Eagle Electronics 242 manual

Pub. 988-0143-842 www.eaglesonar.com & Cuda 242 Portable Fish-finding and Depth Sounding Sonars Installation and Oper ation Instructions [...]

Copyright © 2006 LEI-Eag le All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed for any purpose, with out prior written consent of Eagle Ele ctronics. Any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited. Eagle ® is a registered tra demark or LEI. Cuda ® 242 is [...]

i Table of Contents Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 Specifications: Cuda  242 & Cuda  242 Port able ........................... 1 How Sonar Works ................................................................................. 3 Preparat ions .........................[...]

ii Grayline ® ............................................................................................. 43 Chart Sp eed ........................................................................................ 45 Fish I.D.  ........................................................................................... 47 FishTrac k™ ..........[...]

1 Introduction Thank you for buying an Eagle  sonar! Your unit is a high-quality so- nar designed for both professional and novice fishermen. All Eagle so- nars have an automatic mode that finds and displays the bottom, fish, underwater structure and more – right out of the box. All you have to do is press the on ( PWR ) key. To get started wi[...]

2 Current drain: ................ 170 ma light s off; 240 ma lights on. Back-up memory: ........... Built-in memo ry stores sonar settings when unit is turned off. Sonar Frequency: ...................... 200 kHz. Transducers: ................... A Skimmer  transducer comes packed with your unit. Its 20 ° cone angle offers a wide fish detection [...]

3 This manual covers the Cuda  242 and Cuda  242 Portable. Both units operate the same way. The only difference between the two is that the portable unit includes a portable transducer and other items that enable portable use. NOTICE! The storage temperature for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degre[...]

4 Transducer Installation Preparations The following shows the recommended sequence for installing the transducer: 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 unit, so you can plan how and where to route the cables for the t[...]

5 These are all "kick-up" mounting brac kets. They help prevent damage if the transducer strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the trans- ducer does "kick-up," the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools. Depending on your sonar unit's conne ctors, your transducer cable may also have the sonar un[...]

6 mulated 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 th[...]

7 5. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat. Electrical noise from engine wi ring, bilge pumps and aerators can be displayed on the sonar's screen. Use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires. Good and poor transducer locations. How low should you go? For most situations, you should in s[...]

8 Align transducer centerline with hull bottom. However, there are tim es when you may need to adjust the transducer slightly higher or lower. (The slot s in the mounting brackets allow you to loosen the screws and slide the tr ansducer up or down.) If you fre- quently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed, the trans- ducer may be com[...]

9 There is no possibility of damage from floating objects. It can't be knocked off when docking or loading on the 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[...]

10 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 trans- ducer assembly and hold it against the transom. Looking at the trans- ducer from the side, check to see if it will adjust so that its face is par- allel to the ground. If it doe[...]

11 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 following figure. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time. Assemble transducer and bracket. 4. Drilling mounting holes. Hold the transducer and bracket assem-[...]

12 the ground. The transducer's centerlin e should be in line with the bot- tom 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. Use the #29 bit (for the #10 screws). Position transducer mount on t[...]

13 Route cable over bolt and through bracket. Side view shown (left) and seen from above (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 mounting screws, sealing them with the caulki[...]

14 Align transducer centerline with hull bottom and attach to transom. 6. Route the transducer cable through or over the transom to the sonar unit. Make sure you leave some slack in the cable at the transducer. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring. Electrical noise from the engine's wiring, bilge pumps, VHF radio wire[...]

15 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 Mot[...]

16 3. Route the transducer cable alon gside the trolling motor shaft. Use plastic ties (not included) to attach the transducer cable to the trolling 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 transducer is ready for use. Transducer mounted on tro lling motor, sid[...]

17 Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches. If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of the trans- ducer is too high and needs to be lowered. If only the back half of the arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised. NOTE: Periodically wash the transducer's face[...]

18 Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation Hulls with Flotation 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 th rough solid fiberglass. A successful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials ([...]

19 sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air bubbles in the fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar signals. Testing Determines Best Location Ideally, the shoot-thru transducer shou ld be installed as close to the transom as possible, close to the ce nterline. This will give you the best performance during high spe[...]

20 Example of a second bottom signal. Unit is in 30 feet of water, with range set at 80 feet and sensitivity set at 87 percent. 2. Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the sump of the boat, face down. (The transducer face is shown in the figure on the following page.) Notice how the signal strength decreases. The [...]

21 4. Most people can get good results by following steps 1 through 3, so this step is optional . If you want to make an extr a 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[...]

22 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 perform- ance. 2. The epoxy consists of the epoxy itself and a hardener. Remove the two compounds from the[...]

23 Make sure there are no air pockets in the epoxy layer! Then, apply the remaining epoxy 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 trans- ducer [...]

24 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. Power connections for the Cuda 242 sonar unit (direct battery connection shown). If poss[...]

25 This unit has reverse polarity protec tion. No damage will occur if the power wires are reversed. However, the unit will not work until the wires are attached correctly. Mounting the Sonar Unit: In-Dash, Bracket or Portable You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash with the supplied bracket. This unit can be installed in a dash with th[...]

26 Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the Cuda 242 when mounted on quick release bracket. After drilling the hole, pass the connectors up through the hole from und er t he da sh . If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cable with a good marine caulking compound. (Some marine dealers stock cable hole covers to co[...]

27 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. Cuda 242 quick release mounting bracke t. Slots in the base allow rout- ing the cable from beneath the mount. Attach the unit to the bracket by first connecting th[...]

28 Mount the sonar: slide the unit onto the bracket from above. Adjust viewing angle: use one hand to press and release the spring- loaded ratchets while you move the unit with the other hand. Portable Sonar Installation Like many Eagle products, the Cuda 242 sonar is capable of portable operation. It uses the optional PPP-12 portable power pack. B[...]

29 The power pack and portable transducers expand the uses for your so- nar. You can use your Cuda 242 sonar unit on your boat or take it to the dock, on a float tube, on an ice fi shing trip or use it as a second so- nar in a friend's boat. The PPP-12 package includes the power pack, battery adapter and a port- able transducer. The transducer[...]

30 mount. Close the case bottom, using th e slot in the case wall to avoid pinching the cable. Turn the unit over to mount the sonar. CAUTION: When using the sonar in a saltwater environment, we strongly recommend that you unplug the power connector from the bat- tery socket when the unit is not in use. When the unit is turned off but still connect[...]

31 To adjust the viewing angle, pinch the quick-release mount's ratchets with one hand, then tilt the unit with your other hand. Release the ratchets and the unit locks into th e new position. To remove the unit from the PPP-12, press the ratchets and lift the unit off the bracket. Turn the sonar unit on. If it works, turn it off and finish as[...]

32 Portable transducer assembly: rear view (left) and side view (right). Clean the chosen area of the hull be fore attaching the suction cup. Lo- cate the transducer on the hull as shown in the following figure. Don't let the bracket extend below the hull, because water pressure against it can cause the suction cup to come off at speed. NOTE: [...]

33 Portable transducer installed on boat transom. Portable Transducer Storage There is room inside the power pa ck for the portable transducer. When you're finished fishing, tilt the so nar down to the storage position. Open the case and lay it flat. Unplug the power connector from the battery compartment socket. Wrap the transducer cable arou[...]

34 Notes[...]

35 Operation Keyboard Basics The unit sounds a tone when you pre ss any key. This tells you the unit has accepted a command. Numbers in the figure correspond to key ex- planations below: Eagle Cuda 242 keyboard. 1. PWR/CLEAR In this manual, the Power/Clear key is referred to as PWR . Press this key to turn the unit on and off. It also clears menus [...]

36 2. MENU UP & MENU DOWN These keys appear in the manual text as MENU UP or MENU DOWN . Most of the time, you can press either of the menu keys, so in those cases, the text uses the word MENU . Usually, when the instructions say MENU , you can press the MENU UP key for consistency. The MENU UP key cycles forward through the menus. The MENU DOW[...]

37 The Backlight menu with backlight turned on. Display The lights will flash for about 10 seconds when the unit is turned on. The backlight menu will appear on the screen. Use the A RROW keys to turn the backlight on or off. Press PWR to clear the menu from the screen. The unit will show the Full Chart Page or mode. The Fish I.D.  fish symbol f[...]

38 Opening screen, Full Chart page, or mode. The factory default setting has the Fish I.D. (fish symbols) turned on. Full Chart The unit's default page, Full Chart shows all echoes scrolling across the full screen. The bottom signal scrolls across the screen from right to left. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The bott[...]

39 If the transducer with a built-in temperature sensor is connected, a digital display for water temperature also will be shown. This tem pera- ture display can be turned on and off. Depth Range When turned on, the unit automatically adjusts the depth range ac- cording to water conditions. When in auto range mode, it always keeps the bottom displa[...]

40 Zoom The zoom feature enlarges all images on the screen by doubling the size of the echoes (a 2X zoom). For example, if the current auto depth range is 0 to 60 feet, Zoom will show an enlarged view of the water column from 30 feet to 60 feet, always keeping the bottom in view. To zoom the display, press the MENU key until the Z OOM menu appears.[...]

41 NOTE: Using the Zoom command while in auto Zoom mode will always enlarge the echoes near the bottom, because auto Range always keeps the bottom displayed in the lower portion of the screen. When you choose to use the zoom feature while the unit is in man- ual Depth Range mode, you can select one of 17 pre-set Zoom Ranges. This lets you enlarge a[...]

42 Sensitivity Sensitivity adjusts the way echoes will be displayed on the screen. If you want to see more detail, try incre asing 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 echoes, if fish are pr esent. As you c[...]

43 M ANUA L , then press PWR to clear the menu. To adjust the sensitivity, follow the same steps used for adjusting sensitivity in auto mode above. These figures show results of different sensitivity levels on the same location. Fig. 1: Sensitivity at 98 percent, determined by Auto Sensitiv- ity. Typical of full auto mode. Fig. 2: Sensitivity set a[...]

44 ample, a soft, muddy or weedy bottom returns a weaker signal which is shown with a narrow line or no gray line at all. A hard bottom returns a strong signal which will be displayed as a wide gray line. Grayline control bar. If you have two signals of equal size, one with gray and the other with- out, then the target with gray is the stronger sig[...]

45 A small amount of Grayline indicates a soft bottom (left), probably sand or mud. More Grayline indicates a harder, rocky bottom (right). Press ↑ to increase the level of Grayline or press ↓ to decrease it. Ech- oes scrolling onto the screen will show the effects of the Grayline change. If you reach the maximum or mi nimum level, a tone sound[...]

46 Chart Speed control bar. You, however, might consider experimenting with chart speed when you are stationary or drifting very slowly. Someti mes, you may achie ve better images as you decrease the chart speed to match the speed of your boat. If you are at anchor, ice fishing or fishing from a dock, experiment with a chart speed of 25 percent. If[...]

47 Fish I.D.  The Fish I.D.  feature displays — as fish— targets that meet certain conditions. The microcomputer analys es all echoes and eliminates sur- face clutter, thermoclines and other undesirable signals. The Fish I.D. feature displays symbol s on the screen in place of the ac- tual fish echoes. There are three symbol sizes: small,[...]

48 You may see Fish I.D. symbols on the s creen when actually, there are no fish. The reverse is also true — Fish I.D. can actually miss fish that are pre sent. Does that mean Fish I.D. is broken? No — the feature is interpreting so- nar returns in a specific way to help take some of the work out of reading the screen. Remember: Fish I.D. is on[...]

49 Fish ID menu and symbol with FishTr ack on. The fish is 44 feet deep. Alarms The sonar unit has four types of al arms: fish, shallow, deep and bat- tery. Fish Alarm menu. Fish Alarm The Fish Alarm sounds a tone when a fish symbol appears on the screen. The Fish I.D. feature must be turned on for fish alarms to work. Fish I.D. symbols showing Fis[...]

50 To turn on Fish I.D., press MENU until the F ISH ID menu appears. Press ↓ to select O N , then press PWR . Press MENU until the F ISH A LA RM menu appears. Press ↑ to select O N , then press PWR . To turn off fish alarm press MENU until F ISH A LA RM appears. Press ↑ to select O FF , then press PWR to clear the menu. Depth Alarms The depth[...]

51 depth has been entered in the dialog box. To move the cursor back to any of the previously entered numbers, press UP MENU . Otherwise, press PWR to return to the Shallow Alarm menu. Use ↑ to select O N , which will turn on the alarm, then press PWR to clear the menu. When the bottom depth becomes shallower th an the alarm’s setting, an alarm[...]

52 press PWR to return to the Deep Alarm menu. Use ↑ to select O N , which will turn on the alarm, then press PWR to clear the menu. When the bottom depth becomes deeper than the alarm’s setting, an alarm will sound and a message will appear on the screen. Battery Alarm To set the shallow alarm depth, press MENU repeatedly until B ATTERY A LARM[...]

53 Noise Reject and ASP  The ASP  (Advanced Signal Processing) feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit. It constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed, water conditions and elec trical interference and automati- cally gives you the best display possible under most conditions. ASP is an effective tool in combating nois[...]

54 There are times when you may want to turn off ASP. This allows you to view all incoming echoes before th ey are processed by the ASP feature. To change the ASP setting, press MENU DOWN until the N OISE R EJECTION menu appears. Use ↑ ↓ to select the desire d setting, then press PWR to clear the menu. Depth Display Depth may be displayed on th[...]

55 Temperature menu set to off (left). Temperature set to be displayed at small size (right). To display Temperature: Repeatedly press MENU until the T EMPERATURE menu appears. Use ↑ ↓ to select the size of the temperature display. Press PWR to clear the menu. Voltage menu with the voltage display turned off (left) and with volt- age set to a s[...]

56 Voltage The Voltage menu allows you to display battery voltage on the screen in a small or medium size or can be turned off completely. To display battery voltage: Repeatedly press MENU until the V OLTAGE menu appears. Use ↑ ↓ to se- lect the size of the voltage display. Press PWR to clear the menu. Units This unit can show the depth in feet[...]

57 Backlight The display's backlight allows the unit to be used at night. To turn the backlight on or off, press MENU repeatedly until the B A CKLIGHT menu appears. Press ↑ to turn the light on or ↓ to turn it off. Backlight turned on (left). Contrast control bar (right). Contrast The unit’s display contrast is adjustable to suit differe[...]

58 Simulator menu. Simulator This unit has a built-in simulator that shows a simulated bottom signal with fish signals. This lets you practi ce with the unit as if you were on the water; all features and functions of the unit are usable. A message ap- pears occasionally to remind you that the simulator is on. To use the simulator, repeatedly press [...]

59 Language menu with English selected (left) and Italian (right). To select a language: 1. Repeatedly press MENU until the Languages menu appears. 2. Use ↑ ↓ to select the desired language. All menus now appear in the language you selected. Press PWR to exit. Software Information To show the operating software system information, press MENU un[...]

60 Software information screen. Reset Options This command is used to reset all fe atures, options and settings to their original factory defaults. This is us eful when you have changed several settings and want to reset the uni t to basic automatic operation. Turn the unit off. Press and hold ↓ and the MENU DOWN key at the same time while you pr[...]

61 Troubleshooting If your unit is not working, or if yo u need technical help, please use the following troubleshooting section be fore contacting the factory cus- tomer 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[...]

62 Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals: 1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean the face of the transducer. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on the transducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mounted in- side the hull, be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fib[...]

63 Try using resistor spark plugs or routing the sonar unit's power and transducer cables away from othe r electrical wiring on the boat. No fish arches when the Fish I.D. feature is off: 1. Make certain 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 [...]

64 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 motor, pump, or radio, try to isolate the problem. You can usually reroute the sonar unit's power cable and transducer cable away fr[...]

65 EAGLE ELECTRONICS FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY "We," "our," or "u s" refers to EAGLE EL ECTRONICS, a d ivision of LEI, the manufactu rer of this product. "You" or "you r" refers to the first person who pu rchases this product as a consumer item for personal, family, or household use. We warrant this pr[...]

66 How to Obtain Service… …in the USA: We back your investment in quality pr oducts with quick, expert service and genuine Eagle replacement parts. If you're in the United States and you have technical, return or repair questions, please contact the Factory Customer Service Department. Before any product can be re- turned, you must call cu[...]

Accessory Ordering Information for all countries To order Eagle accessories such as power cables or transducers, please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer or co nsumer electronics store. Mo st quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipmen t or other consumer electronics should be able to assist you with these items. To locate an Eagle de[...]

Visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Pub. 988-0143-842 © Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 030206 LEI-Eagle [...]