Pub. 988-0143-832 www.eaglesonar.com FishEasy 245DS, FishEasy 245DS Portable & SeaFinder 245DS ® ® ® Fish-Finding & Depth-Sounding Sonars Installation and Operation Instructions Copyright © 2007 LEI-Eagle All rights reserved. Eagle® is a registered trademark of LEI FishEasy® 245DS is a registered trademark of LEI Eagle Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We reserve the right to do so without notice. All features and specifications subject to change without notice. All screens in this manual are simulated. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed for any purpose, without prior written consent of Eagle Electronics. Any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited. For free owner's manuals and the most current information on this product, its operation and accessories, visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Electronics P.O. Box 669 Catoosa, OK USA 74015 Printed in USA. Table of Contents Introduction.......................................................................................1 Specifications: FishEasy 245DS & SeaFinder 245DS .......................1 How Sonar Works.................................................................................3 Preparations .........................................................................................4 Installation ...........................................................................................5 Recommended Tools and supplies...................................................6 Selecting a Transducer Location .....................................................6 How low should you go? ...................................................................8 Shoot-Thru-Hull vs. Transom Mounting ........................................9 Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting ............................10 Trolling Motor Bracket Installation..............................................15 Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches.....................................16 Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation ........................................................18 Testing Determines Best Location ................................................19 Shoot-Thru-Hull Installation ........................................................21 Power Connections (permanent mount only) ...............................22 Mounting the Sonar Unit: In-Dash, Bracket or Portable ............24 Bracket Installation .......................................................................24 Portable Sonar Installation ...............................................................28 Installing the Batteries..................................................................29 Mounting the Unit .............................................................................30 Portable Transducer Assembly .....................................................31 Portable Transducer Storage.........................................................33 Operation..........................................................................................35 Keyboard Basics .................................................................................35 Memory ...............................................................................................36 Menus..................................................................................................36 Display ................................................................................................37 Full Chart ...........................................................................................38 Depth Range .......................................................................................38 Zoom ....................................................................................................39 Sensitivity ...........................................................................................41 i Grayline .............................................................................................43 Chart Speed ........................................................................................45 Frequency ...........................................................................................46 Fish I.D.TM ...........................................................................................47 FishTrackTM ........................................................................................49 Alarms.................................................................................................49 Fish Alarm ..........................................................................................49 Depth Alarms .....................................................................................50 Shallow Alarm ....................................................................................50 Deep Alarm.........................................................................................51 Battery Alarm.....................................................................................52 Noise Rejection and ASPTM ................................................................53 Depth Display.....................................................................................54 Temperature Display .........................................................................55 Voltage ................................................................................................56 Backlight.............................................................................................56 Contrast ..............................................................................................57 Simulator ............................................................................................57 Set Language ......................................................................................58 Software Information.........................................................................58 Reset Options......................................................................................58 Troubleshooting..............................................................................61 ® ii Introduction Thank you for buying an Eagle® sonar! Your unit is a high-quality sonar designed for both professional and novice fishermen. All Eagle sonars have an automatic mode that finds and displays the bottom, fish, underwater structure and more ­ right out of the box. All you have to do is press the on (PWR) key. To get started with your Eagle sonar, first read the installation section. It contains instructions for mounting the sonar unit, the transducer and any optional accessories, such as a speed sensor. Following recommended installation practices will pay off in optimum performance of your Eagle sonar. Improper installation can cause problems down the road, especially if the transducer is badly mounted. After you've read the installation instructions, install the unit and accessories. Then, read the rest of the manual. The more you know about your sonar, the better it will work for you. Capabilities and Specifications: FishEasy 245DS, FishEasy 245DS Portable & SeaFinder 245DS General Case size: .........................5.8" H x 4.3" W x 2.5" D (14.7 cm H x 10.8 cm W x 6.6 cm D) sealed, waterproof; suitable for saltwater use. Display: ............................High-contrast Film SuperTwist LCD. Diagonal viewing area: 4" (10.16 cm). Resolution: ......................240 pixels (vert.) x 160 pixels (horiz.) resolution; 38,400 total pixels Backlighting: ..................incandescent backlit screen Input power: ...................10 to 17 volts DC. Current drain: ................170 ma lights off; 240 ma lights on. 1 Back-up memory:...........Built-in memory stores sonar settings when unit is turned off. Sonar Frequency: ......................83/200 kHz. Transducers:...................A dual search Skimmer® transducer with built-in temperature sensor is packed with your unit. It has a wide fish detection area of up to 60º/120º with high sensitivity settings. Operates at boat speeds up to 70 mph (61 kts). Transmitter:....................1,500 watts peak-to-peak power (typical); 188 watts RMS power (typical). Sonar sounding depth capability:............1,000 feet (305 meters). Actual capability depends on transducer configuration and installation, bottom composition and water conditions. All sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water. Depth display: ................Continuous digital readout. Audible alarms: ..............Deep/shallow/fish. Automatic ranging: .......Yes, with instant screen updates. Auto bottom track: ........Yes. Zoom bottom track:.......Yes. Split-screen zoom: .........No. Surface water temp: .....Yes, built into transducer. Optional external temperature sensor or combo speed/temp sensor available. NOTICE! The storage temperature for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celsius). Extended 2 storage in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage the liquid 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 inside the manual's back cover. 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 underwater basics. Sonar is an abbreviation for SOund NAvigation and Ranging, a technology developed during World War II for tracking enemy submarines. A sonar consists of a transmitter, transducer, receiver and display. In simple terms, here's how it finds the bottom, or the fish: The transmitter emits an electrical impulse, which the transducer converts 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. Dual Search Transducer Your unit is packed with a Dual Search Skimmer Transducer that can transmit at 83 kHz and 200 kHz. 3 A new innovation, the 83 kHz frequency offers superior sonar performance at all depths from very shallow up to 1,000 ft and provides up to 120º of fishfinding coverage. Preparations The following shows the recommended sequence for installing the transducer: CAUTION: You should read over this entire installation section before drilling any holes in your vehicle or 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 desired configuration. 2. Determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable route. 4 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. Route the power cable from the unit's location to an appropriate power source and connect it there. 6. Connect the transducer/power cable to the unit and mount the sonar unit on the bracket. Installation These instructions will help you install your Skimmer® transducer on a transom, on a trolling motor or inside a hull. Please read all instructions before proceeding with any installation. Your Skimmer transducer typically comes packaged with a one-piece stainless steel bracket for mounting it to the transom of your boat. The trolling motor mount uses a onepiece 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 transducer does "kick-up," the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools. Depending on your sonar unit's connectors, your transducer cable may also have the sonar unit's power cable attached to it. If that is the case, be sure to install the transducer first, before connecting the power cable to a power source. See the instructions later in this manual for connecting the power cable to a battery or other power supply. Read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation. Determine which of the mounting positions is right for your boat. Use extreme care if mounting the transducer inside the h ...