User manual NORTHSTAR 972

Northstar 972 Quickstart Guide and Reference Manual Revision B Attention Installers: This processor module must be handled with reasonable care and protected from the following; · Moisture: Do not mount this processor in unprotected areas of the vessel having moisture. · Vibration and shock: Use of the supplied shock/vibration mount is a mandatory part of the installation. Only mount this unit in a horizontal position with adequate space for ventilation, maintenance and for field service removal. Rough handling during removal or installation can cause premature failure of internal components. · Radar interference: Do not install the processor or cabling in areas exposed to interference from any radar. The processor should be mounted as far as possible below any source of radar interference. Flybridge installations of the processor are not recommended and should be avoided. Installations in these areas require special provisions for shielding and the installation design must provide total protection from any moisture. Problems caused by moisture, vibration and radar interference are not covered by warranty. Refer to the installation manual P/N GM972IM for additional installation, troubleshooting and warranty information. For advice regarding equipment placement, please consult with an authorized Northstar Servicing Dealer before beginning the installation. To locate a Northstar Servicing Dealer near you call 978-897-6600 Contents Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Welcome to the Northstar 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using this manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Networking the 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interfacing the 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maintaining the 972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Charts and the 972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purchasing charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 Reference Sections 1 Using the Chart Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Using electronic charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the cursor on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comparing vessel and browse modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rotating the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting up the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the distance and bearing calculator. . . . . . . . . . 28 28 29 29 31 33 38 38 Quickstart Guide Northstar 972 Quickstart Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Turning the 972 on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introducing the display screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introducing the controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Detailed chart data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying the chart screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying the chart screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying numeric data on the chart screen. . . . . . . Displaying numeric data on the position screen . . . . Going immediately to a quick waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The echo sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Split function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup . . . . . . . SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 11 12 13 14 14 19 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 2 3D maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Introduction to 3D images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Configuring the screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Flying around the vessel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 3 Position coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Displaying position, COG, and speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Position screen options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing GPS satellite status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Phantom Loran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 46 47 48 49 4 Navigating to Waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Introducing waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Designating a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steering to a waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Navigating along routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restarting the track line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 52 54 57 58 59 The NAVLOG screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 5 Creating waypoints and routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Displaying waypoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating new waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating avoidance-area waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editing waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Introducing routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating a route from the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating routes from a list of waypoints . . . . . . . . . . . Saving a route as you travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editing a route. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transferring waypoints/routes to other units. . . . . . . Transferring waypoints to and from a PC. . . . . . . . . . 64 65 68 69 71 72 73 74 76 80 83 The picture menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the depth settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the MORE key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the ECHO screen data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viewing past echoes using SoundTrac . . . . . . . . . . . . Echo sounding alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 116 117 119 120 121 8 Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Video sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Displaying video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 9 Alarms and TideTrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Alarms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 TideTrackTM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 6 Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 How radar works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Displaying radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turning the radar transmitter on and off . . . . . . . . . . Overlaying radar on the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing radar scale and rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the radar's main menu keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Adjustment keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the Markers keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Radar cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MARPA targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 87 87 90 90 88 91 94 96 96 10 Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 11 Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 972 configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Navigation options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing your port settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting up the echosounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing software updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the time zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 147 151 151 151 152 153 7 Echo sounding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Welcome to the Northstar Echo Sounder . . . . . . . . . Displaying the echo sounder's picture . . . . . . . . . . . Using automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing the frequency of echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Echo Sounder setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 106 107 108 109 112 Appendix A -- Datum list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Appendix B -- Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Getting Started Welcome to the Northstar 972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Using this manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Maintaining the 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Interfacing the 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Technical support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Electronic Charts and the 972. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Purchasing charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 chapter introduces this manual and explains a few things you should know to keep your Northstar 972 in top operating condition. This Reference Manual Revision B 1 Welcome to the Northstar 972 The 972 has several requirements that must be met to ensure safe and proper operation. Installation and interfacing of the 972 should be handled by a marine technician using the guidelines found in the Northstar 972 Installation Manual. Congratulations on your purchase of the Northstar 972 Integrated Navigation System! The 972 is a full-featured 3D color GPS/vector charting system -- easy to use, but meeting your marine navigation needs in a comprehensive, logical manner. Optional Northstar radar and fish finding modules round out the 972's capabilities. The 972 enhances GPS with the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for superb accuracy, and offers a high-resolution full-color screen with Jeppesen Marine and BSB cartography. Major functions are accessed with a single keypress. By reducing the attention required to navigate, you can devote more time to simply enjoying your trip. For information on installing, interfacing, and troubleshooting the 972, please see the Northstar 972 Installation Manual (part number GM972IM) or contact your local authorized Northstar dealer. Using this manual This manual is divided into two main sections: · The Quickstart Guide begins on page 9 Check the mini table of contents at the beginning of each chapter to quickly locate a topic you need help with. It's best to read this manual with the 972 set up and running so you can try out the various functions and see the results. and has all the basic information you need to operate the 972. Be sure to read this section as you start using the unit. · A Reference Section starts on page 27. Use this when you need more information about any of the unit's functions -- you'll find answers here to any questions about getting the most from your 972. Getting Started Welcome to the Northstar 972 Conventions This manual uses certain conventions to provide a consistent means of recognizing specific information, as follows: 2 Northstar 972 · is the universal caution symbol for caution and warning information related to your personal safety or possible damage to the system. The CAUTION and WARNING notes contain critical information--please read them! briefly and release, unless otherwise specified. "Press and Hold" means to hold the key until the desired result occurs. · Text written like "CHART" generally refers to named keys on the 972's front panel. · Text written like "More info" generally refers to the 972's menu keys at the right side of the screen. · Whenever this manual tells you to press ENTER to perform a function, you can press CLEAR instead if you decide · The phrase "Press a key" means push not to perform that function. These keys are abbreviated ENT and CLR on the 972. Networking the 972 Northstar's networking technology lets you connect two or more 972 units in order to share navigation data (including radar and sounder data) and all waypoints and routes between the units. The system can be operated from any connected unit, and all changes to routes and waypoints are reflected on all the networked units. Networking is fully automatic on the 972 -- no special steps are necessary One display unit is designated as the master, and all others as slaves. The only restrictions on networking are the following: · there must be one and only one master · all units must have the same software version. If, for example, a slave unit is turned on before the master, a message is displayed reminding you to turn on the master unit before using the slave. In case the master unit is not available (removed for service, for example), brief instructions show how to temporarily convert a slave into a master unit. For details on networking, see Networking, starting on page 141. unit operating in a network Getting Started Reference Manual Revision B Networking the 972 3 Interfacing the 972 The 972 can be connected to a wide variety of compatible marine devices, including Northstar's echo sounder and radar. A qualified marine electronics technician should perform these installations. For details, contact your local authorized Northstar dealer. Maintaining the 972 Basic maintenance To help retain the 972's best possible performance, Northstar recommends the following: · keep fingerprints off the display screen Cleaning the display screen Be careful when cleaning the glass window covering the display screen. Although the window is scratch-resistant, you may damage the anti-reflective coating if you use a dry cloth to wipe dirt off. Always use a damp cloth with plenty of water to remove salt or dirt. To remove any oil or grease on the screen, use a clean, dry microfiber-type lens cleaning cloth or a small amount of window cleaner. Avoid touching the window with your fingers. The natural oils from your hand will temporarily affect the characteristics of the screen and cause your fingerprints to appear as bright reflections. Fingerprints will disappear when you clean the screen as described in the previous paragraph. (remove any prints with a lens cleaning cloth) · remove dirt and grime using a soft cloth and Windex or soap and water · don't scratch the display by wiping a Pre-packaged moist towellettes (especially those containing a small amount of alcohol) are excellent for cleaning the display window. You might want to keep a supply on hand to wipe off fingerprints and other smudges. sandy or salty cloth across it · use the 972's protective plastic sunshield when not in use (excessive heat from the sun can cause damage) · don't open the 972 case--there aren't any user-serviceable parts inside · always keep the rear connectors' plastic caps on when they are not in use (the connectors are not waterproof unless covered) 4 Getting Started Interfacing the 972 Northstar 972 Technical support Northstar products are manufactured and serviced by BNT Marine Electronics. If you need technical support, or have any other questions after you've followed the instructions in this manual, you can contact the factory as follows: by Telephone: 978/897-6600 or 800/628-4487 by E-mail: Service: service@bntmarine.com Sales: sales@bntmarine.com by Fax: Service: 978/897-1595 Sales: 978/897-7241 by U.S. mail: Northstar 30 Sudbury Road Acton, MA 01720 USA Hearing from you Your feedback is important and helps ensure that this manual is a valuable resource for all 972 users. Send your questions, comments, or suggestions about this manual to: manuals@bntmarine.com Service and repair In case of a 972 operating problem, check all interconnecting cables and fuses. If you continue to have problems, contact your dealer or the factory for additional assistance. If required, you can return the 972 to the factory for diagnosis and repair. When calling, be sure to have your 972 serial number and software revision available. In describing a problem, be as complete and accurate as possible. Before returning the 972 for repair, you may want to save your waypoints and routes. If the unit is properly networked to another 972 display, a copy of your waypoints and routes is already saved in the other unit. You can also transfer data to a Northstar 6000 series or older navigator or to a PC as described on pages 80 and 83. Additional information is available at Northstar's website: www.NorthstarNav.com Getting Started Reference Manual Revision B Technical support 5 NOTE: To prevent delays, it's critical that you first obtain a Return Materials Authorization (RMA) number from our Service Department before returning your 972. Northstar Service Department 30 Sudbury Road Acton, MA 01720 If you have special overnight or second-day shipping requirements, please call for turnaround time and freight costs before you ship your 972. Shipments to BNT Marine Electronics should be made to the following address: Electronic Charts and the 972 One of the 972's unique features is the ability to display both raster and vector charts. In split screen mode, you can even display a raster chart and a vector chart side by side. This is a great way to understand the differences and similarities between the two. paper charts. It's like having the paper chart on the screen. This is also one of the drawbacks to raster charts. Since the chart is just a matrix of dots, the chart plotter cannot tell the difference between a navaid and a depth sounding. Furthermore, they really only look great at one particular zoom level. Zooming in or out from that level compromises display quality. Raster Charts Raster charts are literally digital scans of paper charts. In most cases, these paper charts are issued by the local government. The scans, like digital photos, are a matrix of dots. The challenge in raster charts -- the earth is round (3D) and the chart is flat (2D) -- is to be able to determine the precise latitude and longitude of each dot at any zoom level. One of the biggest benefits of raster charts is their appearance ­ it is identical to the Vector Charts Vector charts, on the other hand, are drawn on the screen from a set of rules specific to each chart -- instead of a digitized photo of the chart, it's a mathematical description of the chart. The chart plotter interprets the description and then draws (renders) the chart. Whatever the screen resolution or zoom level, they always look great. Rather than being a 6 Getting Started Electronic Charts and the 972 Northstar 972 matrix of dots, the vector chart is a series of lines and shapes. The shapes are then filled in with colors. One of the biggest benefits of vector charts is that navaids and other points of interest are specified in the chart data, so the plotter can highlight navaids, and do intelligent things when the vessel or the cursor gets near a navaid. This increased flexibility is virtually boundless in the power it offers. Another advantage is the ability to "layer" the data. The user can shut off certain layers so the display is less cluttered. One of the drawbacks of vector charts has been that they don't look identical to the raster charts. With advances in technologies ­ both in cartography and marine electronics ­ this disadvantage is disappearing. See page 28 for more on charts in the 972. Purchasing charts Purchasing charts for your 972 is quick and easy, because all available charts are already stored on a hard disk drive in its Where to purchase processor module. There's no waiting for Passport Charts delivery or visits to dealers -- you only need to purchase a chart permit to use You may purchase charts by them. telephone at: or online at www.PassportOnBoard.com In addition, a menu key for purchasing charts is displayed on the chart screen, whenever there are additional charts that you have not purchased, at the current vessel position. 800 272 6205 To purchase additional charts: 1. Press the STAR key several times to display the Passport OnBoard screen. 2. Note the Passport OnBoard serial number, and contact Jeppesen Marine by telephone or the Internet to purchase the chart permits you need. 3. Enter the chart permit and press ENTER. 4. Wait for the chart to be activated (up to five minutes). Getting Started Reference Manual Revision B Purchasing charts 7 8 Getting Started Purchasing charts Northstar 972 Northstar 972 Quickstart Guide Turning the 972 on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Displaying the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using demo mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Displaying numeric data on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Displaying numeric data on the position screen . . . . . . . . . 20 Going immediately to a quick waypoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The echo sounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Split function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 section gives an overview of each of the 972 major functions and the basic information you need to begin using them. We suggest you read this section carefully as you first use the 972 and then refer to the following Reference Sections, as necessary, to answer any questions you may have. This Quickstart Guide Revision B - Review 9 SPLIT IN OUT BRT DIM WAYPTS ROUTES SAVE MOB PWR CHART POSITION STEER 3D RADAR SOUNDER VIDEO Power Key Function Keys Soft Keys STAR Key Figure 1: 972 controls 10 Northstar 972 Turning the 972 on and off CAUTION! Use caution when navigating with electronic charts. Although every effort has been made to ensure that the data the 972 uses is as close as possible to paper charts, errors and omissions are inevitable. The captain is responsible for cross-checking the 972 against other sources of navigation data. Turning the 972 on To turn the 972 on, gently and briefly press the PWR key. (See Figure 1 on page 10 for a picture of the controls.) During the startup sequence, the 972 beeps and displays its start-up screen, and then performs a series of self-tests to check its critical components and functions. Any startup issues are indicated by a double asterisk on the screen. Next, a message warns against relying on the 972 chart cartography as the only means of safe navigation. Acknowledge the warning message by pressing the CHART key. Now you're ready to get underway with your 972! If this 972 was recently used at or near its present location, it will usually be ready to navigate within one minute after it is turned on. Turning the 972 off To turn the 972 off, press and hold the PWR key until the screen goes dark. Allow up to 30 seconds for the black box to power down. Introducing the display screen Adjusting the brightness To adjust the screen's brightness press the BRT or DIM key. If the 972 becomes too hot due to high ambient temperature and strong sunlight, the display screen may automatically dim to prevent overheating. You can temporarily override the auto-dim function at any time just by increasing the brightness. The 972 may dim again to avoid exceeding the maximum internal temperature. Special display windows Occasionally, the 972 needs to tell you something or ask permission to do something. When this happens, an information or question window appears on the screen. This window may contain an alarm icon, or Quickstart Guide Revision B Turning the 972 on and off 11 an INFO icon or a large question mark along with a message for you to read. For more on alarms, see "Displaying alarm messages" starting on page 132. Question windows A question window appears when the 972 needs a response from you. Respond to a question window by pressing the ENTER key to answer yes, or the CLEAR key to answer no. Most of the other keys, including the function keys, are temporarily inactive while the 972 displays a question window. Introducing the controls Feel free to try any of the 972's controls! You can't hurt anything, and you'll only learn more about how to use the 972 more efficiently. The 972 always asks you to verify what you're doing before it changes or deletes information. You'll be asked to confirm your action before anything happens that may affect the 972's operation. You can always press CLEAR to cancel a function if you change your mind. Function keys Figure 1 on page 10 illustrates the locations of the 972's controls. The seven keys below the screen access the unit's major functions. These are CHART, POSITION, STEER and 3D, and the optional functions RADAR, SOUNDER and VIDEO. Press one at any time to instantly display that function on the full screen, then use the menu keys at the right edge of the screen to control the function. The WAYPTS/ROUTES key accesses the 972's database of stored position information. Using ENTER and CLEAR The STAR key accesses the alarm screen and miscellaneous functions including TideTrack and setup commands. 12 Introducing the controls Northstar 972 Split screen feature Press the SPLIT key to split the screen into two or more sections, each with a different function displayed. See page 23 for more information. Setting options Installation and setup options are available by pressing the STAR key several times to display the Options/Service Info screen. This is where you set options for system settings such as Service Options, Port Setup, Software Update, etc. Function options Begin on the screen whose options you want to change. Then press and hold that function key for about a second. A screen showing the options for that function will be displayed. Use the cursor pad to select an item, press Edit, press the cursor pad to choose the desired setting, and then press ENTER. Any settings you change will apply to the entire system, not just the function in use. Menu keys The six round keys at the right of the screen take on different functions, depending on the screen displayed. Each active key is labeled on the screen. You can press CLEAR to hide the labels and display more data on the Chart, 3D, Split, Sounder and Video screens. To show the labels again, press any menu key. On the Chart screen, you can also hide the info bar (see Displaying numeric data on the chart screen, on page 19) by pressing CLEAR a second time, while the menu keys are hidden. Detailed chart data You can purchase chart permits for any area in the world directly from Jeppesen Marine. Visit www.PassportOnBoard.com for details on the simple procedure and to obtain the permits. Or, see your marine dealer. All available charts are already stored within your 972, and you can activate chart, current and tide data at any time by simply obtaining and entering a permit code. Quickstart Guide Revision B Detailed chart data 13 World Folio out of date warnings When the world folio on your system reaches 13 months old, you will see a warning reminding you to update it. Safe mariners always use up-to-date charts and information. Displaying available charts Press the STAR key repeatedly until the Passport OnBoard screen appears. On this screen, you can see the activated chart regions and enter additional chart permits. Chart Setup/status screen Displaying the chart screen After the 972 completes its start-up sequence, press the CHART function key to acknowledge the warning message and display the Chart screen. You'll see your present position represented by a red vessel symbol in the center of the chart. If you're not receiving GPS signals, you can use Demo Mode, as described on page 19. 14 Displaying the chart screen Northstar 972 Chart screen Quickstart Guide Revision B Displaying the chart screen 15 The 972's Chart screen displays your vessel's present position (or any position you designate with the cursor pad) in relation to land masses, nav aids, and any waypoints and routes you have entered. As you navigate, your vessel remains stationary on the Chart screen, and the chart moves underneath your vessel. Clearing a GPS or WAAS alarm If the 972 isn't able to obtain a position from GPS within three minutes, you'll see a flashing NO GPS alarm icon on the right side of the screen. This means the 972 has an alarm message that needs your acknowledgement: Press the STAR function key to display the Alarms screen. The alarm message NO GPS POSITION FIX is shown in the Recent Alarms box. This message advises you that the 972 is still in the process of acquiring satellite information necessary for displaying a position fix. Alarms screen For details about alarms, see Alarms, starting on page 132. Using the chart Your vessel is normally shown in the center of the chart screen. If your vessel is moving, the symbol will point in the direction of your Course Over Ground (COG). (If your vessel isn't moving, the 972 can't determine your COG, so the direction of the vessel symbol won't mean anything.) To zoom in and see more details about your position, press the IN key. To zoom out (more area and less detail), press OUT. The word NEW in the upper right corner of the screen tells you this message hasn't yet been acknowledged. To acknowledge this or any message alarm, press the Clear alarm menu key. As soon as the 972 acquires its signals, you'll be ready to go. 16 Displaying the chart screen Northstar 972 Press the cursor pad to display the red cursor and designate waypoints or move the chart to a different area. Press Vessel to recenter the chart on your vessel. Vessel Chart area GPS Status · display any available overlays, such as radar · rotate the chart to north-up, course-up, leg-up or heading-up (heading-up requires an optional heading sensor) · return from "Browse" mode (cursor on-screen) to "Vessel" mode (vessel centered) · show detailed information about the displayed chart WAAS · display additional position information in the Info bar at the bottom of the screen · go to a waypoint, nav aid, or unmarked Info bar Cursor Menu keys point you select on the chart screen by pressing the cursor pad Chart screen The GPS status is shown on the right side of the screen: · GPS -- navigating with normal GPS Displaying other information On the Chart screen, you can display your current route, track history, waypoints and avoidance points, a lat/lon grid, a radar overlay, or other chart details. See Setting up the chart screen, on page 33. signals · WAAS -- navigation enhanced with high-accuracy WAAS signals. · DEMO -- running in simulation mode Chart plotter functions The menu keys at the right of the chart screen perform the following navigation functions (not all keys are shown all the time): Quickstart Guide Revision B Displaying the chart screen 17 Chart options Once on the Chart screen, Press and hold the CHART key to display options for the Chart screen. See page 33 for the other options. Press Chart Detail to select the items to be displayed on the chart screen. 3D chart screens The Northstar 972 can also display three-dimensional images of the ocean bottom and land areas. Press the 3D key to display these images. Use the cursor pad to position the camera viewpoint. A red line drops from the vessel to the seabed to show the water depth visually. Menu keys: · Overlay -- applies a vector-based chart · Browse -- allows the viewpoint to be moved by using the cursor pad · Bottom Lock -- Locks the camera to the seabed directly under the vessel, instead of the vessel itself · Camera up -- in Browse mode, moves the camera viewpoint higher · Camera down -- in Browse mode, moves the camera viewpoint lower · More info -- steps through the available to the 3D image (this operation may take quite a bit of time the first time a chart is accessed) info bars at the bottom of the screen · Alarms The Northstar 972 alerts you to conditions that may require attention. Some alerts are strictly informative, such as nearing a waypoint, and some warn of conditions such as loss of navigation signals. The unit alerts you with a beeping sound and a flashing symbol at the right edge of the screen. Many alarms automatically clear 18 Chart options Northstar 972 themselves after a few seconds. Others remain flashing until you press a key on the Alarm screen or until the condition clears. See Alarms, starting on page 132 for a listing of all alarms and the meaning of each. Using demo mode You can use demo mode to simulate a stationary position, or simulate navigating to a location you select on the Chart screen. Demo mode is useful for training, and could be used for dead reckoning in the event that GPS signals should ever fail. To access the demo control screen, display the Chart screen and press and hold CHART to display the chart options. Then press Demo control. To place your vessel at a simulated position and enter demo mode, press the cursor pad to move the cursor to the desired position on the chart. Zoom out if you need to see more area. Press Demo Position and then ENTER. Your vessel symbol will now be stationary at this position. To simulate motion from this point to another location, press the cursor pad to move the cursor to the destination, then press the Demo COG/SOG key. To change the vessel's speed from the standard 10 knots, use the keypad to enter the new speed. Finally, press ENTER to start moving to the demo cursor location. To view the Chart screen while in demo mode, press Return twice. The word Demo always appears on the right side of the Chart screen when you're in demo mode. To leave demo mode, go back to the Demo control screen as described above, and press Exit Demo. This key returns you directly to the active Chart screen. Displaying numeric data on the chart screen To display numeric information directly on the chart screen, press the More Info menu key to display an "info bar" at the bottom of the screen. (If the More Info key is not visible, press Vessel to restore it.) Quickstart Guide Revision B Using demo mode 19 · your vessel's distance (Dist) and bearing (Brg) to the current waypoint, if any, along with a cross-track indicator · your vessel's position in lat/lon (or TDs, if you've enabled loran) · tide and current information at the nearest tide station Vessel lat/lon displayed on chart screen Each additional press of the More Info key shows the following information: · your vessel's present Speed-Over-Ground (SOG), Course-Over-Ground (COG), heading (HDG) (if a heading sensor is connected) Displaying numeric data on the position screen To display your position, speed, course, and time with large, easily read digits, press POSITION. The GPS Position screen shows the following information: · your vessel's position in lat/lon (or · current time, day, and date · geodetic datum (for details, see Choosing a geodetic datum, starting on page 149) Press POSITION a second time to see Phantom loran TDs See Using Phantom Loran, on page 49. Phantom loran TDs, if enabled) · your vessel's present SOG and COG 20 Displaying numeric data on the position screen Northstar 972 Press and hold POSITION to display options for this screen (see Position screen options, on page 47). For details about using this screen, see Position coordinates, starting on page 45. GPS position screen Going immediately to a quick waypoint The Northstar 972 can guide you directly to any point on the chart screen that you designate. "Point-and-shoot" navigation, as it is called, is often the easiest way to go to a waypoint or a series of waypoints: Just select the points right on the chart and go to them, one after another. This technique provides the most flexibility in deciding where you want to travel. Simply move the cursor wherever you want, press a key, and you're navigating. 1. Press the CHART key to display the Chart screen. 2. Press the cursor pad to move the cursor to the desired spot on the chart. 3. Press Go to cursor. 4. Press ENTER. The 972 displays a track line to the new waypoint named -QUIK-, and guides you directly to this point. Quickstart Guide Revision B Going immediately to a quick waypoint 21 Watch your progress on the chart screen, or press STEER to stay accurately on the straight-line course to the waypoint (see Steering to a waypoint, starting on page 54). That's all you have to do to use the 972 in its simplest form. To learn more about navigating to waypoints, See Navigating to Waypoints, starting on page 51. Navigating Radar Using the optional Northstar radar you can determine where other boats or ships, navigational markers, land masses, flocks of birds, and other objects are located in relation to your vessel, and you can track their movements. The radar won't be operational until you turn on the radar transmitter. See Displaying radar, starting on page 87. If a Northstar radar unit is interfaced to the 972, press RADAR to see the radar image. Press Adjust Radar... to make operating adjustments to the radar system as described in Using the Adjustment keys, starting on page 91. Press Adjust Markers... to set the radar's Electronic Bearing Lines, Range Rings, etc. as described in Using the Markers keys, starting on page 94. On the Chart screen, you can press Radar overlay to superimpose the radar image on the chart screen. More information on radar starts on page 85. You can also designate and track MARPA targets with the Northstar 972. 22 Radar Northstar 972 For information on installing radar and making it operational, see the Northstar Radar Installation Manual (part number GMEKRADIM). The echo sounder If your 972 is equipped with Northstar's optional echo sounder, press SOUNDER to display the full Echo Sounder screen. For the simplest operation, press Auto, and select the desired transducer frequency and zoom modes. More information about sounder setup and operation starts on page 103. Split function The SPLIT key You can split the screen to display several navigation functions on the screen at the same time. For example, you could display the chart, sounder and radar images simultaneously, or even two chart screens. A chart screen is always shown on the left side, and you can choose one or two other functions to be displayed on the right side. Press the SPLIT key to split the screen into two or three sections, each with a different function displayed. Press SPLIT a second time to configure the combination of functions to be displayed. For two simultaneous functions, just press Right to step through the options. Split screen with Chart, Position and Steer For three simultaneous functions, press 3-way split. Then press Top to step through Quickstart Guide Revision B The echo sounder 23 the available screens for the top right function. Press Bottom to step through the same choices for the bottom right function. select which of the displayed functions is controlled by the menu keys. For example: The Control key When the screen is split to show more than one function, you can press Control to The Control key is also available when the radar overlay is in use. The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup Using the alarms The 972 has several alarms that automatically alert you to certain situations. For example, the 972 lets you know when you're approaching a waypoint by sounding a beep and flashing an alarm icon on the screen. The icon explains the reason for the alarm. Most of the common alarms automatically cancel themselves after ten seconds or after the condition ends. For details, see Alarms, starting on page 132. including Alaska and Hawaii, plus much of the eastern and western Canadian coastline. You can display tides for today or any other date. For details about TideTrack, see TideTrackTM, starting on page 137. Press STAR again to display currents in the same manner. Tide and current data are available for chart regions that have been activated for use. Setup functions Using TideTrackTM Press the STAR key repeatedly until you see the 972's Tide Track screen, a 24-hour tide graph for any of over 3,000 NOAA tide stations covering the entire U.S. coastline, Additional presses of the STAR key access the 972's various setup and customization functions. These functions are described beginning on page 146. 24 The STAR key: alarms, TideTrack and setup Northstar 972 SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB) Pressing SAVE/MOB always saves your present position as a waypoint. time you press SAVE, your position will be recorded as an additional waypoint in the route. See Saving a route as you travel, starting on page 74 for details. Saving waypoints Press SAVE briefly to save a waypoint. The new waypoint is given a name such as -S002-, where the letter S indicates a saved waypoint, and the three-digit number increases by one every time you save a waypoint. You can limit the number of saved waypoints that will be stored. Use the Max Saved waypoints function in the Navigation Options menu (see The maximum number of saved waypoints, on page 148). When the three-digit number reaches the specified maximum, it wraps back to 001 and overwrites the older waypoint that has the same number. Any saved waypoints that you want to keep or use in a route should be renamed before they are overwritten (see Editing waypoints, starting on page 69). Man Overboard Press and hold the SAVE/MOB for at least four seconds (until you see the "Man Overboard" window) to save your position as a waypoint named ­MOB­. The 972 immediately and automatically does the following: · switches to a zoomed-in chart screen showing your vessel and the MOB waypoint · enables the wake line · switches to vessel mode · starts navigating to the MOB point You can use any of the unit's functions to return to the location of the waypoint. The 972 never shows the "Arrive" indication -- it continues guiding you to the MOB waypoint until you instruct it otherwise. When you're finished using the MOB function, just continue using the 972 in whatever way you wish. Saving routes You can set the 972 to automatically save a sequence of waypoints as a route. Each Quickstart Guide Revision B SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB) 25 26 SAVE and Man Overboard (MOB) Northstar 972 Reference section 1 Using the Chart Screen Using electronic charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Zooming in and out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Using the cursor on the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Comparing vessel and browse modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Rotating the chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Setting up the chart screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using the course predictor line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Using the distance and bearing calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 This section explains the electronic chart, the two chart modes (Vessel and Browse), the various chart symbols and their meanings, and how to set up the chart display to operate the way you want it to be. Reference Manual Revision B 27 Using electronic charts CAUTION! Electronic charts contain most of the information from the original paper charts. You can select which categories of data are displayed to simplify the screen. When used with caution, electronic charts open up a world of navigational accuracy and simplicity. indicate when this change in detail is going to happen. Lights and buoys The nav aids on the Chart screen represent a variety of standard "aids to navigation" used on coastal and inland waterways throughout the United States. Most of these aids are buoys, lights, lighthouses, and daybeacons, which typically are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Nav aids warn you of hidden dangers, such as underwater hazards, and to help you safely navigate specific waterways and channels. On a vector chart, when you move the cursor over a nav aid, with popups are turned on, the 972 displays a description in the popup rectangle near the nav aid, along with the distance and bearing from your vessel to the nav aid. Nav aids have been converted from official paper charts into the electronic format on your screen, and therefore aren't necessarily as accurate as the paper charts. In some areas, only the most important nav aids may be shown. Chart boundaries The 972 displays the boundary line of each chart on the Chart screen. You can turn these lines off if you prefer (see Choosing vector chart details, starting on page 35). If you move from a highly detailed chart to a less detailed one, you may see a sudden change in the detail shown on the screen, just as if you had changed from one detailed paper chart to a less detailed one. The displayed boundary lines may help Zooming in and out To get a closer look at the chart area around your vessel or around the cursor, press the IN key to zoom in. To see a wider area, press OUT to zoom out. Each press of IN or OUT approximately halves or doubles the chart scale. NOTE: Whenever the radar overlay is turned on and "Auto Range" is turned on, the scales of the chart and the radar are locked together so that the images will line up. If you change the scale of one, the scale of the other changes automatically. 28 Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Using electronic charts Northstar 972 Using the cursor on the chart screen Pressing the cursor pad displays the red cursor symbol on the Chart screen. Further pressing of the cursor pad moves the cursor across the screen. If you have trouble finding the cursor in a busy part of the Chart screen, just look at the edges of the screen for the red cursor pointers: They line up with the cursor. press Go to cursor and ENTER to start navigating to the designated cursor location. If you placed the cursor on a waypoint, this menu key would read Go to waypt. You can use the cursor to: · select a nav aid or waypoint, to: > > > > > > > show its name, lat/lon, and distance and bearing navigate to it add it to a route show its lat/lon navigate to it add it to a route store as a waypoint When you press the cursor pad, the 972 goes into browse mode, described on page 29. If you move the cursor on top of a waypoint or navaid, you will select that point. Information about the selected point appears in the popup rectangle. After pressing the cursor pad to move the cursor to a point on the chart, you can · designate a point on the chart, to: · select a leg of a route to follow or edit · view a new area of the chart by moving the cursor to the edge of the screen Comparing vessel and browse modes The 972 offers two display modes: · vessel (your vessel is centered on the · browse (a cursor is displayed, which screen) you can move to designate points or explore other areas of the chart) Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Reference Manual Revision B Using the cursor on the chart screen 29 To switch from vessel mode to browse mode, press the cursor pad. To switch back to vessel mode, press the Vessel menu key. Vessel mode The word VESSEL in the upper right corner of the screen means you are currently using Vessel mode. Vessel mode is the primary screen for navigating -- the chart moves automatically under your vessel, which remains stationary on the screen. It provides a continuous view of your surroundings. Press More info to display your position coordinates in the info bar at the bottom of When your vessel's position the screen. You can also display your SOG moves to the edge of a chart, and COG, or distance and bearing to the its icon may move from the current waypoint (if any), or the nearest center of the screen. tide and current station. Vessel mode Browse mode The word BROWSE in the upper right corner of the screen means you are currently using Browse mode. 30 Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Comparing vessel and browse modes Northstar 972 The info bar at the bottom of the screen displays the position coordinates of the cursor, and the distance and bearing from your vessel to the cursor. Browse mode In browse mode, you can use the cursor to look at other areas of the chart, and designate points you want to navigate to. Rotating the chart Press the Rotate key to change the angle of the charts displayed on the Chart screen. As long as you're in vessel mode, you can rotate the chart to any of the following angles: · North-up ­ No rotation. · Course-up ­ As your vessel changes its COG as determined by the GPS receiver. The 972 ignores any course changes if your speed is under half a knot. The chart reacts very slowly to turns of less than 5°, to avoid annoying small rotations. Your COG is often different from your vessel's heading, so what you see straight direction of travel, the chart rotates to keep your COG straight up on the screen. Course-up represents your true Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Reference Manual Revision B Rotating the chart 31 ahead on the horizon may be different from what's displayed on the screen. · Heading-up ­ This rotation is available only if you have a heading sensor installed and enabled. The chart rotates as you travel to keep your heading straight up on the screen. When you select heading-up, the heading line on the radar image points straight upwards. The heading line allows you to compare the radar image or the chart with the view in front of the vessel. · Leg-up ­ The direction of the current course, you won't see the chart rotate to the new direction until you return to vessel mode by pressing the Vessel key. Only in vessel mode will the chart rotate to follow your course angle. · Leg-up: If you're displaying charts in browse mode as leg-up and the 972 switches to a new leg, the chart will immediately rotate to the direction of that new leg. NOTES: The edges of other charts in the 972's built-in world chart folio are shown, in addition to those installed. These edges are shown as black or red dashed lines. The lat/lon grid is labelled only when the chart is north-up. leg to a waypoint points straight upwards on the screen. The 972 rotates the chart whenever you start navigating on a new leg, even if you haven't turned the vessel yet. Using chart rotation in browse mode Chart rotation is most useful in vessel mode. In browse mode, rotation is stabilized to keep the chart and cursor from jumping while you're browsing around on the chart. · Course-up or Heading-up: Suppose How rotating affects the chart and radar The rotation of the chart and the rotation of the radar image interact under certain circumstances, as described below. Assume that the chart and radar are both north-up at the start: you're displaying the charts as course-up or heading-up and you press the cursor pad to use browse mode. While in browse mode, the chart rotation freezes. If your vessel changes 32 Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Rotating the chart Northstar 972 If the Chart screen's in... Browse mode And the radar image is... Overlaid on the chart The chart can't rotate in Browse mode. If you change the Control key to Radar, the chart's mode automatically switches to vessel mode and rotates as described below). Chart and radar both rotate together. If you change the rotation of one, the other automatically changes to match. Not overlaid The chart can't rotate, but the radar can rotate. Chart and radar can have different rotations. Vessel mode Chart and radar can both rotate. Chart and radar can have different rotations. Setting up the chart screen The Chart Options screen lets you select the details on the Chart screen, adjust the 972's track control, and control Demo Mode to simulate navigation and radar. Press the CHART key to display the Chart screen, then press and hold the CHART key to display the Chart Options screen. The following options can be set directly from this screen. All units settings apply system-wide. Left chart type On a split screen with two charts displayed, choose whether the left chart is raster, vector, blend or photo. Right chart type On a split screen with two charts displayed, choose whether the right chart is raster, vector, blend or photo. Reference section 1 -- Using the Chart Screen Reference Manual Revision B Setting up the chart screen 33 Chart synchronization On a split screen with two charts displayed, choose whether or not the two charts are synchronized so that both charts always pan together. Lat/lon grid The ON setting displays lat/lon lines on the Chart screen. Turn lat/lon lines off when these lines add excessive clutter to your screen. Look Ahead Follow vessel -- the vessel is centered in the screen Look ahead -- shows a larger area ahead of the vessel Outlines Displays the edges of the Passport chart regions. Off, Installed charts, Passport regions, Both. Dist/Speed Units Predictor Off, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes. Controls the length of the course predictor line. Nautical miles and knots, miles and miles per hour, or kilometers and kilometers per hour Waypoint Switching