Pub. 988-0152-031
www.lowrance.com
M68C S/Map &
M68C IceMachine
Fish-finding Sonar & Mapping GPS
Installation and Operation
Instructions
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Table of Contents
Sec. 1: Read Me First! ..............................................................1
Capabilities and Specifications: M68............................................ 3
How your Sonar Works................................................................. 4
How your GPS Works................................................................... 5
Introduction to GPS and WAAS................................................... 5
How to Use this Manual: Typographical Conventions................ 7
Sec. 2: Installation & Accessories ..........................................9
Preparations.................................................................................. 9
Transducer Installation................................................................ 9
Recommended Tools and Supplies ......................................... 10
Selecting a Transducer Location................................................ 10
How Low Should You Go?....................................................... 11
Shoot-Thru-Hull vs. Transom Mounting ............................... 12
Transom Transducer Assembly and Mounting ......................... 13
Trolling Motor Bracket Installation........................................... 16
Transducer Orientation and Fish Arches.................................. 17
Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation and Installation......................... 18
Power and Cable Connections.................................................... 22
Mounting the Sonar Unit: In-Dash or Bracket ......................... 23
Portable Sonar Installation........................................................ 27
Portable Transducer Assembly .............................................. 29
Sec. 3: Basic Sonar Operation..............................................31
Keyboard Basics.......................................................................... 31
Memory........................................................................................ 32
Menus.......................................................................................... 32
Main Menu .............................................................................. 32
Sonar Menu............................................................................. 33
Pages ........................................................................................... 35
Basic Sonar Quick Reference...............................................37
Sonar Operations........................................................................ 38
Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart ........................................ 40
Other Free Training Aids ....................................................... 41
Sec. 4: Sonar Options & Other Features ...........................43
ASP (Advanced Signal Processing)......................................... 43
Alarms ......................................................................................... 44
Depth Alarms.......................................................................... 44
Zone Alarm.............................................................................. 45
Fish Alarm............................................................................... 46
Chart Speed................................................................................. 47
ColorLine.................................................................................. 47
Depth Cursor............................................................................... 49
Depth Range - Automatic ........................................................... 49
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Depth Range - Manual................................................................ 50
Turn Auto Depth Range on Again:..................................... 50
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits ................................... 50
FasTrack .................................................................................. 52
Fish I.D. (Fish Symbols & Depths)......................................... 52
FishTrack................................................................................. 53
Overlay Data............................................................................... 54
Change Displayed Data Font Size: ........................................ 55
Ping Speed & HyperScroll....................................................... 56
Reset Options.............................................................................. 57
Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity.................................................... 58
Turn Auto Sensitivity Back on:.............................................. 59
Set Keel Offset ............................................................................ 59
Sonar Color Mode........................................................................ 60
Sonar Page & Sonar Chart Display Options ............................. 61
Full Sonar Chart..................................................................... 61
Split Zoom Sonar Chart.......................................................... 61
Digital Data/Chart.................................................................. 62
Flasher..................................................................................... 62
Sonar Simulator.......................................................................... 63
Stop Chart................................................................................... 63
Surface Clarity............................................................................ 64
Zoom Pan..................................................................................... 65
Sec. 5: Ice Fishing....................................................................67
Icemachine Mode Operation....................................................... 68
Sensitivity ............................................................................... 70
Colorline .............................................................................. 71
Battery Gauge......................................................................... 72
Sonar Signal Interpretation....................................................... 72
Ice Flasher Options..................................................................... 73
Split Zoom Display Mode........................................................ 73
Color Modes............................................................................. 74
Scouting Through the Ice ........................................................... 75
Sec. 6: Sonar Troubleshooting..............................................77
Sec. 7: Basic GPS Operations................................................81
Keyboard ..................................................................................... 81
Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ....................................... 82
Main Menu.................................................................................. 82
Pages ........................................................................................... 84
Sonar Page .............................................................................. 84
Satellite Status Page .............................................................. 84
Navigation Page...................................................................... 86
Full Map Page......................................................................... 88
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GPS Quick Reference .............................................................91
Find your Current Position ........................................................ 92
Moving around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys.............. 92
Selecting any Map Item with the Cursor .................................. 93
Set a Waypoint............................................................................ 93
Create Waypoint at Current Position.................................... 93
Create Waypoint on Map........................................................ 94
Create Waypoint by Entering a Position............................... 95
Navigate to a Waypoint.............................................................. 95
Set Man Overboard (MOB) Waypoint........................................ 96
Navigate Back to MOB Waypoint.............................................. 96
Navigate to Cursor Position on Map.......................................... 97
Navigate to a Map Place............................................................. 99
Creating and Saving a Trail....................................................... 99
Displaying a Saved Trail .......................................................... 101
Navigating Trails...................................................................... 101
Visual Trailing ...................................................................... 102
Navigate a Trail (Forward)................................................... 102
Navigate a Back Trail (Backtrack, or Reverse)................... 104
Cancel Navigation..................................................................... 105
Sec. 8: Advanced GPS Operations .....................................107
Find Distance from Current Position to Another Location .... 107
Find Distance from Point to Point ........................................... 107
Icons........................................................................................... 107
Create Icon on Map............................................................... 108
Create Icon at Current Position........................................... 108
Delete an Icon ....................................................................... 108
Navigate to an Icon............................................................... 109
Routes........................................................................................ 109
Create and Save a Route ...................................................... 110
Delete a Route....................................................................... 112
Edit a Route .......................................................................... 112
Navigate a Route................................................................... 113
Navigate a Route in Reverse ................................................ 114
Trails ......................................................................................... 115
Delete a Trail ........................................................................ 115
Edit a Trail Name ................................................................. 115
Edit a Trail Color .................................................................. 116
Edit a Trail Pattern .............................................................. 116
Utilities...................................................................................... 116
Alarm Clock........................................................................... 116
Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator.......................................... 116
Trip Calculator...................................................................... 116
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Trip Down Timer................................................................... 116
Trip Up Timer ....................................................................... 117
Waypoints.................................................................................. 117
Delete a Waypoint................................................................. 117
Edit a Waypoint (Name, Symbol and Position)................... 117
Selecting a Waypoint ............................................................ 118
Set a Waypoint by Average Position.................................... 118
Set a Waypoint by Projecting a Position.............................. 118
Sec. 9: System & GPS Setup Options.................................119
Alarms ....................................................................................... 119
Auto Satellite Search................................................................ 120
Coordinate System Selection.................................................... 121
Map Fix ..................................................................................... 122
Customize Page Displays ......................................................... 124
Customize Map or Navigation Page..................................... 124
Customize Position Page ...................................................... 124
GPS Simulator .......................................................................... 125
Simulating Trail or Route Navigation ................................. 126
Initialize GPS............................................................................ 126
Map Auto Zoom......................................................................... 127
Map Data................................................................................... 127
Earth Map Detail.................................................................. 127
Pop-Up Map Info................................................................... 128
Fill Water with White........................................................... 128
Map Overlays (Range Rings; Lat/Long Grid) ...................... 128
Map Datum Selection ............................................................... 128
Map Detail Category Selection................................................. 129
Map Orientation ....................................................................... 130
Overlay Data............................................................................. 131
Pop-Up Help.............................................................................. 133
Reset Options............................................................................ 134
Screen Contrast and Brightness .............................................. 134
Set Language ............................................................................ 135
Set Local Time .......................................................................... 135
Show WAAS Alarm................................................................... 136
Software Version Information.................................................. 136
Sounds and Alarm Sound Styles.............................................. 137
Track Smoothing....................................................................... 138
Trail Options............................................................................. 138
Delete All Trails.................................................................... 139
Update Active Trail Option .................................................. 139
Update Trail Criteria (Auto, Time, Distance).................. 139
Trail Update Rate (Time, Distance)................................. 139
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Delete Trail ........................................................................... 140
New Trail............................................................................... 140
Trail Visible/Invisible and Other Trail Options .................. 141
Transparency ............................................................................ 141
Units of Measure....................................................................... 142
Sec. 10: Searching.................................................................143
Find any Item Selected by Map Cursor................................... 143
Find Map Places........................................................................ 144
Find Streets or Intersections.................................................... 146
Find Waypoints......................................................................... 150
Sec. 11: Supplemental Material..........................................153
Index.........................................................................................159
WARNING!
A CAREFUL NAVIGATOR NEVER RELIES ON ONLY ONE METHOD
TO OBTAIN POSITION INFORMATION.
CAUTION
When showing navigation data to a position (waypoint), a GPS unit will show
the shortest, most direct path to the waypoint. It provides navigation data to the
waypoint regardless of obstructions. Therefore, the prudent navigator will not
only take advantage of all available navigation tools when traveling to a way-
point, but will also visually check to make sure a clear, safe path to the waypoint
is always available.
WARNING!
When a GPS unit is used in a vehicle, the vehicle operator is solely re-
sponsible for operating the vehicle in a safe manner. Vehicle operators
must maintain full surveillance of all pertinent driving, boating or fly-
ing conditions at all times. An accident or collision resulting in damage
to property, personal injury or death could occur if the operator of a
GPS-equipped vehicle fails to pay full attention to travel conditions and
vehicle operation while the vehicle is in motion.
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Notes
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Section 1:
Read Me First!
How this manual can get you out on the water, fast!
Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar and GPS! We know
you're anxious to begin finding fish, but we have a favor to ask. Before
you grab the unit and begin installing it, please give us a moment or
two to explain how our manual can help you get the best performance
from your combination fish finder and GPS receiver.
First, we want to thank you for buying a Lowrance sonar/GPS unit.
Whether you're a first time user or a professional fisherman, you'll dis-
cover that your unit is easy to use, yet capable of handling demanding
navigation and sonar tasks.
Our goal for this book is to get you on the water fast, with a minimum
of fuss. Like you, we'd rather spend more time boating or fishing and
less time reading the manual!
So, we designed our book so that you don't have to read the whole thing
from front to back for the information you want. At the start (or end) of
each segment, we'll tell you what content is coming up next. If it's a
concept you're already familiar with, we'll show you how and where to
skip ahead for the next important topic. We've also made it easy to look
up any tips you may need from time to time. Here's how:
The manual is organized into 11 sections. This first section is an intro-
duction to the M68 sonar and GPS. It tells you the basics you need to
know before you can make the unit look around and tell you where you
are, or look below the surface to find some fish.
Section 2 will help you install your unit, as well as the transducer (the
most important part of any sonar installation). We'll also tell you about
some of the available accessories.
Section 3 covers Basic Sonar Operation. It will show you how easy it is
to run your sonar, right out of the box. This section features a one-page
Sonar Quick Reference. (If you've already jumped ahead and fig-
ured out how to install the unit yourself, and you just can't wait
any longer, turn to the Quick Reference on page 37 and head
for the water with your unit!)
After you've gained some experience with your sonar, you'll want to
check out Section 4, which discusses more advanced Sonar Options and
Other Features.
When you come to a sonar menu command on the unit's screen, you can
look it up in the manual by skimming over the table of contents or the in-
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dex, or just flipping through Section 3 or scanning through the sonar op-
tions in Section 4.
Section 5 is a brief introduction to the powerful ice fishing applications of
the M68C and M68C IceMachine. (See section 2 to learn how you can get
the most out of your M68C with the addition of a special portable power
pack for ice fishing.)
If you're having difficulty with your sonar, you can find an answer to
the most common problems in Section 6, Sonar Troubleshooting.
The manual switches from sonar to navigation in Section 7, which in-
troduces you to Basic GPS Operations. This section features a one-
page GPS Quick Reference on page 91.
Section 7 contains short, easy-to-scan GPS lessons that follow one an-
other in chronological order. They're all you'll need to know to find your
way on the water quickly.
After you've learned the basics (or if you already have some GPS expe-
rience), you may want to try out some of the unit's many advanced
navigation features. That brings us to Section 8, Advanced GPS Opera-
tions. This section contains the rest of the unit's GPS command func-
tions, organized in alphabetical order.
When you come to a GPS menu command on the screen, you can look it up
in the manual by skimming over the table of contents or index, just flipping
through Section 7 or scanning through the command portion of Section 8.
This unit is ready to use right out of the box, but you can fine tune and
customize its operation with dozens of options. Since sonar is the unit's
key feature, we put the main sonar options in Section 4. Some options,
such as screen brightness settings, affect both sonar and GPS opera-
tions. We describe how to use those common options along with GPS
options in Section 9, System Setup and GPS Setup Options. Section 9 is
organized in alphabetical order.
In Section 10, we go into more detail on one of the unit's most remarkable
GPS capabilities — Searching. There are so many map items you can
search for, we had to give this function its own section in the manual!
Finally, in Section 11, we offer Supplemental Material, including a list
of the GPS datums used, warranties and customer service information.
Now, if you're into the fine details, glance over the next segment on
specifications to see just how much sonar and GPS power your unit con-
tains. It's important to us (and our power users), but, if you don't care
how many watts of power the unit has, or how many waypoints it can
store, skip ahead to important information on how sonar works, on page
4. (Background on GPS begins on page 5.)
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Capabilities and Specifications: M68
General
Display:............................ High-contrast Film SuperTwist LCD. Diago-
nal viewing area: 3.5" (8.9 cm).
Resolution:...................... 160 pixel x 240 pixel resolution; 38,400 total
pixels.
Backlighting:.................. LED backlit screen with multiple lighting lev-
els; backlit keypad.
Input power:................... 10 to 17 volts DC.
Current drain: ............... 170 ma lights off; 240 ma lights on.
Case size:......................... 5.8" H x 4.3" W x 2.5" D (14.7 cm H x 10.8 cm
W x 6.6 cm D) sealed, waterproof; suitable for
saltwater use.
Back-up memory:.......... Built-in memory stores GPS data for dec-
ades. User settings are stored when unit is
turned off.
Languages:...................... 10; menu languages selectable by user.
Sonar
Frequency:...................... 200 kHz.
Transducer:...................... A Skimmer transducer comes packed with
your sonar unit. Its 20° cone angle offers a
wide fish detection area of up to 60º with
high sensitivity settings. Operates at boat
speeds up to 70 mph (61 kts).
Transmitter:................... 800 watts peak-to-peak; 100 watts RMS.
Sonar sounding
depth capability: ........... 600 feet (180 meters). Actual capability de-
pends on transducer configuration and in-
stallation, bottom composition and water con-
ditions. All sonar units typically read deeper
in fresh water than in salt water.
Depth display:................ Continuous display.
Audible alarms: ............. Deep/shallow/fish/zone.
Automatic ranging:....... Yes, with instant screen updates.
Auto bottom track:........ Yes
Zoom bottom track: ...... Yes.
Split-screen zoom:......... Yes.
Surface water temp:..... Yes, built into transducer.
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GPS
Receiver/antenna:......... Internal 12 parallel channel GPS/WAAS.
Position updates: .......... Every second.
Position points: ............. 1,000 waypoints; 1,000 event marker icons.
Man Overboard:............. MOB feature precisely marks man overboard
location with special icon, then automatically
displays navigation data to that position.
Audible alarms: ............. Arrival/off-course/destination passed/anchor.
Graphic symbols for
waypoints or event
marker icons:................. 42.
Routes:............................. 100; up to 100 waypoints per route.
Plot Trails:...................... 10 savable; up to 9,999 points per trail.
Zoom range:.................... 39 ranges; 0.02 to 4,000 miles.
NOTICE!
The storage and operation temperature range for your unit is from
-4 degrees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees
Celsius). Extended storage or operation in temperatures higher or
lower than specified will damage the liquid crystal display in your
unit. This type of damage is not covered by the warranty. For more
information, contact the factory's Customer Service Department;
phone numbers are listed on the last page.
How Your Sonar Works
Sonar has been around since the 1940s, so if you already know how it
works, skip down to read about the relatively new technology of GPS.
But, if you've never owned a sonar fish finder, this segment will tell you
the underwater basics.
Sonar is an abbreviation for SOund NAvigation and Ranging, a technol-
ogy developed during World War II for tracking enemy submarines.
(Lowrance developed the world's first transistorized sportfishing sonar in
1957.) A sonar consists of a transmitter, transducer, receiver and dis-
play. In simple terms, here's how it finds the bottom, or the fish:
The transmitter emits an electrical impulse, which the transducer con-
verts into a sound wave and sends into the water. (The sound frequency
can't be heard by humans or fish.) The sound wave strikes an object
(fish, structure, bottom) and bounces back to the transducer, which
converts the sound back into an electrical signal.
The receiver amplifies this return signal, or echo, and sends it to the
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display, where an image of the object appears on the scrolling sonar
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 Your GPS Works
You'll navigate faster and easier if you understand how this unit scans
the sky to tell you where you are on the earth — and, where you're go-
ing. (But if you already have a working understanding of GPS receivers
and the GPS navigation system, skip on ahead to Section 2, Installation
& Accessories on page 9. If you're new to GPS, read on, and you can later
impress your friends with your new-found knowledge.)
First, think of your unit as a small but powerful computer. (But don't
worry — we made this unit easy to use, so you don't need to be a computer
expert to find your way!) The unit includes a keypad and a screen with
menus so you can tell it what to do. The screen also lets the unit show your
location on a moving map, as well as point the way to your destination.
This unit uses an internal antenna/receiver module, which makes the
whole system work something like your car radio. But instead of your
favorite dance tunes, this receiver tunes in to a couple of dozen GPS
satellites circling the earth. (It will also listen in to the WAAS satellites
in orbit, but more about that in the upcoming segment introducing you
to GPS and WAAS.)
Your unit listens to signals from as many satellites as it can "see" above
the horizon, eliminates the weakest signals, then computes its location
in relation to those satellites. Once it figures its latitude and longitude,
the unit plots that position on the GPS screen. The whole process takes
place several times a second!
Another portion of the unit's onboard memory is devoted to recording GPS
navigation information, which includes waypoints, event marker icons,
trails and routes. This lets you look back the way you came, and retrace
your path. Think of this data storage like the hard drive memory in a
computer or a tape in a cassette tape recorder. You can save several dif-
ferent GPS data files, erase 'em and record new ones, over and over again.
Introduction to GPS and WAAS
Well, now you know the basics of how the unit does its work. You might
be ready to jump ahead to Section 2, Installation & Accessories, on page
13, so you can mount your unit and plug in the power. Or you might
want to see how our text formatting makes the manual tutorials easy to
skim. If that's the case, move on to "How to Use This Manual" on page
10. But, if you want to understand the current state of satellite naviga-
tion, look over this segment describing how GPS and its new companion
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WAAS work together to get you where you're going.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) was launched July 17, 1995 by
the United States Department of Defense. It was designed as a 24-
hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year, all weather global navigation system for
the armed forces of the U.S. and its allies. Civilian use was also avail-
able at first, but it was less accurate because the military scrambled
the signal somewhat, using a process called Selective Availability (SA.)
GPS proved so useful for civilian navigation that the federal govern-
ment discontinued SA on May 2, 2000, after the military developed
other methods to deny GPS service to enemy forces. Reliable accuracy
for civilian users jumped from 100 meters (330 feet) under SA to the
present level of 10 to 20 meters (about 30 to 60 feet.)
Twenty-four satellites orbit 10,900 nautical miles above the Earth,
passing overhead twice daily. A series of ground stations (with precisely
surveyed locations) controls the satellites and monitors their exact loca-
tions in the sky. Each satellite broadcasts a low-power signal that identi-
fies the satellite and its position above the earth. Three of these satellites
are spares, unused until needed. The rest virtually guarantee that at
least four satellites are in view nearly anywhere on Earth at all times.
The system requires signal reception from three satellites in order to
determine a position. This is called a 2D fix. It takes four satellites to
determine both position and elevation (your height above sea level —
also called altitude). This is called a 3D fix.
A minimum of three satellites are required to determine a 2D fix.
Remember, the unit must have a clear view of the satellites in order to
receive their signals. Unlike radio or television signals, GPS works at
very high frequencies. These signals can be easily blocked by trees,
buildings, an automobile roof, even your body.
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Like most GPS receivers, this unit doesn’t have a compass or any other
navigation aid built inside. It relies solely on the signals from the sat-
ellites to calculate a position. Speed, direction of travel, and distance
are all calculated from position information. Therefore, in order for the
unit to determine direction of travel, you must be moving and the
faster, the better. This is not to say that it won’t work at walking or
trolling speeds — it will. There will simply be more "wandering" of the
data shown on the display.
GPS alone is plenty accurate for route navigation, but the U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration has special aircraft navigation needs that go
beyond basic GPS. So, the FAA has developed a program to boost GPS
performance with its Wide Area Augmentation System, or WAAS. The
FAA commissioned the system on July 11, 2003.
WAAS is designed to increase GPS accuracy to within 7.6 meters vertically
and horizontally, but it consistently delivers accuracies within 1-2 meters
horizontal and 2-3 meters vertical, according to the FAA. It does this by
broadcasting correction signals on GPS frequencies. Your unit automati-
cally receives both GPS and WAAS signals.
However, there are some fringe areas of the U.S., including parts of
Alaska, that do not yet receive robust WAAS coverage. Continued WAAS
development is planned to extend WAAS coverage in the years to come.
WAAS boosts the accuracy of land GPS navigation, but the system is
designed for aircraft. The satellites are in a fixed orbit around the
Equator, so they appear very low in the sky to someone on the ground
in North America. Aircraft and vessels on open water can get consis-
tently good WAAS reception, but terrain, foliage or even large man-made
structures can sometimes block the WAAS signal from ground receivers.
You'll find that using your GPS receiver is both easy and amazingly
accurate. It’s easily the most accurate method of electronic navigation
available to the general public today. Remember, however, that this
receiver is only a tool. Always have another method of navigation avail-
able, such as a map or chart and a compass.
Also remember that this unit will always show navigation information
in the shortest line from your present position to a waypoint, regardless
of terrain! It only calculates position, it can’t know what’s between you
and your destination, for example. It’s up to you to safely navigate
around obstacles, no matter how you’re using this product.
How to use this manual: typographical conventions
Many instructions are listed as numbered steps. The keypad and arrow
"keystrokes" appear as boldface type. So, if you're in a real hurry (or
just need a reminder), you can skim the instructions and pick out what
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menu command to use by finding the boldface command text. The fol-
lowing paragraphs explain how to interpret the text formatting for
those commands and other instructions:
Arrow Keys
The arrow keys control the movement of dotted cross-hair lines on your
mapping screen called the cursor. The arrow keys also control a hori-
zontal line depth cursor on the sonar screen. The arrow keys help you
move around the menus so you can execute different commands. They
are represented by symbols like these, which denote the down arrow
key, the up arrow, the left arrow and the right arrow: ↓ ↑ ← →.
Keyboard
The other keys perform a variety of functions. When the text refers to a
key to press, the key is shown in bold, sans serif type. For example, the
"Enter/Icons" key is shown as ENT and the "Menu" key is shown as MENU.
Menu Commands
A menu command or a menu option will appear in small capital letters, in
a bold sans serif type like this: ROUTE PLANNING. These indicate that you are
to select this command or option from a menu or take an action of some
kind with the menu item. Text that you may need to enter or file names
you need to select are show in italic type, such as trail name.
Instructions = Menu Sequences
Most functions you perform with this unit are described as a sequence
of key strokes and selecting menu commands. We've written them in a
condensed manner for quick and easy reading.
For example, instructions for navigating a trail would look like this:
1. From the Plotter Page, press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to Trail 1|ENT|→|↓ to NAVIGATE|ENT.
3. You are asked to wait while it converts the trail into a route.
4. The wait message disappears and the unit begins showing navi-
gation information along the trail. Now, begin moving and follow
your unit's directions.
Translated into complete English, step 1 above would mean: "Start on
the Plotter Page. Press the Menu key twice. Next, repeatedly press (or
press and hold) the down arrow key to scroll down the menu and select
(highlight) the My Trails menu command. Finally, press the Enter key."
Step 2 would mean: "Press the down arrow key repeatedly to scroll to
the trail named Trail 1, and press Enter. Next, press the right arrow
key and then the down arrow key to highlight the Navigate command,
then press Enter."
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Section 2:
Installation & Accessories
Preparations
You can install the sonar and GPS systems 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. Determine the approximate location for the sonar/GPS unit, so you
can plan how and where to route the power/transducer cable. This will
help you make sure you have enough cable length for the desired con-
figuration.
2. Determine the approximate location for the transducer and its cable
route.
3. Determine the location of your battery or other power connection,
along with the power cable route.
4. Install the transducer and route the transducer cable to the so-
nar/GPS unit.
5. Route the power cable from the unit's location to an appropriate
power source and connect it there.
6. Connect the transducer/power cable to the unit and mount the so-
nar/GPS unit to the bracket.
Transducer Installation
These instructions will help you install your Skimmer transducer on a
transom, on a trolling motor or inside a hull. Please read all instruc-
tions before proceeding with any installation.
Your Skimmer transducer typically comes packaged with a one-piece
stainless steel bracket for mounting it to the transom of your boat. The
optional trolling motor mount uses a one-piece plastic bracket with an
adjustable strap. These are "kick-up" mounting brackets. They help pre-
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.
Determine which of the installation methods is right for your boat.
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Remember, the transducer location and installation is the most
critical part of a sonar installation.
Recommended Tools and supplies
If you prefer the option of routing the cable through the transom, you
will need a 5/8" drill bit.
NOTE:
The following installation types also call for these recommended
tools and required supplies that you must provide (supplies listed
here are not included):
Transom installation
Tools include: two adjustable wrenches, drill, #29 (0.136") drill bit, flat-
head screwdriver. Supplies: high quality, marine grade above- or below-
waterline sealant/adhesive compound.
Trolling motor installations
Tools: two adjustable wrenches, flat-head screwdriver. Supplies: plastic
cable ties.
Shoot-through hull installations
Tools: these will vary depending on your hull's composition. Consult your
boat dealer or manufacturer. Other tools are a wooden craft stick or
similar tool for stirring and applying epoxy, and a paper plate or piece
of cardboard to mix the epoxy on. Supplies: rubbing alcohol, 100 grit
sandpaper, specially formulated epoxy adhesive available from LEI (see
ordering information on the inside back cover). A sandwich hull also
requires polyester resin.
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. If the transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of
water, interference caused by bubbles and turbulence will show on
the sonar's display in the form of random lines or dots whenever the
boat is moving.
NOTE:
Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the
hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed. These boats
typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat
at speeds faster than 35 mph. Typically, a good transom location on
aluminum boats is between the ribs closest to the engine.
3. The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight
down, if possible. For shoot-thru applications: Many popular fishing
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boat hulls have a flat keel pad that offers a good mounting surface. On
vee hulls, try to place the transducer where the deadrise is 10° or less.
Deadrise less than 10°
Strakes
Pad
Left, vee pad hull; right, vee hull. A pod style transducer is shown
here, but the principle is the same for Skimmers inside a hull.
4. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make sure it doesn't
interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat. Also, don't mount it
closer than approximately one foot from the engine's lower unit. This
will prevent cavitation (bubble) interference with propeller operation.
5. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the
boat. Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps and aerators
can be displayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing the
transducer cable around these wires.
CAUTION: Clamp the trans-
ducer cable to transom near
the transducer. This will help
prevent the transducer from
entering the boat if it is
knocked off at high speed.
Good location
Poor location
Good
location
Good location
Poor angle
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. This will
usually give you the best combination of smooth water flow and protec-
tion from bangs and bumps.
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Transom
Transducer
centerline
Hull bottom
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom.
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.) If you fre-
quently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed, the trans-
ducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes.
Move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this.
If you cruise or fish around lots of structure and cover, your transducer
may be frequently kicking up from object strikes. If you wish, you may
move the transducer a little higher for more protection.
There are two extremes you should avoid. Never let the edge of the
mounting bracket extend below the bottom of the hull. Never let the
bottom – the face – of the transducer rise above the bottom of the hull.
Shoot-thru-hull vs. Transom Mounting
In a shoot-thru-hull installation, the transducer is bonded to the inside
of the hull with epoxy. The sonar "ping" signal actually passes through
the hull and into the water. This differs from a bolt-thru-hull installa-
tion (often called simply "thru-hull"). In that case, a hole is cut in the
hull and a specially designed transducer is mounted through the hull
with a threaded shaft and nut. This puts the transducer in direct contact
with the water.
Typically, shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed opera-
tion and good to excellent depth capability. There is no possibility of
transducer damage from floating objects, as there is with a transom-
mounted transducer. A transducer mounted inside the hull can't be
knocked off when docking or loading on a trailer.
However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks.
First, some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. This
varies from hull to hull, even from different installations on the same
hull. This is caused by differences in hull lay-up and construction.
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Second, the transducer angle cannot be adjusted for the best fish arches
on your sonar display. (This is not an issue for flasher-style sonars.)
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.
Fourth, if your Skimmer transducer has a built in temp sensor, it will
only show the temperature of the bilge, not the water surface temp.
Follow the testing procedures listed in the shoot-thru-hull installation
section at the end of this lesson to determine if you can satisfactorily
shoot through the hull.
TRANSOM TRANSDUCER ASSEMBLY AND MOUNTING
The best way to install the transducer is to loosely assemble all of the
parts first, place the transducer's bracket against the transom and see if
you can move the transducer so that it's parallel with the ground.
1. Assembling the bracket. Press the two small plastic ratchets into the
sides of the metal bracket as shown in the following illustration. Notice
there are letters molded into each ratchet. Place each ratchet into the
bracket with the letter "A" aligned with the dot stamped into the metal
bracket. This position sets the transducer's coarse angle adjustment for a
14° transom. Most outboard and stern-drive transoms have a 14° angle.
Dot
Align plastic ratchets in bracket.
2. Aligning the transducer on the transom. Slide the transducer
between the two ratchets. Temporarily slide the bolt though the
transducer assembly and hold it against the transom. Looking at the
transducer 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. Place the ratchets into the
holes in the bracket with the letter "B" aligned with the dot stamped
in the bracket.
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Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against the
transom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so it's
parallel with the ground. If you can, then go to step 3. If it doesn't,
repeat step 2, but use a different alignment letter until you can place
the transducer on the transom correctly.
Ratchets
Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom.
3. Assembling the transducer. Once you determine the correct posi-
tion for the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the fol-
lowing figure. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.
Metal
washer
Nut
Rubber
washers
Metal washer
Bolt
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. Don't let the bracket extend below the hull!
Mark the center of each slot for the mounting screw pilot holes. You
will drill one hole in the center of each slot.
Drill the holes using the #29 bit (for the #10 screws).
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Transom
Transom
Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes.
Side view shown at left and seen from above at right.
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.
Attach the transducer to the transom. Slide the transducer up or
down until it's aligned properly with the bottom of the hull as shown
in the preceding and following figures. Tighten the bracket's mount-
ing screws, sealing them with the sealant/adhesive compound.
Adjust the transducer so that it's parallel to the ground and tighten
the nut until it touches the outer washer, then add 1/4 turn. Don't
over tighten the lock nut! If you do, the transducer won't "kick-up" if
it strikes an object in the water.
Bottom
of
hull
Flat-bottom hull
Deep-"vee" hull
Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach to transom.
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6. Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to
the sonar unit. Make sure to leave some slack in the cable at the
transducer. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other
wiring 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.
WARNING:
Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the
transducer. This can prevent the transducer from enter-
ing the boat if it is knocked off at high speed.
If you need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through,
the required hole size is 5/8".
Caution:
If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is lo-
cated above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the
hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline seal-
ant/adhesive used for the mounting screws.
7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost at
high speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding the trans-
ducer bracket down. This puts the transducer deeper into the water,
hopefully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the
transducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull!
TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET INSTALLATION
1. Attach the optional TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown in the
following figure, using the hardware supplied with the transducer.
(Note: The internal tooth washer is supplied with the TMB-S.)
TMB-S bracket
Internal tooth washer
Bolt
Nut
Flat washer
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. Po-
sition the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the
water. Tighten the strap securely.
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3. Route the transducer cable alongside the trolling motor shaft. Use
plastic ties (not included) to attach the transducer cable to the troll-
ing motor shaft. Make sure there is enough slack in the cable for the
motor to turn freely. Route the cable to the sonar unit and the trans-
ducer is ready for use.
Transducer mounted on trolling motor, side view.
TRANSDUCER ORIENTATION AND FISH ARCHES
If you do not get good fish arches on your display, it could be because
the transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest
in the water or at slow trolling speeds.
Partial fish arches
Transducer aimed
too far forward
Transducer aimed
too far back
Full fish arch
Proper transducer angle
Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches.
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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.
NOTE:
Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and water to re-
move any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity
or may even prevent operation.
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. A successful
transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials
(such as plywood, balsa wood or foam) between layers of fiberglass if
the material is removed from the chosen area. See the figure below.
WARNING:
Do not remove any material from your inner hull unless
you know the hull's composition. Careless grinding or
cutting on your hull can result in damage that could sink
your boat. Contact your boat dealer or manufacturer to
confirm your hull specifications.
Fill with polyester resin
Inner hull
Flotation material
Epoxy to hull first
Outer hull
Epoxy the transducer to a solid portion of the hull.
For example, some (but not all) manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass,
then a core of balsa wood, finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass.
Removing the inner layer of fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes
the outer layer of fiberglass. The transducer can then be epoxied di-
rectly to the outer layer of fiberglass. After the epoxy cures for 24
hours, fill the remaining space with polyester resin. When the job is
finished, the hull is watertight and structurally sound. Remember, the
sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air bubbles in the
fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals.
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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.
Transducer location
(trolling speed)
Transducer location
(high speed)
Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for
high speed or trolling speed operation.
To choose the proper location for shoot-thru-hull mounting, follow these
testing procedures: (You may need a helper to complete these steps.)
1. Anchor the boat in about 30 feet of water. Add a little water to the
sump of the boat. Plug the transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on,
then hold the transducer over the side of the boat in the water. Adjust
the sensitivity and range controls until a second bottom echo is seen on
the display. (You'll need to turn off Auto Sensitivity, Auto Depth Range
and ASP. Try a range setting that is two to three times the water
depth. The harder (more rocky) the bottom, the easier it will be to get a
second bottom signal.) Don't touch the controls once they've been set.
True bottom
Second bottom
Manual range setting
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.
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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.) Notice how the signal strength de-
creases. The second bottom signal will probably disappear and the bot-
tom signal intensity will likely decrease.
3. Now move the transducer around to find the best location with the
strongest possible bottom signal. If you find a spot with an acceptable
bottom signal, mark the location and move on to step 4.
If you can't get an acceptable bottom signal, try turning up the sensi-
tivity by three or five keystrokes and then move the transducer around
once more. If you find a spot that works, mark it and move on to step 4.
If you have to turn up sensitivity by more than five keystrokes to get a
good signal, the transducer should be mounted on the outside of the
hull. This is especially true if you have to turn sensitivity all the way
up to get a decent bottom signal.
4. Most people can get good results by following steps 1 through 3, so this
step is optional. If you want to make an extra effort to be absolutely sure
that your selected location will work under all conditions, make a test
run 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.
Shoot-thru-hull Installation
If you are installing the transducer on a hull with floatation material
sandwiched within the hull, refer to the text "Hulls With Flotation Ma-
terials" beginning on page 18.
1. Make sure the area is clean, dry and free of oil or grease, then sand
both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer with
100 grit sandpaper. The sanded hull area should be about 1-1/2 times
the diameter of the transducer. The surface of the hull must be flat
so the entire transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to
bonding. After sanding, clean the hull and transducer with rubbing
alcohol to remove any sanding debris.
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Spread epoxy here
Sand this surface
Epoxy transducer to hull.
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. Remove the
two compounds from the package and place them on the paper plate.
Thoroughly stir the two compounds together until the mixture has a
uniform color and consistency. Do not mix too fast or bubbles will
form in the epoxy. After mixing, you have 20 minutes to complete the
installation before the epoxy becomes unworkable.
Spread a thin layer of epoxy (about 1/16" or 1.5 mm thick) on the face
of the transducer as shown in the previous figure. Make sure there
are no air pockets in the epoxy layer! Then, apply the remaining ep-
oxy to the sanded area on the hull.
3. Press the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force
any air bubbles out from under the transducer face. Stop pressing
when you bottom out on the hull. When you're finished, the face of
the transducer should be parallel with the hull, with a minimum
amount of epoxy between the hull and transducer.
4. Apply a weight, such as a brick, to hold the transducer in place while
the epoxy cures. Be careful not to bump the transducer while the ep-
oxy is wet. Leave the weight in place for a minimum of three hours.
Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours before moving the boat.
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5. After the epoxy has cured, route the cable to the sonar unit and it's
ready to use.
POWER AND CABLE CONNECTIONS
The unit works from a 12-volt battery system. For the best results, at-
tach the power cable directly to the battery. You can attach the power
cable to an accessory or power buss, however you may have problems
with electrical interference. Therefore, it's safer to go ahead and attach
the power cable directly to the battery.
CAUTION:
When using the unit in a saltwater environment, we strongly rec-
ommend that you shut off the power supply to the power cable when
the unit is not in use. When the unit is turned off but still connected
to a power supply, electrolysis can occur in the power cable plug.
This may result in corrosion of the plug body along with the electri-
cal contacts in the cable and the unit's power socket.
In saltwater environments we recommend you connect the power
cable to the auxiliary power switch included in most boat designs.
If that results in electrical interference, or if such a switch is not
available, we recommend connecting direct to the battery and in-
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.
Optional power off switch
for saltwater installations
To unit
Black wire
Red wire with
12 volt
3 amp fuse
battery
Power and transducer connections for the M68 sonar
units (direct battery connection shown).
If possible, keep the power cable away from other boat wiring, espe-
cially the engine's wires. This will provide the best isolation from elec-
trical noise. If the cable is not long enough, splice #18 gauge wire onto
it. The power cable has two wires, red and black. Red is the positive
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lead, black is negative or ground. Make sure to attach the in-line fuse
holder to the red lead as close to the power source as possible.
For example, if you have to extend the power cable to the battery or
power buss, attach one end of the fuse holder directly to the battery or
power buss. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the
event of a short. It uses a 3-amp fuse.
WARNING:
This product must be independently fused with the en-
closed 3-amp fuse (or equivalent), even if you connect to
a fused accessory or power buss.
If a malfunction happens inside the unit, extensive dam-
age can occur if the enclosed fuse is not used. As with all
electrical devices, this unit could be damaged to a point
that it is unrepairable and could even cause harm to the
user when not properly fused.
CAUTION:
Failure to use the enclosed 3-amp fuse will void your warranty! For
a replacement, use a type 3AG 3-amp fuse.
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 or Bracket
You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied
bracket. It can also be installed in the dash with an optional FM-6
dash-mounting kit.
In-Dash Installation
The following figure shows the approximate shape for in-dash mounting
an M68. The in-dash adapter kit includes a template for cutting the
mounting hole and complete installation instructions on instruction
sheet 988-0147-631.
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Top
ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS.
Cut along this line
In-dash mounting template for M68.
NOTE: This figure is not printed to scale.
Bracket Installation
Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance
when it’s tilted for the best viewing angle. You should also make sure
there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power/transducer
cable. (See the following drawings, which show the dimensions of a
mounted M68 sonar unit.)
Holes in the bracket’s base allow wood screw or through-bolt mounting.
You may need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin pan-
els to reinforce the panel and secure the mounting hardware.
Drill a 5/8" (15.9 mm) hole in the dash for the power/transducer cable.
The best location for this hole is immediately under the mounting
bracket location. This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers
the hole, holds the cable in position and results in a neat installation.
Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bracket to the side of the
cable hole — it's a matter of personal preference. After drilling the hole,
pass the connector up through the hole from under the dash.
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107.5
[4.23]
82.7
[3.26]
156
[6.26]
12.09 [0.48]
76.9
[3.03]
70.3
[2.77]
Millimeter
[Inch]
Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the M68
when mounted on quick release bracket.
If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cable with a good marine
sealant compound. (Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers to con-
ceal the opening.)
This unit uses a quick release mounting bracket. When you run the ca-
ble through the hole, make sure you allow enough slack for tilting the
unit and attaching the connector. (The snug fit of the push-on water-
proof connector requires some force to attach.) Also be sure there is
enough cable slack for rotation if you decide to use the optional GBSA-3
swivel base. The swivel base lets you to rotate the sonar so it can be
seen from different parts of the boat.
Align the bracket over the cable hole with the cable slots facing away
from you and fit the cable through one of the slots. Fasten the bracket
to the dash using the three screw holes.
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Ratchet
Rear
(away from viewer)
Screw hole
Power/transducer cable
Cable slot
M68 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
cable. Then, hold the sonar unit vertically and slide it onto the bracket
from above. (The back of the unit should be touching the front of the
bracket as you lower it into position.) As you push down, the unit will
lock into place with a distinct click.
To adjust the viewing angle, pinch the ratchets with one hand, then tilt
the unit with your other hand. Release the ratchets and the unit locks
into the new position. To dismount the unit for storage, press the ratch-
ets and lift the unit off the bracket.
Bracket front
Mount the sonar: slide the unit onto the bracket from above.
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Depress
ratchets to
release.
Swivel base
Adjust viewing angle: use one hand to press and release the spring-
loaded ratchets while you move the unit with the other hand. An op-
tional GBSA-3 swivel base is shown with the quick release bracket.
Portable Sonar Installation
Like many Lowrance products, the M68 sonar is capable of portable
operation. It uses the optional PPP-12 portable power pack.
The power pack and portable transducers expand the uses for your so-
nar. You can use your M68 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. (An alternative to the PPP-12 is the PPP-15 portable
power pack, which was designed especially for ice fishing. It includes a
rechargeable gel cell battery and a transducer designed for stationary
use. The entire rig is contained in a carry bag that fits inside a five-
gallon plastic bucket.)
The PPP-12 package includes the power pack, battery adapter and a port-
able transducer. The transducer can be stored inside the power pack. The
PPP-12 requires eight AA alkaline batteries. Batteries are not included.
To use a portable power pack, you simply install the batteries and then
attach the sonar unit to the power pack's bracket. Plug in the
power/transducer cable and you're ready to fish.
The PPP-12 has a quick-release mounting bracket built into the case.
Installing the Batteries
Release the latch on the front of the power pack case. Open the com-
partment and install eight AA batteries into the adapter. For the long-
est life, we recommend you use alkaline batteries.
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NOTE:
When the unit is not in use, we recommend you unplug the power
connector to reduce the possibility of corrosion or battery drain.
When you store the unit, always remove the batteries because dead
batteries can leak and corrode the contacts.
After installing the batteries, plug the cable's power connector into the
socket on the battery compartment cover. Route the cable's unit connec-
tor and about 6 inches of cable through the opening under the sonar
mount. Close the cover, plug the connector into the sonar unit and
mount the unit on the built-in bracket.
PPP-12 Portable Power Pack with a sonar unit stowed for transport.
Turn the unit on. If it doesn't work, make sure the battery terminals
are making good contact against the battery contacts. Also check the
wiring connections on the battery adapter. The red wire on the power
cable should be attached to the red wire on the battery adapter and the
power cable's black wire should be connected to the black wire on the
battery adapter.
If it still doesn't work, check the battery voltage. Most of the complaints
we receive about portable units result from stale batteries. Make sure
the ones you buy are fresh.
In cold weather the efficiency of dry cell batteries drops with the tem-
perature. We find it a good idea to have the sonar unit good and warm
along with the batteries before we leave home.
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If the batteries do lose a charge, you can sometimes restore them by
placing them in a warm room or car interior. A better way is to replace
them with batteries that have been kept warm.
WARNING:
Never heat the batteries over an open flame or direct hot
air onto them. A fire or explosion could result.
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.
Make sure there is one washer on each side of the transducer, inside
the bracket. Slide the other washer over the end of the bolt and thread
the nut onto it.
Screw the suction cup onto the bracket using the supplied screw and flat
washer. Tie the nylon cord through the hole in the top of the bracket.
When using this transducer, tie the other end of the nylon cord to the boat.
This will help prevent the loss of the transducer if it comes off the boat.
Tie nylon
cord here
Screw
Suction
cup
Nut
Bolt
Washer
Washer
Transducer
Portable transducer assembly: rear view (left) and side view (right.)
Clean the chosen area of the hull before attaching the suction cup. Lo-
cate the transducer on the hull as shown in the following figure. Don't
allow the bracket to extend below the hull, because water pressure
against it can cause the suction cup to come off at speed.
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.
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Suction
cup
Bracket
Hull
Transducer
Portable transducer installed on boat transom.
NOTE:
For optimum operation, the portable transducer should be adjusted
so that it is parallel to the ground. For more information on this,
see the earlier segment on Transducer Orientation and Fish
Arches.
Now that you have your unit installed, move on to Sec. 3, Basic Sonar
Operations. There, we'll present a series of step-by-step tutorials to
teach you the basics of your sonar operation.
NOTE:
When you first turn the unit on, the Map Page appears. If you'd
rather start learning about GPS operation first, turn over to Sec. 7,
Basic GPS Operations. (Remember, you don't need to read this
manual from cover-to-cover to get going. We designed it so you can
skip around to the section you want to read.)
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Section 3:
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:
2
6
3
7
4
8
1
5
9
Lowrance M68 Sonar, front view, showing screen and keyboard.
(A close-up of the keyboard can be found at the beginning of Sec. 7)
1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and
off and activates the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this and the arrow keys (4) switches the unit be-
tween the different page display screens. (There are four GPS Pages
and four Sonar Page display options.) Each set of pages represents one
of the unit's major operation modes.
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus and submenus, which
allow you to select a command or adjust a feature. This also accesses
search functions for streets and intersections.
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4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the
menus, make menu selections, move the plotter cursor and sonar chart
cursor and enter data.
5. ENT (Enter) – This key allows you to save data, accept values or
execute menu commands. It is also used to create event marker icons.
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or erase a menu.
7. WPT – (Waypoint) The Waypoint key is used to save and recall way-
points, search for waypoints and access the waypoint list. It's also in-
volved in some navigation functions.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out. On the
Sonar Page, this key returns you to a full sonar chart display, showing
the entire water column from surface to bottom. On the Plotter Page,
this lets you see a larger geographic area on the display. Less detail is
seen as you zoom out.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in. On the Sonar
Page, this key enlarges fish signals and bottom detail. On the Plotter
Page, zooming in lets you see greater detail in a smaller geographic
area on the display.
Memory
This unit has permanent memory that saves all user settings, even when
power is removed. It does not require, nor does it use an internal backup
battery, so you never have to worry about replacement batteries.
Menus
Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factory default
settings. You only need to learn a few basic functions to enhance your
viewing. We'll discuss them briefly here, then talk about them and all the
other commands in more detail in Sec. 4, Advanced Sonar Operation.
Sonar Mode has two primary menus that control its operation.
They are the Main Menu and the Sonar Menu.
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. (Remember, our text style for "MENU|MENU" means
"press the Menu key twice." See a full explanation of our instruction text
formatting on page 8, Instructions = Menu Sequences.)
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Main Menu.
The Main Menu commands and their functions are:
Screen command: changes the contrast or brightness of the display
screen.
Sounds command: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and
alarms and sets the alarm style.
Alarms command: turns GPS alarms on or off and changes alarm
thresholds.
Route Planning command: used to plan, view or navigate a route.
My Trails command: shows, creates and deletes plot trails. Also used
to navigate or backtrack a trail.
Cancel Navigation command: turns off the various navigation com-
mands. Used to stop navigating after you have reached your destina-
tion waypoint, Point of Interest or map cursor location; or after you
reach the end of a route or trail.
Sonar Setup command: sets various sonar options.
GPS Setup command: sets various GPS receiver options.
System Setup command: sets general configuration options.
Sun/Moon Calculations command: finds the rising and setting time
of the sun and the moon.
Trip Calculator command: shows trip status and statistics.
Timers command: controls the up timer, down timer and alarm clock
settings.
Sonar Menu
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
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options. You access the Sonar Menu by pressing the MENU key one
time. You run a command by using ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command
and then pressing ENT. To clear the menu screen and return to the
Page display, press EXIT.
Sonar Page Menu. Most of these functions are discussed in
Sec. 4, Advanced Sonar Operation.
Sonar Menu Commands
The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and
options. Most of them are only described in detail in Sec. 4, but Sensitiv-
ity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that are discussed
both here and in the Advanced Sonar section. The other Sonar Menu
commands include:
• ColorLine command: separates fish and structure near the bottom
from the actual bottom, and defines bottom composition/hardness.
• Depth Range command: manually sets the depth range shown on
the sonar chart.
• Auto Depth Range command: automatically sets the depth range
shown on the sonar chart to always keep the bottom in view.
• Upper and Lower Limits command: sets the upper and lower depth
limits of the sonar chart. Lets you zoom in on a specific portion of the
water column.
• Stop Chart command: stops the sonar chart from scrolling. Used
when you want to "freeze" the image for closer study.
• Chart Speed command: sets the scrolling speed of the sonar chart.
• Depth Cursor command: displays a cursor line on the sonar chart
which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target.
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• Overlay Data command: chooses what types of information (such as
water temperature) to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen.
• Sonar Features command: launches the Sonar Features menu which
controls many functions and options, including screen color mode, auto
depth and sensitivity, surface clarity, noise rejection, Fish I.D. sym-
bols, the zoom bar and zone bar.
• Ping Speed command: sets the rate at which sonar pings are made.
Pages
The M68 has four major Sonar display options. They are the Full Sonar
Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Digital Data and Flasher.
You access the various display modes by pressing the PAGES key, then
pressing → to SONAR|↑ or ↓ to desired page|ENT.
The Full Sonar Chart is the main Sonar display option. This is a "cross-
section" view of the water column beneath the boat. The chart moves
across the screen, displaying sonar signal echoes that represent fish,
structure and the bottom.
Surface signal
Surface clutter
Digital data
overlay
(depth &
temperature)
Depth scale
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
Fish arches
around
school of
bait fish
Zoom bar
Structure
FasTrack
bar graph
Bottom signal
Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode.
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Sonar chart display options (from left) full sonar chart and split zoom.
Sonar chart display options (from left) digital data and flasher.
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 Advanced Sonar Operation section, but to show you how easy the
sonar unit is to operate, the following page contains a simplified, 10-
step quick reference that will cover most fish finding situations. The
quick reference describes how your unit will operate with all the sonar
features in their automatic modes, which are set at the factory.
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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 PWR key.
4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digi-
tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.
The auto settings will track the bottom, displaying it in the lower por-
tion of the screen. The full sonar chart will scroll from right to left,
showing you what's under the boat as you cruise across the water.
5. As you're watching the sonar returns, you can change the display by:
Zoom in to enlarge the chart for more detail: press ZIN.
Zoom out to return to full chart mode: press ZOUT.
6. If necessary, adjust sensitivity to improve chart readability. Press
MENU|ENT and the Sensitivity Menu will appear on the left of your
screen. Use ↑ and ↓ to change the setting.
Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen, which
may cause clutter. Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information,
but could omit important images. We recommend adjusting sensitivity
until the background is lightly "peppered" — that is, scattered dots ap-
pear, but individual objects (like fish arches or bottom structure) can be
easily picked out of the background.
7. Watch the display for the appearance of fish arches. When you see
arches, you've found fish! Stop the boat and get your lure or bait into
the water at the depth indicated on the sonar chart.
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 DEPTH CURSOR|ENT.
Press ↓ (or ↑) to align the cursor line with the fish arch. The exact
depth appears in a box at the right end of the cursor line. To clear the
cursor, press EXIT.
9. If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored, you are not mov-
ing fast enough for a fish to return the tell-tale fish arch signal. As you
drift over a fish, or as a fish swims through the transducer's signal
cone, the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between the
surface and the bottom.
10. To turn off the unit, press and hold PWR key for three seconds.
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Sonar Operations
As you can see from the quick reference on the previous page, basic operation
is pretty easy, right out of the box. If you are a sonar novice, try operating the
unit with the factory defaults until you get a feel for how it's working.
As you're learning the basics, there is one setting you might want to tinker
with from time to time — Sensitivity.
Sensitivity controls the unit's ability to pick up echoes. If you want to
see more detail, try increasing the sensitivity, a little at a time. There
are situations when too much clutter appears on the screen. Decreasing
the sensitivity can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish ech-
oes, if fish are present. As you change the sensitivity setting, you can
see the difference on the chart as it scrolls.
Fig. 2
Fig. 1
Bait
school
Thermocline
with fish
Fish
arches
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. Fig.
3: Sensitivity set at 20 percent. Fig. 4: Sensitivity set at 100 percent.
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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.
Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensitivity Mode is similar to manually ad-
justing a car's speed with the accelerator pedal while cruise control is on.
You can tell the car to run faster, but when you let off the gas the cruise
control automatically keeps you from running slower than the minimum
speed setting. In the sonar unit, auto mode will let you increase sensitiv-
ity to 100 percent, but the unit will limit your minimum setting. This pre-
vents you from turning sensitivity down too low to allow automatic bot-
tom tracking. When you change the setting with auto turned on, the unit
will continue to track the bottom and make minor adjustments to the sen-
sitivity level, with a bias toward the setting you selected.
Adjusting sensitivity in Manual Sensitivity Mode is similar to driving a
car without cruise control — you have complete manual control of the
car's speed. In the sonar unit, manual mode allows you to set sensitiv-
ity at 100 percent (maximum) or zero percent (minimum.) Depending
on water conditions, the bottom signal may completely disappear from
the screen when you reduce sensitivity to about 50 percent or less!
Try adjusting sensitivity in both auto and manual modes to see how
they work.
To adjust sensitivity:
1. Press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected. At right, the
Sensitivity Control Bar.
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NOTE:
If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off
Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO
SENSITIVITY|ENT|↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT. Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different
sensitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
Important Tip:
While you are experimenting and learning, it's possible to scramble
the settings so that the sonar picture disappears from your screen.
If that happens, remember that it's easy to switch back to full
automatic operation by simply restoring the factory auto settings.
Here's how:
To Restore Factory Settings
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to RESET OP-
TIONS|ENT.
2. The unit asks if you want to reset all the options. Select YES and
press ENT. All options are reset, and the unit reverts back to the
original settings.
Fish Symbols vs. Full Sonar Chart
You may have noticed in the quick reference that we used fish arches in
full sonar chart mode for our example, and not the popular Fish I.D.
fish symbol feature. Here's why.
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.
Your sonar unit's microprocessor is remarkably powerful, but it can be
fooled. Some of the echoes calculated to be fish could be tree limbs or
turtles! To see what's under your boat in maximum detail, we recom-
mend you turn off Fish I.D. and begin learning to interpret fish arches.
Fish I.D. is most handy when you're in another part of the boat or per-
forming some task that prevents you from watching the sonar screen.
Then, you can turn on Fish I.D. and the audible fish alarm. When that
lunker swims under your boat, you'll hear it!
Fish I.D. can also be useful when you want to screen out some of the
sonar detail gathered by your unit. For example, in one case fishermen
in San Francisco Bay saw clouds of clutter in the water but no fish
arches. When a down rigger was pulled up, it brought up several small
jellyfish. The fishermen switched their Lowrance sonar to Fish I.D.,
which screened out the schools of jellyfish and clearly showed the game
fish there as fish symbols.
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Other Free Training Aids
The following section discusses Fish I.D., fish alarms and other fea-
tures in greater detail. If you or a friend has Internet access, you can
also learn more about interpreting what you see on your sonar screen.
Visit our web site, WWW.LOWRANCE.COM. Be sure to check out the free
Sonar Tutorial, which includes animated illustrations and more pic-
tures of actual sonar returns, all described in detail. There's even a
"printer friendly" version of the tutorial available on our web site…it
makes a great supplement to this operation manual!
For the ultimate training aid, be sure to download the free emulator
software for your unit. Aside from being just plain fun, this program
can help you learn both basic and advanced operations without burning
boat fuel! Lowrance is the first sonar manufacturer to provide this type
of training tool for customers.
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. To
run it, click the buttons with your mouse pointer.
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Notes
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Section 4:
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. This automatic feature gives you the best display pos-
sible under most conditions.
The ASP feature is an effective tool in combating noise. In sonar terms,
noise is any undesired signal. It is caused by electrical and mechanical
sources such as bilge pumps, engine ignition systems and wiring, air
bubbles passing over the face of the transducer, even vibration from the
engine. In all cases, noise can produce unwanted marks on the display.
The ASP feature has four settings — Off, Low, Medium and High. If
you have high noise levels, try using the "High" ASP setting. However,
if you are having trouble with noise, we suggest that you take steps to
find the interference source and fix it, rather than continually using the
unit with the high ASP setting.
There are times when you may want to turn the ASP feature off. This
allows you to view all incoming echoes before they are processed by the
ASP feature.
At left, Sonar Menu with Sonar Features selected. 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 SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to NOISE REJECTION|ENT.
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3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press ENT.
4. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
Alarms
This unit has three different types of sonar alarms. The first is a Fish
Alarm. It sounds when the Fish I.D. feature determines that an echo is a
fish.
Another alarm is the Zone Alarm, which consists of a bar on the side of the
screen. Any echo on the chart that appears inside this bar triggers the
alarm.
The last alarm setting is the Depth Alarm, which has both a Shallow
and a Deep setting. Only the bottom signal will trigger this alarm. This
is useful as an anchor watch, a shallow water alert or for navigation.
Depth Alarms
The depth alarms sound a tone when the bottom signal goes shallower
than the shallow alarm's setting or deeper than the deep alarm's set-
ting. For example, if you set the shallow alarm to 10 feet, the alarm will
sound a tone if the bottom signal is less than 10 feet. It will continue to
sound until the bottom goes deeper than 10 feet.
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.
At left, Main Menu and Sonar Alarms command.
At right, the Sonar Alarms menu.
To adjust and turn on the shallow alarm:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to SONAR ALARMS|ENT.
2. Press → to SHALLOW ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
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3. Press ↑ or ↓ until the depth is correct, then press ENT.
4. Press ← to SHALLOW ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
5. To turn off the alarm, press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to
SONAR ALARMS|ENT|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
To adjust and turn on the deep alarm:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to SONAR ALARMS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to DEEP ALARM DEPTH|ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ until the depth is correct, then press ENT.
4. Press ← to DEEP ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
5. To turn off the alarm, press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to
SONAR ALARMS|ENT|↓ to DEEP ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in step 3 above.
Zone Alarm
The zone alarm is triggered when any echo passes inside the zone
alarm bar, shown on the right side of the screen.
To adjust and turn on the zone alarm:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to SONAR ALARMS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|→ to ADJUST ZONE|ENT.
At left, Sonar Alarms menu, with Adjust Zone command selected.
At right, Adjust Zone Alarm selection box, with Upper Limit selected.
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3. To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
UPPER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the top of the bar to the desired depth.
4. To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select
LOWER, then press ↑ or ↓ to move the bottom of the bar to the desired
depth.
5. Press EXIT|← to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT. Now, any
echo — fish, bottom, structure — within the zone alarm's depth range
will trigger the zone alarm.
6. To turn off the alarm, press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to
SONAR ALARMS|ENT|↓ to ZONE ALARM ENABLED|ENT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
To switch to a different depth setting, open the Sonar Alarms menu and
repeat the instructions in steps 3 and 4 above.
Fish Alarm
Use the fish alarm for a distinctive audible alarm when fish or other
suspended objects are detected by the Fish I.D. feature (Fish I.D.
must be turned on for the Fish Alarm to work). A different tone sounds
for each fish symbol size shown on the display.
Sonar Alarms menu with Fish Alarm selected. The check box
to the left is checked, indicating the alarm is turned on.
To turn the fish alarm on:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to SONAR ALARMS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
3. To turn off the alarm, press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|↓ to
SONAR ALARMS|ENT|↓ to FISH ALARM|ENT|EXIT.
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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. You may sometimes achieve bet-
ter images as you slow down the chart speed to match how fast you are
moving across the bottom.
If you are at anchor, ice fishing or fishing from a dock, experiment with
a chart speed around 50 percent. If you are drifting slowly, try a chart
speed around 75 percent. When you are stationary and a fish swims
through the sonar signal cone, the image appears on the screen as a
long line instead of a fish arch. Reducing the chart speed may result in
a shorter line that more closely resembles a regular fish return.
At left, Sonar Page menu with Chart Speed command selected.
At right, Chart Speed Control Bar.
If you do experiment with chart speed, remember to reset it to maxi-
mum when you resume trolling or moving across the water at higher
speed. To change chart speed:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to CHART SPEED|ENT.
2. The Chart Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease chart
speed; press ↑ to increase chart speed.
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. For example, a soft, muddy or weedy bottom returns a weaker
signal which is shown with a narrow, colored line (dark blue tinged
with red or a little yellow.) Since fish are among the weakest echoes,
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they show up mostly as blue arches. A hard bottom or other relatively
hard target returns a strong signal which causes a wider brightly col-
ored line (reddish yellow to bright yellow.)
If you have two signals of equal size, one with red to yellow color and
the other without, then the target with brighter color (yellow) is the
stronger signal. This helps distinguish weeds from trees on the bottom,
or fish from structure.
ColorLine is adjustable. Experiment with your unit to find the Color-
Line setting that's best for you.
At left, Sonar Page menu with ColorLine command selected.
At right, the ColorLine control bar.
To adjust the ColorLine level:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to COLORLINE|ENT.
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.
Wider
Colorline
Thin or no Colorline
At left, little Colorline indicates a soft bottom, probably sand or mud.
At right, the wider Colorline indicates a harder, rocky bottom.
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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.
Cursor line
Depth
box
At left, Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor command selected. At
right, sonar chart with the depth cursor active. The line indicates the
large fish is 15.77 feet deep.
The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting you pin-
point the depth of a target.
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to DEPTH CURSOR|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. This is called Auto Ranging and
is part of the automatic function. However, depending upon the bottom
depth and the current range, you can change the range to a different
depth. To do this:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
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At left, Sonar Page menu with Depth Range command selected. At
right, the Depth Range Control Scale.
2. The Depth Range Control Scale appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to select a dif-
ferent depth range. A dark bar highlights the selected range. Range
numbers in gray cannot be selected.
3. When the new range is selected, press EXIT to clear the menu.
Depth Range - Manual
You have complete control over the range when the unit is in the man-
ual mode. There are 12 depth ranges, from 5 feet to 800 feet.
To switch to Manual Depth Range:
1. First, turn off automatic depth range. From the Sonar Page, press
MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to DEPTH RANGE|ENT and the Depth Range Control Scale appears.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a different depth range. A horizontal dark bar
highlights the selected range.
4. When the new range is selected, press EXIT to clear the menu.
To turn Auto Depth Range on again:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
The sonar's depth capability depends on the transducer installa-
tion, water and bottom conditions, and other factors.
Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Virtually any segment of the water column can be displayed by using
the upper and lower limit feature. This lets you pick the shallow and
deep depth range limits that are shown on the screen, provided there is
at least 5 feet between the upper and lower limit you select. For exam-
ple, a range from 12 feet to 34 feet could be used.
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Changing the upper and lower limits gives you far greater control over
the depth range. This feature lets you "zoom in" the display in almost
unlimited combinations. Nearly any segment of the water column, from
the surface to the bottom can be shown. This enlarges the sonar targets
to best suit your fishing needs and water conditions.
At left, Sonar Page Menu with Upper and Lower Limits command se-
lected. At right, Sonar Chart Limits menu, with Upper Limit selected.
To change the upper and lower limits:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS|ENT.
The Sonar Chart Limits menu appears, with Upper Limit selected.
2. To set the upper limit, press ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ until the first digit is
correct, then → to move to the second digit. Repeat until the depth is
correct, then press EXIT.
3. To set the lower limit, press ↓ to LOWER LIMIT|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ until
the first digit is correct, then → to move to the second digit. Repeat un-
til the depth is correct, then press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Area "zoomed"
Normal display, in auto depth range mode, left. At right, display
"zoomed" with Upper and Lower Limits focusing on the portion
of the water column from 10 feet to 20 feet deep.
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To turn off upper and lower limits:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO DEPTH RANGE|ENT|EXIT.
FasTrack
This feature automatically converts all echoes to short horizontal lines
on the display's far right side. The graph on the rest of the screen con-
tinues to operate normally. FasTrack gives you a rapid update of condi-
tions directly under the boat. This makes it useful for ice fishing, or
when you're fishing at anchor. When the boat is not moving, fish sig-
nals are long, drawn out lines on a normal chart display. FasTrack con-
verts the graph to a vertical bar graph that, with practice, makes a use-
ful addition to fishing at a stationary location.
Surface clutter
Fish arches
Structure
In FasTrack, fish
arches show as
horizontal bars.
Bottom signal
GrayLine
FasTrack
bar graph
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. In most
instances, remaining targets are fish. The Fish I.D. feature displays
fish symbols on the screen in place of the actual fish echoes.
There are several fish symbol sizes. These are used to designate the
relative size between targets. In other words, Fish I.D. displays a small
fish symbol when it thinks a target is a small fish, a medium fish sym-
bol on a larger target and so on.
The sonar's microcomputer is sophisticated, but it can be fooled. It can't
distinguish between fish and other suspended objects such as trotlines,
turtles, submerged floats, air bubbles, etc. Individual tree limbs ex-
tending outwards from a group of limbs is the hardest object for the
Fish I.D. feature to distinguish from fish.
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You may see fish symbols on the screen when actually, there are no
fish. The reverse is also true.
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. This and other features can help you successfully
"see" beneath the boat under varied water and fishing conditions. So,
practice with the unit in both the Fish I.D. mode and without to become
more familiar with the feature. The default for Fish I.D. is off.
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Symbols selected.
When the check box to the left is checked, the feature is on.
To turn the Fish I.D. feature on:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to FISH ID SYMBOLS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off Fish I.D., repeat these instructions.
FishTrack
The FishTrack feature shows the depth of a fish symbol when it ap-
pears on the display. This lets you accurately gauge the depth of tar-
gets. This feature is available only when the Fish I.D. feature is on. The
default setting for FishTrack is off.
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 SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to FISH ID DEPTHS|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off FishTrack, repeat these instructions. Turning off FishTrack
in this manner will not turn off Fish I.D. symbols.
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Symbols with
FishTrack depths
Sonar Features menu with Fish I.D. Depths selected. When the check
box to the left is checked, the feature is on. At right, Sonar Page show-
ing Fish I.D. symbols and FishTrack depths turned on.
HyperScroll
See the entry on Ping Speed, which controls the HyperScroll feature.
Noise Rejection
See the entry on Advanced Signal Processing in this section.
Overlay Data
To change the digital data shown on top of the sonar page:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|ENT.
Overlay Data command on the Sonar Menu, at left. Overlay Data
Shown selection menu, right. In this example, we scrolled down the
data list to highlight "Ground 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.)
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Data list showing "Ground Speed" turned on to display on Sonar Page.
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off displayed data:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type, then press ENT until the check mark
to the left of the selected data type disappears. (If you wish, you may
now use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types to turn off.)
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
To change displayed data font size:
1. Press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↑ or ↓ to select Data Type. The DATA SIZE (displayed in the bot-
tom of the Overlay Data Shown window) can be changed using ← or →.
When the size is right, press EXIT.
The selected data type will be displayed in the new size. (To change the
font size for another Data Type, press ENT and repeat these steps, be-
ginning with step two above.)
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT.
Sonar chart with Overlay Data turned on. This example shows
Depth, Water Temperature and the Ground Speed of the boat.
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Ping Speed & HyperScroll
Ping Speed controls the rate at which the transmitter and transducer
broadcast sonar sound waves — pings — into the water. The unit has a
default ping speed of 50 percent. At normal boating speeds, this auto-
matically provides enough return echoes to refresh the screen and scroll
the chart at maximum chart speed.
However, when you are running at high speeds, or just want the fastest
possible screen update, you may want to use the HyperScroll feature.
When you change the Ping Speed to any setting greater than 50 per-
cent, the unit automatically enters HyperScroll mode.
These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high-detail picture on
the screen, and the screen refresh rate and chart scroll speed can keep
pace with the boat as it moves quickly over the bottom terrain.
When using HyperScroll, you may also need to manually decrease the
sensitivity for optimum performance. Depending on water depth and
other conditions, HyperScroll may cause a second bottom echo to return
to the transducer during the next ping cycle, or sounding. This can result
in a large amount of clutter appearing on the screen. If this occurs, just
decrease the sensitivity to a level that eliminates the clutter. When you
turn HyperScroll off, you can return to your original sensitivity level.
At left, Sonar Menu with Ping Speed command selected.
Ping Speed Control Bar, right, at default setting.
To change Ping Speed:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↑ to increase ping speed;
press ↓ to decrease ping speed. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT.
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To adjust Sensitivity:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
To turn off HyperScroll:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to PING SPEED|ENT.
2. The Ping Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease ping speed
to 50 percent. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT.
When you boost ping speed and switch into HyperScroll, the width of
the FasTrack bar graph display doubles in width at the right side of the
screen. This allows you to better see the virtually instantaneous sonar
returns, just as you would on a flasher sonar unit. For more informa-
tion on FasTrack, see it's entry in this section.
Reset Options
This command is used to reset all features, options and settings to their
original factory defaults. This is useful when you have changed several
settings and want to return the unit to basic automatic operation.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT.
2. Press ↑ or ↓ to YES|ENT.
3. All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory
settings.
System Menu with Reset Options command selected.
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Sensitivity & Auto Sensitivity
The sensitivity controls the ability of the unit to pick up echoes. Sensi-
tivity can be adjusted, because water conditions vary greatly. A low
sensitivity level (from zero to 50 percent) excludes much of the bottom
information, fish signals, and other target information.
Boosting sensitivity will show more information on your screen, which
may cause clutter. Reducing sensitivity will filter out some information,
but could omit important images. We recommend adjusting sensitivity
until the background is lightly "peppered" — that is, scattered dots ap-
pear, but individual objects (like fish arches or bottom structure) can be
easily picked out of the background.
Automatic Sensitivity
The default sensitivity mode is automatic. The unit bases the sensitiv-
ity level on water depth and conditions. When the unit is in the auto-
matic mode, sensitivity is automatically adjusted to keep a solid bottom
signal displayed, plus a little more power. This gives it the capability to
show fish and other detail.
However, situations occur when it becomes necessary to increase or de-
crease the sensitivity. This typically happens when you wish to see
more detail, so an increase in sensitivity is indicated. Or, wave action
and boat wakes can create enough tiny air bubbles to clutter much of
the water column. In that case, a decrease in sensitivity is indicated to
reduce some of the clutter.
The control bar used to adjust sensitivity up or down is the same
whether the unit is in the automatic or manual mode. In automatic you
can adjust sensitivity up to 100 percent but the unit will limit your
minimum setting. In auto, the unit will continue to make small ad-
justments, allowing for the setting you selected.
In manual mode, you have complete control over sensitivity, with the
ability to set it anywhere from zero to 100 percent. Once you select a
level in manual, the unit will continue to use that exact sensitivity set-
ting until you change it or revert to auto mode.
To adjust sensitivity in auto mode:
1. Press MENU|ENT.
2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity;
press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press
EXIT. (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.)
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At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivity command selected. At right, the
Sensitivity Control Bar.
To adjust sensitivity in manual mode:
1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓
to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT.
2. Press ↑ to SENSITIVITY|ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears.
Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the
desired level, press EXIT.
To turn Auto Sensitivity back on:
From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to AUTO SENSITIVITY|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
To return to the original factory setting for Auto Sensitivity, see the
entry in this section on Reset Options. If sensitivity is in manual
mode, the Reset Options command will switch back to Auto and re-
set the factory setting at the same time.
Tip:
For quicker sensitivity adjustments, try leaving the Sensitivity
Control Bar on the screen as the chart scrolls. You can see the
changes on the screen as you press the up or down arrows. This is
handy when there's a lot of clutter in the water, and you are
matching the sensitivity to rapidly changing water conditions.
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. If the transducer is 1 foot below the
surface, and the screen shows the water depth as 30 feet, then the ac-
tual depth is 31 feet.
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On sailboats or other large vessels with deep drafts, the distance be-
tween the transducer installation and the keel or lower engine unit can
be several feet. In those cases, an inexact depth reading could result in
grounding or striking underwater structure. The Keel Offset feature
eliminates the need for the navigator to mentally calculate how much
water is under his keel.
Keel Offset lets you calibrate the digital depth indicators: chart depth
scale, chart cursor depth and fish symbol depth displayed on the screen. To
calibrate the depth indicators, first measure the distance from the face of
the transducer to the lowest part of the boat. In this example, we will use
3.5 feet. We enter this as a negative 3.5 feet, which makes the depth indica-
tors perform as if the transducer's lower in the water than it really is.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR SETUP|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|ENT.
2. The Keel Offset dialog box appears. Press ↓ to so that the displayed
number shows a minus (–) sign instead of the plus (+) sign.
3. Press ↓ until the number shows – 3.5, then press EXIT. The depth
indicators now accurately show the depth of water beneath the keel.
NOTE:
If knowing the exact depth of water beneath the keel is less impor-
tant, you can calibrate the depth indicators so that they show the ac-
tual water depth from surface to bottom. To do this, first measure the
distance from the face of the transducer up to the surface (the water
line on the boat). In this example, we will use 1.5 feet. This will be en-
tered as a positive 1.5 feet, which makes the depth indicators perform
as if the transducer's higher in the water than it really is.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SET KEEL OFFSET|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.
Sonar Color Mode
The default color scheme for the sonar chart is white background, but
we offer other variations to suit your viewing preferences. You can se-
lect the chart to be displayed in grayscale, blue background, reverse
grayscale, bottom black or IceView mode. (For more information on
IceView, see the entry on that topic Sec. 5.)
To change the chart mode color scheme:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
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2. Press ↓ to SONAR CHART MODE|ENT.
3. Press ↓ or ↑ to Mode Name|ENT.
4. Press EXIT|EXIT to return to the Sonar Page.
Sonar Page & Sonar Chart Display Options
The M68 offers four Sonar chart display options. To choose among
them, press EXIT to clear any menus, then press PAGES and use the ar-
row keys to select the desired mode.
Full Sonar Chart
This is the default mode used when the Sonar 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. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The
bottom depth and surface temperature (if the unit is equipped with a
temperature sensor or a transducer with a temp sensor built in) show
at the top left corner of the screen.
The FasTrack™ display shows just to the right of the scale. This
changes all echoes into short horizontal bars, replicating a flasher so-
nar. The zoom bar on the far right shows the area that's zoomed when
the zoom is in use. (See the Zoom section for more information.)
Full Sonar Chart. The Overlay Data (depth and water temperature)
are each set to a different text size.
Split Zoom Sonar Chart
A split chart shows the underwater world from the surface to the bot-
tom on the right side of the screen. The left side shows an enlarged ver-
sion of the right side.
The zoom range shows at the bottom left corner of the screen.
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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.
Digital Data/Chart
This mode shows seven digital data boxes or windows containing (by de-
fault): Water Depth; Water Temp; Temp 2; Track; Distance to Destination;
Speed; and the unit's Voltage.
Digital Data/Chart
Flasher
The Flasher page represents a flasher style sonar. A circular dial shows
all returning echoes at a high screen refresh rate. It uses the ColorLine
feature to show weaker targets as lighter colors. The bottom depth is
also shown as a black bar across the outer circle.
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Surface clutter
Bottom signal
Fish signal,
approximately
14 feet
Flasher page.
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 see [Simulator Mode] in the Sonar Page title
bar. To use the simulator:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR SETUP|↓ to
SONAR SIMULATOR|ENT.
2. Turn off Sonar Simulator by pressing MENU|MENU|↓ to SONAR
SIMULATOR|ENT|EXIT.
NOTE:
If you turn on your unit before attaching a transducer, it may enter
a demo mode. The words "demo mode" in a pop-up box flash in the
middle of the screen and a sonar chart plays much like the simula-
tor. Unlike the simulator, the demo mode is for demonstration only,
and will automatically stop as soon as you turn on the unit with a
transducer attached. The simulator will continue to function nor-
mally.
Stop Chart
If you are running multiple units on a boat, there are times when you
may want to turn off the sonar. This command turns off the sonar and
stops the chart from scrolling. Sonar restarts automatically each time
you turn on your unit.
Press MENU|↓ to STOP CHART|ENT|EXIT.
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To turn on sonar and start the chart scrolling again, repeat the above step.
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.
The surface clarity control reduces or eliminates surface clutter signals
from the display. It does this by changing the sensitivity of the receiver,
decreasing it near the surface and gradually increasing it as the depth
increases.
There are three levels of surface clarity available: low, medium, or high.
It can also be turned off. The default level is off.
To adjust the Surface Clarity level:
1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT|ENT.
Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected.
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2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select clarity level|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Upper and Lower Limits
See the entry in this section for Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits
Zoom & Zoom Bar
"Zooming" the display is used to enlarge small detail, fish signals and
the bottom with its associated structure.
The 2X zoom doubles the size of all echoes on the screen. The 4X zoom
quadruples the size of the echoes. You can also turn on a zoom bar on
the far right side of the screen; this shows which echoes will be dis-
played on the screen when the Zoom commands are used.
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.
To switch the zoom:
1. Press ZIN to increase the zoom display to 2X. Press ZIN again for a 4X
zoom.
2. Press ZOUT to reduce the zoom and show more of the chart.
To turn on the Zoom Bar:
1. Press MENU|↓ to SONAR FEATURES|ENT.
2. The Sonar Features menu appears. Press
BAR|ENT|EXIT|EXIT.
↓
to ZOOM
3. To turn off the Zoom Bar, repeat steps 1 and 2.
At left, Sonar Page, normal view. Center, same view zoomed to 2X.
Right, same view zoomed to 4X
Zoom Pan
Your unit has the handy ability to quickly zoom in on any portion of the
water column with just the touch of an arrow key. The Zoom Pan feature
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lets you rapidly move the zoomed area up and down to different depths.
By "pointing" your zoom at different portions of the chart as it scrolls,
you can get a good, close-up look at structure or cover below you.
To use Zoom Pan, switch to a manual depth Range setting (see page 50)
and turn on 2X or 4X Zoom. Then, simply press ↑ or ↓ to pan up and
down the water column.
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Section 5: Ice Fishing
The M68C and the M68C IceMachine work exactly alike. Each M68C
unit contains a menu command that allows you to switch the sonar in
and out of IceMachine mode. The only differences between the two pack-
ages are the accessories they are shipped with.
The IceMachine package includes the M68C sonar unit and the PPP-15
portable power pack. The PPP-15 includes a self-leveling ice fishing
transducer, a rechargeable battery and charger, and a freeze-resistant
carry bag that fits inside a typical 5-gallon plastic bucket.
The regular M68C package includes the Skimmer transom-mount
transducer with built-in temperature sensor. If you purchased a regular
M68C package, you can buy the PPP-15 separately. If you purchased an
IceMachine package, you can buy a Skimmer transducer separately with
mounts for transom, trolling motor or portable suction-cup installations.
NOTE:
Your unit is capable of accepting as many as two temperature sensors
during warm weather fishing. This is accomplished by using a Skim-
mer transducer with a built-in sensor for Temp 1 and an optional sec-
ond sensor for Temp 2. The ice fishing transducer does not contain a
temp sensor, so only one temperature reading can be displayed while
ice fishing. This requires the purchase of the optional TS-2U temp
sensor. This model has a fixed electronic address which designates it
as the second of two sensors. To display this temperature correctly,
from the Ice Flasher page, press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT. Then
press ↓ to Temperature 2|ENT. Press EXIT|EXIT to clear the menus.
For more information and figures showing sensor configurations, see
the Speed and Temperature Sensor entry in Sec. 2, Installation.
These accessory combinations and the unit's digital flashers and scrolling
chart display make the M68C the most versatile ice fishing sonar/GPS
unit in its class. Owning an M68C is like having a GPS and two fish
finders rolled into one, because it's equally at home on a boat in summer
or on the ice in winter.
This section covers the basic ice fishing functions. In addition to the in-
structions found here, be sure to read the PPP-15 instruction booklet,
part number 988-0147-871. It will tell you how to set up the ice fishing
power pack and mount the M68C.
Introduction to IceMachine Mode
Your unit has five pages that display sonar information. In addition to
Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Digital Data and Flasher,
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there is the Ice Flasher. This page is only visible in IceMachine Mode. You
can tell at a glance which mode you are in because the battery gauge only
appears in the lower right corner of the Ice Flasher page.
Ice Flasher page, left, and normal Flasher page, right.
The ice mode differs from normal mode in two ways. First, the unit
changes how it filters incoming sonar echoes. This helps reduce some of
the surface clutter that can be picked up from the zone where the water
surface meets the bottom of the ice.
Second, the Ice Flasher defaults to a special IceView color mode with
fewer, higher-contrast colors than normal mode. This simplified color
scheme makes it easier to "see" and interpret a fish signal when it ap-
pears on the flasher screen.
The Split Zoom and Sonar Chart pages share the same settings. The chart
pages, the Flasher and Ice Flasher pages each have their own independent
controls for Sensitivity, ColorLine and sonar color mode. For example, if
you make any Sensitivity changes to the sonar chart page, the sensitivity
settings for the Flasher and Ice Flasher are unchanged. Each of these set-
tings are saved when you turn the unit off, so you can keep your favorite
settings for each operating mode.
Remember, no matter what changes you make to the various settings,
you can always restore the factory defaults by using the Reset Options
command, which is described in Sec. 4.
IceMachine Mode Operation
To turn on the M68C, press and release the PWR key. Just as in normal
mode, the Backlight control will appear for five seconds and then auto-
matically clear. You can adjust it with the ↓ and ↑ buttons, or clear it
immediately by pressing the EXIT button.
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At left, M68C IceMachine opening screen, showing the Full Sonar
Chart Page. The Backlight Level control bar automatically disappears
after five seconds. At right, the Full Sonar Chart is shown.
To enter the IceMachine mode:
1. From the Full Chart Sonar page, press ENT|ENT|ENT to switch to
the normal Flasher page.
2. Press MENU|↓ to ICEMACHINE MODE|ENT|EXIT and the Ice Flasher ap-
pears. (To leave IceMachine mode and return to normal operation, just
repeat step 2.)
Flasher Page Menu, with IceMachine Mode command highlighted but
turned off (box not checked).
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The following figure shows the various components of the Ice Flasher
page display.
Bottom ColorLine shows hard bottom
Surface signal
Temperature
Surface clutter
signal
Bottom Signal
indicator
Small fish or
bait signals
Digital Depth
Depth Range Scale
Bigger fish signal
at 15 feet.
Battery capacity
gauge
Sensitivity
Control Bar
Echo Strength
Color Scale
Ice Flasher page. Temp display requires
optional TS-2U temp sensor.
Sensitivity
Sensitivity and Auto Sensitivity are described in detail in Sec. 4. To ad-
just sensitivity on the Flasher or Ice Flasher page, simply press ↑ to in-
crease sensitivity and press ↓ to decrease sensitivity. The changes are
displayed on the horizontal Sensitivity Control Bar. The Echo Strength
Color Scale also changes as you adjust sensitivity.
Important:
Setting Sensitivity for Ice Fishing
The IceMachine's basic operation is pretty easy, right out of the box. If
you're a sonar novice, try operating the unit with the automatic factory
default settings until you get a feel for how it's working.
As you're learning the basics however, Sensitivity is the one important
setting that you should adjust while ice fishing. We strongly recom-
mend you try the following method for "tuning" your sensitivity to
match the current water conditions. It will help you see your bait, cut
through any clutter in the water and dramatically show fish when they
move in to check your offering. As you learn to interpret the signals on
the flasher screen, you'll be able to modify your presentation based on
how fish react to your lure.
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To adjust sensitivity:
1. Start with your IceMachine showing the Ice Flasher page, in the de-
fault IceView color mode.
2. Drop your lure five to 10 feet directly below the transducer. You
should be able to follow the fall of the bait on the flasher screen.
2. Use the arrow keys to turn the sensitivity up or down until the lure
is barely visible as a black or blue signal band on the screen.
3. Now fish at the desired depth. When a fish approaches the bait, its
signal will stand out from the lure because it will be a moving signal
that is wider and a brighter color than your lure.
ColorLine
ColorLine is described in detail in Sec. 4. ColorLine changes will be re-
flected in the Echo Strength Color Scale. This scale considers both sen-
sitivity and ColorLine and then shows you the relationship of signal
strength to signal color. To adjust the ColorLine level:
1. From the Ice Flasher Page, press MENU|↓ to COLORLINE|ENT.
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.
ColorLine distinguishes between weak and strong sonar signals by
"painting" them with different colors. You can adjust ColorLine to suit
your personal viewing tastes. The left figure shows the default Color-
Line setting. The center figure shows a lower ColorLine setting and at
right, a higher setting. These black and white illustrations don't show
it, but the far left band on the Echo Strength scale is black, followed by
blue, green, yellow and at the far right, red.
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In the Ice Flasher, the weakest signals are shown in black and the
strongest signals show as red. Fish are among the weakest echoes, so
they show up mostly as black and blue bands on the flasher screen. The
hardest surfaces, like the bottom, show as red. Cover in the form of
weed beds or submerged timber display in the blue to yellow range.
Battery Gauge
The Ice Flasher has a battery gauge that shows the capacity of the re-
chargeable battery. When the battery is fully charged, the gauge is
filled with green. As power is consumed, the fill level drops and turns to
yellow (70 percent charged) and red (30 percent). When the gauge
shows 0 percent, you should turn off the unit to save your settings, and
then recharge the battery.
Battery charge
indicator
This battery gauge is solid green, indicating a full charge.
Sonar Signal Interpretation
When you monitor your flasher screen for signs of fish, there are three signal
band characteristics to watch for: movement, color and thickness.
Signal band movement
In a stationary setting like ice fishing, the bottom, structure and cover
will show on the flasher screen as stationary bands of color. Signals
between the surface and the bottom that come and go or move up and
down (even slightly) will be fish that have appeared inside the sonar
signal cone.
Signal band color
The color of the signal bands correspond to both fish size and their posi-
tion in the sonar signal cone. Black and blue signals tend to be smaller
fish, or fish that are at the outside edge of the sonar cone. These
smaller or more distant fish return weaker echoes.
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Red signals are much larger fish, or fish that are in the center of the
sonar cone, almost directly below the transducer. They return the
strongest echoes.
Signals that are yellow and some other color result from mid-sized fish
that are in a transition zone between the center and outer edges of the
sonar cone. They represent medium-strong echoes.
As a fish moves through part of the signal cone, the signal may change
from black to blue to green or yellow then back again. The signals may
appear to move up slightly and then back down, even if the fish doesn't
actually change depth. This is caused by the relative distance from the
transducer to the fish as it passes by the transducer.
Signal band thickness
Simply put, smaller fish return smaller echoes that result in thinner
and fainter signal bands. A thin signal can also indicate a fish located
toward the outer edge of the signal cone. As fish size increases, the ech-
oes grow stronger and the signal band grows wider. Signal width also
increases as a fish approaches the center of the sonar cone.
Ice Flasher Options
Split Zoom Display Mode
When ice fishing season arrives, you're often searching for fish that are
hugging the warmer water at the bottom of the lake. When walleye or
perch are holding right on the bottom, your M68C IceMachine can sepa-
rate those fish from the bottom with a remarkable Split Zoom display
mode.
In this mode, the right half of the flasher screen operates normally with
the surface at the 12 o'clock position and the bottom of the depth range
at the 6 o'clock position. The left half of the flasher zooms in on the six
feet just above the bottom, with the bottom at the 6 o'clock position and
6 feet above the bottom at the 12 o'clock position.
To switch to Split Zoom:
1. From a flasher page, press MENU|↓ to FLASHER OPTIONS|ENT.
2. Press ENT|↓ to SPLIT ZOOM|ENT.
3. Press EXIT|EXIT to return to the flasher page.
4. To return to normal mode, repeat these steps, but in step 2, select
Normal instead of Split zoom
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At left, Flasher Page Menu with Flasher Options command high-
lighted. Center, Flasher Options Menu with Flasher Display Mode se-
lected. At right, the Split Zoom option has been selected.
The following figure show the bottom target separation possible using
the flasher's Split Zoom.
Fish signal 1
zoomed
Normal range side
Bottom zoom side
Fish signal 2
zoomed,
about 3.5
feet above
the bottom.
Depth range
60 feet
This scale shows 6
feet above the bottom
Fish signal 1
Fish signal 2
Bottom ColorLine
Bottom ColorLine
Notice the bottom target separation with Split Zoom mode.
Color Modes
Sonar Color Mode is described in detail in Sec. 4. The ice fishing fea-
tures have expanded the number of options and how the color modes
are controlled while using either the Flasher or Ice Flasher.
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There are six color mode options for the flasher pages, and seven for the
sonar chart page. The Ice Flasher default color is the IceView mode, but
other settings may suit your eyes better.
For example, some of our fishing friends favor the striking green-on-
black contrast of the Nightview mode…they use it a lot, even in broad
daylight! Experiment with the color modes to see which ones work best
for you under various fishing and lighting conditions.
To change the Flasher or Ice Flasher page color scheme:
1. From a flasher page, press MENU|↓ to FLASHER OPTIONS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to FLASHER COLOR MODE|ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ to Mode Name|ENT.
4. Press EXIT|EXIT to return to the flasher page.
At left, Ice Flasher menu with Flasher Options selected. Center,
Flasher Options menu with Flasher Color Mode selected. At right,
Nightview color option is selected.
Scouting Through the Ice
Since the 1960s, Lowrance flasher sonars have helped anglers hunt fish
beneath the ice without drilling holes. That's because your IceMachine
works as well through ice as it does through water!
This technique works best early in the winter fishing season, when ice
is clear and free of bubble formation. There must also be wet, bubble-
free contact between the transducer and the ice.
To shoot through solid ice, first brush away any snow from the spot you
want to search. Then, pour a small amount of non-toxic recreational
vehicle antifreeze onto the surface and place the transducer (face down)
in the puddle.
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Another variation used by some anglers requires a small plastic bag,
such as a food storage bag. They fill the bag with a mixture of RV anti-
freeze and water. The bag is placed on the ice surface, and the trans-
ducer is rested in the "puddle" just as your head rests on a pillow.
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Section 6:
Sonar 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.
Unit won't turn on:
1. Check the power cable's connection at the unit. Also check the wiring.
2. Make sure the power cable is wired properly. The red wire connects
to the positive battery terminal, black to negative or ground.
3. Check the fuse.
4. Measure the battery voltage at the unit's power connector. It should
be at least 10 volts. If it isn't, the wiring to the unit is defective, the
battery terminals or wiring on the terminals are corroded, or the bat-
tery needs charging.
Unit freezes, locks up, or operates erratically:
1. Electrical noise from the boat's motor, trolling motor, or an accessory
may be interfering with the sonar unit. Rerouting the power and trans-
ducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat may help.
Route the sonar unit's power cable directly to the battery instead of
through a fuse block or ignition switch
2. Inspect the transducer cable for breaks, cuts, or pinched wires.
3. Check the transducer and power connector. Make sure it's securely
plugged in to the unit.
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. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on the trans-
ducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mounted inside the
hull, be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fiberglass and that it
is securely bonded to the hull. When attaching a transducer to the inside
of a hull, ONLY use the epoxy available from LEI (order information is
inside the back cover). Do NOT use RTV silicone rubber adhesive or any
other type of epoxy. The LEI epoxy is specially formulated so that it will
cure properly for shoot-through applications.
2. Electrical noise from the boat's motor can interfere with the sonar.
This causes the sonar to automatically increase its discrimination or
noise rejection feature. This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker
signals such as fish or even structure from the display.
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3. The water may be deeper than the sonar's ability to find the bottom.
If the sonar can't find the bottom signal while it's in the automatic
mode, the digital sonar display will flash continuously. It may change
the range to limits far greater than the water you are in. If this hap-
pens, place the unit in the manual mode, then change the range to a
realistic one, (for example, 0-100 feet) and increase the sensitivity. As
you move into shallower water, a bottom signal should appear.
4. Check the battery voltage. If the voltage drops, the unit's transmitter
power also drops, reducing its ability to find the bottom or targets.
Bottom echo disappears at high speeds or erratic digital read-
ing or weak bottom echo while boat is moving:
1. The transducer may be in turbulent water. It must be mounted in a
smooth flow of water in order for the sonar to work at all boat speeds. Air
bubbles in the water disrupt the sonar signals, interfering with its ability
to find the bottom or other targets. The technical term for this is cavitation.
2. Electrical noise from the boat's motor can interfere with the sonar.
This causes the sonar to automatically increase its discrimination or
noise rejection feature. This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker
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. Make sure the transducer is pointing straight down. This is the most
common problem if a partial arch is displayed.
2. The sensitivity may not be high enough. In order for the unit to dis-
play a fish arch, it has to be able to receive the fish's echo from the time
it enters the cone until it leaves. If the sensitivity is not high enough,
the unit shows the fish only when it is in the center of the cone.
3. Use the Zoom feature. It is much easier to display fish arches when
zoomed in on a small range of water than a large one. For example, you
will have much better luck seeing fish arches with a 30 to 60 foot range
than a 0 to 60 foot range. This enlarges the targets, allowing the dis-
play to show much more detail.
4. The boat must be moving at a slow trolling speed to see fish arches.
If the boat is motionless, fish stay in the cone, showing on the screen as
straight horizontal lines.
NOISE
A major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise. This usually ap-
pears on the sonar's display as random patterns of dots or lines. In se-
vere cases, it can completely cover the screen with black dots, or cause
the unit to operate erratically, or not at all.
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To eliminate or minimize the effects of electrical noise, first try to de-
termine the cause. With the boat at rest in the water, the first thing
you should do is turn all electrical equipment on the boat off. Make sure
the engine is also off. Turn your sonar on, then turn off Noise Reject
[also known as the ASP feature (Advanced Signal Processing)]. Sensi-
tivity should be set at 90-95 percent. There should be a steady bottom
signal on the display. Now turn on each piece of electrical equipment on
the boat and view the effect on the sonar's display. For example, turn
on the bilge pump and view the sonar display for noise. If no noise is
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. You can usually reroute
the sonar unit's power cable and transducer cable away from the wiring
that is causing the interference. VHF radio antenna cables radiate
noise when transmitting, so be sure to keep the sonar's wires away
from it. You may need to route the sonar unit's power cable directly to
the battery to isolate it from other wiring on the boat.
If no noise displays on the sonar unit from electrical equipment, then
make sure everything except the sonar unit is turned off, then start the
engine. Increase the RPM with the gearshift in neutral. If noise ap-
pears on the display, the problem could be one of three things; spark
plugs, alternator, or tachometer wiring. Try using resistor spark plugs,
alternator filters, or routing the sonar unit's power cable away from
engine wiring. Again, routing the power cable directly to the battery
helps eliminate noise problems. Make sure to use the in-line fuse sup-
plied with the unit when wiring the power cable to the battery.
When no noise appears on the sonar unit after all of the above tests,
then the noise source is probably cavitation. Many novices or persons
with limited experience make hasty sonar installations which function
perfectly in shallow water, or when the boat is at rest. In nearly all
cases, the cause of the malfunction will be the location and/or angle of
the transducer. The face of the transducer must be placed in a location
that has a smooth flow of water at all boat speeds. Read your trans-
ducer owner's manual or the Installation instructions (Sec. 2) in this
manual for the best mounting position.
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Notes
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Section 7:
Basic GPS Operations
This section addresses the unit's most basic GPS operations. The tuto-
rials presented in Sec. 7 follow a chronological order. Sec. 8, Advanced
GPS Operations, will discuss other more advanced functions and utili-
ties. Material in Sec. 8 is arranged in alphabetical order.
Before you turn on the M68 and find where you are, it's a good idea to
learn about the different keys, the five GPS Page screens and how they
all work together. BUT, if you just can't wait to get outside, turn to the
one-page Quick Reference on page 91.
Keyboard
2
3
7
6
4
8
9
1
5
Lowrance M68, close-up of unit's keyboard.
1. PWR (Power) – The PWR key turns the unit on and off and activates
the backlight.
2. PAGES – Pressing this and the arrow keys (4) switches the unit be-
tween the different GPS Page screens. (Satellites, Navigation, Position,
Map with Sonar and Full Map.) Each page represents one of the unit's
major operation modes.
3. MENU – Press this key to show the menus and submenus, which
allow you to select a command or adjust a feature. This also accesses
search functions for streets and intersections.
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4. ARROW KEYS – These keys are used to navigate through the
menus, make menu selections, move the map cursor and sonar chart
cursor and enter data.
5. ENT (Enter) – This key allows you to save data, accept values or
execute menu commands. It is also used to create event marker icons.
6. EXIT – The Exit key lets you return to the previous screen, clear
data or erase a menu.
7. WPT – (Waypoint) The Waypoint key is used to save and recall way-
points, search for waypoints and access the waypoint list. It's also in-
volved in some navigation functions.
8. ZOUT – (Zoom Out) – This key lets you zoom the screen out. On the
Sonar Page, this key returns you to a full sonar chart display, showing
the entire water column from surface to bottom. On the Full Map dis-
play, this lets you see a larger geographic area on the display. Less de-
tail is seen as you zoom out.
9. ZIN – (Zoom In) – This key lets you zoom the screen in. On the Sonar
Page, this key enlarges fish signals and bottom detail. On the Full Map
display, zooming in lets you see greater detail in a smaller geographic
area on the display.
Power/lights on and off
To turn on the unit, press PWR. As the unit powers up, the Full Map
GPS Page is displayed first. (To switch to another page, press
PAGES|← or → to Page Name|↑ or ↓ to Display Mode|EXIT.)
To turn on the backlight, press PWR again. The unit has three backlight
levels to select from. Repeatedly pressing PWR will cycle through the
backlight settings and turn off the backlight.
Turn off the unit by pressing and holding the PWR key for 3 seconds.
Main Menu
The M68 has a Main Menu, which contains some function commands
and some setup option commands. The tutorial lessons in this section
will deal only with functions, the basic commands that make the M68
do something. The unit will work fine for these lessons right out of the
box with the factory default settings. But, if you want to learn about
the various options, see Sec. 9, System Setup and GPS Setup Options.
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You can access the Main Menu from any of the display options by
pressing MENU|MENU. To clear the menu screen and return to the page
display, press EXIT.
Main Menu.
The Main Menu commands and their functions are:
Screen command: changes the contrast or brightness of the display
screen.
Sounds command: enables or disables the sounds for key strokes and
alarms and sets the alarm style.
Alarms command: turns GPS or sonar alarms on or off and changes
alarm thresholds.
Route Planning command: used to plan, view or navigate a route.
My Trails command: shows, hides, creates and deletes plot trails. Also
used to navigate or backtrack a trail.
Cancel Navigation command: turns off the various navigation com-
mands. Used to stop navigating after you have reached your destina-
tion waypoint, event market icon or map cursor location; or after you
reach the end of a route or trail.
Sonar Setup command: sets various sonar options.
GPS Setup command: sets various GPS receiver options.
System Setup command: sets general configuration options.
Sun/Moon Calculations command: finds the rising and setting time
of the sun and the moon.
Trip Calculator command: shows trip status and statistics.
Timers command: controls the up timer, down timer and alarm clock
settings.
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Pages
The unit has two Pages that represent the two major operating modes.
They are the Map Page and the Sonar Page. Each Page has several sub-
set display options. They are accessed by pressing the PAGES key, then
using → or ← to select a Page, then ↑ or ↓ to select a display option.
(Clear the Pages Menu by pressing EXIT.)
Pages Menu, showing some Map display options.
Sonar Page
The Sonar Page displays the sonar chart, a view of the water column
from the surface to the bottom. The chart scrolls across the screen from
right to left, displaying signal echoes that represent fish, structure and
the bottom. The Sonar Page is discussed in detail in Sec. 3. To get to
the Sonar Page: Press PAGES|→ to SONAR|EXIT.
Satellite Status Page
The Satellite Status GPS Page, shown in the following images, provides
detailed information on the status of the M68's satellite lock-on and
position acquisition. To get to the Satellite Status Page: Press
PAGES|← to MAP|↑ or ↓ to SATELLITES|EXIT.
No matter what Page display you are on, a flashing current position
indicator/question mark symbol and flashing GPS data displays indi-
cate that satellite lock has been lost and there is no position confirmed.
The Satellite Status Page shows you the quality and accuracy of the
current satellite lock-on and position calculation.
WARNING:
Do not begin navigating with this unit until the numbers
have stopped flashing!
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Satellite Page. Left view indicates unit has not locked on to any satel-
lites and does not have a fix on its position. Center view shows satel-
lites being scanned. Right view shows satellite lock-on with a 3D posi-
tion acquired (latitude, longitude and altitude.)
This screen shows a graphical view of the satellites that are in view. Each
satellite is shown on the circular chart relative to your position. The point in
the center of the chart is directly overhead. The small inner ring represents
45° above the horizon and the large ring represents the horizon. North is at
the top of the screen. You can use this to see which satellites are obstructed
by obstacles in your immediate area if the unit is facing north.
The GPS receiver is tracking satellites those satellites whose numbers ap-
pear in light blue on the circular chart. The receiver hasn't locked onto
a satellite if the number is dark blue, therefore it isn't being used to
solve the position.
Beneath the circular graph are the bar graphs, one for each satellite in
view. Since the unit has twelve channels, it can dedicate one channel
per visible satellite. The taller the bar on the graph, the better the unit
is receiving the signals from the satellite.
The "Estimated Position Error" (horizontal position error) shown in the
upper right corner of the screen is the expected error from a benchmark
location. In other words, if the EPE shows 50 feet, then the position
shown by the unit is estimated to be within 50 feet of the actual loca-
tion. This also gives you an indicator of the fix quality the unit cur-
rently has. The smaller the position error number, the better (and more
accurate) the fix is. If the position error flashes dashes, then the unit
hasn't locked onto the satellites, and the number shown isn't valid.
The Satellite Status Page has its own menu, which is used for setting
various options. (Options and setup are discussed in Sec. 9.) To access
the Satellite Status Page Menu, from the Status Page, press MENU.
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Navigation Page
This screen has a compass rose that not only shows your direction of
travel, but also the direction to a selected waypoint. To get to the Navi-
gation Page: Press PAGES|← to MAP|↑ or ↓ to NAVIGATION|EXIT.
The navigation screen looks like the one below when you're not navi-
gating to a waypoint or following a route or trail. Your position is
shown by an arrow in the center of the screen. Your trail history, or
path you've just taken, is depicted by the line extending from the arrow.
The arrow pointing down at the top of the compass rose indicates the cur-
rent track (direction of travel) you are taking.
Track or compass heading indicator, showing direction of travel
Compass
rose
Present
position
arrow
Trail line
Navigation
information
displays
Navigation Page, recording a trail, traveling northwest. Page looks
like this when the unit is not navigating to a waypoint , following
a route, or backtracking a trail.
When navigating to a waypoint, the Navigation screen looks like the
following figure. Your ground speed, track, distance and bearing to
waypoint, and course are all shown digitally on this screen.
NOTE:
Remember, when the Speed, Track and Position information dis-
plays are flashing, satellite lock has not been achieved and no posi-
tion fix has been determined. A question mark will also flash on the
present position arrow in the center of the compass rose.
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Speed (ground speed) is the velocity you are making over the ground. (If
you wish, you can customize the Speed window to display Closing
Speed instead. Closing Speed is also known as velocity made good. It's
the speed that you're making toward the waypoint. For instructions,
see the Customize Page Displays entry in Sec. 9.)
Current track or
Waypoint symbol
heading, shown
in degrees
Compass
bearing to
destination
Cross track
Bearing
arrow
error range
(off course
indicator)
Trail line
Course line
Left cross
track error line
Cross track
error range
(off course
indicator)
Navigation
information
displays
Navigation Page, backtracking a trail while creating a new trail.
Track is the heading, or the current direction you are actually travel-
ing. Bearing is the direction of a line-of-sight from your present position
to the destination. No matter what direction you are steering, the
Bearing window shows the compass direction straight to the destina-
tion from your location at the moment. Distance shows how far it is to
the waypoint you're navigating toward.
The Off Course window shows the current cross track error. This shows
the distance you are off-course to the side of the desired course line. The
course line is an imaginary line drawn from your position when you
started navigating to the destination waypoint. The course line is shown on
the Navigation Page screen (and the Map Page screen) as a red line.
The cross track error range is shown on the compass rose as a wide,
white, corridor enclosing the course line. The outer edges of this white
corridor represent lines that show the current cross track error range.
The default for the cross track error range is 0.20 miles.
For example, if the present position symbol touches the right cross
track error line, then you are 0.20 miles to the right of the desired
course. You need to steer left to return to the desired course. You can
use the ZIN or ZOUT keys to change the cross track error range.
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A circular symbol depicting your destination (waypoint) appears on the
screen as you approach the waypoint, as shown on the screen in the
previous figure.
Travel Time is the time that it will take to reach your destination at
your present closing speed. (You can also customize the time window to
show Arrival Time instead. Arrival Time is the local time it will be
when you arrive at the destination, based upon your present closing
speed and track.)
In the previous example figure, the driver is headed north (a 12º track)
toward a waypoint 12º (bearing) away. The cross track error range
(white corridor) is 0.20 miles either side of the course. The driver is
headed toward a waypoint which is 0.22 miles away.
The Navigation Page has its own menu, which is used for some ad-
vanced functions and for setting various options. (Options and setup
are discussed in Sec. 9.) To access the Navigation Page Menu, from the
Navigation Page, press MENU.
Full Map Page
The Full Map screen shows your course and track from a "bird's-eye"
view. By default, this unit shows the map with north always at the top
of the screen. (This can be changed. See the topic Map Orientation, in
Sec. 9.) If you're navigating to a waypoint, the map also shows your
starting location, present position, course line and destination. You
don't have to navigate to a waypoint, however, to use the map.
Full Map is the default screen that appears when you turn on the unit.
To get to the Full Map from another page: Press PAGES|← to MAP|ENT.
When the Map Page is displayed, a screen similar to the following fig-
ures appears.
The arrow in the center of the screen is your present position. It points
in the direction you're traveling. The magenta line extending from the
back of the arrow is your plot trail, or path you've taken.
The map zoom range is the distance across the screen. This number
shows in the lower left corner of the screen. In the first example figure
below, the range is 4,000 miles from the left edge of the map to the
right edge of the map.
The Zoom In and Zoom Out keys zoom the map to enlarge or reduce its
coverage area and the amount of mapping detail shown. There are 39
available map zoom ranges, from 0.02 miles to 4,000 miles.
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Far left, Map Page opening screen. Center, zoomed to 100 miles
and right, zoomed to 15 miles.
The maximum zoom range for showing additional map detail is 20
miles. You can continue to zoom in closer, but the map will simply be
enlarged without revealing more map content (except for a few major
city streets).
The background map includes: low-detail maps of the whole world (con-
taining cities and political boundaries); and medium-detail maps of the
United States.
The medium-detail U.S. maps contain: all incorporated cities; shaded
metropolitan areas; county boundaries; some major city streets; Inter-
state, U.S. and state highways; lakes and streams; and more than
60,000 navigation aids and 10,000 wrecks and obstructions in U.S.
coastal and Great Lakes waters
The Map Page has its own menu, which is used for several functions
and for setting various options. To access the Map Page Menu, from the
Map Page, press MENU.
The Pages Menu also offers several map display options under the Map
Page category. To access them, press PAGES|← or→ to MAP|↓ or ↑ to
Option name|EXIT.
On the Map With Sonar page, that has two side-by-side windows, you
can toggle back and forth between the two windows by pressing
PAGES|PAGES. This allows you to change whether it's the Map or Sonar
that the cursor, keyboard and menus operate on.
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Pages Menu with Map With Sonar option selected, left.
Map With Sonar display, at right. The left map is active.
Resize Window is another extremely handy feature for pages that have
two major windows. You can change the horizontal size of the windows
to suit your viewing preference. Here's how:
1. From any two-window display, press MENU|↓ to RESIZE WINDOW|ENT.
2. Two flashing arrows appear along the centerline dividing the two
windows. Press ← or → to adjust the window widths. Press EXIT to
clear the menu.
3. To change the window size again or revert back to the original dis-
play, just follow the steps above. (Most dual-window displays use half
the screen for each window by default.) You can also use the Reset Op-
tions command to revert to the factory default.
At left, Map Menu with Resize Window command selected. Center,
Resize Window command is active. At right, pressing the ← key moves
the centerline to the left and enlarges the right window.
The following page contains a 12-step quick reference for the most basic
GPS operations. If you don't want to carry the manual with you as you
practice with the M68, you might consider photocopying this quick ref-
erence page and tucking it into your pocket.
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GPS Quick Reference
Start outdoors, with a clear view of the open sky. As you practice, try
navigating to a location at least a few blocks away. While you're learning,
navigation in too small an area will constantly trigger arrival alarms.
1. Install the unit. (See complete installation details beginning on page 9.)
2. To turn on the M68, press and release PWR key.
3. Opening screen displays the moving map at the 4,000 mile zoom
range. Rotate through the four main GPS Page screens (Full Map, Posi-
tion, Navigation and Satellite Status) by pressing PAGES|↓ or ↑ to se-
lect Page Name|EXIT. Switch Pages to display Satellite Status Page.
4. Wait while unit locates satellites and calculates current position. Process
is visible on Satellite Page. This takes an average of 1 minute or less under
clear sky conditions (unobstructed by terrain or structures). When the unit
acquires position, a tone sounds and a position acquired message appears.
5. With position acquired, press PAGES key to display Full Map display,
which shows your position in the center. You can move around the map by:
Zoom in closer to see greater detail: press ZIN (zoom in key.)
Zoom out to see more area, less detail: press ZOUT (zoom out key.)
Scroll display north, south, east or west using arrow keys ↑ ↓ → ←.
To stop scrolling, clear cursor, and return to current position, press EXIT.
6. Set a waypoint (Wpt 001) at your current position so you can navi-
gate back here: press WPT|WPT. Waypoint symbol and "001" appears.
7. If you've already made some waypoints or event marker icons,
zoom/scroll to find one of them to go to. Otherwise, travel a bit and set
some practice waypoints. When you have one or two, use the arrow
keys to center cursor cross-hair over one of the waypoints.
8. Navigate to selected destination: press MENU|ENT|EXIT. Follow dotted
course line on Full Map or compass bearing arrow on Navigation Page.
9. At destination, Arrival Alarm goes off; to clear it, press EXIT. Cancel
navigation: press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
10. Return to Wpt 1 by Backtrack Trail. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY
TRAILS|ENT. Press ↓ to Trail 1|ENT|↓ then → to NAVIGATE|ENT|→ to
REVERSE ROUTE|ENT|← to NAVIGATE ROUTE|ENT. (If arrival alarm sounds,
press EXIT.) Follow navigation displays.
11. Back home, Arrival Alarm goes off; press EXIT. Cancel navigation:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
12. To turn off the unit, press and hold PWR key for three seconds.
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Find Your Current Position
Finding your current position is as simple as turning the unit on. Un-
der clear sky conditions, the unit automatically searches for satellites
and calculates its position in approximately one minute or less.
NOTE:
"Clear sky" means open sky, unobstructed by terrain, dense foliage
or structures. Clouds do not restrict GPS signal reception.
If for some reason satellite acquisition takes longer, you may be inside
a structure or vehicle or in terrain that is blocking signal reception. To
correct this, be sure you are positioned so that the unit's antenna (lo-
cated inside the top of the unit) has as clear a view of the sky as possi-
ble, then turn the unit off and back on again.
Moving Around the Map: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys
The map is presented from a bird's eye view perspective. The current
zoom range shows in the lower left corner of the screen.
1. Press the ZIN key (zoom in) to move in closer and see greater detail in
a smaller geographic area.
2. Press the ZOUT key (zoom out) to move farther away and see less map
detail, but a larger geographic area.
When you are traveling, the map will automatically move as you move.
This keeps your current location roughly centered on the screen.
You can manually pan or scroll the map northward, southward, east-
ward or westward by using the arrow keys, which launch the cross-hair
map cursor. This allows you to look at map places other than your cur-
rent position. To clear the cursor, press EXIT, which jumps the map
back to the current position or the last known position.
Tip:
Use the cursor to determine the distance from your current position
(or last known position, when working indoors) to any map object.
Simply use the arrow keys to position the cursor over the object or
landmark. The distance, measured in a straight line, appears in the
box at the bottom of the screen. Press EXIT to clear the cursor.
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Distance
measured
by cursor
Pop-up
name box
Selected wreck
Cursor
line
Cursor line
The selected wreck (the Empress) to the southeast is 12.81 miles away.
Selecting Any Map Item With the Cursor
1. Use the zoom keys and the arrow keys to move around the map and
find the item you wish to select.
2. Use the arrow keys and center the cursor cross-hair on the desired ob-
ject. On most items, a pop-up box will give the name of the selected item.
Set a Waypoint
A waypoint is simply an electronic "address," based on the latitude and
longitude of a position on the earth. A waypoint represents a location,
spot, or destination that can be stored in memory, then be recalled and
used later on for navigation purposes.
You can create a waypoint at the cursor position on the map, or at your
current position while you are navigating. You can create a waypoint at
any location by manually entering the position's latitude and longitude.
To create and save a Waypoint:
These first two techniques use the Quick Save method, the fastest and
easiest way to create a waypoint.
Create Waypoint at Current Position
While you are traveling, press WPT|WPT. The waypoint is saved and
automatically given a name with a sequential number, such as "way-
point 003." The waypoint symbol and number appear on the map.
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Step 1.
Step 2.
Step 4.
Step 3.
Sequence for setting a waypoint. Step 1: while traveling, quickly press
WPT twice to call up Find Waypoint screen (seen in Step 2) and set a
point. Step 3: a message says the waypoint has been saved. Step 4: ve-
hicle continues on its way; number waypoint symbol is visible on map.
NOTE:
The Quick Save method uses the default waypoint symbol until you
edit an existing waypoint and change its symbol. (Edit Waypoint
Symbol is described in Sec. 8.) After you have changed a waypoint
symbol, the unit will remember the one you chose and use it the
next time you "quick save" a waypoint. To revert back to the default
symbol, edit a waypoint and choose it, or use the Reset Options
command (described in Sec. 9).
Create Waypoint on Map
1. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the place where you want
to make a waypoint.
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2. Press WPT|WPT. The waypoint is saved and automatically given a
name with a sequential number, such as "waypoint 001." The waypoint
symbol and number appear on the map.
Create Waypoint by Entering a Position
1. Press WPT|→ to NEW|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to ENTERED POSITION|ENT|↑ to CREATE|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to LATITUDE|ENT. Enter the latitude by pressing ↑ or ↓ to
change the first character, then press → to the next character and re-
peat until the latitude is correct. Press ENT.
4. Press ↓ to LONGITUDE|ENT. Enter the longitude by pressing ↑ or ↓ to
change the first character, then press → to the next character and repeat
until the longitude is correct. Press ENT, then EXIT|EXIT to return to the
previous page display. The waypoint is saved and automatically given a
name with a sequential number, such as "waypoint 001." The waypoint
symbol and number appear on the map and in the waypoint list.
Navigate To a Waypoint
You can select any waypoint visible on the Map Page with the cursor,
then use the Navigate to Cursor command (we'll describe how later in
this section.) However, you can avoid scrolling the map to pick your
waypoint if you use the Find Waypoint commands:
1. Press WPT|ENT. To look up the nearest waypoint, press ↓ to
NEAREST|ENT; or, to look by name (and scroll through the entire way-
point list), press ENT (the Name command is already highlighted). For
this example, look by name.
2. If your waypoint list is a long one, you can spell out the waypoint
name in the FIND BY NAME box to search for it. (Press ↑ or ↓ to change the
first character, then press → to move the cursor to the next character
and repeat until the name is correct, then press ENT to jump to the list
below.)
3. If the list is short, you can jump directly to the FIND IN LIST box by
pressing ENT. Use ↑ or ↓ to select the waypoint name, press ENT and
the waypoint information screen appears with the GO TO command se-
lected.
4. To begin navigating to the waypoint, press ENT.
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Waypoint
Course line
(red)
Trail line
(magenta)
Off course
range, set at
0.20 mile
Destination
name
Navigation Page, navigating toward waypoint 2 and leaving a trail.
Set Man Overboard (MOB) Waypoint
One of boating's most terrifying events is having a friend or family
member fall overboard. This situation can be deadly on any body of wa-
ter — fresh or salt. It's particularly dangerous at night or if you're out
of sight of land. Of course, the first thing to do is remain calm and then
use all standard safety procedures to rescue the person.
This unit has a man overboard feature that shows navigation data to
the location where the feature was activated. To activate it, press the
ZOUT and ZIN keys at the same time. Your position at the time these
keys are pressed is used as the man overboard position.
Caution:
Saving a new "Man Overboard" waypoint will overwrite and
erase the previous "Man Overboard" waypoint.
Navigate Back to MOB Waypoint
Find your way back to the accident position with the Navigation Page
or Map Page. When MOB is activated, the Navigation Page automati-
cally shows the compass rose with its bearing arrow pointing toward
the man overboard position, and the destination name says "Going To
Man Overboard." The Map Page displays a Man Overboard waypoint,
represented by a human figure, and the steering arrow points where to
steer to reach that position.
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Navigating to Man Overboard: "Man Overboard activated" message
shown at left. The Navigation Page is shown in the center and Map
Page is shown at right. The victim is astern of the vessel; the GPS
shows which direction to steer to for the rescue.
The man overboard position is also stored in the waypoint list for future
reference. It can be edited the same as any other waypoint.
To cancel navigation to MOB, press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGA-
TION|ENT|← to YES|ENT. The unit stops showing navigation information.
Navigate to Cursor Position on Map
The GO TO CURSOR command navigates to the current cursor position on
the map. It's a quick and handy way to navigate to anything you can
see on the map display.
1. Use the cursor (controlled by the arrow keys) with the zoom in and
zoom out keys to maneuver around the map until you find a location
you want to go to.
2. Center the cursor over the location to select it. See the example in
the following figure. (Many map items such as waypoints, marine
NavAids, towns, etc. can be "selected," and appear "highlighted" with a
pop-up box. Other features, such as a river or a street intersection will
not appear "highlighted," but the cursor will take you to those locations
just the same.)
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Navigate to cursor. In this example, the cursor has selected the town of
Oologah, Oklahoma.
3. Press MENU|ENT and the M68 will begin navigating to the cursor
location.
The Map Page will display a red line from your current position to the cur-
sor position. The Navigation Page displays a compass rose showing naviga-
tion information to your destination. See the following examples.
The 30-mile zoom figure at left clearly shows the red course line connect-
ing your current position to your destination. The 30-mile zoom, center,
shows both current position and direction to destination on screen. The
Navigation Page, right, will also show navigation information.
To stop navigating to the cursor, use the Cancel Navigation command:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT. The M68
stops showing navigation information.
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Navigate to a Map Place
For map places that are in view on the map, you can easily use the
Navigate to Cursor command above; just use the cursor to select the
map place.
The other method involves searching for map places with the Find
Waypoint command, launched with the WPT key. Turn to Sec. 10,
Searching, for detailed instructions on map place searches.)
After you have looked up an item with the Find Waypoint command,
use the → to make sure the GO TO command is highlighted at the bot-
tom of the screen, then press ENT. The M68 begins showing navigation
information to the item.
To cancel navigation, press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|←
to YES|ENT. The M68 stops showing navigation information.
Creating and Saving a Trail
A trail, or plot trail, is a string of position points plotted by the M68 as
you travel. It's a travel history, a record of the path you have taken.
Trails are useful for repeating a journey along the same track. They are
particularly handy when you are trying to retrace your trip and go back
the way you came. On the screen, trails are represented by a magenta
line extending from the back of the current position arrow.
The M68 is set at the factory to automatically create and record a trail
while the unit is turned on. The unit will continue recording the trail
until the length reaches the maximum trail point setting (default is
2,000, but the unit can record trails 9,999 points long). When the point
limit is reached, the M68 begins recording the trail over itself.
By default, the trail flashes once a second, making it easier to see
against the background map. With the default auto setting, the M68
creates a trail by placing a dot (trail point) on the screen every time you
change directions. (The methods used for creating a trail and the trail
update rate can both be adjusted or even turned off. See Sec. 9 for Trail
Options.)
To preserve a trail from point A to point B, you must "turn off" the trail
by making it inactive before heading to point C or even back to point A.
When the current trail is set inactive, the M68 automatically creates
and begins recording a new trail.
To Save a Trail
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
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Visible
symbol
Active
symbol
Sequence for saving a trail and beginning a new one. At left, My Trails
command. Center, the Trails Menu. The arrow to the right of Trail 3
indicates the trail is "active," and the check to the left indicates the
trail is visible on the map display. The right figure shows the Edit
Trail menu, with the Active command selected.
2. Press ↓ to the Active Trail Name|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to ACTIVE|ENT. This unchecks the Active option.
4. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT. As you
left the Edit Trail menu, you will notice that a new trail was started
with a new sequential number. In the example figure below, the new
trail is number 3, showing zero points. Trail 3 also has an arrow beside
it, showing it is the active trail. Note that Trail 1 is inactive (no arrow
beside it), but it is still visible on the map. Only one trail at a time can
be active, but several trails can be visible at the same time.
New trail, named "Trail 4," is created when Trail 3 is made inactive.
Any new travel will be recorded in this trail, which is active and visi-
ble. Trails do not need to be visible in order to be active.
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You can save and recall up to 10 different plot trails.
Tip:
Another quick way to stop recording one trail and begin a new one
is to use the New Trail command: Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY
TRAILS|ENT|ENT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Caution:
You also have the option of completely turning off trail record-
ing, under the trail Options command. However, if the Update
Active Trail option is left turned off, it will cancel the automatic
trail creation feature.
Displaying a Saved Trail
The active trail is automatically displayed on the map (the "Visible"
option) with the factory default settings. You can selectively turn trail
display off and on for any saved or active trail. In the Saved Trails List,
visible trails have a check mark in front of the trail name.
To turn off trail display:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to enter the Saved Trail list, then use ↑ or ↓ to select the de-
sired Trail Name|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to VISIBLE|ENT. To return to the previous page, press
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
To turn on trail display:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to enter the Saved Trail list, then use ↑ or ↓ to select the de-
sired Trail Name|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to VISIBLE|ENT. To return to the previous page, press
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Navigating Trails
There are three methods for following a trail: visual trailing, navigating
a trail (forward) and backtracking a trail (backward). Try each method
to see which you prefer.
Visual trailing is the simplest method. It uses only the Map Page and
requires no menu commands at all. The technique works the same if
you are running a trail forward (from start to end) or backward (from
end to start.) However, visual trailing provides no navigation informa-
tion during the trip, such as the time to your destination.
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The other two methods provide a full range of navigation data and work
with both the Map Page and Navigation Page. The only difference be-
tween them is "navigating a trail" follows a trail forward (from start to
end) while "backtracking" follows a trail in reverse (from end to start.)
When hiking at walking speed with a hand-held GPS, we often just use
visual back trailing because it is a bit better at following each little
turn on a foot path. At faster speeds, such as the highway or on the wa-
ter, the Navigate Trail and Backtrack Trail commands are handy.
Visual Trailing
1. On the Map Page, zoom (ZIN or ZOUT) so your flashing trail is visible.
2. Begin moving and watch the Map Page. Simply steer so that your
current position arrow traces along the trail you have just made.
Tip:
Generally, when using this method, the smaller the zoom range, the
more accurately you will be able to steer along the trail.
Navigate a Trail (forward)
The following figures illustrate the menu sequence for navigating a
trail.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to enter the Saved Trail list, then use ↑ or ↓ to select the de-
sired Trail Name|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to NAVIGATE|ENT.
4. Press ENT. The unit begins showing navigation information along the
trail.
NOTE:
If you are already located at or near the beginning of your trail, the
arrival alarm will go off as soon as you hit Enter. Just press EXIT to
clear the alarm and proceed.
5. Now, begin moving and follow your M68.
6. When you reach your destination, be sure to cancel your navigation:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT. The M68 asks if you're
sure; press ←|ENT.
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Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 4.
Figure 3.
Navigate a trail menu sequence: Fig. 1, My Trails command. Fig. 2,
Trails Menu. Fig. 3, Edit Trail Menu. Fig. 4, Edit Route Menu with
Navigate Route command highlighted for Trail 1. A trail is always con-
verted to a "route" when you navigate the trail.
On the Map Page, the trail you are navigating is represented by a
flashing magenta line (if the visible trail option is on). The course you
are following (the trail converted to a route) is represented by a red
line. The Navigation Page and the Position Page will also show the
course in the same way. The bearing arrow on the compass rose points
to the next waypoint on the trail.
As you travel, the arrival alarm will go off when you near a trail way-
point, and the bearing arrow on the compass rose will swing around
and point to the next trail waypoint. Press EXIT to clear the alarm.
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North ꢀ
Present
position
arrow
Magenta
trail line
Trail point
Navigate trail, map views: at left driver is heading southeast straight
toward trail point 3. At right, driver has reached point 3 and has
turned southwest to follow the trail.
Track or compass heading indicator
Trail
Bearing arrow
waypoint
symbol
Cross track
error range
Course
(off course
line made
indicator)
from trail
New trail
Arrival
alarm
Navigate trail, navigation page (compass rose) views: at left, driver is
heading northeast straight toward trail point 3; bearing arrow shows
the trail point is 61 degrees (straight ahead.) At right, driver has
reached trail point 3 and must turn southeast to follow the trail. Arri-
val alarm goes off and bearing arrow swings around to say turn right
(south), toward the next waypoint, trail point 4. The M68 now shows
navigation information to point 4, which is 0.55 miles away.
Navigate a Back Trail (backtrack, or reverse)
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to enter the Saved Trail list, then use ↑ or ↓ to select the de-
sired Trail Name|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to NAVIGATE|ENT.
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4. Press → to REVERSE ROUTE|ENT|← to NAVIGATE ROUTE|ENT. The unit
begins showing navigation information along the trail, in reverse.
NOTE:
If you are already located at or near the end of your trail, the arri-
val alarm will go off as soon as you hit Enter. Just press EXIT to
clear the alarm and proceed.
5. Now, begin moving and follow your M68.
6. When you reach your destination, be sure to cancel your navigation:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT. The M68 asks if you're
sure; press ←|ENT.
Cancel Navigation
You can turn off any of the navigation commands after you reach your
destination or at any other time by using the Cancel Navigation com-
mand. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
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Notes
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Section 8:
Advanced GPS Operations
Find Distance From Current
Position To Another Location
1. While on the Map Page press: MENU|↓ to FIND DISTANCE|ENT.
2. Center your cursor over the position you want to find the distance to.
A rubber band line appears, connecting your current position to the
cursor's location. The distance along that line will appear in the box at
the bottom of the screen. The box also shows the bearing to the point
you're measuring to.
3. Press EXIT to return to regular operation.
At left, the distance from the boat's current position to the cove is 5.78
miles. At right. the distance from Houston to New Orleans is 316.9 miles.
Find Distance From Point to Point
You can also measure distance between two other points on the map.
1. While on the Map Page press: MENU|↓ to FIND DISTANCE|ENT.
2. Center your cursor over the first position. (A rubber band line ap-
pears, connecting your current position to the cursor's location.) Press
ENT to set the first point, and the rubber band line disappears.
3. Move the cursor to the second position. The rubber band line reap-
pears, connecting the first point you set to the cursor. The distance
along that line will appear in the box at the bottom of the screen.
4. Press EXIT to clear the command and return to the page screen.
Icons
Icons are graphic symbols used to mark some location, personal point of
interest or event. They can be placed on the map screen, saved and re-
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called later for navigation purposes. These are sometimes referred to as
event marker icons. The M68 has 42 different symbols you can pick
from when creating an icon.
Icons are similar to waypoints, but they do not store as much informa-
tion (like names) as waypoints do. You can't use a menu to navigate to
icons as you can with waypoints. (But, you can use the map cursor and
navigate to any icon on the map.)
You can create an icon at the cursor position on the map, or at your
current position while you are navigating.
Create Icon on Map
1. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the place where you want
to make an icon.
2. Press ENT and the screen shows a "Select Icon Symbol" menu.
3. Press ← or ↑ or → or ↓ to select your icon symbol, then press ENT.
The icon appears on the map.
Cursor selects icon location, left; Select Icon Symbol menu, center;
Boat Ramp icon on map, right. (Cursor has been moved for clarity.)
Create Icon at Current Position
1. While you are traveling, press ENT and the screen shows a "Select
Icon Symbol" menu.
2. Press ← or ↑ or → or ↓ to select your icon symbol, then press ENT.
The icon appears on the map.
Delete an Icon
You can delete all the icons at one time, you can delete all icons repre-
sented by a particular symbol, or you can use the cursor to delete a se-
lected icon from the map.
1. Press MENU|↓ to DELETE MY ICONS|ENT.
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2. Press ↓ to DELETE ALL ICONS, DELETE BY SYMBOL, or DELETE FROM MAP and
press ENT.
Delete icons menu.
The Delete All Icons command will ask if you are sure. Press ← to
YES|ENT. All icons will be deleted from the map.
The Delete by Symbol command will launch the Select Symbol menu.
Press ← or ↑ or → or ↓ to select the icon symbol to delete, then press
ENT. A message appears saying all icons with the selected symbol have
been deleted.
The Delete From Map command will prompt you to move the cursor
over an icon to select it. After selecting the icon, press ENT and it disap-
pears from the map.
Navigate to an Icon
Use the Navigate to Cursor command, and use the cursor to select the
desired icon on the map.
1. Use arrow keys to center cursor cross-hair over the icon.
2. To navigate to the selected icon location: press MENU|ENT|EXIT.
Follow course line on the Map Page or the compass bearing arrow on the
Navigation Page.
Routes
A route is a series of waypoints, linked together in an ordered sequence,
that's used to mark a course of travel. You can visualize a route as a
string of beads: The beads represent waypoints and the string repre-
sents the course of travel connecting waypoint to waypoint.
The course from one waypoint to the next is a leg; routes are composed
of one or more legs. The legs of all GPS routes are based on straight
lines between waypoints.
A route provides the automatic capability to navigate through several
waypoints without having to reprogram the unit after arriving at each
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waypoint. Once programmed into the GPS unit, a route provides the
option of navigating forward through the route waypoints or in reverse
order (you can even begin navigating in the middle of a route!)
Create and Save a Route
You can create a route by selecting existing waypoints from the way-
point list or you can set a series of route waypoints on the map with
cursor arrows and the Enter key. In this example, we'll create a route
from the map.
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE,
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
Route Planning command on Main Menu, left,
will open the Route List screen, right.
2. To add to an existing route, press ↓|↓|↑ or ↓ to route name|ENT (to
create a new route, just press ENT). Then press |↓ to (ROUTE END)|ENT|↓
to ADD FROM MAP|ENT. The Map Page appears with the cursor showing.
Edit Route menu, left. Edit Route Waypoints menu, right,
with Add From Map command selected.
3. Use the Zoom keys and arrow keys to move the map and cursor until
the cursor is centered on the spot where you want your route to begin.
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(If you are starting at your current position or the current cursor posi-
tion, you are already at the starting spot.)
4. Set the first route waypoint: press ENT. In this example, we moved to
the entrance of the cove where our boat was docked to start our route to
a promising fishing spot next to an oil platform. (Creating this example
route is illustrated in the following figures.)
3.
1.
2.
Route creation sequence, from left: Fig. 1. Set route waypoint (1) at the
cove entrance. Fig. 2. Move cursor northeast to set point (2) at channel
entrance. Fig. 3. With point (2) set, move cursor southeast to mark
channel exit with waypoint (3). In figures 2 and 3, notice the rubber
band line extending from the previously set waypoint to the cursor.
This line will become the course for the route.
6.
4.
5.
Route creation sequence, continued: Fig. 4. Point (3) set at channel mouth.
Fig. 5. Waypoint (4) set further south along the beach, at a recognizable
landmark (Bob Hall Pier). Waypoint PLFM Q W ends the route at an oil
platform some distance from the shore. Fig. 6. Press EXIT to save the route
and you return to this screen.
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5. Move the cursor to the next point in the route, a spot where you need
to turn or change direction, and press ENT to set the next waypoint.
6. Repeat step five until the route reaches your destination.
7. To save your route, press EXIT. The M68 reverts to the Edit Route
screen, with the route automatically named "Route 1" and stored in the
M68's internal memory.
You can edit the route and run other commands, but if you are finished
with the route for now, return to the last page displayed by
pressing EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Delete a Route
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to route name|ENT.
3. Press → to DELETE ROUTE|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Tip:
You can also delete all routes at once:
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
2. Press → to DELETE ALL|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Edit a Route
You can edit the route name if you wish.
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to route name|ENT|→ to EDIT ROUTE NAME|ENT.
3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → to move the
cursor to the next character and repeat until the name is correct, then
press
ENT.
Return to the previous page by pressing
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
You can edit the route by adding and removing waypoints.
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to route name|ENT|↓ to ROUTE WAYPOINTS LIST. Use ↓ and ↑ to
select a waypoint, then press ENT.
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Edit Route Waypoints menu.
3. Use ↓ and ↑ to select a command from the Edit Route Waypoints
menu and press ENT. Add From Map lets you insert a waypoint in the
route by clicking on a map location with the cursor. Add Waypoint calls
up the Waypoint List so you can insert a waypoint from the list. Re-
move Waypoint will delete the selected waypoint from the route. View
Waypoint will show you where the selected waypoint is on the map.
Navigate a Route
1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE,
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
Route Planning command on Main Menu, left; Routes menu, center;
Edit Route menu, right. Navigate Route command is selected.
2. Press ↓ to select route name|ENT|ENT.
3. Upon arrival at your destination, cancel navigation:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
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The following figures show what the Navigation Page and Map Page
look like while navigating a route.
Figure 2.
Figure 1.
Navigating along a route: Fig. 1 shows the Navigation Page at the start
of a route, heading straight for the first waypoint (Wpt 1). In Fig. 2, the
traveler has arrived at Wpt 1; the arrival alarm has been triggered and
the bearing arrow on the compass rose has turned to point toward Wpt
2, off to the northeast.
Figure 4.
Figure 3.
In Fig. 3 the traveler has turned northeast on his new course and is
heading straight for Wpt 2, which is 0.28 miles away. Fig. 4 shows route
navigation on the Map Page. In this figure, the traveler has reached Wpt
2 and is starting on the leg between Wpts 2 and 3.
Navigate a Route in Reverse
Here's how you run a route backward, from the end waypoint to the
beginning waypoint:
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1. From the NAVIGATION PAGE, press MENU|ENT or from the MAP PAGE,
press MENU|MENU|↓ to ROUTE PLANNING|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to select route name|ENT|→ to REVERSE|ENT|← to NAVIGATE
ROUTE|ENT.
3. Upon arrival at your destination, cancel navigation:
press MENU|MENU|↓ to CANCEL NAVIGATION|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Trails
Delete a Trail
This is the command used to erase or delete
a
trail:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT|↓ to trail name|ENT|↓ to DELETE
TRAIL|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Tip:
You can also delete all trails at once:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
2. Press → to DELETE ALL|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Edit a Trail Name
To edit a trail name: press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT|↓ to trail
name|ENT|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press →
to the next character and repeat until the name is correct. Press ENT
then EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to return to the previous page display.
Tip:
You can quickly call up the Edit Trail menu by selecting a trail on
the map with the cursor. Simply move the cursor over a trail and a
pop-up box appears. Press WPT and the Edit Trail menu opens.
At left, trail selected with map cursor. The box at the bottom of the
screen shows distance and bearing from current position to the se-
lected point on the trail. At right, the Edit Trail menu.
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Edit a Trail Color
To edit a trail color: press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT|↓ to trail
name|ENT|↓ to COLOR|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to select a color style, then press
ENT. Press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to return to the previous page display.
Edit a Trail Pattern
To edit a trail pattern: press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT|↓ to trail
name|ENT|↓ to PATTERN|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character,
then press → to the next character and repeat until the pattern is cor-
rect. Press ENT, then EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to return to the previous
page display.
At left, Edit Trail Menu with Pattern option selected. At right, edited
trail with dotted line pattern.
Utilities
Utilities are useful tools for traveling or for outdoor activities.
Alarm Clock
To get to the alarm clock menu: press MENU|MENU|↓ to TIMERS|ENT|↓
to ALARM CLOCK|ENT.
Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator
To get to the Sun/Moon menu: press MENU|MENU|↓ to SUN/MOON
CALCULATIONS|ENT.
Trip Calculator
To get to the Calculator menu: press MENU|MENU|↓ to TRIP CALCULA-
TOR|ENT.
Trip Down Timer
To get to the Down Timer menu: press MENU|MENU|↓ to TIMERS|ENT|↓
to DOWN TIMER|ENT.
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Trip Up Timer
To get to the Up Timer menu: press MENU|MENU|↓ to TIMERS|ENT|ENT.
Waypoints
Delete a Waypoint
To
delete
a
waypoint
from
the
waypoint
list:
press
WPT|ENT|ENT|ENT|↓ to waypoint name|ENT|→ to DELETE WAY-
POINT|ENT|← to YES|ENT. To return to the previous page, press
EXIT|EXIT.
To delete a waypoint from the map:
1. Use the arrow keys to select the waypoint with the cursor.
2. Press WPT|→ to DELETE WAYPOINT|ENT|← to YES|ENT. To return to
the previous page and clear the cursor, press EXIT.
To delete all waypoints at one time: press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM
SETUP|ENT|↓ to DELETE ALL MY WAYPOINTS|ENT|← to YES|ENT. To return
to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
Edit a Waypoint
Waypoint Name
To edit waypoint name: 1. Press WPT|ENT|ENT|ENT|↓ to waypoint
name|ENT|→ to EDIT WAYPOINT|ENT|ENT.
2. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → to the next
character and repeat until the name is correct. Press ENT then
EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to return to the previous page display.
Waypoint Symbol
To edit waypoint symbol: 1. Press WPT|ENT|ENT|ENT|↓ to waypoint
name|ENT|→ to EDIT WAYPOINT|ENT|↓ then → to CHOOSE SYMBOL|ENT.
2. Use arrow keys to select desired symbol and press ENT. To return to
the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Waypoint Position
To edit waypoint position: 1. Press WPT|ENT|ENT|ENT|↓ to waypoint
name|ENT|→ to EDIT WAYPOINT|ENT.
2. Latitude: press ↓ to LATITUDE|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first
character, then press → to the next character and repeat until the lati-
tude is correct. Press EXIT.
3. Longitude: press ↓ to LONGITUDE|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first
character, then press → to the next character and repeat until the lon-
gitude is correct. Press EXIT.
4. When latitude and longitude are correct, return to the previous page:
press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
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Selecting a Waypoint
To select a waypoint on the map (for navigating to, for editing, etc.,) use
the arrow keys and center the cursor over the waypoint. A highlighted
halo will appear around the waypoint.
Set a Waypoint by Average Position
This feature sets a waypoint at the current position after taking several
position readings and averaging them. This boosts waypoint position
accuracy by helping to eliminate errors caused by atmospheric condi-
tions and other factors.
1. Press WPT|→ to NEW|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to AVERAGE POSITION|ENT|↑ to CREATE|ENT.
3. Wait while the unit takes points to average for the position. (The greater
the number of points, the greater the accuracy.) When the desired number
of points accumulates, press ENT to create and save the waypoint.
4. The Edit Waypoint menu appears. You can simply save the waypoint
by pressing EXIT|EXIT or you can edit the waypoint.
Set a Waypoint by Projecting a Position
This feature sets a waypoint at a point located a specific distance and
bearing from a reference position. The reference position can be se-
lected from your waypoint list or the map feature list.
1. Press WPT|→ to NEW|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to PROJECTED POSITION|ENT|↑ to CREATE|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to CHOOSE REFERENCE|ENT. Use ↑ and ↓ to select a waypoint or
map feature. When the point has been selected, press ENT and the
point's position appears as the reference position.
4. Press ↓ to DISTANCE|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character,
then press → to the next character and repeat until the distance is cor-
rect. Press ENT.
5. Press ↓ to BEARING|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character,
then press → to the next character and repeat until the bearing is cor-
rect. Press ENT.
6. Press ↑ to PROJECT|ENT. The Edit Waypoint menu appears. You can
simply save the new projected waypoint by pressing EXIT|EXIT or you
can edit the waypoint. (Press EXIT|ENT if you want to immediately be-
gin navigating to the new waypoint.)
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Section 9:
System & GPS Setup Options
Alarms
This unit has several GPS alarms. The factory default setting has all
the alarms turned on. You can turn the alarms off and on and change
their distance settings.
You can set an arrival alarm to flash a warning message and sound a
tone when you cross a preset distance from a waypoint. For example, if
you have the arrival alarm set to 0.1 mile, then the alarm will flash a
message when you come within 0.1 mile of the recalled waypoint.
The off course alarm warns you when your track drifts too far to the
right or left of the course line to the waypoint. For example, if the
alarm is set to 0.1 mile, then the alarm flashes a message if you drift
0.1 of a mile or more to the right or left of the line to the waypoint.
The anchor alarm is triggered when you drift outside of a preset radius.
Again, using the 0.1 mile as an example, if you're anchored and your
boat moves more than 0.1 mile, the alarm will flash a message and
sound a tone.
Alarms command, left; Alarm menu, right.
To change alarm settings:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to ALARMS|ENT|ENT.
2. Scroll ↓ or ↑ to select the desired category, then press ENT to check or
clear the Enabled box. This turns the alarm on (checked) or off (un-
checked).
3. To change distance settings, scroll ↓ or ↑ to select the desired cate-
gory, then press →|ENT to activate the distance dialog box. Press ↑ or ↓
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to change the first character, then press → to the next character and
repeat until the distance is correct.
4. When your adjustments are finished, return to the last page dis-
played by repeatedly pressing EXIT.
Auto Satellite Search
To lock onto the satellites, the GPS receiver needs to know its current
position, UTC time and date. (Elevation (altitude) is also used in the
equation, but it's rarely required to determine a position.) It needs this
data so that it can calculate which satellites should be in view. It then
searches for only those satellites.
When your GPS receiver is turned on for the first time, it doesn't know
what your position or elevation (altitude) is. It does know the current UTC
time and date since these were programmed into it at the factory and an
internal clock keeps the time while the unit is turned off. (If the time
and/or date are incorrect, you can set it using the "Set Local Time" menu.)
The unit begins searching for the satellites using the above data that it
acquired the last time it was turned on. This probably was at the fac-
tory. Since you almost certainly aren't at our factory, it's probably
looking for the wrong satellites.
If it doesn't find the satellites it's looking for after approximately one
minute, the unit switches to Auto Search. The receiver looks for any
satellite in the sky. Due to advanced technology, the auto search time
has shrunk significantly from the early days of GPS.
Once the unit locks onto the satellites, it should take less than a minute to
find your position the next time it's turned on, provided you haven't moved
more than approximately 100 miles from the last location it was used.
GPS Auto Search on the Satellite Status Menu.
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You can force the unit to immediately kick into auto search mode.
Here's how:
1. Press PAGES|← to MAP|↓ to SATELLITES.
2. Press MENU|↓ to GPS AUTO SEARCH|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Coordinate System Selection
The Coordinate System Menu lets you select the coordinate system to
use when displaying and entering position coordinates.
Menus for changing coordinate system used to display positions.
To get to Coordinate System Selection:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to COORDINATE SYSTEM|ENT.
This unit can show a position in degrees (36.14952°); degrees, minutes
and thousandths of a minute (36° 28.700'); or degrees, minutes, seconds
and tenths of a second (36° 28' 40.9"). It can also show position in: UTM
(Universal Transverse Mercator) projection; MGRS (Standard); MGRS
(Standard + 10); Map Fix; Loran TD; British, Irish, Finnish, German,
New Zealand, Swedish, Swiss, Taiwan, Greek and Military grids.
UTM's are marked on USGS topographic charts. This system divides
the Earth into 60 zones, each 6 degrees wide in longitude.
British, Irish, Finnish, German, New Zealand, Swedish, Swiss, Taiwan,
and Greek grid systems are each the national coordinate system used
only in their respective countries. In order to use these grid systems,
you must be in the respective country. This unit will pick the matching
datum for you when you select the grid. See the entry on Map Datum
Selection for more information.
The military grid reference system (MGRS) uses two grid lettering
schemes, which are referred to as standard and standard + 10 MGRS
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on this unit. Your position and datum in use determines which one to
use. If you use standard, and your position is off significantly, then try
the alternate.
NOTE: When the position format is changed, it affects the way all posi-
tions are shown on all screens. This includes waypoints.
To change the coordinate system, press ENT while COORDINATE SYSTEM is
highlighted. Press the ↑ or ↓ arrow keys to highlight the desired for-
mat. Press ENT to select it. Press EXIT to erase the menus.
To setup Loran TD:
NOTE:
If the Loran TD conversion is chosen, you must enter the local Lo-
ran chain identification for the master and slaves. Do this by se-
lecting "Setup Loran TD" at the bottom of the "Coordinate System"
menu and select the ID. Press EXIT to erase this menu.
Configure Loran TD menu.
Map Fix
Map Fix is used with charts or maps. This system asks for a reference
position in latitude/longitude, which you take from a marked location
on the map. It then shows the present position as distance on the map
from that reference point.
For example, if it shows a distance of UP 4.00" and LEFT 0.50", you
then measure up four inches and to the left a half-inch from the refer-
ence point on the map to find your location.
To configure a map fix:
To use this format, you need to follow these steps in order. First, take
your map of the area and determine a reference latitude/longitude.
(Please note that in order for this system to work, the lati-
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tude/longitude lines must be parallel with the edge of the map. USGS
maps are parallel, others may not be. Also, this works better with
smaller scale maps.) The reference position can be anywhere on the
map, but the closer it is to your location, the smaller the numbers will
be that you'll have to deal with.
Once you've decided on a reference position, you must save it as a way-
point. (See the waypoint section for information on saving a waypoint.)
After you've saved the reference position as a waypoint, exit from the
waypoint screens.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to COORDINATE SYSTEM|ENT.
3. Press ↓ to SETUP MAP FIX|ENT.
The following screen appears, and MAP SCALE is highlighted. Press ENT
and enter the map's scale one numeral after another. The scale is gen-
erally at the bottom of the paper map. It's shown as a ratio, for example
1:24000. When the scale is entered, press EXIT and the unit returns to
the Configure Map Fix screen.
Configure a map fix so the M68 can find your position on a printed
chart or topographical map.
Press ↓ to SELECT ORIGIN|ENT|ENT|ENT to bring up the waypoint list.
Select the waypoint that you saved the reference point under and press
ENT. The unit displays a waypoint information screen with the com-
mand SET AS ORIGIN selected; press ENT and the unit returns to the Con-
figure Map Fix menu. Finally, press EXIT to erase this menu. Now press
↑ to COORD SYSTEM|ENT, select MAP FIX from the list and press ENT|EXIT.
All position information now shows as a distance from the reference
point you chose.
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Customize Page Displays
The Full Map, Navigation and Position pages can all be customized to
display many different types of navigation information in data boxes.
Pages can be customized by turning data boxes on or off.
These data boxes (sometimes referred to as text boxes, data windows or
information displays) are controlled with the Customize command. The
boxes usually appear at the edge of the display screen. Information type
is abbreviated on the Map and Navigation pages, but spelled out on the
Position page.
The Position Page boxes cannot be turned off; you can only change what
information type is displayed in each window. In the previous Map Page
figure, the Distance (1.48 mi DST) shown in the top left corner does not
appear in a box. Unboxed text that "floats" on top of the screen is controlled
by the Overlay Data command, discussed later in this section.
Customize Map or Navigation Page
While on the Map or Navigation pages, press MENU|↓ to CUSTOM-
IZE|ENT. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a data box you would like to see on the
page. With the data option highlighted, press ENT. The selected data op-
tion is checked and moves to the top of the list. After all options are set, press
EXIT to return to the page display. Boxes at the bottom of the screen
now provide the customized data.
NOTE:
The Map Page can display as many as six data boxes, plus the
steering arrow box. The Navigation Page can display six data boxes.
To turn off a data box, use the same instructions described above to
uncheck a data option.
Customize Position Page
This page has four boxes you can customize. While on the GPS Position
Page, press MENU|↓ to CUSTOMIZE|ENT. The data box in the top left cor-
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ner begins flashing. Use the arrow keys to select the box you want to
change. With the display box highlighted and flashing, press ENT to
open a list of options. Scroll ↑ and ↓ to select a different data option, then press
ENT.
You can repeat these steps to change the display in another box. When all the
changes are finished, press EXIT to return to the page display.
GPS Simulator
The GPS simulator lets you use the unit as if you were outdoors navi-
gating somewhere. It's a great way to practice using your unit. You can
set the starting location by entering latitude/longitude (Starting Posi-
tion) or from a stored waypoint or map place location (CHOOSE START com-
mand). You can steer and change speed on the map by using the arrow
keys (STEER WITH ARROWS command) or by setting the track and speed in
the dialog boxes provided on the simulator menu screen.
To get to the GPS Simulator:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to GPS SIMULATOR|ENT. The GPS Simulator Menu appears.
GPS Setup Menu, left; GPS Simulator menu, center.
Map Page showing Track and Speed steering arrow indicators, right.
In this example, you are "traveling" across Mudisland Point
on a track of 19º at a speed of 50 miles per hour.
Make the desired settings for Track, Speed and Start location, then
turn the simulator on by highlighting the SIMULATOR ON box and pressing
ENT. Press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT to erase this menu. (If you want, you can
turn on the simulator and the steering arrows at the same time with
one keystroke. Instead of the SIMULATOR ON box, highlight STEER W/
ARROWS and press ENT.) A message and tone appear periodically, warn-
ing you that the simulator is on. To turn the simulator off, repeat the
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above steps or turn the unit off.
While in simulator mode, you can press EXIT to clear the steering and
speed boxes from the screen while continuing the simulation. This will
allow you to use the map cursor during a simulation. . To turn steering
and speed boxes back on again, return to the GPS Simulator menu, se-
lect the STEER WITH ARROWS command, press ENT.
Simulating Trail or Route Navigation
In Simulator mode, your unit can automatically follow a trail or route
without manual steering if you use these steps:
1. From the Map Page, go to the simulator menu. Use the SELECT START
command to pick a starting position at or near the beginning of your
trail/route.
2. Set SPEED to zero. Select STEER WITH ARROWS command and press ENT,
which turns on the simulator and returns you to the Map Page.
3. Begin navigating along the trail/route. (If you are close enough to the
first waypoint, the arrival alarm will usually go off as soon as naviga-
tion begins. Press EXIT to clear the alarm.) When navigation starts,
press ↑ to increase speed to the desired setting.
4. Press EXIT to turn off the steering and speed boxes. The unit will now
automatically "steer" along the trail or route. When you arrive at your
"destination," cancel navigation as you normally do.
Tip:
You can pick any spot on the map to begin your simulation session by
using the Initialize GPS command. This makes your unit think it's lo-
cated at the position you select. See the following entry for details.
Initialize GPS
This command is handy when you are practicing in simulator mode. (See
the previous entry for GPS Simulator.) In simulator mode, this command
makes the unit operate as if it is sitting someplace other than its actual
location. So, you and your unit could be located in Kansas City, but eas-
ily practice navigating in the ocean off Islamorada, Florida.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT|ENT.
2. A message appears, telling you to move the cursor near the desired
location and press ENT. When the message automatically clears, follow
the message instructions.
3. In a moment, your present position marker arrow appears on the
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map in the location you selected with the cursor. The unit will consider
that spot as its last known position until changed by either a live satel-
lite lock-on or a new simulator location.
Map Auto Zoom
This receiver has an auto zoom feature that eliminates much of the but-
ton pushing that other brands of GPS receivers force you to make. It
works in conjunction with the navigation features.
First, start navigation to a waypoint. (See the waypoint section for
more information on navigating to a waypoint.) Then, with the auto
zoom mode on, the unit zooms out until the entire course shows, from
the present position to the destination waypoint. As you travel toward
the destination, the unit automatically begins zooming in — one zoom
range at a time — always keeping the destination on the screen.
To turn this feature on, from the MAP PAGE, press MENU|↓ to AUTO
ZOOM|ENT|EXIT. Repeat these steps to turn it off.
Map Data
This menu lets you turn the map off, if desired (which turns the map
screen into a GPS plotter); turn off or on the pop-up map info boxes; or fill
water areas with white. You can also turn on or off Map Overlays, which
display latitude and longitude grid lines or range rings on the map.
To get to Map Data:
From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP DATA|ENT.
Map Menu, left, Map Data Menu, right.
Earth Map Detail
From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP DATA|ENT. Press ENT to adjust the
level of mapping details shown. Select OFF to change the unit to a simple
plotter. After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
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Pop-up Map Info
From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP DATA|ENT. Press ↓ to POPUP
MAP INFORMATION. With the option highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn
on) and uncheck it (turn off.) After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to
return to the page display.
Fill Water With White
From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP DATA|ENT. Press ↓ to FILL
WATER WITH WHITE. With the option highlighted, press ENT to check it
(turn on) and uncheck it (turn off.) After the option is set, press
EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
Map Overlays (Range Rings; Lat/Long Grid)
The map screen can be customized with four range rings and/or grids
that divide the screen into equal segments of latitude and longitude.
Range rings are handy for visually estimating distances on the map.
The ring diameters are based on the current zoom range. For example:
at the 100 mile zoom, the screen will show two rings with your current
position in the center. The large ring touching the left and right sides of
the screen is 100 miles in diameter (same as the zoom range). The sec-
ond smaller ring is 50 miles in diameter (always 1/2 the zoom range).
The distance from your current position to the smaller ring (the ring's
radius) is 25 miles (always 1/4 the zoom range). With the arrow keys
and map cursor, you can scroll the map to see the third and fourth
rings. In this example, the distance to the third ring is 75 miles and
distance to the fourth ring is 100 miles from your current position.
To set range rings: From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP
DATA|ENT. Press ↓ to RANGE RINGS. With the option highlighted, press
ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off.) After the option is
set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
To set Lat/Long Grid: From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP
DATA|ENT. Press ↓ to LAT/LON GRID LINES. With the option highlighted,
press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off.) After the op-
tion is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
Map Datum Selection
Maps and charts are based on a survey of the area that's covered by the
map or chart. These surveys are called "Datums." Maps that are cre-
ated using different datums will show the same latitude/longitude in
slightly different locations.
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All datums are named. The GPS system is based on the WGS-84 da-
tum, which covers the entire world. Other datums may also cover the
entire world, or just a small portion of it. By default, your position
shows using the WGS-84 datum. However, it can show your position
using one of 191 different datums. Different datums can be selected; to
change the datum:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT|↓ to DATUM SELECTION|ENT.
2. Scroll ↓ or ↑ to select the desired datum, then press ENT.
3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT|EXIT.
A list of the datums used by this unit is in the back of this manual.
GPS Setup Menu, left, Map Datum Menu, right.
Map Detail Category Selection
This menu determines which of the mapping features are shown on the
screen. This includes, waypoints, trails, icons, cities, highways, etc. You
can selectively turn on or off any of these items, customizing the map to
your needs.
To get to Map Categories:
1. From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP CATEGORIES|ENT.
2. Press ↑ or ↓ to select a category (then press → to cycle through any
available subcategories). Press ENT to turn the selected category or
subcategory off (no check) or on (checked.)
3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT|EXIT.
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Map Menu, left, Map Categories Drawn Menu, right.
Map Orientation
By default, this receiver shows the map with north always at the top of
the screen. This is the way most maps and charts are printed on paper.
In Track Up mode, map shows "N" and arrow to indicate north.
Map orientation at left is shown in north up and at right, track up.
This is fine if you're always traveling due north. What you see to your
left corresponds to the left side of the map, to your right is shown on
the right side of the map, and so on. However, if you travel any other
direction, the map doesn't line up with your view of the world.
To correct this problem, a track-up mode rotates the map as you turn.
Thus, what you see on the left side of the screen should always be to
your left, and so on.
Another option is course-up mode, which keeps the map at the same
orientation as the initial bearing to the waypoint. When either the
track-up or course-up mode is on, an "N" shows on the map screen to
help you see which direction is north.
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To change map orientation: from the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to MAP
ORIENTATION|ENT. Use ↑ or ↓ to select the desired mode, then press ENT.
Press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
Map Menu, left; Map Orientation menu with
the North Up map orientation option selected, right.
Overlay Data
The Sonar Page and the Map Page can be customized to show many
different types of navigation information as text that "floats" on top of
the screen. This is called overlay data and is controlled by the Overlay
Data command.
Depth
Water
temp.
Distance to
destination
Sonar Page with Overlay Data turned on. This example shows Depth,
Water Temp. and the Distance to the next waypoint in the current route.
Overlay data uses many of the same types of information available in
data boxes (see Customize Page Displays earlier in this section), but the
overlaid text is shown without boxes. It's another feature that lets you
fully customize the screens to fit your viewing preferences.
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To change the digital data shown on top of the Sonar Page or the Map Page:
First, press PAGES, use → or ← to select a Page Name, then press EXIT.
To select data for display:
1. From the Map or Sonar page, press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|ENT.
Overlay Data command on the GPS Menu, at left. Overlay Data Shown
selection menu, right. In this example, we scrolled down the data list
to highlight "Ground Speed."
When selected, the data type shifts to the top of the data list and a
check mark appears beside the data type. (If you wish, you may now
use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types for display.)
Data list showing "Ground Speed" selected to display on Map Page.
3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
To turn off displayed data:
1. From the Map or Sonar page, press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|ENT. The selected data type disappears
from the top of the list and reverts to its previous, unchecked position. (If
you wish, you may now use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types to turn off.)
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3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
To change displayed data font size:
1. From the Map or Sonar page, press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|press → or ← to Data
Size|EXIT|EXIT. The selected data type will be displayed in the new
size. (To change the font size for more than one Data Type at the same
time, just follow the above steps, but make all the needed changes be-
fore you press Exit to clear the menu.)
Tip:
If you wish, you can change the font size when you select a data
type for the first time:
1. From the Map or Sonar page, press MENU|↓ to OVERLAY
DATA|ENT.
2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type|press → or ← to select Data
Size|ENT.
The data will be shown in the new font size. To return to the previ-
ous page, press EXIT|EXIT.
Pop-up Help
Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. By
highlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds, a
"pop-up" message appears that describes the function of the menu item.
This feature is on by default.
To set up Popup Help: Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓
to POPUP HELP. With the option highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn
on) and uncheck it (turn off.) After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to
return to the page display.
System Setup Menu, left, with Pop-up Help command highlighted. At
right, this example shows the Pop-up Help message for the Sensitivity
command, located on the Sonar Menu.
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Reset Options
To reset all features to their factory defaults:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to RESET OPTIONS|ENT|← to
YES|ENT.
NOTE:
Reset Options does not erase any waypoints, routes, icons, plot trails or
sonar logs.
System Menu with Reset Options command selected.
Screen Contrast and Brightness
To access the Screen menu, press MENU|MENU|ENT.
Once in the Screen menu:
To adjust the display's contrast:
The CONTRAST slider bar is already selected. Press → or ← to move the
bar. The left end of the scale is minimum contrast; the right end is
maximum contrast.
Screen Command, left, and Screen Menu with Contrast bar selected, right.
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To adjust the display's brightness:
Press ↓ to BRIGHTNESS. Press → or ← to move the bar. The left end of the
scale is minimum contrast; the right end is maximum contrast.
To adjust the screen's display mode:
Press ↓ to DISPLAY MODE|ENT|press ↑ or ↓ to select mode|EXIT.
Display Mode menu.
Set Language
This unit's menus are available in 10 languages: English, French, Ger-
man, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Dutch and Finnish.
To select a different language:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT.
2. Press ↓ to SET LANGUAGE…|ENT.
3. Use ↓ or ↑ to select a different language and press ENT. All menus
now appear in the language you selected.
Set Local Time
Using the correct local time setting is handy when estimating local ar-
rival time while navigating. Also, the time and date are saved when a
waypoint is created.
To access the Set Local Time menu, you must first acquire your posi-
tion. Once that is done: press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to
SET LOCAL TIME|ENT.
Once in the Time Settings menu:
To set Local Time: Press ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then
press → to move the cursor to the next character. Repeat until the time is correct,
then press ENT.
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To set the Month: Press ↓ to MONTH|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to select the month, then
press ENT.
To set the Day: Press → to DAY|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to select the day, then press
ENT.
To set the Year: Press → to YEAR|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to select the year, then press
ENT.
The last field in this menu is CONFIG DST. This feature allows your unit
to automatically adjust with the time change caused by Daylight Sav-
ing Time (you should only have to set it once). You may select which set
of rules matches DST in your region, or simply accept the default.
Once you have each field set the way you want, press EXIT repeatedly
until you return to the previous page.
Show WAAS Alarm
When the signal is available, your unit will automatically use WAAS to
boost the accuracy of the position fix. When the WAAS signal is lost or
acquired, an alarm message appears. Since the U.S. government is still
developing the WAAS system, it's not unusual for a GPS/WAAS re-
ceiver to frequently lose and reacquire its lock on a WAAS satellite.
That can result in the alarm repeatedly going on and off. If you want,
you have the option of turning off the WAAS Acquired/Lost alarm with-
out affecting how the unit uses WAAS. Here's how:
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to GPS SETUP|ENT|↓ to SHOW WAAS ALARM.
2. With the option highlighted, press ENT to uncheck it (turn off) and
check it (turn on). After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to
the page display.
Software Version Information
From time to time, Lowrance updates the operating system software in
some of its products. These upgrades make the unit perform better or
introduce a new feature or function. You can find out what software
version is running in your M68 by using the Software Information
command.
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At left, Main Menu with Software Information command selected.
At right, the Software Information screen.
1. Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|↓ to SOFTWARE INFO|ENT.
2. Read the information displayed on the screen.
3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT|EXIT|EXIT.
Sounds and Alarm Sound Styles
Sounds triggered by key strokes and alarms can be adjusted:
You first press MENU|MENU|↓ to SOUNDS|ENT.
Sounds command, left. At right, the Sounds menu.
Once in the Sounds menu:
To set Key Press Sounds: With the option highlighted, press ENT to
check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off). After the option is set, press
EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
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To set Alarm Sounds: Press ↓ to ALARM SOUNDS. With the option high-
lighted, press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off). After
the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
To set Alarm Volume: Press ↓ to VOLUME. Press → or ← to move the bar.
The left end of the scale is low volume; the right end is high volume. Af-
ter the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to the page display.
To set Alarm Style: Press ↓ to ALARM STYLE|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the
style, then press ENT. After the option is set, press EXIT|EXIT to return to
the page display.
Track Smoothing
This is a factory setting on the GPS Setup menu that should always be
left on. When stopped or traveling at slow speeds (such as walking or
trolling), Track Smoothing prevents wandering of trails, the steering
arrow, compass rose and a map in track-up mode.
Track Smoothing option, turned on.
Trail Options
There are several options you can use with trails. Some affect all trails,
other options can be applied to a particular trail. You can change the
way trails are updated, you can display or hide trails, create a new
trail, delete a trail, etc.
General Trail Options
To access the Trails Menu:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to MY TRAILS|ENT.
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Main Menu, left, Trails Menu, center, Trail Options, right.
Delete All Trails
To remove all of the trails from memory: from the Trails Menu, press →
to DELETE ALL|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Update Active Trail Option
This menu lets you change the way the trail updates occur.
WARNING:
If you uncheck the Update Trail option, automatic trail
creation and recording will be turned off. You must turn
it back on to record trails. The default setting is on.
From the Trails Menu, press → to TRAIL OPTIONS|ENT. With UPDATE TRAIL
highlighted, press ENT to check it (turn on) and uncheck it (turn off).
Update Trail Criteria (Auto, Time, Distance)
The options are: automatic, time, or distance. When it's in the default
automatic mode, the unit doesn't update the plot trail while you're
traveling in a straight line. Once you deviate from a straight line, the
unit "drops" a plot point (trail waypoint) onto the trail. This conserves
plot trail points. If a plot trail uses all of the available points allotted to
it, the beginning points are taken away and placed at the end of the trail.
From the Trails Menu, press → to TRAIL OPTIONS|ENT|↓ to UPDATE CRI-
TERIA|ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to select criteria type|ENT. If you selected Time,
the Update Rate data entry box appears on the menu. If you selected
Distance, the Update Distance data entry box appears on the menu.
Trail Update Rate (Time, Distance)
You can update a trail by time, with a range from 1 second to 9999 sec-
onds; the default is 3 seconds. You can update by distance, with a range
from 0.01 mile/nm/km to 9.99 mile/nm/km; the default is 0.10 miles.
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With one of the Update Criteria selected, use the cursor arrows to
highlight either the UPDATE RATE or UPDATE DISTANCE data entry boxes and
press ENT. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → to
the next character and repeat until the entry is correct. Press EXIT to
return to the Trail Options Menu.
Trail Options menu: Update Time Rate setting, left, and Update Dis-
tance setting, right.
Specific Trail Options
Delete Trail
To delete a specific trail: From the Trails Menu, press ↓ to Trail
Name|ENT. The Edit Trail menu appears as seen in the following fig-
ure. Press ↓ to DELETE TRAIL|ENT|← to YES|ENT.
Edit Trail menu.
New Trail
To manually start a new trail, in the Trails Menu, use the → to make
sure NEW TRAIL is highlighted and press ENT|EXIT.
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Trail Visible/Invisible and Other Trail Options
The name, maximum number of points in the trail, activity, and visi-
bility are all changed on the Edit Trail menu screen. The Active setting
determines whether or not the unit is recording new points for a par-
ticular trail.
On the Edit Trail menu, press ↓ or ↑ to highlight the section you wish
to change, then press ENT. Make your changes, then press EXIT to erase
this menu.
You can also change the trail line color and pattern. For instructions,
see the entries on Edit a Trail Color and Edit a Trail in Sec. 8, Ad-
vanced GPS Operations.
Transparency
Use the transparency menu to adjust the transparency of menu win-
dows. A high transparency allows you to continue monitoring the sonar
chart while adjusting feature settings, though the text of the menus
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.
To adjust Menu Transparency level:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to TRANSPARENCY|ENT. The TRANSPARENCY slider bar
appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to move the bar. The lower end of the scale makes
the menus opaque; the upper end is maximum transparency.
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Units of Measure
This menu sets the speed and distance (statute or nautical miles, me-
ters), depth (feet, fathoms, or meters), temperature (degrees Fahrenheit
or Celsius) and heading (true or magnetic) units. To change the units:
Press MENU|MENU|↓ to SYSTEM SETUP|ENT|ENT.
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|EXIT to return
to the page display.
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Section 10:
Searching
NOTE:
The background map loaded in your unit lets you search for high-
ways and arterial streets in the U.S., as well as land features, in-
cluding cities and lakes. For a complete description of what detail is
found in the background map, see page 89.
The unit's search functions all begin with either the Find Waypoint
menu or the Map Page menu. Press WPT and the Find Waypoint menu
appears for waypoints and land features. From the Map Page, press
MENU and the Map Page menu appears for streets and intersections.
Find Waypoint menu, left and Map Page menu, right.
NOTE:
You can search for items even if the unit hasn't acquired a position
yet, or start from a position other than your own. When you do a
search, distance and bearing to the selected item will be calculated
from the unit's current position. If the unit hasn't acquired a posi-
tion, it will use the last known position. If the cursor is active, the
unit will always begin the search at the cursor. You can look up
items by name, or search for the item nearest to you.
Find Any Item Selected by Map Cursor
On the Map Page: with a map feature selected by the cursor press WPT.
To return to the previous page, press EXIT.
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A Map Place selected by the cursor, left,
Waypoint Information screen, right.
NOTE:
Since the Go To command is highlighted, you can navigate to the
selected map place by pressing ENT|EXIT while in the Waypoint In-
formation screen.
Find Map Places
1. Press WPT, press ↑ or ↓ to select a map place category, then press
ENT. You will be given two options: Search By Name or By Nearest.
Find Waypoint menu with Water category selected, left, and with the
Lake/River subcategory selected, right.
2. Search by nearest. Press ENT. The "Find By Nearest" menu will
show a "calculating" screen, then a list of the nearest map places will
appear. Press ↑ or ↓ to the selected map place and press ENT to call up
the Waypoint Information screen.
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Find by Nearest option, left, Calculating screen, center, map places
list, right.
3. Search by name. Press ↓|ENT. There are two options: A. You can
spell out the map place in the top selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change
the first letter, then press → to move the cursor to the next letter and
repeat until the name is correct, then press ENT|ENT. B. Jump down to
the lower selection list by pressing ENT, then press ↑ or ↓ to select a
map place from the list, then press ENT to call up the map place's Way-
point Information screen.
Find by Name option, left, Find by Name menu, right.
4. When the map place's Waypoint Information screen is displayed, you
can choose to "Go To" the map place by pressing ENT or find it on the
map by pressing →|ENT.
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Go To Waypoint option, left; Find on Map option, right.
Find Streets or Intersections
Find a Street
1. From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to FIND STREETS|ENT and the Find
Streets Menu appears.
Find Streets command, left, Find Streets menu, right.
2. You must fill in a street name in the First Street dialog box. Press ENT
to display the Find By Name menu. There are two options: A. You can
spell out the street in the top selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the
first letter, then press → to move the cursor to the next letter and repeat
until the name is correct, then press ENT|ENT. B. Or you can jump down
to the lower box and pick a street from the selection list. Press ENT,
then press ↑ or ↓ to select a street from the list and press ENT.
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Find Street By Name menu. Spell out name in
the top box, or select from the list in the lower box.
3. The Find Streets menu reappears with the street you're searching for
in the First Street box. (In this example, it's I-35.) To search for that
street, press ↓ to FIND FIRST STREET|ENT. A message appears asking you to
wait while the unit finds the street. When the Streets Found list appears,
press ↑ or ↓ to select the street you are searching for and press ENT.
At left, the Find Streets menu with the Find First
Street command highlighted. At right, Streets Found list.
4. The Map Page appears, with the cursor pointing to the found street.
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Map Page showing results of a street search.
The cursor points to the located street.
If you want to navigate to the found street at the cursor location, just
press MENU|ENT|EXIT.
Find an Intersection
You must enter one street in the First Street dialog box and enter the
next street in the Second Street dialog box.
1. From the Map Page, press MENU|↓ to FIND STREETS|ENT and the Find
Streets Menu appears.
2. You must fill in a street name in the First Street dialog box. Press ENT
to display the Find By Name menu. There are two options: A. You can
spell out the street in the top selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the
first letter, then press → to move the cursor to the next letter and repeat
until the name is correct, then press ENT|ENT. B. Or you can jump down
to the lower box and pick a street from the selection list. Press ENT,
then press ↑ or ↓ to select a street from the list and press ENT.
3. The Find Streets menu reappears with the street you're searching for
in the First Street box. (In this example, it's I-35.)
4. Now fill in the second street. Press ↓ to SECOND STREET|ENT and the
Find By Name menu appears again. Just like before, there are two op-
tions: A. You can spell out the second street in the top selection box.
Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first letter, then press → to move the cursor
to the next letter and repeat until the name is correct, then press
ENT|ENT. B. Or you can jump down to the lower box and pick a second
street from the selection list. Press ENT, then press ↑ or ↓ to select a
street from the list and press ENT.
5. The Find Streets menu reappears with the first and second street
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dialog boxes filled in. In this example, we selected I-44 as our second
street. You could now use similar techniques to select a city or Zip code,
but your search will probably be faster if you leave those boxes blank.
(You can specify a city and/or Zip code later on to narrow the search, if
the resulting list is too long.)
Find Intersection command highlighted, left.
Intersections Found list, right.
6. To search for the intersection of the two streets, press ↓ to FIND
INTERSECTION|ENT. A message appears asking you to wait while the unit
finds the intersection. When the Intersections Found list appears, press
↑ or ↓ to select the intersection you are searching for and press ENT. (In
the previous example, we selected the intersection of I-35 and I-44.)
7. The Map Page appears, with the cursor pointing to the found inter-
section. The intersection in our example is shown below.
Map Page showing results of an intersection search.
The cursor points to the located intersection.
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If you want to navigate to the found intersection, just press
MENU|ENT|EXIT.
Find Waypoints
1. Press WPT|ENT.
2. If searching for the Nearest waypoint, press ENT. If searching for the
waypoint By Name, press ↓ to NEAREST|ENT. (To search by name, jump
to step 5 below.)
Find Waypoint menu, left; Find By Name command, center,
Find By Nearest command, right.
3. If you're looking for nearest, the unit says it is calculating, then a
list of waypoints appears. The closest is highlighted at the top of the
list and the farthest at the bottom of the list.
Calculating message, left, and list of the nearest waypoints, right.
4. To see location information on the closest (highlighted) waypoint,
press ENT and the Waypoint Information screen appears. (If you
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wanted to, you could select another waypoint form the list with the ↑ or
↓ keys.)
A. To navigate to the waypoint, press ENT. (The Go To Waypoint
command is already highlighted.) The unit will show navigation in-
formation to the waypoint.
B. To find the waypoint, press → to FIND ON MAP|ENT. The Map
Page appears with the cursor highlighting the found waypoint.
Waypoint Information screens with the Go To Waypoint command se-
lected, left, and the Find on Map command selected, right.
To clear these menus and return to the previous page, press EXIT re-
peatedly.
5. If you're looking by name, There are two options: A. You can spell
out the name in the top selection box. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first
letter, then press → to move the cursor to the next letter and repeat
until the name is correct, then press ENT|ENT. B. Or you can jump
down to the lower selection list by pressing ENT, then press ↑ or ↓ to
select a waypoint from the list, then press ENT. The Waypoint Informa-
tion screen appears.
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Find By Name menu, left. Waypoint Information screen, center. At right,
the found waypoint is highlighted by the cursor on the Map Page.
A. To navigate to the waypoint, press ENT. (The Go To Waypoint
command is already highlighted.) The unit will show navigation in-
formation to the waypoint.
B. To find the waypoint, press → to FIND ON MAP|ENT. The Map
Page appears with the cursor highlighting the found waypoint.
To clear these menus and return to the previous page, press EXIT re-
peatedly.
152
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Section 11: Supplemental Material
Datums Used by This Unit
WGS 1984
Default
Zaire, Zambia and
Zimbabwe
Australian Geodetic
1984 - Australia &
Tasmania
Adindan
Mean for Ethiopia,
Sudan
Arc 1950 - Botswana
Arc 1950 - Burundi
Arc 1950 - Lesotho
Arc 1950 - Malawi
Arc 1950 - Swaziland
Arc 1950 - Zaire
Ayabelle Lighthouse -
Djibouti
Adindan
Burkina Faso
Bellevue (IGN) -
Efate & Erromango
Islands
Adindan
Cameroon
Bermuda 1957 -
Bermuda
Adindan
Ethiopia
Bissau - Guinea-
Bissau
Bogota Observatory -
Colombia
Arc 1950 - Zambia
Arc 1950 - Zimbabwe
Adindan
Mali
Adindan
Senegal
Arc 1960 - Mean for
Kenya, Tanzania
Bukit Rimpah - Indo-
nesia (Bangka & Be-
litung Islands)
Adindan
Sudan
Ascension Island
1958 - Ascension
Island
Camp Area Astro -
Antarctica (McMurdo
Camp Area)
Afgooye
Somalia
Astro Beacon E 1945
- Iwo Jima
Campo Inchauspe -
Argentina
Ain el Abd 1970
Bahrain
Astro DOS 71/4 - St.
Helena Island
Canton Astro 1966 -
Phoenix Islands
Ain el Abd 1970
Saudi Arabia
Astro Tern Island
(FRIG) 1961 - Tern
Island
Cape - South Africa
Anna 1 Astro 1965
Cocos Islands
Cape Canaveral -
Bahamas, Florida
Astronomical Station
1952 - Marcus Island
Antigua Island Astro
1943; Antigua (Lee-
ward Islands)
Carthage - Tunisia
Switzerland
Australian Geodetic
1966 - Australia &
Tasmania
Arc 1950; Mean for
Botswana, Lesotho,
Malawi, Swaziland,
Chatham Island Astro
1971; New Zealand
(Chatham Island)
153
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European 1950
England, Channel
Islands, Ireland,
Scotland, Shetland
Islands
L.C. 5 Astro 1961
Cayman Brac Island
Chua Astro
Paraguay
Leigon
Ghana
Corrego Alegre
Brazil
European 1950
Finland, Norway
Liberia 1964
Liberia
Dabola
Guinea
European 1950
Greece
Luzon
Philippines (Exclud-
ing Mindanao)
Djakarta (Batavia)
Indonesia (Sumatra)
European 1950
Iran
DOS 1968
Luzon
New Georgia Islands
(Gizo Island)
Philippines (Min-
danao)
European 1950
Italy (Sardinia)
Easter Island 1967
Easter Island
Mahe 1971
Mahe Island
European 1950
(Sicily)
European 1950
European 1950
Malta
Massawa
Ethiopia (Eritrea)
Mean for Austria,
Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France,
West Germany, Gi-
braltar, Greece, Italy,
Luxembourg, Neth-
erlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain,
Ireland 1965
Ireland
Merchich
Morocco
ISTS 061 Astro 1968
South Georgia Is-
lands
Midway Astro 1961
Midway Islands
Sweden, Switzerland
Minna
ISTS 073 Astro 1969
Diego Garcia
Cameroon
European 1950
Mean for Austria,
Denmark, France,
West Germany,
Netherlands, Swit-
zerland
Minna
Nigeria
Johnston Island 1961
Johnston Island
Montserrat Island
Astro 1958; Montser-
rat (Leeward Islands)
Kandawala
Sri Lanka
European 1950
Mean for Iraq, Israel,
Jordan, Lebanon,
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,
Syria
Kerguelen Island
1949
Kerguelen Island
M’Poraloko
Gabon, Nahrwan,
Oman (Masirah Is-
land)
Kertau 1948
West Malaysia &
Singapore
European 1950
Cyprus
Nahrwan
Saudi Arabia
European 1950
Egypt
Kusaie Astro 1951
Caroline Islands
Nahrwan
United Arab Emirates
154
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Naparima BWI
Trinidad & Tobago
North American 1927
Canada (Alberta,
British Columbia)
Old Hawaiian
Mean for Hawaii,
Kauai, Maui, Oahu
North American 1927
Mean for Antigua,
Barbados, Barbuda,
Caicos Islands,
North American 1927
Canada (Manitoba,
Ontario)
Old Hawaiian
Hawaii
Cuba, Dominican
Republic, Grand
Cayman, Jamaica,
Turks Islands
Old Hawaiian
Kauai
North American 1927
Canada (New
Brunswick, New-
foundland, Nova
Scotia, Quebec)
Old Hawaiian
Maui
North American 1927
Mean for Belize,
Costa Rica, El Sal-
vador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua
Old Hawaiian
Oahu
North American 1927
Canada (Northwest
Territories, Sas-
katchewan)
Oman
Oman
North American 1927
Mean for Canada
North American 1927
Canada (Yukon)
Ordinance Survey
Great Britain 1936 -
Mean for England,
Isle of Man, Scotland,
Shetland Islands,
Wales
North American 1927
Mean for CONUS
(Continental United
States)
North American 1927
Canal Zone
North American 1927
Mean for CONUS
(East of Mississippi
River) including Lou-
isiana, Missouri, Min-
nesota
North American 1927
Cuba
Ordinance Survey
Great Britain 1936 -
England
North American 1927
Greenland (Hayes
Peninsula)
Ordinance Survey
Great Britain 1936 -
England, Isle of Man,
Wales
North American 1927
Mean for CONUS
(West of Mississippi
River)
North American 1927
Mexico
North American 1983
Alaska, Canada,
CONUS
Ordinance Survey
Great Britain 1936 -
Scotland, Shetland
Islands
North American 1927
Alaska
North American 1983
Central America,
Mexico
North American 1927
Bahamas (Except
San Salvador Island)
Ordinance Survey
Great Britain 1936 -
Wales
Observaorio Metereo
1939; Azores (Corvo
& Flores Islands)
North American 1927
Bahamas (San Sal-
vador Island)
Pico de las Nieves
Canary Islands
Old Egyptian 1907
Egypt
Pitcairn Astro 1967
Pitcairn Island
155
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Point 58
Sweden
Tokyo
Mean for Japan, Ko-
rea, Okinawa
South American 1969
Chile
Santo (DOS)
1965 Espirito Santo
Island
South American 1969
Colombia
Tokyo
Japan
South American 1969
Ecuador
Tokyo
Korea
Sao Braz
Azores (Sao Miguel,
Santa Maria Islands)
South American 1969
Ecuador (Baltra, Ga-
lapagos)
Tokyo
Sapper Hill 1943
Okinawa
East Falkland Island
South American 1969
Guyana
Tristan Astro 1968
Tristan da Cunha
Schwarzeck
Nambia
South American 1969
Paraguay
South American 1969
Peru
Viti Levu 1916
Fiji (Viti Levu Island)
Selvagem Grande
Salvage Islands
Wake
SGS 85
Soviet Geodetic
System 1985
South American 1969
Trinidad & Tobago
Eniwetok 1960
Marshall Islands
South American 1969
Mean for Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador,
Guyana, Paraguay,
Peru, Trinidad & To-
bago, and Venezuela
South American 1969
Venezuela
Wake Island Astro
1952
Wake Atoll
South Asia
Singapore
WGS 1972
Global Definition
Tananarive Obser-
vatory 1925; Mada-
gascar
South American 1969
Argentina
Yacare
Uruguay
South American 1969
Bolivia
Timbalai 1948
Brunei, East Malay-
sia (Sabah, Sarawak)
Zanderij
Suriname
South American 1969
Brazil
156
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FCC Compliance
This device complies with Part 15 of the U.S. Federal Communi-
cations Commission (FCC) Rules. Operation is subject to the fol-
lowing two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful in-
terference, and (2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may cause undesired opera-
tion.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manu-
facturer could void the user's authority to operate the equip-
ment.
Note:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable pro-
tection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the in-
structions, may cause harmful interference to radio communica-
tions. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:
•Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
•Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
•Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
•Consult the factory customer service department for help.
157
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Notes
158
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Index
A
79, 91
Accessories, 1, 5, 23, 24, 67
Sec. 2, Installation &
Accessories, 9
Sec. 2, Installation &
Accessories, 9
Introduction
Alarm Clock, 116
GPS and WAAS, 5
Specifications, 3
Typographical Conventions, 7
K
Keypad Description, 7, 31
L
Languages, 3, 135
Lat/Lon Grid (Map Data option),
128
Alarms, 33, 44, 45, 46, 83, 91, 102,
103, 105, 114, 119, 126
Anchor Alarm, 119
Antenna, 4, 5, 79, 92, 157
Arrival Alarm, 91, 102, 103, 105,
114, 119, 126
B
Backlights / Lighting, 3, 31, 68, 69
Batteries, 9, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 32,
67, 68, 72, 77, 78, 79
Brightness, 2, 33, 83, 134, 135
C
Cancel Navigation, 33, 83, 91, 97,
98, 99, 102, 105, 113, 115
Compass, 7, 86, 87, 91, 96, 98, 103,
104, 109, 114, 138
Contrast, 33, 75, 83, 134, 135
Coordinate System, 121
Cursor, 34, 37, 49, 92, 93, 95, 97,
99, 108, 109
Customize Display, 62, 124, 131
Customize Map Data Shown, 127,
128
M
Main Menu, 32, 33, 44, 82, 83, 110,
113, 137, 139, 141, 142
Man Overboard, 4, 96, 97
Map Data, 127, 128
Map Datum, 121, 128, 129
Selection, 121, 128
Map Detail, 127, 129
Map Fix (Coordinate System), 121,
122, 123
Map Menu, 90, 127, 130, 131
Map Orientation, 88, 130, 131
Map Overlays (Map Data option),
127, 128
N
D
Navigating, 8, 91, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99,
102, 103, 104, 105, 109, 113, 114,
115
Data Boxes (Customize Display),
62, 124, 131
G
A Route, 113, 114
A Trail, 102
GPS Data File, 5
I
Cancel, 33, 83, 91, 97, 98, 99,
102, 105, 113, 115
To Cursor Position, 97
To Icon, 109
Icons, 4, 5, 8, 32, 82, 83, 91, 107,
108, 109, 129, 134
Creating, 108
Deleting, 108
Navigate, 109
Nearest, 95, 143, 144, 145, 150
O
Information Displays (Customize
Display), 62, 124, 131
Installation, 5, 9, 20, 23, 24, 27, 67,
Off Course Alarm, 119
P
Pages, 31, 35, 61, 84, 89, 90, 91,
159
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124, 132
Sounds, 137
Map Page, 30, 84, 87, 88, 89, 95,
96, 97, 98, 101, 102, 103, 107,
109, 110, 112, 113, 114, 115,
124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129,
131, 132, 143, 146, 147, 148,
149, 151, 152
Status Menu, 120
Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator,
116
T
Text Boxes (Customize Display),
62, 124, 131
Navigation Page, 86, 87, 88, 91,
96, 97, 98, 102, 103, 109, 110,
112, 113, 114, 115, 124
Plotter Page, 8, 32
Position Page, 103, 124
Satellite Status Page, 84, 85, 91
POI (Point of Interest), 33
Pop-up Map Info (Map Data
option), 128
Track Smoothing, 138
Trail, 4, 5, 8, 33, 83, 86, 87, 88, 91,
96, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104,
105, 115, 116, 126, 129, 134, 138,
139, 140, 141
Delete, 115
Delete All, 139
Edit Name, 115
Navigate, 102
Power, 2, 3, 5, 9, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27,
28, 29, 31, 32, 37, 58, 67, 68, 72,
77, 78, 79, 81, 82
New Trail, 101, 140
Update Criteria, 139
Update Rate, 139
Product Specifications, 3
R
Range Rings (Map Data option),
128
Trip Calculator, 33, 83, 116
Trip Down Timer, 116
Trip Up Timer, 117
U
Reset Options, 40, 57, 59, 68, 90,
94, 134
Units of Measure, 142
Utilities, 33, 81, 83, 116, 117
W
Route, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 17,
22, 28, 29, 33, 77, 79, 83, 86, 91,
103, 105, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113,
114, 115, 126, 131, 134
Create and Save, 110
WAAS, 4, 5, 6, 7, 136
Waypoints, 2, 4, 5, 7, 32, 33, 82, 83,
86, 87, 88, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97,
99, 103, 104, 108, 109, 110, 111,
112, 113, 114, 117, 118, 119, 122,
123, 125, 126, 127, 129, 130, 131,
134, 135, 139, 143, 144, 145, 146,
150, 151, 152
Delete, 112
Navigate, 113, 114
S
Satellite Search, 120
Searching, 2, 92, 94, 95, 96, 99, 107,
143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149,
150, 151, 152
Delete, 117
Edit, 117
Search, 150
By Cursor, 143
Select, 118
Streets, 146, 147, 148
Waypoints, 150
Set Local Time, 120, 135
Simulator, 63, 125, 126, 127
Software Version Information, 136
Z
Zooming, 3, 4, 32, 35, 37, 61, 62,
65, 66, 67, 68, 73, 74, 78, 82, 87,
88, 91, 92, 102, 110, 127
Auto Zoom, 127
160
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Notes
161
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Notes
162
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LOWRANCE DATABASES LICENSE AGREEMENT
THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE END-USER WHO FIRST
PURCHASES THIS PRODUCT AS A CONSUMER ITEM FOR PERSONAL,
FAMILY, OR HOUSEHOLD USE ("YOU") AND LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS,
INC., THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS PRODUCT ("WE", "OUR", OR "US").
USING THE PRODUCT ACCOMPANIED BY THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT
CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. IF
YOU DO NOT ACCEPT ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PROMPTLY RE-
TURN THE PRODUCT WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASE. PLEASE RE-
TURN USING THE ENCLOSED UPS SHIPPING LABEL AND INCLUDE:
PROOF OF PURCHASE, NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. YOUR
PURCHASE PRICE AND ANY APPLICABLE TAXES WILL BE REFUNDED.
PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS TO PROCESS YOUR REFUND.
1. This License Agreement applies to the one or more databases that
your product may contain. We refer to these singly as a "Database"
and together as the "Databases." Your product may thus include the
"WBS Database" which contains worldwide background surface
mapping data, the "SmartMap Database" which contains inland
mapping data, or other Databases.
2. The Databases that your product may contain are licensed, not sold.
We grant to you the nonexclusive, nonassignable right to use these
Databases for supplemental navigation reference purposes, but only
as long as you comply with the terms and conditions of this License
Agreement. We reserve the right to terminate this license if you
violate any aspect of this License Agreement. You are responsible for
using official government charts and prudent navigation for safe
travel.
3. The Databases housed in your product are protected by the copy-
right notices appearing on the product or its screen(s). You may
NOT modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disas-
semble, rent, lease, or resell any Database, and you may NOT create
derivative works based upon any Database or its contents. Any un-
authorized reproduction, use, or transfer of a Database may be a
crime and may subject you to damages and attorney fees.
4. This License Agreement will terminate immediately without prior
notice from us if you fail to comply with or violate any of the provi-
sions of this Agreement. Upon termination, you will promptly return
all products containing one or more Databases to us.
5. Prices and programs are subject to change without notice.
6. This License Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Oklahoma and comprises the complete and exclusive understanding
between you and us concerning the above subject matter.
163
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DATABASES LIMITED WARRANTY
"We", "our", or "us" refers to Lowrance Electronics, Inc., the manufacturer of
this product. "You" or "your" refers to the first person who purchases the prod-
uct as a consumer item for personal, family, or household use. The Databases
Limited Warranty applies to the one or more databases that your product may
contain. We refer to each of these as a "Database" or together as the "Data-
bases." Your product may thus include the "WBS Database" which contains
worldwide background surface mapping data, the "SmartMap Database" which
contains inland mapping data, or other Databases.
We warrant to you that we have accurately compiled, processed, and repro-
duced the portions of the source material on which the Databases are based.
However, we are under no obligation to provide updates to the Databases, and
the data contained in the Databases may be incomplete when compared to the
source material. WE MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
ANY KIND ABOUT THE ACCURACY OF THE SOURCE MATERIAL ITSELF,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MER-
CHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
If there is a defect in any Database, your exclusive remedy shall be, at our op-
tion, either a refund of the price you paid for the product containing the defec-
tive Database or a replacement of such product. WE WILL NOT UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY SPECIAL, CONSE-
QUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGE OF ANY KIND.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequen-
tial damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty does NOT apply in the following circumstances: (1) when the
product has been serviced or repaired by anyone other than us; (2) when the
product has been connected, installed, combined, altered, adjusted, or handled
in a manner other than according to the instructions furnished with the prod-
uct; (3) when any serial number has been effaced, altered, or removed; or (4)
when any defect, problem, loss, or damage has resulted from any accident, mis-
use, negligence, or carelessness, or from any failure to provide reasonable and
necessary maintenance in accordance with the instructions of the owner’s man-
ual for the product.
We reserve the right to make changes or improvements in our products from
time to time without incurring the obligation to install such improvements or
changes on equipment or items previously manufactured.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights
which may vary from state to state.
Your remedies under this warranty will be available so long as you can show in
a reasonable manner that the defect occurred within one (1) year from the date
of your original purchase, and we must receive your warranty claim no later
than 30 days after such 1-year period expires. Your claim must be substanti-
ated by a dated sales receipt or sales slip.
164
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LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS
FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY
"We," "our," or "us" refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC., 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.
We warrant this product against defects or malfunctions in materials and workmanship,
and against failure to conform to this product's written specifications, all for one (1) year
from the date of original purchase by you. WE MAKE NO OTHER EXPRESS WAR-
RANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER CONCERNING THIS
PRODUCT. Your remedies under this warranty will be available so long as you can show
in a reasonable manner that any defect or malfunction in materials or workmanship, or
any non-conformity with the product's written specifications, occurred within one year
from the date of your original purchase, which must be substantiated by a dated sales
receipt or sales slip. Any such defect, malfunction, or non-conformity which occurs within
one year from your original purchase date will either be repaired without charge or be
replaced with a new product identical or reasonably equivalent to this product, at our
option, within a reasonable time after our receipt of the product. If such defect, malfunc-
tion, or non-conformity remains after a reasonable number of attempts to repair by us,
you may elect to obtain without charge a replacement of the product or a refund for the
product. THIS REPAIR, OR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND (AS JUST DESCRIBED) IS
THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AVAILABLE TO YOU AGAINST US FOR ANY DEFECT,
MALFUNCTION, OR NON-CONFORMITY CONCERNING THE PRODUCT OR FOR
ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE WHATSOEVER.
WE WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY
SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGE OF
ANY KIND.
Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential dam-
ages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.
This warranty does NOT apply in the following circumstances: (1) when the product has
been serviced or repaired by anyone other than us; (2) when the product has been con-
nected, installed, combined, altered, adjusted, or handled in a manner other than ac-
cording to the instructions furnished with the product; (3) when any serial number has
been effaced, altered, or removed; or (4) when any defect, problem, loss, or damage has
resulted from any accident, misuse, negligence, or carelessness, or from any failure to
provide reasonable and necessary maintenance in accordance with the instructions of the
owner's manual for the product.
We reserve the right to make changes or improvements in our products from time to time
without incurring the obligation to install such improvements or changes on equipment
or items previously manufactured.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which
may vary from state to state.
REMINDER: You must retain the sales slip or sales receipt proving the date of your
original purchase in case warranty service is ever required.
LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS
12000 E. SKELLY DRIVE, TULSA, OK 74128
(800) 324-1356
165
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How to Obtain Service…
…in the USA:
We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service
and genuine Lowrance parts. If you're in the United States and you
have technical, return or repair questions, please contact the Factory
Customer Service Department. Before any product can be returned, you
must call customer service to determine if a return is necessary. Many
times, customer service can resolve your problem over the phone with-
out sending your product to the factory. To call us, use the following
toll-free number:
800-324-1356
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time, M-F
Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our ship-
ping policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We reserve the
right to do so without notice.
…in Canada:
If you're in Canada and you have technical, return or repair questions,
please contact the Factory Customer Service Department. Before any
product can be returned, you must call customer service to determine if
a return is necessary. Many times, customer service can resolve your
problem over the phone without sending your product to the factory. To
call us, use the following toll-free number:
800-661-3983
905-629-1614 (not toll-free)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, M-F
…outside Canada and the USA:
If you have technical, return or repair questions, contact the dealer in
the country where you purchased your unit. To locate a dealer near
you, visit our web site, www.lowrance.com and look for the Dealer Lo-
cator.
166
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Accessory Ordering Information
for all countries
To order Lowrance accessories such as power cables or transducers,
please contact:
1) Your local marine dealer or consumer electronics store. Most quality
dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumer
electronics should be able to assist you with these items.
To locate
a
Lowrance dealer near you, visit our web site,
www.lowrance.com and look for the Dealer Locator. Or, you can consult
your telephone directory for listings.
2) U.S. customers: LEI Extras Inc., PO Box 129, Catoosa, OK 74015-0129
Call 1-800-324-0045 or visit our web site www.lei-extras.com.
3) Canadian customers can write:
Lowrance/Eagle Canada, 919 Matheson Blvd. E. Mississauga, Ontario
L4W2R7 or fax 905-629-3118.
Shipping Information
If it becomes necessary to send a product for repair or replacement, you
must first receive a return authorization number from Customer
Service. Products shipped without a return authorization will not be
accepted. When shipping, we recommend you do the following:
1. Please do not ship the knobs or mounting bracket with your unit.
2. If you are sending a check for repair, please place your check in an
envelope and tape it to the unit.
3. For proper testing, include a brief note with the product describing
the problem. Be sure to include your name, return shipping address
and a daytime telephone number. An e-mail address is optional but
useful.
4. Pack the unit in a suitable size box with packing material to prevent
any damage during shipping.
5. Write the Return Authorization (RA) number on the outside of the
box underneath your return address.
6. For your security, you may want to insure the package through your
shipping courier. Lowrance does not assume responsibility for goods
lost or damaged in transit.
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Visit our web site:
Lowrance Pub. 988-0152-031
Printed in USA 102203
© Copyright 2003
All Rights Reserved
Lowrance Electronics, Inc.
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