User manual LOWRANCE AIRMAP 500

Handheld Mapping GPS Receiver AirMap 500 Operation Instructions Copyright © 2003 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. AirMap, Lowrance Avionics and Lowrance are all registered trademarks of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Jeppesen is a registered trademark of Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. Navionics is a registered trademark of Navionics, Inc. DURACELL is a registered trademark of Duracell, Inc. RAYOVAC is a registered trademark of Rayovac Corporation. Points of Interest Data in this unit are by infoUSA, copyright 2001-2003, All Rights Reserved. infoUSA is a trademark of infoUSA, Inc. eXitSource Database, copyright 2001-2003 Zenrin Co. Ltd. Exit Authority and eXitSource are trademarks of Zenrin Co. Ltd. Lowrance 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. For free owner's manuals and other information, visit our web site: www.lowrance.com Lowrance Electronics Inc. 12000 E. Skelly Dr. Tulsa, OK USA 74128-2486 Printed in USA. Table of Contents Sec. 1: Read Me First! ............................................................... 1 Capabilities and Specifications .................................................... 3 Introduction to GPS and WAAS................................................... 7 How to Use this Manual: Typographical Conventions................ 9 Sec. 2: Installation & Accessories ........................................ 11 Power ........................................................................................... 11 MMC or Sd Memory Card Installation ...................................... 13 Aquabag Waterproof Travel Pouch Installation ....................... 14 External Active Antenna ............................................................ 15 R-A-M Bracket Mounting System ............................................ 16 Sec. 3: Aviation Operation..................................................... 17 Keypad......................................................................................... 17 Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ....................................... 18 Main Menu .................................................................................. 18 Pages ........................................................................................... 19 Satellite Status Page .............................................................. 19 Position Page........................................................................... 21 HSI Navigation Page .............................................................. 22 Navigating with OBS Hold ................................................. 25 Map Page................................................................................. 26 Airport Orientation Page .................................................... 29 Aviation GPS Quick Reference ............................................ 31 Find your Current Position ........................................................ 32 Moving around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys.............. 32 Selecting any Map Item with the Cursor .................................. 33 Searching..................................................................................... 33 Find Nearest Airport (Shortcut) ................................................ 35 Navigating to Nearest Airport with the Airmap ....................... 35 Navigate Back to a Waypoint..................................................... 36 Navigate to Cursor Position on Map.......................................... 36 Navigate to a Point of Interest................................................... 37 Go "Direct to" (Using the Direct to Button)............................... 38 Airspace Status ........................................................................... 38 Airport Information .................................................................... 39 Runways .................................................................................. 39 Services.................................................................................... 40 Transfer Custom Maps and GPS Data Files ............................. 40 Switch to Land Mode .................................................................. 42 Switch Back to Aviation Mode from Land Mode ................... 42 Aviation Utilities ........................................................................ 42 E6B Altitude/Airspeed Calculator.......................................... 42 E6B Wind Speed/Direction Calculator................................... 43 i Vertical Navigation Calculator .............................................. 44 Sec. 4: Land Operation ........................................................... 45 Keypad......................................................................................... 45 Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ....................................... 46 Main Menu .................................................................................. 46 Pages ........................................................................................... 46 Satellite Status Page .............................................................. 46 Position Page........................................................................... 47 Navigation Page ...................................................................... 48 Map Page................................................................................. 49 Moving around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys.............. 50 Find Distance from Current Position to Another Location ...... 50 Find Distance from Point to Point ......................................... 50 Find your Current Position ........................................................ 51 Icons............................................................................................. 51 Create Icon on Map................................................................. 51 Create Icon at Current Position ............................................. 52 Delete an Icon ......................................................................... 52 Load GPS Data Files from an MMC .......................................... 52 Navigate ...................................................................................... 53 Navigate Back to Man Overboard Waypoint......................... 53 Cancel Navigation................................................................... 54 Navigate a Route..................................................................... 54 Navigate to Cursor Position on Map...................................... 54 Navigate to an Icon ................................................................. 54 Navigate to Point of Interest (POI) ........................................ 54 Navigate to a Waypoint .......................................................... 54 Navigate a Trail ...................................................................... 55 Routes.......................................................................................... 56 Create and Save a Route ........................................................ 56 Delete a Route ......................................................................... 60 Save GPS Data Files to an MMC ............................................... 60 Searching..................................................................................... 60 Switch to Aviation Mode............................................................. 62 Switch Back to Land Mode from Aviation Mode ................... 62 Trails ........................................................................................... 62 Create and Save a Trail.......................................................... 63 Delete a Trail .......................................................................... 63 Edit a Trail Name ................................................................... 63 Transferring GPS Data Files ..................................................... 63 Transferring and Loading Custom Maps .................................. 63 Utilities........................................................................................ 64 Alarm Clock............................................................................. 64 ii Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator............................................ 64 Trip Calculator........................................................................ 64 Trip Down Timer..................................................................... 64 Trip Up Timer ......................................................................... 64 Waypoints.................................................................................... 64 Create a Waypoint .................................................................. 64 Create a Man Overboard Waypoint ....................................... 65 Selecting a Waypoint .............................................................. 65 Delete a Waypoint................................................................... 65 Edit a Waypoint (Name, Symbol, Position, Altitude)............ 65 Sec. 5: System & GPS Setup Options................................... 67 Alarms ......................................................................................... 67 Aviation Alarms .......................................................................... 68 Auto Satellite Search.................................................................. 69 Check MMC Files and Storage Space ........................................ 69 Com Port Configuration ............................................................. 70 Coordinate System Selection...................................................... 70 Map Fix.................................................................................... 72 Customize Page Displays ........................................................... 73 GPS Simulator ............................................................................ 74 Map Auto Zoom ........................................................................... 74 Map Data..................................................................................... 75 Show Map Data....................................................................... 75 Pop-Up Map Info ..................................................................... 75 Map Boundaries ...................................................................... 75 Fill Land Gray......................................................................... 76 Map Overlays (Range Rings; Lat/Long Grid) ........................ 76 Map Datum Selection ................................................................. 76 Map Detail Category Selection................................................... 77 Map Orientation ......................................................................... 77 Navionics Charts....................................................................... 78 Pop-Up Help ................................................................................ 83 Power Saving .............................................................................. 83 Reset Options .............................................................................. 85 Require DGPS ............................................................................. 86 Screen Contrast and Brightness ................................................ 86 Set Local Time ............................................................................ 87 Software Version Information.................................................... 88 Sounds and Alarm Sound Styles................................................ 89 Track Smoothing......................................................................... 90 Trail Options ............................................................................... 90 Flash Trails on Screen Option................................................ 91 Update Trail Option................................................................ 91 iii Update Trail Criteria (Auto, Time, Distance) ....................... 91 Trail Update Rate (Time, Distance)....................................... 92 New Trail................................................................................. 92 Units of Measure......................................................................... 93 Set Language .............................................................................. 94 Sec. 6: Searching...................................................................... 95 Aviation Mode Searches ............................................................. 95 Find an Airspace (Using Cursor) ........................................... 95 Find Airports (Aviation Mode only) ....................................... 96 Find Vors (Aviation Mode only).............................................. 97 Find Ndbs (Aviation Mode only)............................................. 98 Find Intersections (Aviation Mode only).............................. 100 Land Mode Searches................................................................. 101 Find Addresses...................................................................... 101 Find any Item Selected by Map Cursor ............................... 103 Find Interstate Highway Exits ............................................ 104 Find Map Places.................................................................... 105 Find Streets or (Street) Intersections .................................. 107 Find Waypoints ..................................................................... 108 Sec. 7: Supplemental Material ............................................ 111 Index......................................................................................... 117 WARNING! A CAREFUL NAVIGATOR NEVER RELIES ON ONLY ONE METHOD TO OBTAIN POSITION INFORMATION. CAUTION When showing navigation data to a position (waypoint), a GPS unit will show the shortest, most direct path to the waypoint. It provides navigation data to the waypoint regardless of obstructions. Therefore, the prudent navigator will not only take advantage of all available navigation tools when traveling to a waypoint, but will also visually check to make sure a clear, safe path to the waypoint is always available. WARNING! When a GPS unit is used in a vehicle, the vehicle operator is solely responsible for operating the vehicle in a safe manner. Vehicle operators must maintain full surveillance of all pertinent driving, boating or flying conditions at all times. An accident or collision resulting in damage to property, personal injury or death could occur if the operator of a GPS-equipped vehicle fails to pay full attention to travel conditions and vehicle operation while the vehicle is in motion. iv How this manual can get you flying, fast! Welcome to the exciting world of GPS! We know you're anxious to take off and begin navigating, but we have a favor to ask. Before you grab the batteries and head for the plane, please give us a moment or two to show you how to skip around our manual for the information you need. (Tips start on page 2.) We want to help you get the best performance from this versatile little GPS unit -- in the air, on the ground and on the sea! Before we go any further, we want to thank you for buying an AirMap 500. Whether you're a first time GPS user or a professional navigator, you'll find that the AirMap 500 includes a complete set of powerful aeronautical mapping and navigation features, yet is easy to use. How easy? Well, if you've already figured out how to load the card and batteries yourself, and you just can't wait any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 31 and head outside with your AirMap! You can be practicing touch-and-goes at a nearby airport in only 12 steps. Not in that big of a hurry? Good, because we really recommend you practice a bit before taking your AirMap aloft. The AirMap 500 is a true pocket-sized GPS+WAAS receiver, but its slim silhouette is crammed with lots of extra features and value. You don't need to learn them all right away, but a little practice on the ground will help you become familiar with AirMap's capabilities -- and make you a safer pilot. Flying, of course, is why you bought an AirMap, but it's like having three different GPS receivers in one. Here are the other two reasons why. Need business or pleasure travel directions or phone numbers after landing? You don't need another GPS -- when you leave the cockpit, just slip your AirMap into pocket or purse and take advantage of the fully-functional Land Navigation Mode. With your own custom-built MapCreate 6 map, your AirMap can use a massive searchable Point of Interest database of businesses and attractions to lead you to your final destination. (Land Mode Operation is described in Section 4; Searching is covered in Section 6.) And AirMap performance doesn't stop at the water's edge. If your destination is a boating or fishing adventure, your AirMap will help you safely navigate the Great Lakes and coastal U.S. waters with our 70,000 item database of marine navigation aids, wrecks and obstructions. (This also requires a MapCreate map; functions are discussed in Section 4. The MapCreate manual has an Easy Mode Quick Reference of its own; it'll help you make a map in just 6 steps.) 1 Section 1: Read Me First! Whether your AirMap 500 is the only GPS in the cockpit or backing up an in-panel display, you're using the most versatile and most affordable hand-held GPS receiver in the aviation market today. Our goal for this book is to get you in the air (or out on the road) fast, with a minimum of fuss. Like you, we'd rather spend more time flying, 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. You may be the button-pushing type who just likes to play with the GPS first, before peeking inside the manual. That's fine, because AirMap menus have a pop-up Help feature that will answer many of your questions. If this is your learning style, turn to the installation instructions in Section 2, then step outdoors with your unit. When you come to a menu command you want to learn more about, jut turn to the Table of Contents or the Index and look it up. The manual is organized into six sections. If you're new to GPS, prefer a tutorial approach to learning or just want to explore more of the awesome features in your AirMap, we suggest you skim some of these sections more closely. This first section is an introduction to AirMap, GPS and WAAS. It tells you the basics you need to know before you can make AirMap look around and tell you where you are. Section 2, Installation, will help you get the batteries and MultiMedia Card (MMC) correctly installed in your AirMap. (The card contains the Jeppesen Americas and Lowrance Obstructions aeronautical databases.) We'll also show you how to install the RAM mounting bracket on a yoke and the RAA-3 remote active antenna in an aircraft window or on top of the instrument panel. Section 3 is really the heart of our book, Aviation Mode Operation. It will introduce you to the basic airborne GPS functions. This section includes the one-page Aviation Mode Quick Reference we mentioned earlier. The rest of Section 3 contains short, easy-to-scan lessons that follow one another in chronological order. They're all you'll need to know to get in the air quickly. Aviation Mode instructions are only 28 pages long, and these lessons will meet the navigation needs of many pilots. But, after you've learned 2 the basics (or if you already have some GPS experience), you may want to try out some of AirMap's many advanced features. That brings us to Section Four, Land Mode Operation, which also includes its own onepage quick reference. After we introduce the Land Mode menus and submenus, the rest of the section contains AirMap's more advanced command functions. Your AirMap is ready to use right out of the box, but you can fine tune and customize its operation with dozens of options. We describe how to use them in Section 5, System Setup and GPS Setup Options. This section covers both Aviation Mode and Land Mode options. Finally, in Section 6, we go into more detail on one of AirMap's most remarkable capabilities -- Searching. We'll introduce a couple of search examples in both the Aviation and Land mode sections, but there are so many map and aeronautical items you can search for, we had to give this function its own section in the manual! For example, we mentioned telephone numbers earlier. Your AirMap can function as a virtual Yellow Pages, and we'll show you how in Section 6. Now, if you're into the fine details, glance over the next segment on specifications to see just how much GPS power you hold in your hand. It's important to us (and our power users), but, if you don't care how many waypoints AirMap can store or how long the batteries last, skip ahead to important information on how AirMap works, on page 5. Capabilities and Specifications Display:............................ 3" (7.3 cm) diagonal high contrast Film SuperTwist. Resolution:...................... 240 pixel x 180 pixel resolution; 43,200 total pixels. Backlighting:.................. White LED screen backlighting for night and low-light viewing. Input power:......................3 volts DC (two 1.5v AA batteries); operates up to 12 hours on batteries when using one-second position updates (longer update rates and optional power saving settings further extend battery life, but will reduce GPS accuracy). Cigarette lighter power adapter included. Case size:......................... 5.6" H x 2.5" W x 0.9" D (142 x 65 x 25 mm); water resistant to IPX-2 standards. Weight:............................. 7.68 ounces (219 grams) with batteries. 3 Receiver: ......................... Internal, 12 parallel channel GPS+WAAS; advanced active remote external antenna included. Recording: ...................... Removable MMC or SD memory cards for recording GPS trip details, displaying custom maps, upgrading operating system software and transferring trip data to personal computer without a slow serial connection. USB card reader included with unit. MMC slots: ...................... One, inside battery compartment. Accepts non-proprietary MMC or SD memory cards. Aeronautical map: ........ Jeppesen Americas database with airports, VORs, NDBs, intersections and airspaces (including Class D). Lowrance Obstructions database displays ground obstructions in AGL or MSL heights. Background map:.......... Built-in custom, detailed Lowrance map. Contains: low-detail maps of the whole world (containing cities, major lakes, major rivers, political boundaries); and medium-detail maps of the United States (containing all incorporated cities; Interstate, U.S. and state highways; Interstate highway exits and exit services information; large- and mediumsized lakes and streams.) Custom mapping: .......... Accepts custom, higher-detail MapCreate 6 mapping on memory cards, with searchable Points-of Interest database of hotels, restaurants, shopping, services and more. Navionics charts (XL charts or HotMaps) on MMC cards optional. Mapping memory: ......... Up to 256 MB on one MMC (MultiMedia Card) or SD (Secure Digital Card.) Position updates: .......... Every one second. Position points: ............. 1,000 waypoints; 1,000 event marker icons. Graphic symbols for waypoints or event marker icons: ................. 42. Routes:............................. 100; up to 100 waypoints per route. Plot Trails: ...................... 99 savable; up to 9,999 points per trail. 4 Nearest Airport: ............ Quickly locates an airfield closest to your current position. (Aviation Mode only.) Man Overboard:............. MOB feature precisely marks man overboard location with special icon, then automatically displays navigation data to that position. (Land Mode only.) Com Port: ........................ One serial communications port, NMEA 0183 version 2.0 compatible. Allows exchange of position data with another device, such as an autopilot or personal computer. Optional combination serial/power cable available. Zoom range:.................... 39 ranges; 0.02 to 4,000 miles. NOTE: The above memory capacities refer only to AirMap's on-board memory. The amount of GPS data you can record and save for recall later is only limited by the number of MMC cards you carry with you. How AirMap Works You'll navigate faster and easier if you understand how AirMap scans the sky to tell you where you are on the earth -- and, where you're going. (But if you already have a working understanding of GPS receivers and the GPS navigation system, skip on ahead to Section 2, Installation & Accessories on page 11. If you're new to GPS, read on, and you can later impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.) First, think of your AirMap as a small but powerful computer. (But don't worry -- we made AirMap so easy to use, you don't need to be a computer expert to find your way!) The unit includes a keypad and a screen with menus so you can tell AirMap what to do. The screen also lets AirMap show your location on a moving map, as well as point the way to your destination. This pocket-sized computer also contains an antenna and specialized scanning receiver, something like your car radio. But instead of your favorite dance tunes or VOR signals, this receiver tunes in to a couple of dozen GPS satellites circling the earth. (WAAS satellites, too, but more about them later.) AirMap listens to signals from as many satellites as it can "see" above the horizon, eliminates the weakest signals, then computes its location in relation to those satellites. Once the AirMap figures its latitude and longitude, it plots that position on the map shown on the screen. While the screen is updated once a second the internal calculations are done several times a second. 5 The performance doesn't stop there. Stored in the permanent memory of each AirMap is a basic background map of the entire world. (For just what's in the map, see the preceding segment on specifications.) We lock it in here at the factory -- you can't change or erase this map. The background map, along with the Jeppesen and Lowrance aeronautical databases, are all you need for aerial navigation. (Your unit reads these databases automatically from the MMC card included in the package.) The background map is also suitable for many land and marine navigation chores, but for maximum surface accuracy and much more detail, you need a custom map from MapCreate 6. Some AirMap features -- such as searching for businesses and addresses -- won't work without a custom MapCreate Map. There is so much detail in our background map (and even more in MapCreate) that we'll compare their contents and differences in Section 3, Aviation Mode Operation. Another portion of AirMap's onboard memory is devoted to recording GPS navigation information, which includes waypoints, event marker icons, trails and routes. This lets you plan a route for a flight or look back the way you came. Think of this data storage like the hard drive memory in a computer. You can save several different GPS data files, erase 'em and record new ones, over and over and over again. Like any computer file, these GPS Data Files (file format *.usr) can be shared between AirMaps, other Lowrance GPS or sonar/GPS units, even personal computers. AirMap has one more thing in common with a personal computer. Just as computers have a floppy disk drive for storing and exchanging files, AirMap has a slot for an MMC (MultiMedia Card) or SD card (Secure Digital Card) flash memory card. These solid-state memory devices are about the size of a postage stamp, but can hold data ranging from 8 MB to 256 MB in size. (Compare that to a floppy disk's 1.44 MB capacity!) AirMap uses all that MMC space for two key purposes. First, you can backup your onboard GPS Data Files by copying them to the MMC. Since the MMC is removable (like a floppy disk or a video tape), you can store these GPS Data Files on a personal computer equipped with an MMC card reader. (Or store them on a pocketful of MMCs, if you don't have a computer handy.) Our MapCreate mapping software can save, edit or create its own GPS Data Files, which can be copied to the MMC and then loaded from the MMC into AirMap's memory. (NOTE: No matter where they come from, GPS Data Files must be loaded from the MMC into memory before AirMap can use them.) As we mentioned earlier, the other key use for MMCs is storage of the aeronautical databases and high-detail maps from MapCreate. These 6 Custom Map Files (file format *.lcm) can also be shared between AirMaps, other Lowrance GPS or sonar/GPS units and personal computers. You make your own Custom Map Files with our MapCreate software, but you don't have to. We also sell ready-to-use FreedomMaps. These custom maps are pre-loaded on MMCs. (No computer work required!). Introduction to GPS and WAAS Well, now you know the basics of how AirMap does its work. You might be ready to jump ahead to Section 2, Installation & Accessories, on page 11, so you can install the batteries. Or you might want to see how our text formatting makes the manual tutorials easy to skim. If that's the case, move on to "How to Use This Manual" on page 9. But, if you want to understand the current state of satellite navigation, look over this segment describing how GPS and its new companion WAAS work together to get you where you're going. First of all, why are pilots so excited about GPS navigation? GPS is more accurate than other navaids, such as VOR and NDB. GPS is free of environmental limitations that affect other navigation systems and it's available worldwide. GPS receivers like your AirMap are highly affordable, easy to use and not confined to your cockpit! GPS frees a pilot to accurately navigate to or from virtually any map place on earth -- navigation is no longer limited to the aeronautical navaid network. With a mapping GPS, a pilot always knows exactly where he is. A GPS receiver makes it easier for a pilot to apply wind correction angles and fly true headings, as well as determine true ground speed. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was launched July 17, 1995 by the United States Department of Defense. It was designed as a 24hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year, all weather global navigation system for the armed forces of the U.S. and its allies. Civilian use was also available at first, but it was less accurate because the military scrambled the signal somewhat, using a process called Selective Availability (SA). GPS proved so useful for civilian navigation that the federal government discontinued SA on May 2, 2000, after the military developed other methods to deny GPS service to enemy forces. Reliable accuracy for civilian users jumped from 100 meters (330 feet) under SA to the present level of 10 to 20 meters (about 30 to 60 feet). Twenty-four satellites orbit 10,900 nautical miles above the Earth, passing overhead twice daily. A series of ground stations (with precisely surveyed locations) controls the satellites and monitors their exact locations in the sky. Each satellite broadcasts a low-power signal that identifies the satellite and its position above the earth. Three of these satellites 7 are spares, unused until needed. The rest virtually guarantee that at least four satellites are in view nearly anywhere on Earth at all times. A minimum of three satellites are required to determine a 2D fix. The system requires signal reception from three satellites in order to determine a position. This is called a 2D fix. It takes four satellites to determine both position and elevation (your height above sea level -- also called altitude). This is called a 3D fix. Remember, the unit must have a clear view of the satellites in order to receive their signals. Unlike radio or television signals, GPS works at very high frequencies. These signals can be easily blocked by trees, buildings, an automobile roof, a wing, even your body. Like most GPS receivers, AirMap doesn't have a compass or any other navigation aid built inside. It relies solely on the signals from the satellites to calculate a position. Speed, direction of travel, and distance are all calculated from position information. Therefore, in order for AirMap to determine direction of travel, you must be moving and the faster, the better. This is not to say that it won't work at walking or boat trolling speeds -- it will. There will simply be more "wandering" of the data shown on the display. GPS is plenty accurate for route navigation, but the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has special needs for aircraft traffic control that go beyond basic GPS. The FAA has a plan under way to boost GPS performance even further with its Wide Area Augmentation System, or WAAS. This GPS add-on will include a time control element that will help airliners fly closer together while avoiding collisions. In addition to carefully spacing airplanes along travel corridors, WAAS will eventually make instrument landings and takeoffs more accurate as it replaces existing aviation navigation systems. 8 WAAS signals make your GPS navigation even more accurate. Your AirMap automatically receives both GPS and WAAS signals. However, WAAS has some limits you should know about. First, the U.S. government has not completed construction of the WAAS system, so it is not yet fully operational. The ground stations are in place, but only a few of the needed WAAS satellites have been launched. WAAS can boost the accuracy of land and marine GPS navigation, but the system is designed for aircraft. The satellites are in a fixed orbit above the Equator, so they appear very low in the sky to someone on the ground in North America. Aircraft and vessels on open water can get consistently good WAAS reception, but terrain, foliage or even large man-made structures frequently block the WAAS signal from ground receivers. You'll find that using your GPS+WAAS receiver is both easy and amazingly accurate. It's easily the most accurate method of electronic navigation available to the general public today. Remember, however, that this receiver is only a tool. As this manual goes to press, the FAA has not yet certified any hand-held GPS+WAAS receivers for use as the sole navigation aid for VFR pilots. Always have another method of navigation available, such as a sectional chart and your aircraft's magnetic and gyro compasses, or a conventional nav/com radio. Also remember that this unit will always show navigation information in the shortest line from your present position to an airport, VOR or other waypoint, regardless of obstacles and terrain! It only calculates position, it can't know what's between you and your destination, for example. It's up to you to safely navigate around obstacles and rising terrain, no matter how you're using this product. 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 paragraphs below explain how to interpret the text formatting for those commands and other instructions: Arrow Keys The arrow keys control the movement of dotted cross-hair lines on your mapping screen called the cursor. The arrow keys also help you move around the AirMap 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: . 9 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/Save" 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: SYSTEM SETUP. 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 trail name. Instructions = Menu Sequences Most functions you perform with AirMap are described as a sequence of keystrokes and selecting menu commands. We've written them in a condensed manner for quick and easy reading. For example, instructions for deleting all icons from memory would look like this: 1. Press MENU| to DELETE MY ICONS|ENT|ENT. 2. Press to YES|ENT. 3. Press EXIT. Translated into complete English, step 1 means: "Press the Menu key. Next, press the down arrow key to scroll down the menu and select (highlight) the Delete My Icons menu command. Finally, press the Enter key twice." Step 2 means: "Press the left arrow key to select Yes, then press Enter." Step 3 means: "Press the Exit key to clear the menu and return to the Map Page." Important Keyboard Shortcut Tip: There are often three ways to move around an AirMap menu. For simplicity, we've written our instructions using the Enter key (ENT) to complete a move from one menu to the next. However, many commands have shortcuts that will help your fingers fly across the keys. Almost every page menu command lets you press or instead of ENT. This is always true for commands with an ellipses (MAP DATA...) or an arrow (GPS SETUP ). Our menus also "wrap around;" that is, they form a circular loop. This means when you open a menu and need to reach the bottom command, you can get there by pressing one time instead of holding or repeatedly pressing . A cockpit can be a busy place; practice with these shortcuts and you can run AirMap commands faster, with less finger movement from key to key. 10 Section 2: Installation & Accessories Power The AirMap operates from AA batteries or on 3 volts DC using an optional external power cable with a cigarette lighter adapter. If the power cable is used, the AirMap automatically switches to it if the external power is greater than the battery voltage. If the external power fails, the unit automatically switches to the batteries. NOTE: Some pilots like to keep fresh batteries in their units, even when using the external power. If the power fails, the unit will automatically switch to the batteries, thus keeping the unit on without interruption. Warning! With earlier Lowrance Aviation units, some pilots liked to remove the cigarette lighter plug from the adapter cable and splice the exposed wires directly to their dash consoles. However, the AirMap 500 cigarette lighter adapter contains in the plug a voltage regulator to convert 12 volts down to about 3. Without this regulator, connecting your unit to a 12-volt power source will destroy the unit ­ and this damage will not be covered by your warranty. Flash memory and an internal lithium battery will keep your stored data safe and accessible for the life of the product. Batteries The unit requires two, 1.5 volt AA batteries. We recommend that you use alkaline batteries for the best trade-off between battery life and cost. We recommend DURACELL brand, but other brands will work. If you're looking for an extended-life battery, the Duracell ULTRA battery has performed well in our tests. You can also use rechargeable AA alkaline batteries, such as those made by RAYOVAC, or rechargeable AA nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. We do not recommend nickel cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable batteries because you will get poor battery life. Rechargeable alkaline batteries will not last as long as standard alkaline batteries. NiMH batteries are rechargeable and should also give you suitable battery life. 11 Do not mix different battery types. Mixing battery types may cause leakage. (For example, don't use both alkaline and NiMH batteries at the same time, and don't use standard alkalines with rechargeable alkalines.) Battery Installation Turn the unit over so that the back is facing you. Place your thumb on the large arrowhead on the battery compartment cover. Press in and down, toward the bottom of the unit (in the direction indicated by the arrow). The battery cover will snap off. Remove AirMap battery cover. Install the batteries according to the decal in the battery compartment, which shows the correct polarity. Point the positive pole of the upper battery to the left; point the positive pole of the bottom battery to the right. Replace the battery compartment cover. Align the cover latch tab with the slot inside the case. With a finger, press the bottom of the cover in and then up, toward the top of the unit Replace battery compartment cover. Align tab with slot, left. Press in cover bottom, right 12 Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter To use external DC power: Plug the power cable's cigarette lighter adapter into a cigarette lighter receptacle. Next, slide the other connector over the power contacts on the bottom of the AirMap case. Attach external power cable to AirMap. MMC or SD Memory Card Installation Your AirMap uses a MultiMedia Card to store information, such as custom maps, waypoints and other GPS data. The unit can also use Secure Digital Cards (SD cards) to store information. NOTE: Throughout this manual, we will use the term MMC, but just remember that your unit can use an MMC or SD card to store data. Both of these solid-state flash memory devices are about the size of a postage stamp. An SD card is slightly thicker than an MMC. As this manual went to press, MMCs were available in storage capacities of 8 MB, 16 MB, 32 MB and 64 MB. SD cards were available in capacities of 8 MB, 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB and up. We have tested SD cards up to 256 MB. Additional MMC cards are available from LEI Extras; see ordering information inside the back cover of this manual. MMCs and SD cards are also available at many consumer electronics stores. The MMC slot is located in the battery compartment, behind the batteries on the right side of the unit. The battery compartment decal points out the slot, which is also marked by small white letters on the circuit board. To remove an MMC 1. Remove battery compartment cover. 2. Remove batteries, if present. 13 3. Hold unit upright in left hand. Use a thumbnail or fingernail to grab the groove in the bottom of the MMC. 4. Drag the MMC from the slot into the battery compartment. 5. Hold AirMap face up and give it a shake to dump the MMC into your hand or onto a work surface. To add an MMC or SD Card 1. Remove battery compartment cover. 2. Remove batteries, if present. 3. Hold unit upside down in left hand. Grasp the bottom corner of the MMC with your other hand. The MMC label should be toward you. 4. Use the white lines and text on the circuit board as a guide and drop the MMC into the slot. 5. Gently shake the unit or use your finger to nudge the MMC into vertical alignment. Then, gently push the card into the slot with your finger. 6. Replace the batteries and battery cover. Aquabag Waterproof Travel Pouch Installation The waterproof travel pouch keeps your GPS dry when the going gets wet. An adjustable neck strap on the pouch keeps your unit within reach. The pouch is made of a transparent material that is rugged, yet easy to see through. The pouch is flexible enough for you to operate the AirMap's keys with the unit inside. To use it, open the closure flap and unroll the anti-moisture baffle to open the bag. Slip the unit inside. Roll up the baffle and close the outer flap. Insert AirMap into bag upside down, left. That makes it easier to read when wearing the unit around your neck, right. 14 External Active Antenna A GPS antenna requires a clear view of the sky for optimum operation. Inside the cockpit, your AirMap can sometimes maintain satellite lock while sitting on the seat beside you, but we don't recommend this for optimum performance. Since the "view" is restricted to what can be seen through the window, this operating mode will reduce position accuracy and will increase the chance of losing satellite lock. Inside a plane, the unit operates best with an external antenna mounted on the windshield or dash. Attach AirMap antenna to windshield bracket with two screws. You may achieve good results by simply placing the external antenna on the top of the dash, at the base of the windshield. Many pilots like to attach the antenna to the top of their instrument panel glare shields. Depending on the surface, a strip of adhesive Velcro or a piece of the rubber non-skid shelf liner material available in recreational vehicle supply stores will help hold the antenna in place. We recommend attaching the antenna to your windshield or other window. For this reason, the remote active antenna packaged with your AirMap includes a suction-cup mount. Be sure to mount the antenna in a location where it will not obstruct your view. 15 Press suction cup plate firmly against a window with unobstructed view. Wherever you mount the antenna, make sure it is in a location with an unobstructed view of the sky. If you're sticking it to a window, moisten the suction cups on the mounting plate and press firmly against the window. Route the cable so that it won't interfere with flying. Then, simply plug the connector into the unit's antenna socket, located on the back, in the upper left corner of the case. The AM500 will automatically switch to use the RAA-3 remote antenna when plugged in. R-A-M Bracket Mounting System A R-A-M mounting bracket is shipped with your AirMap. The mounting arm and cradle can swivel on a ball for easy viewing in any type of vehicle. Attach the mounting bracket to the stem of the yoke. Then, tighten the knob at the bracket's base to keep the bracket from sliding around on the yoke stem. Next, angle the arm so that the unit will be held in front of the yoke. When you are satisfied with the bracket position, tighten all the knobs to keep the bracket from shifting. Find a good position for the R-A-M mounting bracket. Then, slide the AirMap into the bracket, inserting the bottom of the unit first. 16 Section 3: Aviation Operation This section addresses AirMap's main aviation GPS functions. The principles are the same in both operating modes, so this discussion also serves as a good introduction to Land Mode work. Before you turn on AirMap and find where you are, it's a good idea to learn about the different keys, the five Page screens and how they all work together. BUT, if you just can't wait to get outside, grab the batteries and turn to the one-page Quick Reference on page 31. Keypad 2 7 3 4 6 5 8 9 1 AirMap 500 keypad. 1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) ­ The PWR key turns the unit on and off and activates the backlight. 2. PAGES ­ Pressing this key switches the unit between the five different page screens in Aviation Mode. (Satellite, Position, HSI navigation, Map and Airport Orientation.) Each page represents one of the unit's major modes of operation. 3. MENU ­ Press this key to show the menus, which allow you to select or adjust a feature from a list. 4. ARROW KEYS ­ These keys are used to navigate through the menus, make menu selections, move the chart cursor and enter data. 5. ENT/SAVE (Enter & Save) ­ This key allows you to save data, to accept values or to execute menu commands. Also use it to quickly create waypoints or icons. 17 6. EXIT ­ The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear data or erase a menu. 7. FIND (Direct To) ­ The Find key launches the AirMap search menus. It also allows you to go Direct To items shown in search lists. 8. ZOUT ­ (Zoom Out) ­ This key lets you zoom the screen out to see a larger geographic are on the map. Less detail is seen as you zoom out. 9. ZIN ­ (Zoom In) ­ This key lets you zoom the screen in to see greater detail in a smaller geographic area on the map. Power/lights on and off To turn on the unit, press PWR. To turn on the backlight, press PWR again. Pressing PWR once again will turn off the backlight. (Press EXIT to clear any message or alarm displays.) Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the PWR key for 3 seconds. Main Menu Aviation Mode has a single Main Menu, which contains some function commands and some setup option commands. The tutorials in this section will deal only with primary functions, the basic commands that make AirMap do something. These lessons are designed for use with the unit's options set at their factory defaults. But, if you want to learn more about the various option settings, see Sec. 5, System Setup and GPS Setup Options. To access the Main Menu from any Page: press MENU|MENU. To clear the menu screen and return to the page display, press EXIT. Main Menu, Aviation Mode. The Main Menu commands and their functions are: Screen command: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen. Sounds command: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and alarms and sets the alarm style. 18 Alarms command: turns arrival, off course and anchor GPS alarms on or off and changes alarm thresholds. Aviation Alarms command: turns distance, time, near and inside airspace alarms on or off and changes alarm thresholds. Route Planning command: used to plan, view or navigate a route. My Trails command: shows, hides, creates and deletes plot trails. Also used to navigate or backtrack a trail. Cancel Navigation command: turns off the various navigation commands. Used to stop navigating after you have reached your destination navaid, waypoint, Point of Interest or map cursor location; or after you reach the end of a route or trail. GPS Setup command: sets various GPS receiver options and runs the GPS Simulator. System Setup command: sets general configuration options. Utilities command: controls several aeronautical calculators and other time-related utilities. These include: E6B flight computer functions (true air speed, wind speed, etc.); sun/moon rise calculator; trip status and statistics, alarm clock, up timer and down timer. Browse MMC Files command: this allows you to view the installed MMC card and the files it contains. Pages Aviation Mode has five Page displays that represent the five major operating modes. They are the Satellite Status Page, the Position Page, the HSI Navigation Page, the Map Page and the Airport Orientation Page. They are accessed by pressing the PAGES key. Pressing PAGES repeatedly scrolls among the five screens in an endless circular loop. Each Page has a submenu screen associated with it. You access a Page Submenu by pressing the MENU key one time while the page is displayed. (Pressing the MENU key twice takes you to the Main Menu.) Satellite Status Page This Page, shown in the following image, provides detailed information on the status of AirMap's satellite lock-on and position acquisition. To get to the Satellite Status Page: press PAGES repeatedly until the page you want appears. No matter what page you are on, a flashing current position indicator/question mark symbol and flashing GPS data displays indicate that satellite lock has been lost and there is no position confirmed. This page shows you the quality and accuracy of the current satellite lock-on and position calculation. 19 WARNING: Do not begin navigating with this unit until the numbers have stopped flashing! Satellite Page. Left view indicates unit has not locked on to any satellites and does not have a fix on its position. Center view shows satellites being scanned. Right view shows satellite-lock on with a 3D position acquired (latitude, longitude and altitude) and WAAS corrections. The bottom of the screen shows a battery power indicator with "E" for empty and "F" for full. The light bulb indicates the backlight is on. This screen shows a graphical view of the satellites that are in view. Each satellite is shown on the circular chart relative to your position. The point in the center of the chart is directly overhead. The small inner ring represents 45° above the horizon and the large ring represents the horizon. North is at the top of the screen. You can use this to see which satellites are obstructed by obstacles in your immediate area if you hold the unit facing north. The GPS receiver is tracking satellites that are in bold type. The receiver hasn't locked onto a satellite if the number is grayed out, therefore it isn't being used to solve the position. Beneath the circular graph are the bar graphs, one for each satellite in view. Since the unit has twelve channels, it can dedicate one channel per visible satellite. The taller the bar on the graph, the better the unit is receiving the signals from the satellite. The EPE, "Estimated Position Error" (horizontal position error) shown in the upper right corner of the screen is the expected error from a benchmark location. In other words, if the EPE shows 50 feet, then the position shown by the unit is estimated to be within 50 feet of the actual location. This also gives you an indicator of the fix quality the unit currently has. The smaller the position error number, the better (and more accurate) the fix is. If the position error flashes dashes, then the unit hasn't locked onto the satellites, and the number shown isn't valid. 20 The Satellite Status Page has its own menu, which is used for setting various options. (Options and setup are discussed in Sec. 5.) To access the Satellite Status Page Menu, from the Status Page, press MENU. Position Page This page provides detailed textual information on your present position and the status of your trip. For example, it can display information such as your current latitude, longitude, travel time to destination and more. To get to the Position Page: press PAGE repeatedly until the page you want appears. Position Page, left, Position Page Customize Menu, right. The Position Page can be fully customized. The lower window can display ten of 22 types of navigation information. For customization instructions see the Customize Page Displays topic in Sec. 5, System and GPS Setup Options. Some of the popular information displays include: Altitude is height above sea level, not ground level. Speed (ground speed) is the velocity you are making over the ground. Closing Speed is also known as velocity made good. It's the speed that you're making toward a destination. Distance shows how far it is to the next waypoint you're navigating toward. Total Distance tells how far to a final destination when navigating a route or trail. If your route has multiple legs, this option will total them for you. Travel Time (ETE) is the time it will take to reach your destination at your present closing speed. Arrival Time (ETA) is the local time that it will be when you arrive at the destination, based upon your present closing speed and track. Total Travel time tells how long it will take to reach a final destination when navigating a route or trail. Track is the heading, or the current direction you are actually traveling. Bearing is the direction of a line-of-sight from your present position to a destination. No matter what direction you are steering, the Bearing 21 shows the compass direction straight to the destination from your location at the moment. Off Course tells you how far you are to the left or right of the intended direction or line of travel toward a destination. Most of the unit's displays show Off Course as "Cross Track" or "XTK." The Position Page has its own menu, which is used for setting various options. (Options and setup are discussed in Sec. 5.) To access the Position Page Menu, from the Position Page, press MENU. HSI Navigation Page The HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator) Navigation Page has a compass rose. It shows your direction of travel and the direction to a recalled waypoint or other destination, such as an airport or VOR. It can also show your intended course and whether or not you are on course or off course. To get to the HSI Page: press PAGE repeatedly until the page you want appears. The navigation screen looks like the one in the following image when you're not navigating to a waypoint or other destination. No graphic course information is displayed. Your position is shown by an airplane symbol in the center of the screen. The arrow pointing down at the top of the compass rose indicates the current track (direction of travel) over the ground. Track or compass heading indicator, showing direction of travel Compass rose Present position aircraft Navigation information displays HSI Navigation Page, traveling north. Page looks like this when AirMap is not navigating to a waypoint, following a route, or backtracking a trail. When navigating to a waypoint or following a route, the HSI screen looks like the one shown in the next image. Navigation information such as bearing, track and course can be shown in text displays. 22 Tip: You can fully customize the upper text displays, and there are 26 types of information to select from. For customization instructions see the Customize Page Displays topic in Sec. 5, System and GPS Setup Options. The heart of this page is the Course Arrow with its Course Deviation Indicator (CDI) needle. It gives you a quick, easy to read visual indicator of the relationship between your current direction (track) and desired direction (course). Pilots familiar with "fly to the needle" VOR instruments or large in-panel GPS screens will quickly feel comfortable with this HSI feature. Track or compass heading indicator, showing direction of travel Distance to waypoint Bearing arrow (pointing to Ground speed destination) Navigating TO waypoint arrow Course Deviation Indicator needle (CDI) Present position aircraft Cross track error Compass rose Course arrow Cross track error scale Cross track error range Course Destination name HSI Navigation Page, flying TO K11 on a course of 62º. The pilot needs to turn left to "center the needle" and get on course. The plane is currently 1.53 nautical miles to the right of the course. The cross track error range is set at 2.00 nautical miles. The flight is 8.96 nautical miles from the target waypoint. The course line is an imaginary line drawn from your position when you started navigating to the destination waypoint. It's shown on the HSI screen as a segmented course arrow. The cross track error is the distance you are off-course to the side of the desired course line. The current cross track error is shown in a text box (XTK), and graphically by the CDI needle, which is the middle segment of the course arrow. Dots on either side of the course arrow show the current cross track error scale, which is a graphic depiction of the cross track error range. 23 The default for the cross track error range is 2.0 nautical miles, which is shown in a floating text box under the scale. If you veer 2 nautical miles to the left or right of the course, the off course alarm will appear. If you are off course to the right, the range box floats to the right of the course line. If you are off to the left, the range box appears to the left of the course arrow. You can use the ZIN or ZOUT keys to change the cross track error range. Fig. 1 TO arrow Course arrow Fig. 2 Fig. 3 CDI needle Following a course by "chasing the needle." Fig. 1, plane has veered off course to the right by 1.34 nautical miles, away from the needle. Fig. 2, pilot turns on heading of 297º, steering left toward CDI needle to intersect intended course. Fig. 3, pilot has intercepted his route and is virtually on course. The most important graphic element, however, is the CDI needle. The CDI and the cross track error scale instantly show you the distance to the course line, as well as the direction to steer to get back on course. In the example above, fig. 1 shows the pilot off course to the right, so the CDI needle appears to the left of the plane symbol. Fig. 3 shows the pilot back on course, so the CDI needle appears to line up with the course arrow. If you steer toward the CDI needle line, you'll always be heading in the correct direction to get back on course. NOTE: The examples above all show navigation to a waypoint, the most common method of GPS navigation. To show navigation from a waypoint, see the instructions on the OBS Hold feature later in this section. The HSI Navigation Page has its own menu, which is used for some advanced functions and for setting various options. (Options and setup are discussed in Sec. 5.) To access the HSI Page Menu: from the HSI Page, press MENU. 24 Navigating with OBS Hold AirMap contains an OBS Hold feature to help you navigate along a radial from a location. You must first turn on navigation to a location before you can access OBS Hold. While running a route or navigating to a waypoint, you launch OBS Hold from the HSI Page; just press the right or left arrow to initiate it. NOTE: You must be navigating to some destination to begin using OBS Hold. Usually this will be a VOR, or some other Aviation Waypoint in the Jeppesen database. See the entry Searching later in this section if you need help finding and setting up navigation to a waypoint. In the example below, Air Traffic Control contacts the pilot flying south across Oklahoma and warns him of a dangerous storm ahead. To avoid it, they instruct him to fly out on a radial of 235° from the nearby VOR "ADH." To use OBS Hold: 1. From the HSI Page, while navigating to something, press or . 2. A window will pop up asking you if you want to activate OBS Hold. Press |ENT. Use or to change the OBS Hold radial until it reaches the angle you need. Press to decrease the angle, press to increase it. OBS Hold data box Left, pilot navigating to VOR. Center, HSI Page with OBS Hold menu. Right, HSI Page with OBS Hold activated. Note data box in the bottom right corner showing OBS direction instead of Course. This image shows the pilot has passed the VOR and is flying from it. The navigation data will now begin showing directions along the OBS radial instead of toward your original destination. The white arrow behind the airplane icon indicates you are navigating FROM a waypoint. Remember that you can change the radial of OBS Hold using the right and left arrow keys. Press to decrease the angle, press to increase it. 25 Use the Clear OBS Hold command to resume navigation. The HSI Navigation displays will point to your original destination again. At right, you can see the pilot's diversion in his trail on the map page. You can turn off OBS Hold at any time using the HSI Page menu. Press MENU| to CLEAR OBS HOLD|ENT. The navigation data will once again direct you to your destination, or the next waypoint in the route you're navigating. Beginning navigation to a new destination will automatically clear OBS Hold, as well. Map Page The map screens (including the Airport Orientation Page) show your course and track from a "bird's-eye" view. By default, this unit shows the Map Page map with north always at the top of the screen. (This can be changed using options described in the topic Map Orientation, in Sec. 5.) If you're navigating to a waypoint, the map also shows your starting location, present position, course line and destination. NOTE: When our text says "navigating to a waypoint," we really mean navigation to any selected item, whether it is a waypoint you made, a map feature or an item (like a VOR) from the Jeppesen database. Using the map is as simple as pressing the PAGES key. A screen similar to those in the following images appears. The aircraft in the center of the screen is your present position. It points in the direction you're traveling. A solid line extending from the plane's tail is your plot trail, or path you've taken. (Remember, a flashing question mark on you plane symbol or flashing text displays means AirMap has not yet calculated a position.) The map zoom range is the distance across the screen. This number shows in the lower left corner of the screen. In the first example below left, the range is 4,000 nautical miles from the left edge of the map to the right edge of the map. 26 Far left, Map Page opening screen. Center, zoomed to 100 nautical miles and right, zoomed to 6 nautical miles. (Note that the four data boxes appearing in the bottom of these images are on by default. They have been turned off in most of the following images for the sake of clarity.) The Zoom In and Zoom Out keys zoom the map to enlarge or reduce its coverage area and the amount of mapping detail shown. There are 39 available map zoom ranges, from 0.02 nautical miles to 4,000 nautical miles. AirMap's high resolution screen makes it possible to display aeronautical chart features that look like the "real thing." If you're familiar with sectional charts, you will instantly recognize items such as obstacles, VORs, special airspaces, paved and unpaved airports and more. As you zoom in closer, you'll see Class B airports appear at a fairly wide zoom. Zoom in closer and Class C and D airports appear, as well as restricted airspaces. At closer zooms still you can even see Class C airspace borders around airports. If you're using only the factory-loaded background map, the maximum zoom range for showing additional land map detail is 6 nautical miles. You can continue to zoom in closer, but the map will simply be enlarged without revealing more map content (except for a few major city streets.) Load your own high-detail custom map made with MapCreate, and you can zoom in to 0.02 nautical miles with massive amounts of accurate map detail. Map Pages with high-detail map of an urban area loaded on the MMC. At left, arterial streets appear at the 4 nautical mile zoom range. At 1 nautical mile, minor streets appear, along with square dots representing Points of Interest. Right, at the 0.4 nautical mile zoom, you can see an interstate highway with an exit, major and minor streets as well as Point of Interest icons for two hotels and two restaurants. 27 Background map vs. MapCreate map content The background map includes: low-detail maps of the whole world (containing cities, major lakes, major rivers, political boundaries); and medium-detail maps of the United States. The medium-detail U.S. maps contain: all incorporated cities; county boundaries; some major city streets; Interstate, U.S. and state highways; Interstate highway exits and exit services information; large- and medium-sized lakes and streams; and more than 60,000 navigation aids and 10,000 wrecks and obstructions in U.S. coastal and Great Lakes waters. MapCreate custom maps include massive amounts of information not found in the background map. MapCreate contains: the searchable Points of Interest database, all the minor roads and streets, all the landmark features (such as summits, schools, radio towers, etc.); more rivers, streams, smaller lakes and ponds and their names. What's more important is the large scale map detail that allows your GPS unit to show a higher level of position accuracy. For example, the background map would show you the general outline and approximate shape of a coastline or water body, but the higher detail in MapCreate shows the shoreline completely and accurately (finer detail). Many smaller islands would not be included in the background map, but are, of course, in MapCreate. Interstate Major Street Cursor line POI Markers POI Pop-up Restaurant POI Position, distance and bearing data School POI Zoom Range When the map is zoomed out far enough, most POIs appear as square dots. As you zoom in closer, the symbols become readable icons. In the 0.2 nautical mile zoom example at right, the cursor has selected the Cupps Café POI, which triggers a pop-up box with the POI name. This pop-up box works on POIs at any zoom range. 28 Tip: In some urban areas, businesses are so close to one another that their POI icons crowd each other on the screen. In the preceding figure, you can see a packed string of POIs all along the west half of 11th. You can reduce screen clutter and make streets and other map features easier to see by simply turning off the display of POIs you're not watching for. (To see how, check the text on Map Detail Category Selection, in Sec. 5. It shows how to use the Map Categories Drawn menu to turn individual POI displays off and on.) Even though their display is turned off, you can still search for POIs and their icons will pop-up when your unit finds them for you. NOTE: On the Map Page, the screen shows an indicator of what AirMap's microprocessor is doing behind the scenes. In the lower right corner of the screen, an MMC icon will flash when the AirMap is reading information from the MMC. 1. To get to Map Page: Map page is the default when AirMap is turned on. To switch from another page to the Map Page, press PAGE repeatedly until the page you want appears. 2. To get to Map Page Menu: press MENU. Map Menu. Map Page Menu The map menu has many options. It allows you to get information on the airspace you're in with the Airspace Status command. You can also find distances, change the orientation of your map, view map data, and other helpful map functions. Read more about these functions in Sec. 5, System Setup and GPS Setup Options. Airport Orientation Page The Airport Orientation Page is a special version of the Map Page. This page only appears when you are navigating to an airport that has run29 way position information listed in our database. Then, when you press PAGE from the Map Page, it will switch to a split map, showing your current position in the top map, and a zoomed view of the destination airport in the bottom map. Both maps are always in "Track Up" mode. There are several unique features built into the Airport Orientation Page. You will notice in the following image that we have added four customizable information displays on the left side of your position map. The default options are intended to help in navigating to a landing. In fact, everything about this page is intended to help you navigate to a landing. The top position map is locked so that it will always show your location relative to the destination airport. It is permanently in auto zoom, so it will zoom in or out to keep you and the airport both on the screen. The bottom airport map is not locked. You can scroll the cursor to look for obstructions or known landmarks on the map. You can zoom it in or out to get better detail or wider perspective. And, like the Map Page, pressing EXIT will snap the map back to its starting point ­ but now it returns to center on the airport, so you can always easily check your approach. The Airport Orientation Page, showing an approach to Tulsa International Airport. We've done everything we could with AirMap to make it a powerful navigation tool, but also to keep it simple to use. Sometimes describing all of the options AirMap contains can make it sound hard to use, but it's really not! The following page contains a 12-step quick reference for the most basic aviation GPS operations. If for some reason you don't want to carry the manual with you as you practice with the AirMap, you might consider photocopying this quick reference page and tucking it into your pocket or flight bag. 30 Aviation GPS Quick Reference Start outdoors, with a clear view of open sky. Imagine you're flying to a nearby airport to practice landings. (If you're practicing on foot or by car, substitute a restaurant for an airport. Pick one a few blocks away. While learning, navigation in too small an area constantly triggers alarms. 1. Insert the MMC and batteries. Mount AirMap on the yoke. Connect to electric power and the active antenna. (See install details on page 11.) 2. Turn on the AirMap: press and release PWR key. Press EXIT to clear each of the two warning and copyright message screens. 3. Opening screen­ displays map of North America at the 4,000 nautical mile zoom range. Rotate through four main Page screens (Map Page, Satellite Status Page, Position Page and HSI Navigation Page) by repeatedly pressing PAGES key. Switch pages to display Satellite Status Page. 4. Wait while unit locates satellites and calculates current position. Process is visible on Satellite Page. This takes an average of 1 minute or less with sky unobstructed by terrain or structures. When the unit acquires position, a tone sounds and a position acquired message appears. 5. With position acquired, press PAGES key to display Map Page, which shows a bird's eye view of the earth. You can move around the map by: Zoom in closer to see greater detail: press ZIN (zoom in key.) Zoom out to see more area, less detail: press ZOUT (zoom out key.) Scroll map north, south, east or west using arrow keys . To stop scrolling and return to current position on map, press EXIT key. 6. At the airport, set a waypoint (Wpt 001) at your current position so you can navigate back here: press ENT|ENT. Waypoint symbol and "001" appears. 7. Zoom/scroll map to find a nearby airport to go to. Use arrow keys to center cursor cross-hair over the airport symbol or wherever you want to enter the pattern. 8. Navigate to airport: press MENU| to GO TO CURSOR|ENT|EXIT, and take off. Follow dotted course line on Map Page or Course Arrow on HSI Navigation Page. (Remember to "steer to the needle.") 9. At airport, Arrival Alarm goes off; to clear it, press EXIT. Enter pattern and land. Cancel navigation: press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. 10. Return to Wpt 1 by Navigate To Waypoint: press FIND| to MY WAYPOINTS|ENT|ENT. Use or to select Wpt 001, press ENT|ENT; follow navigation displays. 11. Back home, Arrival Alarm goes off; press EXIT. Cancel navigation: press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. 12. To turn off AirMap, press and hold PWR key for three seconds. 31 Find Your Current Position Finding your current position is as simple as turning AirMap on. Under clear sky conditions, the unit automatically searches for satellites and calculates its position in approximately one minute or less. NOTE: "Clear sky" means open sky, unobstructed by terrain, dense foliage or structures. Clouds do not restrict GPS signal reception. If for some reason satellite acquisition takes longer, you may be inside a structure or vehicle or in terrain that is blocking signal reception. To correct this, be sure you are positioned so that the unit has as clear a view of the sky as possible, then turn the unit off and back on again. Moving Around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys The map is presented from a bird's eye view perspective. The current zoom range shows in the lower left corner of the screen. 1. Press the ZIN key (zoom in) to move in closer and see greater detail in a smaller geographic area. 2. Press the ZOUT key (zoom out) to move farther away and see less map detail, but a larger geographic area. When you are walking or riding in a vehicle, the map will automatically move as you move. This keeps your current location roughly centered on the screen. You can manually pan or scroll the map northward, southward, eastward or westward by using the arrow keys, which launches the crosshair map cursor. This allows you to look at map places other than your current position. To clear the cursor, press EXIT, which jumps the map back to the current position or the last known position. Cursor line Selected airport Cursor line Distance measured by cursor The selected airport to the northwest is 3.66 nautical miles away. Tip: Use the cursor to determine the distance from your current position (or last known position, when working indoors) to any map object or location. Simply use the arrow keys to position the cursor over the 32 object or place. The distance, measured in a straight line, appears in the data box at the bottom of the map. Press EXIT to clear the cursor. Selecting Any Map Item With the Cursor 1. Use the zoom keys and the arrow keys to move around the map and find the item you wish to select. 2. Use the arrow keys and center the cursor cross-hair on the desired object. On most items, a pop-up box will give the name of the selected item. You will also notice a black ring surrounds the item as it becomes selected. Once that happens, if you press FIND the Find Menu will pop up with an extra option at the top of the list: SELECTED ITEM. Press ENT to see the Information screen for the selected item. Searching Now that you've seen how AirMap can find where you are, let's search for something somewhere else. Searching is one of the most powerful features in the Lowrance GPS product line. In this example, we'll look for the nearest VOR. For more information on different types of searches, refer to Sec. 6, Searching. NOTE: This example requires the Jeppesen database included with your AirMap. After AirMap has acquired a position: 1. Press FIND| to FIND VORS|ENT. 2. You could search the VOR category by any of these four criteria (by Nearest, by Name, by Identifier or by City), but in this example we will just search for nearest. When the Find By menu pops up, press ENT. 3. AirMap says it is calculating, then a list of VORs appears, with the closest at the top of the list, and the farthest at the bottom of the list. The nearest is highlighted. Find VORs Menu, left; Search Criteria menu, center; and list of the nearest VORs, right. 33 4. If you wish, you could scroll or here to select another VOR, but for now we will just accept the nearest one. Press ENT. 5. The waypoint information screen appears. If you wanted to navigate there, you press ENT, since the GO TO command is highlighted. But we just want to see it on the map, so press to FIND ON MAP|ENT. Waypoint information screen on VOR nearest this position. Screen shows name, identifier, city, radio frequency, latitude/longitude and its compass bearing. It also shows both distance to the VOR and your "Radial From" ­ information ready at your fingertips when Air Traffic Control wants a position report! The figure at left shows Go To command; right figure shows Find On Map command. 6. AirMap's map appears, with the cross-hair cursor highlighting the VOR's symbol. A pop-up name box identifies the VOR. A data box at the bottom of the screen continues to display the location's latitude and longitude, distance and bearing. Map screen showing Finding Waypoint, the result of a VOR search. 7. To clear the search and return to the last page displayed, press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT. (Before you completely exited out of the Search menus, you could have gone looking for another place.) NOTE: Search works from mapping data loaded in AirMap. Aviation Navigation searches also use information from a Jeppesen database, and 34 General Navigation searches use POI information available with a MapCreate custom map. If you do not have a high-detailed Jeppesen map (or a custom map containing POI data) for the area you are searching loaded on the MMC, you may not find anything. Find Nearest Airport (shortcut) One of flying's most terrifying events is having to make an emergency landing. This situation can be deadly at any time. It's particularly dangerous when you're flying over unfamiliar territory, with no idea where you can safely stop. Of course, the first thing to do is remain calm and follow all standard emergency procedures. Naturally, no instrument by itself can get you through an emergency situation, but we have done our best to provide you with the tools you need as a pilot. One of these emergency tools in the AirMap is a Find Nearest Airport feature that automatically locates, selects, and shows navigation data to the airport nearest the location where the feature was activated. To activate Find Nearest Airport, press the ZOUT and ZIN keys at the same time. A Find By Nearest screen appears, showing a list of the closest airports. Use or to select the best airport for your situation. Then you can press ENT to get detailed information about the airport, or press to begin navigating to the selected location. Navigating to Nearest Airport with the AirMap Find your way to the selected airport with the HSI Navigation Page or Map Page. Any time navigation is activated, the HSI Navigation Page shows the compass rose with its bearing arrow pointing toward the desired destination position, and the destination name shown below. The Map Page displays a dotted line from your start point to the desired airport, and the Airport Orientation Page shows your position in the top map, and the position and orientation of the selected airport in the bottom map. Tip: You don't need to have an emergency to use the Find Nearest Airport feature. You can also use it to maintain positional awareness by finding the nearest landing strip at any time. To cancel navigation to Nearest Airport, press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. AirMap stops showing navigation information. Setting a Waypoint A waypoint is simply an electronic "address," based on the latitude and longitude of a position on the earth. Both the Aviation and the Land mode allow you to save waypoints to mark specific locations you'd like to 35 return to (or maybe send a friend to, or even specifically avoid). To save a waypoint: 1. Press and release ENT. 2. The CREATE WAYPOINT menu appears, with the QUICK SAVE method selected. To place a waypoint at your current cursor position, press ENT. The waypoint icon appears on the map, and a pop-up box tells you the waypoint's name (in this case, "001." Pop-up box Create a waypoint. The pop-up box with waypoint name is shown at left. At right, you can see Waypoint 001, with the default waypoint symbol. This example shows a waypoint set at the cursor location. If the cursor was not active, the point would be placed at the current position. Navigate Back to a Waypoint To navigate to a waypoint that you've created: 1. Press FIND| to MY WAYPOINTS|ENT|ENT. Press or to select from the list the waypoint you want to navigate to, then press ENT. Use the navigation arrows on the Map Page or the compass rose on the HSI Navigation Page to make your way to the selected waypoint. To cancel navigation, press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. AirMap stops showing navigation information. Navigate to Cursor Position on Map The Go To Cursor command navigates to the current cursor position on the map. To navigate to a particular location on the map, find location, then select the location with cursor. Use the Go To Cursor command to lead you there: 1. Use the cursor (controlled by the arrow keys) with the zoom in and zoom out keys to maneuver around the map until you find a location you want to go to. 2. Center the cursor over the location to select it. If you have selected a location that contains navigation information, the icon you're pointing at will be highlighted, indicating it's selected. See the example below. 36 Navigate to cursor. In this example, the cursor has selected the town of Oologah, Oklahoma. 3. Press MENU| to GO TO CURSOR|ENT and AirMap will begin navigating to the cursor location. The Map Page will display a dotted line from your current position to the cursor position. The HSI Navigation Page displays a compass rose showing navigation information to your destination. See examples in the following images. The 15- nautical mile zoom figure at left clearly shows the dotted course line connecting your current position to your destination. The 40- nautical mile zoom, center, shows both current position and destination on screen. The HSI Navigation Page, right, will also show navigation information. To stop navigating to the cursor, use the Cancel Navigation command: press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. AirMap stops showing navigation information. Navigate to a Point of Interest AirMap can navigate to any Point of Interest (POI) you can look up with the FIND key. (For help with FIND's searching capabilities, see the entry on Searching earlier in this section, or turn to Sec. 6, Searching, for detailed instructions.) 37 After you have looked up an item with the find command, use the to make sure the GO TO command is highlighted at the bottom of the screen, then press ENT. AirMap begins showing navigation information to the item. To cancel navigation, press MENU|MENU| to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT| to YES|ENT. AirMap stops showing navigation information. Go "Direct To" (Using the Direct To Button) You will notice a symbol on your FIND button that looks something like this: . In addition to launching searches, the Find/Direct To button also serves several other purposes, depending on when it is used. For instance, you can use the Direct To shortcut in searches. Let's say you've done a search for nearest VOR, and a long list of VORs appears. You scroll through the list and select the one you want to navigate to. Instead of pressing ENT (which would bring up an information screen), if you press it will automatically begin navigating to the selected item in the list. You can also use Direct To when navigating a route, to force AirMap to navigate toward a particular waypoint in the route. To do this (from the Map Page), press MENU|MENU| to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT| to route|ENT. Now press to select the waypoint you want from the list, and then hit . The AirMap will automatically begin navigating to the selected waypoint, and on arrival will continue navigating the route from there. Airspace Status The AirMap can show you information about any airspace contained in its database. While you are in motion, you can press MENU|ENT to run the AIRSPACE STATUS command. (You can also press ENT whenever an Aviation Alarm goes off to see this screen for the airspace that triggered the alarm.) A screen like the one in the following image appears, showing you information about any controlled airspaces that you are currently approaching. Airspace Status page, showing information about DFW International Airport. Press or to cycle through the various information pages. Press EXIT to clear the Airspace Status page and return to the previous page. 38 Airport Information We've already mentioned the waypoint information screen ­ this screen pops up whenever you view the details of a selected item from the map, or when you select an item from a search list. Different information appears on the information screen depending on what kind of map object you have selected. Earlier, we had an example of a VOR information screen, complete with radio frequency and Morse identifier. In the AirMap, airports have information screens packed with useful information. They include much of the same information as a VOR information screen. In addition, airport information screens contain a line drawing showing the general layout of the airport's runways. Also, note that the radio frequencies listed at the bottom make a much longer list. You can press at the information screen to scroll down and see all of these frequencies. When you first open the airport information screen, you'll see "Go To" highlighted at the bottom. You already know how to use GO TO AND FIND ON MAP, but airports have two more options: RUNWAYS and SERVICES. Airport information screen. Runways selected center, and Services at right. Runways The Runways screen shows you everything AirMap knows about the runways at the selected airport. Display boxes contain the runway surface type, its length, its width and the light available. Runways screen at left, with Extend option select. Center, map shows the fan-shaped Runway Extension north of the airport. At right, you can see where the runway extension begins at the very end of runway 18L. 39 At the runways screen you can press or to cycle through the airport's runways. In the previous image, you can see we've selected 18L, so all of the information shown refers to that particular runway. The previous images show not only the information available on this screen, but also the Runway Extension feature. To turn on a runway extension, use or to select the desired runway, then make sure the box at the bottom of the screen says "Extend" next to the runway name. (As long as we have sufficient information about it in our database, AirMap can display a runway extension for any runway.) Press ENT and the runways screen will go away, returning you to the airport information screen. Now you can press EXIT to see the runway extension on the map. Runway extensions are meant to serve as visual references to help you orient the plane as you approach an airport for a landing. The extension appears as a fan-shape, with its tip pointing directly to the foot of the runway you're approaching. This allows you to navigate toward the wider end of the fan, so once you turn down the extension you can easily judge how far you've got to touch-down. To turn off an airport extension, press MENU| to CLEAR RUNWAY EXT. Services The Services screen shows you all of the published services available at the selected airport. You can press or to scroll through the listed items, in case the list runs past the bottom of the screen. Airport Services screen for KTUL (Tulsa International). Transfer Custom Maps and GPS Data Files Custom maps work only from the MMC card or SDC card. When a card containing a Custom Map File is loaded into the unit, AirMap automatically loads the map into memory when the unit is turned on. Instructions for copying Custom Map Files to an MMC are contained in the instruction manual for your MMC card reader and MapCreate 6 software. For instructions on inserting an MMC into AirMap, see Sec. 2, Installation/Accessories. 40 GPS Data files, containing waypoints, routes, trails and event marker icons, must be copied from an MMC to AirMap's internal memory before AirMap can read them. Here's how: 1. Press MENU| to TRANSFER MY DATA|ENT and the screen in the following image appears. The Transfer My Data submenu asks if you want to save data to the MMC or load data from the MMC into AirMap's memory. 2. The Transfer My Data menu includes a message which tells you if an MMC is present or not. If no MMC is present, you must first insert a card into AirMap in order to activate the Load or Save commands. To transfer data from AirMap to the MMC: press ENT (for SAVE.) To transfer data from the MMC to AirMap: press to LOAD|ENT. 3. Saving: To accept the default name "Data" for the GPS Data File, press to SAVE|ENT. If you wish to rename the file (as in the example below), press ENT to activate the selection box. Press or to change the first character, then press to the next character and repeat until the name is correct. Then, press ENT| to SAVE|ENT. From left to right, these figures show the menu sequence for naming and saving a GPS Data File from an MMC into AirMap's memory. The unit will display first a progress then a completion message when the data transfer is finished. To return to the Page view, press EXIT|EXIT. 41 4. Loading: There may be more than one GPS Data File (*.USR) on the card. To select a file, press ENT to activate the selection box, use or to highlight the file, then press ENT to accept the selection. Next, press to LOAD|ENT. The unit will display a completion message when the data transfer is finished. To return to the Page view, press EXIT|EXIT. From left to right, these figures show the menu sequence for loading a GPS Data File from an MMC into AirMap's memory. Switch to Land Mode To leave Aviation Mode and switch to Land Mode: 1. Press MENU|MENU| to SYSTEM SETUP| to DISABLE AIRMAP|ENT. 2. Unit asks, "Are you sure you want to turn on land navigation mode?" 3. Press |ENT and the unit switches to Land Mode. Switch Back to Aviation Mode from Land Mode To leave Land Mode and switch back to Aviation Mode: 1. Press MENU|MENU| to SYSTEM SETUP| to ENABLE AIRMAP|ENT. 2. Unit asks, "Are you sure you want to turn on aviation mode?" 3. Press |ENT and the unit switches to Aviation Mode. Aviation Utilities To help you with flight planning, this unit has four aviation utilities built into it that let you calculate density altitude, true airspeed, wind speed and direction, plus vertical navigation. NOTE: AirMap also includes a set of five general-purpose utilities. These are discussed in Sec. 4, Utilities. E6B Altitude/Airspeed Calculator The Altitude/Airspeed Calculator lets you calculate density altitude or true airspeed. The screen in the following image appears. For each item in the top portion of the screen, press the enter key, use and to enter the field value, and then press EXIT when you're done. You'll need to enter indicated altitude (ALTITUDE), barometric pressure (BARO) in inches of mercury, outside air temperature (TEMP), and calibrated airspeed (CAS). 42 In the example shown, the indicated altitude is 5000 feet, barometric pressure is 30.02", outside air temperature is 59° Fahrenheit, and the calibrated airspeed is 129 knots. This gives us a pressure altitude of 4908 feet, a density altitude of 5740 feet, and a true airspeed of 140.4 knots. Obviously, you don't need airspeed to calculate density altitude, this was done for illustration purposes. E6B Altitude/Airspeed Calculator To get to the altitude/airspeed calculator menu: while in Aviation Mode, press MENU|MENU| to UTILITIES|ENT| to E6B ALT/AIRSPEED|ENT. E6B Wind Speed/Direction Calculator To determine the wind speed and direction, first find true airspeed using the Altitude/Airspeed Calculator. Once you have that, open the Wind Speed/Direction Calculator. A screen similar to the one in the following image appears. The current true airspeed is automatically used, and you only need to enter your heading. Use the arrow keys to change the heading in the box at the top of the screen. In the example shown, the heading is 39° magnetic. This gives us a wind speed of 11.4 knots on a bearing of 42° magnetic, for an 11.4 knot headwind. E6B Wind Speed/Direction Calculator To get to the wind speed/direction calculator menu: while in Aviation Mode, press MENU|MENU| to UTILITIES|ENT| to E6B WIND SPEED/DIR|ENT. 43 Vertical Navigation Calculator With the Vertical Navigation Calculator, the AirMap 500 can help you decide when to let down for an approach to an airport. In the following example, we're travelling to the Wichita Mid-Continent airport in Wichita, Kansas. It's identifier is shown at the bottom of the screen ­ KICT. We are travelling at 4500 feet, and need to be at the pattern altitude (about 2300 feet) by 5 nautical miles from the airport using a 450 fpm descent. After determining the above information, use or to highlight each field, then press ENT. In each box, use the arrow keys to enter the data. When you're finished, highlight ON next to the "Vertical Nav" label and press ENT. A screen similar to the one below appears. The solution to our vertical navigation problem shows at the top of the screen. Our current altitude is 4500 feet and at our current airspeed, we should begin our descent in 51 minutes and 18 seconds. If we maintain a 450 fpm descent starting in about 51 minutes, then we should reach pattern altitude 5 nautical miles before we reach the airport. You can watch the clock count down your approach. If you increase your speed, the clock will decrease more quickly. If you slow down, it will take longer. Either way, when you reach the point at which you should begin your descent, the box at the top of the screen changes. Now in place of the timer, it indicates that you should be descending. Above that, it shows the altitude you should be at. Vertical Navigation Calculator To get to the vertical navigation calculator menu: while in Aviation Mode, press MENU|MENU| to UTILITIES|ENT| to VERTICAL NAV |ENT. 44