Pub. 988-0156-031 www.eaglesonar.com Fish-Finding & Depth-Sounding Sonars Installation and Operation Instructions Copyright © 2004 LEI-Eagle All rights reserved. Eagle® is a registered trademark of LEI FishMark® and SeaFinder® are registered trademarks 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. On the cover: SeaFinder® 500CDF shown. Other models covered in the manual are similar. 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 Section 1: Read Me First!................................................................1 Capabilities and Specifications ...........................................................2 How Sonar Works ................................................................................4 How to Use this Manual: Typographical Conventions.......................5 Section 2: Installation & Accessories...........................................7 Preparations.........................................................................................7 Transducer Installation.......................................................................7 Recommended Tools and Supplies ..................................................8 Selecting a Transducer Location .....................................................9 How low should you go? .................................................................10 Shoot-Thru-Hull vs. Transom Mounting ......................................11 Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting ............................12 Trolling Motor Bracket Installation (single-frequency only) .......19 Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches .....................................20 Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation ........................................................22 Testing Determines Best Location ................................................23 Shoot-Thru-Hull Installation ........................................................24 Speed/Temperature Sensors..............................................................26 Optional Speed Sensor Installation ..................................................27 Power Connections.............................................................................29 Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable ...........................31 Face Cover..........................................................................................35 Basic Sonar Operation ..................................................................37 Keyboard ............................................................................................37 Power/lights on and off ......................................................................38 Main Menu .........................................................................................39 Pages ..................................................................................................40 Basic Sonar Quick Reference ............................................................45 Sonar Operations ...............................................................................46 Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart ...............................................50 Other Free Training Aids ..............................................................50 Section 4: Sonar Options & Other Features .............................53 i ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) ................................................53 Alarms ................................................................................................54 Depth Alarms .................................................................................55 Zone Alarm .....................................................................................56 Fish Alarm......................................................................................57 Backlight Level ..................................................................................58 Calibrate Speed..................................................................................59 Chart Speed........................................................................................60 ColorLine.........................................................................................61 ColorLine level: ..............................................................................61 Contrast..............................................................................................63 Depth Cursor......................................................................................63 Depth Range - Automatic ..................................................................64 Depth Range - Manual ......................................................................64 FasTrack .........................................................................................65 Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths) ................................................66 FishTrack ........................................................................................67 Frequency (Change Transducer Frequency) (SeaFinder CDF only) ....................................................................................................68 To change the frequency setting to 50 kHz: .................................69 To change the frequency setting to 200 kHz: ...............................70 HyperScroll .....................................................................................70 Noise Rejection...................................................................................70 Overlay Data ......................................................................................70 Ping Speed & HyperScroll..............................................................73 To change Ping Speed: ...................................................................75 To adjust Sensitivity: .....................................................................75 To turn off HyperScroll:.................................................................75 Pop-up Help........................................................................................75 Reset Options .....................................................................................76 Reset Water Distance ........................................................................77 Set Keel Offset ...................................................................................77 Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity...........................................................79 Automatic Sensitivity ....................................................................79 ii To turn Auto Sensitivity back on: .................................................81 Set Language .....................................................................................81 Software Version Information...........................................................81 Sonar Chart Mode..............................................................................82 Sonar Page & Sonar Chart Display Options ....................................82 Full Sonar Chart ............................................................................83 Split Zoom Sonar Chart .................................................................84 Digital Data/Chart .........................................................................84 Sonar Simulator.................................................................................86 Stop Chart ..........................................................................................87 Surface Clarity ...................................................................................88 Transparency .....................................................................................90 Units of Measure................................................................................90 Zoom & Zoom Bar ..............................................................................91 Zoom Pan............................................................................................92 Section 5: Troubleshooting ..........................................................93 Section 6: Supplemental Material ..............................................97 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 an Eagle 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 1 any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 45 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, 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® 500C, SeaFinder® 500CDF General Display:............................ 5.0" (12.7 cm) diagonal color TFT LCD; programmable to viewing preference. Resolution:...................... 320 pixel x 240 pixel resolution; 76,800 total pixels. Backlighting:.................. Backlit screen and keypad with multiple lighting levels for night use. 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 500CDF; 200 kHz for FishMark 500C. Transducers: .................. A dual-frequency Skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor is packed with the SeaFinder 500CDF. It has 35°/12° cone angles. A single-frequency Skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor is packed with the FishMark 500C. 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 ...