User manual NORTHSTAR 961X

961 X 961 XD GPS Chart Navigator Operations and Reference Manual P/N GM1700 Revision D Limited warranty policy Northstar Technologies warrants the Northstar 961 to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of two (2) years. This warranty applies to the original purchaser and to any subsequent owner during the warranty period, which begins on the date of shipment of the unit, F.O.B. Acton, Massachusetts, to an authorized Northstar dealer. Systems may not be returned to Northstar without a Returned Materials Authorization (RMA) number. Call your Northstar dealer or Northstar for instructions. During the unit's warranty period, Northstar will repair or replace, at its option, any part of the unit it finds to be defective due to faulty material(s) or workmanship. All such repairs and/or replacements will be promptly performed by Northstar free-of-charge to the owner, excluding freight costs incurred in shipping to the factory. Return shipments from Northstar to points within the United States are made via ground transportation, freight prepaid. Special shipping charges (overnight, two-day, and so on) are the responsibility of the owner. To be covered by this warranty, the Northstar equipment must have been in normal use. The warranty does not apply to units with defects caused by improper installation, physical damage, abuse, tampering, lightning or other abnormal electrical discharge, or to units with defaced or altered serial numbers, or to units repaired by unauthorized persons or repaired in a manner that violates Northstar's recommended service procedures. All repairs and/or replacements made under this warranty must be performed at Northstar's facilities in Acton, Massachusetts. Performance of warranty work elsewhere will not be authorized, and Northstar will not pay for any charges for such work. Northstar will not be responsible for payment of any charges imposed by a Northstar dealer or other party for services requested by and/or performed for a unit's owner in connection with this warranty. Such services might include removal of the unit from a vessel, inspection, packaging, handling, reinstallation, and the like. Northstar Technologies assumes no responsibility for any consequential losses of any nature with respect to any of its products or services sold, rendered, or delivered. The foregoing is the only warranty expressed or implied. No other warranty exists. Contents List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix List of 961 Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2 Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 Turning the 961 on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Turning the 961 off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12 Basic navigation terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Highlight One: Basic navigation terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14 Introducing the function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Using the chart-view screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16 Navigating to a point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22 Reading and clearing alarm messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27 Introducing the 961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 System overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2 Introducing the 961's controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7 Entering data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9 Caring for the 961. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10 About interfacing the 961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 Introducing GPS and DGPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Using the Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 More navigation terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2 Highlight Two: More navigation terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 PWR key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3 Function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Brightness key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26 SAVE key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27 MOB key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-27 IN and OUT keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30 Cursor pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30 Arrow keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31 Menu keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page iii Understanding the Chart Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Understanding electronic charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-2 Understanding the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2 Displaying your vessel's position on a chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 Functions performed at the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 Using the cursor on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15 Customizing the chart screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35 Understanding Position Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 Using GPS to determine position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2 Using DGPS to determine position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4 Understanding Loran-C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7 Using Phantom loran to determine position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 Creating Waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 Introducing waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-2 Displaying waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 Sorting the list of waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5 Searching for a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Creating a new waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Editing a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14 Erasing a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16 Changing the display of coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16 Creating Avoidance Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 Introducing avoidance points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-2 Displaying avoidance points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3 Sorting the list of avoidance points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 Searching for an avoidance point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8 Creating a new avoidance point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9 Editing an avoidance point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13 Erasing an avoidance point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 Changing the display of coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 Creating Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1 Introducing routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-2 Displaying routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3 Sorting the list of routes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6 Searching for a route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7 Creating a new route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8 Page iv 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Editing a route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17 Erasing a route. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-24 Creating Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1 Introducing tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-2 Displaying tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2 Sorting the list of tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6 Creating a new track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6 Editing a track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10 Erasing a track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-12 Waypoint and Route Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1 Steering to a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-2 Navigating from the routes screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6 Navigating from the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10 Navigating from the waypoints screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Restarting the track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 Using the Trip Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 Introducing the trip function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-2 Displaying the trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3 Changing the trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-5 Saving the trip as a route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11 Erasing the trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12 Restarting the track at the trip screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-14 Stopping navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15 Alarms, TideTrack, and Currents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1 Understanding alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 Understanding the TideTrack function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8 Understanding the currents function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-12 Customizing Setup Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1 Changing the display setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing navigation setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the chart setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading, updating, and deleting charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing the time information screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-2 . 13-9 13-23 13-30 13-62 13-66 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page v Service and Maintenance Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1 Service functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-2 Maintenance functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16 961 Features and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Position data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steer screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waypoint and route management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waypoint navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trip functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscellaneous functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GPS receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DGPS receiver (961XD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Physical features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GPS Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GPS/DGPS Combination Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 A-2 A-2 A-2 A-3 A-3 A-4 A-4 A-5 A-5 A-6 A-7 A-7 A-7 A-8 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1 Page vi 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D List of Figures Figure 1: 961 function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-15 Figure 2: 961 controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-8 Figure 3: GPS satellites communicating with vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-13 Figure 4: Position variances with uncorrected GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-9 Figure 5: Restarting the desired track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20 Figure 6: Passing a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page vii Page viii 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D List of Tables Table 1: Contacting Northstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 Table 2: Noise-level meanings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5 Table 3: DGPS status messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6 Table 4: Displaying waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 Table 5: Displaying avoidance points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3 Table 6: Displaying routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3 Table 7: Displaying tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2 Table 8: 961 alarms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4 Table 9: Cross-track scale options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-4 Table 10: Datum list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-11 Table 11: Reference ellipsoid constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-18 Table 12: HCRF chart errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-49 Table 13: Service checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page ix Page x 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D List of 961 Screens Initial startup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-8 System test screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9 Owner's message screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-10 Advisory message screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-10 Power-off dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-12 Chart view A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-16 Chart screen with info bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-21 Chart screen with cursor location info bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-23 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-24 Chart screen with coord waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-25 Go to coordinates dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-26 Chart screen with coord waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-27 Initial startup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3 Power-off dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5 Chart screen with menu keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-7 Alarms screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9 Chart-screen alarm message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10 Setup menu screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11 Service menu screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13 Traditional steer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-15 3-D steer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-16 Trip screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17 Waypoints screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-19 Routes screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-21 Tracks screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-23 Avoidance points screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-25 Man overboard dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-28 Chart screen with *MOB6* waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-29 Go to coordinates dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-6 Vessel-position charts screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-9 Cursor-position charts screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-9 Chart screen with tide stations and station coverage bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-11 Chart screen with tide graph and tide station bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-12 Chart view A with two info bars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-14 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page xi Chart view B with two info bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-14 Chart screen with cursor info bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-16 Chart screen with selected object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-17 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-19 Store as a waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-21 Store as a waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-23 Store as a waypoint (for on-chart route) dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-24 Selected route point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-26 Selected trip point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-27 Selected route point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-28 Selected trip leg dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-29 Selected route leg dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-30 Selected waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-32 Edit selected waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-32 Use selected waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-33 Selected route point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-34 Chart setup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-35 GPS satellite status screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3 Chart screen with waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-3 Waypoints screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-4 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-9 Store as a waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-9 Vessel position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-11 Chart screen with avoidance points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-4 3-D steer screen with avoidance points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-5 Avoidance points screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-6 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-10 Store as a waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-10 Chart screen with displayed route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-4 Routes screen sorted by name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-5 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-8 Store as a waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9 Store as a waypoint (with on-chart route) dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-10 Vessel-position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-11 Timed vessel-position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 Page xii 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Create new route dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-13 Edit new route screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-14 Save trip as route dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-16 Edit the route dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-18 Edit route screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-18 Selected route point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-24 Chart screen with displayed tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-4 Tracks screen sorted by name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-5 New track screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-7 Start saving track screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-9 Edit track screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-11 Steer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-3 3-D steer screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-4 Routes screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-7 Follow route screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-7 Join leg dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-9 Selected route point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Selected route leg dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 Selected waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16 Selected cursor position dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17 Go to waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18 Go to waypoint dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19 Trip screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-3 Active trip point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-6 Future trip point dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-7 Go to selection dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-9 Go to selection dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10 Past trip point dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-11 Save trip as route dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12 Erasures dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13 Restart here dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15 Alarms screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 Alarm settings screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-7 Chart screen with tide stations and station coverage bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-9 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page xiii Chart screen with tide graph and tide station bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10 Chart screen with current stations and station coverage bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Chart screen with current graph and current station bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 Display setup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-2 Password dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-7 Owner's message display screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-8 Navigation setup screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-9 Chart setup screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-23 Chart setup screen (waypoints) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-25 Chart inventory screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-30 HCRF summary dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-41 HCRF summary dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-43 Charts on disk screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-45 Enter navigator permit dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-46 Deleting all HCRF dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-48 HCRF charts screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-52 HCRF charts in database screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-53 HCRF permits screen (Skipper version) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-54 HCRF permits screen (Navigator version) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-55 HCRF user permit screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-56 Charts in database screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-57 Select chart source screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-61 Charts on disk screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-62 Setup demo mode screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-63 Time information screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-66 Product information screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-2 Receiver information screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-4 GPS satellite status screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-9 Database function screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-11 Select database to save dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-12 Select database to restore dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-13 Select a restored database to undo dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Save log data dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-16 Page xiv 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D 1Qui ck Start Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 Turning the 961 on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Turning the 961 off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12 Basic navigation terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13 Introducing the function keys . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15 Using the chart-view screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16 Navigating to a point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22 Reading and clearing alarm messages . . . . 1-27 This chapter introduces the 961 Operations and Reference Manual; the 961's initial startup and basic installation procedures; and briefly discusses the function keys and CHART screens. After reading this chapter, you'll know how to turn on the 961 and start basic navigation operations. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-1 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Welcome Overview Congratulations on your purchase of the Northstar 961X or 961XD Color GPS/Raster Charting System. The 961 is a high-performance, easy-to-use, full-featured GPS chart navigator that meets your marine navigation needs in a comprehensive and logical manner. Wherever you are, the 961 helps guide you effortlessly to your next location. The 961X uses an internal, high-performance GPS receiver as its primary source of position data. Your vessel's position, course-over-ground (COG), and speed-over-ground (SOG) are calculated directly from the received satellite data, as well as the time, date, and an estimate of the 961's accuracy. For enhanced accuracy, the Northstar 961XD combines GPS navigation with DGPS capability using an internal, fully automatic differential receiver. The Northstar 961X also can be interfaced with other equipment; for details about interfacing the 961, see the Northstar 961 GPS Chart Navigator Installation Manual. Both the 961X and the 961XD have an internal hard drive inside their processors, and a CD-ROM drive for installing software updates and charts from different chart CDs onto this hard drive. The hard drive stores 1000 routes and 2000 waypoints, and enough chart data to cover an entire coastline. Using either BSB charts (Maptech or NDI's ChartKit/ChartPack charts) or the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office's (UKHO) Admiralty Raster Chart Service (ARCS) charts, the 961 can provide you with truly worldwide chart coverage. With its large color screen, the Northstar 961 offers a 10.4-inch diagonal chart display, an intuitive graphical user interface, advanced steering screens, graphical display of tides and currents, and easy management of waypoints, routes, tracks, and avoidance points. The 961 offers high-definition, high-speed CHART screens; loran compatibility; tide data up to the year 2099; a currents overlay, and many other navigation functions. For a list of the 961's major features, see "System overview" starting on page 2-2. For a list of 961 specifications, see "961 Features and Specifications" starting on page A-1. The 961 anticipates your most common requests: Accessing most functions requires pushing only one or two buttons. By reducing the time and attention required to navigate, you can Page 1-2 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start devote more time and attention to enjoying your trip. Welcome to the world of Northstar 961 color-chart navigation! CAUTION! Although Northstar products are designed to be very useful navigation tools, they are not substitutes for good seamanship. The prudent navigator should never rely on any single device as the sole source of navigation guidance. Exercise caution and good judgment whenever underway. CAUTION! Proper installation of your Northstar 961 is of utmost importance to accurately receive and effectively use GPS signals under a variety of weather conditions. To get the best performance from your 961, Northstar strongly recommends that you have an authorized Northstar dealer perform the installation. If you prefer to perform the installation, however, please carefully follow the instructions in the Northstar 961 GPS Chart Navigator Installation Manual. CAUTION! Although every effort has been made to ensure that the 961's electronic chart data is as close to paper charts as possible, errors and omissions are inevitable: Use extra care when navigating with electronic charts. The captain is responsible for cross-checking the 961 against other sources of navigation data. Scope of this manual Whether you're an experienced mariner, a novice boater, or somewhere between the two, the 961 Operations and ReferPage 1-3 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start ence Manual is a complete guide to understanding and operating the Northstar 961 GPS chart navigator. Each of the 961's functions is discussed in the appropriate chapter of the manual. The manual complements the 961's ease-of-use by describing and illustrating these functions in a reference format that promotes quick learning--no matter what your level of experience. Using this manual If you're new to the 961, you'll find the first few chapters of the manual extremely helpful. As you learn more about the 961, later chapters will help you understand many of its advanced, yet still easy-to-use, capabilities (see "Organization" starting on page 1-4). Certain terms that either have a special meaning in this manual or that are important to understand clearly are defined in the margin. In addition, readers who are new to marine navigation may want to refer to either "Highlight One: Basic navigation terms" later in this chapter, "Highlight Two: Understanding more navigation terms," or the "Glossary" starting on page G-1 for definitions of 961 and related navigational terms. If you encounter a term you don't understand, turn to the Glossary for its meaning. After using the 961 for a while, you'll find that you can quickly learn its functions without constantly referring to this manual. After you've read through the manual, you probably won't have to refer to it too often. Organization This "Quick Start" chapter tells you how to start up the 961 and become familiar with its chart display screens. Chapter 2 is a comprehensive introduction that reviews key features and controls and introduces overall maintenance. This introduction also presents the concepts of GPS and DGPS. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 detail the controls, chart display screens, and position coordinates, respectively, before moving to more advanced waypoint and route navigation operations comprising Chapters 6 through 12. Page 1-4 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Chapters 13 and 14 describe customizing the setup of your 961--including the loading of charts--and the maintenance and service procedures, respectively. A comprehensive glossary is found at the back of the manual, as is the appendix with the specifications for the 961, its GPS and DGPS antenna (if applicable), and the optional internal DGPS receiver. To locate specific terms or procedures, see the comprehensive index at the back of the manual. Sample 961 display screens throughout the manual illustrate each function, supplementing the text with an accurate visual description. Conventions Specific conventions, or standards, are used to provide a consistent way to recognize certain information, as follows: · is the universal caution symbol used for caution and warning information that pertains to your personal safety or prevents damage to the 961. The CAUTION and WARNING boxes contain critical information--please read them! · NOTE is the type style used for titles of reader notes. These notes contain valuable information purposely highlighted so that you don't miss it while reading the main text. · KEY is the type style used to refer to the 961's function keys (located along the bottom of the 961) as well as the 961's menu keys (located in a vertical row on the right side of the 961). These keys are discussed further in "Introducing the 961" starting on page 2-1, and in "Using the Controls" starting on page 3-1. DISPLAY TEXT is the type style representing text that appears on the 961's display screens. Sample 961 screen is the type style used for captions of 961 display screens. · · · · Figure 1 is the type style used for captions of 961 figures, such as parts illustrations. Menu keys with a mark designate the final step in a sequence, the step that will actually carry out the operation. Page 1-5 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start · · · · · Menu keys with a red mark cancel an operation, and return you to the screen you were previously viewing. A bulleted list contains a series of related items or topics. A numbered list contains a series of steps in a procedure. The command "Press a button or key" means push and release that button or key--unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise specified, the product name 961 refers to either the 961XD with its internal differential receiver, or the 961X, which is differential-ready only. Latitude and longitude coordinates are collectively referred to as lat/lon coordinates or lat/lon. The CHART screen may also be referred to as the chart view. The 961 system may also be referred to as the unit or the system. · · · Technical support After you follow the instructions in this manual, if you need technical support or if you have any other questions, you can contact Northstar by email, fax, phone, or U.S. mail as follows: Table 1: Contacting Northstar Email: Service: service@northstarcmc.com Sales: sales@northstarcmc.com Fax: Service: 978/897-1595 Sales: 978/897-7241 Telephone: Main number: 978/897-6600 or 800/628-4487 Sales: 978/897-0770 Service: 978/897-6600 U.S. mail: 30 Sudbury Road Acton, MA 01720 Page 1-6 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Table 1: Contacting Northstar (Continued) Web site: www.northstarcmc.com (you can send email to Northstar from this site) Hearing from you Your feedback is important and helps ensure that this manual is a valuable resource for all 961 users. Send your questions, comments, or suggestions about this manual to: service@northstarcmc.com Service and repair In case of an operating problem with your Northstar 961, you may contact your dealer or return the unit to the Northstar factory for diagnosis and repair. (You may want to back-up any user-defined waypoints and routes before returning the unit for repair; for details, see "Maintenance functions" starting on page 14-16.) When describing an operating problem, be as complete and accurate as possible. Be sure to have your 961's serial number and software revision available whenever contacting or corresponding with either your dealer or the Northstar factory; for details, see "Viewing product information" starting on page 14-2. If you need assistance, feel free to call the Northstar service department at 978-897-6600. To prevent delays, it is critical that you first obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number before returning your unit to the factory. The unit is covered by a two-year limited warranty (see the Limited Warranty Policy at the beginning of this manual), which, in summary, states that if the 961 is returned to the Northstar factory by the owner or dealer during the warranty period, Northstar will repair or replace, free of charge, any part found to be defective due to faulty materials or workmanship, if the unit has been properly installed and hasn't been abused. The only cost to the owner will be the one-way shipping charges and any associated charges that may be imposed by the dealer. Shipments to Northstar should be made to the following address: 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-7 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Northstar Technologies 30 Sudbury Road Acton, MA 01720 If you have special overnight or second-day shipping requirements (UPS or Federal Express), please call the Northstar factory for turnaround time and freight costs before shipping your 961. Refer to the Limited Warranty Policy at the front of this manual, and to Chapter 14 (Service and Maintenance Functions) of this manual for more details about service procedures. Turning the 961 on Using the PWR key To turn on the 961: 1. Press the PWR (power) key in the 961's upper left-hand corner (pressing the PWR key activates the control head and the processor). After several minutes, the INITIAL STARTUP screen appears, which is displayed for about five to ten seconds. Initial startup screen Page 1-8 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start After the INITIAL STARTUP screen, the 961 automatically displays the SYSTEM TEST screen for about 10 seconds. System test screen After the SYSTEM TEST screen, the 961 automatically displays the OWNER'S MESSAGE screen for about 10 seconds. To create a personal owner's message, such as the owner's name and the name of the vessel, see "System security" starting on page 13-6. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-9 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Owner's message screen After the OWNER'S MESSAGE screen, the 961 automatically displays the ADVISORY MESSAGE screen, warning you not to rely solely on the 961's chart cartography for safe navigation. Advisory message screen Page 1-10 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start 2. To proceed, accept the ADVISORY MESSAGE by pressing any key. If chart CDs for your geographical area have already been installed onto the 961's hard drive, and after the unit acquires GPS signals, you'll see your vessel symbol centered on the CHART screen at your present position. Until the 961 acquires GPS signals, a small position-fix circle will be located at the last known position. If there aren't any charts covering your geographic location installed on the hard drive, the 961 displays a plotter grid instead of a chart. NOTE: It's normal to hear a single beep whenever you press any of the 961's keys. An invalid keypress, however, elicits a single "boop," which sounds like an off-key beep. For new units only When you first turn your 961 on, you'll see your present vessel position at the center of the chart, represented as a small circle. A 961 that recently has been used either at or near that same position will usually be ready to navigate within several minutes. If the 961 doesn't acquire GPS signals soon enough, however, your last position fix (from the last time the unit ran) will be represented by a small position-fix circle; you'll see an alarm message in the upper portion of the CHART screen; and you'll hear the GPS alarm beep. This sequence often occurs when a 961 is used for the first time in a new location hundreds of miles from where it was last used, and means you're being notified that the 961 is searching for the necessary satellites. This data should take two to five minutes to acquire, after which the 961 is ready to navigate. Checking GPS signal quality After the 961 has acquired satellite data, you may check the quality of the received GPS signals by viewing the various satellites' SNR readings; see "GPS receiver status summary" starting on page 5-2. For an introduction to GPS, see "Highlight One: Basic navigation terms" below. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-11 Chapter 1 - Quick Start About the display's brightness If you don't touch any key on the control head for one hour or more, its LCD screen automatically dims to about half its normal brightness (based on its current brightness), if required by the system. Pressing any key at any time automatically restores the display's previous brightness level. This function helps maintain the integrity of the display screen and reduce power consumption when the 961 is on for many hours at a time. It is still recommended, however, that you keep the lighting level low when you don't actually need it; for more details, see "Controlling LCD-screen brightness" starting on page 3-26. Turning the 961 off The procedure for turning off a system with two control heads is slightly different than turning off a system with one head. To turn off an entire system (both the head and the processor) with one control head: 1. Press and hold the PWR key for approximately three seconds, and the 961 will turn off. To turn off an entire system (the two heads and the processor) with two control heads that are on: 1. Press and hold the PWR key for approximately three seconds until the POWER-OFF dialog box appears. Power-off dialog box 2. To turn off only one head (where you pressed the PWR key), press the THIS HEAD key. Otherwise, to turn off the entire system, press the BOTH HEADS key. Page 1-12 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Basic navigation terminology If you're new to navigation, before proceeding you may want to review the basic navigation terms on the following page in Highlight One. It is suggested that you review these terms carefully because many of them are used in a very specific way in this manual. Soon you'll be ready to get underway! 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-13 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Highlight One: Basic navigation terms Bearing: The true or magnetic course from your present position to a waypoint. Coordinates: Coordinates specify a location on the earth's surface using latitude and longitude (see this table), Loran-C TDs, or distance and bearing from a fixed location. (the term TDs refers to Loran-C Time Differences; for details, see the Glossary.) Course-over-ground (COG): The actual path of your vessel in relation to the surface of the earth; that is, the direction your vessel is actually moving. Cross-track error (XTE): The distance between your position and your desired track; that is, how far off you are from your intended course line. The 961 displays XTE numerically (as either nm, mi, or km) and graphically. Desired track: An imaginary line that the 961 calculates, which represents the path that you plan to follow, usually from one waypoint to the next. On the CHART screen, the 961 displays the desired track as a green line. Global Positioning System (GPS): Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, GPS is a satellite navigation system that computes your position using signals from a system of 24 earth-orbiting satellites. Latitude: Imaginary lines on the earth's surface running east/west, expressed as the number of degrees (0 to 90) north or south of the Equator. Leg: The line, or path, between two waypoints in a route or a trip. Longitude: Imaginary lines on the earth's surface running north/south, expressed as the number of degrees (0 to 180) east or west of the Prime Meridian, a line running from the North Pole to the South Pole. Nautical mile (nm): One nm equals 6,076 feet, compared to a statute mile, which is 5,280 feet. A nautical mile also equals one minute of latitude. Position: See Coordinates. Route: A sequence of waypoints forming a connected path to and/or from specific locations. A typical route consists of a starting waypoint, a destination waypoint, and a series of legs connecting those waypoints. On the CHART screen, the 961 displays a route as a dark blue line. (If you're "following" a route, however, the 961 copies the route into the 961's trip, so it isn't displayed as dark blue anymore. For details about following a route, see "What is a route?" starting on page 8-2.) Speed-over-ground (SOG): The actual speed of your vessel in relation to the surface of the earth; that is, the speed your vessel is actually going. Track: As used in 961 operations, a path that you either plan to follow or have already followed. For complete details about the track feature, see "Introducing tracks" starting on page 9-2. Waypoint: A specific position defined by its coordinates of latitude and longitude, TDs, or distance and bearing, and used as either an intermediate or a final destination. Page 1-14 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Introducing the function keys Five keys located on the lower left part of the 961 instantly select the most common functions. Each successive press of a function key selects additional display screens belonging to that function. There are several screens under each function key (except for the TRIP key). For each function, the 961 remembers the last-viewed screen, returning there when you later select the function. The one exception is the STAR function key, which always brings you directly to the ALARMS screen. Figure 1: 961 function keys The function keys are briefly described below. · CHART displays two independent CHART screens (views A and B) showing your position on the chart, information about the chart-in-use, all the data you need to navigate, tides (using Northstar's exclusive TideTrackTM feature), and currents overlay. You can create and store new waypoints, avoidance points, and routes at these screens, and view existing waypoints, avoidance points, and routes. STEER displays two screens helping you to steer precisely along the desired track to your upcoming, or active, waypoint, including a display of your speed-over-ground (SOG), course-over-ground (COG), name of the active waypoint, distance, estimated time of arrival (ETA) and estimated time enroute (ETE) to that waypoint, bearing, numerical and graphical cross-track error (XTE), and mapped waypoints. · 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-15 Chapter 1 - Quick Start · WAYPTS/ROUTES displays four different screens for listing, adding, going to, editing, searching, and sorting your waypoints, routes, tracks, and avoidance points. STAR displays three different screens showing alarms and their status (this screen is always shown first); setup functions that include how to customize your display screen and load and delete charts; and the 961's service-information functions, including port setup options and saving/ restoring the waypoint and route databases. TRIP displays one screen showing the progress of today's navigation plan (called today's trip). This trip can easily be modified. · · For complete details about the function keys, see "Using the Controls" starting on page 3-1. Using the chart-view screens Reviewing the first position screen After the 961 finishes its startup tests and acquires satellite data, and after you acknowledge the advisory message, the 961 displays the CHART screen showing your present position: Chart view A Page 1-16 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Using chart views A and B The 961 has two CHART screens, called chart views, designated by either VIEW A or VIEW B in the upper right-hand corner of the view. Chart view B offers the same chart-view functions as chart view A. Having two chart views lets you see more navigation data than would be available with only one chart view: Using the second view, you can select a different zoom level, a different location on the chart, different navigation information, or even a different chart, and instantly switch between the two views just by pressing the CHART key. Chart view A is the 961's default setting (as illustrated above). To access chart view B from chart view A, press CHART once; to return to chart view A, press CHART again. Both CHART views display electronic versions of actual paper charts. This means that everything that you're already familiar with will be displayed right on the 961's CHART screen. Your vessel The round vessel symbol in the center of the CHART screen shows your present position. Zooming in and out on the chart view To zoom in and show a more detailed view of the chart, press the IN key located in the lower right-hand corner of the 961. To zoom out and show less detail and more area, press the OUT key located next to the IN key. Obtaining detailed chart data For highly detailed chart data, you should obtain either ChartKit/ChartPack BSB chart CDs from either MapTech or NDI, or HCRF chart CDs from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). With these choices in cartography, the 961 can provides you with truly worldwide chart coverage. (If your vessel ever moves into an area that isn't covered by charts, the 961 will automatically display a plotter grid.) To obtain BSB charts, call Maptech at 978/933-3000 or NDI at 800/563-0634; to obtain HCRF (ARCS) charts, call ARCS Customer Services at 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-17 Chapter 1 - Quick Start +44 (0)1823 723366 or visit the UKHO's website at www.ukho.gov.uk (click on the "charts" link) for a list of worldwide Admiralty Charts and Publications agents/distributors. For further details about acquiring and using these charts, see "Navigational chart CDs" starting on page 2-5. NOTE: If you're using BSB charts, make sure you use Maptech Chartkit's Second Edition (or higher) BSB-format chart CDs (or anyone else's BSB-formatted 2.0 CDs). If you try to install one of the First Edition CDs, you'll receive an error message, and will be unable to complete the installation. Chart-view features Each of the six features briefly described below is part of both chart views: Vessel position predictor line The green line extending straight out from your vessel's symbol is your position predictor line, which predicts what your position will be at a future time, based on your current COG and SOG. You can set this time to predict your position in one minute, two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, or 30 minutes, or turn the line off completely; see "Customizing chart setup options" starting on page 4-35. Range rings Range rings are two sets of fine black circles that surround your vessel, which is at the center. The radius of the inner ring is shown in a small box in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Because the range rings surround your vessel, they help you find your position on the CHART screen. For details about range rings, see "Range rings" starting on page 4-37. To see an example of range rings on the CHART screen, refer to the sample display screen on page 1-22. You can set the distance units to statute miles (mi), nautical miles (nm), or kilometers (km). Page 1-18 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Water depths The small box in the lower left-hand corner shows how water depths (spot soundings) are shown on the currently displayed chart--in feet, meters, or fathoms. These are the numbers from the paper version of the chart; accordingly, you can't change these units of measurements. Chart scale The small box in the lower left-hand corner of the CHART screen shows the chart magnification. A display of 1/1 indicates the largest magnification at which you can display the current chart. As you zoom out, this number changes to 1/2, 1/ 4, 1/8, and so on. The chart scale (such as 1:80000) is also shown in the box. · To show a more detailed view of your position on the chart, press the IN key located in the lower right-hand corner of the 961: The chart will be magnified. For a less detailed view of the chart, press the OUT key: The displayed chart will cover a larger area. · The zoom number in the chart-scale box changes with each press of the IN or OUT key. Distance scale bar On the left-hand side of the CHART screen is a vertical ruler with alternating red and blue sections. The primary purpose of the ruler is to provide an approximate scale of distances on the CHART screen. These distance units are marked on the ruler. You can set the distance units to statute miles (mi), nautical miles (nm), or kilometers (km). Differential GPS (DGPS) is a GPS-system enhancement that improves accuracy by receiving additional radio signals. DGPS indicator In the upper left-hand corner of the CHART screen is the word DGPS, which indicates whether the 961 is receiving DGPS corrections to its GPS signals. If the 961 isn't receiving corrections, the DGPS indicator won't appear on the screen. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-19 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Introducing the chart screen's menu keys The CHART screen is controlled by six menu keys that are located in a vertical row to the right of the display screen. Each of these keys controls a function to its left: · · GO TO provides several options to select and navigate to new position coordinates. NEW CHART lets you select a different chart for your vessel's location from the 961's chart database, or display a basic plotter grid. For details about the grid, see "Selecting new charts" starting on page 4-8. Each time you briefly press NEW CHART, the 961 cycles automatically through all appropriate charts; when you press and hold the key, the 961 displays more chart-selection options. OVERLAY provides the option to superimpose graphic displays of tide data and currents on the CHART screen. CLEAR--when pressed briefly--clears the CHART screen of menu keys (press any menu key to restore them); press and hold CLEAR to clear menu keys and everything else on the CHART screen, except for your vessel and the range rings. The clearing action reduces on-screen clutter so you can see more of the chart. INFO (two identical keys) displays at the bottom of the CHART screen two rectangular INFO BARS, which show SOG and COG, numerical position coordinates, the active waypoint (if any), and details about the chart in use. Note that the 961 displays the second INFO key only after you've pressed the one INFO key at the bottom of the screen. · · · For more information about the CHART screen's menu keys, see "Chart-view menu keys" starting on page 3-6. Showing position coordinates You can display position coordinates on the CHART screen as: · · lat/lon coordinates from the GPS receiver phantom loran TDs that the 961 calculates from its GPS coordinates (for when you'd like to see your position mathematically converted to and displayed in loran TDs) Page 1-20 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start To set up your CHART screen to display position coordinates as loran TDs in addition to lat/lon, see "Changing the chart setup" starting on page 13-23. To show your position coordinates and other navigational data on the CHART screen, press either of the two INFO keys (the second INFO key will appear only after you press the INFO key at the bottom of the screen): Several forms of numeric navigational data appear--in large, easy-to-read numbers--at the bottom of the screen in an INFO BAR. Chart screen with info bars Each successive press of either INFO key shows the present nav data, in the following order: 1. speed-over-ground and course-over-ground (SOG and COG). 2. lat/lon coordinates (LATITUDE and LONGITUDE). 3. your preferred GRI (GRI) and the best pair of loran TDs--only available if you've chosen to display position coordinates as loran TDs at the CHART SETUP screen. 4. active waypoint, if any; distance and bearing to the active waypoint; cross-track error (XTE); estimated time of arrival (ETA) as day and time; and estimated time enroute 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-21 Chapter 1 - Quick Start (ETE) in hours and minutes. The 961 also displays the placement of your vessel relative to the desired track. 5. the name and number of the chart in use, its originator and manufacturer, source date, and chart datum. 6. if you're displaying a HCRF chart (Hydrographic Chart Raster Format), the INFO BAR displays the type of chart series (Navigator or Skipper); expiration date (Navigator series only); correction level (the Notice to Mariner's number to which the chart has been corrected); name and date of the corresponding Chart CD; and name and date of the corresponding Update CD. To clear an INFO BAR from the CHART screen, press and hold an INFO key until the INFO BAR disappears. Navigating to a point Two options exist for navigating to a pair of coordinates from the CHART screen (if you're not viewing the CHART screen, press the CHART key to return to it). You can use the cursor to designate a position on the chart, or you can enter coordinates in a dialog box: Option 1 -- Using the cursor to designate a chart position You can use the cursor to point to a spot on the chart and navigate there, as follows: Chart-screen cursor 1. To display the cursor (represented by a red square symbol with crosshairs) and move it to the desired spot on the chart, at the CHART screen press the large CURSOR PAD located in the lower right-hand corner of the 961. The CURSOR PAD is multidirectional, so you can move it diagonally as well as horizontally and vertically. The harder you press the CURSOR PAD, the faster the chart-screen cursor moves. To move the cursor small distances, the best way is to tap it; this method provides finer control than does placing your thumb in the center of the CURSOR PAD and gently pushing left, right, up, or down, although this method also moves the cursor small distances. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Cursor pad with control arrows Page 1-22 Chapter 1 - Quick Start The distance and bearing to the cursor location, as well as its lat/lon coordinates, are automatically displayed in the CURSOR INFO BAR at the bottom of the screen. Chart screen with cursor location info bar (To return to showing your vessel in the center of the chart, press the bottom-right VESSEL key at any time.) 2. Press the CURSOR key. The SELECTED CURSOR POSITION dialog box appears, displaying the coordinates of the cursor position. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-23 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Selected cursor position dialog box 3. To navigate directly to the coordinates, press the GO NOW key (or press the CANCEL key to cancel). The 961 returns to the CHART screen, and displays a dashed green line--the "desired track"--from your vessel to the new waypoint, automatically named COORD. This waypoint is represented by a green X on the CHART screen. Page 1-24 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start Chart screen with coord waypoint To display an INFO BAR showing your SOG and COG, lat/ lon coordinates, GRI and TDs, distance and bearing to the active waypoint, and details about the chart-in-use, press either of the INFO keys. (Reminder: A second INFO key will be present only after you press the INFO key at the bottom of the screen.) To clear an INFO BAR from the CHART screen, press and hold its INFO key until the INFO BAR disappears. The top INFO BAR can't be cleared without first clearing the bottom INFO BAR. NOTE: You can also choose to add those new coordinates to the end of your trip, or to the end or start of a stored route. For details about these options, see "Using the cursor on the chart screen" starting on page 4-15. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-25 Chapter 1 - Quick Start Option 2 -- Entering coordinates Your second option for navigating to a point is to enter numeric coordinates as lat/lon, Loran-C TDs, or distance and bearing, as follows: 1. From the CHART screen, press the GO TO key. The GO TO COORDINATES dialog box appears. The coordinates of your active waypoint, if any, or else the coordinates of your most recent position, are displayed. Go to coordinates dialog box 2. To change these coordinates, use the KEYPAD to enter new coordinates: Press the CURSOR PAD right to move the flashing cursor to the longitude field or press down to move to the distance and bearing fields, then use the KEYPAD to enter new coordinates. (For details about using the KEYPAD to enter data, see "Entering data" starting on page 2-9.) To display the coordinates as lat/lon or TDs, press the LL/TDS key. Page 1-26 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 1 - Quick Start 3. To navigate directly to the new coordinates, press the GO NOW key (or press the CANCEL key to cancel). The 961 returns to the CHART screen, and displays a green line--the "desired track"--to the new waypoint, automatically named COORD. This waypoint is represented by a green X on the CHART screen. Chart screen with coord waypoint To display an INFO BAR showing your SOG and COG, lat/ lon coordinates, GRI and TDs, distance and bearing to the active waypoint, or the name of the chart-in-use, press either of the INFO keys. (Reminder: A second INFO key will be present only after you press the INFO key at the bottom of the screen.) To clear an INFO BAR from the CHART screen, press and hold its INFO key until the INFO BAR disappears. The top INFO BAR can't be cleared without first clearing the bottom INFO BAR. Reading and clearing alarm messages To show the ALARMS screen, and read and clear an alarm message: 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 1-27 Chapter 1 - Quick Start 1. Press the STAR key. The alarm message with its corresponding time and date is shown in the NEW ALARMS box. The word NEW means that you haven't acknowledged the alarm message or the message hasn't self-cleared. 2. To acknowledge an alarm message, press the CLEAR ALARM key at the upper right side of the screen. 3. To return to the CHART screen, press the CHART key. Some alarms can't be manually cleared; for complete details about alarms, see "Alarms, TideTrack, and Currents" starting on page 12-1. NOTE: During an alarm condition, the alarm message always appears on whatever screen you're displaying as well as on the ALARMS screen itself; however, you can only clear an alarm message at the ALARMS screen. Page 1-28 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D 2I ntroducing the 961 System overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 Introducing the 961's controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7 Entering data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9 Caring for the 961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10 About interfacing the 961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 Introducing GPS and DGPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 This chapter introduces the 961's major features and con- trols, discusses basic maintenance of the 961, and provides an introduction to GPS and DGPS. Read this chapter to learn the broader concepts of 961 operations and marine navigation. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 2-1 Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 System overview This section summarizes nine of the 961's major features: GPS; DGPS; navigation; waypoints and routes; hardware; the CHART screen; navigational chart CDs (the 961 is compatible with HCRF charts--the format for ARCS charts--as well as BSB-format charts); the TideTrack function; and the display of currents. GPS features The 961 offers the following GPS features: · · · · 12-channel GPS precision and dependability accurate position data--worldwide one-second update of position, speed, and heading data available in any weather--24 hours a day DGPS features (961XD only) For the best in GPS accuracy, the Northstar 961XD features an internal, two-channel DGPS receiver that accepts DGPS signal corrections from shore-based transmitters called beacons. These transmitting beacons emit radio signals, whereas many other navigational beacons, such as buoys and lighthouses, emit light signals. The 961XD uses these DGPS signal corrections to display your position (a position fix), as accurately as one to three meters. The 961XD's DGPS feature offers: · · · · a fully automatic DGPS beacon receiver accuracy of one to three meters (one meter equals slightly more than one yard) continuous DGPS usage indicator on the CHART screen one-second update of DGPS information For details about DGPS, see "Differential GPS corrections" starting on page 2-15. Navigation features The 961 has two separate, high-resolution, color chart views that show: · your vessel's present position 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 2-2 Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 · · · · · · · · · · · nearby waypoints lat/lon in large, easy-to-read numbers loran TDs (and Group Repetition Interval, or GRI) speed-over-ground (SOG) and course-over-ground (COG) distance and bearing to the active waypoint, if any cross-track error (XTE) estimated time enroute (ETE) estimated time of arrival (ETA) today's trip (past, active, and future waypoints) tide data for the 24-hour period of any chosen date currents for the 24-hour period of any chosen date Waypoint, avoidance point, and route features The 961's waypoint, avoidance point, and route features include: · · · storing up to 2,000 waypoints and 1,000 routes storing up to 200 avoidance points (and displaying them on the CHART screen and the 3-D STEER screen) storing and displaying waypoints in several ways: > one of 23 different symbols can be assigned to each waypoint for display on the CHART screen > the WAYPOINTS screen can be sorted by symbol, name, distance, or bearing > on a separate TRIP screen · · instantly locating any waypoint on the WAYPOINTS screen using "Quick Search" editing routes and waypoints directly from the CHART screen, WAYPOINTS screen, and ROUTES screen 4.3-GB hard disk drive (for storing data) 32 MB Random Access Memory (RAM) vibration-resistant CD-ROM drive Pentium 233-MhZ processor Page 2-3 Hardware features · · · · 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 · · 1.44-MB floppy disk drive (for backing up and restoring data) 100-MB Zip drive (optional replacement for floppy drive) Chart-screen features The 961's CHART screens maximize usability by including such features as an overhead view, fast chart redraw, an LCD screen with easy-to-read numbers, and a plotter function for up-close navigation. Overhead view The 961's CHART screens show navigation data in an easily recognizable, practical format: an overhead view of your present position (or any position you choose) from the air "down" to your vessel, in relation to land masses, nav aids, and user-defined waypoints and routes. Chart redraw Normally, as you navigate, your vessel remains centered on the CHART screen, and the chart moves underneath it. The 961's high-speed screen redraw feature automatically keeps the chart visible--even as you move from one chart to the next. Lighting The 961's liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is easy to see in all kinds of light--from full, direct sunlight to total darkness. Anti-reflection treatment of the screen removes over 90 percent of the reflection and glare usually found in bright sunlight. Moreover, the screen is fully lit for nighttime use. To adjust the screen's brightness, press the BRIGHTNESS key (this key isn't labelled) to the left of the display screen. For details, see "Brightness key" starting on page 3-26. Plotter function The 961's plotter function helps you navigate if you're ever in areas that aren't represented on your installed navigational Page 2-4 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 charts. The plotter function is particularly useful when you're fishing out in the open ocean and using stored tracks and waypoints as reference points. The 961 automatically displays your boat symbol on a north-up grid of lat/lon lines while it plots your position and waypoints. When you're using the 961's plotter function, the menu keys to the right of the chart views still let you perform the same functions as when viewing a chart. For more information about the CHART screen, see "Understanding electronic charts" starting on page 4-2. Navigational chart CDs You enhance your 961's usefulness tremendously by using chart CDs for the regions where you plan to travel. Furthermore, new electronic charts are very likely to be far more current than your paper charts. Northstar recommends that you acquire electronic charts, although it is possible to use the 961 and navigate without them. The 961 is compatible with either of the following types of charts (or both): · BSB 2.0-format navigational charts (ChartKit or ChartPack CDs) supplied by either Maptech or NDI. These are high-quality, high-resolution NOAA digital charts providing chart coverage for most of the world. Each CD contains about 75 to 200 different charts covering a specific area of coastline. Hydrographic Chart Raster Format (HCRF) navigational charts, such as ARCS chart CDs supplied by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). ARCS charts (Admiralty Raster Chart Format) are raster images, digital reproductions of official British Admiralty paper charts that provide superior chart-image quality and global chart coverage on a total of 3000 charts. · All the data on these CDs comes from scanning land-mass shapes, nav-aid names and locations, depth contours, and other information directly from the official paper charts into an electronic format used by the 961. Between the two types of chart formats, you have chart access to every major port, all popular boating areas, and major shipping routes. Each CD 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 2-5 Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 covers a specific geographic area, providing CHART screen zoom in/out levels from maximum detail to a less-detailed overview. Purchasing charts To obtain BSB charts, contact your authorized Northstar dealer or call Maptech at 978/933-3000 or NDI at 800/563-0634. To obtain ARCS charts or detailed information about ARCS charts, you can either call ARCS Customer Services at +44 (0)1823 723366 or visit the UKHO's website at www.ukho.gov.uk (click on the "charts" link) for a list of Admiralty Charts and Publications agents/distributors worldwide. Installing chart CDs The 961 processor's CD-ROM drive is used to install all chart CDs onto the internal chart database. For complete details about loading either type of chart, see "Loading, updating, and deleting charts" starting on page 13-30. Installing BSB charts When installing BSB-format charts, be sure to use Maptech Chartkit's Second Edition (or higher) and ChartPack chart CDs. If you try to install one of the First Edition CDs, you'll receive an error message and will be unable to complete the installation. Installing HCRF charts The procedure for installing HCRF charts is straightforward, but because the use of ARCS charts requires chart permits, the initial chart installation may take slightly more time than the procedure for loading BSB charts. TideTrack The 961's TideTrack feature displays a 24-hour tide graph for any of over 3,000 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Ocean Service (NOS) tide stations covering the entire U.S. coastline, including Alaska and Hawaii Page 2-6 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 as well as much of the western Canadian coastline. You can view tides for today or any other date you choose. For more about viewing tides, see "Viewing tide-station data" starting on page 4-10; for full details about TideTrack, see "Understanding the TideTrack function" starting on page 12-8. Currents The 961's currents feature displays a 24-hour current speed/ direction graph for any date to choose. For more about viewing currents, see see "Understanding the currents function" starting on page 12-12. Introducing the 961's controls Collectively, the 961's controls refer to the soft rubber buttons, or keys, on the front face of the 961. These keys control all the functions of the 961. Feel free to experiment with these controls! You can't hurt anything; in fact, you can probably learn many new ways of operating the 961 more efficiently. Whether you're entering, changing, or deleting information, the 961 always asks you to verify your actions. You'll be asked to confirm your actions before they affect the unit's operation, and you can always cancel a function at the last second. Menu keys with a mark designate the final step in a sequence, the step that will actually carry out the operation; menu keys with a red mark cancel an operation, and return you to the screen you were previously viewing. All of the 961's controls are backlit for nighttime use, complementing the 961's illuminated LCD display screen. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D Page 2-7 Chapter 2 - Introducing the 961 Figure 2: 961 controls The following keys comprise the 961's controls: · · PWR key CHART, STAR, STEER, TRIP, WAYPTS/ROUTES (the five "function" keys briefly described in Chapter One; see "Introducing the function keys" starting on page 1-15.) BRIGHTNESS key (this key isn't labelled on the actual unit) SAVE key MOB key IN key and OUT key CURSOR PAD (with left, right, up, and down arrows) KEYPAD (ten alphanumeric keys--see below for details) LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys (part of the alphanumeric keypad) MENU keys (six keys located in a vertical row on the right side of the 961). As mentioned in Chapter One, their functions depend on what screen is currently displayed. On certain screens, some of these keys have no function; on other screens, all six keys are used to control functions. 961 Operations and Reference Manual Rev. D · · · · · · · · Page 2-8