NorthStar Navigation Explorer 538, Explorer 538i User Manual

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Explorer 538/538i

Chartplotter

Installation and Operation Manual

www.northstarnav.com

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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 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, 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 conflict 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 538/538i 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.

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.

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Important

It is your sole responsibility to install and use Northstar’s instrument and GPS antenna 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 & GPS antenna are critical to performance of the system as intended. Follow instructions in this manual carefully. If in doubt, consult your Northstar dealer.

Ensure that any holes cut are in a safe position and will not weaken the boat’s structure. If in doubt, consult a qualiﬁ ed boat builder.

Global Position System: The global Position System (GPS) is operated by the U.S. Government which is solely responsible for its operation, accuracy and maintenance. The GPS is subject to changes which could aﬀ ect the accuracy and performance of all GPS equipment anywhere in the world. To reduce the risk of misusing or misinterpreting the Explorer, you must read and understand all aspects of this Installation & Operation Manual. We also recommend that you practice all operations using the built-in simulator before using the Explorer.

Electronic Chart: The electronic chart used by Explorer is an aid to navigation designed to supplement, not replace oﬃ cial government charts. Only oﬃ cial government charts supplemented by notices to mariners contain the information required for safe and prudent navigation, Always supplement the electronic information provided by Explorer with other plotting sources such as observations, depth soundings, radar and hand compass bearings. Should the information not agree, the discrepancy must be resolved before proceeding any further.

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 ﬁ lling the tank, running the engine with the Fuel Computer not switched on, or on other operator actions 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 reﬂ ected in this version of the manual. Please contact your nearest Northstar oﬃ ce if you require any further assistance.

Industry Canada

Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the device.

The Explorer is set up with default units of feet, °F (Fahrenheit), US gallons and knots. To change the units, see section 14-8.

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Contents

Important ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Quick r eference ........................................................................................................................................6

1 Introdu ction .......................................................................................................................................... 7

1-1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1-2 Cleaning and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1-3 Plug-in cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1-4 Removing and replacing the display unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2 Basic Op eration ......................................................................................................................................9

2-1 Using the keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2-2 Using the menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

2-3 Turning on and off / auto power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2-4 Backlight and night mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2-5 Man overboard (MOB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2-6 Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2-7 Simulate mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2-8 The main displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

3 Navigati on: Chart ................................................................................................................................. 16

3-1 Overview of navigating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

3-2 Chart display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3-3 Distance and bearing calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3-4 Projected course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

3-5 Tracks and tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

4 Navigati on: Highway display ................................................................................................................ 22

5 Navigati on: Waypoints ......................................................................................................................... 22

5-1 Waypoints display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

5-2 Managing waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

6 Navigati on: Routes .............................................................................................................................. 25

6-1 Routes display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

6-2 Managing routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

7 Satelli tes ............................................................................................................................................. 28

7-1 Satellite display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

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8 Gauges di splay ..................................................................................................................................... 30

9 Data dis play ......................................................................................................................................... 31

10 Fuel funct ions and display .................................................................................................................. 31

10-1 When you add or remove fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

10-2 Fuel display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

10-3 Fuel consumption curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

10-3-2 Managing fuel consumption curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

11 Tides displ ay ...................................................................................................................................... 35

12 User card dis play ................................................................................................................................ 36

13 About displ ay ..................................................................................................................................... 37

14 Setting u p the Explorer 538/538i ........................................................................................................ 38

14-1 Setup > System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

14-2 Setup > Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

14-3 Setup > GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

14-4 Setup > Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

14-5 Setup > Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

14-6 Setup > Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

14-7 Setup > Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

14-8 Setup > Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

14-9 Setup > Comms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

14-10 Setup > Calibrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

14-11 Setup > Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

14-12 Setup > Simulate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

15 Installat ion ........................................................................................................................................ 49

15-1 Installation: What comes with the Explorer 538/538i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

15-2 Installation: Options and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

15-3 Installation: The display unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

15-4 Installation: Power/Data cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

15-5 Installation: GPS antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

15-6 Installation: Northstar petrol/gasoline sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

15-7 Installation: SmartCraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

15-8 Installation: Other NavBus instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

15-9 Installation: Other NMEA instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

15-10 Installation: Setup and test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

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Append ix A - Specifica tions ..................................................................................................................... 56

Append ix B - Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................. 58

Append ix C - Glossary an d navigation data .............................................................................................. 61

Quick reference

Feature Type See Requires

General How to use the keys and displays 2

Troubleshooting Appendix B

Simulate mode 2-6

Glossary of special names Appendix C

Speciﬁ cations Appendix A

MOB Man overboard key 2-4

Navigation Overview of how to navigate 3-1 GPS ﬁ x

Finding the boat’s position on the chart 3-2

Navigate to any point or to a waypoint 3-1

Navigate along a route 3-1

Projected course: An estimate of progress 3-4

Tracks: records of where the boat has been 3-5

GPS receiver status 7

Saving and loading data with a user card 12 User card

Chart data Chart features (built in world chart) 3-2

Chart details 3-2-4 & 5 C-MAP™ chart

Tides at a port 11 C-MAP™ chart

Alarms Built in alarms 2-5

SmartCraft engine alarms 1-1 SmartCraft

Boat data Data at top of main displays 2-7-2

Compass at top of main displays 2-7-3

Dedicated data display 9

Fuel Fuel computer, petrol/gasoline engine 10 Fuel sensors

Fuel computer, SmartCraft engines 10 SmartCraft

What to do when you add or remove fuel 10-1

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1 Introduction

1-1 Ov ervi ew

The Northstar Explorer 538 is a compact, rugged, highly integrated marine chartplotter. It is easy to use and has a Color display. Complex functions can be performed with a few key presses, taking the hard work out of boating.

This manual covers:

Explorer 538

Color display, external GPS antenna.

Explorer 538i

Color display, interrnal GPS antenna.

The available functions, displays and setup menus depend on the optional sensors and instruments that are installed:

Fuel functions require one or more

petrol/gasoline sensors to be installed.

1-2 Cleaning and main tenance

The Explorer 538/538i screen is covered by a proprietary anti-reflection coating. To avoid damage, clean the screen only with a damp cloth and mild detergent when dirt y or covered in sea salt. Avoid abrasive cleaners, petrol or other solvents. If a plug-in card gets dirt y or wet, clean it with a damp cloth or mild detergent.

1-3 Plug-in cards

The Explorer 538/538i can use two kinds of plug-in card:

C-MAP™ chart cards have chart details required for navigating in a particular region. When a chart card is plugged in, the extra details automatically appear on the Explorer 538/538i char t display.

The Explorer 538/538i can use NT, NT+ and

NT-MAX cards.

SmartCraft engine functions require a

SmartCraft system to be installed. For information on using SmartCraf t, see the SmartCraft Gateway Installation and Operation Manual.

The Explorer can send data to other

instrument s, such as an autopilot, and receive data from other instruments.

For information on installing options, see section 15-2 .

This manual describes how to install and operate the Explorer 538/538i. Special terms are explained in Appendix C. For maximum benefit, please read this manual carefully before installing and using the unit. For more information on this instrument and other Nor thstar products, go to our website, www.northstarnav.com.

To optimize per forman ce, avoid w alking o n or jamming cables and connec tors.

Push the dust cover over the display when the Explorer 538/538i is turn ed of f.

C-MAP™ user cards are used to store navigation data. Each user card expands the Explorer 538/538i memory and allows the data to be transferred to another Explorer 538/538i easily (see sec tion 14).

Note: The older 5 volt user cards are not supported.

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Changing the p lug-in card

Handle plug-in cards carefully. Keep them in their protec tive cases when not plugged into the Explorer 538/538i.

Keep the holder in place in the Explorer 538/538i at all times to prevent moisture from entering the card compartment.

Gold contacts under here

Card

Holder

Turn the Explorer 538/538i off (see section 2-3).

Pull the card holder out of the Explorer 538/538i and pull any card out of holder.

Put the card in its case.

1-4 Removing and re placing the display u nit

If the display unit is bracket mounted then the display unit can easily be removed and replaced for security or protection.

Removing the display unit:

1 Turn the display unit off (see section 2-3) and

put the dust cover on.

2 Loosen the knob on the mounting bracket

and lift the unit off the bracket.

3 Unplug the connectors from from the

display unit, turning each locking collar anticlockwise. Push the attached dust covers over the connectors.

4 Store the display unit in a dry clean place,

such as the optional Northstar carry bag.

Replacing the display unit

1 Remove the dust covers from the connectors.

Plug the connectors into the back of the display unit:

Match the connector’s Color to the socket Color.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Push new card into holder. Ensure the gold contacts are on the outer edge and underneath (see above).

Keep the card’s case.

Push card holder fully into Explorer 538/538i

Knob

Mounting

bracket

Insert each connector and turn the locking collar clock wise until it is finger tight.

Nothing will be damaged if a cable is

plugged into the wrong socket by mistake.

2 Hold the display unit in place on the

mounting bracket. Adjust the tilt of the display for best viewing, then hand tighten the knob on the mounting bracket. Remove the dust cover.

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2 Basic Operation

Overview of the keys

Go back to an earlier menu or display. Any changes made are ignored. In chart mode, centres char t at boat’s position.

Show a menu of the main displays. To go to a display, selec t it from the menu (see sec tion 2-8).

Cursor keys, to move the cursor or the selection highlight.

Show a menu of the options for the current display. Press

again to display the Setup menu (see section 17).

Start an action or accept a change.

Zoom in or out to display diﬀ erent areas and detail on the chart.

Man overboard (MOB, see section 2-5).

Tur n Ex plo rer 5 38/5 38i on and oﬀ (see section 2-3); adjust the backlighting (see section 2- 4).

2-1 Using the keys

In this manual:

Press means to push the key for less than a second.

Hold means to hold the key down.

The internal beeper beeps when a key is pressed (to disable or enable the beep, see section 14-1).

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2-2 Using the menus

Operate the E xplorer 538/538i by selecting items from menus. Items can be submenus, commands or data.

Selecting a submenu

after a menu item indicates a submenu, for example Chart . Press or to move the highlight to the submenu, then press

Starting a command

Press

or to move the highlight to the

command, for example Goto cursor, then press

Changing data

First press data to change, then:

a) To change a tick box

means Off or No.

Press

b) To select an option

1 Press

2 Press

or to move the highlight to the

means On or Yes

or to change the tick box.

to display the menu of options.

or to move the highlight to the

option you want, then press

2-3 Turning on and off / auto p ower

Turning on manually

If the Explorer 538/538i is not wired for auto power, press adjust the display to be easy to read (see section 2-4).

Note: If the Explorer 538/538i is not wired for auto power then the Explorer 538/538i does not record engine hours and might not record fuel consumption (see section 15-4).

Turning off manually

If the Explorer 538/538i is not wired for auto power or if the ignition switch is off, hold down

until the display turns off.

to turn the unit on. If necessary,

c) To change a name or number:

1 Press

2 Press

change. Press or to change the letter or digit.

Repeat this to change other letters or

numbers.

3 Press

d) To change a slider value

Press the value.

Auto power

If the Explorer 538/538i is wired for auto power (see section 15-4), then:

The Explorer 538/538i automatically turns on

when you turn the boat’s ignition switch on.

You can not turn the Explorer 538/538i of f

while the ignition switch is on.

off when you turn the boat ’s ignition switch off.

is , the Explorer 538/538i stays on when you turn the boat’s ignition switch off. You can now turn the Explorer 538/538i of f manually.

to display the name or number:

or to select a letter or digit to

to accept the new value. Or press

to ignore the changes.

to decrease the value or to increase

Auto power off (see section 14-1) is

, the Explorer 538/538i automatically turns

Auto power off (see section 14-1)

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2-4 Backlight a nd night mode

To go to the Backlight display, press briefly. When you have finished, press

Backlight

The display and keys are backlit. To change the backlight level, select

to dim or to brighten.

Tip: Press twice to give the brightest screen, with maximum backlight and Night mode off.

Backlight, then press

Night mode

Night mode sets the palette for all displays.

Normal palette, for daytime

A palette optimised for night time.

To change mode, select Night mode, then press

. To change only the char t palette, see section

17-2 .

2-5 Man overboard (MOB)

The MOB feature saves the boat’s position and then navigates back to this point.

MOB will not work if the Explorer 538/538i does not have a GPS fix.

1 Press

The Explorer 538/538i stores the boat’s

position as a waypoint called MOB.

2 The Explorer 538/538i changes to the chart

display, with the MOB waypoint at the centre of the chart.

The chart zooms in for accurate navigation.

If the chart can not show the required small scale, the Explorer 538/538i changes to plotter mode (a white display with crosshatching and no chart details, see section 14-2).

3 The Explorer 538/538i sets the MOB waypoint

to be the destination to navigate to.

If the NMEA output (autopilot) is off (see

section 14-9) use the Explorer 538/538i to manually navigate to the destination MOB waypoint (see sections 3-1-1 and 3-1-2).

Tip: The MOB waypoint remains on the chart after the MOB has been cancelled. To delete the MOB waypoint, see section 5-2-5.

If the NMEA output (autopilot) is on, the

Explorer asks if the autopilot is active. Select:

No: Use the Explorer 538/538i to manually

navigate to the destination MOB waypoint (see sections 3-1-1 and 3-1-2).

Yes: The Explorer 538/538i asks if the boat is to

go to the MOB waypoint.

Select:

Yes: to immediately start navigating to the

MOB waypoint.

This might result in a sudden and dangerous turn.

No: disengage the autopilot; then use the

Explorer 538/538i to manually navigate to the destination MOB waypoint (see sections 3-1-1 and 3-1-2).

To cancel MOB or set another MOB

1 Press

2 Select an option from the menu.

again to display a menu.

2-6 A larm s

When the Explorer 538/538i detects an alarm condition, it displays a warning message on the display, the internal beeper sounds and any external beepers or lights operate.

Press sound again if the alarm condition occurs again.

The Explorer 538/538i has user settable alarms plus an alarm for loss of GPS fix (see section 14-7).

to clear the alarm. The alarm will

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2-7 Simulate mode

In Simulate mode, the Explorer 538/538i ignores data from the GPS antenna and other transducers and sensors and the Explorer 538/538i generates this data itself. Otherwise, the Explorer 538/538i functions normally.

There are two simulate modes:

Normal: Allows a user to become familiar

with the Explorer 538/538i off the water.

Demo: Simulates a boat moving along

a route and automatically displays different E xplorer 538/538i functions.

2-8 The main displays

To go to a display, press to select the type of display to show, press

to select the display from the list, then press

Chart menu and displays

, press or

To start and stop Simulate mode, and for more information, see section 14-12. In simulate mode,

Sim ulat e or Demo flashes at the bottom of

the display.

Never have Simulate mode on when the Explorer 538/538i is navigating on the water.

The available displays depend on the optional sensors and instruments that are installed (see section 1-1).

SmartCraft menu and displays

The SmartCraf t displays require a SmartCraft system to be installed. For information on using SmartCraft, see the SmartCraf t Gateway Installati on and Operation Manu al.

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Other menu and displays

Note: Press to go from an Other display back to your last chart display.

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2-8-1 Dual displays

The Explorer 538/538i can show two displays at once, for example Chart + Gauges. One of the displays, called the active display, has a yellow border and is controlled by the user. To change the active display, press cannot be the active display). For example:

twice (Highway

If Chart is the active display: press

display the options for Chart; press twice to make Gauges the active display.

If Gauges is the active display: press

wto display the options for Gauges; press

twice to make Char t the active display.

Chart display is

active

Yellow border

Press

Yellow border

Gauges display

is not active

2-8-2 Data header

The chart and highway displays can show data at the top of the display.

The data header for each display can be different. To change the data header for a display:

1 Go to the display, press

Data header.

2 To turn the data header off or on:

i Selec t

ii Select or .

Data.

and selec t

Chart display is

not active

Gauges display is

active

3 To choose the size of the numbers:

i Selec t Size.

ii Select

4 To change the data displayed:

i Selec t

ii Change a data field:

a Press the cursor keys to highlight the

b Press

c Select a data item that is available on your

iii Repeat the above step to set the other

Small, Medium or Large.

Data setup.

field.

items.

system or select None to leave the field empty.

data fields. Press

to display a menu of data

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Tip: If less than the maximum number of lines of data are used, the data will take up less of the display area.

5 Press

to return to the display.

2-8-3 Compass

The chart and highway displays can show a compass at the top of the display.

The compass always shows the boat’s course over ground (COG), a red symbol in the middle. When the boat is navigating to a point, the compass also shows bearing to the destination (BRG), a black symbol.

In this example, BRG is [300] ° and COG is [320]°.

To turn the compass off or on:

1 Press

2 Set Compass to or .

and selec t Data header.

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3 Navigation: Chart

The chart display shows the char t, the boat’s position course and navigation data.

3-1 Overview of navigating

The Explorer 538/538i has two ways of navigating, going straight to a point or following a route.

3-1-1 Navigating to a point

When the Explorer 538/538i is navigating to a point, the char t and highway displays show navigation data:

A The boat position .

B The destination point marked with a circle.

C The boat’s plotted course to the destination.

D Two CDI lines, parallel to the boat’s plotted

course, which indicate the maximum expected deviation from the plotted course.

For more information, see appendix C.

If the Explorer 538/538i is connec ted to an autopilot, the Explorer 538/538i will send data to the autopilot to steer the boat to the destination. Start the autopilot before starting to navigate to the point.

If the Explorer 538/538i has no autopilot, steer the boat manually:

a use the boat position and destination on the chart or highway displays

b or use navigation data displayed on the data header (see section 2-8 -2)

c or use COG and BRG on the compass (see section 2-8-3).

3-1-2 Going to a waypoint or to a p oint on the chart

A waypoint is a position that you can set on the Explorer 538/538i chart, for example a fishing spot or a point on a route (see section 5).

Going to a waypoint from the chart display

1 Go to the chart display.

2 Move the cursor to the waypoint: either use the cursor keys or use Find (see section 3-2-5).

3 Press

and selec t Goto.

Note:

1 If the XTE alarm is enabled, an alarm will

sound if the boat deviates too much from its intended course (see section 14-7).

2 If the arrival radius alarm is enabled, then an

alarm will sound to show that the boat has reached the destination (see section 14-7).

Going to a waypoint from the waypoints display

1 Go to the waypoints display.

2 Press go to.

3 Press

or to highlight the waypoint to

and selec t Goto.

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Going to a point on the chart

1 Switch to a chart display.

2 Move the cursor to the destination point:

either use the cursor keys or use Find (see section 3-2-5).

3 Press

Make sure the course does not pass over land or dangerous waters.

and selec t Goto cursor.

3-1-3 Following a route

Preparing

A route is a list of waypoints that the boat can follow (see section 6).

To create waypoints before creating the

route, see section 5-2-1.

To create a route, see sec tion 6-2-1.

Starting a route from the chart display:

1 Go to the char t display.

2. Press and select Start Route.

3. Press or to highlight the route to follow. Press .

4. The Explorer 538/538i asks for the direction to traverse the route.

Select

5. The Explorer 538/538i displays the char t with

the route marked and starts navigating from the start of the route.

Starting a route from the routes display:

1 Go to the routes display.

2 Press

3 The Explorer 538/538i asks for the direction to

Select

Forward (the order the route was

created) or

follow. Press

traverse the route.

Reverse.

or to highlight the route to

and selec t Start.

Forward (the order the route was

created) or

Reverse.

Navigating

The Explorer 538/538i navigates to the point as described in section 3-1-1.

Cancelling navigating

Go to a Chart display, press

and selec t

Cancel goto.

Tip: Before starting, create waypoints at points of interest. Create a waypoint at the start of the trip for you to navigate back to (see section 5-2-1).

4 The Explorer 538/538i displays a chart with

the route marked and start s navigating from the start of the route.

Navigating

The Explorer 538/538i navigates to each waypoint on the route in turn as described in section 3-1-1.

The Explorer 538/538i stops navigating to the waypoint at the end of the current leg and starts the next leg of the route:

a when the boat comes within 0.025 nm of the

waypoint

b or when the boat passes the waypoint

c or if you skip the waypoint.

Skipping a waypoint

To skip a waypoint, go to a chart display, press

and selec t Skip. The Explorer 538/538i starts navigating straight towards the next waypoint on the route.

Skipping a waypoint with the autopilot on might result in a sudden course change.

Cancelling a route

When the boat has reached the final waypoint, or to stop the boat following the route at any time, cancel the route. Go to a chart display, press

and selec t Cancel route.

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3-2 Chart display

To go to the Chart display, press , selec t Chart, then selec t Chart.

A typical chart display shows:

A Data header. To turn the data off or on or to change what data is displayed, see section 2-8-2

B Compass (see section 2-8-3)

C Chart scale (see section 3-2-3)

D Boat position (see section 3-2-1)

E Boat track (see section 3-5)

F Boat course and CDI lines (see Appendix C, CDI). The boat is going to the waypoint called FISH06

G Distance and bearing of cursor from boat

HLand

ISea

J The cursor (see section 3-2-1)

K A typical waypoint (see section 5)

Note: To change the types of information displayed on the chart, see section 17-2.

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3-2-1 Chart modes

The Chart has two modes:

Centre on boat mode

To switch to centre on boat mode in the chart display, press the chart. As the boat moves through the water, the chart automatically scrolls to keep the boat in the centre of the chart. The cursor (see below) is turned of f.

Cursor mode

The keys and are called cursor keys. To switch to cursor mode in the chart display, hold down a cursor key. The cursor and moves away from the boat:

Press the key which points in the direc tion that the cursor will move, for example press

to move the cursor down.

. The boat is at the centre of

appears

3-2-2 Latitude and longit ude

Latitude and longitude can be displayed in the data header. The display is degrees and minutes to three decimal places, about 2 m (6 ft) resolution. Normally the position is the boat’s position, and the latitude and longitude has a boat symbol to show this:

36° 29.637’ N or S Latitude

175° 09.165’ E or W Longitude

Press midway bet ween two of the cursor keys to make the cursor move diagonally.

Hold a cursor key down to make the cursor move continuously across the display.

In Cursor mode:

The distance ( the cursor from the boat are displayed at the bottom, left corner of the display.

The chart does not scroll as the boat moves.

If the cursor reaches the edge of the display, the chart will scroll.

For example, hold down

cursor to the right side of the display and the chart will scroll to the left.

If the cursor has been moved in the last ten seconds, then the position is the cursor’s position, and the latitude and longitude has a cursor symbol to show this:

36° 29.841’ N or S Latitude

175° 09.012’ E or W Longitude

When reading the boat position, make sure the position is not the cursor position.

DST) and bearing ( BRG) of

to move the

3-2-3 Chart scale

Press to zoom in and display a smaller area of the chart in more detail. Press and display a bigger area in less detail.

to zoom out

3-2-4 Chart symbols and info rmation

The chart will show symbols, such as waypoints and chart symbols (for example buoys, beacons, wrecks and marinas). When the cursor is placed over a symbol for at least two seconds, a data window appears at the bottom left of the display with information about the symbol.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

The chart scale is displayed at the top left of the chart:

To see stored information about a point on the chart (for example, a char t symbol):

1 Move the cursor to that point on the chart.

2 Press

3 A menu of objects is displayed:

i Select an object to display.

ii Press

iii Finally, press

and select Chart info.

to return to the menu. Select

other objects.

to return to the char t.

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3-2-5 Finding place s

To see places near the boat’s position, press

to switch to centre on boat mode.

To see places near a dif ferent point, move the cursor to that point on the chart.

To find and display places of interest:

1 Press

2 Select the type of place: Waypoints, Routes,

Ports, Por t services or Tide stations.

3 For a Port service, select the type of service to

find.

4 A list of places is displayed. If there are more

places than will fit on the display, press or

and selec t Find.

to scroll up or down a page at a time.

3-3 Distance and bear ing calculator

The distance and bearing calculator can plot a course of one or several legs and show the bearing and length of each leg, as well as the total distance along the course. The completed course can be converted into a route.

To use the distance and bearing calculator:

1 Press

displayed. Press and select

Distance.

2 Move the cursor to the start of the first leg. It

does not matter if this point is a waypoint or not. Press

3 To add a leg to the course, move the cursor

to the end of the leg. It does not mat ter if this point is a waypoint or not. The display shows the bearing and length of the leg, as well as the total distance along the course. Press

until the chart display is

5 Select the place and press . The char t

display changes to show the selected place in the middle of the display.

6 To see stored information about the selected

place, press

and selec t Chart

info (see section 3-2-4). To display a tide

chart for a selected tide station, select

height from the char t info.

4 To remove the last leg from the course, press

5 Repeat the above two steps to enter the

6 To save the new course as a route, press

7 Finally, press

and selec t Remove.

whole course.

and selec t Save. This also saves any new points on the course as new waypoints, with default names. If necessary, edit the route later (see section 6-2-2) and edit any new waypoints later (see section 5-2-3).

to return to the char t

display.

Tide

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3-4 Projecte d course

If Projected course is turned on, then the E xplorer 538/538i will display the projected position based on the course over ground (COG), speed and a specified time. To turn Projec ted course on and off and to set the time, see section 14-2.

A Projected position

B Boat’s projected course

C Boat position

3-5 Tracks and trackin g

Tracking records the boat’s position to memory at regular intervals, which can be:

Time intervals.

Or distance intervals.

The track of where the boat has been can be displayed on the chart. The Explorer 538/538i can display one track while recording another.

To work with track s, see section 14-5.

The Explorer 538/538i can store five tracks:

Track 1 can hold up to 200 0 points and is intended to record the normal progress of the boat.

Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5 can hold up to 500 points each and are intended to record sections to be retraced accurately, for example entering a river mouth.

Tip: Record the tracks in good conditions.

When recording is on and the track becomes full then recording continues and the oldest points in the track are deleted. The maximum length of

a track depends on the selected track interval: a small interval will give a shorter, more detailed track and a long interval will give a longer, less detailed track, as shown in these examples:

Time intervals

Interval Track 1 Track 2, 3, 4

or 5

1 sec 33 minutes 8 minutes

10 sec 5.5 hours 1.4 hours

1 min 33 hours 8 hours

Distance intervals

Interval Track 1 Track 2, 3, 4

or 5

0.01 20 5

1 2,000 500

10 20,000 5,000

The track lengths are in the current distance units, for example nm.

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4 Navigation: Highway display

The highway display has a bird’s eye view of the boat’s course to a destination. To go to the Highway display, press

The highway display shows:

A Optional data header (see section 2-8-3)

B Optional compass (see section 2-8-4)

C Destination waypoint

D Boat’s plotted course to destination

E CDI lines, parallel to the boat’s plotted course (see

F CDI scale

G The boat position is at the bot tom, centre of the

, select Other, then select Highway.

Appendix C, CDI). The CDI lines are like a highway over the water where the boat will move.

display.

5 Navigation: Waypoints

A waypoint is a position that you can set on the Explorer 538/538i chart for example a fishing spot or a point on a route. The Explorer 538/538i can have up to 3000 waypoints. A waypoint can be created, changed or deleted. A waypoint has:

A name (up to eight characters).

An icon showing what kind of waypoint it is.

The available icons are:

A position.

A color for the waypoint symbol and name

on the chart.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

The highway display does not show land, dangerous waters or chart symbols.

A type:

Normal: A normal waypoint can be

navigated to or included in a route.

Danger: A danger waypoint is a point to

avoid. If the boat comes within the danger radius of a danger waypoint the unit can sound an alarm (see section 14-7).

A display option:

Controls how the waypoint is displayed

when the

Waypoints setup option is set to

Selected (see sec tion 14-2):

Off: The waypoint is not displayed.

Icon: The waypoint icon is displayed.

I+N (Icon and Name): The waypoint

icon and name are displayed.

If there are many waypoints, use this feature

to select which waypoints are displayed on the chart.

Note: The other choices for Waypoints are Hide all and Show all (see section 14-2).

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5-1 Waypoints disp lay

To go to the waypoints display, press

, select Other, then selec t Waypoints. The waypoints display is a list of the waypoints that have been entered, each with waypoint symbol, name, latitude and longitude, distance and bearing from the boat, t ype and display option.

If there are more waypoints than will fit on the display, press page at a time.

or to scroll up or down a

5-2 Managing wayp oints

5-2-1 Creating a new way point

Creating and editing a new waypoint from the chart display

1 To create a waypoint at the boat position,

press ESC to switch the chart to centre on boat mode.

Or, to create a waypoint at a different point,

move the cursor to that point on the char t.

2 Press

3 A new waypoint, with the default name and

data is created.

4 Change the waypoint data if necessary (see

section 5-2-7). Select

Save.

5-2-2 Moving a waypoint

Moving a waypoint from the chart display

1 In the chart display, move the cursor to the

waypoint to move.

2 Press

3 Move the cursor to the new position and

press

and selec t Move.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Creating a new waypoint from the waypoints display

1 In the waypoints display, press

Create.

select

2 A new waypoint, with a default name and

data, is created at the boat position.

3 Change the waypoint data if necessary (see

section 5-2-7). Select

Note: Waypoints can also be created when a route is created (see section 6 -2-1).

Do not create a navigation waypoint on land or in dangerous water.

Moving a waypoint from the waypoints display

To move a waypoint from the waypoints display, edit the waypoint (see section 5-2-3) and change the latitude and longitude.

Save.

and

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5-2-3 Editing a wayp oint

Editing a waypoint from the chart display

1 In the chart display, move the cursor to the

waypoint to edit.

2 Press

3 Change the waypoint data (see section 5-2-7).

Select

and selec t Edit.

Save.

5-2-4 Displaying a waypoi nt on the chart

This goes to the chart display, and shows the selected waypoint at the centre of the display.

1 In the waypoints display, press

to highlight the waypoint to display. Press

and selec t Display.

Editing a waypoint from the waypoints display

1 In the waypoints display, press

highlight the waypoint to edit. Press and select

2 Change the waypoint data (see section

5-2-7). Select

Or, in the Chart display, press

Edit.

Save.

or to

, select

Find, then select Wayp oints. Select a

waypoint from the list.

2 The Explorer 538/538i switches to the chart

display, with the selected waypoint at the centre of the char t.

5-2-5 Deleti ng a waypoint

A waypoint can not be deleted if the boat is navigating to it or if the waypoint is used in more than one route. A waypoint that is used in one route can be deleted.

When a waypoint is deleted from a route, check that the changed route does not cross land or dangerous waters.

Deleting a waypoint from the chart display

1 In the chart display, move the cursor to the

waypoint to delete.

2 Press

3 Select Ye s to confirm.

Deleting a waypoint from the waypoints display

1 In the waypoints display, press

to highlight the waypoint to delete. Press

and selec t Delete.

2 Select Ye s to confirm.

5-2-6 Deleting al l waypoints

1 In the waypoints display and press and select Delete all.

2 Select Ye s to confirm.

5-2-7 Changing a wayp oint’s data

To change the waypoint data when it is displayed in a window:

1 Select the data to change.

Press

Use the cursor keys to change the data.

Press

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

2 If necessary, repeat the above step to change other data.

3 Select

Save.

and selec t Delete.

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5-2-8 Sort Waypoints

To change how the waypoints list is displayed:

1 Press

2 Select how to display the list:

Name: In alphabetical order by name.

and selec t Sort by.

5-2-9 Navigating to a waypoint

See section 3-1-2.

6 Navigation: Routes

A route is a list of waypoints that the boat can navigate along. Routes can be created, changed and deleted.

The Explorer 538/538i can have up to 25 routes. Each route can have up to 50 waypoints.

A route can:

Start and stop at the same waypoint .

Include waypoints more than once.

6-1 Routes display

The routes display is a list of the routes that have been entered, each with route name, start waypoint, end waypoint, number of legs and total distance.

To go to the routes display, press

Other, then select Routes.

If there are more routes than will fit on the display, press

or to scroll up or down a page at

a time.

, select

Ico n: Grouped by icon type.

Distance: In order of dis tance from the

boat.

An arrow at at the top of a column indicates how the waypoints are sorted.

The Explorer 538/538i can navigate along a route in either direction. Waypoints on the route can be skipped.

Make sure that routes do not cross land or dangerous water.

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6-2 Managing routes

After creating or changing a route, display the route on the chart and check that it does not cross land or dangerous water.

6-2-1 Creating a new rou te

A. Creating a new route f rom the chart

display while creati ng the route:

Press

or to change the range; scroll the chart by moving the cursor to the edge of the chart.

A data box at the bottom left of the display shows the route name and total distance. If the cursor is near a leg, it shows the length and bearing of the leg as well.

The legs of a route must start and end at waypoints. If a leg does not start or end at an existing waypoint then a new waypoint will be created automatically (to change the new waypoint data, see section 5-2-7).

You can not use a Danger waypoint in a route.

1 In the chart display, press

New route.

2 The route is given a default name:

i Change the name if necessary.

ii Select Ok.

3 To enter the legs of the route:

i Move the cursor to the start of the route

and press

ii A waypoint is created with a default

name. to save this waypoint press enter, to edit the waypoint refer to 5-2-7

iii Press

from the cursor to the previous waypoint

iv Move the cursor to the end of the first leg

and press

v Repeat i to iv until the last waypoint in

the route is placed and saved

vi Press

Menu options while creating a route:

1 To add a waypoint to the route

i Press

a dotted leg line is displayed

to complete the route

and selec t Add.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

and selec t

2 To insert a waypoint in the route by breaking

one leg into two:

i Move the cursor to the leg you want to

break.

ii Press

iii Move the cursor to where the new route

waypoint will be.

iv Press .

3 To move a waypoint in the route:

i Move the cursor to the waypoint to

move.

ii Press

iii Move the cursor to where the waypoint

will be.

iv Press

4 To remove a waypoint from the route:

i Move the cursor to the waypoint to

remove from the route.

ii Press

waypoint is removed from the route, but the waypoint is not deleted.

5 To start navigating the route

i Press

6 To end creating the route

i Press

7 To delete the route

i Press

ii Select yes to confirm.

Tip: The distance and bearing calculator can also be used to enter a course and save it as a route (see section 3-3).

B. Creating a new route from the routes

display

1 In the routes display, press

and selec t Insert.

and selec t Move.

and selec t Remove. The

and selec t Start

and selec t End

and selec t Delete

and selec t

Create.

2 A new route, with a default name and no

waypoints, is displayed.

3 To change the route name:

i Select the route name at the top of the

display and press

ii Change the name if necessary.

iii Press

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4 To insert a waypoint in the route:

i Select where the waypoint will be:

To insert the first waypoint in a new

route, selec t Leg 1.

To insert a waypoint at the end of the

route, selec t the unused leg at the end of the list of waypoints.

Other wise, selec t the waypoint to

insert the new waypoint in front of.

ii Press

displayed. Select the waypoint to use.

As waypoints are inserted, the distance

and bearing of each leg is shown

. A list of waypoints is

6-2-2 Editing a route

Editing a route from the chart

1 In the routes display, select the route to

edit. Press

and selec t Edit on

chart.

2 The selected route is displayed on the chart,

with a circle around the first waypoint.

3 Edit the route as described in section 6-2-1 A,

starting at step 4.

6-2-3 Displaying a route on the char t

To view the selec ted route at the centre of the display:

1 In the routes display, press

highlight the route to display. Press and selec t

Display.

or to

automatically. If the route has more waypoints than will fit on the display,

press

or to see them.

5 To remove a waypoint from the route:

i Select the waypoint to remove.

ii Press

6 Repeat this process until the route is finished.

7 Press

8 Display the route on the chart (see section

6-2-3) and check that the route does not cross land or dangerous water.

See section 3-1-3.

Editing a route from the routes display

1 In the routes display, press

highlight the route to edit. Press and

Edit.

select

2 The selected route is displayed: the route

name and a list of the waypoints.

3 Edit the route as described in section 6-2-1 B,

starting at step 3.

Or, in the Chart display, press , select

and selec t Remove.

Find, then select Route. Select a route

from the list.

2 The Explorer 538/538i displays the selected

route on the char t.

or to

6-2-4 Deleting a route

1 In the routes display, press

Delete.

2 Select Ye s to confirm.

or to highlight the route to delete. Press and selec t

6-2-5 Deleting all routes

1 In the routes display, press and select Delete all.

2 Select Ye s to confirm.

6-2-6 Navigating a route

See section 3-1-3.

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7 Satellites

GPS worldwide navigation

The US Government operates the GPS s ystem. Twenty-four satellites orbit the earth and broadcast position and time signals. The positions of these satellites are constantly changing. The GPS receiver analyses the signals from the closest satellites and calculates exactly where it is on earth. This is called the GPS position.

The accurac y of the GPS position is typically better than 10 m (33 ft) for 95% of the time. A GPS antenna can receive signals from the GPS satellites when it is almost anywhere on earth.

DGPS

A DGPS system uses correction signals to remove some of the errors in the GPS position. The Explorer 538/538i can use one of t wo types of DGPS system:

WAAS and EGNOS DGPS

WAAS and EGNOS are two satellite based

DGPS systems. The correction signals are broadcast by satellites and are received by the Explorer’s standard GPS antenna. The accuracy of the corrected GPS position is typically better than 5 m (15 ft) for 95% of the time.

WAAS covers all of the USA and most of

Canada. EGNOS will cover most of Western Europe when it becomes operational.

Differential beacon DGPS

Differential beacons are land based radio

transmitters that broadcast correction signals that can be received by a special receiver on the boat. Differential beacons are usually only installed near ports and important waterways, and each beacon has a limited range. The accuracy of the corrected GPS position is t ypically better than 2 to 5 m (6 to 16 ft).

GPS receiver

Northstar GPS units have a sensitive 12-channel receiver, which tracks signals from all GPS satellites visible above the horizon and uses measurements from all satellites more than 5° above the horizon to calculate the position.

Each time a GPS receiver is turned on, it normally takes about 50 seconds before it outputs the first position. Under some circumstances it will take up to two minutes or longer.

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7-1 Satellite di splay

The satellite display has information about the GPS satellites and GPS position.

To go to the satellite display, press

Other, then select Satellite.

The satellite display shows:

, select

A Status of GPS antenna, for example Acquiring,

GPS fix, No GPS. If the unit is in Simulate mode it displays Simulate (see section 2-7)

B Time and date from GPS satellites. Time is

local time (UTC [GMT] plus local offset, see section 14-11)

C HDOP: The error in the GPS position caused

by satellite geometry. A low value indicates a more precise fix, a high value a less precise fix

D Signal strengths of up to twelve visible GPS

satellites. T he higher the bar the stronger the signal

E Boat position

F Positions of visible GPS satellites:

Outer circle is horizon

Inner circle is 45° elevation

Centre is direc tly above

North is at top of display

G If the boat is moving, COG is a line from

centre

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Page 30

8 Gauges display

The Gauges display shows boat data, such as water speed, as analog or digital gauges.

To go to the Gauge display, press

Chart, then select Chart+Gauges.

select

If necessary, press twice to switch to the Gauges display (see section 2-8-1).

Before using the Gauge display, set

range

and Max fuel flow (see section

17-11) .

Chart

Gauges

and

Speed

Changing t he Gauges display

1 Go to the Gauges display and press .

2 To select the gauge type.

i Select

ii Select Analog (round) or Digital

3 To select the gauge size.

i Select

ii Select Small, Medium or Large.

4 To change the data displayed:

i Select

ii Change a gauge:

iii Repeat the above step to set the other

5 Press

Gauge typ e.

(numbers).

Gauge size.

Gauge setup.

a) Press the cursor keys to highlight the

gauge.

b) Press

items.

c) Selec t a data item that is available on

your system.

gauges. Press

to display a menu of data

to return to the Gauges display.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 31

9 Data display

The data display has large numeric data fields. To go to the data display, press , select

Other, then select Data.

To select what data is displayed:

1 Press

2 Change a data field:

i Press the cursor keys to highlight the

ii Press

iii Select a data item that is available on your

3 Repeat the above step to set the other data

fields.

4 Press

10 Fuel functions and display

The Fuel f unctions require optional fuel sensors to be installed.

10-1 When you add or remove fue l

When you add or remove fuel in a boat with no SmartCraft fuel tank level sensors, you must tell the Explorer, otherwise and the low fuel alarm will be meaningless.

A When you completely fill the tank

1 Fill the tank.

2 Press

REM AINING, RANGE

one or more times until the

Setup menu is displayed, then select Fuel.

3 Select Tank full.

Note: Underf loor fuel tanks are often difficult to refill to the same level twice, due to air pockets. With underfloor fuel tanks:

Trim the boat to the same angle in the water each time you follow procedure A.

Mostly use procedure B below when adding fuel, but completely fill the tank and follow procedure A about every tenth time you add fuel.

B When you part fill the tank

1 Before adding fuel, go to the fuel display and

write down the value of Remaining, which is the amount of fuel now in the tank .

2 Add fuel to the tank, writing down how much

you add.

3 Add together the two figures you have

written down, to calculate the amount of fuel now in the tank .

4 Press

Setup menu is displayed, then select Fuel.

and selec t Data setup.

field.

items.

system or select empty.

to display a menu of data

None to leave the field

one or more times until the

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Page 32

5 Set

Remaining to the amount of fuel that

you calculated was now in the tank .

Note: If you follow procedure B every time you add fuel, then a small error will accumulate, because it is hard to measure exactly how much fuel you add. To avoid this, completely fill the tank and follow procedure A about every tenth time you add fuel.

10-2 Fuel display

Fuel display without engine RPM

Fuel display with engine RPM

C When you remove fuel

Repeat procedure B, but subtrac t the fuel you have removed from the original amount of fuel in the tank to calculate the amount of fuel now in the tank.

To go to the Fuel display, press

, select

Other, then select Fuel. The display is

different if engine RPM is available (requires SmartCraft to be installed):

The Fuel display shows

Used

The total fuel used since this was last reset with the Clear Used command.

Remaining

The amount of fuel remaining in the tank.

Flow

The fuel consumption per hour. For twin engine installations, the fuel flow for each engine is shown separately. This is useful for checking that both engines are under the same load.

Speed

If the Explorer 538/538i has both GPS and paddlewheel speed available then you can select which to use. The choice affec ts the calculated Range and Economy (see section 17-5 Speed source).

If the Explorer 538/538i uses a paddlewheel sensor to measure speed, then the speed must be accurately calibrated.

Economy

The the distance travelled per unit of fuel used. The bigger this number, the better the fuel economy. Adjust the throt tle and trim to achieve the best economy.

Range

The estimated boat range at the current fuel f low.

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Page 33

10-3 Fuel consumption cu rves

A fuel consumption curve is a powerful tool for assessing your boat performance in different conditions and for helping you to run at the most economical speed for the conditions. Fuel consumption curves require engine RPM, which requires SmartCraft to be installed.

10-3-1 Making a fue l consumption curve

Making a fuel consumption cur ve requires running the boat in a straight line through the engine’s full RPM range for about 15 minutes.

For your first curve, choose a calm day with light wind and little current; have a t ypical load and a freshly cleaned hull. Then you can make fuel consumption cur ves for different boat, weather or sea conditions. Compare these with your first cur ve to see how your boat’s per formance changes with conditions.

Making a curve

1 Start running the boat in a straight line.

2 Press

Setup menu is displayed, then select

3 Select Fuel consumption cur ve,

then select New.

4 Enter the comfortable maximum RPM you

have measured for the engine. Do not use the maker’s maximum RPM.

5 The Explorer 538/538i then asks you to set the

minimum RPM. Set the throttle for minimum RPM; for a twin engine boat set both engines to about the same minimum RPM.

Now, do not change the engine speed. Wait

for about 60 seconds for the boat to stabilise, then press 538/538i records the data.

one or more times until the

Fuel.

. Wait while the Explorer

6 The Explorer 538/538i then asks you to set

the throttle to achieve a target RPM. For a twin engine boat set both engines to about the target RPM. When the engine RPMs are correct, the Target RPM box will turn green.

Now, do not change the engine speed. Wait

for about 60 seconds for the boat to stabilise, ensuring the Target RPM box stays green. Then press 538/538i records the data.

7 The Explorer 538/538i repeats the above step

to record data up to the maximum RPM.

Then the Explorer 538/538i asks if you want

to save the curve. Select Yes. The Explorer 538/538i asks for a name for the curve. Change the default name if required, then press

Note: To interrupt making the curve at any time, press

. Wait while the Explorer

. The new cur ve is stored.

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Page 34

10-3-2 Managin g fuel consumption cu rves

Record several curves for different conditions.

Renaming a curve

1 Press

Setup menu is displayed, then select

2 Select Fuel consumption cur ve.

Select Name, press and select the name of the cur ve to rename.

3 Select

name and press

one or more times until the

Fuel.

Rename and press . Change the

10-3-3 Using fuel consumption c urves

A fuel consumption curve is displayed on the fuel display:

a For a twin engine boat, keep the RPM of both

engines similar while using a curve.

Displaying a curve

1 To go to the Fuel display, press

Other, then select Fuel.

2 Press , press and select the

name of the cur ve to display on the fuel display.

Using a curve

Compare your boat’s performance now, at the current RPMs, with the boat’s per formance when you made the curve. You can compare your boat’s per formance now with a curve made under ideal conditions or with a curve made under similar conditions.

Information in a curve

A RPM of the boat now. For a twin engine boat,

the RPM is the average of the two RPMs.

B Red curve: boat speeds at different

RPMs recorded when you made this fuel consumption curve.

, select

Deleting a curve

1 Press

menu is displayed, then select

2 Select Fuel consumption curve. Select

once or more until the Setup

Fuel.

Name, press and select the name of

the curve to delete.

3 Select

Delete and press .

C Red marker: the boat speed now. This marker

is below the red curve, showing that the boat speed now at this RPM is less than when you recorded the curve.

D Blue curve: fuel consumption at different

RPMs recorded when you made this fuel consumption cur ve.

E Blue marker: the fuel consumption now. This

marker is below the blue curve, showing that the fuel usage now at this RPM is better than when you recorded the curve.

F If the blue curve has a dip, then running the

boat at this RPM will give the best speed for the least fuel consumption.

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Page 35

11 Tides display

The tides display is available on C-MAP charts. The tides display shows tide information at a tide station for the selected date.

Note: The tides display requires the local time offset to be set to work correctly (see section 14-11)

To show the tides display for the tide station nearest to the boat, press then select

To go to the tides display for any tide station:

1 From the chart display, press

2 Select Tid e statio ns.

The tides display shows data for the chosen date

select

Tides.

Find.

, select Other,

and

3 A list of tide stations are displayed. Select the

tide station to display. The chart redraws with the tide station centred.

4 Press

5 Select Tide height.

Choosing the date of the tide chart

1 Press

2 Select

To choose a different date from these, select

and selec t Chart info.

Today, Next day or Prev d ay.

Set date, edit the date, press .

A Tide station name and distance from

boat

B Current time and chosen date for

display

C Tide chart

D Night

E Dawn

F Day

G Dusk

H Tide height

I Time cursor, a vertical dotted line.

Press

or to move cursor

sideways

J Time of cursor and tide height at that

time

K Data for the chosen date

L Tide height cursor, a horizontal

dotted line. Press cursor up and down.

M Height of cursor on the tide chart

N Moon phase for moon at the current

time on the chosen date

or to move

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Page 36

12 User card display

A C-MAP™ user card is an optional plug-in card that can store data files (see section 1-4). There are three types of files: waypoints, routes or a track.

To go to the user card display, press Other, then select User card.

Note:

1 Before using a user card, remove any

chart card and plug the user card in. When you have finished with the user card, remove the user card and replace the chart card (see section 1-3).

2 The older 5 volt cards are not supported.

The user card display has:

File list

A list of the files on any user card in the E xplorer 538/538i. If there are more files than will fit on the display, press page at a time.

Waypts, Routes

The number of waypoints and routes currently in the E xplorer 538/538i.

Track 1 to Track 5

The number of points in tracks 1 to 5 currently in the E xplorer 538/538i.

Note:

1 To save Explorer 538/538i data onto the user

card, use the Save command (see below).

2 Data stored on the user card and shown

on the file list is not available to be used by the Explorer 538/538i until loaded into the Explorer 538/538i with the LOAD command (see below).

Saving data to the user card

This saves all the Explorer 538/538i’s waypoints, all the Explorer’s routes or one of the Explorer’s tracks to one file on the user card.

1 Press

2 Select Waypts, Routes or Tracks.

3 For

save.

4 The new file is created. Change the name if

required. The new file appears in the file list.

or to scroll up or down a

and selec t Save.

Tracks, select the track number to

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

, select

Loading data from the user card to the Explorer 538/538i

This loads one file from the user card to the Explorer 538/538i :

A waypoints file: The new waypoints are added to any existing waypoints in the Explorer 538/538i. If a new waypoint has the same name as an existing waypoint but has different data, the Explorer 538/538i displays both waypoints. Select:

Skip: Do not load the new waypoint.

Replace: Load the new waypoint and

replace the existing one.

Skip all: Do not load any new

waypoints which have the same names as existing waypoints.

Rplc. all: Load all new waypoints

which have the same names as existing waypoints; the new waypoints replace the existing waypoints.

Page 37

A routes file: The new routes are added to any existing routes in the Explorer 538/538i. If a new route has the same name as an existing route but has dif ferent data then the Explorer 538/538i asks which route to keep.

A track file : The new track will replace the existing track in the Explorer 538/538i.

To load a file to the Explorer 538/538i:

1 Select the file to load.

2 Press

Deleting a file from the user card

1 Select the file to delete.

2 Press

3 Select Ye s to confirm.

Reading the file information

This reads the file names from the user card and displays them. Reading does not load any file data into the Explorer 538/538i.

1 Press

2 Select Read.

and selec t Load.

and selec t Delete.

and selec t Card.

13 About display

Formatting the user card

Formatting prepares a user card for use. Format the card if there is an error message saying that the card is not formatted. Any data files on the card are deleted.

1 Press

2 Select For mat.

3 Selec t Yes to confirm.

Sorting the file names

This sorts the displayed file names.

1 Press

2 Select sort by Name, Type or Tim e.

To show the about display, press , select

and selec t Card.

and selec t Sort.

Other, then select About.

The about display shows:

The software version and date.

The world chart version.

Any card fitted.

The number of waypoints, routes and track s in the Explorer 538/538i

Wiring information for the Explorer 538/538i connectors.

In the unlikely event of having to contac t a Northstar dealer for ser vice, quote the software version number and date.

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Page 38

14 Setting up the Explorer 538/538i

The Explorer 538/538i has a number of advanced features which are set up through the setup menu. We recommend that you become familiar with the operation of the unit using the default settings before making any changes to the data in these menus.

To go to a setup option menu, press or more times to display the setup menu, then select an option.

Note:

1 The Setup menu options are explained in the

following sections.

2 Section 2-1 describes how to set or change

data in the setup menus.

3 The setup data available will depend on the

optional sensors and instruments installed.

14-1 Setup > System

Press once or more until the Setup menu is displayed, then select System:

Language

Select the language for the displays. The options are: English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Finnish and Greek.

Tip: In case you can’t read the current

language, the language setting is found at the top of the system menu.

one

Backlight

Select the backlight level for the keys and display (see also section 2-4)

Night mode

Night mode sets the palette for all displays.

Normal palette, for daytime

All displays have a palette optimised for night

See also section 2-4. To change only the chart palette, see section 17-2.

Key beep

Enables or disa bles the beep when a key is press ed.

Auto power off

See section 2-3.

time.

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Page 39

Setup option menus

Factory def ault settings are shown. The setup data available will depend on the optional sensors and instruments installed.

System

(see 14-1)

GPS

(see 14-3)

Logs

(see 14-6)

Chart

(see 14-2)

Fuel

(see 14-4)

Alarms

(see 14-7)

SmartCraft

(see the SmartCraft

Gateway

Installation and

Operation Manual)

Units

(see 14-8)

Water (14-2)

Others (14-2)

Track

(see 14-5)

Comms

(see 14-9)

Calibrate

(see 14-10)

Time

(see 14-11)

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Simulate

(see 14-12)

Page 40

Factory reset

This option returns all of the Explorer 538/538i settings (except the language, waypoints and routes) to the default factory settings shown on the setup menus.

SmartCraft

No SmartCraft gateway is fitted. Disable SmartCraft functions.

Normal SmartCraft operation

See section 15-7.

14-2 Setup > Chart

Press once or more until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Char t:

Rotation

The options for chart rotation are:

North up: North is always at the top of the chart display.

Track up: The chart is rotated so that the boat direction is to the

top of the display. This option is useful for navigating narrow harbours or rivers. The Explorer 538/538i asks for a course deviation; this is how much the boat direction needs to change to make the char t redraw.

Tip: If the chart redraws too frequently, increase the course deviation

setting.

Course up: This option is only available if the boat is navigating

to a destination. The chart is rotated so that the plotted course to the destination is vertical.

Palette

Select the Color scheme for the LCD display. The options are:

Normal

Sunlight: Brighter Colors, more visible in sunlight.

Night: Reversed Colors for night, to preserve night vision.

Map datum

Explorer 538/538i GPS positions are based on a worldwide reference (datum) known as WGS 84. Most paper charts are based on WGS 84. However, some paper charts are based on other datums In these cases, the latitude and longitude coordinates of objects on the Explorer 538/538i chart display are different to the latitude and longitude coordinates of these objects on the paper chart. This applies to all objects, such as the boat, waypoints, track s, lines of latitude and longitude and cartographic features such as land, rocks, buoys and depth contours.

Use

Map datum to select the Explorer 538/538i map datum to

match the datum of the paper chart. Then, the latitude and longitude coordinates of objects displayed on the E xplorer 538/538i will change to match the corresponding coordinates on the paper chart.

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Page 41

Setting map datum

1 In the Chart setup menu, selec t

Map

datum.

2 Select the map datum for the paper chart you

are using.

3 If you selec t a datum other than WGS 8 4 the

Explorer 538/538i asks if you want to apply the NMEA datum offset (see below).

When you change to a chart with a different datum, change the Explorer 538/538i map datum again.

NMEA datum oﬀ set

If you selec t a map datum other than WGS 84, the map datum of fset can be applied to latitude and longitude coordinates sent on the Explorer 538/538i NMEA output:

Latitude and longitude coordinates

displayed on any NMEA repeater do not match the coordinates on the Explorer 538/538i. Latitude and longitude coordinates broadcast on any NMEA VHF transmitter will be the same as the coordinates on a WGS 84 chart.

Latitude and longitude coordinates

displayed on any NMEA repeaters match the coordinates on the Explorer 538/538i. However, latitude and longitude coordinates broadcast on any NMEA VHF transmitter will be slightly offset from coordinates on a WGS 84 chart.

Map shift

Map shift is for eliminating minor offsets. It should not be used if the correc t datum is available. Use map shift with caution: incorrect application will cause incorrect boat positions.

Some charts have consistent position error s. To correct this, apply a map shif t. After a map shift:

The positions of cartographic features (such

as land, rock s, buoys and depth contours) move on the Explorer 538/538i chart display to where they should be.

The positions of the boat, waypoints, tracks,

and lines of latitude and longitude on the Explorer 538/538i chart display remain unchanged.

Applying a map shift

1 Move the boat to a known point on the chart,

for example a marina berth.

2 In the Chart setup menu, select

3 Move the cursor to the position on the chart

where the boat actually is.

4 Press

5 Press to set the new map shif t. The

boat will now be displayed at its ac tual location.

Clearing the map shift

Clearing the map shift removes any map shif t from the car tographic features on the Explorer 538/538i char t display.

1 In the Chart setup menu, select

and selec t Set.

shift.

2 Press and select Clear.

3 Press

Map shift.

Map

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Page 42

General submenu

Plotter mode

Anticlutter

Value added data

Projected course

CDI scale

Lat/lon grid

Boundaries

Text/icon size

Water submenu

Water features

Bathymetrics

Spot soundings

Bath & dndgs min

Bath & dndgs max

Tidal flow

Other submenu

Waypoints

Names

Lights

Nav-aids

Attention areas

Land features

Normal: only scales available on the char t card can be displayed.

If you press or to select a chart scale which is not available, on the chart card, the chart display will change to this scale but will only display the boat position and track (if enabled). The rest of the display is white with black crosshatch lines and no chart information is displayed. This is useful to zoom to a small scale to track small boat movements or if there is no detailed chart for an area.

Names and icons shown. Note: this is independent of the change in detail shown at diﬀ erent zoom levels.

hides some less important names and icons to make the chart clearer.

Non marine char t data shown

The Explorer 538/538i can estimate the course af ter a given time, based on the current speed and heading (see section 3-4). The options are 2 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours or Off.

See Appendix C. The options are 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 10.0 distance units.

displays a latitude and longitude grid.

Displays boundaries around areas where more detailed chart coverage is available: Auto shows the next four detail levels; On shows all.

Select the size of chart text and icons.

displays marine sediment labels (for example, M shows areas of mud) and tide station icons

Displays und erwater depth contour s between Bath & sndgs min and max.

Displays dept h soundings betwe en Bath & sndgs min and max.

The minimum depth for Bathymetrics and Spot soundings.

The maximum depth for Bathymetrics and Spot soundings.

displays dynamic tide flows: arrows on a chart showing the present tide stream and orientation (requires a GPS fix and an NT-MA X card)

Displays waypoints: Hide all only displays waypoints on any selected route; Selected displays waypoints with their display option set to Icon or I+N (Icon and Name) (see section 5).

displays place names.

Displays lighthouses: No sector hides any light sectors; On shows all data.

Displays signals (fog, radar, radio stations) and bouys. Int and US select the icon format; Si mpl draws simpler icons.

displays attention area boundaries and information icons ; attention areas are important areas, such as restricted anchorages or shallow areas.

displays land features, for example regioins, rivers, roads, railways, airports

Page 43

14-3 Setup > GPS

Press is displayed, then select

once or more until the Setup menu

GPS:

GPS Source

• Internal: Use the internal GPS antenna (Explorer 538i) or the external GPS antenna supplied (Explorer 538) (see section 15-5).

•

NMEA: Use an external GPS or DGPS source

connected via NMEA (see section 15-9).

•

NavBus: Use an external GPS or DGPS

source connected via NavBus (see section 15- 8) .

DGPS Source

Enables or disables the satellite based DGPS correction (see sec tion 7). The options are or WAAS/EGNOS. Do not enable WAAS/EGNOS outside their coverage areas or the accuracy of the position might be degraded.

WAAS covers all of the USA and most of Canada. To use WAAS, the GPS antenna must have a clear view of the sk y towards the equator. EGNOS will cover most of Western Europe when it becomes operational.

None

Restart GPS

Restar ts the internal GPS receiver for servicing or troubleshooting. The GPS receiver takes up to three minutes to restart. The satellite display shows the status of the GPS receiver (see section

7). Restart the GPS if the receiver has not been

used for some time and is taking a long time to get a GPS fix.

Static Navigation

When the boat stops or moves very slowly, the calculated GPS speed and course become erratic. Static navigation is a number, and the options are:

•

0.01 to 99.9:If the boat speed is slower

than this, the speed is displayed as zero and the course stays unchanged.

•

0(Off): The calculated speed and course

are always used.

Speed and Cou rse Filter

Waves and wind cause the boat speed and course to fluctuate slightly. To give stable readings, the Explorer calculates these values by taking several measurements and averaging them.

A lower value averages measurements over

a shorter period of time. This gives the most accurate value but has the most fluctuations.

A higher value averages measurements over

a longer period of time. This gives the most stable value but will ignore some true speed changes.

Set the Speed and Course filters to the lowest values which give stable readings. The range of each filter is 1 to 60 seconds or Of f (0).

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Page 44

14-4 Setup > Fuel

Fuel setup requires optional petrol/gasoline or SmartCraft sensors to be installed. Set

engines first to enable the fuel functions.

Press menu is displayed, then select Fuel:

Fuel consumption can change drastically depending upon the boat loading and the sea conditions. Always carr y adequate fuel for the journey, plus a reser ve.

Tan k ful l

Tells the Explorer 538/538i you have filled a fuel tank (see section 10-1).

Set remaining

Tells the Explorer 538/538i you have added or removed fuel (see section 10-1).

Clear Used

Select of fuel used) to zero. Do this to start measuring the amount of fuel used over a certain time or distance.

Tan k siz e

Enter the capacity of the fuel tank. Nor thstar recommends measuring tank size by draining the fuel tank, filling it to capacity and using the fuel dispenser’s reading. Beware of air pockets, especially in underfloor tanks.

Num. engines

Set the number of engines to selected the fuel features are turned off.

one or more times until the Setup

Clear u sed to set Used (the amount

0, 1 or 2. If 0 is

Num

Calibrate

SmartCraft fuel sensors are factory calibrated and should never need recalibrating. Calibrating Northstar petrol/gasoline sensors gives more accurate fuel values.

Twin engine installations require each fuel transducer to be calibrated. This can be done at the same time with two por table tanks or at different times using one por table tank.

Calibrating the fuel transducer(s) requires accurate measurement of the fuel consumption. This is best done using a small portable tank. At least 4 gallons (15 litres) of fuel should be used to ensure an accurate calibration.

It is often ver y difficult to fill underfloor tanks to the same level t wice due to air pockets, so the more fuel used, the more accurate the calibration.

To calibrate the fuel transducer(s), perform the following steps:

1. Record the level of the fuel in the tank(s).

2. Connect the portable tank(s) to the engine through the fuel transducer(s).

3. Run the engine at normal cruising speed until at least 4 gallons (15 litres) of fuel has been used per engine.

4. Check the actual amount of fuel used per engine by refilling the portable tank(s) to the original level and noting the reading(s) from the fuel dispenser’s gauge.

5. Select

6. Press

Note: If the fuel calibration options appear to give erroneous readings after a while, first check that the fuel sensor has been installed correctly according to the installation instructions supplied with it, then see Appendix B - Troubleshooting.

Flow filt er

Most engines do not draw fuel from the tank at a steady rate. To give a stable fuel flow reading, the Explorer calculates the flow value (s) by taking several measurements and averaging them. Use the Flow filter to set the period over which the fuel flow is averaged.

Fuel. Use the cursor keys to change

the reading for each engine to match that on the fuel dispenser’s gauge.

when the reading is correct.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 45

The Flow filter can be set from 0 to 30 seconds. Use the lowest value which gives a stable flow. Usually a value of 5 to 10 seconds will give a satisfac tory result for two-stroke carburettor engines. Fuel injected or four-stroke engines may require a larger value.

This setting affec ts the

Fuel flow and Fuel

economy reading on the Fuel display but it

does not af fect the

Fuel consumption curve

See section 10-3.

Fuel used reading.

14-5 Setup > Track

Press one or more times until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Track:

Tracking records and displays the boat ’s course on the chart (see section 3-5). Five different tracks can be recorded: track 1 has up to 2000 points and tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5 have up to 500 points each.

Record

Off: The Explorer 538/538i tops recording a

track.

1 to 5 (select a track number): The Explorer

538/538i starts recording the boat’s course into the selec ted track.

Display

Off: No track is shown on the char t.

1 to 5 (select a track number): The

selected track is shown on the chart.

Speed source

If both paddlewheel sensor and GPS speeds are available, select the source of speed readings for fuel calculations. If there is a current or tide, these speeds and the fuel calculation results will be different.

Water speed: Use paddlewheel sensor

speed (boat speed through the water). This gives a more accurate value for Economy.

GPS: Use GPS speed (boat speed relative

to land). This gives a more accurate value for Range.

Plotting Interval

The options are Distance or

Distance

Select the distance plotting interval: 0.01, 0.05, 0.1,

0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 or 10.0 distance units.

Time

Select the time plotting interval: 1, 5, 10 or 30 seconds or 1 minute.

Memory used

The percentage of memory used in the track being recorded.

Tip: Use the user card display to check the number of points recorded in each track (see section 14).

Send track

This option is included for compatibility with older units. For information, see your Northstar dealer.

Delete track

The data in the track selected for Record (see above) is deleted.

Tim e.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 46

14-6 Setup > Logs

Press one or more times until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Logs:

14-7 Setup > Alarms

Press one or more times until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Alarms:

All alarms except Loss of GPS fix can be turned on (enabled) or of f (disabled).

For the

XTE and Loss of DGPS fix

alarms, select to turn the alarm on or select

The values can be changed independently of each other. These log values are saved when the unit is turned off.

Reset trip dist

This resets the trip distance to zero.

Reset total dist

This option resets the total distance to zero.

Reset engine hours

Use this option to reset the engine hours to zero. This can be useful after an engine service or to count the engine hours between service intervals.

to turn the alarm off. For the other alarms, enter a trigger value to turn the alarm on. The alarm will sound each time the alarm value equals the trigger value. For example, the will sound if the boat comes closer to a danger waypoint than the trigger value and the alarm will sound if the boat moves by more than the trigger value. To turn these alarms off, enter a trigger value of 0 (zero).

Icons for alarms that are on can be displayed in the data header (see section 2-8-2). An alarm icon is normally black and turns red when the alarm sounds.

Danger alarm

Anchor

Symbol Alarm Alarm sounds when it is on and the:

Arrival boat is closer to the destination or to a waypoint radius than the alarm trigger value

Anchor alarm boat moves by more than the alarm trigger value

XTE boat moves off course by more than the CDI scale (see section 14-2)

Danger boat comes closer to a danger waypoint than the alarm trigger value

Low fuel fuel remaining equals the alarm trigger value

Loss of Explorer 538/538i can not receive the DGPS signal DGPS fix (beacon, WAAS or EGNOS)

Loss of Explorer 538/538i can not receive the GPS signal GPS fix (this alarm is always on)

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 47

14-8 Setup > Units

Press one or more times until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Units:

The default units are shown above.

Distance

nm (nautical miles), mi (miles) or km (kilometres)

Speed

kn (knots), mph (miles per hour) or kph (kilometres per hour)

14-9 Setup > Comms

Use this feature when the Explorer 538/538i is connected to other Northstar instruments through NavBus or any compatible NMEA instrument.

Press once or more until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Com ms:

NMEA out

NMEA is generally used with third party instruments (see section 15-9). Selec t this to transmit NMEA sentences, for example to an autopilot.

NMEA data

Use this to specify which NMEA sentences will be transmitted (see section 15-9 and Appendix A).

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Depth

ft (feet), m (metres) or fa (fathoms)

Fuel

Litres, USGal (US gallons) or ImpGal (Imperial Gallons)

Compa ss

°T (True north) or °M (Magnetic north)

Tem per atu re

°F (Fahrenheit) or °C (Celsius)

Wind (optional)

Requires a wind instrument: True or App (Apparent)

Note: that the units for wind speed are the speed units.

Pressure

Requires Smar tCraft: kPa or psi

Baro (Baromet ric pressure)

Requires a Northstar VHF receiver connected by NavBus: InHg or mB.

Lat/lon d ps

Select the number of decimal points used for latitude and longitude transmitted in NMEA sentences.

NavBus

NavBus is the preferred method for connecting the Explorer 538/538i to other Northstar instrument s. Select this if the instruments are connected using NavBus.

NavBus Group

Use this when a group of Northstar instruments are connected together using NavBus, to specif y a group of instruments for backlighting, if required. Then, if the backlight setting on one instrument in the group is adjusted, the other instruments change automatically. Otherwise, select 0. See section 15-8.

Page 48

14-10 Setup > Calibrate

Press once or more until the Setup menu is displayed, then select Calibrate:

14-11 Setup > Time

Press menu is displayed, then select Time :

once or more until the Setup

14-12 Setup > Simulate

Simulate mode is a way of becoming familiar with the Explorer 538/538i (see sec tion 2-7).

Press menu is displayed, then select Simulate :

once or more until the Setup

Fuel

See section 14-4.

Speed range

The maximum reading to display on an analog boat speed gauge (see sec tion 10). Choose a range suitable for your boat.

Max fuel f low

The maximum fuel flow from the fuel tank.

Local off set

The difference between local time and UTC (GMT). Change local of fset when daylight saving time star ts and ends. The range is 0 to ± 13 hours, in 30 minute steps.

Time format

The options are 24 hour or 12 hour.

Date format

The options are dd/MMM/y y, MMM/dd/yy, dd/MM/yy or MM/dd/yy.

Never have simulate mode on when the Explorer 538/538i is navigating on the water.

Simulate

Turn simulate mode off

Turn simulate mode on

Mode

There are two choices for Mode:

1 Normal

Simulates the boat moving from the selected start point at the given speed and heading. The options required for Normal are:

Speed: The simulated boat speed to use.

Course: The simulated bearing for the boat

to follow.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 49

Note: To select the start point, go to the chart display before star ting the simulation. Then:

• To start the simulation from the boat position, press

• To start the simulation from a different point, move the cursor to that point on the chart.

Tip: To calculate a course, use the cursor (see section 3-3).

Tip: As the boat moves, vary Course to simulate the boat moving off course.

2 Demo

Simulates a boat moving along a route and automatically displays different Explorer 538/538i functions.

The options required for Demo are:

Speed: The simulated boat speed to use.

Route: The route to follow.

to switch to centre on boat mode.

15 Installation

Correct installation is critical to the per formance of the unit. It is vital to read the entire installation section of this manual and the documentation that comes with the antenna and any other units before starting installation.

15-1 Installati on: What comes with the E xplorer 538/538i

• Explorer 538 or 538i display unit

• Dust cover for display unit

• Blanking caps for unused connectors

• Power cable

• Mounting bracket (screws included)

• Flush mounting kit

• Northstar 133 GPS antenna for Explorer 538 only;

the Explorer 538i has a built in GPS antenna.

• Warrant y registration card

• This manual

15-2 Installatio n: Options and Accessori es

• C-MAP™ NT-MAX, NT+ or NT char t cards.

• C-MAP™ user cards (3 V) for storing data. (The older 5 volt cards are not supported)

• Northstar carr y bag.

• Northstar NavBus junction boxes simplify wiring, particularly if several instruments are connected. For more information, see the NavBus Installation Manual.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 50

Optional se nsors and instrument s

External alarms: Lights or sounders in the boat to sound alarms through the boat (see section 15- 4) .

GPS or DG PS antenna: For GPS navigation, see section 15-5.

Fuel se nsors: For fuel functions. The Explorer 538/538i can use these optional fuel flow sensors, fitted to one or two engines:

• Northstar petrol/gasoline sensors (see section 15-6)

• SmartCraft fuel sensors (see section 18-11)

Conne ctions

SmartCraft: With one or two SmartCraft capable Mercury engines, the Explorer 538/538i can display engine data and trim and can control troll speed (see section 18-10).

Other i nstruments : The Explorer 538/538i can receive data from other instruments and send data to other instruments by NavBus or NMEA (see s ect ions 18 -12 and 18 -13).

Please consult your Northstar dealer for more information.

GPS antenna (Explorer 538, 15-5)

Power (15-4)

Display unit

(15-3)

BlackBlack

WhiteWhite

Power/data cable

Pin Wire Function

1 Black Ground: - power in, NMEA ground. (The cable has two black wires which are

connected inside the cable and it does not matter which black wire you use)

2 Brown Power out, 9 V DC (not used)

3 White NMEA out

4 Blue NavBus-

5 Red + power in, 10 to 16 V DC

6 Orange NavBus+

7 Yellow Auto power in

8 Green External alarm out, 30 V DC 200 mA maximum.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

External alarms (15-4)

NavBus instruments (15-8)

NMEA out to instruments (15-9)

Petrol/gasoline sensors (15-6), NMEA in (15-9)

Page 51

15-3 Installation: The dis play unit

Select a position for the display unit:

• At least 4” (100 mm) away from the compass,

at least 12” (300 mm) away from any radio transmitter and at least 4 ft (1.2 m) away from any antenna.

• Easy to read and operate. If possible, mount

the display unit in front of the navigator or to the right of the navigator because the LCD display is more readable from these positions.

• Not exposed to the direct sun or water and

protected f rom physical damage during rough sea passages.

• Easy to access the 12 V DC power source and

convenient to route the transducer cables.

There are two mounting arrangements:

1 Flush Mounti ng

Requires a solid panel with access behind for wiring and mounting screws. After flush mounting, the display unit cannot be tilted or moved after installation to reduce any unwanted glare or reflections. Carefully select the best viewing position before installation. This would generally be in a shaded area.

1 Cut a hole in the bulkhead for the display unit

using the flush 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.

For the Explorer 538i, with the internal GPS antenna:

The display unit must have a good view of

the sky and horizon. The view should not be blocked by large parts of the superstructure.

The unit can be under glass, perspex,

fibreglass or fabric, but not under metal or wood.

Do not mount the unit within 3 m (10 ft) of a

radio transmitter antenna or within 0.5m (20 in) of the plane of a radar antenna.

2 Bracket Mount ing

Requires a panel for mounting the bracket. Ensure that the panel is not likely to deform and is not subject to excessive vibration. The bracket can be tilted and rotated. The display unit can be removed when it is not in use.

1 Hold the bracket in place and mark the screw

holes.

2 Drill the screw holes and screw the bracket in

place. Do not overtighten the screws or the display unit might not rotate.

3 Hold the display unit in place on the

mounting bracket shaft. Hand tighten the knob on the mounting bracket.

Knob

Explorer 460 Explorer 560

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Mounting

bracket

Page 52

15-4 Installation : Power/Data ca ble

The power/data cable has a black locking collar and flying leads.

1 Wire the Explorer 538/538i for auto power to have the Explorer 538/538i turn on with the boat’s

ignition switch or to to record engine hours or if the Explorer 538/538i must add up the total fuel used (for example if Northstar petrol/gasoline fuel sensors are installed or if SmartCraft is installed without fuel tank level sensors). Otherwise wire for basic power (for more information, see section 2-2).

Basic power

Power/data cable

Black

Auto power

During setup, set up Auto power oﬀ (see sections 2-3 and 17-1)

Red

Yellow

Black

Fuse 2A

Main switch

12 V DC]

Power/data cable

Black

2 Wire any external alarm beepers or lights.

The alarm output switches to ground to sound the alarm. If the current is more than 200 mA, fit a relay.

3 Connect the power/data cable to the black

display unit connector; turn the collar to lock the connector.

Yellow

Red

Black

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Fuses 2A

Ignition

Ignition switch

Main switch

12 V DC]

Power/data cable

Red

Black

Green

External beepers or

lights

Page 53

15-5 Installation: GPS ante nna

Selecting an antenna

Fit one of these GPS antennas:

• Normally use the internal GPS antenna

(Explorer 538i) or the GPS antenna supplied (Explorer 538).

• An optional differential beacon DGPS

antenna to give enhanced accuracy within range of land based differential beacons in areas where WAAS or EGNOS are not available. Such a DGPS antenna has both a GPS receiver and a beacon receiver, and it automatically applies the beacon correction to the GPS position.

• A compatible GPS or DGPS instrument or

antenna connected by NavBus (see section 15-8) or NMEA (see section 15-9). In this case, the Explorer 538/538i does not need its own antenna.

Note:

• The Explorer 538/538i can apply the WAAS

and EGNOS DGPS correntions to any GPS antenna.

• To configure the Explorer 538/538i for

different antenna options, see section 14-3.

For more information, contact your Northstar dealer.

15-6 Installation : Northstar petrol /gasoline se nsors

Fit the optional petrol/gasoline fuel kit following the instructions supplied with the kit.

Note:

SmartCraft engines have fuel flow sensors,

therefore Nor thstar fuel sensors are not required as well.

For dual engines, fit two kits.

Wire the Explorer538/538i for auto power

(see section 15-4).

During setup:

a set up Auto power off (see sections 2-3

and 17-1)

b set the fuel data (see section 14-4)

Installing an antenna

If an external antenna is required, install the antenna and fit the antenna cable back to the display unit. Follow the instruc tions in the manual supplied with the antenna. Fit an optional Northstar extension cable if required.

Connect the Explorer 538 external antenna to the gold Explorer connector:

During setup, configure the Explorer for the chosen antenna, see section 17-4.

Fuel sensor cable

White

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Page 54

15-7 Installation: SmartCraft

If the boat has one or two SmartCraft capable Mercury petrol/gasoline engines, connect the Explorer 538/538i to the SmartCraf t engines with an optional Smar tCraft gateway. The display unit can display engine data and trim and can control troll speed.

Note:

Fit a single gateway for single engines and a

dual gateway for dual engines.

SmartCraft engines have fuel flow sensors,

therefore Nor thstar fuel sensors are not required as well.

If the fuel tank does not have SmartCraft level

sensors, wire for auto power (see section 15- 4) .

15-8 Installation: Ot her NavBus instruments

NavBus is Northstar’s system for connecting instruments together to interchage data and share transducers. When instruments are connected by NavBus:

If the units, alarms or calibration are changed

in one instrument, then the values will automatically change in all other instruments of the same t ype.

Each instrument can be assigned to a group

of instruments. If the backlight is changed in an instrument in group 1, 2, 3 or 4 then the backlight will automatically change in the other instruments in the same group.

If the backlight is changed in an instrument

in group 0 then no other instruments are affected.

If an alarm sounds, mute it by clearing the

alarm on any instrument which can display that alarm.

NavBus an d the Explorer 538/538i

The E xplorer 538/538i c an:

Display wind speed and direction from an

optional Nor thstar Wind instrument.

Receive and display depth from an optional

Northstar depth instrument.

Receive and display boat speed and water

temperature from a paddlewheel sensor on an optional Speed instrument.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

During setup enter the SmartCraft setup data. For information on installing, setting up and using SmartCraft, see the SmartCraf t Gateways Installati on and Operation Manu al.

Other wiring

Power/fue l splitter

Black

cable (‘Y’ cable)

SmartCraft

White

gateway

Receive barometric pressure from an optional

Northstar VHF radio. The Explorer can display:

Baro: barometric pressure

Baro history: barometer histor y

We ather: a predication, based on changes in

barometric pressure

Fish forecaster: a prediction based on

changes in barometric pressure

Receive data from an optional GPS or

GPS/DGPS source.

Send data to optional Northstar instruments,

for example to a repeater.

During setup for NavBus instruments, set

NavBus to

and assign the instrument a

NavBus group number (see section 14-9)

Black

Power/data cable

Orange

Blue

NavBus wires

to other Navbus instruments

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15-9 Installation: Othe r NMEA instruments

NMEA is an industry standard for interconnecting instruments. It is not as f lexible or as easy to install as NavBus. The E xplorer 538/538i can:

Receive and display wind speed and

direction from an optional compatible wind instrument.

Receive and display depth, paddlewheel

boat speed and water temperature from an optional compatible instrument.

Receive data from an optional compatible

GPS or GPS/DGPS source.

Send GPS position and other navigation

data to an autopilot or other instrument. An autopilot requires APB, APA and VTG sentences (see section 14-9).

For information on sending NMEA data to the Explorer, see your Northstar dealer.

15-10 Installation: Setu p and test

Setup and test

1 Put a blanking cap on any unused connector

on the back of the display unit. Ensure all connectors are plugged in and the display unit is in place.

2 If the display unit is bracket mounted, adjust

tilt and rotation for best viewing and hand tighten the knob.

3 Insert any required C-MAP chart card (see

section 1-3).

4 Turn the instrument on (see section 2-3).

When the Explorer 538/538i is turned on for the first time, it displays an installation menu:

i Select the language to use.

ii Change the data if necessary (see section

2-1)

iii When the setup data is correct, press

This data can be changed later (see sec tion 14).

Power/data cable

White NMEA out

Black

White

During setup to send NMEA data to other instruments, set NMEA out to and specify the NMEA data to send (see section 14-9).

5 Enter setup data to set up the Explorer

538/538i to your requirements and to set up any optional sensors or instruments (see section 14).

6 At the satellite display, check that it picks

up GPS satellites. Wait for the GPS receiver to start up and the fix type to change from ‘Acquiring’ to ‘GPS fix’. This should take less than two minutes (see section 7).

7 Go on a test run to check that the navigation

equipment works correctly, particularly when a radio trans mitter or radar is used.

Black NMEA ground

White NMEA in

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 56

Appendix A - Specifications

GENERAL

Size: 126 mm H x 126 mm W x 65 mm D (5.0” x

5.0” x 2.6”)

Display: 3.8” diagonal, TFT Color, 240 x 320 pixels

Backlight: Display and keys

Supply voltage

10 to 16 V DC.

Supply current: at 13.8 V

120 mA min - no backlighting

220 mA max - full backlighting

External beeper or light output: Switched

to ground to sound alarm, 30 V DC, 200 mA maximum.

Operating temperature

0° to 50°C (32° to 122°F)

ALARMS:

User set: Arrival radius, anchor, XTE, danger,

low fuel (optional), loss of DGPS fix

Fixed: Loss of GPS fix

GPS NAVIGATION

Chart card: C-MAP™ NT-MAX, NT+ or NT

User card: 3.3 V C-MAP™

Waypoints: Up to 3000, with default or

user-defined alphanumeric names up to eight characters.

Routes: 25 Routes, with up to 50 points each

Tracks: By time or distance, one track of 2000

points and four of 500 points.

Chart datums

121 Chart datums (see next page)

One user-defined map shift.

Chart scale: 0.05 to 4096 nm for chart (chart

dependent) down to 0.01 nm in plotter mode.

FUEL COMPUTER

(Optional fuel sensor(s) required)

Engine types:

Outboard carburetted two stroke and EFI

petrol/gasoline engines: 50 to 300 hp.

Outboard four stroke petrol/gasoline engines:

90 to 300 hp.

Inboard petrol/gasoline engines: 70 to 400 hp.

Flow rate:

Minimum: 5 litres per hour (1.3 U.S. gallons per

hour).

Maximum: 130 litres per hour (34 U.S. gallons

per hour).

COMMUNICATIONS

NavBus

Connection to other Northstar instruments.

NMEA

NMEA 0183 ver 2 4800 baud

• Inputs from compatible instruments: DBT, DPT (preferred), GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, MTW, MWV, RMC, VHW, VTG

Outputs, for compatible instruments: APA, APB,

BWR, GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMB, RMC, VTG, XTE

STANDARDS COMPLIANCE

EMC:

USA: FCC Part 15 Class B.

Europe: (CE) EN301843-1:2004-06.

New Zealand and Australia: (C Tick) EN60945

9.2 & 9.3.

Environment: IPx6/IPx7/CFR46 (with card holder

and connections in place).

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 57

30.5mm (1.2”)

34.3mm (1.37”)

88.5mm (3.5”)

126.0mm (5.0”)

143.6mm (5.76”)

126.0mm (5.0”)

List of datums

Adindan Afgooye AIN EL ABD 1970 American Samoa 1962 Anna 1 Astro 1965 Antigua Island Astro 1943 ARC 1950 ARC 1960 Ascension Island 1958 Astro Beacon ‘E’ 1945 Astro DOS 71/4 Astro Station 1952 Astro Tern Island (Frig) 1961 Australian Geodetic 1966 Australian Geodetic 1984 Ayabelle Lighthouse Bellevue (IGN) Bermuda 1957 Bissau Bogota Observatory Bukit Rimpah Camp Area Astro Campo Inchauspe 1969 Canton Astro 1966 Cape Cape Canaveral Carthage Chatham Island Astro 1971 Chua Astro Co-ord. Sys.1937 Estonia Corrego Alegre Dabola Deception Island Djakarta (Batavia) DOS 1968 Easter Island 1967 European 1950 European 1979 Fort Thomas 1955 Gan 1970 Geodetic Datum 1949 Graciosa Base Sw 1948 Guam 1963 Gunung Segara GUX 1 Astro Herat North Hermannskogel Hjorsey 1955 Hong Kong 1963 Hu-Tzu-Shan Indian Indian 1954 Indian 1960 Indian 1975 Indonesian 1974 Ireland 1965 ISTS 061 Astro 1968 ISTS 073 Astro 1969 Johnston Island 1961 Kandawala Kerguelen Island 1949 Kertau 1948 Kusaie Astro 1951 L. C. 5 Astro 1961 Leigon Liberia 1964 Luzon M’Poraloko Mahe 1971 Massawa Merchich Midway Astro 1961 Minna Montserrat Island Astro 1958 Nahr wan Masirah Is. Oman Nahrwan United Arab Emirates Nahrwan Saudi Arabia Naparima, BWI North American 1927 North American 1983 North Sahara 1959 Observatorio Meteorolog. 1939 Old Egyptian 1907 Old Hawaiian Oman Ord. Survey Great Britain 1936 Pico de las Nieves Pitcairn Astro 1967 Point 58 Pointe Noire 1948 Porto Santo 1936 Provis. South American 1956 Provis. South Chilean 1963 Puerto Rico Pulkovo 1942 Qatar National Qornoq Reunion Rome 1940 S-42 (Pulkovo 1942) Santo (DOS) 1965 Sao Braz Sapper Hill 1943 Schwarzeck Selvagem Grande 1938 Sierra Leone 1960 S-JTSK South American 1969 South Asia Tananarive Observatory 1925 Timbalai 1948 Tokyo Tristan Astro 1968 Viti Levu 1916 Voirol 1874 Voirol 1960 Wake Island Astro 1952 Wake-Eniwetok 1960 WGS 84 Yacare Zanderij

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 58

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 dif ficulties without having to send the display unit back to the manufacturer for repair. Please follow this troubleshooting section before contacting the nearest Nor thstar dealer.

There are no user serviceable parts. Specialized methods and testing equipment are required

B-1 General Problems

1-1 The Explorer 538/538i won’t turn on:

a The E xplorer 538/538i is designed to operate

on a 12 volt battery system, where the voltage may var y from 10 to 16 volts. If an excessive voltage is supplied, a fuse will be tripped, turning the display unit off. Check the fuse.

b Check that the power cable 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 battery 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 battery may not be charging correctly or may need replacing.

d Inspect the power cable from end to end for

damage such as cuts, breaks, squashed or trapped sections.

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 wire is connec ted to the ignition circuit. Also check the boat’s main switch circuit (see section 15-4).

to ensure that the display unit is reassembled correctly and is waterproof. Users who ser vice the product themselves will void the warranty.

Repairs to the product may only be carried out by a service centre approved by Northstar. If the product must be sent into a ser vice 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.

f Check for corrosion on the power cable

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.

1-2 The Explorer 538/538i won’t turn off:

The Explorer 538/538i may have been wired

for Auto power. In this case, the Explorer 538/538i cannot be turned off while the ignition power is on (see sec tion 2-3).

1-3 If the Explorer 538/538i beeps when turned on but nothing is displayed:

The Explorer 538/538i may be operating, but

the backlight settings may have been set too low (see section 2-4).

1-4 The wrong language is displayed:

See section 14-1.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 59

B-2 GPS navigation problems

2-1 No GPS fix or long time to get fix at startup:

a May occur occasionally if the antenna does

not have a clear view of the sky. The satellite positions are constantly changing.

b Antenna cable not connected to display unit.

c Restart the GPS (see section 14-3).

2-2 Explorer GPS position different from true position by more than 10 m (33 ft):

a Explorer in simulate mode. Turn simulate

mode of f (see section 14-12).

b The normal error in GPS position will exceed

10 m (33 ft) for about 5% of the time.

c Under special circumstances the US

Department of Defence may introduce a deliberate and changing error in the GPS positions of up to 300 m (1000 ft).

2-3 Explorer position different from same position on local charts:

a Explorer in simulate mode. Turn simulate

mode of f (see section 14-12).

b Incorrect chart datum. Select the correct

chart datum (see section 14-2).

c Map shift has been applied wrongly. Clear map

shift, then reapply if necessary (see section 14-2).

2-4 Can not see boat on chart:

Press to switch to centre on boat

mode (see section 3-2-1).

2-5 The time or date on satellite display is wrong or off:

a No GPS fix.

b In simulate mode. Turn simulate mode off

(see section 14-12).

c Local time offset is wrong (see section 14-11).

The Local Time Offset must be changed when daylight saving time star ts or ends.

2-6 Autopilot not responding to Explorer; no NMEA output:

a NMEA output disabled or the require d NMEA

sentences are not turned on. Check NMEA settings (see section 17-10).

b Check that the instrument is connected

correctly.

2-7 No DGPS fix or loss of DGPS fix:

a To receive a DGPS fix, WAAS/EGNOS must be

enabled or an optional DGPS antenna fitted (see section 7).

b With WAAS/EGNOS: Boat out of coverage

area (see sec tion 7).

c With WAAS: GPS antenna does not have a

clear view of the horizon towards the equator.

b With beacon DGPS: boat out of range of a

DGPS beacon.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 60

B-3 Fuel consumption problems

Note: For the Exp lorer 538/538i to measure fuel consumption , the optional fuel f low kit must be fitted.

3-1 Fuel used or remaining seem inaccurate:

Explorer is not wired for auto power (see

section 15-4).

b In rough seas, fuel may surge back and forth

through the fuel transducer, resulting in incorrect readings. Try installing a one-way valve between the fuel transducer and the fuel tank.

c The Set remaining fuel value must be

reset after every refuelling (see section 10-1).

d The fuel tank may not refill to the same capacity

each time due to air pockets. This is particularly noticable with underfloor tanks.

e Fuel transducers wear out over time and

should be replaced after every 5000 litres of fuel.

3-2 Flow indicates no fuel or low fuel:

a Check that the number of engines is set to 1

(see section 14-4).

b Check that the fuel cable connectors are

securely plugged in and the collar is locked in place. The collar must be locked in place to give a watertight connection.

c A fuel transducer may be clogged. If so,

remove the transducer from the fuel line and gently blow through it in the opposite direction to the fuel flow.

A fuel filter between the fuel transducer and

the fuel tank must be installed as per the fuel installation guide. Failure to do so will void the warrant y.

d Inspect the fuel cable from end to end for

damage such as cuts, breaks, trapped or squashed sections.

e Check that the fuel filter is clean.

3-3 A twin engine installation shows only one flow rate:

a Check that the number of engines is set to 2

(see section 14-4).

3-4 Erratic Fuel Flow readings:

a The fuel flow transducer may have been

mounted too close to the fuel pump or may be subject to excessive vibration. Refer to the installation instructions supplied with the fuel transducer.

b Check for leaks in the fuel line or in the fuel

pickup in the tank.

c The Flow filter value is not suitable for

the engine. Check that the value is not set to zero, then try increasing the value until a steady flow rate is shown (see section 14-4).

3-5 There is no reading for fuel economy:

a The boat must be travelling through the

water to generate an Economy reading.

b Check that the paddlewheel on the

transducer is spinning freely and that the two magnets in the paddlewheel are still in place.

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 61

Appendix C - Glossary and navigation data

Glossary

Attenti on Area - An important area on a chart, such as a restric ted anchorage or a shallow area (see section 14-2).

Bathymetric line - A depth contour line on the chart.

Chart card - A plug-in card that stores chart data for a region (see section 1-3).

C-MAP™ chart card - See Chart card.

C-MAP™ user car d - See User card.

Cursor - A

3-2).

DGPS - Differential Global Positioning System. A navigation tool based on GPS with some errors corrected (see section 7).

Goto - A simple way of navigating straight to a waypoint or to the cursor position (see section 3-1).

GPS - Global Positioning System. A satellitebased navigation tool (see section 7).

Leg - The straight segments of a route between waypoints. A route with four waypoints has three legs.

symbol on the display (see section

MOB - Man overboard.

MOB function - Starts navigating back to the

place where someone fell overboard (see section 2-5).

NavBus - A way of connecting Northstar instruments together to share data (see section 15- 8) .

NMEA - National Marine Electronics Association.

NMEA 0183 - A standard for interfacing marine

electronic devices (see section 15-9).

Route: Two or more waypoint s linked in sequence to form a course for the boat (see section 6).

User card - A plug-in card that stores waypoints, routes and tracks (see section 1-2).

UTC - Universal Time Coordinated or Coordinated Universal Time, which is a standard world time, formerly called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Waypoint - A position that you can set on the Explorer chart, for example a fishing spot or a point on a route (see section 5).

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Page 62

Navigation data

The boat is sailing from the start to the destination and has moved off the plotted course from the start to the destination.

BRG Bearing to Destination: Bearing to the destination from the boat.

BRG Bearing to cursor: Bearing to cursor from boat (cursor mode, see section 3-2)

CDI Course Deviation Indicator: When the boat is navigating to a point, the char t and highway

displays show a parallel line on either side of the plot ted course. These two lines are called the Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) lines. The distance from the p lotted course to a CDI line is the CDI scale.

Set the CDI scale (see section 14-2) to the maximum distance that the boat should deviate

from the plotted course. The chart and highway displays show the CDI lines, which are like a highway over the water where the boat will move. The displays show how far the boat has deviated f rom the plotted cour se and if the boat is app roaching a CDI line. If the XTE alarm is enabled (see section 14-7) an alarm will sound if the boat reaches a CDI line.

COG Course Over Ground: Direction in which the boat is moving over the ground.

CTS Course To Steer: Optimum course to steer to return to the plotted course.

DTG Distance To Go: Distance from the boat to the destination.

ETA Expected Time of Arrival: At the destination, assuming that SOG and COG remain constant.

RNG Range to cursor: Distance from boat to cursor (cursor mode, see sec tion 3-2)

SOG Spee d Over Ground: Curr ent boat speed over the g round. This is not ne cessarily the same as

the boat speed through the water nor the speed at which it is approaching the destination.

STR Steering: The diﬀ erence between COG and CTS.

TTG Time To Go: The estimated time to reach the destination.

XTE Cross Track Error : The distance from the boat to the nearest point of the plotted cours e. XTE

may have a lette r: R means steer to the right to return to the plotted course, L means ste er to the left.

VMG Velocity Made Good: The speed at which the boat is approaching the destination.

Destination

SOG (speed)

STR

Plotted course

Start

Destination

DTG (distance)

VMG (speed)

BRG

COG

CTS

CDI line

Boat position

Northstar Explorer 538i/538 Installation and Operation Manual

Plotted course

CDI scale (distance)

Start

XTE (distance)

Boat position

CDI line

CDI scale (distance)

Page 63

Page 64

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