Northstar 6000I Reference Manual

Northstar

6000i

Quickstart Guide

and

Reference Manual

1

7

23

43

51

Contents

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to the Northstar 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using this manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Networking the 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Interfacing the 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Maintaining the 6000i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Quickstart Guide

Northstar 6000i Quickstart Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Turning the 6000i on and off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Introducing the display screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Introducing the controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Navionics chart cartridges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Displaying the chart screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Using demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Displaying numeric data on the chart screen. . . . . . . 17

Displaying numeric data on the position screen . . . . 18

Going immediately to a quick waypoint. . . . . . . . . . . 18

Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The echo sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Split function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup . . . . . . . 21

SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Reference Sections

1 Using the Chart Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using electronic charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using the cursor on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Comparing vessel and browse modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Rotating the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Setting up the chart screen (Classic charts) . . . . . . . . . 31

Setting up the chart screen (Gold Charts) . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using Gold charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Changing the track control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using the course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Using the distance and bearing calculator. . . . . . . . . . 40

2 Position coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Displaying position, COG, and speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Using DGPS or WAAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Using loran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Using Phantom Loran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

3 Navigating to Waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introducing waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Designating a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Steering to a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

The course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Navigating along routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Restarting the track line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

The NAV LOG screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

63

85

4 Creating waypoints and routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Displaying waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Creating new waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Creating avoidance-area waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Editing waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Introducing routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Creating a route from the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Creating routes from a list of waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . 74

Saving a route as you travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Editing a route. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Transferring waypoints/routes to other units. . . . . . . 80

Transferring waypoints to and from a PC. . . . . . . . . . 83

5 Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How radar works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Turning the radar transmitter on and off . . . . . . . . . .

Displaying radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the radar’s main menu keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Overlaying radar on the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Changing radar scale and rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Setting user preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Operating modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the radar adjustment keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using the Radar Markers keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 Echo sounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome to the Northstar 490 Echo Sounder . . . . . 104

Displaying the echo sounder’s picture . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Using automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Changing the frequency of echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Echo Sounder setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

The picture menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Changing the depth settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

86
87
88
89
90
91
92
94
98

103

Using the MORE key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Setting the ECHO screen data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Viewing past echoes using SoundTrac. . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Echo sounding alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

7 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Video sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Displaying video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

8 Alarms and TideTrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alarms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

TideTrack™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

9 N2 Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

10 Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Changing your display settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Changing your navigation settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Changing your receiver settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Changing your port settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Setting up the echosounder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Setting up radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Installing software updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Displaying system information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Changing the time zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Appendix A — Datum list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

135

137

149

153

167

Getting Started

Welcome to the Northstar 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Reference Manual Revision D

Networking the 6000i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Maintaining the 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Interfacing the 6000i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

T

his chapter introduces this manual and explains a few things you should know to keep

your Northstar 6000i in top operating condition.

3

1

•

• A

Welcome to the Northstar

Congratulations on your purchase of the
Northstar 6000i Integrated Navigation

The 6000i has several
requirements that must
be met to ensure safe
and proper operation.
Installation and interfac­ing of the 6000i should
be handled by a marine
technician using the
guidelines found in the
Northstar 6000i Installa­tion Manual.

System! The 6000i is a full-featured color
GPS/vector charting system — easy to use,
but meeting your marine navigation needs
in a comprehensive, logical manner.
Optional Northstar radar and fish finding
modules round out the 6000i ’s capabilities.

The 6000i enhances GPS with the Wide
Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or
optional radiobeacon differential position
navigation for superb accuracy, and offers
a high-resolution full-color screen with
Navionics cartography and video overlay.

Using this manual

This manual is divided into two main
sections:

The Quickstart Guide begins on page 7
and has all the basic information you
need to operate the 6000i. Be sure to
read this section as you start using the
unit.

Reference Section starts on page 23.

Use this when you need more
information about any of the unit’s
functions — you’ll find answers here to

6000i

Major functions are accessed with a single
keypress. By reducing the attention
required to navigate, you can devote more
time to simply enjoying your trip.

For information on installing, interfacing,
and troubleshooting the 6000i , please see
the Northstar 6000i Installation Manual
(part number GM6KIM) or contact your
local authorized Northstar dealer.

any questions about getting the most
from your 6000i .

Check the mini table of contents at the
beginning of each chapter to quickly locate
a topic you need help with.

It’s best to read this manual with the 6000i
set up and running so you can try out the
various functions and see the results.

2

Getting Started

Welcome to the Northstar 6000i

Northstar 6000i

•

•

•

•

Networking the

Conventions

This manual uses certain conventions to
provide a consistent means of recognizing
specific information, as follows:

is the universal caution symbol for
caution and warning information
related to your personal safety or
possible damage to the system. The

CAUTION

critical information—please read them!
The phrase “Press a key” means push

briefly and release, unless otherwise
specified.

and

WARNING

notes contain

6000i

Northstar’s N2 networking technology lets
you connect two or more 6000i units in
order to share navigation data (including
radar and sounder data) and all waypoints
and routes between the units. The system
can be operated from any connected unit,
and all changes to routes and waypoints
are reflected on all the networked units.
Networking is fully automatic on the
6000i; no special steps are necessary

In an N2 network, one display unit is desig­nated as the master, and all others as
slaves. The only restrictions on N2
networking are the following:

Text written like “
refers to named keys on the 6000i’s
front panel. Text written like “

info

” generally refers to the 6000i’s
menu keys at the right side of the
screen.

Whenever this manual tells you to
press

ENTER

can press
not to perform that function. These
keys are abbreviated
the 6000i .

• there must be one and only one master

unit operating in a network

• all units must have the same software

version.

If, for example, a slave unit is turned on
before the master, a message is displayed
reminding you to turn on the master unit
before using the slave. In case the master
unit is not available (removed for service,
for example), brief instructions show how
to temporarily convert a slave into a master
unit.

For details on networking, see N2
Networking, starting on page 149.

CLEAR

CHART

” generally

More

to perform a function, you

instead if you decide

ENT

and

CLR

on

Reference Manual Revision D

Getting Started

Networking the 6000i

3

Interfacing the

6000i

Maintaining the

Pre-packaged moist
towellettes (especially
those containing a small
amount of alcohol) are
excellent for cleaning
the 6000i’s display win­dow. You might want to
keep a supply on hand
to wipe off fingerprints
and other smudges.

The 6000i can be connected to a wide
variety of compatible marine devices,
including Northstar’s echo sounder and
radar. A qualified marine electronics tech-

6000i

Basic maintenance

To help retain the 6000i’s best possible
performance, Northstar recommends the
following:

• be sure to keep the cartridge access

door closed at all times, except when
you’re changing the chart cartridge, to
prevent moisture and dirt from
entering the 6000i

• don’t change the cartridge while the

6000i is exposed to water spray, rain, or
moisture of any kind

• keep spare cartridges in a safe,

watertight place where they won’t be
misplaced

• keep fingerprints off the display screen

(remove any prints with a lens cleaning
cloth)

• remove dirt and grime using a soft

cloth and Windex or soap and water

nician should perform these installations.
For details, contact your local authorized
Northstar dealer.

• don’t scratch the display by wiping a

sandy or salty cloth across it

• use the 6000i’s protective plastic

sunshield when not in use (excessive
heat from the sun can cause damage)

• don’t open the 6000i’s case—there aren’t

any user-serviceable parts inside

• always keep the rear connectors’ plastic

caps on when they are not in use (the
connectors are not waterproof unless
covered)

Cleaning the display screen

Be careful when cleaning the glass window
covering the display screen. Although the
window is scratch-resistant, you may
damage the anti-reflective coating if you
use a dry cloth to wipe dirt off. Always use
a damp cloth with plenty of water to
remove salt or dirt. To remove any oil or

4

Getting Started

Interfacing the 6000i

Northstar 6000i

grease on the screen, use a clean, dry
microfiber-type lens cleaning cloth or a
small amount of window cleaner.

Avoid touching the window with your
fingers. The natural oils from your hand

Technical support

Northstar products are manufactured and
serviced by BNT Marine Electronics.

If you need technical support, or have any
other questions after you’ve followed the
instructions in this manual, you can
contact the factory as follows:

by Telephone:

978/897-6600 or 800/628-4487

by E-mail:

Service: [e-mail]
Sales: [e-mail]

by Fax:

Service: 978/897-1595
Sales: 978/897-7241

by U.S. mail:

Northstar
30 Sudbury Road
Acton, MA 01720 USA

will temporarily affect the characteristics of
the screen and cause your fingerprints to
appear as bright reflections. Fingerprints
will disappear when you clean the screen
as described in the previous paragraph.

Additional information is available at
Northstar’s website:

www.NorthstarNav.com

Hearing from you

Your feedback is important and helps
ensure that this manual is a valuable
resource for all 6000i users. Send your
questions, comments, or suggestions about
this manual to:

[e-mail]

Service and repair

In case of a 6000i operating problem, you
can contact your dealer or return the 6000i
to the factory for diagnosis and repair.
When calling, be sure to have your 6000i’s
serial number and software revision avail­able. In describing a problem, be as

Reference Manual Revision D

Getting Started

Technical support

5

complete and accurate as possible. Before
returning the 6000i for repair, you may
want to save your waypoints and routes. If
the unit is properly networked to another
6000i display, a copy of your waypoints
and routes is already saved in the other
unit. You can also transfer data to a North­star 900 series navigator or to a PC as
described on pages 80 and 83.

NOTE:

To prevent delays, it’s critical that you
first obtain a Return Materials Authoriza­tion (RMA) number from our Service
Department before returning your 6000i.

Shipments to Northstar should be made to
the following address:

Northstar Service Department

30 Sudbury Road

Acton, MA 01720

If you have special overnight or
second-day shipping requirements, please
call for turnaround time and freight costs
before you ship your 6000i.

6

Getting Started

Technical support

Northstar 6000i

Northstar

Turning the 6000i on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Introducing the display screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introducing the controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Navionics chart cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Displaying the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Using demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Displaying numeric data on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . 17

Displaying numeric data on the position screen . . . . . . . 18

Going immediately to a quick waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The echo sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Split function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup . . . . . . . . . . . 21

SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

This section gives an overview of each of the 6000i’s major functions and the basic infor-

mation you need to begin using them.

We suggest you read this section carefully as you first use the 6000i, and then refer to the
following Reference Sections, as necessary, to answer any questions you may have.

6000i

Quickstart Guide

8

16

Quickstart Guide Revision D

7

Turning the

6000i

on and off

CAUTION!

Use caution when navi­gating with electronic
charts. Although every

effort has been made to
ensure that the data the
6000i uses is as close as
possible to paper charts,
errors and omissions are
inevitable. The captain is
responsible for
cross-checking the 6000i
against other sources of
navigation data.

Turning the

To turn the 6000i on, gently and briefly
press the PWR key. (See Figure 1 on
page 10 for a picture of the controls.)

The 6000i beeps and displays its start-up
screen, and then performs a series of
self-tests to check its critical components
and functions.

Next, a message warns against relying on
the 6000i’s chart cartography as the only
means of safe navigation. Acknowledge the
warning message by pressing the CHART
key.

6000i

Introducing the display screen

Adjusting the brightness

To adjust the screen’s brightness, briefly
press the PWR key. Then press the cursor
pad upward to brighten the screen, or
downward to darken it.

After reaching maximum brightness, you
can release and press the cursor pad again
to increase the contrast, making the screen
even more readable under full sunlight
conditions.

on

Now you’re ready to get underway with
your 6000i!

If this 6000i was recently used at or near
its present location, it will usually be
ready to navigate within one minute after
it is turned on.

Turning the

To turn the 6000i off, press and hold the

PWR key for a few seconds until the screen

goes dark.

If the 6000i becomes too hot due to high
ambient temperature and strong sunlight,
the display screen may automatically dim
to prevent overheating. You can tempo­rarily override the auto-dim function at
any time just by increasing the brightness.
The 6000i may dim again to avoid
exceeding the maximum internal
temperature.

6000i

off

8

Turning the 6000i on and off

Northstar 6000i

Special display windows

Occasionally, the 6000i needs to tell you
something or ask permission to do some­thing. When this happens, an information
or question window appears on the screen.
This window may contain an alarm icon, or
an INFO icon or a large question mark
along with a message for you to read.

Introducing the controls

Question windows

A question window appears
when the 6000i needs a
response from you. Respond
to a question window by pressing the

ENTER key to answer yes, or the CLEAR

key to answer no. Most of the other keys,
including the function keys, are tempo­rarily inactive while the 6000i displays a
question window.

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Feel free to try any of the 6000i’s controls!
You can’t hurt anything, and you’ll only
learn more about how to use the 6000i
more efficiently. The 6000i always asks
you to verify what you’re doing before it
changes or deletes information. You’ll be
asked to confirm your action before
anything happens that may affect the
6000i’s operation. You can always press

CLEAR to cancel a function if you change

your mind.

Using ENTER and CLEAR

Introducing the controls

Function keys

Figure 1 on page 10 illustrates the loca­tions of the 6000i’s controls.

The six keys below the screen access the
unit’s major functions. These are CHART,

POSITION, and STEER, and the optional

functions RADAR, SOUNDER and VIDEO.
Press one at any time to instantly display
that function on the full screen, then use
the menu keys at the right edge of the
screen to control the function.

The WAYPTS/ROUTES key accesses the
6000i’s database of stored position
information.

The STAR key accesses the alarm screen
and miscellaneous functions including
TideTrack and setup commands.

9

SPLIT

IN

OUT

WAYPTS
ROUTES

SAVE

MOB

CHART POSITION STEER RADAR SOUNDER VIDEO

PWR

BRT

Figure 1:

6000i

controls

Split screen feature

If you have the radar, echo sounder or
video options installed, press the SPLIT key
to split the screen into two or more
sections, each with a different function

10

Introducing the controls

displayed. See page 20 for more
information.

Northstar 6000i

Menu keys

The six round keys at the right of the
screen take on different functions,
depending on the screen displayed. Each
active key is labeled on the screen.

You can press CLEAR to hide the labels
and display more data on the CHART, STEER,

Navionics chart cartridges

SPLIT, and SOUNDER screens. To show the

labels again, press any menu key. On the

CHART screen, you can also hide the info

bar (see Displaying numeric data on the
chart screen, on page 17) by pressing

CLEAR a second time, while the menu

keys are hidden.

Quickstart Guide Revision D

The 6000i contains a built-in, low-resolu­tion map that covers the entire world, but
without much detail. This map can give
you an approximate idea of your location
with respect to land areas, but nav aids are
not included.

For more detailed charting data, you can to
purchase one or more Navionics chart
cartridges:

• Classic cartridges include several charts

covering a specific geographic region

• Gold chart cartridges add nearly all of

the additional data from printed charts,
including shaded areas indicating
depths

Cartridges with the XL3 designation
contain charts for more than one region.
Only one region can be used at a time, The
user selects the desired region as described
in Navionics XL3 charts, on page 25.

Navionics chart cartridges

Navionics is a major producer of
high-quality, high-resolution “seamless”
digital charts. Virtually every major port
and most popular boating areas are avail­able on these cartridges, and new charts
are constantly being added. To obtain
Navionics charts, contact your authorized
Northstar dealer.

It’s important to realize that you can use
either Classic or Gold charts at any given
time. To switch cartridge types, turn the
unit off, change the cartridge, and turn it
back on. If you have two or more 6000is
networked, it’s the master’s cartridge that
configures the network for Classic or Gold.
You cannot use different cartridge types
simultaneously.

11

Inserting a chart cartridge

The cartridge slot is located behind the
6000i’s keypad, which opens as shown in
Figure 2. The latch is at the left edge of the
door. Push it to the right to open the door.

The cartridge only fits correctly one way. If
it doesn’t slide in smoothly, try the other
way. Insert the cartridge gently but firmly
with one straight, smooth motion. A
cartridge can be safely inserted or removed
while the 6000i is turned on.

Be sure to close the door securely to
avoid water penetration!

shown at the left of the CHART STATUS
screen. The cartridge name displayed on
the left of the screen is its Navionics
catalog number.

12

IT

L

P

S

IN

T

U

O

S

Y

P

Y

A

S

W

E

T

U

O

R

E

V

A

S

B

O

M

Figure 2: Inserting the chart cartridge

Showing the cartridge name and date

Press the CHART key, and then the Chart

setup

menu key at the right of the CHART

screen. The cartridge name and date are

Navionics chart cartridges

Chart Setup/status screen

Some older cartridges may not have this
information; in this case, the word
PRESENT is shown in place of the name
and date. If no chart cartridge is installed,
the words NONE INSERTED are shown.

It usually takes 15 seconds or so to load
chart data after the 6000i is turned on or
after a new cartridge is inserted.

Accessing the regions contained in Navi­onics XL3 series cartridges is described on
page 25.

Using the additional data on Gold charts is
described in Setting up the chart screen
(Gold Charts), starting on page 33.

Northstar 6000i

Displaying the chart screen

After the 6000i completes its start-up
sequence, press the CHART function key to
acknowledge the warning message and
display the CHART screen.

You’ll soon see your present position repre­sented by a black triangular vessel symbol
in the center of the chart. If you’re not
receiving GPS signals, you can use Demo
Mode, as described on page 16.

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Displaying the chart screen

13

By the

Alarms screen

way,

If you’re not receiving
GPS signals, you can
use Demo Mode to
simulate real-life condi­tions, including motion.
See Using demo mode,
on page 16.

The 6000i’s CHART screen displays your
vessel’s present position (or any position
you designate with the cursor pad) in
relation to land masses, nav aids, and any
waypoints and routes you have entered. As
you navigate, your vessel remains in the
center of the CHART screen, and the chart
moves underneath your vessel.

Clearing a GPS or WAAS alarm

If the 6000i isn’t able to obtain a position
from GPS within three minutes, you’ll see a
flashing NO GPS alarm icon on the right
side of the screen. This means the 6000i
has an alarm message that needs your
acknowledgement: Press the STAR
function key to display the Alarms screen.

The alarm message NO GPS POSITION

FIX is shown in the Recent Alarms box.

This message advises you that the 6000i
is in the process of acquiring satellite
information necessary for displaying a
position fix.

The word NEW in the upper right corner of
the screen tells you this message hasn’t yet
been acknowledged. To acknowledge this
or any message alarm, press the Clear

alarm

acquires its signals, you’ll be ready to go.

menu key. As soon as the 6000i

For details about alarms, see Alarms,
starting on page 138.

Using the chart

Your vessel is normally shown in the
center of the chart screen. If your vessel is
moving, the symbol will point in the direc­tion of your Course Over Ground (COG). (If
your vessel isn’t moving, the 6000i can’t
determine your COG, so the direction of
the vessel symbol won’t mean anything.)

White areas represent water and brown
areas are land. Avoidance areas and a
lat/lon grid may be displayed. If you’re
using a chart cartridge, nav aids and depth
contours are shown as well as landmark
names.

14

Displaying the chart screen

Northstar 6000i

To zoom in and see more details about
your position, press the IN key. To zoom
out (more area and less detail), press OUT.

Use the cursor pad to display the
red cursor and designate waypoints
or move the chart to a different
area. Press Vessel to recenter the chart on
your vessel.

Chart area

Info bar Menu keys

Chart screen

CursorVessel

WAAS

The WAAS (or DGPS) indicator on the right
side of the screen means the 6000i is
currently receiving WAAS (or optional
radiobeacon) signals.

Chart plotter functions

The menu keys at the right of the chart
screen perform the following navigation
functions (not all keys are shown all the
time):

• display any available overlays, such as

radar

• rotate the chart to north-up, course-up,

leg-up or heading-up (heading-up
requires an optional heading sensor)

• restart the desired track line to run

directly from your position to the
waypoint, “zeroing” the cross-track
error display

• return from “Browse” mode (cursor

on-screen) to “Vessel” mode (vessel
centered)

• change the options available for the

chart screen

• display additional position information

in the INFO BAR at the bottom of the
screen

• go to a waypoint, nav aid, or unmarked

point you select on the chart screen by
pressing the cursor pad

Displaying other information

On the CHART screen, you can display your
current route, track history, waypoints and
avoidance points, a lat/lon grid, a radar
overlay, or other chart details. For Classic
charts, see Setting up the chart screen
(Classic charts), on page 31. For Gold charts,
see Setting up the chart screen (Gold Charts),
on page 33.

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Displaying the chart screen

15

Alarms

The Northstar 6000i alerts you to condi­tions that may require attention. Some
alerts are strictly informative, such as
nearing a waypoint, and some warn of
conditions such as loss of navigation
signals. The unit alerts you with a beeping
sound and a flashing symbol in the lower

right corner of the screen. Many alarms
automatically clear themselves after a few
seconds. Others remain flashing until you
press a key on the ALARM screen or until
the condition clears. See Alarms, starting on
page 138 for a listing of all alarms and the
meaning of each.

Using demo mode

You can use demo mode to simulate a
stationary position, or simulate navigating
to a location you select on the

Simulated radar and
echo-sounding signals
can also be displayed
when in demo mode.

-

screen. Demo mode is useful for training,
and could be used for dead reckoning in
the event that GPS signals should ever fail.

To access the demo control screen, display
the CHART screen and press Chart setup,
then press Demo control.

To place your vessel at a simulated
position and enter demo mode, press the
cursor pad to move the cursor to the
desired position on the chart. Zoom out if
you need to see more area. Press Demo

Position

will now be stationary at this position.

and ENTER. Your vessel symbol

CHART

Demo control screen

To simulate motion from this point to
another location, press the cursor pad to
move the cursor to the destination, then
press the Demo COG/SOG key. To change
the vessel’s speed from the standard 12

16

Alarms

Northstar 6000i

knots, use the keypad to enter the new
speed. Finally, press ENTER to start moving
to the demo cursor location.

To leave demo mode, go back to the DEMO

CONTROL

screen as described above, and

press Exit Demo.

To view the CHART screen while in demo
mode, press Return twice.

The word Demo always appears on the
right side of the
you’re in demo mode.

CHART screen when

Displaying numeric data on the chart screen

To display numeric information directly on
the chart screen, press the More Info menu
key to display an “info bar” at the bottom
of the screen. (If the More Info key is not
visible, press Vessel to restore it.)

This key returns you directly to the active

CHART screen.

Each additional press of the More Info key
shows the following information:

• your vessel’s present

Speed-Over-Ground (SOG),
Course-Over-Ground (COG), and
(optionally) heading (HDG)

• your vessel’s distance (Dist) and bearing

(Brg) to the current waypoint, if any,

along with a cross-track indicator

• your vessel’s position in lat/lon (or TDs,

if you’ve enabled loran)

• the Speed-Through-Water (STW), water

depth and temperature, as measured by
the optional echo sounder

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Vessel lat/lon displayed on chart screen

Displaying numeric data on the chart screen

17

Displaying numeric data on the position screen

GPS position screen

To display your position, speed, course,
and time with large, easily read digits, press

POSITION. The GPS POSITION screen shows

the following information:

• your vessel’s position in lat/lon (or TDs,

if enabled)

• your vessel’s present SOG and COG

• current time, day, and date

• geodetic datum (for details, see

Choosing a geodetic datum, starting on
page 158)

For details about using this screen, see
Position coordinates, starting on page 43.

Going immediately to a quick waypoint

The Northstar 6000i can guide you directly
to any point on the CHART screen that you
designate. “Point-and-shoot” navigation, as
it is called, is often the easiest way to go to
a waypoint or a series of waypoints: Just
select the points right on the chart and go
to them, one after another. This technique
provides the most flexibility in deciding
where you want to travel. Simply move the
cursor wherever you want, press a key, and
you’re navigating.

1. Press the CHART key to display the

CHART screen.

2. Press the cursor pad to move the cursor
to the desired spot on the chart.

3. Press Go to cursor.

4. Press ENTER.

The 6000i displays a track line to the new
waypoint named ­directly to this point.

QUIK-, and guides you

18

Displaying numeric data on the position screen

Northstar 6000i

Radar

Watch your progress on the chart screen,

or press STEER to stay accurately on the
straight-line course to the waypoint (see
Steering to a waypoint, starting on page 54).

That’s all you have to do to use the 6000i
in its simplest form. To learn more about
navigating to waypoints, See Navigating to
Waypoints, starting on page 51.

Navigating

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Using the optional Northstar radar you can
determine where other boats or ships, navi­gational markers, land masses, flocks of
birds, and other objects are located in
relation to your vessel, and you can track
their movements.

The radar won’t be operational until you
turn on the radar transmitter. See
Displaying radar, starting on page 87.

If a Northstar radar unit is interfaced to the
6000i, press RADAR to see the radar image.

If a radar unit is not operating or not
connected, you can simulate radar signals

for your area by using Demo Mode as
described on page 16.

Press Adjust Radar to make operating
adjustments to the radar system as
described in Using the radar adjustment
keys, starting on page 94.

Press Radar Markers to set the radar’s
Electronic Bearing Lines, Range Rings, etc.
as described in Using the Radar Markers
keys, starting on page 98.

On the CHART screen, you can press Radar

overlay

to superimpose the radar image on

Radar

19

the chart screen. More information on
radar starts on page 85.

For information on installing radar and
making it operational, see the Northstar

The echo sounder

Radar Installation Manual (part number
GMRadIM). For the 2 kW Northstar radar,
see P/N GMKRad2KIM.

Split function

If your 6000i is equipped with Northstar’s
optional echo sounder, press SOUNDER to
display the full ECHO SOUNDER screen.

The SPLIT key

You can split the screen to display several
navigation functions on the screen at the
same time. For example, you could display
the chart, sounder and radar images
simultaneously.

Press the SPLIT key to split the screen into
two or more sections, each with a different
function displayed. Press SPLIT a second
time to display several combinations of
functions to choose from. Press the menu
key to select the split you want to use.

For the simplest operation, press Auto-

matic

, and select the desired transducer
frequency and zoom modes. More informa­tion about sounder setup and operation
starts on page 104.

The Control key

When the screen is split to show more than
one function, you can press Control to
select which of the displayed functions is
controlled by the menu keys.

The Control key is also available when the
radar overlay is in use.

20

The echo sounder

Northstar 6000i

The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup

Using the alarms

The 6000i has several alarms that automat­ically alert you to certain situations. For
example, the 6000i lets you know when
you’re approaching a waypoint by
sounding a beep and flashing an alarm
icon on the screen. The icon explains the
reason for the alarm. Most of the common
alarms automatically cancel themselves
after ten seconds or after the condition
ends. For details, see Alarms, starting on
page 138.

Using TideTrack™

Press the STAR key twice to display the
6000i’s Tide Track screen, a 24-hour tide

SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB)

Pressing SAVE/MOB always saves your
present position as a waypoint.

graph for any of over 3,000 NOAA tide
stations covering the entire U.S. coastline,
including Alaska and Hawaii, plus much of
the eastern and western Canadian coast­line. You can display tides for today or any
other date. For details about TideTrack, see
TideTrack™, starting on page 146.

Setup functions

Additional presses of the STAR key access
the 6000i’s various setup and customiza­tion functions. These functions are
described beginning on page 156.

waypoint, and the three-digit number
increases by one every time you save a
waypoint.

Quickstart Guide Revision D

Saving waypoints

Press SAVE briefly to save a waypoint. The
new waypoint is given a name such as

-S002-, where the letter S indicates a saved

The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup

You can limit the number of saved
waypoints that will be stored. Use the MAX

SAVED WAYPT #
OPTIONS

waypoints, on page 155).

function in the DISPLAY

menu (see The number of saved

21

When the three-digit number reaches the
specified maximum, it wraps back to 001
and overwrites the older waypoint that has
the same number.

Any saved waypoints that you want to
keep or use in a route should be renamed
before they are overwritten (see Editing
waypoints, starting on page 70).

Saving routes

You can set the 6000i to automatically
save a sequence of waypoints as a route.
Each time you press SAVE, your position
will be recorded as an additional waypoint
in the route. See Saving a route as you
travel, starting on page 74 for details.

Man Overboard

Press and hold the SAVE/MOB for at least
four seconds (until you see the “Man Over­board” window) to save your position as a
waypoint named –MOB– and immediately
start navigating to it. The 6000i switches to
a zoomed-in chart screen showing your
vessel and the MOB waypoint. You can use
any of the unit’s functions to return to the
location of the waypoint.

22

Press any key to go back to normal
operation.

SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB)

Northstar 6000i

Reference section 1

Using the Chart Screen

Using electronic charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Using the cursor on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Comparing vessel and browse modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Rotating the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Setting up the chart screen (Classic charts) . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Setting up the chart screen (Gold Charts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Using Gold charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Changing the track control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using the course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Using the distance and bearing calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

This section explains the electronic chart, the two chart modes (Vessel and Browse), the

various chart symbols and their meanings, and how to set up both Classic Charts and
Gold Charts to display the data you need.

Reference Manual Revision D

23

Using electronic charts

Each Navionics chart cartridge contains
electronic chart data from several paper

e

b

s

e

a

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l

P

a

c

Don’t become over-con­fident when using elec­tronic charts. Always be
cautious!

!

l

e

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r

f

CAUTION!

Nav aids have been
converted from official
paper charts into the
electronic format on
your screen, and there­fore aren’t necessarily
as accurate as the
paper charts. In some
areas, only the most
important nav aids may
be shown.

charts. Classic charts have basic informa­tion from the original paper charts,
although spot depth soundings, some nav
aids, and other data may be missing. Gold
charts provide much additional data such
as obstructions, traffic areas and shaded
depth areas. When used with appropriate
caution, electronic charts open up a world
of navigational accuracy and simplicity.

Chart boundaries

The 6000i displays the boundary line of
each chart on the CHART screen. You can
turn these lines off if you prefer (see
Choosing the chart details, starting on page

32).

If you move from a highly detailed chart to
a less detailed one, you may see a sudden
change in the detail shown on the screen,
just as if you had changed from one
detailed paper chart to a less detailed one.
The displayed boundary lines may help
indicate when this change in detail is going
to happen.

Nav aids

The nav aids on the CHART screen repre­sent a variety of standard “aids to

navigation” used on coastal and inland
waterways throughout the United States.
Nav aids are displayed on the CHART screen
as colored circles. Most of these aids are
buoys, lights, lighthouses, and daybea­cons, which typically are maintained by
the U.S. Coast Guard. Nav aids warn you of
hidden dangers, such as underwater
hazards, and to help you safely navigate
specific waterways and channels.

When you move the cursor onto a nav aid,
the 6000i displays a description in the info
bar at the bottom of the screen, along with
the distance and bearing from your vessel
to the nav aid.

Buoys

Buoys are the most common type of nav
aid found along the coast and on your
charts. The 6000i shows green and red
channel marker buoys as green and red
circles, respectively.

Approach buoys are shown as circles with
black on the upper half and white on the
lower half.

Sound buoys (featuring an audible signal,
such as a bell, gong, or whistle) are identi­fied by a description in the info bar.

24

Reference section 1 — Using the Chart Screen

Using electronic charts

Northstar 6000i

Navionics XL3 charts

Navionics XL3 series chart cartridges
contain several chart regions in each
cartridge. When you’re using these
cartridges, select the region you wish to
use by displaying the CHART screen and
pressing the CHART key a second time. A
list of available regions is displayed. Press
the menu key corresponding to the desired
region. (Under some conditions this selec­tion screen is shown automatically when
you insert the XL3 cartridge.)

Using XL3 charts on multiple
networked displays

A master 6000i unit displays the regions
from the cartridge plugged into it. A slave
unit displays all the regions from the
master’s cartridge, plus those from its own
cartridge, if any. Cartridges plugged into a
slave unit can only be used on that one
unit.

Note that selecting a region on one unit
does not cause other units to switch to the
same region. Each unit is independent with
regard to region selection.

• If you have two or more units installed

side-by-side, you can navigate with one
unit while using another unit for trip
planning in another region.

Zooming in and out

To get a closer look at the chart area
around your vessel or around the cursor,
press the IN key to zoom in. To see a wider
area, press OUT to zoom out. Each press of

IN or OUT approximately halves or doubles

the chart scale.

Reference Manual Revision D

Each chart has a maximum usable level of
magnification. When you zoom in one step
past that level, a portion of the chart screen
and much of its text and symbols are
doubled in size to fill the screen for easier
viewing from a distance.

Reference section 1 — Using the Chart Screen

Zooming in and out

25

Chart data removed from screen

Chart data doubled in size

26

If you zoom in still further, the 6000i
removes all chart detail from the screen for
safety reasons, leaving only your vessel, its
track, user-entered waypoints, and the
lat/lon grid.

Reference section 1 — Using the Chart Screen

Zooming in and out

As a reminder that no land, charted
hazards or nav aids are shown, the 6000i
faintly displays the words No Chart
multiple times across the screen. Even
without any chart data displayed, you can
still use the 6000i as a precision plotter.

NOTE:

Whenever the radar overlay is turned on,

the scales of the chart and the radar are

locked together so that the images will

line up. If you change the scale of one,

the scale of the other changes automati-

cally.

Northstar 6000i