Northstar EXPLORER 443SP Installation Guide

Explorer 443s/443sp

Fishfi nder

Installation and Operation Manual

www.northstarnav.com

DANGER

!

WARNING

!

CAUTION

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Please read carefully before installation and use.

This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential personal
injury hazards, Obey all safety messages that follow this symbol to avoid
possible injury or death.

WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided,
could result in death or serious injury

CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided,
could result in minor or moderate injury.

CAUTION

DISCLAIMER: It is the owner’s sole
responsibility to install and use the instrument
and transducers in a manner that will not cause
accidents, personal injury or property damage.
The user of this product is solely responsible for
observing safe boating prac tices.

BRUNSWICK NEW TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND ITS
SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES DISCLAIM ALL
LIABILIT Y FOR ANY USE OF THIS PRODUCT IN A
WAY THAT MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS, DAMAGE OR
THAT MAY VIOLATE THE LAW.

Governing Language: This statement,
any instruction manuals, user guides and
other information relating to the product
(Documentation) may be translated to, or

CAUTION used without the safety alert symbol indicates a potentially haz­ardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in property damage.

has been translated from, another language
(Translation). In the event of any conf lict
between any Translation of the Documentation,
the English language version of the
Documentation will be the official version of the
Documentation.

This manual represents the Explorer 443s/443sp
as at the time of printing. Brunswick New
Technologies Inc. and its subsidiaries and
affiliates reserve the right to make changes to
specifications without notice.

Copyright © 2006 Brunswick New Technologies
Inc. Northstar™ is a registered trademark of
Brunswick New Technologies Inc

FCC Statement

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a normal installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

Connect the equipment into an output on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected.

Consult the dealer or an experienced technician for help.

A shielded cable must be used when connecting a peripheral to the serial ports.

Contents

1 Introdu ction .......................................................................................................................................... 5

2 Gettin g started ......................................................................................................................................6

2-1 Simulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3 Operati on ..............................................................................................................................................7

3-1 Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3-2 HISTORY screen operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3-3 HISTORY screen interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3-4 ZOOM screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

3-5 SONAR screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

3-6 NAVIGATE screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

3-7 DATA screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

3-8 RANGE menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

4 SETUP menu ......................................................................................................................................... 17

4-1 ALARMS menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

4-2 UNITS menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

4-3 FISH SYMBOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

4-4 CONTRAST menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

4-5 ZOOM SPLIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

4-6 LOG menu (Explorer 443sp ONLY) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

4-7 INSTALL menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

4-8 CALIBRATION menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

4-9 Resetting to Factory Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

5 Instal lation .......................................................................................................................................... 23

5-1 What comes with the Explorer 443s/443sp? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

5-2 Options and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

5-3 Mounting the Explorer 443s/443sp Display Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

5-4 Wiring Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

5-5 Connecting an Explorer 443s/443sp to other instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Append ix A - Specifica tions ..................................................................................................................... 27

Append ix B - Troubleshootin g ................................................................................................................. 28

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

3

Important

It is your sole responsibility to install and use Northstar’s instrument & transducers in a manner that
will not cause accidents, personal injur y or property damage. Always observe safe boating practices.

The choice, location, angle and installation of the instrument & transducers are critical to
performance of the system as intended. Follow instructions in this manual carefully. If in doubt,
consult your Nor thstar dealer.

Ensure that any holes cut are in a safe position and will not weaken the boat’s structure. If in

doubt, consult a qualified boat builder.

Do not install plastic through hull transducers in solid wooden hulls. Leaking through the hull

may result.

Do not install bonze transducers in metal hulls. This will cause elec trolytic corrosion that may

result in damage to the hull or transducer.

Sonar Performance: The accuracy of the sonar depth display can be affected by many factors,
including the type and location of the transducer and water conditions. Ensure that the transducer
is located and used correc tly.

Fuel Computer: Do not rely on the fuel computer as the sole source of information regarding
available fuel onboard. Fuel economy can change drastically depending on boat loading and sea
conditions. Fuel Computer information should be supplemented by visual or other checks of the
fuel load. This is necessary due to possible operator errors such as forgetting to reset the fuel used
when filling the tank, running the engine with the Fuel Computer not switched on, or on other
operator ac tions that may render the device inaccurate. Always carry adequate fuel onboard for the
intended trip, plus a reserve to allow for unforeseen circumstances.

Failure to adhere to these warnings may lead to death, serious injury or property damage.
Northstar disclaims all liability for installation or use of this product that causes or
contributes to death, injury or property damage or that violates any law.

As Northstar is continuously improving this product we retain the right to make changes to the
product at any time which may not be reflected in this version of manual. Please contact your
nearest Nor thstar office if you require any further assistance.

Northstar fishfinders are set up with default units of feet, °F (Fahrenheit) and knots.

Please refer to sec tion 4-2 of this manual to change the units.

4

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

1 Introduction

Congratulations on choosing a Northstar
fishfinder. For maximum benefit, please read this
manual carefully before installation and use.

This manual describes the installation and oper atio n
procedures for the Explorer 443s/443sp.

The Northsta r Fishfinder

The Explorer 443s/443sp is an ultrasonic fishfinder
with four levels of greyscale. It provides powerful
software and a large, high-resolution screen with
a zoom facility and a choice of fish symbols. As
well as detecting fish, the E xplorer 443s/443sp
measures the water depth, battery voltage,
engine hours and water temperature.

The Explorer 443sp also measures boat speed and
has two distance logs (Trip Log and Total Log).

An installed Explorer 443s/443sp has two parts:

- The transducer attached to the hull.

- The display unit.

The transducer generates an ultrasonic pulse
(sound that is above the hearing range of the
human ear), which travels down towards the
bottom, spreading out into a cone shape.
When the pulse meets an object, such as a fish
or the bottom, some of the pulse is reflected
back up towards the boat and is received by
the transducer. The depth of an object can be
calculated by measuring the time between
sending the pulse and receiving its echo. The
Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp will detect
the bottom down to 600 feet (180 metres),
depending on the clarity of the water and the
type of transducer used.

The strength of an echo can vary for a number
of reasons. Larger fish usually return stronger
echoes, and so do fish in the middle of the
cone, where the pulse is strongest. Reasons for
weak echoes include the fish or object being in
deep water, turbid water or in the edge of the
cone where the pulse is weakest. Turbid water
scatters the ultrasonic pulse and is difficult to
‘see’ through. Turbidity can be caused by air in
the water (e.g. from another boat’s wake) or by
mud in the water.

Important

It is vital to the performance of the fishfinder that
the transducer is installed in the best location.
Please follow the instructions in the Transducer
Installation manual very carefully.

All of the Nor ths tar 400 Series fishfinders use
proprietary SBN Technology for sonar processing to
improve signal enhancement, bottom recognition
and noise rejection. SBN Technology uses the
latest in digital adaptive filter algorithms to
enhance all returned signals. At the same time,
SBN Technology uses active noise control to
reject inter ference, which can often be mistaken
by fishfinders for true returns. Using SBN
Technology, the Explorer 443s/443sp analyses the
reflec tions from each pulse, filters false returns,
and displays what is in the water under the boat.

The distinctions bet ween the four levels of
shading help the user to better interpret what is
in the water and what type of bottom is under
the boat.

Assisting with navigation

The Explorer 443s/443sp can be used to find
fish, to locate features on the bottom such as
reefs or wrecks, and to help recognise favorite
fishing spots from the profile of the bottom. Use
the Northstar fishfinder to assist navigation by
following the depth contours marked on charts.

!

CAUTION

IMPORTANT NOTE ON USE. While any fishfinder
can be used as an aid to navigation, accuracy
can be influenced by many f actors including
the location of the transducer. It is the user’s
responsibilit y to ensure that the Explorer
443s/443sp is installed and used correctly.

How to find fish

Underwater features like reefs, wrecks and rocky
outcrops attract fish. Use the Explorer 443s/443sp
to find these features, then look for fish by
passing over the feature slowly several times
using the ZOOM screen (see section 3-4). Where
there is a current, the fish will of ten be found
downstream of the feature.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

5

For deep-sea fishing with the Explorer
443s/443sp, a rapid change in temperature may
indicate the edge of a warm or cold current. The
temperature difference can form a barrier, and
the fish may not swim through this. Search for fish
on either side of the barrier.

Cleaning a nd maintenance

The Explorer 443s/443sp should be cleaned
with a damp cloth or mild detergent. Avoid
abrasive cleaners and petrol or other solvents.
Always cover or remove a transom-mounted

2 Getting started

transducer when repainting the hull. If painting
over a through hull transducer with antifouling
paint then use only one coat of paint. When
repainting the transducer, remove previous coats
of antifouling paint by sanding it lightly.

When not in use, the Explorer 443s/443sp can
either be removed from the installation bracket
and stored in a safe, dry, cool place such as the
Northstar carry bag, or lef t on the installation
bracket and securely covered with the optional
sun cover.

Power and transd ucer connection

Explorer 443s

One end of the integrated transducer/power
cable has an 8 pin LT connector plug. Push this
plug into the socket located on the rear of the
display unit, then turn the collar to lock. Make
sure that the collar is secure for a water tight
connection.

Explorer 443sp

One end of the power cable has a black 8 pin LT
connector plug. Push this plug into the lower
socket, which has a black nut and is located on
the rear of the display unit, then turn the collar
to lock. Make sure that the collar is secure for a
watertight connection.

One end of the transducer cable has a blue 8 pin
LT connector plug. Push this plug into the upper
socket, which has a blue nut and is located on
the rear of the display unit, then turn the collar
to lock. Make sure that the collar is secure for a
watertight connection.

If the transducer is not connected, the
message “NO TRANSDUCER DETEC TED. ENTER
SIMULATION MODE?” will appear. Press
switch between YES, NEVER or NO. (More
information on the simulation mode can be
found in the following section). Press to
confirm the selection and the startup sequence
will continue.

(Note: If the transducer was not intentionally discon­nected, turn the display unit off and refer to the section
on Troubleshooting in Appendix B.)

to

Names of keys:

Cursor key

key

+ gain key

- gain key

Power key

Definition of Press and Hold in this manual:

· Press means to push the key for less than one
second.

· Hold means to push and hold the key down
for more than one second.

Power o n

To turn the fishfinder on press .

Note: if the unit is wired for Auto Power (see sec­tion 5-4) the fishfinder will turn on automatically
when the boat’s ignition is turned on.

A title screen briefly appears which displays basic
product information, including the software
version.

The Explorer 443s/443sp then automatically
displays the screen that was last used.

6

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Power off

To turn the fishfinder off, hold . A countdown
box appears. Continue to hold for three
seconds until the fishfinder turns off.

Note: If the unit is wired for Auto Power (see
section 5-4) the fishfinder can only be turned off
when the boat ’s ignition is turned off.

Language selection

To check which language is currently selected,
press to display the MAIN MENU.

Follow these steps to change the language:

1. Power off the unit.

2. While the unit is off, hold down the

3. Keep holding down the
on the unit.

key and power

key.

2-1 Simulation Mode

An internal simulator allows users to learn how to
operate the fishfinder off the water.

In Simulation mode the word “SIMULATION”
flashes on the bottom of the screen. The
fishfinder generates data so that all the main
screens appear to be operational. Any changes

3 Operation

4. The screen displays a list of languages.
Press the Cursor or key to highlight a
language, then press the Cursor key to
select it. The fishfinder will continue the
startup sequence.

Backlighting

Use the button to adjust the backlighting to
suit individual preferences.

Press

once, at any time, to see the backlight

bar. This is displayed at the bottom of the screen
and shows the current setting.

Press repeatedly until the desired backlighting
level is achieved. The backlight bar will disappear
two seconds after the last press.

made to the contrast, backlighting, alarms or the
display setup are saved.

To turn the Simulation mode ON or OFF, press
SETUP highlight SIMULATE .

MAIN MENU screen

Northstar fishfinders are menu driven. Press

to display the MAIN MENU screen.

Press

or to
highlight an option,
then press to
select it.

The MAIN MENU
options are
summarized below
and fully explained
in the following
sections.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

HISTORY screen (see sectio n 3-2)

Displays the echoes received over time, with the
most recent events on the right of the screen. Use
this screen when travelling to show the bottom
so reefs, wrecks and fish can be found.

ZOOM screen (see se ction 3-4)

This screen is split into two par ts. On the right
is the Full Range Section which shows part of
the HISTORY Screen and to the lef t is the Zoom
Section. Use this screen for taking a closer look at
interesting underwater features.

7

SONAR screen (see sec tion 3-5)

Displays the strength and depth of the echoes
returned from each ultrasonic pulse. The depth
range is displayed in the lower right corner. This
screen is a power ful aid, ideal for showing the
bottom hardness and the fish species.

This screen can also be used to adjust the display
shading on the HISTORY and ZOOM screens.

NAVIGATE screen (see section 3-6)

Prominently displays the water depth as a digital
readout. The corresponding bottom trace is
also shown. These two complimentary features
are particularly useful for understanding depth
trends when travelling at speed.

It also displays the boat speed and the enabled
alarms.

3-1 Alarms

DATA screen (see section 3-7)

The DATA screen displays the water temperature
and water temperature histor y over the last 40
minutes. It also displays the boat batter y voltage,
log, engine-hours counter, boat speed, water
depth and enabled alarms.

SETUP menu (see section 4)

Use this option to customise the Explorer
443s/443sp to suit the boat and individual
preferences.

RANGE menu (see section 3-8)

Use this option to select either Auto or Manual
Range and to change the selected depth range.

Alarms can be enabled to automatically detect
certain conditions, such as the water being
too shallow. The trigger settings for the alarms
can be defined to suit the boat and individual
preferences.

The fishfinder has six alarms, TOO SHALLOW, TOO
DEEP, FISH ALARM, TEMP VALUE, TEMP RATE and
LOW BATTERY.

The alarm symbols and beeper cycles for all of
the alarms are shown in section 4-1. The FISH
ALARM is three short beeps, the TOO SHALLOW
ALARM is a rapid continuous beep while all others
are a slower continuous beep.

When an alarm condition is met, then:

· The beeper sounds.

· The ALARMS menu is displayed on the screen
with the activated alarm(s) flashing.

Press any key to acknowledge the alarm, stop
the beeping and remove the ALARMS menu.
This does not disable the alarm. The symbol will
continue to flash until the alarm condition is no
longer present.

8

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Alarms automatically re-enable

The TOO SHALLOW, TOO DEEP and LOW BATTERY
alarms automatically re-enable when the value
moves outside the alarm trigger setting.

The TEMP VALUE alarm automatically re -enables
when the temperature is more than 0.45°F
(0.25°C) above or below the alarm trigger setting.

The TEMP RATE alarm automatically re-enables
when the rate of temperature change falls below
the trigger setting by more than 0.2°F (0.1°C) per
minute.

Enabling Alarms and Changing Trigger Values

See section 4-1 for information about enabling
alarms and changing the trigger values.

3-2 HISTORY screen operation

Select MAIN MENU - HISTORY to display the
HISTORY screen.

The HISTORY screen displays the most recent
echoes on the right of the screen and the oldest
echoes on the left. These eventually disappear off
the screen.

The vertical bar on the right edge of the screen
is the zoom bar. This shows the zoom range. To
adjust the zoom range (see section 3-4).

Fish symbol
with depth

Zoom bar

Bottom

Alarms

The HISTORY screen does not show a fixed
distance travelled by the boat; rather, it displays
what has passed below the boat during a cer tain
period of time. The actual display depends upon
the boat speed and the depth of the water.

As the boat travels through shallow water, the
echoes have less distance to travel between
the objects and the boat. This means that the
HISTORY screen display moves across the screen
more quickly than when the boat is travelling in
deep water. In deep water, the echoes take longer
to travel between the objects and the boat,
producing a display that moves across the screen
more slowly.

Note 1: Different fish symbols can be selected (see
section 4-3).

Note 2: The depth of bottom can be adjusted for keel
offset (see section 4-7).

Selected depth range (0 to 150’)

Range

Range is the depth of water displayed vertically.
The Northstar fishfinder has two range modes,
Auto Range and Manual Range:

· In Auto Range, the fishfinder adjusts the depth
range automatically so that the bottom is
always shown in the lower part of the screen.
The use of Auto Range is recommended.

· In Manual Range, the fishfinder shows only
a selected depth range. In areas of rapidly
changing bot tom depth, such as the sea floor
around pinnacles, it can be useful to prevent
the screen from rescaling to always show
the bottom. If the bottom is deeper than the
specified depth range, it will not be shown
on the display screen.

To change the range mode, (see section 3-8).

Changing t he Gain Mode

Gain (sensitivity) controls the amount of detail
displayed on the screen. The fishfinder has two
gain modes, Auto Gain and Manual Gain:

· In Auto Gain, the gain is automatically adjusted
to compensate for water depth and clarity. The
use of Auto Gain is strongly recommended
when learning to use a fishfinder, or when
travelling at speed.

· In Manual Gain, the user can adjust the gain
to compensate for water depth and clarity.
Manual settings range from 1 to 9. High
settings may amplify normal background
noise until it appears as random pixels on
the screen. The ideal set ting produces only
a small number of random pixels. Normally
the best results with a fishfinder are obtained
in Manual Gain but practice and experience
are required to understand how to adjust the
gain correctly.

To change between Auto Gain and Manual Gain,
hold

+ or -. The Gain mode will be displayed

briefly at the bottom of the screen.

When in Manual Gain the gain symbol
shown at the top of the display, followed by the
gain level. Press + to increase the gain level or
press - to decrease the gain level.

is

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

9

Fish detecti on and display

The fish symbol option can be customized, or
switched off altogether so that the echoes are not
converted to fish symbols on the screen. Section
4-4 explains how to do this. The differences
between Fish symbols on and off are:

Fish symbols ON

Using Northstar’s SBN sonar technology

the fishfinder analyses all return signals
and eliminates most false signals and
clutter so that remaining targets are most
likely fish. Depending on the strength of
the remaining signals, they are displayed
as either small, medium or large fish

3-3 HISTORY screen interpretation

symbols with or without depth. Whilst
the SBN processing is very sophisticated
it is not foolproof and there will be
times when the unit will not be able to
differentiate between large air bubbles,
rubbish containing air, fishing floats etc
and genuine fish returns.

Fish symbols OFF

For experienced users this will always

provide the best information as every
sonar return signal is displayed, whether
it is surface clutter, a thermocline or a fish.

Fish A rches

In ideal conditions and with Fish sym bols tu rned
OFF, a fish passing through the cone-shaped
ultrasonic pulse is displayed on the screen as a
fish arch:

As the fish enters the weak edge of the sonar
cone it generates a weak return signal that turns
on the first pixel on the fishfinder screen. As
the boat moves closer to the fish the distance
between the transducer and the fish reduces
and the return signal is displayed at progressively
shallower depths, producing the start of an arch.
When the fish is directly beneath the transducer
and in the middle of the beam then the returned

10

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

signal is even stronger so the arch becomes
thicker. As the fish passes out of the cone the
reverse happens with a progressively weaker and
deeper return.

In reality there are many reasons why fish arches
can’t be seen. For example:

· Poor transducer installation - please refer to
the Transducer Installation Guide.

· If the boat is anchored then fish will tend to
show on the display as horizontal lines as they
swim into and out of the transducer sonar
beam. Slow speeds in deeper water give best
fish arch returns.

· Range is important. It will be much easier to see
fish arches when using Northstar’s split screen
zoom mode to concentrate on a particular
section of water rather than just displaying
everything from the surface to the bottom.
Zooming increases screen resolution and is
necessary for good fish arches.

· It is almost impossible to get fish arches in
shallow water as the transducer sonar beam is
very narrow near the surface and fish do not
stay within the beam long enough to display
an arch. Several fish in shallow water tend to
display as randomly stacked blocks of pixels.

The following picture shows the HISTORY screen
with the fish symbols turned off :

Single fish

Large school
of fish

Small school
of fish

Bottom

Strength of returned echoes

The shading indicates dif ferences in the strength
of the returned echo from the bottom. A black
pattern indicates a strong echo, and light grey
indicates a weak echo. Fish symbols are always
shown in black.

The strength of the returned echo varies with
several fac tors, such as:

· The size of the fish, school of fish or other
object.

· The depth of the fish or object.

· The location of the fish or object. The
area covered by the ultrasonic beam is
approximately cone-shaped and echoes are
strongest in the middle.

· The clarity of water. Particles or air in the water
reduce the strength of the returned echo.

· The composition or densit y of the object
or bottom. Mud, weed and sand bottoms
tend to weaken and scatter the sonar signal,
which results in weaker returns. Rock or coral
bottoms concentrate the return signal for
strong returns.

Note: That planing hulls at speed produce air bubbles
and turbulent water that bombard the transducer.
The resulting ultrasonic noise may be picked up by the
transducer and obscure the real echoes.

Large fish

Kelp / weed

Hard bottoms such as
rock or coral show as wide
bands at the bot tom of
the screen

Soft bottoms such as
mud, weed and sand
show as narrow bands at
the bottom of the screen

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

11

Shadows

Shadows are areas where the ultrasonic beam cannot ‘see’. These include
hollows on the bottom or beside rocks and ledges where the strong
echo returned off the rock obscures the weaker echo of the fish.

When looking for small objects including fish, users should consider that
there are places where fishfinders cannot ‘see’.

Shadow - where objects are hidden in the bottom echo.

These fish will be hidden in the bottom echo.

Northstar fishfinders display the most recent events on the right of the screen.

Moving boat

1 minute ago

Air in water
(e.g. from
wake)

30 seconds ago

Now

12

When the fish symbol option is
ON, any echo returned that fits
the profile of a fish is displayed
on the screen with a fish symbol.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Stationary boat

1 minute ago Now

When a boat is stationary, all bottom echoes will come from the same small
area of bottom. This will produce a flat bottom trace on the screen.

The appearance of the HISTORY and ZOOM screens can be

changed to suit individual preferences.

3-4 ZOOM screen

Select MAIN MENU - ZOOM to display the ZOOM
screen.

The ZOOM screen is split into two parts. On
the right is the full range section (just like the
HISTORY screen) and on the lef t is the zoom
section.

Full range section

Zoom section

Zoom bar

The zoom section shows the area of interest
(such as fish or features close to the bot tom) in
greater detail than the HISTORY screen.

Bottom Lock

The zoom bar is normally locked to the bot tom
(Bottom Lock) so that the bottom is always
displayed in the zoom section, regardless of
changes in depth.

To turn Bottom Lock off, press
zoom bar to the desired position with or .

To turn Bottom Lock on, move the zoom bar
down until it touches the bottom and the
message “BOTTOM LOCK ON” briefly appears.

If Bottom Lock is off and the bottom rises to meet
the zoom bar, the zoom bar will temporarily track
the bottom. This condition will cease when the
depth exceeds the original depth of the zoom
bar.

Changing t he Zoom

The full range section illustrated is 150 feet and
the zoom bar, located on the right edge of the
screen, shows the area that is enlarged in the
zoom section, in this case the section between
50 ft and 100 ft.

To increase magnification (make the zoom bar
smaller), press . To decrease magnification
(make the zoom bar bigger), press .

Alternatively, the zoom bar can be adjusted in the
HISTORY screen before switching to ZOOM.

Time

Note: Times indicated are for illustration only.

then move the

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

13

3-5 SONAR screen

Select MAIN MENU - SONAR to display the SONAR
screen.

This is a powerful feature and with some
experience, this screen can be used to identify
both the type of bottom and the fish species.

On the Sonar Echo section on the right side,
the strength of an echo at a par ticular depth is
shown by a horizontal line at that depth. A strong
echo produces a long line, whereas a weak echo
produces a shor t line. Below the echoes the
screen shows the Shading Bar. This disappears
from view af ter a few seconds, but just press
re-display it.

The left side of the screen is the Fish History
section. Using the Shading Bar as a control, the
fishfinder interprets the echoes shown on the
Sonar Echo sec tion and uses this information to
draw the Fish Histor y section.

to

Recognisi ng the Type of Bottom

The bottom trace is the strongest echo shown in
the lower par t of the left side of the screen.

A bottom trace with a wide black layer is
indicative of a hard bottom, because a hard
bottom returns strong echoes. Conversely, a
soft bottom produces medium or weak echoes,
which are shown by a narrower trace.

Small strong echo
(e.g. fish). This
usually flashes
on and off as the
ultrasonic pulse
strikes the fish.

Large strong signal
(e.g. bottom)

Recognisi ng the Type of Fish

Different species of fish have different sizes and
shapes of swim bladders. The air in the swim
bladder ref lects the ultrasonic pulse, so the
strength of the echo varies between fish species
according to the size and shape of the swim
bladder. The sonar display is 70 pixels wide, so it
can show 70 levels of return echo strength, which
is a powerful feature.

When fishing among a school of fish and catching
them, note the fish species and the strength
of the echo that it returns on the fishfinder on
the Sonar Echo screen. Then, the next time that
particular return on the fishfinder is seen, it is
likely to be the same fish species.

Adjustin g the Shading Bar

The Shading Bar is displayed as a horizontal bar in
the lower half of the screen. Adjust the Shading
Bar so different strength echoes have a different
shade on the screen. Weaker echoes can be
shown as light grey, and the strongest echoes
shown as black.

Increase the black part of the Shading Bar by
pressing
echoes being displayed in black.

Decrease the black part of the Shading Bar by
pressing
echoes being displayed.

if there are too few long (strong)

if there are too many long (strong)

14

Shading Bar

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Manual Gain

When Manual Gain is selected, increasing the gain
setting will result in more detail being shown on the
fishfinder display. Decreasing the gain will reduce
detail being shown. See ‘Changing the Gain Mode’ in
section 3-2 for more information on changing Gain
settings.

3-6 NAVIGATE screen

Gain setting

These echoes will be
shown in grey on the
Fish History section.

These strong echoes
will be shown in black
on the Fish History
section.

The weak echoes
within this white
section of the shading
bar will not be shown

- they are below the
threshold of where
the shading begins.

Increasing Gain by pressing + will move
the edge of the light grey bar to the
left and result in weaker echoes being
displayed in the Fish History section.
Pressing - will move the edge of the grey
bar to the right.

Select MAIN MENU - NAVIGATE to display the
NAVIGATE screen.

The NAVIGATE screen displays useful information
while travelling at speed. It prominently displays
the water depth, the boat speed, the bot tom
profile and any alarms that are enabled.

Depth can be displayed in feet (FT ), fathoms (FA),
or metres (M). Use the SETUP - UNITS - DEPTH

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

menu to selec t the required depth units (see
section 4-2).

Speed (

443sp ONLY) can be displayed in knots

(KN), miles per hour (MPH), or kilometres per hour
(KPH). Use the SETUP - UNITS - SPEED menu to
select the desired speed units (see section 4-2).

TIP: Use the < key to immediately return to the
fish finder screens.

15

3-7 DATA screen

Select MAIN MENU - DATA to display the DATA
screen:

Temperature

Temperature

Battery

Engine hours

Speed

Enabled

Depth

A graph displays the surface water temperature
for the last 40 minutes and is updated ever y
30 seconds. T he current water temperature is
displayed above the graph and is updated every
second.

TIP: Use the < key to immediately return to the fish finder screens.

The temperature can be displayed in °F
(Fahrenheit) or °C (Celsius). Use the SETUP - UNITS

- TEMPERATURE menu to select the desired

temperature units (see section 4-2).

Alarms that indicate a specific temperature, or
rate of change of temperature, may be enabled
(see section 4-1).

Graph

Log (

Log

443sp ONLY) One of two distance logs

can be displayed: Trip Log or Total Log. Both logs
are retained in the Explorer 443s/443sp memory
when the unit is switched of f.

Use the SETUP - LOG menu to selec t the Trip Log
or Total Log (see sec tion 4-6). The Trip Log must

alarms

be reset manually (e.g. to record total mileage
during a season, or the distance travelled on this
trip).

Note: That the units displayed on each Log will

correspond with the Speed.

Speed (

443sp ONLY) can be displayed in knots

(KN), miles per hour (MPH), or kilometres per hour
(KPH). Use the SETUP - UNITS - SPEED menu to
select the desired speed units (see section 4-2).

3-8 RANGE menu

Select MAIN MENU - RANGE to change the
manual range and adjust the selected depth
range.

The range setup box is displayed. This shows the
depth of water displayed vertically and the range
mode setting.

Northstar fishfinders has two range modes, Auto
Range and Manual Range. The use of Auto Range
is recommended. See section 3-2 for more details.

To change between Auto Range and Manual
Range, press

The Manual Range mode of fers the user a choice
of pre-selected water depths. Use
display the options and select a water depth.

Press

to exit.

.

and to

16

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

4 SETUP menu

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP to display the SE TUP
menu:

Use the SETUP menu to customize settings to suit
the boat and individual preferences, as follows:

· Specify the trigger settings for the alarms

(see section 4-1).

· Choose the units for depth, temperature,

speed and fuel (see section 4 -2).

· Turn the key beep on or off.

· Choose the fish symbol (see section 4-3).

· Choose the contrast level (see section

4-4).

· Turn Simulation mode on or of f

· Turn Zoom Split on or off (see section

4-5)

· Select the Trip Log or the Total Log (see

section 4-6).

· Zero Trip Log or zero all logs (see section

4-6).

· Select language, setup the keel of fset

(see section 4-7).

· Calibrate speed and temperature sensors

(see section 4-7).

Press
following sections.

to highlight an option, then see the

or

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

17

4-1 ALARMS menu

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - AL ARMS to displ ay
the available alarms. Press or to highlight an
option.

Alarms can
be enabled to
automatically detect
certain conditions,
such as the water
being too shallow.
Trigger settings
can be defined
to suit the boat
and individual
preferences.

When an alarm condition is met, then:

· The beeper sounds.

· The ALARMS menu is displayed on the screen
with the activated alarm symbol(s) flashing.

Press any key to acknowledge the alarm, stop
the beeping and remove the ALARMS menu.
This does not disable the alarm. The symbol will
continue to flash until the alarm condition is no
longer present.

The beeper cycle is different for some alarms.
All of the alarm symbols and beeper c ycles are
shown:

Symbol Alarm Beeper Alarm co ndition is
Name Cycle met when:

Temp 1/2 sec the tempe rature equ als
Value the alar m trigger v alue

1

Temp
Rate temperature e quals the
ala rm trigger value

Too 1/5 sec the dept h is less than
Sh all ow the a la rm tri gg er v al ue

Too 1/2 sec the depth i s greater
Deep than the alarm t rigger
val ue

Fish 3 shor t an ec ho matche s the
Alarm beeps profi le of a fish

Low 1/2 sec the batt ery volta ge is
Batte ry less than th e alarm
trigger value

/2 sec the rate of c hange of

Note: The FISH ALARM gives only three short beeps.

Alarms auto matically re-enab le

The TOO SHALLOW, TOO DEEP and LOW BATTERY
alarms automatically re-enable when the value
moves outside the alarm trigger setting.

The TEMP VALUE alarm automatically re -enables
when the temperature is more than 0.45°F
(0.25°C) above or below the alarm trigger setting.

The TEMP RATE alarm automatically re-enables
when the rate of temperature change falls below
the trigger setting by more than 0.2°F (0.1°C) per
minute.

18

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Flashing Light a nd/or External Bee per

If a secondary alarm indicator is required, a
flashing light and/or external beeper can be
installed. These can be positioned anywhere
suitable on the boat. For installation advice see
section 5-4.

4-2 UNITS menu

Enabling Alarms and Changing

Trigger Values

Press or to highlight an alarm, then press to
select it. To enable or disable an Alarm, press to
switch between ON and OFF.

To set the trigger value for an Alarm, press
to increase or decrease the trigger value.

The alarm trigger value is retained even when the
alarm is disabled.

or

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - UNITS to define the
units for depth, temperature, speed and fuel.

Press or to
highlight an option.

DEPTH

Can be displayed
in units of feet (FT),
fathoms (FA), or
metres (M). Press
to select the required
depth units.

TEMPERATURE

Can be displayed in °F (Fahrenheit) or °C (Celsius).
Press to select the required temperature units.

SPEED

Can be displayed in knots (KN), miles per hour
(MPH), or kilometres per hour (KPH). Press to
select the required speed units.

Note: Distance units will change automatically to
match the speed units.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

19

4-3 FISH SYMBOL

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - FISH SYMBOL to
display the fish symbol options for the screen
displays.

There are three options. Press

· OFF

·

·

OFF

Displays echoes as dots on the screen.

Displays any echoes returned that match the
profile of a fish as a fish symbol in one of three
sizes:

Strongest echo

Average echo

Weak est e cho

to selec t:

Echoes which are not recognised as fish are
displayed as dots on the screen.

Displays any echoes returned that match the
profile of a fish as a fish symbol in one of three
sizes as above. The depth of the fish is shown
to the left of the symbol. Echoes which are not
recognised as fish are displayed as dots on the
screen.

Use the FISH FILTER setting to adjust the fish
detection. (see section 4-9)

4-4 CONTRAST men u

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - CONTRAST to display the contrast setting box
and the current setting.

The contrast level can be set at any level bet ween 0 and 16. The default
setting is 6.

Press

or to increase or decrease the setting to the required level. Then

press to exit.

4-5 ZOOM SPLIT

Select OFF to obtain a zoom only screen. (full screen zoom)

Select ON to obtain a split zoom / history screen (default)

20

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

4-6 LOG menu (E xplorer 443sp ONLY)

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - LOG to display the
available options.

Press
highlight an option:

or

to

LOG

Selects which log
is displayed on the
DATA screen, TOTAL
or TRIP.

Press

to choose
between TRIP or
TOTAL. Both logs
are retained in the
Northstar fishfinder
but only the selected
log is displayed.

4-7 INSTALL menu

Use this menu at installation time, to select the
language and to enter the keel of fset value, the
number of engines and the fuel tank size. The
INSTALL menu can also be used to calibrate the
water temperature and boat speed.

Select MAIN MENU - SETUP - INSTALL to display
the menu.

Press or
highlight an option.

to

LANGUAGE

The following
languages are
available: English,
French, Ger man,
Spanish, Italian,
Dutch, Swedish,
Por tugue se, Finnish
and Greek.

Press

or to
highlight the
selected language,
then press to
save and exit.

ZERO TRIP LOG

Resetting the trip log will return the trip log value
to zero. The trip log is retained in the fishfinder
memory so it retains the distance value if the
fishfinder is switched of f during a trip. Therefore,
the trip log needs to be reset manually each time
the user wishes to log a trip.

or to highlight ZERO TRIP LOG, then

Press
press

to select it. The message box “ZERO TRIP

LOG YE S” appears.

Press

to select YES or NO. Then press or

to reset the trip log and exit.

ZERO ALL LOGS

Resetting both logs will return both the trip log
and the total log values to zero.

Press

or to highlight ZERO ALL LOGS, then
press to select it. The message box “ZERO ALL
LOGS YES” appears.

Press

to select YES or NO. Then press or

to exit.

KEEL OFFSET

Keel offset is the distance between the location
of the depth transducer and the point the
displayed depth is measured from.

Enter a keel offset value when the transducer is
located below the water sur face but a display of
total water depth is required, or when the depth
of water below the boat’s keel is required.

Press

or to select KEEL OFFSET, then press
to display the keel offset box.

Negative values display the depth as measured
from a point below the transducer (e.g. keel).
Positive values display the depth as measured
from a point above the transducer (e.g. water
surface).

Press

or to increase or decrease the value.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

21

Use Keel Of fset either
when the transducer is
located below the water
surface but a display
of total water depth is
required, or when depth

Tran sduc er

of water below the boat’s
keel is required.

Enter positive values to display depth as measured from a point above the transducer (e.g. water surface).

Enter negative values to display depth as measured from a point below the transducer (e.g. keel).

Note: Boat illustrated uses a through hull transducer

Water sur face
Positive value

Depth of t ransduc er

Negative value

4-8 CALIBRATION menu

Use this menu to
calibrate water
temperature
boat speed, fuel
readings and the
fuel flow filter.

Select MAIN
MENU - SETUP

- INSTALL

- CALIBRATION
to display the
calibration
menu.

Calibrati ng the Temperature

The factory set tings should be sufficiently
accurate for normal usage. However, to calibrate
the temperature readout, first measure the water
temperature.

Then, to calibrate the setting, select
TEMPERATURE then press
temperature readout box. Press or to increase
or decrease the value to match the measured
temperature.

(To change the temperature units between °F
(Fahrenheit) or °C (Celsius), use the SETUP - UNITS
menu (see section 4-2).

to display the

Calibrati ng the Fish Filter

Use this to adjust the fish detection when
FISH SYMBOLS are switched on. Fish detection
depends on water clarity, fish species and fish
size. Calibration may be required if too little or
too much fish are being detected. Select more
fish symbols to increase the number of detected
fish. Selec t less fish symbols to reduce the fish
detection.

Calibratin g the Speed (443sp ONLY)

Use this to calibrate the boat’s speed and log.
Calibration may be required because dif ferent
hull shapes have dif ferent flow characteristics.

Obtain an accurate measurement of the boat’s
speed from a GPS receiver; by following another
boat traveling at a known speed; or by making a
timed run over a known distance.

Note: that for accurate calibration:

· The speed from a GPS receiver should be

greater than 5 knots.

· The speed from another paddlewheel

transducer should be between 5 and 20
knots.

· Best results are achieved in calm conditions

where there is minimal current (best at high
or low tide).

Use

or to highlight the SPEED option, then
press to display the speed readout box. Press
or to increase or decrease the readout to match
the independent speed value.

22

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

4-9 Resetti ng to Factory Default s

Important:

This option resets all of the following settings
and resets them to the manufacturer’s default
settings.

Speed and distance are related. For example,
if knots are chosen as the speed units, then
distance is always measured in nautical miles.

To reset the fishfinder to the manufacturer’s
default set tings, power off the fishfinder. Then
hold

and power on while holding it.

The message “RESET TO FACTORY DEFAULTS?”
appears. Press

or to reset the trip log and exit.

to select YES or NO. Then press

GENERAL

Auto Gain ..................................................... ON

Auto Range ................................................... ON

Manual Gain ...................................................... 5

Bottom Lock .................................................. ON

K ey Beep ........................................................ ON

Contrast ............................................................... 6

Backlighting .................................................... 10

5 Installation

Correct installation is critical to the performance
of the Explorer 443s/443sp. There are two
components to install, the display unit and the
transducer. It is vital to read the entire installation

UNITS

Temperature ..................................................... °F

Depth ............................................................ Feet

Speed .............................................................. KN

ALARMS

Shallow Alarm ............................................. OFF

Shallow Alarm Value ................................. 10 ft

Deep Alarm .................................................. OFF

Deep Alarm Value ................................... 60 ft

Fish Alarm ..................................................... OFF

Temp. Change Alarm ............................... OFF

Temp. Change Alarm Value ............... 5.0 °F

Temp. Alarm ................................................. OFF

Temp. Alarm Value ................................. 80 °F

Low Battery Alarm ................................... OFF

Battery Alarm Value ...................... 11.5 Volts

FISH SYMBOL ....................................

INSTALL

Keel Offset ................................................. 0.0 ft

Fish Filter .................................................

section of this manual and the documentation
that comes with the transducer before
attempting installation.

5-1 What comes with the E xplorer 443s/443sp?

Standard configuration

· Explorer 443s/443sp display unit.

· Power cable.

· Mounting bracket (screws included).

· Warranty registration card.

· This manual.

· Transducer (includes cable kit and screws).

· Transducer Installation Manual.

· Screws.

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

Unit

Screws

Tra nsd uce r

Mounting
bracket

Explorer 443sp
Power cable

23

5-2 Options and Acces sories

Optional transducers

· Through hull Speed/Temperature transducer.

· Through hull Depth transducer.

· In hull Depth transducer.

Other opti ons and accessories

· Replacement paddle wheel.

· Adapter cable for through hull transducer.

· Carry bag.

· Transducer extension cable.

· Sun cover.

5-3 Mounting the E xplorer 443s/443sp Display U nit

There are two mounting arrangements:

· Flush mounting requires a solid panel
with access behind for wiring and
mounting screws.

· Bracket mounting requires a panel for
mounting the bracket. The bracket can
be rotated and tilted.

Select a position where the display head will be:

· At least 4” (100 mm) away from the
compass.

· At least 12” (300 mm) away from any radio
transmitter.

· At least 4’ (1.2 m) away from any antenna.

· Easy to read by the helmsman and crew
while under way.

· Protected from physical damage during
rough sea passages.

· Easy to access the 12 volt power source.

· Convenient to route the transducer
cables.

Bracket mounting

1. Fix the mounting bracket onto the boat
using the three stainless steel screws. Do not
overtighten as the bracket may not rotate.

2. Push the display unit onto the mounting
bracket and tighten it firmly using the knob
on the mounting bracket.

3. Attach the cables.

Depth Repeater

Repeater for Depth, Speed, Water Temperature,
Batter y Voltage (see section 5-5).

Please consult your Northstar dealer for more
information.

Removing the E xplorer 443s/443sp

The Explorer 443s/443sp can be removed after
each use for protec tion against the environment
or security reasons.

When removing the Explorer 443s/443sp ensure
that the plugs left in the boat are not exposed to
the elements. Push the attached dust covers over
the exposed ends of the plugs. Keep the display
unit in a dry clean place such as the optional
Northstar carry bag.

Flush mountin g

1. Cut a hole in the bulkhead for the display
unit using the f lush mount template.

2. Drill four holes for the mounting studs
using the flush mount template.

3. Screw the four studs into the brass inserts
in the back of the display unit.

4. Sit the display unit in place and fit the
washers and nuts to the studs.

24

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

5-4 Wiring Conn ection

CAUTION

1 Amp fuses must be positioned where
shown in the wiring diagrams.

If possible, route the transducer cables away from
other wiring on the boat. Electrical noise from
engine wiring, bilge pumps and other elec trical
equipment can affect the unit.

The shortest and mos t direct connection to the
boat’s battery helps to minimise voltage drop.
Ensure that any cable connections do not lay in
the bilge.

Two wiring options are described in this section:

· Basic Wiring. This does not start the
fishfinder automatically when the boat
ignition is switched on and it disables the
engine hours counter.

· Auto Power Wiring. This must be used for
engine hours and fuel computer options.

CAUTION

The Explorer 443s/443sp must be run off a 12
volt batter y and must not be run off a circuit
without a battery.

Basic Wiring

1A Fus e

Main
switch

12 V DC

Black wire: Connect this to the negative battery
terminal.

Red wire: Connect this to the 12 V positive
battery terminal af ter the main switch. Fit a 1
Amp fuse as shown.

Yellow wire: Connect this to the black wire. This
disables the engine hours counter.

Power on the fishfinder manually whenever the
main switch is on.

Red

Yel low

Black

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

Auto Power Wiring

To ignitio n
system

Ignition
switch

Main
switch

Black wire: Connect this to the negative battery
terminal.

Red wire: Connect this to the 12 V positive
battery terminal af ter the main switch. Fit a 1
Amp fuse as shown.

Yel low w ire : To enable the engine hours counter
and start the fishfinder automatically when the
ignition is turned on, connect the yellow wire to
the ignition system, through a 1 Amp fuse.

Note: That the fishfinder cannot be turned off while
the ignition is on.

1A f use

1A f use

External
Beeper or
Light

12 V DC

White

(NMEA out)

Yel low

Red

Green

Black

Flashing Light a nd/or External be eper (443sp

ONLY)

Use the green wire, if desired, to connect a
secondar y alarm indicator such as a flashing light
or a 12 V external beeper with a built in drive
circuit. Refer to the wiring diagram. If the external
beeper or light requires more than 250 mA DC
total, fit a 12 V relay. Consult your Northstar dealer
for more advice.

NMEA Instrument s (443sp ONLY)

Use the white wire, if desired, to connect the
fishfinder to other NMEA instruments such as
Northstar’s depth repeater. (See section 5-5 for
more information).

25

5-5 Connecting a n Explorer 443s/443sp to other ins truments

Several Nor thstar instruments can be connec ted
together to share data such as Depth or Speed.
The Explorer 443sp uses the NMEA protocol to
output data to other instruments.

NMEA

NMEA is an industry standard for marine instrument
communications. Data sent by one instrument over

an NMEA line can be read and displayed by another
instrument that accepts NMEA 0183 Versio n 2.
Depth, speed and temperature data is output by
the Explorer 443sp and can be read and displayed
by the Northstar Explorer R310, Explorer D210,
GPS Chartplotter (500 series), or other NMEA
instrument.

Explorer R310

Repeater for depth, speed, water temperature and
battery voltage. Can accept many other NMEA data
inputs from other instruments.

Please contact your Northstar dealer for information on Northstar’s full range of NMEA enabled
instruments and connection options.

26

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

Explorer D210

Depth repeater.

Appendix A - Specifications

Depth range

· 2 ft (0.6 m) to 600 ft (180 m).

Display type

· FSTN greyscale.

· Screen resolution 160 high x 120 wide

(pixels).

· White multi-level back lighting.

Supply voltage

· 10 to 16.5 V DC.

Supply current

· 280 mA min - no backlighting.

· 400 mA max - full backlighting.

Operating temperature

· 32 to 122°F (0 to 50°C).

Transom transducer cable length

· 26 ft (8 m) - Explorer 443sp

· 33 ft (10 m) - Explorer 443s

Typical depth acquisition time from startup

· 2 seconds at 100 feet (30 m).

Transmit frequency

· 200 kHz.

Transmit power

· 150 Watts RMS @ 13.8 V DC.

Transmit rate

· Max 20 soundings/second

Receiver sensitivity

· Better than 10 micro volts RMS.

126.0 mm (5”)

Standards Compliance

· EMC: USA FCC Part 15 Class B.

Europe (CE) IEC60945

New Zealand & Australia (C Tick)

CISPR 22

· Environment: IPx6 & IPx7

Temperature measurement range

· 32 to 99.9°F (0 to 37.7°C) Resolution 0.1
units.

Speed range

· 1 to 50 kn (57.5 mph, 96.6 kph).

Speed resolution

· 0.0 to 9.9, 10 to 50.

Communications

· NMEA 0183 (Ver 2.0) 4800 Baud.

NMEA output

NMEA (0183 format) is a standard for interfacing
marine electronic devices. The Northstar
fishfinder can output the following data:

· DBT (Depth Below Transducer).

· DPT (Depth and Keel offset).

· TDK (Depth Northstar - proprietary).

· TKV (Speed Northstar - proprietary).

· VHW (Speed).

· MTW (Water temperature).

· XDR (Battery voltage).

27.9 mm

30.5 mm

(1.1”)

(1.2”)

126.0 mm (5”)

143.5 mm (5.6”)

88.5 mm (3.5”)

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

27

Appendix B - Troubleshooting

This troubleshooting guide is written with
the assumption that the user has read and
understood the relevant sections in this manual.

It is possible in many cases to solve difficulties
without having to send the display unit back to
the manufacturer for repair. Please follow this
trouble-shooting section before contacting the
nearest Nor thstar dealer.

There are no user serviceable parts. Specialised
methods and testing equipment are required
to ensure that the display unit is reassembled
correctly and is waterproof. Users who service
a Northstar fishfinder themselves will void the
warranty.

Repairs to the Explorer 443s/443sp may only
be carried out by a service centre approved by
Northstar. If the display unit must be sent into a
service centre for repair, it is essential to send in
the transducer(s) at the same time.

More information can be found on our Website:
www.northstarnav.com

1. The fishfinder won’t turn on:

a) Nor thstar fishfinders are designed to operate

on 12 volt battery systems, where the voltage
may vary from 10 to 16.5 volts. If an excessive
voltage is supplied to the unit, a resettable
fuse will be tripped, turning the display unit
off.

b) Check that the power cable LT connector

at the back of the display unit is securely
plugged in and the collar is locked in place.
The collar must be secure for watertight
connection.

c) Measure the batter y voltage while the battery

is under load - turn on some lights, radio, or
other electrical equipment connected to the
battery. If the voltage is less than 10 volts:

- The batter y terminals or wiring on the
terminals may be corroded.

- The batter y may not be charging correctly or
may need replacing.

d) Inspect the power cable from end to end for

damage such as cuts, breaks or squashed
sections.

28

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installation and Operation Manual

e) Ensure that the red wire is connected to the

positive bat tery terminal and the black wire
to the negative battery terminal. If wired for
the Auto Power option, ensure the yellow
wires are connected to ignition circuit. Also
check the boat’s main switch circuit (see
section 5-4).

f) Check for corrosion on the power cable LT

connector and clean or replace if required.

g) Check fuses that are placed in line with the

power cable. A fuse can be blown despite
appearing to be good, or the fuse may be
corroded. Test the fuse or replace it with a
fuse known to be good.

2. The fishfinder won’t turn off:

The fishfinder may have been wired with the

Engine Hours feature enabled. In this case,
the fishfinder cannot be turned off while the
ignition power is on. (See Auto Power Wiring
in section 5-4).

3. The fishfinder operates erratically:

a) Check that the transducer does not have

debris (e.g. weed, plastic bag) caught around
it.

b) The transducer may have been damaged

during launching, running aground, or
running underway with debris etc. If the
transducer has been impacted, it may
have been kicked up on the bracket. If
it is not physically damaged, reset the
transducer back to its original postion. (See
the Transducer Installation Guide for more
information).

c) When in water less than 2 feet (0.6 m) the

bottom and depth readings may become
inconsistent and erratic. This depth is
measured from the transducer and does not
allow for any keel offset setting.

d) Manual Gain may be set too low, which may

cause weak bottom echo, or no fish signals. If
Auto Gain is disabled try increasing the gain.

e) Ensure the back of the bottom sur face of the

transducer is slightly lower than the front and
the front is as deep in the water as possible in
order to minimise the generation of bubbles
through cavitation. (See the Transducer
Installation Guide for more information).

f) Check the transducer and power cable LT

connectors at the back of the display unit
are securely plugged in and the collar is
locked in place. The collar must be secure for
watertight connection.

g) Inspect the transducer and power cables

from end to end for damage such as cuts,
breaks or squashed sections.

h) Ensure there is not another fishfinder or

depth sounder turned on, which may
interfere with the Explorer 443s/443sp.

i) Electrical noise from the boat’s engine or

an accessor y may be interfering with the
transducer(s) and/or the Nor thstar fishfinder.
This may cause the fishfinder to automatically
decrease the gain unless using Manual Gain.
The fishfinder thus eliminates weaker signals
such as fish or even the bottom from the
display. This may be checked by switching
off other instruments, accessories (e.g. bilge
pump) and the motor until the of fending
device is located. To stop problems from
electrical noise, try:

- Rerouting the power and transducer cable (s)
away from the boat’s other elec trical wiring.

- Routing the unit’s power cable directly to the
battery instead of through a fuse block or
ignition switch.

4. Bottom is not displayed:

a) The fishfinder may have Manual Range

selected and the depth may be outside the
range value selected. Either change the
fishfinder to Auto Range or select another
depth range (see section 3-8).

b) The depth may be outside the fishfinder’s

range. While in Auto Range, the display
unit will flash the last depth displayed, then
display “--.-” to indicate that there is no
bottom detected. A display of the bottom
should reappear when it is shallower than
180 m (600 ft).

5. The bottom is displayed too far up the
screen:

The fishfinder may have Manual Range

selected and the selected Range value is
too high for the depth. Either change the
fishfinder to Auto Range or select another
depth range (see section 3-8).

6. Bottom echo disappears or erratic digital
reading while the boat is moving:

a) Ensure the back of the bottom surface of the

transducer is slightly lower than the front and
the front is as deep in the water as possible in
order to minimise the generation of bubbles
through cavitation. See the Transducer
Installation Guide for more information.

b) The transducer may be in turbulent water.

Air bubbles in the water disrupt the echoes
returned, interfering with the fishfinder’s
ability to find the bottom or other targets.
This often happens when the boat is
reversed. The transducer must be mounted
in a smooth flow of water in order for the
fishfinder to work at all boat speeds.

c) Elec trical noise from the boat’s motor

can interfere with the fishfinder. Try some
suppression spark plugs.

7. If the fishfinder beeps when turned on
but nothing is displayed:

The fishfinder may be operating, but the

contrast settings may have been set too
high or low. Power off the fishfinder. Then
hold

and press to reset the fishfinder to

the default contrast setting.

8. The wrong language is displayed:

(See section 2).

Northstar Explorer 443s/443sp Installa tion and Op eration Ma nual

29

AMERICAS

30 Sudbury Road,

Acton, MA 01720, USA

Ph: +1 978.897.6600

Ph: +1 800.628.4487

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

EUROPE

Unit 2, Ocean Quay,

Belvidere Rd, Southampton,

SO14 5QY, ENGLAND

Ph: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

AUSTRALIA

PO Box 479,

Gladesville, NSW 2111,

AUSTRALIA

Ph: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.northstarnav.com

NEW ZEALAND

PO Box 68 155,

Newton, Auckland

Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

Ph: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

Made in New Zealand
MN000621A-G