moving across the bottom.
If you are at anchor, ice fishing or fishing from a dock, experiment with
a chart speed around 50 percent. If you are drifting slowly, try a chart
speed around 75 percent. When you are stationary and a fish swims
through the sonar signal cone, the image appears on the screen as a
long line instead of a fish arch. Reducing the chart speed may result in
a shorter line that more closely resembles a regular fish return.
If you do experiment with chart speed, remember to reset it to maximum when you resume trolling or moving across the water at higher
speed. To change chart speed:
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. The Chart Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease chart
speed; press ↑ to increase chart speed.
3. When it's set at the desired level, press
MENU|↓ to CHART SPEED|ENT.
EXIT.
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Sonar Page menu with ColorLine command selected (left).
The ColorLine control bar (right).
Colorline
lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes. It "paints" a
brighter color on targets that are stronger than a preset value. This
allows you to tell the difference between a hard and soft bottom. For
example, a soft, muddy or weedy bottom returns a weaker signal which
is shown with a narrow, colored line (dark blue tinged with red or a
little yellow.) Since fish are among the weakest echoes, they show up
mostly as blue arches. A hard bottom or other relatively hard target
returns a strong signal which causes a wider brightly colored line (reddish yellow to bright yellow.)
If you have two signals of equal size, one with red to yellow color and
the other without, then the target with brighter color (yellow) is the
stronger signal. This helps distinguish weeds from trees on the bottom,
or fish from structure.
ColorLine is adjustable. Experiment with your unit to find the ColorLine setting that's best for you.
To adjust the Colorline level
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. The Colorline Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease Colorline;
press ↑ to increase Colorline.
3. When it's set at the desired level, press
MENU|↓ to COLORLINE|ENT.
EXIT.
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Contrast
See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightness.
Depth Cursor
The depth cursor consists of a horizontal line with a digital depth box on
the right side. The numbers inside the box show the depth of the cursor.
Cursor line
Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor selected (left). Sonar chart with
the depth cursor active (right). The cursor is 34.64 feet deep.
The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting you pinpoint the depth of a target.
Depth box
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to DEPTH CURSOR|ENT.
2. The depth cursor appears. Press ↓ to lower the cursor line; press ↑ to
raise the cursor line.
3. To clear the depth cursor, press
EXIT.
Depth Range - Automatic
When turned on for the first time, the bottom signal is automatically
placed in the lower half of the screen. This is called Auto Ranging and
is part of the automatic function. However, depending upon the bottom
depth and the current range, you can change the range to a different
depth.
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Sonar Page menu with Depth Range command selected (left). The
Depth Range Control Scale (right).
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
2. The Depth Range Control Scale appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to select a dif-
ferent depth range. A blue bar highlights the selected range. Lightly
shaded numbers can not be selected.
3. When the new range is selected, press
EXIT to clear the menu.
Depth Range - Manual
You have complete control over the range when the unit is in the manual mode. There are 16 depth ranges, from 5 feet to 4,000 feet.
To switch to Manual Depth Range
1. First, turn off automatic depth range. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to
DEPTH RANGE|ENT and the Depth Range Control Scale ap-
pears.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a different depth range. A horizontal blue bar
highlights the selected range.
4. When the new range is selected, press
To turn Auto Depth Range on again
EXIT to clear the menu.
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
The sonar's depth capability depends on water and bottom conditions, transducer installation and other factors.
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Virtually any segment of the water column can be displayed by using
the upper and lower limit feature. This lets you pick the deep and shal-
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low depth limits that are shown on the screen, provided there is at
least 10 feet between the upper and lower limits you select. For example, a range from 12 feet to 34 feet could be used.
Changing the upper and lower limits gives you far greater control over
the depth range. This feature lets you "zoom in" the display with almost unlimited combinations. Nearly any segment of the water column,
from the surface to the bottom can be shown. This enlarges the sonar
targets to best suit your fishing needs and water conditions.
Sonar Page Menu with Upper and Lower Limits command selected
(left). Sonar Chart Limits menu with Upper Limit selected (right).
To change the upper and lower limits
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS|ENT.
The Sonar Chart Limits menu appears, with Upper Limit selected.
2. To set the upper limit, press
ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first
number, then press → to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, then press
3. To set the lower limit, press ↓ to
EXIT.
LOWER LIMIT|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to
change the first number, then press → to move the cursor to the next
number and repeat until the depth is correct, then press
EXIT repeat-
edly.
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Fish arches
Area "zoomed"
Normal display, in auto depth range mode (left). Display "zoomed" with
Upper and Lower Limits focusing on the portion of the water column
from 20 feet to 40 feet deep (right). In the "zoomed" image, note the target
definition at lower left, showing a fish holding just above the structure.
Top right, two game fish are attacking a school of bait fish.
To turn off upper and lower limits
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
FasTrack™
This feature automatically converts all echoes to short horizontal lines
on the display's far right side. The graph on the rest of the screen continues to operate normally. FasTrack gives you a rapid update of conditions directly under the boat. This makes it useful for ice fishing, or
when you're fishing at anchor. When the boat is not moving, fish signals are long, drawn out lines on a normal chart display. FasTrack
converts the graph to a vertical bar graph that, with practice, makes a
useful addition to fishing at a stationary location.
Surface clutter
Structure
Bottom signal
Sonar Page showing FasTrack.
59
Fish arches
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
FasTrack
bar graph
Page 66
Fish I.D.™ (Fish Symbols & Depths)
The Fish I.D. feature identifies targets that meet certain conditions as
fish. The microcomputer analyses all echoes and eliminates surface
clutter, thermoclines, and other signals that are undesirable. In most
instances, remaining targets are fish. The Fish I.D. feature displays
fish symbols on the screen in place of the actual fish echoes.
There are several fish symbol sizes. These are used to designate the
relative size between targets. In other words, Fish I.D. displays a small
fish symbol when it thinks a target is a small fish, a medium fish symbol on a larger target and so on.
The sonar's microcomputer is sophisticated, but it can be fooled. It can't
distinguish between fish and other suspended objects such as trotlines,
turtles, submerged floats, air bubbles, etc. Individual tree limbs extending outwards from a group of limbs is the hardest object for the
Fish I.D. feature to distinguish from fish.
You may see fish symbols on the screen when actually, there are no
fish. The reverse is also true. The illustrations on the next page show
how Fish I.D. can actually miss fish that are present.
Does that mean Fish I.D. is broken? No — the feature is simply interpreting sonar returns in a specific way to help take some of the work
out of reading the screen. Remember: Fish I.D. is one of the many tools
we provide so you can analyze your sonar returns for maximum fish
finding information. This and other features can help you successfully
"see" beneath the boat under varied water and fishing conditions. So,
practice with the unit in both the Fish I.D. mode and without to become
more familiar with the feature. The default for Fish I.D. is off.
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Symbols selected. When the check
box to the left is checked, the feature is on.
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Fig. 1A Fig. 1B
Many fish
arches visible
Fewer fish
symbols visible
Fig. 2A
Fish arches
above structure
Fig. 2B
No fish shown
FasTrack graph
confirms fish
Figures 1A and 2A (left) show Sonar Page in normal chart mode. Figures
1B and 2B (right) show the same underwater scene with Fish I.D. turned
on. Note how arches are replaced with symbols.
To turn the Fish I.D. feature on
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press → to
FISH SYMBOLS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
To turn off Fish I.D., repeat the instructions in step 2.
FishTrack™
The FishTrack feature shows the depth of a fish symbol when it appears on the display. This lets you accurately gauge the depth of targets. This feature is available only when the Fish I.D. feature is on. The
default setting for FishTrack is off.
To turn on FishTrack
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press →|then press ↓ to
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
FISH DEPTHS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
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NOTE
p
These instructions will turn on FishTrack and Fish I.D. at the
same time.
To turn off FishTrack, repeat the instructions in step 2. Turning off
FishTrack in this manner will not turn off Fish I.D. symbols.
Symbols with
FishTrack de
ths
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Depths selected (left). Sonar Page
showing Fish I.D. symbols and FishTrack depths turned on (right).
Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency)
(X-515cDF only)
The "DF" in your unit's name refers to its dual-frequency transducer,
which operates with both 200 kHz and 50 kHz. The 200 kHz frequency
has a 12° cone angle and the 50 kHz frequency has a 35° cone angle.
The default frequency is 200 kHz, which is best for use in shallow water (about 300 feet or less). This frequency is the best choice for about
80 percent of the fresh and saltwater sport fishing applications. When
you get into very deep saltwater – 300 to 500 feet or deeper – the 50
kHz frequency is the best choice.
The 200 kHz transducer will give you better detail and definition, but
less depth penetration. The 50 kHz transducer will give you greater
depth penetration, but a little less detail and less definition. (Remember,
all sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in saltwater.)
There is a common exception to these rules. Some fishermen, who use
downriggers on freshwater lakes (or the ocean), like to see their bait on
the sonar. In many of those cases, you'll see a 50 kHz transducer frequency in use because the wider cone angle.
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Sonar Features menu with a frequency of 200 kHz selected.
To change the frequency setting to 50 kHz
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press →|then press ↓ to
3. Press
EXIT|EXIT to clear the menu.
50 KHZ|ENT.
To change the frequency setting to 200 kHz
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press →|then press ↓ to
3. Press
EXIT|EXIT to clear the menu.
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
200 KHZ|ENT.
HyperScroll™
See the entry on Ping Speed, which controls the HyperScroll feature.
Noise Rejection
See the entry on Advanced Signal Processing in this section.
Overlay Data
To change the digital data shown on top of the sonar page:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
(PRESS ENT TO ADD…) and press ENT.
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Overlay Data command on the Sonar Menu (left). Overlay Data Shown
selection menu (right).
3. The Data Viewer page will appear with three data categories: Time,
Sonar Data and Sensor Data.
4. Highlight the desired data category and press
ENT, which will ex-
pand the list, revealing several subcategories with checkboxes next to
them.
5. Select the desired subcategory and press
ENT, which will place a
checkmark in the checkbox, showing the selected data is set for display.
The Data Viewer menu with Time selected (left). Time-data categories
are visible (right). Local Time is selected.
6. Press EXIT repeatedly to get back to the main display.
To change Overlay data size:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Highlight the Data Type you want to resize, then use ← → to set the
data to the desired size to one of four options: Off, Small, Medium,
Large and Enormous.
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Local Time highlighted on Overlay Data Shown menu (left). The size of
Local Time data has been changed to Large (right).
3. To change the font size for another Data Type, repeat the steps
above. To return to the sonar display, press
EXIT.
Sonar chart with Overlay Data turned on. This example shows
Depth, Water Temperature and the Water Speed of the boat.
Ping Speed & HyperScroll™
Ping Speed controls the rate at which the transmitter and transducer
broadcast sonar sound waves — pings — into the water. The unit has a
default ping speed of 50 percent. At normal boating speeds, this automatically provides enough return echoes to refresh the screen and
scroll the chart at maximum chart speed.
However, when you are running at high speeds, or just want the fastest
possible screen update, you may want to use the HyperScroll™ feature.
When you change the Ping Speed to any setting greater than 50 percent, the unit automatically enters HyperScroll mode.
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These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high-detail picture on
the screen, and the screen refresh rate and chart scroll speed can keep
pace with the boat as it moves quickly over the bottom terrain.
When using HyperScroll, you may also need to manually decrease the
sensitivity for optimum performance. Depending on water depth and
other conditions, HyperScroll may cause a second bottom echo to return
to the transducer during the next ping cycle, or sounding. This can result
in a large amount of clutter appearing on the screen. If this occurs, just
decrease the sensitivity to a level that eliminates the clutter. When you
turn HyperScroll off, you can return to your original sensitivity level.
Sonar Menu with Ping Speed command selected (left).
Ping Speed Control Bar (right) at default setting.
To change Ping Speed
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↑ to increase ping speed.
Press ↓ to decrease ping speed. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT.
To adjust Sensitivity
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
To turn off HyperScroll
1. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease ping speed
to 50 percent. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT.
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When you boost ping speed and switch into HyperScroll, the width of
the FasTrack bar graph display doubles in width at the right side of the
screen. This allows you to better see the virtually instantaneous sonar
returns, just as you would on a flasher sonar unit. For more information on FasTrack, see its entry in this section.
Pop-up Help
Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. By
highlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds,
a "pop-up" message appears that describes the function of the menu
item. This feature is on by default.
To set up Popup Help: Press
option highlighted, press
ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn
off.) After the option is set, press
MENU|MENU|↓ to POPUP HELP. With the
EXIT to return to the page display.
Main Menu with Pop-up Help command highlighted (left). Pop-up Help
message for the Calibrate Water Speed command (right).
Reset Options
This command is used to reset all features, options and settings to their
original factory defaults. This is useful when you have changed several
settings and want to return to basic automatic operation.
1. Press
2. Press ← to
3. All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory
settings.
MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT.
YES|ENT.
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Main Menu with Reset Options command selected (left). The Reset Op-
tions dialog box, with "Yes" selected (right).
Reset Water Distance
The sonar chart's Digital Data display option includes a window that
shows distance traveled, called Water Distance ("W Distance"). This
information is calculated from an optional water speed sensor. The Water Distance window can be reset to zero using the Reset Water Distance command.
Press
MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET WATER DISTANCE|ENT. The menus are
cleared and the water distance is reset to 0.00.
Screen Contrast and Brightness
To access the Screen menu, press MENU|MENU|ENT.
Adjusting the display's contrast
CONTRAST slider bar is already selected. Press → or ← to move the
The
bar. The left end of the scale is minimum contrast; the right end is
maximum contrast.
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Screen Command (left). Screen Menu with Contrast bar selected (right).
To adjust the display's brightness:
Press ↓ to
BRIGHTNESS. Press → or ← to move the bar. The left end of the
scale is minimum contrast; the right end is maximum contrast.
To adjust the screen's display mode:
Press ↓ to
DISPLAY MODE|ENT|press ↑ or ↓ to select mode|EXIT.
Display Mode menu.
Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity
The sensitivity controls the ability of the unit to pick up echoes. Sensitivity can be adjusted, because water conditions vary greatly. A low
sensitivity level (from zero to 50 percent) excludes much of the bottom
information, fish signals, and other target information.
High sensitivity levels let you see this detail, but it can also clutter the
screen with many undesired signals.
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Typically, the best sensitivity level shows a good solid bottom signal with
some surface clutter.
Automatic Sensitivity
The default sensitivity mode is automatic. The unit bases the sensitivity level on water depth and conditions. When the unit is in the automatic mode, sensitivity is automatically adjusted to keep a solid bottom
signal displayed, plus a little more power. This gives it the capability to
show fish and other detail.
However, situations occur when it becomes necessary to increase or
decrease the sensitivity. This typically happens when you wish to see
more detail or when wave action and boat wakes create enough tiny air
bubbles to clutter much of the water column. In that case, a decrease in
sensitivity is indicated to reduce some of the clutter.
The control bar used to adjust sensitivity is the same whether the unit
is in the automatic or manual mode. In automatic you can adjust sensitivity up to 100 percent but the unit will limit your minimum setting.
In auto, the unit will continue to make small adjustments, allowing for
the setting you selected.
In manual mode, you have complete control over sensitivity, with the
ability to set it anywhere from zero to 100 percent. Once you select a
level in manual, the unit will continue to use that exact sensitivity setting until you change it or revert to auto mode.
To adjust sensitivity in auto mode:
1. Press
MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
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Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected (left). The Sensitivity
Control Bar (right).
To adjust sensitivity in manual mode
1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press
to
AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to
SENSITIVITY|ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears.
MENU|↓
Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the
desired level, press
EXIT. Repeat these steps to turn on Auto Sensitiv-
ity.
NOTE:
To return to the original factory setting for Auto Sensitivity, see the
entry in this section on Reset Options. If sensitivity is in manual
mode, the Reset Options command will switch back to Auto and reset the factory setting at the same time.
Tip:
For quicker sensitivity adjustments, try leaving the Sensitivity
Control Bar on the screen as the chart scrolls. You can see the
changes on the screen as you press the up or down arrows. This is
handy when there's a lot of clutter in the water, and you are matching the sensitivity to rapidly changing water conditions.
Set Keel Offset
This unit measures water depth from the face of the transducer. Since
the transducer is installed below the water surface, the distance displayed by the digital depth, chart depth scale, chart cursor or fish symbols is not the exact water depth. If the transducer is 1 foot below the
surface, and the screen shows the water depth as 30 feet, then the actual depth is 31 feet. On sailboats or other large vessels with deep
drafts, the distance between the transducer installation and the keel or
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lower engine unit can be several feet. In those cases, an inexact depth
reading could result in grounding or striking underwater structure.
The Keel Offset feature eliminates the need for the navigator to mentally calculate how much water is under his keel.
Keel Offset lets you calibrate the digital depth: chart depth scale, chart
cursor depth and fish symbol depth displayed on the screen. To calibrate
the depth indicators, first measure the distance from the face of the transducer to the lowest part of the boat. In this example, we will use 3.5 feet.
We enter this as a negative 3.5 feet, which makes the depth indicators perform as if the transducer's lower in the water than it really is.
1. Press
MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.
2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears. Press ↓ to change the plus (+)
sign to a minus (–) sign.
3. Press → to the first number, then press ↑ to change the number to 3
4. Press → to the second number, then press ↑ to change the number to
5, then press
EXIT. The depth indicators now accurately show the depth
of water beneath the keel.
NOTE:
If knowing the exact depth of water beneath the keel is less important, you can calibrate the depth indicators so that they show the actual water depth from surface to bottom. To do this, first measure the
distance from the face of the transducer up to the surface (the water
line on the boat). In this example, we will use 1.5 feet. This will be entered as a positive 1.5 feet, which makes the depth indicators perform
as if the transducer's higher in the water than it really is.
1. Press
MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.
2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears with a plus (+) sign at the
front of the box.
3. Press → to the first number, then ↑ to change the number to 1.
4. Press → to the second number, then ↑ to change the number to 5.
EXIT to return to the previous page. The depth indicators now
Press
accurately show the water depth from surface to bottom.
Set Language
This unit's menus are available in 10 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Dutch and Finnish.
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Set Language selected on main menu (left). Language menu (right).
To select a different language:
1. Press
2. Use ↓ or ↑ to select a different language and press
MENU|MENU|↓ to SET LANGUAGE|ENT.
ENT|EXIT. All
menus now appear in the language you selected.
Software Version Information
From time to time, Lowrance updates the operating system software in
some of its products. These software upgrades are usually offered to
customers as free downloads from our web site, www.lowrance.com.
These upgrades make the unit perform better or introduce a new feature or function. You can find out what software version is running in
your sonar unit by using the Software Information command.
To view software information:
1. Press
MENU|MENU|↓ to SOFTWARE INFO|ENT.
2. Read the information displayed on the screen.
3. To return to the last page displayed, press
EXIT|EXIT.
Sonar Chart Mode
The default color scheme for the sonar chart is a white background, but
we offer several other options to suit your viewing preferences. You can
select the chart to be displayed in Grayscale, Reverse Grayscale, Blue
Background, White Background, Nightview, IceView and Bottom Color
Tracking.
To change the chart mode color scheme
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press → then, ↓ to
SONAR CHART MODE|ENT.
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
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3. Press ↓ or ↑ to Mode Name|
4. Press
EXIT|EXIT to return to the Sonar Page.
ENT.
Sonar Chart Display Options
The Pages Menu offers five chart display options for dual-frequency models and four options for single-frequency models. To access them, press
PAGES|↓ to Option Name|EXIT.
Pages Menu showing sonar chart display options. Split Frequency So-
nar chart page is only available in the X-515cDF.
Full Sonar Chart
This is the default mode used when the unit is turned on for the first
time or when it's reset to the factory defaults.
The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left. Depth
scales on the right side of the screen aid in determining the depth of
targets. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The
bottom depth and surface temperature (if equipped with a temperature
sensor or a transducer with a temp sensor built in) show at the top left
corner of the screen.
The FasTrack™ display is just to the right of the depth scale. This
changes all echoes into short horizontal bars, replicating a flasher sonar. The zoom bar on the far right shows the area that's magnified
when the zoom is in use. (See the Zoom section on page 86 for more information.)
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Full Sonar Chart. Overlay Data (depth and water temperature) is set
to a small text size.
Split Zoom Sonar Chart
A split chart shows the underwater world from the surface to the bottom on the right side of the screen. The left side shows an enlarged version of the right side. The zoom range shows at the bottom left corner of
the screen.
Split Zoom Sonar Chart image (left) shows the left window zoomed to
2X. The second image (right) shows the left window zoomed to 4X. The
depth overlay data is set to the default large text size; the water tem-
perature is set to the small text size.
Split Frequency Sonar Chart
(X-515cDF only)
This page shows sonar data from the 50 kHz transducer on the left side
of the screen and data from the 200 kHz transducer on the right side.
All other functions and features are the same as the Full Chart page.
You can adjust the sensitivity in each window.
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Split Frequency Sonar Chart page, with
50 kHz view on the left, 200 kHz view on the right.
To adjust sensitivity in auto mode
1. Press
MENU|ENT.
2. The unit asks which you wish to adjust. Press ← or→ to select the
one you want |
ENT.
3. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
The Split Frequency Sonar Chart page allows you to adjust
sensitivity separately for each window.
Digital Data/Chart
This mode shows the chart on the right side of the screen. The left side has
five digital boxes containing: Depth; Water Speed (from an optional speed
sensor); Water Distance (distance traveled or log – it also requires a speed
sensor); Water Temperature and Voltage.
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Digital Data/Chart
Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen
The Digital Data/Chart can be customized to show digital data in the
order of your preference. To rearrange the data on this screen:
1. From the Digital Data Page, press
MENU|↓ to CUSTOMIZE|ENT.
Customize command selected from the Sonar Page menu (left).
Selected W Speed box flashes black (right).
2. Use ↑ ↓ to select the digital data box you want to customize. The
title bar for the selected box will flash indicating its contents can be
changed. Press
ENT, which will open the Data Viewer menu with three
expandable categories: Time Sonar Data, Sensor Data.
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r
Data View menu (left). Sonar Data expanded with Water Temp High-
lighted (center). Digital Data page (right) with Water Temp displayed.
3. Highlight the desired data category and press ENT, which will open
its data menu.
4. Highlight the data for display and press
checkmark in its checkbox. Press
EXIT.
ENT which will place a
5. The digital data box will display the data you selected. Repeat Step 2
to customize another data box or press
EXIT to return to normal opera-
tion.
Flasher
The Flasher sonar page option represents a flasher style sonar combined with a scrolling chart. A circular dial shows all returning echoes
at a high screen refresh rate.
It uses the Colorline feature to distinguish between strong and weak
signals. For example, fish, one of the weakest echoes, shows up as a
narrow blue line, while a hard bottom surface will be a thick yellow
band. The bottom depth is shown as a black bar across the outer circle.
There is also a narrow chart display on the left of the screen.
Surface clutte
Bottom signal
Fish signal,
approximately
22 feet
Flasher page.
Fish signal,
approximately
11 feet
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Sonar with Custom Gauges
The Sonar with Custom Gauges page has a split screen with sonar on
the right side, digital gauge information on the left side. The two windows can be resized to make one side bigger than the other or may be
set up to split the screen evenly.
Sonar with Custom Gauges selected on the Pages menu (left). To
change custom gauge information, access overlay data on the Custom
Gauges menu (center). Overlay Data shown menu (right).
To customize digital gauge display:
1. Press
2. Press
PAGES, highlight SONAR WITH CUSTOM GAUGES and press ENT.
MENU, select OVERLAY DATA and press ENT. The Overlay Data
shown menu will appear.
3. Highlight
(PRESS ENT TO ADD…) and press ENT to open the Data Viewer
menu with three expandable data categories: Time, Sonar Data and
Sensor Data.
4. Highlight the desired data category and press
ENT, which will ex-
pand the list, revealing several subcategories with checkboxes next to
them.
5. Select the desired subcategory and press
ENT, which will place a
checkmark in the checkbox, showing the selected data is set for display.
6. If you want to display other data types, repeat Steps 4 and 5. Press
EXIT repeatedly to get back to the Sonar with Custom Gauges page. The
data you selected will now be displayed in the gray area on the left side
of the screen.
To change Overlay data size:
1. After overlay data has been added to the display, press PAGES, high-
light
SONAR WITH CUSTOM GAUGES and press ENT. Press MENU SELECT OVER-
LAY
DATA and press ENT. The Overlay Data Shown menu will appear.
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2. Highlight the Data Type you want to resize, then use ← → to switch
the data setting to one of the following four options: Off, Small, Medium, Large and Enormous.
Local Time is set to medium size (left). The size of Local Time data has
been changed to Enormous (right).
3. To change the size of another Data Type, repeat the steps above. To
return to the Sonar with Custom Gauges display, press
EXIT.
To resize Sonar and Custom Gauge windows:
1. From the Sonar with Custom Gauges page, press
WINDOW and press ENT.
2. Use ← → to increase or decrease the size of each window. Press
MENU, select RESIZE
EXIT.
When the Resize Windows command is active, two arrows will appear
between the two windows.
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Radar
When you access the Radar Page, the screen will switch to the radar display. Information on radar installation and radar operation are included
in two documents that come packed with Lowrance radar units: Radar
and RIM 100 Radar Interface Module Installation Instructions and Radar
Operation Instruction Manual. Refer to these documents for information
on your radar unit.
NOTE:
Before using your radar, make sure you have checked the Enable
Radar Port checkbox on the main menu.
To enable Radar Port:
1. From a sonar page, press
2. Highlight
the Enable Radar Port checkbox.
3. Repeat Step 2 to disable the radar port, which will uncheck the
checkbox. Press
To access Radar Page:
1. Press PAGES, highlight the RADAR tab and press ENT.
2. Press
dar display.
ENABLE RADAR PORT and press ENT, which will place an X in
EXIT to return to the sonar display.
MENU to open the Radar menu. Press EXIT to return to the ra-
MENU|MENU to access the main menu.
Radar Page (left) with Radar menu display (right).
Sonar Simulator
This unit has a built-in simulator that lets you run it as if you were on
the water. All sonar features and functions are useable. When in simulator mode, you will see [Simulated] at the bottom of the display.
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To use the simulator:
1. From a Sonar Page, press MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR SIMULATOR|ENT.
2. Turn off the Sonar Simulator by pressing
SIMULATOR|ENT|EXIT.
MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR
NOTE:
If you turn on your unit before attaching a transducer, it may enter
a demo mode. The words "demo mode" flash on the bottom of the
screen and a sonar chart plays much like the simulator. Unlike the
simulator, the demo mode is for demonstration only, and will
automatically stop as soon as you turn on the unit with a transducer attached. The simulator will continue to function normally.
Stop Chart
If you are running multiple units on a boat, there are times when you
may want to turn off the sonar. This command turns off the sonar and
stops the chart from scrolling. Sonar restarts automatically each time
you turn on your unit.
To Stop Chart from running:
1. Press
To turn on sonar and start the chart scrolling again, repeat the above step.
MENU|↓ to STOP CHART|ENT|EXIT.
Sonar Menu with Stop Chart command selected. The box is unchecked,
indicating the chart is scrolling across the screen.
Surface Clarity
The markings extending downward from the zero line on the chart are
called "surface clutter." The clutter is caused by wave action, boat
wakes, temperature inversion and more.
The surface clarity control reduces or eliminates surface clutter signals.
It does this by changing the sensitivity of the receiver, decreasing it
near the surface and gradually increasing it as the depth increases.
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There are three levels of surface clarity available: low, medium, or
high. It can also be turned off. The default level is off.
To adjust the Surface Clarity level
1. From the Sonar Page, press
2. Press ↓ to
SURFACE CLARITY|ENT.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select clarity level|
MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Sonar Features menu with Sonar Features selected (left). Surface Clar-
ity highlighted on Sonar Features menu (right).
Surface clutter
In the first illustration (left), Surface Clarity is turned off.
The second example (right) Surface Clarity is set to High.
Transducer Type
(X-515cDF only)
A dual-frequency unit includes a TRANSDUCER TYPE command. With this
option you can tell your unit what type of transducer you're using, so it
can properly interpret the signals it's receiving.
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To change your transducer type:
1. Press
2. Select the appropriate transducer type and press
MENU|MENU|↓ to TRANSDUCER TYPE|ENT.
ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
Main Menu with Transducer Type selected (left).
Transducer Type menu with three options (right).
Transparency
Use the transparency menu to adjust the transparency of menu windows. A high transparency allows you to continue monitoring the
screen's display while adjusting feature settings, though the text of the
menus may fade until it is unreadable. A low transparency will usually
make menu text easier to read, at the cost of watching your display.
Main Menu with Transparency selected (left). Transparency control
bar (right).
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To adjust Transparency:
1. Press
MENU|MENU|↓ to TRANSPARENCY|ENT. The TRANSPARENCY slider
bar appears.
2. Press ↑ ↓ to adjust the level of transparency. Press
EXIT.
Units of Measure
This menu sets the speed and distance (statute or nautical miles, meters), depth (feet, fathoms, or meters) and temperature (degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius). To change the units:
To set Speed/Distance:
1. Press
2. Speed/Distance will be highlighted. Press
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: Statute, Nautical or
Metric. Press
4. Press
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
ENT.
ENT.
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
Units of Measure selected on main menu (left). Units of Measure Menu
(right).
To set Temperature units:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
TEMPERATURE and press ENT.
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: Fahrenheit, Celsius or
Kelvin. Press
4. Press
ENT.
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
To set Pressure units:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
PRESSURE and press ENT.
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: Millibars, Bars, PSI,
Hectopascals or Kilopascals. Press
ENT.
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4. Press
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
To set Depth units:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
DEPTH and press ENT.
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: Feet, Fathoms or Me-
ters. Press
4. Press
ENT.
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
To set Volume units:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
VOLUME and press ENT.
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: Gallons or Liters. Press
ENT.
4. Press
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
To set Heading units:
1. Press
2. Highlight
MENU|MENU, highlight UNITS OF MEASURE and press ENT.
HEADING and press ENT.
3. Use ↑ ↓ to select one of the following options: True or Magnetic.
ENT.
Press
4. Press
EXIT repeatedly to return to the sonar display.
Upper and Lower Limits
See the entry in this section for Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Zoom & Zoom Bar
Zooming in the display is a common, fast and easy method used to enlarge small detail, fish signals and bottom structure. This unit lets you
zoom in quickly and easily by pressing the Zoom In key,
Pressing
ZIN once doubles the size (2X) of all echoes on the screen.
Pressing it again quadruples the size of the echoes (4X). The blue zoom
bar on the far right side of the screen shows which echoes will be displayed on the screen when the
Pressing the
ZIN key once will enable a 2X zoom which will show all
ZIN key is pressed.
echoes that are between the top and bottom of the 2X zoom bar. Pressing the key again will give a 4X zoom and only the echoes between the
top and bottom of the 4X bar will be displayed.
Press the Zoom Out key,
ZOUT, to return the display to the normal mode.
ZIN.
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The first image (left) is a full sonar chart zoomed 2X. The second image
(right) is the same view zoomed 4X.
Zoom Pan
Your unit has the handy ability to quickly zoom in on any portion of the
water column with just the touch of an arrow key. The Zoom Pan feature
lets you rapidly move the zoomed area up and down to different depths.
By "pointing" your zoom at different portions of the chart as it scrolls, you
can get a good, close-up look at structure or cover below you.
To use Zoom Pan, switch to a manual depth Range setting (see page 57)
and turn on 2X or 4X Zoom. Then press ↑ ↓
water column.
to pan up and down the
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Notes
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Section 5: NMEA 2000 Menu
NMEA 2000 Menu
The NMEA 2000 menu on your display unit's main menu allows you to
configure, calibrate and monitor devices on your NMEA 2000 network.
It provides access to the Bus Setup, Fuel Management and NMEA 2000
Alarms. You also can turn on/off Waypoint Sharing and Backlight Synchronization from the NMEA 2000 menu.
Bus Setup highlighted on the NMEA 2000 menu.
Bus Configuration menu (left). NMEA Diagnostics page (center).
Ethernet Diagnostics (right)
Bus Setup
Selecting Bus Setup from the NMEA 2000 menu gives you access to the
Bus Configuration menu and the NMEA Diagnostics and Ethernet Diagnostics pages. The Bus Configuration menu allows you to choose an
engine-tank configuration and manage devices on the network. When
the Bus Configuration menu is accessed, a list will appear of all NMEA
2000 devices on the network.
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The NMEA Diagnostics page displays information about the performance of the network bus, keeping you updated on bus status, mode, errors and bus traffic.
The Ethernet Diagnostics page keeps you updated on the performance
of an Ethernet connection (if applicable) supplying information ranging
from IP Address to upload and download rates (bytes per second). To
refresh either Diagnostics page, highlight the
the bottom of the page and press
ENT.
PING ALL DEVICES button at
The network devices list is located in the top half of the Bus Configuration menu. You can configure, calibrate and set alarms for devices accessed from the Bus Configuration menu network devices list.
The Engine-Tank Configuration and Tank Select menus as well as the
Tank Size dialog box are located on the bottom half of the Bus Configuration menu. The Set Configuration button — positioned next to the
engine-tank configuration menu — allows you to finalize a selected configuration.
NOTE:
If you have not used the LMF-200 or LMF-400 to choose an enginetank configuration for your vessel, you must use your display unit
to select a configuration.
Bus Configuration menu with list of network devices. Engine-Tank
Configuration and Tank Select menus are at the bottom of the screen.
Engine & Tank Configuration
The Engine-Tank configuration menu is located below the NMEA 2000
Devices list, but will only be accessible if a Suzuki engine Interface,
EP-10 Fuel Flow, EP-15 Fluid Level, EP-45 Pressure Sensor or EP-50
Storage Device are on the network.
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When choosing an engine-tank configuration you will use the Tank Select menu, Tank Size dialog box and Set configuration button, all detailed below.
Tank Select
The Tank Select menu allows you to choose from up to three tanks
(Port, Center and Starboard), depending on the Engine-tank configuration that has been selected. This allows you to set up each tank individually.
Tank Size
The Tank Size menu allows you to input the size of a selected tank in
gallons. After selecting the desired tank from the Tank Select menu,
you are ready to enter the tank's size.
Set Configuration button
The Set Configuration button is used to finalize engine-tank configuration settings.
Setting Engine-Tank Configuration:
1. Press
MENU| MENU, use ↓ ↑ to highlight NMEA 2000 and press ENT.
2. The NMEA 2000 menu will appear with five options: Bus Setup,
Fuel Management, NMEA 2000 Alarms, Waypoint Sharing and Backlight Synchronization. Choose
3. Select
ENGINE & TANK CONFIG and press ENT, which will open the Engine
BUS SETUP and press ENT.
& Tank Configuration menu with the following configuration options: 1
Engine/1 Tank, 1 Engine/2 Tanks, 2 Engines/1 Tank, 2 Engines/2
Tanks, 3 Engines/1 Tank, 3 Engine/3 Tanks and Unconfigured Bus.
1 Engine/1Tank highlighted on Engine and Tank Configuration
menu (left). Starboard highlighted on Tank Select menu (center).
Tank Size set to 40 gallons (right).
4. Choose the configuration that matches the number of engines and
tanks on your vessel and press
5. Highlight
TANK SELECT and press ENT, which will open the Tank Select
ENT.
menu.
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6. Select the tank you want to set up and press
light the Tank Size dialog box and press
ENT.
ENT. Press → to high-
7. Use ↓ ↑, ← → to input the capacity (gallons) of the tank you chose
from the Tank Select menu and press
ENT.
8. Repeat Steps 5-7 for each remaining tank.
9. When all tanks have been configured, press the
SET CONFIGURATION but-
ton. The following confirmation message will appear: Are you sure you
wish to change the bus configuration? Choose
EXIT to get back to the main display.
YES and press ENT, Press
Device Configuration Menu
When a device is selected from the network devices list on the Bus Configuration menu, its Device Configuration menu will appear. Device
configuration menus vary among devices. Available functions on device
configuration menus allow you to change device names, tank sizes,
fluid types and provide access to the Advanced Options menu. We will
cover configuration and calibration later in this section.
Device Information and Device Data
The Device information panel, located to the left of the Device Configuration menu, displays information on the selected device that includes,
software version, model, address, serial number, instance and current
status.
If you do not have an EP-15 Fluid Level, EP-10 Fuel Flow or EP-20 En-
gine Interface on the network, the Bus Configuration menu will not
display the Engine-Tank Configuration menu, Tank Select menu, Tank
Size menu or Set Configuration button.
Device Data is shown in the Device Data window at the bottom of the
device configuration menu. The information displayed in the Device
Data window will vary among devices. If, for example, you are viewing
the device configuration menu for an EP-15 Fluid Level, the device
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data window will include tank size and the amount of fuel left in the
tank. The Device Data for an EP-10 Fuel Flow includes Fuel Rate
(amount of fuel burned per hour), Fuel Used, Trip Fuel Used and Seasonal Fuel Used.
NOTE:
If, as in the graphic above, you do not have a Suzuki Engine Interface, EP-15 Fluid Level or EP-10 Fuel Flow on the network, the
Engine & Configuration menu, Tank Select menu, Tank Size dialog
and Set Configuration button will not be displayed on the Bus Configuration menu.
Fuel Management Menu
The Fuel Management menu gives you access to the following options:
Tank Location, Fuel Added, Add Fuel, Fill Tank, Engine Select, Reset
Calibration, Reset Trip and Reset Seasonal. Those options allow you to
configure, calibrate, reset calibration, reset trip fuel and reset seasonal
fuel for select NMEA 2000 devices. We will cover configuration and calibration procedures later in this section.
Fuel Management highlighted on the NMEA 2000 menu (left).
Fuel Management menu (right).
Tank Location
If you chose an engine-tank configuration with more than one tank, you
will be able to switch the tank location (configuration) in the Tank Location menu. When fuel is added to a tank, you will select the correct
tank from the Tank Location menu, then input the amount of fuel
added in the Fuel Added dialog box.
Fuel Added
Used in tandem with the Add Fuel command, the Fuel Added dialog
box allows you to input the amount of fuel added to the tank, when an
amount of fuel is added that does not fill up the tank.
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Add Fuel
After entering the amount of fuel added to a tank in the Fuel Added
dialog, the Add Fuel command finalizes the entry of the data. Like the
Fuel Added dialog, the Add Fuel command will only be used when an
amount of fuel is added that does not fill up the tank.
Fill Tank
You will use the Fill Tank command when calibrating a fuel flow and
when filling up the tank without calibration.
Adding Fuel to Tank
Tank Location, Fuel Added and Add Fuel commands work together to
keep NMEA 2000 fuel data consistent with the actual amount of fuel
added to the fuel tank(s).
1. Press
MENU|MENU, select NMEA 2000 and press ENT.
2. The NMEA 2000 menu will appear with five options: Bus Setup,
Fuel Management, NMEA 2000 Alarms, Waypoint Sharing and Backlight Synchronization. Select
3. Highlight
TANK LOCATION and press ENT. The Tank Location menu will
FUEL MANAGEMENT and press ENT.
appear with up to three options: Port, Center and Starboard.
4. Select the tank you added fuel to and press
ENT.
5. Follow the steps below that apply to your tank.
If you filled up the tank:
A. Press the
appear: Are you sure you wish to Fill Tank? Press
sage will appear: Do you wish to re-calibrate the device? Highlight
and press
FILL TANK button and press ENT. The following message will
ENT. Another mes-
NO
ENT.
If you did not fill up the tank:
B. Highlight
FUEL ADDED and press ENT to access the FUEL ADDED dialog
box. Use ↑ ↓ , ← → to input the amount of fuel added to the tank and
ENT. Select the ADD FUEL button and press ENT. The following
press
message will appear: Are you sure you wish to Add Fuel? Highlight
and press
6. Press
ENT.
EXIT repeatedly to get back to the main display.
YES
Engine Operations
The lower half of the Fuel Management menu contains the following
Engine Operation functions: Engine Select, Reset Calibration, Reset
Trip and Reset Seasonal.
Engine Select
Engine Select allows you to choose the desired engine when resetting
calibration, resetting trip fuel and resetting seasonal fuel.
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