Pub. 988-0143-711 www.eaglesonar.com FishMark 480 and SeaFinder 480DF Fish-finding & Depth Sounding Sonars Installation and Operation Instructions Copyright © 2003 - Eagle Electronics All rights reserved. Eagle® is a registered trademark of Eagle Electronics Marine-Tex is a trademark of Illinois Tool Works Inc. 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. On the cover: SeaFinder 480DF shown. Other models covered in the manual are similar. For free owner's manuals and other information, visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Electronics P.O. Box 669 Catoosa, OK USA 74015 Printed in USA. Table of Contents Sec. 1: Read Me First! ............................................................... 1 Capabilities and Specifications .................................................... 2 How Sonar Works ......................................................................... 4 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?....................................................... 10 Shoot-Thru-Hull vs. Transom Mounting ............................... 10 Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting ......................... 11 Trolling Motor Bracket Installation (Single-Frequency only) .. 17 Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches.................................. 18 Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation and Installation ......................... 19 Speed/Temperature Sensors....................................................... 21 Power Connections...................................................................... 24 Mounting the Unit: Bracket, in-Dash or Portable .................... 26 Face Cover................................................................................... 30 Sec. 3: Basic Sonar Operation .............................................. 31 Keyboard ..................................................................................... 31 Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ....................................... 32 Menus .......................................................................................... 33 Main Menu .............................................................................. 33 Sonar Menu ............................................................................. 35 Pages ........................................................................................... 36 Basic Sonar Quick Reference ............................................... 39 Sonar Operations ........................................................................ 40 Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart ........................................ 43 Other Free Training Aids ....................................................... 43 Sec. 4: Sonar Options & Other Features ............................ 45 ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) ......................................... 45 Alarms ......................................................................................... 46 i Depth Alarms .......................................................................... 46 Zone Alarm .............................................................................. 47 Fish Alarm............................................................................... 48 Brightness ................................................................................... 48 Calibrate Speed........................................................................... 49 Chart Speed................................................................................. 49 Contrast....................................................................................... 50 Depth Cursor............................................................................... 50 Depth Range - Automatic ........................................................... 51 Depth Range - Manual ............................................................... 51 FasTrack .................................................................................. 52 Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths) ......................................... 52 FishTrack ................................................................................. 55 FishReveal ............................................................................... 55 Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency) ............................. 57 Grayline ..................................................................................... 58 HyperScroll .............................................................................. 60 Noise Rejection............................................................................ 60 Overlay Data ............................................................................... 60 Ping Speed & HyperScroll....................................................... 62 Pop-Up Help ................................................................................ 64 Reset Options .............................................................................. 64 Reset Water Distance ................................................................. 65 Screen Contrast and Brightness ................................................ 65 Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity.................................................... 65 To Turn Auto Sensitivity Back on:......................................... 67 Set Keel Offset ............................................................................ 67 Set Language .............................................................................. 69 Software Version Information.................................................... 69 Sonar Color Mode........................................................................ 69 Sonar Chart Display Options ..................................................... 70 Full Sonar Chart ..................................................................... 70 Split Zoom Sonar Chart .......................................................... 71 Split Frequency Sonar Chart (Seafinder 480df only)............ 71 ii Digital Data/Chart .................................................................. 72 Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen...................... 73 Sonar Simulator.......................................................................... 74 Stop Chart ................................................................................... 74 Surface Clarity ............................................................................ 75 Units of Measure......................................................................... 76 Zoom & Zoom Bar ....................................................................... 76 Zoom Pan..................................................................................... 77 Sec. 5: Troubleshooting.......................................................... 79 Sec. 6: Supplemental Material.............................................. 83 iii Notes iv 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 compact, wide-screen, fish finder. First, we want to thank you for buying anEagle 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 introduction to the sonar unit. It tells you the basics you need to know before 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 figured out how to install the unit yourself, and you just can't wait any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 39 and head for the water with your sonar unit!) 1 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, just flipping through Section 3 or scanning through the sonar options in Section 4. 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 4. Capabilities and Specifications: FishMark 480, SeaFinder 480DF General Display:............................ 5.0" (12.7 cm) diagonal high contrast Film SuperTwist; programmable to viewing preference. Resolution:...................... 480 pixel x 480 pixel resolution; 230,400 total pixels. Backlighting:.................. Incandescent backlit screen with multiple lighting levels; backlit 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. 2 Back-up memory: .......... Built-in memory stores sonar records for decades. Languages:...................... 10; menu languages selectable by user. Sonar Frequency:...................... 50/200 kHz for SeaFinder 480DF; 200 kHz for FishMark 480. Transducers: .................. A dual-frequency Skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor is packed with the SeaFinder 480DF. It has 35°/12° cone angles. A single-frequency Skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor is packed with the FishMark 480. It has a 20° cone angle. Transducers operate at speeds up to 70 mph (61 kts) Watts: ............................... 1,500 watts peak-to-peak/188 watt RMS. Sonar sounding depth capability: ........... SeaFinder 480DF: 1,500 feet (450 meters). FishMark 480: 800 feet (244 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 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. 3 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 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 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 segme ...