Pub. 988-0151-171
X125, X126DF, X135, X136DF
Fish-finding & Depth Sounding Sonars
Operation Instructions
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Table of Contents
Sec. 1: Read Me First! ...............................................................1
Capabilities and Specifications: X125, X126DF, X135, X136DF.. 2
How Sonar Works ......................................................................... 3
How to Use this Manual: Typographical Conventions................ 4
Sec. 2: Installation & Accessories ..........................................7
Preparations.................................................................................. 7
Transducer Installation................................................................ 7
Recommended Tools and Supplies ........................................... 8
Selecting a Transducer Location.................................................. 8
How Low Should You Go?......................................................... 9
Shoot-Thru-Hull vs. Transom Mounting ................................... 10
Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting ......................... 10
Trolling Motor Bracket Installation (Single-Frequency only).. 16
Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches.................................. 17
Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation and Installation......................... 17
Speed/Temperature Sensors.................................................20
Sensor Chart ............................................................................... 21
Optional Speed Sensor Installation ....................................... 22
Power Connections...................................................................... 23
Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable.................... 25
Face Cover................................................................................... 29
Sec. 3: Basic Sonar Operation...............................................31
Keyboard ..................................................................................... 31
Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ....................................... 32
Menus.......................................................................................... 32
Main Menu .............................................................................. 32
Sonar Menu............................................................................. 34
Pages ........................................................................................... 35
Basic Sonar Quick Reference...............................................38
Sonar Operations........................................................................ 39
Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart ........................................ 41
Other Free Training Aids ....................................................... 42
Sec. 4: Sonar Options & Other Features ............................43
ASP (Advanced Signal Processing)......................................... 43
Alarms ......................................................................................... 44
Depth Alarms.......................................................................... 44
Zone Alarm.............................................................................. 45
Fish Alarm............................................................................... 46
Brightness ................................................................................... 46
Calibrate Speed........................................................................... 46
Chart Speed................................................................................. 47
Contrast....................................................................................... 48
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Depth Cursor............................................................................... 48
Depth Range - Automatic ........................................................... 48
Depth Range - Manual................................................................ 49
To Turn Auto Depth Range on Again: ................................... 49
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits ................................... 49
FasTrack .................................................................................. 51
Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths)......................................... 51
FishTrack................................................................................. 53
FishReveal ............................................................................... 54
Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency) ............................. 56
Grayline ..................................................................................... 57
HyperScroll .............................................................................. 59
Noise Rejection............................................................................ 59
Overlay Data............................................................................... 59
To Change Displayed Data Font Size: ................................... 60
Ping Speed & HyperScroll....................................................... 61
Pop-Up Help................................................................................ 62
Reset Options.............................................................................. 63
Reset Water Distance ................................................................. 63
Screen Contrast and Brightness ................................................ 63
Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity.................................................... 64
To Turn Auto Sensitivity Back on:......................................... 66
Set Keel Offset ............................................................................ 66
Set Language .............................................................................. 67
Software Version Information.................................................... 67
Sonar Chart Mode....................................................................... 68
Sonar Chart Display Options..................................................... 68
Full Sonar Chart..................................................................... 69
Split Zoom Sonar Chart.......................................................... 70
Split Frequency Sonar Chart (X126DF and X136DF only) .. 70
Digital Data/Chart.................................................................. 71
Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen...................... 72
Flashgraf ................................................................................. 73
Sonar Simulator.......................................................................... 73
Stop Chart................................................................................... 74
Surface Clarity............................................................................ 74
Transducer Type (X126DF and X136DF only) .......................... 75
Units of Measure......................................................................... 76
Upper and Lower Limits ............................................................ 76
Zoom & Zoom Bar ....................................................................... 76
Zoom Pan..................................................................................... 77
Sec. 5: Sonar Troubleshooting..............................................79
Sec. 6: Supplemental Material..............................................85
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Section 1: Read Me First!
How this manual can get you out on the water, fast!
Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar! We know you're anxious
to begin finding fish, but we have a favor to ask. Before you grab your
unit and begin installing it, please give us a moment or two to explain
how our manual can help you get the best performance from your com-
pact, wide-screen, fish finder.
First, we want to thank you for buying a Lowrance sonar. Whether
you're a first time user or a professional fisherman, you'll discover that
your unit is easy to use, yet capable of handling demanding sonar
tasks. You won't find another sonar unit with this much power and this
many features for this price!
Our goal for this book is to get you on the water fast, with a minimum
of fuss. Like you, we'd rather spend more time boating or fishing and
less time reading the manual!
So, we designed our book so that you don't have to read the whole thing
from front to back for the information you want. At the start (or end) of
each segment, we'll tell you what content is coming up next. If it's a
concept you're already familiar with, we'll show you how and where to
skip ahead for the next important topic. We've also made it easy to look
up any tips you may need from time to time. Here's how:
The manual is organized into 6 sections. This first section is an intro-
duction to the sonar unit. It tells you the basics you need to know be-
fore you can make the unit look below the surface to find some fish.
Section 2 will help you install your unit and the transducer. We'll also
tell you about some of the available accessories.
Section 3 covers Basic Sonar Operation. It will show you how easy it is
to run your sonar, right out of the box. This section features a one-page
Sonar Quick Reference. (If you've already jumped ahead and fig-
ured out how to install the unit yourself, and you just can't wait
any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 38 and head
for the water with your sonar unit!)
After you've gained some experience with your sonar, you'll want to
check out Section 4, which discusses more advanced Sonar Options and
Other Features.
When you come to a sonar menu command on the unit's screen, you can
look it up in the manual by skimming over the table of contents or index,
just flipping through Section 3 or scanning through the sonar options in
Section 4.
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If you're having difficulty with your sonar, you can find an answer to
the most common problems in Section 5, Sonar Troubleshooting.
Finally, in Section 6, we offer Supplemental Material, including a list of
warranty and customer service information.
Now, if you're into the fine details, glance over the next segment on
specifications to see just how much sonar power your unit contains. It's
important to us (and our power users), but, if you don't care how many
watts of power the unit has, skip ahead to important information on how
sonar works, on page 3.
Capabilities and Specifications: X125, X126DF, X135, X136DF
General
Display:.............................5.0" (12.7 cm) diagonal high contrast Film
SuperTwist; programmable to viewing pref-
erence.
Resolution:...................... 480 pixel x 480 pixel resolution ; 230,400 to-
tal pixels. 16-level grayscale definition.
Backlighting:.................. X136DF and X135:
White LED backlit screen and keypad.
X126DF and X125:
Amber LED backlit screen and keypad.
Input power:................... 10 to 15 volts DC.
Case size:......................... 5.4" H x 6.9" W x 3.4" D (13.8 x 17.6 x 8.6
cm); sealed and waterproof; suitable for
saltwater use.
Back-up memory:.......... Built-in memory stores sonar records for
decades.
Languages:...................... 10; menu languages selectable by user.
Sonar
Frequency:...................... 50/200 kHz for X126DF and X136DF; 200
kHz for X125 and X135.
Transducers: .................. A dual-frequency Skimmer transducer with
built-in temperature sensor is packed with
the X126DF and X136DF. It has 35°/12° cone
angles. A single-frequency with built-in tem-
perature sensor is packed with the X125 and
X135. It has a 20° cone angle. Transducers
operate at speeds up to 70 mph (61 kts).
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Transmitter:................... X136DF, X135 and X126DF:
4,000 watts peak-to-peak/500 watts RMS.
X125:
2,400 watts peak-to-peak/300 watts RMS.
Sonar sounding
depth capability: ........... X136DF: 2,500 feet (762 meters).
X126DF: 1,700 feet (518 meters).
X135: 1,000 feet (305 meters).
X125: 800 feet (244 meters).
Actual capability depends on transducer con-
figuration and installation, bottom composi-
tion and water conditions. All sonar units
typically read deeper in fresh water than in
salt water.
Depth display:................ Continuous display .
Audible alarms: ............. Deep/shallow/fish/zone.
Automatic ranging:....... Yes, with instant screen updates.
Auto bottom track:........ Yes.
Zoom bottom track: ...... Yes.
Split-screen zoom:......... Yes.
Surface water temp:..... Yes.
Speed/distance log:....... Optional (requires optional speed sensor).
NOTICE!
The storage temperature range for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167
degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celsius). Extended stor-
age in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage the liq-
uid crystal display in your unit. This type of damage is not covered by
the warranty. For more information, contact the factory's Customer
Service Department; phone numbers are listed on the last page.
How Sonar Works
Sonar has been around since the 1940s, so if you already know how it
works, skip ahead to the next segment on the typographical conventions
used in this manual. But, if you've never owned a sonar fish finder, this
segment will tell you the under water basics.
Sonar is an abbreviation for SOund NAvigation and Ranging, a technol-
ogy developed during World War II for tracking enemy submarines.
(Lowrance developed the world's first transistorized sportfishing sonar in
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1957.) A sonar consists of a transmitter, transducer, receiver and dis-
play. In simple terms, here's how it finds the bottom, or the fish:
The transmitter emits an electrical impulse, which the transducer con-
verts into a sound wave and sends into the water. (The sound frequency
can't be heard by humans or fish.) The sound wave strikes an object
(fish, structure, bottom) and bounces back to the transducer, which
converts the sound back into an electrical signal.
The receiver amplifies this return signal, or echo, and sends it to the
display, where an image of the object appears on the scrolling sonar
chart. The sonar's microprocessor calculates the time lapse between the
transmitted signal and echo return to determine the distance to the
object. The whole process repeats itself several times each second.
How to use this manual: typographical conventions
Many instructions are listed as numbered steps. The keypad and arrow
"keystrokes" appear as boldface type. So, if you're in a real hurry (or
just need a reminder), you can skim the instructions and pick out what
menu command to use by finding the boldface command text. The fol-
lowing paragraphs explain how to interpret the text formatting for
those commands and other instructions:
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys control a horizontal line depth cursor on the sonar
screen. The arrow keys also help you move around the menus so you
can execute different commands. They are represented by symbols like
these, which denote the down arrow key, the up arrow, the left arrow
and the right arrow: ↓ ↑ ← →.
Keyboard
The other keys perform a variety of functions. When the text refers to a
key to press, the key is shown in bold, sans serif type. For example, the
"Enter/Icons" key is shown as ENT and the "Menu" key is shown as
MENU.
Menu Commands
A menu command or a menu option will appear in small capital letters,
in a bold sans serif type like this: DEPTH CURSOR. These indicate that you
are to select this command or option from a menu or take an action of
some kind with the menu item. Text that you may need to enter or file
names you need to select are show in italic type, such as data type.
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Instructions = Menu Sequences
Most functions you perform with the sonar unit are described as a se-
quence of key strokes and selecting menu commands. We've written
them in a condensed manner for quick and easy reading.
For example, instructions for turning on the Fish ID feature would
look like this:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press → to FISH SYMBOLS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
Translated into complete English, step 1 above would mean: "Start on
the Sonar Page. Press the Menu key then repeatedly press (or press and
hold) the down arrow key to scroll down the menu and select (highlight)
the Sonar Features menu command. Then press the Enter key."
Step 2 would mean: "Press the right arrow key to select (highlight) the
Fish ID symbols command. Next, press the Enter key, then press the
Exit key twice."
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Notes
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Section 2:
Installation & Accessories
Preparations
You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, but
we recommend this installation sequence:
Caution:
You should read over this entire installation section before drill-
ing any holes in your vessel!
1. Determine the approximate location for the sonar unit, so you can
plan how and where to route the cables for the transducer and power.
This will help you make sure you have enough cable length for the de-
sired configuration.
2. Determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable
route.
3. Determine the location of your battery or other power connection,
along with the power cable route.
4. Install the transducer and route the transducer cable to the sonar
unit.
5. Install the power cable and route it to the sonar unit.
6. Mount the sonar unit.
Transducer Installation
These instructions will help you install your Skimmer transducer on a
transom, on a trolling motor or inside a hull. These instructions cover
both single- and dual-frequency Skimmer transducers. Please read all
instructions before proceeding with any installation.
The smaller single-frequency Skimmers typically use a one-piece,
stainless steel mounting bracket. The larger dual-frequency Skimmers
typically use a two-piece, plastic mounting bracket. The trolling motor
mount uses a one-piece plastic bracket with an adjustable strap.
These are all "kick-up" mounting brackets. They help prevent damage if
the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the trans-
ducer does "kick-up," the bracket can easily be pushed back into place
without tools.
Read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation.
Determine which of the mounting positions is right for your boat. Use
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extreme care if mounting the transducer inside the hull, because once it
is epoxied into position, the transducer usually cannot be removed.
Remember, the transducer installation is the most critical part
of a sonar installation.
Recommended Tools and supplies
If you prefer the option of routing the cable through the transom, you
will need a 1" drill bit. A transom mount requires use of a high quality,
marine grade above- or below-waterline caulking compound. The fol-
lowing installation types also call for these recommended tools and re-
quired supplies (supplies are not included):
Single-frequency transom installations
Tools include: two adjustable wrenches, drill, #29 (0.136") drill bit, flat-
head screwdriver. Supplies: none.
Dual-frequency transom installations
Tools: two adjustable wrenches, drill, #20 (0.161") drill bit, flat-head
screwdriver. Supplies: four, 1" long, #12 stainless steel slotted wood
screws.
Single-frequency trolling motor installations
Tools: two adjustable wrenches, flat-head screwdriver. Supplies: plastic
cable ties.
Shoot-through hull installations
Tools: these will vary depending on your hull's composition. Consult your
boat dealer or manufacturer. Supplies: 100 grit sandpaper, good quality
epoxy adhesive.
Selecting a Transducer Location
1. The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of
water at all times. If the transducer is to be mounted inside the hull,
then the chosen location must be in the water at all times. If the
transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water, interference
caused by bubbles and turbulence will show on the sonar's display in
the form of random lines or dots whenever the boat is moving.
NOTE:
Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the
hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed. These boats
typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat
at speeds faster than 35 mph. Typically, a good location on alumi-
num boats is between the ribs closest to the engine.
2. The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight
down, if possible.
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3. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make sure it doesn't
interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat. Also, don't mount it
closer than approximately one foot from the engine's lower unit. This
will prevent cavitation (bubble) interference with propeller operation.
4. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps and aerators
can be displayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing the
transducer cable around these wires.
CAUTION: Clamp the trans-
ducer cable to transom near
the transducer. This will help
prevent the transducer from
entering the boat if it is
knocked off at high speed.
Good location
Poor location
Good
location
Good location
Poor angle
Good and poor transducer locations.
How low should you go?
For most situations, you should install your Skimmer transducer so
that its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull. This will
usually give you the best combination of smooth water flow and protec-
tion from bangs and bumps.
Transom
Transducer
centerline
Hull bottom
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom.
However, there are times when you may need to adjust the transducer
slightly higher or lower. (The slots in the mounting brackets allow you
to loosen the screws and slide the transducer up or down.) If you fre-
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quently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed, the trans-
ducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes.
Move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this.
If you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover, your transducer
may be frequently kicking up from object strikes. If you wish, you may
move the transducer a little higher for more protection.
There are two extremes you should avoid. Never let the edge of the
mounting bracket extend below the bottom of the hull. Never let the
bottom – the face – of the transducer rise above the bottom of the hull.
Shoot-thru-hull vs. Transom Mounting
Typically, shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed opera-
tion and good to excellent depth capability. There is no possibility of
damage from floating objects. It can't be knocked off when docking or
loading on the trailer.
However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks.
First, some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. This
varies from hull to hull, even from different installations on the same
hull. This is caused by differences in hull lay-up and construction.
Second, the transducer angle cannot be adjusted for the best fish
arches. This can be a problem on some hulls that sit with the bow high
when at rest or at slow trolling speeds. Follow the procedure listed in
the shoot-thru-hull installation section at the end of this lesson to de-
termine if you can satisfactorily shoot through the hull.
TRANSOM TRANSDUCER ASSEMBLY AND MOUNTING
The best way to install these transducers is to loosely assemble all of the
parts first, place the transducer's bracket against the transom and see if
you can move the transducer so that it's parallel with the ground.
The following instructions sometimes vary depending on the mounting
bracket that came with your transducer. Single-frequency Skimmers
come with a one-piece stainless steel bracket, while dual-frequency
Skimmers come with a two-piece plastic mounting bracket. Use the set of
instructions that fits your model.
1. Assembling the bracket.
A. One-piece bracket: Press the two small plastic ratchets into the
sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration. Notice
there are letters molded into each ratchet. Place each ratchet into the
bracket with the letter "A" aligned with the dot stamped into the metal
bracket. This position sets the transducer's coarse angle adjustment for a
14° transom. Most outboard and stern-drive transoms have a 14° angle.
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Dot
Align plastic ratchets in bracket.
B. Two-piece bracket: Locate the four plastic ratchets in the trans-
ducer's hardware package. Press two ratchets into the sides of the plas-
tic bracket and two on either side of the transducer as shown in the fol-
lowing illustrations. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet.
Place the ratchets into the bracket with the letter "A" aligned with the
alignment mark molded into the bracket. Place the ratchets onto the
transducer with the letter "A" aligned with the 12 o'clock position on
the transducer stem. These positions set the transducer's coarse angle
adjustment for a 14° transom. Most outboard and stern-drive tran-
soms have a 14° angle.
Alignment letters
Alignment
positions
Transducer
Transducer bracket
Insert and align ratchets.
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Transducer
bracket
Transducer
Ratchet
Ratchet
Add ratchets to bracket and transducer.
2. Aligning the transducer on the transom.
A. One-piece bracket: Slide the transducer between the two ratch-
ets. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assembly and
hold it against the transom. Looking at the transducer from the side,
check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to the ground.
If it does, then the "A" position is correct for your hull.
If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove the
transducer and ratchets from the bracket. Place the ratchets into the
holes in the bracket with the letter "B" aligned with the dot stamped
in the bracket.
Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the
transom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so it's
parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to step 3A. If it doesn't,
repeat step 2A, but use a different alignment letter until you can
place the transducer on the transom correctly.
Ratchets
Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom.
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B. Two-piece bracket: Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown
in the following figure. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer
assembly but don't tighten the nut at this time. Hold the assembled
transducer and bracket against the transom. Looking at the transducer
from the side, check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to
the ground. If it does, then the "A" positions are correct for your hull.
If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove and
disassemble the transducer and ratchets. Place the ratchets into the
bracket holes with the letter "B" aligned with the bracket alignment
mark. Place them on the transducer aligned with the 12 o'clock posi-
tion on the transducer stem.
Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the
transom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so it's
parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to step 3B. If it doesn't,
repeat step 2B, but use a different alignment letter until you can
place the transducer on the transom correctly.
Lock washer
Bolt
Nut
Flat washer
Flat washer
Assemble transducer and bracket.
3. Assembling the transducer.
A. One-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for
the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the following fig-
ure. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
Metal
washer
Nut
Rubber
washers
Metal washer
Bolt
Assemble transducer and bracket.
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B. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for
the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step
2B. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
4. Drilling mounting holes.
Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. The
transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The trans-
ducer's centerline should be in line with the bottom of the hull. Don't
let the bracket extend below the hull!
Mark the center of each slot for the mounting screw pilot holes. You
will drill one hole in the center of each slot.
Drill the holes. For the one-piece bracket, use the #29 bit (for the #10
screws). For the two-piece bracket, use the #20 bit (for the #12 screws).
Transom
Transom
Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes.
Side view shown at left and seen from above at right.
5. Attaching transducer to transom.
A. One-piece bracket: Remove the transducer from the bracket and
re-assemble it with the cable passing through the bracket over the
bolt as shown in the following figures.
For single-frequency Skimmer, route cable over bolt and through
bracket. Side view shown at left and seen from above at right.
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Both bracket types: Attach the transducer to the transom. Slide the
transducer up or down until it's aligned properly with the bottom of
the hull as shown in the preceding and following figures. Tighten the
bracket's mounting screws, sealing them with the caulking compound.
Adjust the transducer so that it's parallel to the ground and tighten
the nut until it touches the outer washer, then add 1/4 turn. Don't
over tighten the lock nut! If you do, the transducer won't "kick-up" if
it strikes an object in the water.
Bottom
of
hull
Flat-bottom hull
Deep-"vee" hull
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach transducer to
transom. Rear view of dual-frequency Skimmer shown.
6. Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to the sonar
unit. Make sure to leave some slack in the cable at the transducer. If
possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from the engine's wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio
wires and cables, and aerators can be picked up by the sonar. Use cau-
tion when routing the transducer cable around these wires.
WARNING:
Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the
transducer. This can prevent the transducer from enter-
ing the boat if it is knocked off at high speed.
If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through,
the required hole size will be 1".
Caution:
If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is lo-
cated above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the
hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline seal-
ant used for the mounting screws.
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7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost at
high speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding the trans-
ducer bracket down. This puts the transducer deeper into the water,
hopefully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the
transducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull!
TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET INSTALLATION
(single-frequency only)
1. Attach the optional TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown in the
following figure, using the hardware supplied with the transducer.
(Note: The internal tooth washer is supplied with the TMB-S.)
TMB-S bracket
Internal tooth washer
Bolt
Nut
Flat washer
Attach motor mounting bracket to transducer.
2. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot
in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor. Po-
sition the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the
water. Tighten the strap securely.
3. Route the transducer cable alongside the trolling motor shaft. Use
plastic ties (not included) to attach the transducer cable to the troll-
ing motor shaft. Make sure there is enough slack in the cable for the
motor to turn freely. Route the cable to the sonar unit and the trans-
ducer is ready for use.
Transducer mounted on trolling motor, side view.
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TRANSDUCER ORIENTATION AND FISH ARCHES
If you do not get good fish arches on your display, it could be because
the transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest
in the water or at slow trolling speeds.
Partial fish arches
Transducer aimed
too far back
Transducer aimed
too far forward
Full fish arch
Proper transducer angle
Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches.
If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of the trans-
ducer is too high and needs to be lowered. If only the back half of the
arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down
and needs to be raised.
NOTE:
Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and water to re-
move any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity
or may even prevent operation.
SHOOT-THRU-HULL PREPARATION
The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area
that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass lay-
ers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A successful
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transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials
(such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers of fiberglass if
the material is removed from the chosen area.
Fill with polyester resin
Inner hull
Flotation material
Epoxy to hull first
Outer hull
Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull.
For example, some (but not all) manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass,
then a core of balsa wood, finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass.
Removing the inner layer of fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes
the outer layer of fiberglass. The transducer can then be epoxied di-
rectly to the outer layer of fiberglass. After the epoxy cures, the hull is
watertight and structurally sound. Remember, the sonar signal must
pass through solid fiberglass. Any air bubbles in the fiberglass or the
epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals.
WARNING:
Do not remove any material from your inner hull unless
you know the hull's composition. Careless grinding or
cutting on your hull can result in damage that could sink
your boat. Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to
confirm your hull specifications.
To choose the proper location for thru-hull mounting, anchor the boat in
60 feet of water. Add a little water to the sump of the boat. Plug the
transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on, then hold the transducer over
the side of the boat. Adjust the sensitivity and range controls until a sec-
ond bottom echo is seen on the display. (You will need to turn off both
automatic and ASP.) Don't touch the controls once they've been set.
Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in
the sump of the boat. Observe the sonar signal to see if there is a no-
ticeable decrease in sensitivity. The second bottom signal may disap-
pear and the bottom signal may decrease in intensity.
Move the transducer around to find the best location. If the sensitivity
control must be increased greatly to compensate, then the transducer
should be mounted on the outside of the hull. If not, then mark the lo-
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cation that shot through the hull the best and follow the instructions on
the following pages for a shoot-thru-hull mounting.
Transducer location
(high speed)
Transducer location
(trolling speed)
Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for
high speed or trolling speed operation.
Shoot-thru-hull Installation
1. Make sure the area is clean, dry and free of oil or grease, then sand
both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer with
100 grit sandpaper. The surface of the hull must be flat so the entire
transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding.
Spread epoxy here
Sand this surface
Epoxy transducer to hull.
2. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly.
Do not mix it too fast, because it will cause bubbles to form in the ep-
oxy. Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as shown
above, then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the hull.
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Place the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force
any air bubbles out from under the transducer face. The face of the
transducer should be parallel with the hull, with a minimum amount
of epoxy between the hull and transducer. After the epoxy dries,
route the cable to the sonar unit.
Speed/Temperature Sensors
This unit accepts up to three temperature sensors which can monitor
surface water, live well, bait well and virtually any other temperature.
If you want to use more than one temperature sensor or a speed sensor,
you must purchase the optional MY-4X adapter cable. You also need to
be careful when purchasing the temperature sensors, because each
temperature sensor has its own fixed electronic "address." The sensors
are labeled "Water," "T-2" (or Temp-2) and "T-3" (or Temp-3).
The first "Water" temperature sensor is built into the transducer. This
is the sensor that measures surface water temperature. If you want two
(or more) temperature readings from other locations, you'll need to use
the proper sensors. For example, you can't use two additional T-3 sen-
sors. The sensors that fit this unit are:
•
TS-1X
This sensor will over-ride the temperature sensor
built into the transducer and over-ride the tem-
perature sensor in a ST-TGY combination sen-
sor. (This sensor is not recommended.)
•
•
•
•
TS-2X
TS-3X
SP-X
One sensor for "T-2" temperature display.
One sensor for "T-3" temperature display.
One speed sensor for "Speed" display.
ST-TGY
This combination sensor will provide speed and
temperature readings, but the temperature
reading will be displayed as the "Water" tem-
perature because it will over-ride the tempera-
ture sensor in the transducer. (This sensor is
not recommended.)
See the wiring diagram on the following page for temperature and
speed sensor combinations.
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Sensor Chart
Sonar unit
rear view
Temperature
sensor built into
transducer
Two-temperature
sensor installation
MY-4X
Cable
TS-2X
temperature sensor
Three-temperature
sensor installation
TS-3X
temperature sensor
Three-temperature sensor
installation with speed
SP-X speed sensor
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Optional Speed Sensor Installation
All the units in this series can display speed and distance traveled, but
only the X126DF and X136DF come packed with a speed sensor. If you
wish to purchase an optional additional sensor for your unit, refer to
the accessory ordering information inside the back cover of this man-
ual. The following instructions describe how to install the speed sensor.
Recommended tools for this job include: drill, 7/8" drill bit, 1/8" drill bit for
pilot holes, screwdriver. Required supplies for this job include: four #8
stainless steel wood screws (3/4" long), high quality, marine grade above-
or below-waterline caulking compound.
First find a location on the boat's transom where the water flow is smooth-
est. Don't mount the sensor behind strakes or ribs. These will disturb the
water flow to the speed sensor. Make sure the sensor will remain in the
water when the boat is on plane. Also make sure the location doesn't inter-
fere with the boat's trailer. Typically, the sensor is mounted about one foot
to the side of the transom's centerline.
Once you've determined the proper location for the unit, place the sen-
sor on the transom. The bottom of the bracket should be flush with the
hull's bottom. Using the sensor as a template, mark the hull for the
screws' pilot holes. Drill four 1/8" holes, one in each end of the slots.
Mount the sensor to the hull using #8 stainless steel wood screws (not
included). Use a high quality, marine grade above- or below-waterline
caulking compound to seal the screws. Make sure the sensor is flush
with the bottom of the hull and tighten the screws.
Good location
Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom.
Transom
Bottom of hull
Bottom of hull
Speed sensor mounting configuration:
side view (left) and rear view (right.)
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If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between the tran-
som and the sensor with the caulking compound. This will help ensure
a smooth water flow.
Route the sensor's cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit.
If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through,
the required hole size is 7/8".
Caution:
If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is lo-
cated above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the
hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline seal-
ant used for the screws.
The sensor is now ready for use. Connect the sensor to the in-line con-
nector on the MY-4X adapter cable. If you have any questions concern-
ing the installation of the sensor, please contact your local boat dealer.
Power Connections
The unit works from a 12-volt battery system. For the best results, at-
tach the power cable directly to the battery. You can attach the power
cable to an accessory or power buss, however you may have problems
with electrical interference. Therefore, it's safer to go ahead and attach
the power cable directly to the battery.
CAUTION:
When using the unit in a saltwater environment, we strongly rec-
ommend that you shut off the power supply to the power cable when
the unit is not in use. When the unit is turned off but still connected
to a power supply, electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug.
This may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electri-
cal contacts in the cable and the unit's power socket.
In saltwater environments we recommend you connect the power
cable to the auxiliary power switch included in most boat designs.
If that results in electrical interference, or if such a switch is not
available, we recommend connecting direct to the battery and in-
stalling an inline switch. This will let you shut off power to the
power cable when the unit is not in use. When you are not using
the unit, you should always shut off power to the power cable, es-
pecially when the power cable is disconnected from the unit.
If possible, keep the power cable away from other boat wiring, espe-
cially the engine's wires. This will provide the best isolation from elec-
trical noise. If the cable is not long enough, splice #18 gauge wire onto
it. The power cable has two wires, red and black. Red is the positive
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lead, black is negative or ground. Make sure to attach the in-line fuse
holder to the red lead as close to the power source as possible.
For example, if you have to extend the power cable to the battery or
power buss, attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the battery or
power buss. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the
event of a short. It uses a 3-amp fuse.
Optional power off switch for
saltwater installations
To unit
Black wire
Red wire with
3 amp fuse
12 volt
battery
Power connections for the sonar unit.
CAUTION:
Do not use this product without a 3-amp fuse wired into the power
cable! Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty.
This unit has reverse polarity protection. No damage will occur if the
power wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the
wires are attached correctly.
An optional 8-foot, CA-4 external power cable with a cigarette lighter
adapter is available from Lowrance.
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Sonar unit
rear view
Sonar socket
Power socket
Transducer
Power wires
Sonar unit cable connections.
Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable
You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied
gimbal bracket. It can also be installed in the dash or mounted on a
portable power supply.
If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested in the optional
R-A-M bracket mounting system. This converts the unit's gimbal
bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on the dash or overhead
mounting positions. Installation instructions are supplied with the
R-A-M mounting kits.
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Optional R-A-M mounting system.
Bracket Installation
Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance
behind the unit when it's tilted for the best viewing angle. You should
also make sure there is enough room behind the unit to attach the
power and transducer cables. (A drawing on the next page shows the
dimensions of a gimbal-mounted sonar unit.)
Holes in the bracket's base allow wood screw or through-bolt mounting.
You may need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin fiber-
glass panels to reinforce the panel and secure the mounting hardware.
Front
Install the gimbal bracket. Orient the bracket so the arms slope toward
the front of your unit.
Drill a 1-inch (25.4 mm) hole in the dash for the power and transducer
cables. The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal
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bracket location. This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers
the hole, holds the cables in position and results in a neat installation.
Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bracket to the side of the
cable hole — it's a matter of personal preference.
72.9
[2.87]
173.9
[6.85]
23.4
[0.92]
137.9
[5.43]
157.9
[6.22]
56.9
[2.24]
Millimeter
[Inch]
Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the
sonar unit when mounted on gimbal bracket.
After drilling the hole, pass the transducer connector up through the
hole from under the dash. Pass the power cable's bare-wire end down
though the hole from the top.
If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cables with a good ma-
rine caulking compound. (Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers
to conceal the opening.) No matter what type of installation you prefer,
be sure to leave enough slack in the cables to allow tilting or swiveling
the unit. If you choose to fill in the hole, be sure to position the cables
against the rear edge of the hole as you apply the fill material.
Before positioning the bracket, be sure to hold the cables against the
rear edge of the hole. Then, slide the bracket over the hole and butt the
rear of the bracket base firmly against the cables, thus pinning them in
place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to the
dash. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal
knobs and washers.
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In-Dash Installation
You can mount the unit in the dash with an optional FM-5 In-Dash
Adapter Kit. The kit includes mounting hardware, a template for cut-
ting the hole and an instruction sheet, part 988-0147-43.
146.5
[5.76]
Top
R 7.9
[0.31]
In-Dash
Template
113.5
[4.46]
Millimeters
[Inches]
ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS
In-dash mounting template for the sonar unit, showing
dimensions. NOTE: The figure above is not printed to scale. A scaled
template (FM-5 In-Dash Adapter Kit instructions) is available for free
Portable Installation
Like many Lowrance products, this sonar unit is capable of portable
operation by using the optional PPP-11 portable power pack. The power
pack and an optional portable transducer expand the uses for your so-
nar unit. The PPP-11 makes it easy to use the unit on your boat or take
it to the dock, on a float tube, on an ice fishing trip or use it as a second
sonar in a friend's boat.
The PPP-11 Portable Power Pack can be used with eight "D" cell alka-
line batteries or an optional sealed, rechargeable battery. For set-up
directions, refer to the pack's instruction sheet, part 988-0147-46.
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"D" cell battery
Install batteries in power pack battery adapter.
Face Cover
Your unit comes with a white protective cover that snaps on and off the
front of the unit. This cover is intended for use when your unit and the
vehicle it's mounted in are idle.
WARNING:
When the unit is mounted in an unprotected area, such
as an open boat cockpit, the protective face cover must
be removed when the vehicle is moving at high speed.
This includes towing a boat on a trailer at highway
speeds. Otherwise, wind blast can pop off the cover.
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Notes
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Section 3: Basic Sonar Operation
This section addresses the unit's most basic sonar operations. The in-
structions presented here in Sec. 3 follow a chronological order. Sec. 4,
Sonar Options & Other Features, will discuss options and other more
advanced functions and utilities. The material in Sec. 4 is arranged in
alphabetical order.
Before you turn on the unit, it's a good idea to learn about the different
keys, the Main Menu, the Sonar Menu, the five Page options and how
they all work together. BUT, if you just can't wait to get on the water,
turn to the one-page Quick Reference on page 38.
Keyboard
4
8
9
7
2
3
5
6
1
Sonar unit, front view, with keyboard. X136DF shown.
1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and
off and activates the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this and the ↑ ↓ arrow keys switches the unit be-
tween the five different page options. (Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom So-
nar Chart, Split Frequency Sonar Chart, Digital Data and FlashGraf .)
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus and submenus, which
allow you to select a command or adjust a feature.
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4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the menus,
make menu selections, move the sonar chart cursor and enter data.
5. ENT (Enter) – This key allows you to accept values or execute menu
commands.
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or erase a menu.
7. ALARM – The Alarm key is a quick shortcut to the sonar alarms
menu. It allows you to choose which alarms to use and when.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out. This
key returns you to a full sonar chart display, showing the entire water
column from surface to bottom.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in. It enlarges
fish signals, bottom detail and other sonar returns.
Power/lights on and off
To turn on the unit, press PWR.
To change the backlight, press PWR again. The X125 and X126DF have
two backlight levels to select from. The X135 and X136DF have three
backlight levels. Repeatedly pressing PWR will cycle through the back-
light settings, turn off the backlight, then turn it back on again.
Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the PWR key for about 3 seconds.
Menus
Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factory de-
fault settings. You only need to learn a few basic functions to enhance
your viewing. We'll discuss them briefly here, then talk about them and
all the other commands in more detail in the next section, which begins
on page 43.
Your unit has three primary menus that control its operation.
They are the Main Menu, the Sonar Menu and the Pages Menu.
Main Menu
The Main Menu contains some basic function commands and some setup
option commands. You access the Main Menu by pressing MENU|MENU.
You run a command by using the ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command and
then pressing ENT. To clear the Main Menu screen and return to the
Page display, press EXIT. (Remember, our text style for "MENU|MENU"
means "press the Menu key twice." See a full explanation of our instruc-
tion text formatting on page 5, Instructions = Menu Sequences.)
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Main Menu.
Main Menu Commands
There are four "basic" Main Menu commands that you'll really want to
read more about. They are:
• Screen command: changes the contrast or brightness of the display
screen. Use this command to adjust how the screen looks under various
lighting conditions.
• Sounds command: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and
alarms, controls the volume and sets the alarm style. If you don't like to
hear a beep each time you press a key, you can turn this off, or select
tunes or sound effects instead. The sounds are especially useful when
used with the Fish I.D. fish symbol feature and fish alarm feature.
• Sonar Alarms command: turns alarms on or off and changes alarm
thresholds. The fish alarm, used with Fish I.D., is the most popular
use. It tells you when the sonar sees a fish. You can also set deep or
shallow depth alarms and zone alarms.
• Popup Help command: turns the pop-up help boxes on or off. When
you select a menu command, these information boxes appear to tell you
what the command does or how to use the command. The default set-
ting is on, which is really handy while you're learning.
The remaining Main Menu commands are for more advanced functions,
mostly setting various sonar options. (They're all detailed in Sec. 4.)
• Units of Measure command: selects the units of measure used for
showing speed/distance, depth and temperature.
• Set Keel Offset command: calibrates the unit to show depth under
the keel or actual depth from the surface.
• Calibrate Water Speed command: adjusts how a speed sensor
measures water speed.
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• Reset Water Distance command: resets water distance log to zero.
• Sonar Simulator command: turns the simulator feature on and off.
Useful for learning how to operate the unit and all its functions.
• Transducer Type command (dual-frequency units only): sets the
type of transducer plugged into the unit.
• Reset Options command: returns all options and auto functions to
their original factory settings. It's a great safety net while you're
learning and experimenting with various settings.
• Set Language command: your unit has menus in 10 different lan-
guages. This command switches from one language to another.
• Software Information command: tells you which version of the op-
erating software is loaded in your unit.
Sonar Menu
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
options. You access the Sonar Menu by pressing the MENU key one
time. You run a command by using the ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command
and then pressing ENT. To clear the menu screen and return to the
Page display, press EXIT.
Sonar Page Menu. Most of these functions are discussed in Sec. 4.
Sonar Menu Commands
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
options. Most of them are only described in detail in Sec. 4, but Sensitiv-
ity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that are discussed
both here and in Sec. 4. The other Sonar Menu commands include:
• Grayline command: separates fish and structure near the bottom
from the actual bottom, and defines bottom composition/hardness.
• Depth Range command: manually sets the depth range shown on
the sonar chart.
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• Auto Depth Range command: automatically sets the depth range
shown on the sonar chart to always keep the bottom in view.
• Upper and Lower Limits command: sets the upper and lower depth
limits of the sonar chart. Lets you zoom in on a specific portion of the
water column.
• Stop Chart command: stops the sonar chart from scrolling. Used
when you want to "freeze" the image for closer study.
• Chart Speed command: sets the scrolling speed of the sonar chart.
• Depth Cursor command: displays a cursor line on the sonar chart
which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target.
• Overlay Data command: chooses what types of information (such as
water temperature) to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen.
• Sonar Features command: launches the Sonar Features menu which
controls many functions and options, including frequency selection,
screen color mode, auto depth and sensitivity, surface clarity, noise re-
jection, Fish I.D. symbols, the zoom bar and zone bar.
• Ping Speed command: sets the rate at which sonar pings are made.
Pages
The Pages Menu controls the five major display options. They are the
Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Split Frequency Sonar
Chart, Digital Data and the flasher-style FlashGraf.
You access the Pages Menu by pressing the PAGES key. You select a
display option by using ↑ or ↓ to highlight the option and then pressing
ENT. (You can clear the Pages Menu by pressing EXIT.)
Pages Menu showing some Sonar display options
(at left, dual-frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu).
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The Full Sonar Chart is the main display option. This is a "cross-
section" view of the water column beneath the boat. The chart moves
across the screen, displaying sonar signal echoes that represent fish,
structure and the bottom.
Surface signal
Surface clutter
Digital data
overlay
(depth &
temperature)
Depth scale
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
Fish arches
Zoom bar
Structure
FasTrack
bar graph
Bottom signal
Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode.
Sonar chart display options (from left) split zoom (all models)
and split frequency (X126DF and X136DF only).
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Sonar chart display options (from left) digital data and FlashGraf.
You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are dis-
played in many ways. We'll discuss all of those features and options in
Section 4, but to show you how easy the sonar unit is to operate, the fol-
lowing page contains a simplified, 10-step quick reference that will
cover most fish finding situations. The quick reference describes how
your unit will operate with all the sonar features in their automatic
modes, which are set at the factory.
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Basic Sonar Quick Reference
1. Mount the transducer and unit. Connect the unit to electric power
and the transducer.
2. Launch your boat.
3. To turn on the unit, press and release PWR key.
4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digi-
tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.
The auto settings will track the bottom, displaying it in the lower por-
tion of the screen. The full sonar chart will scroll from right to left,
showing you what's under the boat as you cruise across the water.
5. As you're watching the sonar returns, you can change the display by:
Zoom in to enlarge the chart for more detail: press ZIN.
Zoom out to return to full chart mode: press ZOUT.
6. If necessary, adjust sensitivity to improve chart readability. Press
MENU|ENT and the Sensititvy Menu will appear on the left of your
screen. Use ↑ and ↓ to change the setting.
Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen, which
may cause clutter. Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information,
but could omit important images. We recommend adjusting sensitivity
until the background is lightly "peppered" — that is, scattered dots ap-
pear, but individual objects (like fish arches or bottom structure) can be
easily picked out of the background.
7. Watch the display for the appearance of fish arches. When you see
arches, you've found fish! Stop the boat and get your lure or bait into
the water at the depth indicated on the sonar chart.
8. Gauge the fish depth by visually comparing the fish arches with the
depth scale on the right side of the screen, or get a more accurate
measure with the Depth Cursor. Press MENU|↓ to DEPTH CURSOR|ENT.
Press ↓ (or ↑) to align the cursor line with the fish arch. The exact
depth appears in a box at the right end of the cursor line. To clear the
cursor, press EXIT.
9. If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored, you are not mov-
ing fast enough for a fish to return the tell-tale fish arch signal. As you
drift over a fish, or as a fish swims through the transducer's signal
cone, the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between the
surface and the bottom.
10. To turn off the unit, press and hold PWR key for three seconds.
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Sonar Operations
As you can see from the quick reference on the previous page, basic operation
is pretty easy, right out of the box. If you are a sonar novice, try operating the
unit with the factory defaults until you get a feel for how it's working.
As you're learning the basics, there is one setting you might want to tinker
with from time to time — Sensitivity.
Sensitivity controls the unit's ability to pick up echoes. If you want to see
more detail, try increasing the sensitivity, a little at a time. There are situa-
tions when too much clutter appears on the screen. Decreasing the sensitivity
can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish echoes, if fish are present.
As you change the sensitivity setting, you can see the difference on the chart
as it scrolls.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same
location. Fig. 1: Sensitivity at 88 percent, determined by Auto Sensitiv-
ity. Typical of full auto mode. Fig. 2: Sensitivity set at 75 percent. Fig.
3: Sensitivity set at 50 percent. Fig. 4: Sensitivity set at 100 percent.
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You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in Auto Sensitiv-
ity mode or Manual Sensitivity mode. The adjustment method works
the same in both modes, but it gives you slightly different results.
Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensitivity Mode is similar to manually ad-
justing a car's speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on.
You can tell the car to run faster, but when you let off the gas the cruise
control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum
speed setting. In the sonar unit, auto mode will let you increase sensitiv-
ity to 100 percent, but the unit will limit your minimum setting. This pre-
vents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bot-
tom tracking. When you change the setting with auto turned on, the unit
will continue to track the bottom and make minor adjustments to the sen-
sitivity level, with a bias toward the setting you selected.
Adjusting sensitivity in Manual Sensitivity Mode is similar to driving a
car without cruise control — you have complete manual control of the
car's speed. In the sonar unit, manual mode allows you to set sensitiv-
ity at 100 percent (maximum) or zero percent (minimum.) Depending
on water conditions, the bottom signal may completely disappear from
the screen when you reduce sensitivity to about 50 percent or less!
Try adjusting sensitivity in both auto and manual modes to see how
they work.
To adjust sensitivity:
1. Press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected. At right, the
Sensitivity Control Bar.
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NOTE:
If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off
Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO
SENSITIVITY|ENT|↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT. Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different
sensitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
Important Tip:
While you are experimenting and learning, it's possible to scramble
the settings so that the sonar picture disappears from your screen.
If that happens, remember that it's easy to switch back to full
automatic operation by simply restoring the factory auto settings.
Here's how:
To Restore Factory Settings
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT.
2. The unit asks if you want to reset all the options. Press ← to
YES|ENT. All options are reset, and the unit reverts back to the
original settings.
Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart
You may have noticed in the quick reference that we used fish arches in
full sonar chart mode for our example, and not the popular Fish I.D.
fish symbol feature. Here's why.
Fish I.D. is an easier way for a sonar novice to recognize a fishy signal
return when he sees it. However, locating fish by symbol only has some
limitations.
Your sonar unit's microprocessor is remarkably powerful, but it can be
fooled. Some of the echoes calculated to be fish could be tree limbs or
turtles! To see what's under your boat in maximum detail, we recom-
mend you turn off Fish I.D. and begin learning to interpret fish arches.
Fish I.D. is most handy when you're in another part of the boat or per-
forming some task that prevents you from watching the sonar screen.
Then, you can turn on Fish I.D. and the audible fish alarm. When that
lunker swims under your boat, you'll hear it!
Fish I.D. can also be useful when you want to screen out some of the
sonar detail gathered by your unit. For example, in one case fishermen
in San Francisco Bay saw clouds of clutter in the water but no fish
arches. When a down rigger was pulled up, it brought up several small
jellyfish. The fishermen switched their Lowrance sonar to Fish I.D.,
which screened out the schools of jellyfish and clearly showed the game
fish there as fish symbols.
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Other Free Training Aids
The sonar options section discusses Fish I.D., fish alarms and other
features in greater detail. If you or a friend has Internet access, you can
also learn more about interpreting what you see on your sonar screen.
Visit our web site, WWW.LOWRANCE.COM. Be sure to check out the free
Sonar Tutorial, which includes animated illustrations and more pic-
tures of actual sonar returns, all described in detail. There's even a
"printer friendly" version of the tutorial available on our web site…it
makes a great supplement to this operation manual!
For the ultimate training aid, be sure to download the free emulator
software for your unit. Aside from being just plain fun, this program
can help you learn both basic and advanced operations without burning
boat fuel! Lowrance is the first sonar manufacturer to provide this type
of training tool for customers.
This PC application simulates the actual sonar unit on your computer.
You can run it from your computer keyboard or use your mouse to press
the virtual keys. Easy download and installation instructions are avail-
able on our web site.
Free training emulator is available for your unit on our web site.
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Section 4: Sonar Options & Other Features
Material in this section is arranged in alphabetical order.
ASP (Advanced Signal Processing)
The ASP feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit
that constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed, water conditions
and interference. This automatic feature gives you the best display pos-
sible under most conditions.
The ASP feature is an effective tool in combating noise. In sonar terms,
noise is any undesired signal. It is caused by electrical and mechanical
sources such as bilge pumps, engine ignition systems and wiring, air
bubbles passing over the face of the transducer, even vibration from the
engine. In all cases, noise can produce unwanted marks on the display.
The ASP feature has four settings — Off, Low, Medium and High. If
you have high noise levels, try using the "High" ASP setting. However,
if you are having trouble with noise, we suggest that you take steps to
find the interference source and fix it, rather than continually using the
unit with the high ASP setting.
There are times when you may want to turn the ASP feature off. This
allows you to view all incoming echoes before they are processed by the
ASP feature.
At left, Sonar Menu with Sonar Features selected. In the Sonar
Features menu, Noise Rejection is selected with ASP in the default low
setting (center, dual-frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu).
To change the ASP level:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to NOISE REJECTION|ENT.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press ENT.
4. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
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Alarms
This unit has three different types of sonar alarms. The first is the Fish
Alarm. It sounds when the Fish I.D. feature determines that an echo
is a fish.
Another alarm is the Zone Alarm, which consists of a bar on the side of
the screen. Any echo on the chart that appears inside this bar triggers
this alarm.
The last alarm is the Depth Alarm, which has both a Shallow and a
Deep setting. Only the bottom signal will trigger this alarm. This is
useful as an anchor watch, a shallow water alert or for navigation.
Depth Alarms
The depth alarms sound a tone when the bottom signal goes shallower
than the shallow alarm's setting or deeper than the deep alarm's set-
ting. For example, if you set the shallow alarm to 10 feet, the alarm will
sound a tone if the bottom signal is less than 10 feet. It will continue to
sound until the bottom goes deeper than 10 feet.
The deep alarm works just the opposite. It sounds a warning tone if the
bottom depth goes deeper than the alarm's setting. Both depth alarms
work only off the digital bottom depth signals. No other targets will trip
these alarms. These alarms can be used at the same time or individually.
At left, Main Menu and Sonar Alarms command.
At right, the Sonar Alarms menu.
To adjust and turn on the shallow alarm:
1. Press ALARM.
2. Press → to SHALLOW ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first number, then press → to move the
cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, then
press ENT.
4. Press ← to SHALLOW ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
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5. To turn off the alarm, press ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
To adjust and turn on the deep alarm:
1. Press ALARM.
2. Press ↓ to DEEP ALARM ENABLED|→ to DEEP ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first number, then press → to move the
cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, then
press ENT.
4. Press ← to DEEP ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
5. To turn off the alarm, press ALARM|↓ to DEEP ALARM EN-
ABLED|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
Zone Alarm
The zone alarm is triggered when any echo passes inside the zone
alarm bar, shown on the right side of the screen.
To adjust and turn on the zone alarm:
1. Press ALARM.
2. Press ↓ to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|→ to ADJUST ZONE|ENT.
At left, Sonar Alarms menu, with Adjust Zone command selected.
At right, Adjust Zone Alarm selection box, with Upper selected.
3. To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
UPPER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the top of the bar to the desired depth.
4. To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
LOWER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the bottom of the bar to the desired depth.
5. Press EXIT|← to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT. Now, any echo —
fish, bottom, structure — within the zone alarm's depth range will trig-
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ger the zone alarm.
6. To turn off the alarm, press ALARM|↓ to ZONE ALARM EN-
ABLED|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in steps 3 and 4 above.
Fish Alarm
Use the fish alarm for a distinctive audible alarm when fish or other
suspended objects are detected by the Fish I.D. feature (Fish I.D.
must be turned on for the Fish Alarm to work). a different tone sounds
for each fish symbol size shown on the display.
Sonar Alarms menu with Fish Alarm selected. The check box to the left
is blank, indicating the alarm is turned off.
To turn the fish alarm on:
1. Press ALARM.
2. Press ↓ to FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
3. To turn off the alarm, press ALARM|↓ to FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
Brightness
See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightness.
Calibrate Speed
The speed sensor can be calibrated to compensate for inaccuracies. Be-
fore you change the setting, first calculate the percentage that the
speed is off. You will enter this percentage in a moment.
For example, if you figure the sensor is reading 10 percent faster than
actual speed, you will enter – 10 in the calibration window. If the sen-
sor is reading 5 percent slower than true speed, you will enter + 5 in
the window.
Perform your test in relatively calm water free of current, if possible.
(Unless, of course, you are taking the current speed into consideration
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when making your calculation.) After you have a correction figure,
here's how to enter it:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to CALIBRATE WATER SPEED|ENT.
2. Enter the number you calculated earlier: press ↑ or ↓ to change the
first character (+ or –), then press → to move the cursor to the next
number and repeat until the percentage is correct, then press EXIT.
Chart Speed
The rate that echoes scroll across the screen is called the chart speed.
The default is maximum; we recommend that you leave the speed set
there for virtually all fishing conditions.
However, you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you
are stationary or drifting very slowly. You may sometimes achieve bet-
ter images as you slow down the chart speed to match how fast you are
moving across the bottom.
If you are at anchor, ice fishing or fishing from a dock, experiment with
a chart speed around 50 percent. If you are drifting slowly, try a chart
speed around 75 percent. When you are stationary and a fish swims
through the sonar signal cone, the image appears on the screen as a
long line instead of a fish arch. Reducing the chart speed may result in
a shorter line that more closely resembles a regular fish return.
At left, Sonar Page menu with Chart Speed command selected.
At right, Chart Speed Control Bar.
If you do experiment with chart speed, remember to reset it to maxi-
mum when you resume trolling or moving across the water at higher
speed. To change chart speed:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to CHART SPEED|ENT.
2. The Chart Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease chart
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speed; press ↑ to increase chart speed.
3. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
Contrast
See the entry in this section for Screen Contrast and Brightness.
Depth Cursor
The depth cursor consists of a horizontal line with a digital depth box on
the right side. The numbers inside the box show the depth of the cursor.
Cursor line
Depth box
At left, Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor command selected. At
right, sonar chart with the depth cursor active. The line indicates the
large fish is 34.64 feet deep.
The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting you pin-
point the depth of a target.
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to DEPTH CURSOR|ENT.
2. The depth cursor appears. Press ↓ to lower the cursor line; press ↑ to
raise the cursor line.
3. To clear the depth cursor, press EXIT.
Depth Range - Automatic
When turned on for the first time, the bottom signal is automatically
placed in the lower half of the screen. This is called Auto Ranging and
is part of the automatic function. However, depending upon the bottom
depth and the current range, you can change the range to a different
depth. To do this:
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1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
At left, Sonar Page menu with Depth Range command selected. At
right, the Depth Range Control Scale.
2. The Depth Range Control Scale appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to select a dif-
ferent depth range. a black bar highlights the selected range. Range
numbers in gray cannot be selected.
3. When the new range is selected, press EXIT to clear the menu.
Depth Range - Manual
You have complete control over the range when the unit is in the man-
ual mode. There are 16 depth ranges, from 5 feet to 4,000 feet.
To switch to Manual Depth Range:
1. First, turn off automatic depth range. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to DEPTH RANGE|ENT and the Depth Range Control Scale appears.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a different depth range. a horizontal black bar
highlights the selected range.
4. When the new range is selected, press EXIT to clear the menu.
To turn Auto Depth Range on again:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
The sonar's depth capability depends on the transducer installa-
tion, water and bottom conditions, and other factors.
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Virtually any segment of the water column can be displayed by using
the upper and lower limit feature. This lets you pick the shallow and
deep depth range limits that are shown on the screen, provided there is
at least 10 feet between the upper and lower limit you select. For ex-
ample, a range from 12 feet to 34 feet could be used.
Changing the upper and lower limits gives you far greater control over
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the depth range. This feature lets you "zoom in" the display in almost
unlimited combinations. Nearly any segment of the water column, from
the surface to the bottom can be shown. This enlarges the sonar targets
to best suit your fishing needs and water conditions.
At left, Sonar Page Menu with Upper and Lower Limits command se-
lected. At right, Sonar Chart Limits menu, with Upper Limit selected.
To change the upper and lower limits:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS|ENT.
The Sonar Chart Limits menu appears, with Upper Limit selected.
2. To set the upper limit, press ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first
number, then press → to move the cursor to the next number and re-
peat until the depth is correct, then press EXIT.
3. To set the lower limit, press ↓ to LOWER LIMIT|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to
change the first number, then press → to move the cursor to the next
number and repeat until the depth is correct, then press
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Fish arches
Area "zoomed"
Normal display, in auto depth range mode, left. At right, display
"zoomed" with Upper and Lower Limits focusing on the portion of the
water column from 20 feet to 40 feet deep. In the "zoomed" image, note
the target definition at lower left, showing a fish holding just above the
structure. At top right, two game fish are attacking a school of bait fish.
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To turn off upper and lower limits:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
FasTrack
This feature automatically converts all echoes to short horizontal lines
on the display's far right side. The graph on the rest of the screen con-
tinues to operate normally. FasTrack gives you a rapid update of condi-
tions directly under the boat. This makes it useful for ice fishing, or
when you're fishing at anchor. When the boat is not moving, fish sig-
nals are long, drawn out lines on a normal chart display. FasTrack con-
verts the graph to a vertical bar graph that, with practice, makes a use-
ful addition to fishing at a stationary location.
Surface clutter
Fish arches
Structure
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
Grayline
Bottom signal
FasTrack
bar graph
Sonar Page showing FasTrack.
Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths)
The Fish I.D. feature identifies targets that meet certain conditions as
fish. The microcomputer analyses all echoes and eliminates surface
clutter, thermoclines, and other signals that are undesirable. In most
instances, remaining targets are fish. The Fish I.D. feature displays
fish symbols on the screen in place of the actual fish echoes.
There are several fish symbol sizes. These are used to designate the
relative size between targets. In other words, Fish I.D. displays a small
fish symbol when it thinks a target is a small fish, a medium fish sym-
bol on a larger target and so on.
The sonar's microcomputer is sophisticated, but it can be fooled. It can't
distinguish between fish and other suspended objects such as trotlines,
turtles, submerged floats, air bubbles, etc. Individual tree limbs ex-
tending outwards from a group of limbs is the hardest object for the
Fish I.D. feature to distinguish from fish.
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You may see fish symbols on the screen when actually, there are no
fish. The reverse is also true. The illustrations on the next page show
how Fish I.D. can actually miss fish that are present.
Does that mean Fish I.D. is broken? No — the feature is simply inter-
preting sonar returns in a specific way to help take some of the work
out of reading the screen. Remember: Fish I.D. is one of the many tools
we provide so you can analyze your sonar returns for maximum fish
finding information. This and other features can help you successfully
"see" beneath the boat under varied water and fishing conditions. So,
practice with the unit in both the Fish I.D. mode and without to become
more familiar with the feature. The default for Fish I.D. is off.
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Symbols selected (at left, dual-
frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu). When the check box
to the left is checked, the feature is on.
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Fig. 1 A
Fig. 1 B
Many fish
Fewer fish
arches visible
symbols visible
Fig. 2 A
Fig. 2 B
Fish arches
above structure
No fish shown
FasTrack graph
confirms fish
At left, figures 1A and 2A show Sonar Page in normal chart mode. At
right, figures 1B and 2B show the same underwater scene with Fish I.D.
turned on. Note how arches are replaced with symbols.
To turn the Fish I.D. feature on:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press → to FISH SYMBOLS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off Fish I.D., repeat the instructions in step 2.
FishTrack
The FishTrack feature shows the depth of a fish symbol when it ap-
pears on the display. This lets you accurately gauge the depth of tar-
gets. This feature is available only when the Fish I.D. feature is on. The
default setting for FishTrack is off.
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To turn on FishTrack:
(Note: These instructions will turn on FishTrack and Fish I.D. at the
same time.)
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press →|then press ↓ to FISH DEPTHS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off FishTrack, repeat the instructions in step 2. Turning off
FishTrack in this manner will not turn off Fish I.D. symbols.
Symbols with
FishTrack depths
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Depths selected (at left, dual-
frequency menu; center, single-frequency menu). When the check box to
the left is checked, the feature is on. At right, Sonar Page showing Fish
I.D. symbols and FishTrack depths turned on.
FishReveal
When displaying actual sonar returns, the FishReveal feature uses 10
levels of gray tones to show fish targets hidden by surface clutter,
thermoclines, weed beds and other cover.
The normal mode of operation (with FishReveal turned off) shows the
weakest echoes as black and the strongest echoes in light gray. Since
all weak echoes are black, fish arches show boldly against the white
background. The drawback is that all weak echoes – such as thermo-
clines – are also emphasized. This can make it hard to distinguish fish
signals inside thermoclines or other cover.
In FishReveal mode, the weakest echoes are white and the strongest
echoes are black. Echoes in between vary in gray in proportion to their
signal strength. The Grayline control determines the range for black to
white. Also note that when using FishReveal, we recommend that you
turn off Auto Sensitivity and turn up Sensitivity to near maximum.
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Sonar Chart Mode command with FishReveal selected
(at left, dual-frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu).
To turn FishReveal on:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press →|then press ↓ to SONAR CHART MODE|ENT|↓ to FISHREVEAL|ENT.
3. Press EXIT|↑ to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT|↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT.
4. Press ↑ until the Sensitivity Control Bar reads 100% (or close to it),
then press EXIT. (If you reach the maximum limit, a tone sounds.)
Fish
not
visible
Visible
fish
Fish
arch
Fish
arches
Sonar chart in regular grayscale mode, left, and in FishReveal mode,
right. Notice how shallow fish formerly hidden in the surface clutter
become visible in FishReveal mode.
NOTE:
Water conditions vary greatly, and that affects sonar performance.
Under certain conditions, FishReveal will show you more fish than
normal grayscale mode, but the reverse will be true in other circum-
stances. We suggest you become familiar with both modes so you can
best match your sonar's performance to the current water conditions.
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Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency)
(X126DF and X136DF only)
The "DF" in your unit's name refers to its dual-frequency transducer,
which operates with both 200 kHz and 50 kHz. The 200 kHz frequency
has a 12° cone angle and the 50 kHz frequency has a 35° cone angle.
The default frequency is 200 kHz, which is best for use in shallow water
(about 300 feet or less). This frequency is the best choice for about 80
percent of the fresh and salt water sport fishing applications. When you
get into very deep salt water, 300 to 500 feet or deeper, the 50 kHz fre-
quency is the best choice.
The 200 kHz transducer will give you better detail and definition, but
less depth penetration. The 50 kHz transducer will give you greater
depth penetration, but a little less detail and less definition. (Remember,
all sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water.)
There is a common exception to these rules of thumb. Some fishermen
on freshwater lakes (or the ocean) using downriggers like to see them
on the sonar. In many of those cases, you'll see a 50 kHz transducer
frequency in use because the wider cone angle lets them watch the bait.
Sonar Features menu with a frequency of 200 kHz selected.
To change the frequency setting to 50 kHz:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press →|then press ↓ to 50 KHZ|ENT.
3. Press EXIT|EXIT to clear the menu.
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To change the frequency setting to 200 kHz:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press →|then press ↓ to 200 KHZ|ENT.
3. Press EXIT|EXIT to clear the menu.
Grayline
Grayline lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes. It
"paints" gray on targets that are stronger than a preset value. This al-
lows you to tell the difference between a hard and soft bottom. For ex-
ample, a soft, muddy or weedy bottom returns a weaker signal which is
shown with a narrow or no gray line. a hard bottom returns a strong
signal which causes a wide gray line.
If you have two signals of equal size, one with gray and the other with-
out, then the target with gray is the stronger signal. This helps distin-
guish weeds from trees on the bottom, or fish from structure.
Grayline is adjustable. Experiment with your unit to find the Grayline
setting that's best for you.
At left, Sonar Page menu with Grayline command selected.
At right, the Grayline control bar.
To adjust the Grayline level:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to GRAYLINE|ENT.
2. The Grayline Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease Grayline;
press ↑ to increase Grayline.
3. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
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Fig. 1A
Fig. 1B
Hard
structure
Fish near
structure
Grayline
Fig. 2A
Fig. 2B
Hard
bottom
Muddy
bottom
Grayline
Fig. 3A
Fig. 3B
Hard
bottom
Muddy
bottom
Grayline
This series of figures shows how different Grayline settings can reveal
more information. The "A" figures to the left show locations with Gray-
line set at the factory level of 64 percent. At right, the "B" figures show
the same locations with Grayline increased to 84 percent. In Figure 1B,
no fish are near the left structure, but the right structure shows fish
holding next to the structure. Notice in figures 2B and 3B how Gray-
line displays a hard, rocky bottom (the drop-offs) with a wider gray
line. The muddier bottom below those drop-offs appears as a narrower
gray line.
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HyperScroll
See the entry on Ping Speed, which controls the HyperScroll feature.
Noise Rejection
See the entry on Advanced Signal Processing in this section.
Overlay Data
To change the digital data shown on top of the sonar page:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|ENT.
Overlay Data command on the Sonar Menu, at left. Overlay Data
Shown selection menu, right. In this example, we scrolled down the
data list to highlight "Water Speed."
When selected, the data type shifts to the top of the data list and a
check mark appears beside the data type. (If you wish, you may now
use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types for display.)
Data list showing "Water Speed" selected to display on Sonar Page.
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
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To turn off displayed data:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|ENT. The selected data type disap-
pears from the top of the list and reverts to its previous, unchecked po-
sition. (If you wish, you may now use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types
to turn off.)
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
To change displayed data font size:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|press → or ← to Data Size|EXIT.
The selected data type will be displayed in the new size. (To change the
font size for another Data Type, press ENT and repeat these steps, be-
ginning with step two above.)
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT.
Tip:
If you wish, you can change the displayed data font size when you
select a data type:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|press → or ← to select Data
Size|ENT.
The data will be shown in the new font size. To return to the previ-
ous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
Sonar chart with Overlay Data turned on. This example shows
Depth, Water Temperature and the Water Speed of the boat.
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Ping Speed & HyperScroll
Ping Speed controls the rate at which the transmitter and transducer
broadcast sonar sound waves — pings — into the water. The unit has a
default ping speed of 50 percent. At normal boating speeds, this auto-
matically provides enough return echoes to refresh the screen and scroll
the chart at maximum chart speed.
However, when you are running at high speeds, or just want the fastest
possible screen update, you may want to use the HyperScroll feature.
When you change the Ping Speed to any setting greater than 50 per-
cent, the unit automatically enters HyperScroll mode.
These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high-detail picture on
the screen, and the screen refresh rate and chart scroll speed can keep
pace with the boat as it moves quickly over the bottom terrain.
When using HyperScroll, you may also need to manually decrease the
sensitivity for optimum performance. Depending on water depth and
other conditions, HyperScroll may cause a second bottom echo to return
to the transducer during the next ping cycle, or sounding. This can result
in a large amount of clutter appearing on the screen. If this occurs, just
decrease the sensitivity to a level that eliminates the clutter. When you
turn HyperScroll off, you can return to your original sensitivity level.
At left, Sonar Menu with Ping Speed command selected.
Ping Speed Control Bar, right, at default setting.
To change Ping Speed:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↑ to increase ping speed;
press↓ to decrease ping speed. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
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To adjust Sensitivity:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
To turn off HyperScroll:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press↓ to decrease ping speed
to 50 percent. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
When you boost ping speed and switch into HyperScroll, the width of
the FasTrack bar graph display doubles in width at the right side of the
screen. The allows you to better see the virtually instantaneous sonar
returns, just as you would on a flasher sonar unit. For more informa-
tion on FasTrack, see it's entry in this section.
Pop-up Help
Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. By
highlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds, a
"pop-up" message appears that describes the function of the menu item.
This feature is on by default.
To set up Popup Help: Press MENU|MENU|↓ to POPUP HELP. With the
option highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn
off.) After the option is set, press EXIT to return to the page display.
Main Menu, left, with Pop-up Help command highlighted. At right, this
example shows the Pop-up Help message for the Calibrate Water Speed
command, located on the Main Menu.
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Reset Options
This command is used to reset all features, options and settings to their
original factory defaults. This is useful when you have changed several
settings and want to return the unit to basic automatic operation.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT.
2. Press ← to YES|ENT.
3. All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory
settings.
At left, Main Menu with Reset Options command selected. At right, the
Reset Options dialog box, with "Yes" selected.
Reset Water Distance
The sonar chart's Digital Data display option includes a window that
shows distance traveled, called Water Distance ("W Distance"). This
information is calculated from an optional water speed sensor. The Wa-
ter Distance window can be reset to zero using the Reset Water Dis-
tance command.
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to RESET WATER DISTANCE|ENT. The menus are
cleared and the water distance is reset to 0.00.
Screen Contrast and Brightness
To access the Screen menu, press MENU|MENU|ENT.
Once in the Screen menu:
To adjust the display's contrast:
The CONTRAST slider bar is already selected. Press → or ← to move the
bar. The left end of the scale is minimum contrast; the right end is
maximum contrast.
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Screen Command, left, and Screen Menu with Contrast bar selected, right.
To adjust the display's brightness:
Press ↓ to BRIGHTNESS. Press → or ← to move the bar. The left end of the
scale is minimum contrast; the right end is maximum contrast.
To adjust the screen's display mode:
Press ↓ to DISPLAY MODE|ENT|press ↑ or ↓ to select mode|EXIT.
Display Mode menu.
Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity
The sensitivity controls the ability of the unit to pick up echoes. Sensi-
tivity can be adjusted, because water conditions vary greatly. a low
sensitivity level (from zero to 50 percent) excludes much of the bottom
information, fish signals, and other target information.
High sensitivity levels let you see this detail, but it can also clutter the
screen with many undesired signals. Typically, the best sensitivity level
shows a good solid bottom signal with Grayline and some surface clutter.
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Automatic Sensitivity
The default sensitivity mode is automatic. The unit bases the sensitiv-
ity level on water depth and conditions. When the unit is in the auto-
matic mode, sensitivity is automatically adjusted to keep a solid bottom
signal displayed, plus a little more power. This gives it the capability to
show fish and other detail.
However, situations occur when it becomes necessary to increase or de-
crease the sensitivity. This typically happens when you wish to see
more detail, so an increase in sensitivity is indicated. Or, wave action
and boat wakes can create enough tiny air bubbles to clutter much of
the water column. In that case, a decrease in sensitivity is indicated to
reduce some of the clutter.
The control bar used to adjust sensitivity up or down is the same
whether the unit is in the automatic or manual mode. In automatic you
can adjust sensitivity up to 100 percent but the unit will limit your
minimum setting. In auto, the unit will continue to make small ad-
justments, allowing for the setting you selected.
In manual mode, you have complete control over sensitivity, with the
ability to set it anywhere from zero to 100 percent. Once you select a
level in manual, the unit will continue to use that exact sensitivity set-
ting until you change it or revert to auto mode.
To adjust sensitivity in auto mode:
1. Press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected. At right, the
Sensitivity Control Bar.
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To adjust sensitivity in manual mode:
1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓
to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears.
Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the
desired level, press EXIT.
To turn Auto Sensitivity back on:
From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
To return to the original factory setting for Auto Sensitivity, see the
entry in this section on Reset Options. If sensitivity is in manual
mode, the Reset Options command will switch back to Auto and re-
set the factory setting at the same time.
Tip:
For quicker sensitivity adjustments, try leaving the Sensitivity
Control Bar on the screen as the chart scrolls. You can see the
changes on the screen as you press the up or down arrows. This is
handy when there's a lot of clutter in the water, and you are
matching the sensitivity to rapidly changing water conditions.
Set Keel Offset
This unit measures water depth from the face of the transducer. Since
the transducer is installed below the water surface, the distance dis-
played by the digital depth, chart depth scale, chart cursor or fish sym-
bols is not the exact water depth. If the transducer is 1 foot below the
surface, and the screen shows the water depth as 30 feet, then the ac-
tual depth is 31 feet.
On sailboats or other large vessels with deep drafts, the distance be-
tween the transducer installation and the keel or lower engine unit can
be several feet. In those cases, an inexact depth reading could result in
grounding or striking underwater structure. The Keel Offset feature
eliminates the need for the navigator to mentally calculate how much
water is under his keel.
Keel Offset lets you calibrate the digital depth: chart depth scale, chart
cursor depth and fish symbol depth displayed on the screen. To calibrate
the depth indicators, first measure the distance from the face of the trans-
ducer to the lowest part of the boat. In this example, we will use 3.5 feet.
We enter this as a negative 3.5 feet, which makes the depth indicators per-
form as if the transducer's lower in the water than it really is.
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1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.
2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears. Press ↓ to change the plus (+)
sign to a minus (–) sign.
3. Press → to the first number, then press ↑ to change the number to 3
4. Press → to the second number, then press ↑ to change the number to
5, then press EXIT. The depth indicators now accurately show the depth
of water beneath the keel.
NOTE:
If knowing the exact depth of water beneath the keel is less impor-
tant, you can calibrate the depth indicators so that they show the ac-
tual water depth from surface to bottom. To do this, first measure the
distance from the face of the transducer up to the surface (the water
line on the boat). In this example, we will use 1.5 feet. This will be en-
tered as a positive 1.5 feet, which makes the depth indicators perform
as if the transducer's higher in the water than it really is.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.
2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears with a plus (+) sign at the
front of the box.
3. Press → to the first number, then press ↑ to change the number
to 1.
4. Press → to the second number, them press ↑ to change the num-
ber to 5, then press EXIT. The depth indicators now accurately show
the water depth from surface to bottom.
Set Language
This unit's menus are available in 10 languages: English, French, Ger-
man, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Dutch and Finnish.
To select a different language:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SET LANGUAGE|ENT.
2. Use ↓ or ↑ to select a different language and press ENT. All menus
now appear in the language you selected.
Software Version Information
From time to time, Lowrance updates the operating system software in
some of its products. These software upgrades are usually offered to
These upgrades make the unit perform better or introduce a new fea-
ture or function. You can find out what software version is running in
your sonar unit by using the Software Information command.
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At left, Main Menu with Software Information command selected. At
right, the Software Information screen.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SOFTWARE INFO|ENT.
2. Read the information displayed on the screen.
3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT|EXIT.
Sonar Chart Mode
The default color scheme for the sonar chart is grayscale, but we offer
other variations to suit your viewing preferences. You can select the
chart to be displayed in reverse grayscale, bottom black or FishReveal
mode. (For more information on FishReveal, see the entry on that topic
elsewhere in this section.)
To change the chart mode color scheme:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to SONAR CHART MODE|ENT.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to Mode Name|ENT.
4. Press EXIT|EXIT to return to the Sonar Page.
Sonar Chart Display Options
The Pages Menu offers five chart display options for dual-frequency
models and four options for single-frequency models. To access them,
press PAGES|↓ to Option Name|EXIT.
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Pages Menu showing sonar chart display options
(at left, dual-frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu).
Full Sonar Chart
This is the default mode used when the unit is turned on for the first
time or when it's reset to the factory defaults.
The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left. Depth
scales on the right side of the screen aid in determining the depth of
targets. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The
bottom depth and surface temperature (if equipped with a temperature
sensor or a transducer with a temp sensor built in) show at the top left
corner of the screen.
The FasTrack™ display shows just to the right of the scale. This
changes all echoes into short horizontal bars, replicating a flasher so-
nar. The zoom bar on the far right shows the area that's zoomed when
the zoom is in use. (See the Zoom section for more information.)
Full Sonar Chart. The Overlay Data (depth and water temperature)
are both set to the small text size.
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Split Zoom Sonar Chart
a split chart shows the underwater world from the surface to the bot-
tom on the right side of the screen. The left side shows an enlarged ver-
sion of the right side. The zoom range shows at the bottom left corner of
the screen.
Split Zoom Sonar Chart. Image at left shows the left window zoomed to
2X. The right image shows the left window zoomed to 4X. The depth
overlay data is set to the default large text size; the water temperature
is set to the small text size.
Split Frequency Sonar Chart
(X126DF and X136DF only)
This page shows sonar data from the 50 kHz transducer element on the
left side of the screen and data from the 200 kHz transducer on the
right side. All other functions and features are the same as the Full
Chart page.
Split Frequency Sonar Chart page, with
50 kHz view at left and 200 kHz view at right.
You can adjust the sensitivity in each window.
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To adjust sensitivity in auto mode:
1. Press MENU|ENT.
2. The unit asks which you wish to adjust. Press ← or→ to select the
one you want | ENT.
3. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
The Split Frequency Sonar Chart page allows you to adjust
sensitivity separately for each window.
Digital Data/Chart
This mode shows the chart on the right side of the screen. The left side has
six large digital boxes or windows containing: Water Depth; Water Speed
(from an optional speed sensor); Water Distance (distance traveled or log, it
also requires a speed sensor); Surface Water Temperature; Temperature #2
and Voltage used. (Note: Temperature #2 requires an additional optional
temperature sensor.)
Digital Data/Chart
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Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen
The Digital Data/Chart screen can be customized to show digital data
different from the defaults first shown. To customize this screen:
1. From the Sonar Page (in Digital Data mode), press MENU|↓ to
CUSTOMIZE|ENT.
At left, the Customize command selected from the Sonar Page menu.
At right, the selected W Speed box flashes black.
2. The W Speed window title bar flashes, indicating the window con-
tents can be changed. Press ENT|↑ or ↓ to select data type|ENT|EXIT.
Options List for customizing Digital Data windows. At left, the list first
appears with Water Speed selected. At right, Temperature 3 has been
picked to replace Water Speed in the top digital data window.
Tip:
You can customize other digital data windows before returning to the
Sonar Page. After changing the first window by selecting the Data
Type and pressing Enter, use the ↓ key to select another window to
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change. When the selected window title bar flashes, press ENT|↑ or ↓
to select data type|ENT. Repeat these steps until you're finished cus-
tomizing, then press EXIT to return to the Sonar Page.
FlashGraf
The FlashGraf sonar page option represents a flasher style sonar com-
bined with a scrolling chart. A circular dial shows all returning echoes
at a high screen refresh rate.
It uses the Grayline feature to show weaker targets as shades of gray.
The bottom depth is also shown as a black bar across the outer circle.
There is also a narrow chart display on the left of the screen.
Surface clutter
Fish signal,
approximately
16 feet
Bottom signal
FlashGraf page.
Sonar Simulator
This unit has a built-in simulator that lets you run it as if you were on
the water. All sonar features and functions are useable. When in
simulator mode, you will see [Simulator Mode] in the Sonar Page title
bar. To use the simulator:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR SIMULATOR|ENT.
2. Turn off Sonar Simulator by pressing MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR
SIMULATOR|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
If you turn on your unit before attaching a transducer, it may enter
a demo mode. The words "demo mode" flash on the bottom of the
screen and a sonar chart plays much like the simulator. Unlike the
simulator, the demo mode is for demonstration only, and will auto-
matically stop as soon as you turn on the unit with a transducer at-
tached. The simulator will continue to function normally.
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Stop Chart
If you are running multiple units on a boat, there are times when you
may want to turn off the sonar. This command turns off the sonar and
stops the chart from scrolling. Sonar restarts automatically each time
you turn on your unit.
Press MENU|↓ to STOP CHART|ENT|EXIT.
To turn on sonar and start the chart scrolling again, repeat the above step.
Sonar Menu with Stop Chart command selected. The box is unchecked,
indicating that the chart is scrolling across the screen.
Surface Clarity
The markings extending downward from the zero line on the chart are
called "surface clutter." These markings are caused by wave action,
boat wakes, temperature inversion and more.
The surface clarity control reduces or eliminates surface clutter signals
from the display. It does this by changing the sensitivity of the receiver,
decreasing it near the surface and gradually increasing it as the depth
increases.
There are three levels of surface clarity available: low, medium, or high.
It can also be turned off. The default level is off.
To adjust the Surface Clarity level:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
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Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected (at left, dual-
frequency menu; at right, single-frequency menu).
2. Press ↓ to SURFACE CLARITY|ENT.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select clarity level|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Surface clutter
In the illustration at left, Surface Clarity is turned off.
The right view shows Surface Clarity set at High.
Transducer Type
(X126DF and X136DF only)
The dual-frequency units include the TRANSDUCER TYPE command. With
this option you can tell your unit what type of transducer you're using,
so that it can properly interpret the signals it's receiving.
To change your transducer type, press MENU|MENU|↓ to TRANSDUCER
TYPE|ENT. Select the appropriate transducer type and press
ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
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At left, Main Menu showing Transducer Type command selected.
At right, the Transducer Type menu, showing your three options.
Units of Measure
This menu sets the speed and distance (statute or nautical miles, me-
ters), depth (feet, fathoms, or meters) and temperature (degrees Fahr-
enheit or Celsius). To change the units:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to UNITS OF MEASURE|ENT.
Main Menu, left, Units of Measure Menu, right.
To set Speed/Distance Unit of Measure: Press ↑ or ↓ to change the
Speed/Distance, then press ENT. After the option is set, press
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
Upper and Lower Limits
See the entry in this section for Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Zoom & Zoom Bar
"Zooming" the display is a common, fast and easy method used to en-
large small detail, fish signals and the bottom with its associated struc-
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ture. This unit lets you zoom the display quickly and easily by pressing
the Zoom In key, ZIN.
Pressing ZIN once doubles the size (2X) of all echoes on the screen.
Pressing it again quadruples the size of the echoes (4X). The zoom bar
on the far right side of the screen shows which echoes will be displayed
on the screen when the ZIN key is pressed.
For example, pressing the ZIN key once will enable a 2X zoom which
will show all echoes that are between the top and bottom of the 2X
zoom bar. Pressing the key again will give a 4X zoom and only the ech-
oes between the top and bottom of the 4X bar will show on the screen.
Press the Zoom Out key, ZOUT, to return the display to the normal mode.
At left, Sonar Page, normal view. Center, same view zoomed to 2X.
Right, same view zoomed to 4X
Zoom Pan
Your unit has the handy ability to quickly zoom in on any portion of the
water column with just the touch of an arrow key. The Zoom Pan feature
lets you rapidly move the zoomed area up and down to different depths.
By "pointing" your zoom at different portions of the chart as it scrolls,
you can get a good, close-up look at structure or cover below you.
To use Zoom Pan, switch to a manual depth Range setting (see page 49)
and turn on 2X or 4X Zoom. Then, simply press ↑ or ↓ to pan up and
down the water column.
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Notes
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Section 5:
Sonar Troubleshooting
If your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use the
following troubleshooting section before contacting the factory customer
service department. It may save you the trouble of returning your unit
for repair. For contact information, refer to the last page, just inside the
back cover of this manual.
Unit won't turn on:
1. Check the power cable's connection at the unit. Also check the wiring.
2. Make sure the power cable is wired properly. The red wire connects
to the positive battery terminal, black to negative or ground.
3. Check the fuse.
4. Measure the battery voltage at the unit's power connector. It should
be at least 10 volts. If it isn't, the wiring to the unit is defective, the
battery terminals or wiring on the terminals are corroded, or the bat-
tery needs charging.
Unit freezes, locks up, or operates erratically:
1. Electrical noise from the boat's motor, trolling motor, or an accessory
may be interfering with the sonar unit. Rerouting the power and trans-
ducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat may help.
Route the sonar unit's power cable directly to the battery instead of
through a fuse block or ignition switch
2. Inspect the transducer cable for breaks, cuts, or pinched wires.
3. Check the transducer and power connector. Make sure it's securely
plugged in to the unit.
Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals:
1. Make sure the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean the face of
the transducer. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on the trans-
ducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mounted inside the
hull, be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fiberglass and that it
is securely bonded to the hull. When attaching a transducer to the inside
of a hull, ONLY use the epoxy available from LEI (order information is
inside the back cover). Do NOT use RTV silicone rubber adhesive or any
other type of epoxy. The LEI epoxy is specially formulated so that it will
cure properly for shoot-through applications.
2. Electrical noise from the boat's motor can interfere with the sonar.
This causes the sonar to automatically increase its discrimination or
noise rejection feature. This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker
signals such as fish or even structure from the display.
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3. The water may be deeper than the sonar's ability to find the bottom.
If the sonar can't find the bottom signal while it's in the automatic
mode, the digital sonar display will flash continuously. It may change
the range to limits far greater than the water you are in. If this hap-
pens, place the unit in the manual mode, then change the range to a
realistic one, (for example, 0-100 feet) and increase the sensitivity. As
you move into shallower water, a bottom signal should appear.
4. Check the battery voltage. If the voltage drops, the unit's transmitter
power also drops, reducing its ability to find the bottom or targets.
Bottom echo disappears at high speeds or erratic digital read-
ing or weak bottom echo while boat is moving:
1. The transducer may be in turbulent water. It must be mounted in a
smooth flow of water in order for the sonar to work at all boat speeds. Air
bubbles in the water disrupt the sonar signals, interfering with its ability
to find the bottom or other targets. The technical term for this is cavitation.
2. Electrical noise from the boat's motor can interfere with the sonar.
This causes the sonar to automatically increase its discrimination or
noise rejection feature. This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker
signals such as fish or even structure from the display. Try using resis-
tor spark plugs or routing the sonar unit's power and transducer cables
away from other electrical wiring on the boat.
No fish arches when the Fish I.D. feature is off:
1. Make sure the transducer is pointing straight down. This is the most
common problem if a partial arch is displayed.
2. The sensitivity may not be high enough. In order for the unit to dis-
play a fish arch, it has to be able to receive the fish's echo from the time
it enters the cone until it leaves. If the sensitivity is not high enough,
the unit shows the fish only when it is in the center of the cone.
3. Use the Zoom feature. It is much easier to display fish arches when
zoomed in on a small range of water than a large one. For example, you
will have much better luck seeing fish arches with a 30 to 60 foot range
than a 0 to 60 foot range. This enlarges the targets, allowing the dis-
play to show much more detail.
4. The boat must be moving at a slow trolling speed to see fish arches.
If the boat is motionless, fish stay in the cone, showing on the screen as
straight horizontal lines.
NOISE
A major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise. This usually ap-
pears on the sonar's display as random patterns of dots or lines. In se-
vere cases, it can completely cover the screen with black dots, or cause
the unit to operate erratically, or not at all.
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To eliminate or minimize the effects of electrical noise, first try to de-
termine the cause. With the boat at rest in the water, the first thing
you should do is turn all electrical equipment on the boat off. Make sure
the engine is also off. Turn your sonar on, then turn off Noise Reject
[also known as the ASP feature (Advanced Signal Processing)]. Sensi-
tivity should be set at 90-95 percent. There should be a steady bottom
signal on the display. Now turn on each piece of electrical equipment on
the boat and view the effect on the sonar's display. For example, turn
on the bilge pump and view the sonar display for noise. If no noise is
present, turn the pump off, then turn on the VHF radio and transmit.
Keep doing this until all electrical equipment has been turned on, their
effect on the sonar display noted, then turned off.
If you find noise interference from an electrical instrument, trolling mo-
tor, pump, or radio, try to isolate the problem. You can usually reroute
the sonar unit's power cable and transducer cable away from the wiring
that is causing the interference. VHF radio antenna cables radiate
noise when transmitting, so be sure to keep the sonar's wires away
from it. You may need to route the sonar unit's power cable directly to
the battery to isolate it from other wiring on the boat.
If no noise displays on the sonar unit from electrical equipment, then
make sure everything except the sonar unit is turned off, then start the
engine. Increase the RPM with the gearshift in neutral. If noise ap-
pears on the display, the problem could be one of three things; spark
plugs, alternator, or tachometer wiring. Try using resistor spark plugs,
alternator filters, or routing the sonar unit's power cable away from
engine wiring. Again, routing the power cable directly to the battery
helps eliminate noise problems. Make sure to use the in-line fuse sup-
plied with the unit when wiring the power cable to the battery.
When no noise appears on the sonar unit after all of the above tests,
then the noise source is probably cavitation. Many novices or persons
with limited experience make hasty sonar installations which function
perfectly in shallow water, or when the boat is at rest. In nearly all
cases, the cause of the malfunction will be the location and/or angle of
the transducer. The face of the transducer must be placed in a location
that has a smooth flow of water at all boat speeds. Read your trans-
ducer owner's manual or the Installation instructions (Sec. 2) in this
manual for the best mounting position.
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Notes
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Index
FishReveal, 54
FishTrack, 53
A
Frequency, 2, 31, 35, 56
Change Frequency, 56
Accessories, 1, 25, 26
Sec. 2, Installation & Accessories, 7
Alarms, 33, 44, 45, 46
Depth Alarms, 44
Fish Alarm, 44, 46
Zone Alarm, 44, 45, 46
Antenna, 81
G
Grayline, 34, 57
H
ASP (Advanced Signal Processing),
18, 43
HyperScroll, 59, 61
B
I
Backlights / Lighting, 2, 31
Batteries, 7, 23, 24, 28, 29, 79, 80, 81
Brightness, 33, 46, 48, 63, 64
Icons, 4
Installation, 7, 19, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 81
Sec. 2, Installation & Accessories, 7
Introduction
Sec. 1, Introduction, 1
Specifications, 2
Typographical Conventions, 4
C
Calibrate Speed, 46
Chart Speed, 35, 47
Contrast, 2, 33, 46, 48, 63, 64
Cursor, 4, 35, 38, 48
K
Keel Offset, 33, 66, 67
Keypad Description, 4, 31
D
Depth Cursor, 4, 35, 38, 48
Depth Range, 3, 18, 34, 35, 45, 48, 49,
50, 51, 54, 70, 77, 80
Automatic, 48
L
Languages, 2, 34, 67
Manual, 49
Upper and Lower Limits, 35, 49, 50,
76
Display Options, 31, 35, 36, 37, 68, 69,
70, 71, 72, 73
M
Main Menu, 31, 32, 33, 44, 62, 63, 68,
76
N
F
Noise Rejection, 43, 59
FasTrack, 51
Fish Depths, 53
O
Fish I.D., 33, 35, 41, 44, 46, 51
Fish Symbols, 5, 33, 35, 41, 44, 46, 51,
53
Overlay Data, 35, 59, 60, 69
Interpreting, 41
83
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Sonar Menu, 31, 32, 34, 40, 43, 59, 61,
65, 74
P
Sonar Operation
Pages, 32, 35, 68, 69
Quick Reference, 38
Ping Speed, 35, 59, 61, 62
Speed Sensors, 3, 20, 22, 33, 46, 63, 71
Stop Chart, 35, 74
Surface Clarity, 74, 75
HyperScroll, 59, 61
Pop-up Help, 62
Power, 1, 2, 7, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
31, 32, 38, 65, 79, 80, 81
Product Specifications, 2
T
Temperature Sensors, 20, 69
Transducer, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27,
28, 34, 38, 43, 49, 56, 61, 66, 67, 69,
70, 73, 75, 76, 79, 80, 81
R
Range, 3, 18, 34, 35, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51,
54, 70, 77, 80
Automatic, 48
Manual, 49
Mounting, 10
Transducer Type, 34, 75, 76
Upper and Lower Limits, 49, 76
Reset Options, 34, 41, 63, 66
Reset Water Distance, 34, 63
Route, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 79, 81
U
Units of Measure, 33, 76
Upper and Lower Limits, 35, 50, 76
Utilities, 31
S
Sensitivity, 34, 39, 40, 41, 54, 55, 62,
64, 65, 66, 71, 81
Simulator, 34, 73
Z
Software Version Information, 67
Sonar Chart Color Mode, 55, 68
FishReveal, 54
Sonar Chart Display Options, 31, 35, 36,
37, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73
Zooming, 3, 31, 32, 35, 38, 69, 70, 76,
77, 80
Zoom Bar, 76
Zoom Pan, 77
84
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Section 6: Supplemental Material
LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS
FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY
"We," "our," or "us" refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC., the manufacturer of
this product. "You" or "your" refers to the first person who purchases this product as a
consumer item for personal, family or household use.
We warrant this product against defects or malfunctions in materials and workmanship,
and against failure to conform to this product's written specifications, all for one (1) year
from the date of original purchase by you. WE MAKE NO OTHER EXPRESS WAR-
RANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER CONCERNING THIS
PRODUCT. Your remedies under this warranty will be available so long as you can show
in a reasonable manner that any defect or malfunction in materials or workmanship, or
any non-conformity with the product's written specifications, occurred within one year
from the date of your original purchase, which must be substantiated by a dated sales
receipt or sales slip. Any such defect, malfunction, or non-conformity which occurs within
one year from your original purchase date will either be repaired without charge or be
replaced with a new product identical or reasonably equivalent to this product, at our
option, within a reasonable time after our receipt of the product. If such defect, malfunc-
tion, or non-conformity remains after a reasonable number of attempts to repair by us,
you may elect to obtain without charge a replacement of the product or a refund for the
product. THIS REPAIR, OR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND (AS JUST DESCRIBED) IS
THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AVAILABLE TO YOU AGAINST US FOR ANY DEFECT,
MALFUNCTION, OR NON-CONFORMITY CONCERNING THE PRODUCT OR FOR
ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE WHATSOEVER.
WE WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY
SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGE OF
ANY KIND.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential dam-
ages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty does NOT apply in the following circumstances: (1) when the product has
been serviced or repaired by anyone other than us; (2) when the product has been con-
nected, installed, combined, altered, adjusted, or handled in a manner other than ac-
cording to the instructions furnished with the product; (3) when any serial number has
been effaced, altered, or removed; or (4) when any defect, problem, loss, or damage has
resulted from any accident, misuse, negligence, or carelessness, or from any failure to
provide reasonable and necessary maintenance in accordance with the instructions of the
owner's manual for the product.
We reserve the right to make changes or improvements in our products from time to time
without incurring the obligation to install such improvements or changes on equipment
or items previously manufactured.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which
may vary from state to state.
REMINDER: You must retain the sales slip or sales receipt proving the date of your
original purchase in case warranty service is ever required.
LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS
12000 E. SKELLY DRIVE, TULSA, OK 74128
(800) 324-1356
85
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How to Obtain Service…
…in the USA:
We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service
and genuine Lowrance parts. If you're in the United States and you
have technical, return or repair questions, please contact the Factory
Customer Service Department. Before any product can be returned, you
must call customer service to determine if a return is necessary. Many
times, customer service can resolve your problem over the phone with-
out sending your product to the factory. To call us, use the following
toll-free number:
800-324-1356
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time, M-F
Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our ship-
ping policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We reserve the
right to do so without notice.
…in Canada:
If you're in Canada and you have technical, return or repair questions,
please contact the Factory Customer Service Department. Before any
product can be returned, you must call customer service to determine if
a return is necessary. Many times, customer service can resolve your
problem over the phone without sending your product to the factory. To
call us, use the following toll-free number:
800-661-3983
905-629-1614 (not toll-free)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, M-F
…outside Canada and the USA:
If you have technical, return or repair questions, contact the dealer in
the country where you purchased your unit. To locate a dealer near
cator.
86
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Accessory Ordering Information
for all countries
To order Lowrance accessories such as power cables or transducers,
please contact:
1) Your local marine dealer or consumer electronics store. Most quality
dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumer
electronics should be able to assist you with these items.
To locate
a
Lowrance dealer near you, visit our web site,
your telephone directory for listings.
2) U.S. customers: LEI Extras Inc., PO Box 129, Catoosa, OK 74015-0129
3) Canadian customers can write:
Lowrance/Eagle Canada, 919 Matheson Blvd. E. Mississauga, Ontario
L4W2R7 or fax 905-629-3118.
Shipping Information
If it becomes necessary to send a product for repair or replacement, you
must first receive a return authorization number from Customer
Service. Products shipped without a return authorization will not be
accepted. When shipping, we recommend you do the following:
1. Please do not ship the knobs or mounting bracket with your unit.
2. If you are sending a check for repair, please place your check in an
envelope and tape it to the unit.
3. For proper testing, include a brief note with the product describing
the problem. Be sure to include your name, return shipping address
and a daytime telephone number. An e-mail address is optional but
useful.
4. Pack the unit in a suitable size box with packing material to prevent
any damage during shipping.
5. Write the Return Authorization (RA) number on the outside of the
box underneath your return address.
6. For your security, you may want to insure the package through your
shipping courier. Lowrance does not assume responsibility for goods
lost or damaged in transit.
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Visit our web site:
Lowrance Pub. 988-0151-171
Printed in USA 111903
© Copyright 2003
All Rights Reserved
Lowrance Electronics
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