INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL X-50 Cl LCG RECORDER · LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC. LITHO IN USA. 988-0105-11 Rev.A 12000 E.SKELLY DR.,TULSA, OKLA. 74128 PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor NOTES ©Copyright1987Lowrance Electronics, Inc.All Rights Reserved. PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor 45 TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTES Installation Power Connections Temperature SensorInstallation Noise Keyboard Basics Operation On . 2 2 4 5 6 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 11 Off 2nd Clear Auto Sensitivity Sensitivity--Automatic Sensitivity--Manual GRAYLINE ChartSpeed Scale Markers Range LowerLimit--Automatic LowerLimit--Manual UpperLimit Auto Range with ZoomBottom Track Digital 10th Alarms Zone Alarm Clearing Zone Alarm NoteKey Depth Alarm Light Discirmination Temperature Surface ClatityControl (SCC) Speed Log Feet, Fathoms, Meters Pulse Preset Display Memory Command Key--MENUS FASTRAK Orayline Checkerboard/Lines Speaker Volume Clear Distance Log Narrow/WideAuto Range Window Digital Averaging Battery Backup Scale On/Off Calibrate Speed Test Pattern Keel Offset Total System Reset Transducers and Cone Angles Signal Interpretation Fish Signals WaterTemperature andThermoclines Surveying a Lake Bait Fish How to Obtain a Schematic Specifications 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 17 19 19 20 21 21 21 23 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 32 33 33 33 34 35 36 36 37 38 39 40 40 41 41 32 32 32 as PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor 44 1 The Lowrance X-50 Liquid Crystal Sonar (LCG) is the most sophisticated and reliable instrument of its kind. Its high resolution display gives the sharpest definition ever. Thisunit is so advanced,you can just press the "ON" button and let it do all the work. However, taking manual control enables you to open up a whole world of features not available in other sonars. To get started with your X-50, firstreadthe installation section.This is where it all begins, and improper installation can cause problems down the road. After you've read these instructionsand installedyourX-50, read the reSt of this manual in detail. The more you know when you get to the water, the more your X-50will do foryou. NOTES INSTALLATION TheX-50 can be installed in any convenient location, provided there is clearance when tilted for the best viewing angle. Roles in the bracket base allow wood screw or through bolt mounting. The bracket can be attached to aluminum panels with sheet metal screws. However, we suggest placing a piece of plywood on the back of thin fiberglass panels to secure themounting hardware. Make certain there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power and transducer cables. A one inch hole in the base of the gimbal bracket allows the power and transducer cables to be routed up through the mountingsurface.After the cables have been routed, the hole can be filled with silicone rubber adhesive (RTV) to prevent water leaks. Mounting Power Connections TheX-50 operatesfroma 12voltbatterysystem. Thepower cablecan be attached to an accessory or powerbuss,but ifyouhave problems with electrical interference (random dots or lines that show whenever the boat's engine or an accessory is on), then attach the cable directly to the battery The power cable hastwo sets of cables.One set has the red power and black ground wires for connection to the 12 volt battery system. The other hasa connector for the temperatureprobe and the optional speed sensor.See the owner's manualenclosed with the LSS-5 speed sensorfor installation instructions. PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor 2 43 NOTES Thepower cable has two wires, red is the positive lead and black is negative or ground. An in-line fuse holder containing a 4 amp fuse is supplied with the X-50c This attaches to the red wire on the power cable with the crimp connector.The other end of the fuse holder attaches to the battery or accessory buss. if the cable is not long enough, splice ordinary #18 gauge wire onto Be certain that the fuse holder is as close to the power source (batteryor accessory buss) as possible. This protects the power cable and your X-50 in the event of a short. TheX-50 is protected from accidental polarity reversals and will not be harmed if the wires are reversed. (However, the unit will not work until the correct polarity is it applied.) F0v18r Cabk SpUta Figure 1 Terrpersar 3 PDF compression, 42 OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor The temperature sensor should be mountedin a location that allows contactwiththe waterat all times.Thediagram in Figure2 shows a typical location. Once a suitable place is found, mountthe sensor to the hull with two #8 stainless steel screws.Above the water line drill a ¾" hole for the connector to passthrough. Route the cable via the shortest path to the X-50's power cable. Plug the sensor's cable into the in-lineconnector on the X-50's power cable. NOTE:If the speed sensor is also installed, plug the temperature sensor into the speed sensor's in-line connector, then attach the speed sensor's plug to the in-line connector on the X-50's power cable. See figure 3 for details. Figure 2 TEMPERATURE SENSOR TEMPERATURE SENSOR INSTALLATION -Povier Cabt SPECIFICATIONS Figure 3 Dimensions 7"Hx8.8"Wx3.7"D 2.6 pounds 192 kHz Weight Transmitter OutputPower (typical) ReceiverSensitivity OperatingCurrent OperatingVoltage Number of Pixels 3000 watts (peakto peak) 375 watts (RMS) 500 ma 9-15 vdc 192 vertical 64 horizontal 12,288total Sersor Speed PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor 4 41 The temperatureof water in the lake is seldom constant from top to bottom. Layersof different temperaturesform, and the junction of a warm and cool layer ofwater is called a thermocline.Thedepth and thickness of the thermocline can vary with the season or time of day. In deep lakes theremay be two or more at differentdepths.Thermoclinesare important to fishermen because theyare areas where fish are acti ye. Many times baitfish will be abovethe thermoclinewhile larger game fish will suspend in or just below it. TheX-50candetectthis invisible layerinthe water,butthe sensitivity will probably haveto be turned up to seeit A knowledge of the water temperaturesvarious fish prefer, and in which they usually remain, helps you get the most from your X-50. SURVEYING A LAKE TRANSDUCER Installationinstructions forthetransducer are supplied with the transducer in a separatepackage. Please read the instructions carefully before you start installingthe transducer. Themost successful anglers on any lake or reservoir are those who fish it dayafterdayand year after year until they learn the hot spots that producefish consistently. They discoverthrough experiencewhere, and at what depth, they can expect to find the kind of fish they want at any season.And they realize that these productive areas change throughout the year dependingon water level, temperature, food, and other factors. With the aid of the X-50, anyone can eliminateguesswork and concentrate on the areas where fish are likelyto be-even if its the firsttime on the lake! Themost efficentway to become aquaintedwith a body ofwateris to survey it with your X-50. Start out with a map of the lake, if possible, and indicate the promisingspots in relationto landmarkson shore. Keep a few Lowrance Fish-N-Floats in the boat, ready to toss overboard. When the X-50 indicates a school offish, throwthe buoy out. The string will unwind until the sinker hits boftom. Then, because of the marker's flat shape, it won't unwind any further. With the school thus marked,you can makeyour turn and come back to fish in exactly the right spot. This is essentialwhenyou're far from shore on abig lake.Unless you mark the school offish when you're over it, you may not be ableto find it again. Electrical noise picked up by the power cable can be minimized by routing it away from otherpossible sources of electrical interference.One of the largest noise generators is the engine's wiring hamess that runs from the engine to the instrument panel. This harness usually contains a wire for the tachometer which radiates SF (radio frequency) energy. For best results, keep thepower and transducer cables away fromthe engine wiring. Also, bilge pumpwiring can sometimesradiate noise so tryto keep the X-50's cables away fromthose wires. VHF radio antenna cables radiate SF energy at higher power levels than even the engine's wiring harness. It is very important to keep the X-50's power and transducer cables as far away as possible from VHF radio antenna cable. If there is no noise--interference--onthe unitwhenthe boat is sifting still with the enginerunning in neutral, but interferencebegins atslowboat speeds,worsening as the boat speed increases,then a probable cause is acoustic noise, or cavitation. This noise is not electrical, but rather mechanicallyinduced noise from thetransducer Usually, acoustic noise is created by air bubbles passing over the faceof the transducer.As a boat travels faster, more air bubbles are created which generate noise on the display.To eliminatethis problem, read the transducer owner's manualfor proper mountingtechniques. NOISE BAIT FISH emphasized. They arethe principle food of all game fish in most waters. The importance of bait fish to successful fishing can't be over- Bait fish are the planktonfeeding forage fish, such as minnows and shad. Bait fish can also be the young of game fish, such as crappies, bluegill,and bass. Most bait fish are concentrated within five feet of the surface where sunlight promotes the growth of the plankton on which they feed. One method of fishing is to use the X-50to find the baitfish first A school of baitfish will look likea "cloud" on the X-50's display.Usually, game fish will be nearby, often directly beneaththe school of bait fish. 40 PDF compression, OCR, web-optimization with CVISION's PdfCompressor 5 KEYBOARDBASICS SENSITIVITY These keys control thegraph's sensitivity. Thedigital's sensitivityisalways automaticallyadjusted, while the graph's senstivityis automatiCallyadjusted whenthe X-50 is inAutomatic.Thereceiver sensitivity has 31 steps which allows adjusbnentfora wide range ofconditions. The left arrowkeydecreases the sensitivity,the right arrowkey increases it. ET1 t.r:ysa stop RESUME ________________ FAST STORE SLOW LRECALL DIGITAL 10TH e]I?if.]fl:p fl4·I IsUl _______ __________ 1" ShALLOW SET SHALLOW ALARM ZONE ALARM This group of keys control theX-50's zone alarm. It can be used asa "fish alarm" that will sound iffish ora schooloffish enters The alarm zone. Thebottom signal will -- '" t 'tj;--' DISPLAY DEEP ALARM I _______ LPRESET DEEP SET I DIi1 tOOMMANDJ alsoset offthe alarm. _______ _______ _______ 1 2 TEMP °F/°C 5CC _______ _______ _______ SPEED If a partial arch occursmost ofthetimeon yourunit(the mark curves but not back down, or vice-versa) it could be the transducer is not pointed straightdown, If the transducer is mountedon the transom, adjust it until thefish show the distinctivearch. Thismaytakesometrial anderror until the correct mounling is achieved. Remember, there must be some movementbetweenthe boat and the fish to develop the arch. Usuallythis means trolling at very slow speeds with the main engine in gearat a minimum throttle setting. Thedepth of the water will affect the size and shape fish arch dueto the cone angle diameter. For example, if the cone passes over a fish in shallow water,the signal displayed on theX-50 may not arch at all, due to the narrow cone diameterand the resolution limitationsof the display. Compared to a paper graph, an X-50 cannot show as fine of detail because the pixels (dots on the screen) are much larger than a paper graph's markings.Therefore,theX-50 cannot showfish arches as well as graph, and it requires a bit more work initially to read and interpret the up, 4 7 01ST LOG BTM TRK 5 8 0.9 Thesekeys allow the-- entry of numbers 0through 9. SIZE 3 6 M/KT/I( 9 FT/FA/M someof these keys have more than cnefunction (printed in the display. white letters) and can be accessed using the 2nd key. When anumeric key is pressed, thenumber will bedisplayed in awindow near thetop center of UPPER LIMIT CAR erases thelastkey pressed.It can alsoerase other features, as will be seen later TheCAR keys L211t1 [0FFI[ ON] _______________ _______ _______ PULSE 0 LOWER LIMIT screen than a paper graph. Very small fish probably will not arch at all, while medium sized fish will show a partial arch, or a shape similar to an arch if they're in deep water. Large fish will arch, but the sensitivity needs to be turned up in deeper water to seethe arch. Because of water conditions,suchas heavy surface clutter, thermoclines, etc., the sensitivity sometimes cannot be turned high enoughto getfish arches. One of the best ways to get fish arches is to expand or "z ...