NorthStar Navigation EXPLORER 435, EXPLORER 438 User Manual
Explorer 435/438
Fishfi nder
Installation and Operation Manual
www.northstarnav.com
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Please read carefully before installation and use.
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to
DANGER
!
WARNING
!
CAUTION
CAUTION
potential personal injury hazards, Obey all safety messages that
follow this symbol to avoidpossible 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 used without the safety alert symbol indicates a
potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may
result in property damage.
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 practices.
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, DAMMAGE
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
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 of ficial version of the
Documentation.
This manual represents the Explorer 435
and Explorer 438 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 .......................................................................................................................................... 6
1-1 Benefits of the Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1-2 How the Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Basic Op eration ......................................................................................................................................8
3 Setti ng up the Explore r 435 and Explo rer 438 ....................................................................................... 10
3-1 Setup > System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3-2 Setup > Sonar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3-3 Setup > Fuel (Explorer 438 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3-4 Setup > Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3-5 Setup > Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3-6 Setup > Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3-7 Setup > Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
3-8 Setup > Comms (Explorer 438 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3-9 Setup > Calibrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 Using the E xplorer 435 and Expl orer 438 ............................................................................................... 16
4-1 Interpreting the display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
4-2 Fish detection and display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4-3 Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
4-4 Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
5 The Disp lays ......................................................................................................................................... 21
5-1 Sonar display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
5-2 Sonar Zoom display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
5-3 Sonar Bottom display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
5-4 Sonar A-Scope display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5-5 Fuel display (Explore r 438 only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
5-6 Data display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
6 Instal lation and Mainten ance ..............................................................................................................24
6-1 What comes with this product? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
6-2 Options and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
6-3 Mounting and removing the display unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6-4 Wiring Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
6-5 Systems of several instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
6-6 Cleaning and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual4
Append ix A - Specifica tions ..................................................................................................................... 27
Append ix B - Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................. 28
Important
It is your sole responsibility to install and use Northstar’s instrument & transducers in a manner that
will not cause accidents, personal injury 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 electrolytic corrosion that may
result in damage to the hull or transducer.
Sonar Performance: The accuracy of the sonar depth display can be affec ted by many factors,
including the type and location of the transducer and water conditions. Ensure that the transducer
is located and used correctly.
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 check s of the
fuel load. This is necessary due to possible operator errors such as forget ting 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.
The Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 are set up with default units of feet, °F (Fahrenheit), US
gallons and knots. See section 3-7 Setup > Units, to change the units.
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual 5
1 Introduction
Congratulations on choosing a Northstar fishfinder.
For maximum benefit, please read this manual
carefully before installation and use.
This manual describes how to install and set up
the Explorer 435 or Explorer 438. Refer to seperate
Transducer Installation Instructions supplied with
the transducer.
1-1 Benefit s of the Explorer 435 and Expl orer 438
The Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 are high quality
fishfinders that are supplied with a transducer.
Both use TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology
to provide a color display for easy daylight
viewing. The LED backlight can be dimmed for
night fishing. The bracket mounting option also
allows the fishfinder to be tilted and swivelled for
optimum viewing.
The colors on the sonar displays are customizable, with a choice of four 16 color palettes
and one 8 color palette. The colors represent
different signal strengths, making the sonar
displays easy to interpret.
This capability, combined with a variable power
output of up to 200 W RMS, ensures that the
Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 operate effectively
in shallow and deep water.
The Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 can detect
the bottom to a depth of 600 feet (180 metres)
depending on the clarit y of the water and the
type of transducer used.
The Northstar fishfinder can be used to find fish,
to locate features on the bottom such as reefs or
wrecks and to help recognize favourite fishing
spots from the bottom profile.
The Northstar fishfinder can also assist with
navigation by providing depth information to
This manual also explains how to operate the
Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 ef fectively and
gives troubleshooting and performance tips.
Important
It is vital to the performance of the fishfinder
that the transducer is installed in the best
location. Please follow the installation
instructions very carefully.
CAUTION
IMPORTANT NOTE ON USE. While any
fishfinder can be used as an aid to navigation,
accuracy can be limited by many factors,
including the location of the transducer. It is
the user’s responsibility to ensure the Northstar
fishfinder is installed and used correctly.
help identify the depth contours marked on
charts.
With the optional fuel kit, the Exp lorer 43 8 also
becomes a sophisticated and easy-to-use
fuel computer.
All of the Nor thstar 400 Series fishf inders use
proprietary SBN Technology for sonar processing
to improve Signal enhancement, Bottom
recognition and Noise rejec tion.
SBN Technology uses digital adaptive filter
algorithms to enhance all returned signals. At the
same time, SBN Technology uses active noise
control to rejec t interference, which can often be
mistaken by fishfinders for true returns.
Using SBN Technology, the fishfinder analyses the
reflec tions from each pulse, filters false returns
and displays what is in the water under the boat.
See section 4-1 Interpreting the display, for more
information.
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual6
1-2 How the Explorer 435 and Explo rer 438 work
The Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 have 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 at a speed of about 4800 f t/sec
(1500 m/sec), spreading out into a cone shape.
When the pulse meets an object, such as a fish or
the bottom, it is partly reflected back up towards
the boat as an echo. The depth of the object
or bottom is calculated by the E xplorer 435
and Explorer 438 by measuring the time taken
between sending a pulse and receiving the echo.
When an echo has been returned, the next pulse
is sent.
The Explorer 435 and Explorer 438 convert each
echo into an elec tronic signal, displayed as a
vertical line of pixels. The most recent echo
appears on the extreme right of the display, with
the older echoes being scrolled towards the left,
eventually disappearing of f the display.
The scroll speed depends upon the water depth
and scroll speed setting. See section 3-2 Setup >
Sonar and section 4-1 Interpreting the display, for
more information.
The appearance of echoes displayed are af fected
by:
• the fishfinder settings (range and gain
settings)
• echoes (different fish t ypes, different bot tom
types, wrecks and seaweed)
• noise (water clarity and bubbles).
See section 4-1 Interpreting the display, for more
information.
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual 7
2 Basic Operation
Key Names
Returns to the previous menu / zooms in.
,
Cursor keys move the selection highlight and
change settings / scrolls up or down.
Confirms changes / zooms out.
MENU Press to show the Display menu
Press again to show the Setup menu.
+ Increases the Range.
_
Decreases the Range.
Press and hold to power On and Off; pressing once shows
the Gain controls. Press twice to show Backlight control.
Hold for Auto Range
Key Operatio n
The fishfinder is operated through menus.
To select a menu item:
1. Press
2. Press
To change a setting:
1. Use the cursor keys
2. Press
or to move the highlight to the
item.
to select the item.
change(s).
to confirm ; to cancel.
or
to make the
Power On / Auto Power
Press to turn the fishfinder on.
If the fishfinder is wired for auto power, it turns
on automatically whenever the boat’s ignition
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual8
is turned on. This ensures that the engine hours
counter and optional fuel functions are activated.
A title display appear s briefly. This is followed
automatically by the Installation m enu only the
first time the fishfinder is switched on. Use this
menu to specif y the language (see section 3-1 Setup
> System) and units (see section 3-7 Setup > Units).
At all other times, the title display is followed by
the display that was used most recently.
If the transducer is not connected, the message:
No transduc er detected. Enter
simulate mode? will appear. Press
select and press to accept. (If the transducer
was not intentionally disconnected, turn off
the fishfinder and refer to the section on
Troubleshooting in Appendix B.)
or to
Power Off
To turn the fishfinder off, hold . A countdown
box appears. Continue to hold for 3 seconds
until the fishfinder turns off.
Note: If the unit is wired for Auto Power (section
6-4 Wiring options) the fishfinder can be turned
off only when the boat’s ignition is turned off.
Simulate Mode
An internal simulator allows
users to learn how to operate
the fishfinder off the water.
In Simulate mode the word
Sim ulat e flashes at the
bottom of the display. The
fishfinder generates data
so that all the main displays
appear to be operational.
Use Setup > Simulate as follows:
1. Press MENU twice to show the Setup menu.
2. Highlight Simulate.
3. Press
to select On or Off.
Gain Adjustment
Gain (sensitivity)
controls the amount
of detail displayed on
the screen. Refer to
section 4-3 for more
information.
1. Press
2. Press
3. Press
4. Press
briefly
to show the gain
controls.
or to
adjust gain.
to switch between auto and manual
gain.
or MENU to confirm and exit.
Display Adjustment
The display and keys
are backlit, with a
choice of 16 brightness levels. To change
the backlight level:
1. Press
2. Press
3. Press
twice to
show the backlight
control.
to dim or
to brighten.
to confirm.
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual 9
3 Setting up the Explorer 435 and Explorer 438
Press MENU twice to show the Setup menu, then selec t a particular option using the
keys. (Section 2 Basic Operation, describes how to use the keys in more detail.)
The Setup menu and options are summarized below. The factory default settings are shown where
applicable. Each Setup menu option is explained in the following sections.
The Setup menu a nd options
System - see section 3-1 Sonar - see section 3-2
Data - see section 3-4
Fuel - see section 3-3
Logs - see section 3-5
Alarms - see section 3-6
Units - see section 3-7
or
cursor
Comms - see section 3-8
Simulate - see section 2
Northstar Explorer 435/438 Installation and Operation Manual10
Calibrate - see section 3-9
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