Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product FISHEASY 320C Eagle
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Pub. 988-0143-781 www.eaglesonar.com Fish-Finding & Depth-Sounding Sonar Installation and Operation Instructions.
Copyright © 2004 LEI-Eagle All rights reserved. Eagle ® is a registered trademark of LEI FishEasy ® 320C is a registered trademark of LEI Eagle Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies, regulations, and special offers at any time.
i Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................... I Capabilities and Specifications: Fisheasy 320c ........................... 5 How Sonar Works ...........................................
ii 2. Ent/Pages (Enter and Pages).............................................. 44 3. Exit ...................................................................................... 44 4. Up and Down Arrows ................................................
iii Ping Speed & HyperScroll ....................................................... 74 To Change Ping Speed: ........................................................... 75 To Adjust Sensitivity: ...............................................
iv Notes.
5 Introduction Thank you for buying an Eagle sonar! Your unit is a high-quality, re- markably-priced color sonar designed for both professional and novice fishermen. All Eagle sonars have an automatic mode that finds and displays the bottom, fish, underwater structure and more – right out of the box.
6 Resolution: ...................... 320 pixels (vert.) x 240 pixel (horiz.) resolu- tion; 153,600 total pixels Backlighting: .................. Backlit screen and keypad for night use. Input power: ................... 10 to 17 volts DC. Current drain: .
7 Surface water temp: ..... Yes, built into transducer. Optional addi- tional temp sensors for live well, bait well, etc. are available. Speed/distance log: ....... Yes, with optional speed sensor. NOTICE! The storage and operation temperature for your unit is from -4 de- grees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Cel- sius).
8 chart. The sonar's microprocessor calculates the time lapse between the transmitted signal and echo return to determine the distance to the object. The whole process repeats itself several times each second. How to use this manual: typographical conventions Many instructions are listed as numbered steps.
9 Instructions = Menu Sequences Most functions you perform with the sonar unit are described as a se- quence of key strokes and selecting menu commands. We've written them in a condensed manner for quick and easy reading. For example, instructions for turning on the Fish ID feature would look like this: 1.
10 Notes.
11 Installation & Accessories Preparations You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, but we recommend this installation sequence: CAUTION: You should read over this entire installation section before drill- ing any holes in your vehicle or vessel! 1.
12 vent damage if the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the transducer does "kick-up," the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools. Read these instructions carefully before attempting the installation.
13 Selecting a Transducer Location 1. The location must be in the water at all times, at all operating speeds. 2. The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of water at all times.
14 be displayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing the trans- ducer cable around these wires. Good and poor transducer locations. How low should you go? For most situations, you should install your Skimmer transducer so that its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull.
15 However, there are times when you may need to adjust the transducer slightly higher or lower. (The slots in the mounting brackets allow you to loosen the screws and slide the transducer up or down.
16 Lack of angle adjustment can be particularly troublesome on hulls that sit with the bow high when at rest or at slow trolling speeds. Third, a transducer CAN NOT shoot through wood and metal hulls. Those hulls require either a transom mount or a thru-hull installation.
17 from the side, check to see if it will adjust so that its face is parallel to the ground. If it does, then the "A" position is correct for your hull. If the transducer's face isn't parallel with the ground, remove the transducer and ratchets from the bracket.
18 Assemble transducer and bracket. 4. Drilling mounting holes. Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. The transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The transducer's centerline should be in line with the bottom of the hull.
19 5. Attaching transducer to transom. Remove the transducer from the bracket and re-assemble it with the cable passing through the bracket over the bolt as shown in the following figures. Route cable over bolt and through bracket. Side view shown at left and seen from above at right.
20 tr ans du ce r. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wir- ing on the boat. Electrical noise from the engine's wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio wires and cables, and aerators can be picked up by the sonar. Use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires.
21 Attach motor mounting bracket to transducer. 2. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot in the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor. Posi- tion the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the wa- ter.
22 Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches. If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of the trans- ducer is too high and needs to be lowered. If only the back half of the arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised.
23 Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation Hulls With Floatation Materials The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass lay- ers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass.
24 Testing Determines Best Location Ideally, the shoot-thru transducer should be installed as close to the transom as possible, close to the centerline. This will give you the best performance during high speed maneuvers. Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation.
25 Example of a second bottom signal. Unit is in 30 feet of water, with range set at 80 feet and sensitivity set at 87 percent. 2. Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the sump of the boat, face down. (The transducer face is shown in the figure on the following page.
26 with the boat on plane and observe the bottom signal. You'll need to figure some way to prop the transducer into position while you make your test run. (A brick or two might be sufficient to hold it in place.) 5 . When you're satisfied with a location, mark it and proceed with the installation.
27 WARNING: Use only the epoxy available from LEI. It has been for- mulated to work with these installation procedures. Other epoxy types may be too thin or may not cure to the right consistency for optimum transducer performance. 2. The epoxy consists of the epoxy itself and a hardener.
28 Speed/Temperature Sensors The FishEasy 320C can accept as many as two temperature sensors, which can be used to monitor the temperature of surface water, a live well or some other location. These units can accept an optional speed sensor for showing speed and distance traveled.
29 Sonar unit with external combination speed and temperature sensor. Primary temp sensor is built into the transducer. Temperature sensor built into transducer ST-TU combination speed and temperature.
30 Sonar unit with secondary external temperature sensor. Primary temp sensor is built into the transducer. TS-2U temperature sensor Temperature sensor built into transducer Sonar unit rear view 12-vo.
31 Sonar unit with external speed sensor. The temperature sensor is built into the transducer. Speed Sensor Installation If you wish to purchase an optional sensor for your unit, refer to the accessory ordering information inside the back cover of this manual.
32 water flow to the speed sensor. Make sure the sensor will remain in the water when the boat is on plane. Also make sure the location doesn't inter- fere with the boat's trailer. Typically, the sensor is mounted about one foot to the side of the transom's centerline.
33 If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between the tran- som and the sensor with the caulking compound. This will help ensure a smooth water flow.
34 stalling an inline switch. This will let you shut off power to the power cable when the unit is not in use. When you are not using the unit, you should always shut off power to the power cable, es- pecially when the power cable is disconnected from the unit.
35 This unit has reverse polarity protection. No damage will occur if the power wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the wires are attached correctly. MOUNTING THE SONAR UNIT: In-Dash, Bracket or Portable You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied bracket.
36 Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the FishEasy 320C when mounted on quick release bracket. After drilling the hole, pass the connectors up through the hole from un der t he da sh. If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cable with a good marine caulking compound.
37 FishEasy 320C quick release mounting bracket. Slots in the base allow routing the cable from beneath the mount. Attach the unit to the bracket by first connecting the power/transducer and accessory cables. Then, hold the sonar unit vertically and slide it onto the bracket from above.
38 Mount the sonar: slide the unit onto the bracket from above. Adjust viewing angle: use one hand to press and release the spring- loaded ratchets while you move the unit with the other hand. Portable Sonar Installation Like many Eagle products, the FishEasy 320C sonar is capable of port- able operation.
39 The power pack and portable transducers expand the uses for your so- nar. You can use your FishEasy 320C sonar unit on your boat or take it to the dock, on a float tube, on an ice fishing trip or use it as a second sonar in a friend's boat. The PPP-12 package includes the power pack, battery adapter and a port- able transducer.
40 PPP-12 Portable Power Pack with FishEasy 320C stowed for transport. Turn the sonar unit on. If it doesn't work, make sure the battery termi- nals are making good contact against the battery contacts. Also check the wiring connections on the battery adapter.
41 Portable Transducer Assembly Recommended tools for installation include a slotted screw driver and two adjustable wrenches. Assemble the transducer and bracket as shown in the following figure. Attach the transducer to the bracket with the supplied hardware.
42 Moisten the cup, then press it onto the hull as firmly as possible. Tie the nylon cord to the boat and route the transducer cable to the sonar unit. Your portable sonar is now ready for use. Portable transducer installed on boat transom. NOTE: For optimum operation, the portable transducer should be adjusted so that it is parallel to the ground.
43 Basic Sonar Operation Keyboard Basics The unit sounds a tone when you press any key. This tells you the unit has accepted a command. Numbers in the photo correspond to key ex- planations below: FishEasy 320C Sonar, front view, showing screen and keyboard.
44 the unit's operation. Press MENU once to access the Sonar Menu, or twice to access the Main Menu. NOTE: You must hold the MENU key down for a countdown of five in order to turn the unit off. 2. ENT/PAGES (enter and pages) This key appears in the manual text simply as ENT .
45 Main Menu The Main Menu contains some basic function commands and some setup option commands. You access the Main Menu by pressing MENU | MENU . You run a command by using ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command and then pressing ENT . To clear the Main Menu screen and return to the Page dis- play, press EXIT .
46 use. It tells you when the sonar sees a fish. You can also set deep or shallow depth alarms. • Popup Help command: turns the pop-up help boxes on or off. When you select a menu command, these information boxes appear to tell you what the command does or how to use the command.
47 Sonar Page Menu. Most of these functions are discussed in the Ad- vanced Section. Sonar Menu Commands The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and options.
48 • Depth Curso r command: displays a cursor line on the sonar chart which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target. • Overlay Data command: chooses what types of information (such as water temperature) to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen.
49 Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode. Sonar chart display options: full sonar chart (left) and split zoom. Surface clutter Structure Bottom signal Fish arches around school of bait fish In FasTrack, fish arches show as horizontal bars.
50 Sonar chart display options: digital data. You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are dis- played in many ways . We'll discuss all of those features and options in the Ad.
51 Basic Sonar Quick Reference 1. Mount the transducer and unit. Connect the unit to electric power and the transducer. 2. Launch your boat. 3. To turn on the unit, press and release MENU key. 4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digi- tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.
52 8. Gauge the fish depth by visually comparing the fish arches with the depth scale on the right side of the screen, or get a more accurate measure with the Depth Cursor. Press MENU | ↓ to D EPTH C URSOR | ENT . Press ↓ (or ↑ ) to align the cursor line with the fish arch.
53 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same location. Fig. 1: Sensitivity at 87 percent, determined by Auto Sensitiv- ity. Typical of full auto mode. Fig. 2: Sensitivity set at 50 percent. F i g.
54 You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in Auto Sensitiv- ity mode or Manual Sensitivity mode. The adjustment method works the same in both modes, but it gives you slightly different results.
55 Display showing Sensitivity Control Bar. NOTE: If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO S ENSITIVITY | ENT | ↑ to S ENSITIVITY | ENT . Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting.
56 Fish I.D. is an easier way for a sonar novice to recognize a fishy signal return when he sees it. However, locating fish by symbol only has some limitations.
57 This PC application simulates the actual sonar unit on your computer. You can run it from your computer keyboard or use your mouse to press the virtual keys. Easy download and installation instructions are avail- able on our web site. Free training emulator is available for your unit on our web site.
58 Advanced Sonar Options & Other Features Material in this section is arranged in alphabetical order. ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) The ASP feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit that constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed, water conditions and interference.
59 In the Sonar Features menu, Noise Rejection is selected with ASP in the default low setting. To change the ASP level: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . 2. Press ↓ to N OISE R EJECTION | ENT . 3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press ENT .
60 The deep alarm works just the opposite. It sounds a warning tone if the bottom depth goes deeper than the alarm's setting. Both depth alarms work only off the digital bottom depth signals. No other targets will trip these alarms. These alarms can be used at the same time or individually.
61 5. To turn off the alarm, press MENU | MENU | ↓ to S ONAR A LARMS | ENT | ↓ to D EEP A LARM E NABLED | ENT | EXIT | EXIT . To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
62 Press MENU | MENU | ↓ to B ACKLIGHT L EVEL | ENT . The B ACKLIGHT L EVEL slider bar appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to move the bar. At The lower end of the scale backlighting is turned off; the upper end is maximum backlight level. Backlight Level Command, left, and Backlight Level control bar, right.
63 Chart Speed The rate that echoes scroll across the screen is called the chart speed. The default is maximum; we recommend that you leave the speed set there for virtually all fishing conditions. However, you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you are stationary or drifting very slowly.
64 3. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT . ColorLine ColorLine lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes. It "paints" a brighter color on targets that are stronger than a preset value. This allows you to tell the difference between a hard and soft bottom.
65 2. The ColorLine Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease ColorLine; press ↑ to increase ColorLine. 3. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT . At left, little ColorLine indicates a soft bottom, probably sand or mud. At right, the wider ColorLine indicates a harder, rocky bottom.
66 Contrast Command, left, and Contrast control bar, right. Depth Cursor The depth cursor consists of a horizontal line with a digital depth box on the right side. The numbers inside the box show the depth of the cursor. Sonar chart with the depth cursor active.
67 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to D EPTH C URSOR | ENT . 2. The depth cursor appears. Press ↓ to lower the cursor line; press ↑ to raise the cursor line. 3. To clear the depth cursor, press EXIT . Depth Range - Automatic When turned on for the first time, the bottom signal is automatically placed in the lower half of the screen.
68 To switch to Manual Depth Range: 1. First, turn off automatic depth range. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO D EPTH R ANGE | ENT . 2. Press ↑ to D EPTH R ANGE | ENT and the Depth Range Control Scale appears. 3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a different depth range.
69 Sonar Page showing FasTrack. Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths) The Fish I.D. feature identifies targets that meet certain conditions as fish. The microcomputer analyzes all echoes and eliminates surface clutter, thermoclines, and other signals that are undesirable.
70 Does that mean Fish I.D. is broken? No — the feature is simply inter- preting sonar returns in a specific way to help take some of the work out of reading the screen. Remember: Fish I.D. is one of the many tools we provide so you can analyze your sonar returns for maximum fish finding information.
71 To turn on FishTrack: ( Note: These instructions will turn on FishTrack and Fish I.D. at the same time.) 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . 2. Press ↓ to F ISH ID D EPTHS | ENT | EXIT | EXIT . To turn off FishTrack, repeat these instructions.
72 Overlay Data Shown selection menu. In this example, we scrolled down the data list to highlight "Water Speed." When selected, a check mark appears beside the data type. (If you wish, you may now use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types for display.
73 3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT | EXIT . To change displayed data font size: 1. Press MENU | ↓ to O VERLAY D ATA | ENT . 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type , then press ENT . The D ATA S IZE (dis- played in the bottom of the Overlay Data Shown window) cycles through available sizes.
74 Sonar chart with Overlay Data turned on. This example shows Depth, Water Temperature and the Water Speed of the boat. Ping Speed & HyperScroll Ping Speed controls the rate at which the transmitter and transducer broadcast sonar sound waves — pings — into the water.
75 decrease the sensitivity to a level that eliminates the clutter. When you turn HyperScroll off, you can return to your original sensitivity level. Ping Speed Control Bar at default setting. To change Ping Speed: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to P ING S PEED | ENT .
76 returns, just as you would on a flasher sonar unit. For more informa- tion on FasTrack, see its entry in this section. Pop-up Help Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit.
77 3. All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory settings. At left, Main Menu with Reset Options command selected. On the right, Yes is selected for Reset all the options? R.
78 High sensitivity levels let you see this detail, but it can also clutter the screen with many undesired signals. Typically, the best sensitivity level shows a good solid bottom signal with ColorLine and some surface clut- ter. A utomatic Sensitivity The default sensitivity mode is automatic.
79 The Sensitivity Control Bar. To adjust sensitivity in manual mode: 1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO S ENSITIVITY | ENT . 2. Press ↑ to S ENSITIVITY | ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting.
80 Set Keel Offset This unit measures water depth from the face of the transducer. Since the transducer is installed below the water surface, the distance dis- played by the digital depth, chart depth scale, chart cursor or fish sym- bols is not the exact water depth.
81 1. Press MENU | MENU | ↓ to S ET K EEL O FFSET | ENT . 2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears with a plus (+) sign at the front of the box. 3. Press ↑ until the displayed number is + 1.5, then press EXIT . The depth indicators now accurately show the water depth from surface to bottom.
82 At left, Main Menu with Software Information command selected. At right, the Software Information screen. 1. Press MENU | MENU | ↓ to S OFTWARE I NFO | ENT . 2. Read the information displayed on the screen. 3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT | EXIT .
83 Full Sonar Chart This is the default mode used when the unit is turned on for the first time or when it's reset to the factory defaults. The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left. Depth scales on the right side of the screen aid in determining the depth of targets.
84 Split Zoom Sonar Chart. Image at left shows the left window zoomed to 2X. The right image shows the left window zoomed to 4X. The depth overlay data is set to the default large text size; the water temperature is set to the medium text size.
85 Sonar Simulator This unit has a built-in simulator that lets you run it as if you were on the water. All sonar features and functions are useable. When in simulator mode, you will occasionally see the word Simulated in the Sonar Page at the bottom of the screen.
86 Sonar Menu with Stop Chart command selected. The box is unchecked, indicating that the chart is scrolling across the screen. Surface Clarity The markings extending downward from the zero line on the chart are called "surface clutter." These markings are caused by wave action, boat wakes, temperature inversion and more.
87 Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected. 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select clarity level | EXIT | EXIT | EXIT . In the illustration at left, Surface Clarity is turned off. The right view shows Surface Clarity set at High. Transparency Use the transparency menu to adjust the transparency of menu win- dows.
88 may fade until it is unreadable. A low transparency will usually make menu text easier to read, at the cost of watching your sonar returns. Experiment with this feature until you find the right level of transpar- ency for your eyes. Main Menu with Transparency command selected.
89 Main Menu, left, Units of Measure Menu, right. To set Units of Measure: Press ↓ to the desired units, then press ENT . After all the options are set as desired, press EXIT | EXIT to return to the page display. Volume This command adjusts the speaker volume, which controls the sound levels for keystrokes and alarms.
90 For example, turning on the 2X zoom will show all echoes that are be- tween the top and bottom of the 2X zoom bar. The 4X zoom will show only the echoes between the top and bottom of the 4X zoom bar. At left, Sonar Page, normal view. Center, same view zoomed to 2X.
91 Illustration at left shows Zoom Bar and 2X zoom level, at right, 4X. Tip: From the Sonar Menu, you can go directly to the Zoom Level com- mand with one keystroke. Instead of pressing the down arrow ( ↓ ) to reach the command, press the up arrow ( ↑ ) instead.
92 Notes.
93 Troubleshooting If your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use the following troubleshooting section before contacting the factory customer service department. It may save you the trouble of returning your unit for repair. For contact information, refer to the last page, just inside the back cover of this manual.
94 Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals: 1. Make sure the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean the face of the transducer.
95 signals such as fish or even structure from the display. Try using resis- tor spark plugs or routing the sonar unit's power and transducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat. No fish arches when the Fish I.D. feature is off: 1.
96 present, turn the pump off, then turn on the VHF radio and transmit. Keep doing this until all electrical equipment has been turned on, their effect on the sonar display noted, then turned off. If you find noise interference from an electrical instrument, trolling mo- tor, pump, or radio, try to isolate the problem.
97 Index A Accessories, 5, 11, 35, 36 Alarms, 45, 59, 60, 61 Depth Alarms, 59 Fish Alarm, 59, 61 Antenna, 96 ASP (Advanced Signal Processing), 24, 58 B Backlights / Lighting, 6, 45, 61, 62, 77 Bat.
98 Digital Data, 48, 77, 84 Ping Speed, 48, 71, 74, 75 HyperScroll , 71, 74 Pop-up Help, 76 Power, 6, 8, 11, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, 51, 78, 93, 94, 95, 96 Product Specifications, 5 R .
99 EAGLE ELECTRONICS FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY "We," "our," or "us" refers to EAGLE ELECTRONICS, a division of LEI, the manufacturer of this product. "You" or "your" refers to the first person who purchases this product as a consumer item for personal, family, or household use.
100 How to Obtain Service… …in the USA: We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service and genuine Eagle replacement parts. If you're in the United States and you have technical, return or repair questions, please contact the Factory Customer Service Department.
Accessory Ordering Information for all countries To order Eagle accessories such as power cables or transducers, please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer or consum er electronics store. Most quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumer electronics should be able to assist you with these items.
Visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Pub. 988-0143-781 Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 092304 LEI-Eagle .
An important point after buying a device Eagle FISHEASY 320C (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Eagle FISHEASY 320C yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Eagle FISHEASY 320C - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Eagle FISHEASY 320C you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Eagle FISHEASY 320C will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Eagle FISHEASY 320C, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Eagle FISHEASY 320C.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Eagle FISHEASY 320C. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Eagle FISHEASY 320C along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
