Lowrance electronic H2OC User Manual
www.lowrance.com
Pub. 988-0148-811
iFINDER H2Oc
Handheld Mapping GPS Receiver
Operation Instructions
iFINDER
Lowrance
DURACELL
RAYOVAC
Energizer
Copyright © 2005 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
All rights reserved.
H2Oc is a trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
®
is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
Navionics
and e
is a registered trademark of Navionics, Inc.
is a registered trademark of Duracell, Inc.
is a registered trademark of Rayovac Corporation.
2
are registered trademarks of Energizer Holdings, Inc.
Points of Interest Data in this unit are by infoUSA,
copyright 2001-2004, All Rights Reserved. infoUSA is a
trademark of infoUSA, Inc.
eXitSource Database, copyright 2001-2004 Zenrin Co.
Ltd. Exit Authority and eXitSource are trademarks of
Zenrin Co. Ltd.
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.
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.
Table of Contents
Section 1: Read Me First!......................................................... 1
Capabilities and Specifications: iFINDER
How the iFINDER H2Oc Works .................................................. 4
Introduction to GPS, WAAS and EGNOS ................................... 6
How to use this manual: typographical conventions .................. 8
Arrow Keys................................................................................ 8
Keyboard ................................................................................... 8
Menu Commands ...................................................................... 8
Instructions = Menu Sequences ............................................... 9
Section 2: Installation & Accessories..................................11
Power........................................................................................... 11
Batteries...................................................................................... 11
Battery Installation ................................................................ 12
Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter .............................................. 13
NMEA Cable Connections .......................................................... 14
MMC or SD Memory Card Installation ..................................... 14
To remove an MMC................................................................. 15
To add an MMC or SDC.......................................................... 15
FreedomMaps .......................................................................... 16
External Antenna ....................................................................... 16
R-A-M
Bracket Mounting Systems .......................................... 17
Other Accessories........................................................................ 18
Section 3: Easy Mode Operation .......................................... 19
Keypad......................................................................................... 19
Power/lights on and off ............................................................... 20
Main Menu .................................................................................. 20
Pages ........................................................................................... 21
Satellite Status Page .............................................................. 21
Navigation Page...................................................................... 22
Map Page................................................................................. 24
IFINDER
H2Oc Easy Mode Quick Reference .......................... 28
Find Your Current Position........................................................ 29
Moving Around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys ............. 29
Selecting Any Map Item with the Cursor.................................. 30
Searching..................................................................................... 30
Set Home Waypoint .................................................................... 32
Go Home .................................................................................. 32
Set Man Overboard (MOB) Waypoint........................................ 33
Navigate Back to MOB Waypoint .......................................... 33
Navigate to Cursor Position on Map.......................................... 33
Navigate to a Point of Interest................................................... 35
Creating and Saving a Trail....................................................... 35
i
H2Oc ...................... 2
FreedomMaps
FreedomMaps are pre-made custom maps that cover multiple states,
provinces, countries or other geographic regions on a single memory
card. They give you all the features found in our MapCreate™ mapping
software, but without the necessity of using a computer. FreedomMaps
are available for the United States, Canada and Europe. In 2004, FreedomMaps with topographic contours became available for the United
States and Canada.
Like custom maps built in MapCreate, the custom map on a FreedomMap
card contains all of these features: rivers/lakes/tributaries; more than
60,000 critical navigation aids; more than 10,000 wrecks/obstructions in
coastal and Great Lakes waters; interstate/federal/state highways; interstate exit services; searchable Points-of-Interest (POI) database including:
airports, hotels, restaurants, entertainment, emergency services; rural
roads and city streets; cities and towns; railways; key landmarks; searchable street intersections and street addresses; national parks and forests
with boundaries; wildlife preserves; and more!
FreedomMaps come to you preloaded on a single 128 or 256 MB memory card. Insert the memory card into your Lowrance GPS unit, and
you're ready to go.
FreedomMaps are available through LEI-Extras. To order a card (or for
list of areas available) see ordering information in the back of this
manual.
External Antenna
A GPS antenna requires a clear view of the sky for optimum operation.
Inside a vehicle, your iFINDER can sometimes maintain satellite lock
while sitting on the seat beside you, but we don't recommend this for
optimum performance.
Since the view is restricted to what can be seen through the windows,
this operating mode will reduce position accuracy and will increase the
chance of losing satellite lock. Inside a vehicle, the unit operates best
with an optional external antenna mounted on the windshield, on the
dash or on top of the vehicle.
The optional external antenna can use a magnetic base that allows
temporary mounting on any flat ferrous metal surface. A suction-cup
mount allows you to attach the antenna to a windshield.
The iFINDER H2OC can use the passive FA-8 antenna or the active
RAA-3 antenna. The active antenna offers a further performance boost
by amplifying the satellite signals it receives. This is especially helpful
when operating in areas like dense forests, which can obstruct GPS
16
signals. Your unit will automatically switch between the active RAA-3
and its internal antenna (located in the top of the case). If you purchase
the passive FA-8, you must use a menu check box to manually switch
between it and the internal antenna. See the topic "External Passive
Antenna" in Sec. 5.
Attach the iFINDER antenna to windshield bracket with two screws.
You may achieve good results by placing the external antenna on the
top of the dash, at the base of the windshield. A piece of the rubber nonskid shelf liner material available in recreational vehicle supply stores
will also help hold the antenna in place.
To use the antenna: Mount it in a location with an unobstructed view of
the sky. Plug the connector into the unit's antenna socket, located on
the back, in the upper left corner of the case.
R-A-M Bracket Mounting Systems
Several R-A-M mounting brackets are available for your iFINDER.
There are permanent mounts and temporary mounts suitable for virtually any boat, aircraft, vehicle, even motorcycle handlebars.
Two R-A-M mounting systems for your unit.
17
One model has a mounting arm and cradle attached to a swivel ball
plate that can be screwed or bolted to a supporting surface. Another has
a moldable, weighted, rubber foot and gooseneck for support virtually
anywhere without screws or adhesives. R-A-M even has suction cup
bases for attachment to windscreens or fiberglass surfaces. See your
Lowrance dealer or visit the LEI web site for the latest options. Accessory ordering information is on the inside back cover of this manual.
For a complete look at the many mounting options, visit the R-A-M web
site at www.ram-mount.com.
Other Accessories
Other iFINDER accessories include MMC cards, MMC card readers and
MapCreate™ 6 custom mapping software for your computer. (The
iFINDER H2OC Plus model ships with the GPS Accessory Pack, which is
composed of the MapCreate CDs, the card reader and one memory card.)
If these accessories are not available from your dealer, see the accessory ordering information on the inside back cover of this manual.
MapCreate™ 6 CD-ROM and MMC card reader for USB ports.
18
Section 3:
2
Easy Mode Operation
This section addresses Easy Mode operation for the iFINDER's main
GPS functions. The principles are the same in both operating modes, so
this discussion also serves as a good introduction to Advanced Mode
work.
Before you turn on the iFINDER, it's a good idea to learn about the different keys, the three Page screens and how they all work together.
BUT, if you just can't wait to get outside, grab the batteries and turn to
the one-page Quick Reference on page 28.
Keypad
7
3
1
iFINDER H2OC keypad.
1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and
off and activates the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this key switches the unit between the three different page screens in Easy Mode. (Satellite, Navigation and Map.)
Each page represents one of the unit's major operation modes.
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus, which allow you to select
or adjust a feature from a list.
4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the
menus, make menu selections, move the map cursor and enter data.
5. ENT (Enter) – This key allows you to save data, accept values or
execute menu commands.
4
8
19
9
6
5
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or close a menu.
7. FIND – The Find key launches the iFINDER search menus and
some navigation functions.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out to see a
larger geographic are on the map. Less detail is seen as you zoom out.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in to see greater
detail in a smaller geographic area on the map.
Power/lights on and off
To turn on the unit, press PWR. To turn on the backlight, press PWR
again. Pressing PWR once again will turn off the backlight. Press EXIT
to clear any message or alarm displays.
Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the
PWR key for 3 seconds.
Main Menu
Easy Mode has a single Main Menu, which contains function commands
and setup option commands. The tutorial lessons in this section will deal
only with functions — the basic commands that make the iFINDER do
something. The iFINDER will work fine for these lessons right out of the
box with the factory default settings. But, if you want to learn about the
various options, see Sec. 5, System Setup and GPS Setup Options.
Main Menu, Easy Mode.
The Main Menu commands and their functions are:
Go To Cursor: navigates to the current cursor position on the map
Cancel Navigation: turns off the navigation command after you have
reached your destination.
Screen: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen and
backlight delay.
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Sounds: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and alarms and
sets the alarm style.
Navigate Trail: sets up navigation back to the start of the current
trail.
Clear Trail: clears all the points stored in the plot trail.
Sun/Moon: finds the rising and setting time of the sun and the moon.
Units of Measure: changes the speed or distance units. Also used to
change the heading, time and temperature formats.
Set Local Time: sets the time for your local time zone.
Advanced Mode: used to switch from Easy Mode to Advanced Mode.
Easy Mode shows only the most commonly used features to simplify the
interface and simplify operation.
Transfer My Data: load or save GPS Data Files containing waypoints,
routes, trails and event marker icons.
Software Information: shows the product name and software version
of the unit's operating system software, as well as copyright notices.
Pages
Easy Mode has three Page displays that represent the three major operating modes. They are the Satellite Status Page, the Navigation Page
and the Map Page. The pages are accessed by pressing the
Pressing
PAGES repeatedly scrolls among the three screens in an end-
less loop.
Satellite Status Page
This Page, shown in the following images, provides detailed information on the status of the iFINDER's satellite lock-on and position acquisition. To get to the Satellite Status Page, press
PAGES repeatedly until
it appears on the screen.
No matter what page you are on, a flashing current position indica-
tor/question mark symbol and flashing GPS data displays indicate satellite lock has been lost and there is no position confirmed. This page
shows you the quality and accuracy of the current satellite lock-on and
position calculation.
PAGES key.
WARNING:
Do not begin navigating with this unit until the numbers
have stopped flashing!
21
Satellite lock-on with a 3D position acquired.
This screen shows a graphical view of the satellites that are in view.
Each satellite is shown on the circular chart relative to your position.
The point in the center of the chart is directly overhead. The small inner ring represents 45° above the horizon and the large ring represents
the horizon. North is at the top of the screen. If you hold the unit facing
north, you can use it to see which satellites are obstructed by obstacles
in your immediate area. The GPS receiver is tracking satellites that are
in bold type. The receiver hasn't locked onto a satellite if the number is
grayed out, which means it isn't being used to resolve the position.
Beneath the circular graph are the bar graphs, one for each satellite in
view. Since the unit has 16 channels, it can dedicate one channel per
visible satellite. The taller the bar on the graph, the better the unit is
receiving signals from the satellite.
The Estimated Position Error (EPE), shown above the bar graphs, is
the expected error from a benchmark location. In other words, if the
EPE shows 50 feet, then the position shown by the unit is estimated to
be within 50 feet of the actual location. This also gives you an indicator
of the fix quality the unit currently has. The smaller the position error
number, the more accurate the fix is. If the position error flashes
dashes, then the unit hasn't locked onto the satellites and the number
shown isn't valid.
Navigation Page
This Page has a compass rose. It shows your direction of travel and the
direction to a recalled waypoint. When you're not navigating to a waypoint or destination, the navigation screen looks like the one in the following image. No graphic course information is displayed. Your position
is shown by an arrow in the center of the screen. Your trail history, or
path you've taken, is illustrated by a line extending from the arrow.
The arrow pointing down at the top of the compass rose indicates the current track (direction of travel) you are taking.
22
Track or compass heading indicator, showing direction of travel
Present position
arrow
Trail line
Navigation Page, recording a trail, traveling east. Page looks like this
when the iFINDER is not navigating to a waypoint , following a route,
or backtracking a trail.
Compass
rose
Navigation
information
data boxes
When navigating to a waypoint or following a route, the Navigation
screen looks like the one shown in the next image. Your ground speed,
track, distance, course and bearing to waypoint, are all shown digitally
on this screen.
The current cross track error is shown in the XTK box. This is the distance you are off-course to the side of the desired course line. The
course line is an imaginary line drawn from your position when you
started navigating to the destination waypoint. It's shown on the navigation page as a vertical dotted line.
Lines on either side of the present position show the current cross track
error range. The default for the cross track error range is 0.20 mile. For
example, if the present position symbol touches the right cross track
error line, then you are 0.20 mile to the right of the desired course. You
need to steer left to return to the desired course. You can use the
ZOUT keys to change the cross track error range. A circular symbol il-
ZIN or
lustrating your destination (waypoint) appears on the screen as you
approach the waypoint.
Travel Time is the time that it will take to reach your destination at
your present closing speed. Arrival Time is the local time it will be
when you arrive at the destination, based upon your present closing
speed and track.
23
Waypoint
symbol
Bearing
arrow
Trail line
Cross track
error range
(off course
indicator)
Navigation Page, going to cursor. Driver is headed east (a 68º track)
toward a cursor location 68º (bearing) away. The cross track error
range (white corridor) is 0.20 miles either side of the course. The
driver is headed toward the cursor location, which is 0.17 miles away.
The vehicle is basically on course (off course only 1 foot). Traveling at
34 mph. The driver will arrive at the waypoint in 18 seconds.
Destination
name
Navigation
information
data boxes
Map Page
The map screens show your course and track from a bird's-eye view. By
default, this unit shows the map with north always at the top of the screen.
(This can be changed using options in Advanced Mode. See the topic Map
Orientation, in Sec. 5.) If you're navigating to a waypoint, the map also
shows your starting location, present position, course line and destination.
NOTE:
When our text says, navigating to a waypoint, we really mean navigation to any selected item, whether it is a waypoint you made, a
map feature or an item (like a restaurant) from the POI database.
Using the map is as simple as pressing the
PAGES key. A screen similar to
those in following images appears. The arrow flashing in the center of the
screen is your present position. It points in the direction you're traveling.
The solid line extending from the arrow is your plot trail, or path you've
taken. Remember, a flashing question mark/arrow symbol or flashing text
displays means the iFINDER has not yet calculated a position.
The zoom range is the distance across the map. This number is shown
in the lower left corner of the screen. In the first example below, the
range is 4,000 miles from one side of the map to the other. The Zoom In
and Zoom Out keys zoom the map to enlarge or reduce its coverage
area. There are 40 zoom ranges, from 0.02 miles to 4,000 miles.
24
Map Page opening screen (left); Map zoomed to 100 miles (center); Map
zoomed to 6 miles (right). Over Zoomed means you have reached the
detail limits in an area covered only by the basic background map.
Zooming in any closer will reveal no more map details because a high-
detail custom map for this area has not been loaded on the MMC.
If you're using the factory-loaded background map, the maximum zoom
range for showing additional map detail is 8 miles. You can continue to
zoom in closer, but the map will be enlarged without revealing more
map content (except for a few major city streets). Load your own highdetail custom map made with MapCreate and you can zoom in to 0.02
miles with massive amounts of accurate map detail.
Map Pages with high-detail map of an urban area loaded on the MMC.
Arterial streets appear at the 4-mile zoom range (left), with a few Point
icons visible. Numerous dots representing Points of Interest become
visible at the 3-mile range (center). At the 0.4-mile zoom (right), you
can see an interstate highway with an exit, major and minor streets as
well as Point of Interest icons.
Background map vs. MapCreate map content
The background map includes low-detail maps of the whole world containing cities, major lakes, major rivers, political boundaries and medium-detail maps of the United States.
Medium-detail U.S. maps contain all incorporated cities; shaded metropolitan areas; county boundaries; shaded public lands (such as national
forests and parks); some major city streets; Interstate, U.S. and state
25
highways; Interstate highway exits and exit services information;
large- and medium-sized lakes and streams and more than 60,000
navigation aids and 10,000 wrecks and obstructions in U.S. coastal and
Great Lakes waters.
MapCreate custom maps include massive amounts of information not
found in the background map. MapCreate contains the searchable
Points of Interest database, all the minor roads and streets, all the
landmark features (such as summits, schools, radio towers, etc.); more
rivers, streams, smaller lakes and ponds and their names.
What's more important is the large-scale map detail that allows your
GPS unit to show a higher level of position accuracy. For example, the
background map would show you the general outline and approximate
shape of a coastline or water body, but the higher detail in MapCreate
shows the shoreline completely and accurately (finer detail). Many
smaller islands would not be included in the background map, but are
in MapCreate.
POI
Markers
School POI
Cursor lineInterstate Major Street
Restaurant
POI
POI
Pop-up
Zoom
Range
When the map is zoomed out far enough, most POIs appear as square
dots (left). As you zoom in closer, the symbols become readable icons.
In the 0.3-mile zoom example (right), the cursor has selected Cholita's
Mexican Restaurant POI, which triggers a pop-up box with the POI
name. This pop-up box works on POIs at any zoom range.
Position,
distance and
bearing data
Tip:
In some urban areas, businesses are so close to one another their
POI icons crowd each other on the screen. In the preceding figure,
you can see a packed string of POIs all along the west half of 11th
Street. You can reduce screen clutter and make streets and other
map features easier to see by turning off POIs you're not watching
for. To see how, check the text on Map Detail Category Selection, in
26
Sec. 5. It shows how to use the Map Categories Drawn menu to
turn individual POI displays off and on. Even though their display
is turned off, you can still search for POIs and their icons will popup when your unit finds them for you.
The following page contains a 12-step quick reference for Easy Mode
operation. If you don't want to carry the manual with you as you practice with the iFINDER, you might consider photocopying this quick reference page and tucking it into your pocket.
27
IFINDER H2Oc Easy Mode Quick Reference
Start outdoors, with a clear view of the open sky. As you practice, try
navigating to a location a few blocks away. Navigation in too small a
space, like a backyard, will constantly trigger arrival alarms.
1. Install two AA batteries and an MMC card in the battery compartment on back of case. (See installation details beginning on page 11.)
2. To turn on the iFINDER, press
3. Opening screen displays map of North America at the 4,000-mile
zoom range. Rotate through the three main Page screens (Map Page,
Satellite Status Page, Navigation Page) by repeatedly pressing
key. Switch Pages to display Satellite Status Page.
4. Wait while unit locates satellites and calculates current position. Process
is visible on Satellite page. This takes an average of 1 minute or less under
clear sky conditions (unobstructed by terrain or structures.) When the unit
acquires position, a tone sounds and a position acquired message appears.
5. With position acquired, press
shows a bird's eye view of the earth. You can move around the map by
zooming out, zooming in or scrolling.
Zoom in closer to see greater detail: press
Zoom out to see more area, less detail: press
Scroll map north, south, east or west using arrow keys ↑ ↓ → ←.
To stop scrolling and return to current position on map, press
6. Set Home waypoint at your current position so you can navigate back
here: press
ENT|ENT.
7. Zoom/scroll map to find a nearby object or location. Use arrow keys to
center cursor crosshairs over the map object or location.
8. To navigate to the selected location, press
steering arrow on Map Page or compass bearing arrow on Navigation Page.
9. At destination, Arrival Alarm goes off. To clear it, press
navigation: press
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
10. Navigate back home by
press
press
FIND|ENT and follow navigation arrows. To Navigate Trail:
MENU|↓ to NAVIGATE TRAIL|ENT. Wait while route is calculated,
then follow arrows.
11. Back home, Arrival Alarm goes off; press
press
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
12. To turn off the iFINDER, press and hold
PWR key.
PAGES
PAGES key to display Map Page, which
ZIN (zoom in key.)
ZOUT (zoom out key.)
EXIT key.
MENU|ENT|EXIT. Follow
EXIT. Cancel
GO HOME or NAVIGATE TRAIL. To Go Home:
EXIT. Cancel navigation:
PWR key for three seconds.
28
Find Your Current Position
Finding your current position is as simple as turning on the iFINDER.
The unit automatically searches for satellites and under a clear sky,
calculates its position in approximately one minute or less.
NOTE:
Clear sky means open sky, unobstructed by terrain, dense foliage or
structures. Clouds do not restrict GPS signal reception.
If for some reason satellite acquisition takes longer, you may be inside
a structure, a vehicle or in terrain that is blocking signal reception. To
correct this, be sure you are positioned so the unit has as clear a view of
the sky as possible, then turn the unit off and back on again.
Moving Around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys
The map is presented from a bird's eye view. The current zoom range
shows in the lower left corner of the screen.
1. Press the
a smaller geographic area.
2. Press the
detail in a larger geographic area.
When you are walking or riding in a vehicle, the map will automatically
move as you move. This keeps your current location roughly centered
on the screen.
You can scroll the map northward, southward, eastward or westward
by using the arrow keys, which will launch the cursor crosshairs. This
allows you to look anywhere on the map. To clear the cursor, press
and the map will revert to the current or last known position.
ZIN key (zoom in) to move in closer and see greater detail in
ZOUT key (zoom out) to move farther away and see less map
EXIT
Cursor line
Selected airport
Cursor line
Distance
measured
by cursor
The selected airport to the northwest is 4.2 miles away.
29
Tip:
Use the cursor to determine the distance from your current position
(or last known position, when working indoors) to any map object or
location. Use the arrow keys to position the cursor over the object or
place. The distance, measured in a straight line, appears in the data
box at the bottom of the map. Press
EXIT to clear the cursor.
Selecting Any Map Item with the Cursor
1. Use the zoom keys and the arrow keys to move around the map and
find any item you wish to select.
2. Use the arrow keys and center the cursor crosshairs on the desired object. On most items, a pop-up box will give the name of the selected item.
You will also notice a red halo surrounds the item when it is selected.
Once that happens and you press
SELECTED ITEM listed at the top of the menu. Press ENT to see the Way-
FIND, the Find Menu will pop up with
point Information screen for the selected item.
Searching
Now that you've seen how the iFINDER can find where you are, let's
search for something else. Searching is one of the most powerful features in the Lowrance GPS product line.
In this example, we'll look for the nearest fast-food restaurant. For more
information on different types of searches, refer to Sec. 6, Searching.
NOTE:
This example requires the Point of Interest (POI) database included
with a high-detail MapCreate 6 custom map.
After the iFINDER has acquired a position:
1. Press
2. You could search the entire restaurant category, but in this example
we will narrow our search. Press → to
FIND|↓ to MAP PLACES|ENT|↓ to POI-RESTAURANTS.
FAST FOOD CHAINS|ENT|ENT.
Find Map Places Menu (left); Category Selection menu (center) with
list of the nearest restaurants (right).
30
3. A list of restaurants will appear with the closest at the top of the list
and the one furthest from you at the bottom of the list. The nearest is
highlighted.
4. If you wanted, you could scroll
for
now, we will just accept the nearest one. Press ENT.
↑ or ↓ to select another restaurant, but
5. The POI's Waypoint Information screen appears. (This is how you
can use the iFINDER as a business phone directory!) If you wanted to
navigate there, you could press Enter, since the
highlighted. But we just want to see it on the map, so press → to
MAP|ENT.
GO TO command is
FIND ON
POI information screen for fast food restaurant nearest this position.
Screen shows name, street address, phone number, latitude/longitude,
distance to the restaurant and its compass bearing. Screen shows Go
To command (left). The Find On Map command is selected (right).
6. The iFINDER's map appears, with the cursor crosshairs highlighting
the restaurant's POI symbol. A pop-up name box identifies the POI. A
data box at the bottom of the screen displays the location's latitude,
longitude, distance and bearing.
Map screen showing Finding Waypoint,
the result of a restaurant search.
31
7. To clear the search and return to the last page displayed, press
EXIT
repeatedly. Before you completely exited out of the Search menus, you
could have gone looking for another place.
NOTE:
Search works from mapping and POI data loaded in the unit. If you
have not loaded a high-detailed custom map covering the desired
search area, you may not find much.
Set Home Waypoint
A waypoint is an electronic address, based on the latitude and longitude of a position on the earth. Easy Mode allows you to save two waypoints (Home and Man Overboard).
To save a Home Waypoint:
1. Press and release
2. A message appears asking if you want to save as home waypoint.
Select
YES and press ENT. The waypoint appears on the map as an X,
named Home.
ENT.
Pop-up box
Save Home Waypoint menu (left). Home waypoint with X symbol and
name (right). When selected by the cursor, the pop-up box appears.
The example shows the home waypoint set at the cursor location. If the
cursor was not active, the point would be placed at the current position.
Caution:
Saving a new Home waypoint will overwrite and erase the previous Home waypoint.
Go Home
This command will automatically take you back to the Home waypoint
you created.
1. Make sure you have cleared the cursor, then press
FIND|ENT and
follow navigation arrows on the Map Page or the compass rose on the
Navigation Page.
32
To cancel navigation, press
YES|ENT. The iFINDER stops showing navigation information.
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to
Set Man Overboard (MOB) Waypoint
One of boating's most terrifying events is having a friend or family
member fall overboard. This unit has a man overboard feature that
shows navigation data to the location where the feature was activated.
To activate it, press the
tion at the time these keys are pressed is used as the man overboard
position.
Caution:
Saving a new Man Overboard waypoint will overwrite and erase
the previous Man Overboard waypoint.
Navigate Back to MOB Waypoint
Find your way back to the position with the Navigation Page or Map
Page. When MOB is activated, the Navigation Page automatically
shows the compass rose with its bearing arrow pointing toward the
man overboard position. The destination name says Going To Man
Overboard and the Map Page displays a Man Overboard waypoint, represented by a human figure. The steering arrow points where to steer
to reach that position.
The man overboard position is stored in the waypoint table for future
reference. It can be edited the same as any other waypoint in Advanced
Mode. This prevents the inadvertent loss of the current Man Overboard
position.
Tip:
You don't need to have an emergency to use the MOB waypoint. In
Easy Mode, it is the only way you can set an additional waypoint
other than the Home waypoint. When you set the MOB point, cancel navigation and use it like a regular waypoint. (Remember, you
can set 1,000 waypoints in Advanced Mode.)
ZOUT and ZIN keys at the same time. Your posi-
To cancel navigation to MOB, press
|ENT|← to YES|ENT. The iFINDER stops showing navigation in-
TION
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGA-
formation.
Navigate to Cursor Position on Map
The GO TO CURSOR command navigates to the current cursor position on
the map. It's a quick and handy way to navigate to anything you can
see on the map display.
1. Use the cursor with the zoom in and zoom out keys to maneuver
around the map until you find a location you would like to visit.
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2. Center the cursor over the location to select it. See the example below. Many map items such as waypoints, Points of Interest, towns, etc.,
can be selected, and appear highlighted with a pop-up box. Other items,
like a river or a street intersection will not appear highlighted, but the
cursor will take you to those locations just the same.
Navigate to cursor. In this example, the cursor
crosshairs are centered on Oologah, Oklahoma.
3. Press MENU|ENT and the iFINDER will begin navigating to the cursor location.
The Map Page will display a course line from your current position to
the cursor position. The Navigation Page displays a compass rose
showing navigation information to your destination. See the following
examples.
The 15-mile zoom figure (left) shows the course line connecting your
current position to your destination. The 60-mile zoom (center) shows
both current position and destination on screen. The Navigation Page
(right) will also show navigation information.
To stop navigating to the cursor, use the Cancel Navigation command:
press
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT. The iFINDER
stops showing navigation information.
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Navigate to a Point of Interest
For POIs that are in view on the map, you can use the Navigate to Cursor command above. Use the cursor to select the POI.
Another method involves searching for POIs by pressing the
and selecting
MAP PLACES. (See the searching example earlier in this sec-
FIND key
tion, or turn to Sec. 6, Searching, for detailed instructions on POI
searches.)
After you have selected
gories will appear. Use ↓ ↑ to highlight a category and press
The
FIND BY MENU will appear with two options from which to choose:
NAME and NEAREST. Select NEAREST and press ENT. A list of locations will
appear with the one nearest you highlighted at the top. Press
press ← to make sure the
of the screen. Now press
MAP PLACES and pressed ENT, a list of map cate-
ENTER.
ENT, then
GO TO command is highlighted at the bottom
ENT. The iFINDER begins showing navigation
information to the item.
To cancel navigation, press
YES|ENT. The iFINDER stops showing navigation information.
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to
Creating and Saving a Trail
A trail, or plot trail, is a history of the path you have taken. On the
screen, trails are represented by a solid line extending from the back of
the current position arrow.
With the default auto setting, the iFINDER creates a trail by placing a
dot (trail point) on the screen every time you change directions. (The
method used for creating a trail and the trail update rate can both be
adjusted in Advanced Mode. See Sec. 5 for Trail Options.)
In Easy Mode, this unit automatically creates a plot trail when turned
on. The trail is saved in memory when the unit is turned off. The
iFINDER continues recording the same trail until you clear the trail,
which erases the old trail and starts creation of a new trail.
NOTE:
The iFINDER can record up to 9,999 points per trail, which can be
adjusted in Advanced Mode. The default setting is a maximum of
2,000 points. When trail length exceeds the maximum setting, the
unit begins recording the trail over itself.
In Advanced Mode, you can save and recall up to 10 different plot
trails, which can be copied to your MMC for archiving.
Caution:
You also have the option of turning off trail recording in Advance Mode. If the option is left off when you switch modes, you
35
will not be able to take advantage of the automatic trail creation
feature in Easy Mode.
Displaying a Saved Trail
The trail is automatically displayed in Easy Mode by default. Trail display can be selectively turned off and on only in Advanced Mode.
Navigating or Backtracking a Trail
There are two methods for following your back trail. The simplest requires no menu commands at all, but provides no navigation information during the trip. The other requires only three keystrokes and provides a full range of navigation data. Try both methods and see which
you prefer. When hiking at walking speed, we often just use visual back
trailing because it is better at following each little turn on a footpath.
At faster speeds, like on a highway or water, the Navigate Trail command is handy.
Visual Back Trailing
1. On the Map Page, zoom (
2. Begin moving and watch the Map. Walk or steer so your current position arrow follows the trail you just made.
Navigate a Back Trail
1. Press
MENU|↓ to NAVIGATE TRAIL|ENT.
2. Now, begin moving and follow your iFINDER.
NOTE:
If you are already located at or near the
beginning of your back trail, the arrival alarm
will go off as soon as you hit Enter. Just press
EXIT to clear the alarm and proceed.
On the map, your original trail is visible as a solid
line, along with a roughly parallel dotted line
indicating the back trail to follow. The map contains a steer arrow in
the lower right corner. This arrow shows you where to steer to reach
the next waypoint on your back trail.
The Navigation Page will also show the trail line and a bearing arrow,
which points to the next waypoint on the trail.
As you travel, the arrival alarm will go off when you near a waypoint,
and the steer arrow (on the map) and bearing arrow (on the compass
rose) will swing around and point to the next waypoint on the trail.
Press
EXIT to clear the alarm.
ZIN or ZOUT) so your trail is visible.
Navigate Trail
36
North
Back trail
dotted line
Trail point
Present
position
arrow
Steer arrow
Navigate trail, map views: Driver is southbound heading straight toward trail point 6 (left). The steer arrow tells the driver to go straight.
Southbound driver (right) has reached point 6 and must turn east to
follow trail. The steer arrow swings around to the left (east), toward
the next trail waypoint (arrival alarm message turned off for clarity.)
Track or compass heading indicator
Trail
waypoint
symbol
Trail line
Present position
Compass
rose
Cross track
error range
(off course
indicator)
Bearing
arrow
Navigate trail, navigation page (compass rose) views: Driver is east-
bound heading straight toward trail point 5 (left). The bearing arrow
shows the trail point is due east (straight ahead.) Driver (right) has
reached trail point 5 and must turn south to follow the trail. Arrival
alarm goes off and bearing arrow swings around to right (south), to-
ward the next waypoint, trail point 6. The iFINDER now shows naviga-
tion information to point 6, which is 2.07 miles away.
3. When you reach your destination, be sure to cancel your navigation:
press
MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT. The iFINDER asks if you're
sure. Press ←
|ENT.
Clearing or Erasing a Trail
You can erase the current trail and automatically begin recording a
new one by using the Clear Trail command.
37
WARNING:
Clearing a trail will erase the trail from the iFINDER's memory.
You will not be able to backtrack the trail, if the it is erased. If you
need to preserve the trail, switch to Advanced Mode and use the instructions in Sec. 4 for Creating and Saving a Trail.
1. Press
Press ←
MENU|↓ to CLEAR TRAIL|ENT. The iFINDER asks if you're sure.
|ENT. 2. Press EXIT| EXIT to get back to the main page display.
Transfer Custom Maps and GPS Data Files
Custom Maps:
Custom maps work only from the MMC card or SD card. When a card
containing a Custom Map File is loaded into the unit, the iFINDER
automatically loads the map into memory when the unit is turned on.
Instructions for copying Custom Map Files to an MMC are contained in
the instruction manual for your MMC card reader and MapCreate 6
software. For instructions on inserting an MMC into the iFINDER, see
Sec. 2, Installation/Accessories.
GPS Data Files:
GPS Data files contain waypoints, routes, trails and event marker
icons. Instructions for copying GPS Data Files between your computer
and an MMC are contained in the instruction manual for your MMC
card reader and MapCreate 6 software.
GPS data automatically recorded in the unit's internal memory must be
saved to the MMC (as a GPS Data File) in order to store it on your personal computer. GPS Data Files stored on an MMC must be copied from
the card to the iFINDER's internal memory before the unit can read
them. Here's how:
1. Insert the MMC into your unit. Press
DATA|ENT and the screen below appears.
MENU|↓ to TRANSFER MY
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The Transfer My Data submenu asks if you want to save data to the
MMC or load data from the MMC into the iFINDER's memory.
2. The Transfer My Data menu includes a message which tells you if an
MMC is present or not. If no MMC is present, you must insert a card
into the iFINDER to activate the Load or Save commands.
To transfer data from the iFINDER to the MMC, press
To transfer data from the MMC to iFINDER, press → to
ENT.
LOAD|ENT.
3. Saving: To accept the default name Data for the GPS Data File,
press ↓ to
below), press
SAVE|ENT. If you wish to rename the file (as in the example
ENT to activate the selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change
the first character, then press → to the next character and repeat until
the name is correct. Then, press
ENT|↓ to SAVE|ENT.
The unit will display first a progress then a completion message when
the data transfer is finished. To return to the Page view, press
EXIT|EXIT.
These figures (from left to right) show the menu sequence for naming
and saving a GPS Data File from an MMC to the iFINDER's memory.
4. Loading: There may be more than one GPS Data File (*.USR) on the
card. To select a file, press
to highlight the file, then press
↓ to
LOAD|ENT. The unit will display a completion message when the
data transfer is finished. To return to the Page view, press
ENT to activate the selection box, use ↓ or ↑
ENT to accept the selection. Next, press
EXIT|EXIT.
39
These figures (left to right) show the menu sequence for loading a GPS
Data File from an MMC into the iFINDER's memory.
Switch to Advanced Mode
To leave Easy Mode and switch to Advanced Mode:
1. Press
2. The unit asks if you are sure you want to enter Advanced Mode.
3. Press
Switch Back to Easy Mode from Advanced Mode
To leave Advanced Mode and switch back to Easy Mode:
1. Press
2. The unit asks if you are sure you want to turn on Easy Mode.
3. Press ←|
MENU|↓ to ADVANCED MODE|ENT.
←|ENT and the unit switches to Advanced Mode.
MENU|MENU|↓ to EASY MODE|ENT.
ENT and the unit switches to Easy Mode.
40
Keypad
2
Section 4:
Advanced Mode Operation
7
3
1
iFINDER H2Oc keypad.
1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and
off and activates the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this key switches the unit between the four different page screens in Advanced Mode. (Satellite, Position, Navigation
and Map.) Each page represents one of the unit's major operation modes.
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus, which allow you to select
or adjust a feature from a list.
4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the
menus, make menu selections, move the chart cursor and enter data.
5. ENT/SAVE (Enter & Save) – This key allows you to save data, accept values or execute menu commands.
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or close a menu.
4
8
9
6
5
7. FIND – The Find key launches the iFINDER search menus and
some navigation functions.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out to see a
larger geographic are on the map. Less detail is seen as you zoom out.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in to see greater
detail in a smaller geographic area on the map.
41
Power/lights on and off
To turn on the unit, press PWR. To turn on the backlight, press PWR
again. Pressing PWR once again will turn off the backlight. (Press EXIT
to clear any message or alarm displays.)
Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the
PWR key for 3 seconds.
Main Menu
Advanced Mode has a single Main Menu, which contains some function
commands and some setup option commands. The instructions in this
section will deal only with functions, the basic commands that make
the iFINDER do something. The iFINDER will work fine for these instructions right out of the box with the factory default settings. But, if
you want to learn about the various options, see Sec. 5, System Setup
and GPS Setup Options.
1. To get to the main menu from any page: press
the menu screen and return to the page display, press
Main Menu, Advanced Mode.
MENU|MENU. To clear
EXIT.
The Main Menu commands and their functions are:
Screen: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen and
backlight delay.
Sounds: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and alarms and
sets the alarm style.
Transparency: adjusts the level of transparency for menus.
Alarms: changes alarm thresholds and allows users to turn on or off
GPS alarms.
Route Planning: allows you to plan, view or navigate routes.
My Trails command: used to show, create, edit or delete trails.
Cancel Navigation: turns off the navigation command after you have
reached your destination.
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