Lowrance electronic LCX-15CT manual

75 INST ALLA TION AND OPERA TION INSTRUCTIONS LCX-15 CI and LCX-15 CT TM WWW .LOWRANCE.COM TM[...]

74 Copyright © 2000, 2002 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. LCX-15CI and LCX-15CT are trademarks of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Lowrance ® is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. W ARNING! USE THIS UNIT ONL Y AS AN AID TO NA VIGA TION. A CAREFUL NA VI- GA T OR NEVER RELIES ON ONL Y ONE METHOD T O OBT AIN POSI- TION IN[...]

73 This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limit[...]

77 GPS OPERA TION ............................................ 28 Introduction to GPS ...................................... 28 Finding Y our Position ..................................... 3 0 Auto Search ............................................ 30 Manual Initialization ................................. 30 Position Acquisition .................[...]

1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing a Lowrance product. This manual covers both the LCX-15CI and LCX-15CT . The liquid crystal display (LCD) is the only difference between these two units. The LCX-15CI and LCX-15CT are sold with many different accessories. Some are packed with a GPS receiver , MMC, and mapping CD-ROM. Others are sold only with [...]

2 T ransducers (cont.) Model Part # 200 kHz “Pod” T ransducer .......... PD-WDX ....................... 106-27 w/o temp for shoot-thru hull 50/200 kHz Dual Freq. ............... HS-50/200-DX .............. 106-23 “Skimmer” High Speed T ransom mount with temp sensor 50/200 kHz Dual Freq. ............... THST-50/200-DX .......... 106-29 Bronz[...]

3 Power Connections This unit operates from a 12-volt battery system. For the best results, connect the power cable to the in-line fuse holder and attach it directly to the battery . The power cable can be attached to an accessory or power buss, however there could be problems with electrical interference using this method. Therefore, it’s better[...]

4 T o prevent electrical interference, route the power , transducer, and GPS cables away from other wiring, especially the engine’s wiring harness. VHF radio antenna cables radiate noise when transmitting, so be certain to keep the unit’s wires away from it, also. NMEA/DGPS NMEA is a standard communications format for marine electronic equip- m[...]

5 COM-1 LCX-15CI/ 15CT FROM GPS RECEIVER ORANGE (RECEIVE) SHIELD (GROUND) NMEA TRANSMIT GROUND The LCX-15CI/15CT can accept position information from any GPS receiver that transmits NMEA 0183 data. Use the wiring diagram shown above for NMEA input to the LCX-15CI/15CT . See page 25 and 26 for NMEA and DGPS com port setup instructions. Accessory Con[...]

6 X-15 CI/15CT Sonar Connector “Y” Adapter Cable (Packed with Speed/T emp Sensor) T emperature Sensor Speed/T emp Sensor X-15 CI/15CT Sonar Connector T emperature and Speed/T emperature Installation Examples To T ransducer To T ransducer To Additional T emp. or Speed Sensors (if needed) To Additional T emp. Sensors (if needed)[...]

7 MMC This unit can use up to two MMC (MultiMediaCard) cartridges. They store the maps, waypoint and route information, sonar data, and more. T o install a MMC cartridge, twist the drawer retainer counter-clockwise and pull. The drawer will come out of the unit. Place the MMC cartridge F ACE DOWN. (see above) Slide the drawer back into the unit and[...]

8 KEYBOARD The keyboard has keys arranged in two vertical columns beneath the arrow keys. The menu key near the bottom left corner of the keyboard activates the first menu page. The other keys are used to zoom the dis- play , change modes, and other functions. ZOUT/ZIN - These keys “zoom” the map or the sonar screen in and out. P AGES - This ke[...]

9 SONAR OPERA TION P AGES T urn the unit on by pressing the PWR/LIGHT key . If the sonar screen is not showing, press the P AGES key . A menu similar to the one at right appears. Press the left or right arrow key to highlight the Sonar label. This gives you four selections: Full Sonar Chart, Split Zoom Sonar Chart, Split (Dual) Frequency Sonar Char[...]

10 Split Zoom Sonar Chart A split chart shows the underwa- ter world from the surface to the bottom on the right side of the screen. The left side shows an enlarged version of the right side. The zoom range shows at the bottom left corner of the screen. In this example, the zoom range is 2X, or two times the right side’s view . Split Frequency So[...]

11 Customizing the Digital/Chart Screen The Digital/Chart screen can be customized to show different digi- tal data than the defaults shown on the screen at the bottom of page 8. T o customize this screen, press the MENU key while the Digital/Chart screen is showing. Scroll down to the bottom of this menu to the Customize label and select it. The W[...]

12 SONAR OPTIONS Sensitivity The sensitivity controls the ability of the unit to pick up echoes. A low sensitivity level excludes much of the bottom information, fish signals, and other target information. High sensitivity levels let you see this detail, but it can also clutter the screen with many undesired signals. T ypically , the best sensitivi[...]

13 select “Auto Sensitivity” and press the ENT key . T o turn it off, repeat the above steps. Press the EXIT key to erase the menu. COLORLINE Colorline lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes. It “paints” gray on targets that are stronger than a preset value. This allows you to tell the difference between a hard and soft bottom.[...]

14 range that’s highlighted. The range numbers that are gray cannot be se- lected. When you’re finished, press the EXIT key to erase the menu. RANGE - Manual Y ou have complete control over the range when the unit is in the manual mode. T o change the range, first turn the automatic depth range off by pressing the MENU key , then selecting “A[...]

15 tom can be shown, which enlarges targets to best suit your fishing needs and water conditions. ZOOM “Zooming” the display is a com- mon method used to enlarge small detail, fish signals, and the bottom with its asscociated struc- ture. This unit lets you zoom the display quickly and easily by pressing the ZIN key . Pressing it once doubles t[...]

16 The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting you pinpoint the depth of a target. T o show the depth cursor , press the MENU key , then select “Depth Cursor”. Press the ENT key . The cursor appears at the top of the screen. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired depth. Erase the depth cursor by pressing the EXI[...]

17 T ransducer Frequency This unit operates from both 200 kHz and 50 kHz. The default frequency is 200 kHz. It’s best for use in shallow water . The 50 kHz frequency is best for deep water , especially saltwater . Use the arrow keys to highlight the desired frequency , then press the ENT key to select it. Surface Clarity The markings extending do[...]

18 SONAR FEA TURES (cont.) Fish Symbols The Fish Symbols feature identi- fies targets that meet certain con- ditions as fish. The microcom- puter analyses all echoes and eliminates surface clutter , ther- moclines, and other signals that are undesirable. In most in- stances, remaining targets are fish. The Fish Symbols feature displays symbols on t[...]

19 LOG SONAR CHART DA T A If you have a MMC installed in the unit, the sonar data shown on the screen can be saved to the MMC. This can be played back using the sonar simulator at any time. T o save the chart data, press the MENU key , then select “Log So- nar Chart Data”. The screen at right appears. T o save data using the defaults on this sc[...]

20 AUDIO The various sounds that the unit makes can be customized to your own taste. Press the MENU key twice , then select “Sounds” from the main menu. The screen at right appears. The volume control on the right side of the menu adjusts the au- dio level for all sounds. T o change it, select “V olume”, press the ENT key , then adjust it u[...]

21 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 setting. For example, if you set the shallow alarm to ten feet, the alarm will sound a tone if the bottom signal is less than ten feet. It will continue to sound until the bottom goes deeper than [...]

22 highlight the “Enabled” box in the Zone Alarm box, then press the ENT key . T o adjust the zone alarm, highlight the “Adjust Zone” label, then press the ENT key . A screen similar to the one at right appears. The zone alarm bar shows on the screen to the right of the zoom bar . Any echo - fish, bottom, structure, etc will trigger the zon[...]

23 Keel Offset Normally , this unit measures water depth from the face of the transducer . Since the transducer is below the surface of the water , this distance is not the exact water depth. If the transducer is one foot below the surface, and the screen shows the water depth as 30 feet, then the depth is actually 31 feet. Y ou can calibrate the d[...]

24 speed sensor input - not the GPS. This distance (called W ater Distance) can be reset to zero using the “Reset W ater Distance” label on the “Sonar Setup” menu. Simply highlight “Reset W ater Distance” and press the ENT key . The menus automatically erase and the water distance display is reset to 0.00. Sonar Simulator This unit has [...]

25 T o change the units, select “Units of Measure” from the “System Setup” menu. Highlight the de- sired label with the arrow keys, then press the ENT key to change it. Press the EXIT key when you’re finished. Set Local Time The GPS requires the local time and date for its initialization and the time and date are saved when a waypoint is [...]

26 If you have any other Magnavox or Starlink compatible DGPS receiver connected to this unit, (including a Lowrance DGPS receiver) you may need to change the settings. T o do this, select “Configure DGPS” Configure DGPS This unit will recognize Starlink® and Magnavox® automatic DGPS receivers. If you have ei- ther one of these receivers, se-[...]

27 Note: Reset Options does not erase any waypoints, routes, or plot trails. Popup Help Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. By high- lighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds, a “popup” message appears that describes the function of the the menu item. This feature is on by default. T o tu[...]

28 ferent location, select “Choose Position” and enter the new position. The unit recalculates the sun and moon data for the location that you entered. Press the EXIT key to erase this screen. GPS OPERA TION NOTE: A LGC-12S GPS module or an external GPS receiver with NMEA output must be attached to this unit in order to use the position and nav[...]

29 The system requires 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. Remember , the unit must have a clear view of the satellites in order to receive their signals. Unlike rad[...]

30 FINDING YOUR POSITION Auto Search T o lock onto the satellites, the GPS receiver needs to know it’s current position, UTC time, and date. (Elevation (altitude) is also used in the equa- tion, 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 fo[...]

31 right appears. Now press the MENU key . Select “INITIALIZE GPS”. A screen similar to the one below right appears. Use the ar- row keys to move the crosshairs to your approximate location on the map. Y ou can use the ZIN and ZOUT keys to enlarge the map which makes it easier and faster to find your location. The box at the bottom of the scree[...]

32 tude is flashing, simply ignore the altitude display until it quits flashing.) REMEMBER, DO NOT NA VIGA TE WITH THIS UNIT UNTIL THE NUM- BERS STOP FLASHING! Require DGPS Normally , the unit will flash the position and navigation data when it loses the satellite fix, but it does not flash the data when it loses the DGPS fix. If you want the unit [...]

33 The GPS receiver is tracking satellites that are in bold type. The receiver hasn’t locked onto a satellite if the number is grayed out, 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 visibl[...]

34 When navigating to a waypoint, the Navigation screen looks like the one at right. Y our ground speed, track, distance and bear- ing to waypoint, and course are all shown digitally on this screen. Closing speed is also known as velocity made good. It’s the speed that you’re making towards the waypoint. The current cross track error is shown i[...]

35 (Note: Maps must be downloaded from a MapCreate™ CD-ROM onto a MMC. The MMC must be installed into the unit before maps will show on the screen. If your unit came with a MMC, MMC Interface, and CD-ROM, then follow the instructions in the separate booklet. If these items were not included with your unit, then you will need to purchase the acces[...]

36 “T wo Position Formats” is similar to “Digital Data”, except it adds two present position boxes, one showing latitude/longitude and the other shows the present po- sition in UTM. “T wo Maps” shows two maps side-by-side. Y ou can customized each map with different settings. For example, the map on the left can have a zoom range of .5 [...]

37 T o turn the cursor on, simply press the arrow key in the direc- tion you want the cursor to move. This lets you view areas on the plotter that are away from your present position. The zoom-in and zoom-out keys work from the cursor ’s position when it’ s active - not the present position. Y ou can zoom in on any detail, anywhere. The cursor [...]

38 as the initial bearing to the waypoint. A “N” shows to help you see which direction is north when either the track-up or course-up mode is on. In the north-up view shown at right, we’re travelling southeast. In this view , the present position indicator appears to move to- wards the lower right side of the screen. In the track-up view , th[...]

39 Auto Zoom This receiver has an autozoom feature that eliminates much of the button pushing that competitive units force you to make. It works in conjunction with the navigation features. First, recall a waypoint. (See the waypoint section for more information on navigating to a waypoint.) Then, with the autozoom mode on, the unit zooms out until[...]

40 Map Categories Drawn This menu determines which of the mapping features are shown on the screen. This includes, waypoints, trails, icons, cities, highways, etc. Y ou can selectively turn on or off any of these items, customizing the map to your needs. T o change the map detail shown, press the MENU key , then select “Map Catagories Drawn”. T[...]

41 appears with the icon placed at the cursor crosshairs. Press the EXIT key to erase the cursor . Icons can be erased from the plotter individually , all of a spe- cific type, or all at once. T o make changes to the icons, press the MENU key , then select “Delete My Icons”. The screen shown at right appears. The “Delete All Icons” selectio[...]

42 The list of saved trails shows on this screen. The check mark next to the trail’s name means that this trail is displayed on the map. An arrow on the right side of the screen points to the trail that’s currently in use, next to the num- ber of points in the trail. There can be up to 10 plot trails saved with up to 10,000 points per trail. Ed[...]

43 Y ou can change this to the distance and bearing from one point to the next (leg), travel time to each point, or arrival time for each point. T o change this data, select “Display Data”, then press the ENT key . Select the de- sired data from the list and press the EXIT key . If you select the “Navigate” button, the unit will return to t[...]

44 T rail Options This menu lets you change the way the trail updates occur . The options are automatic, time, or distance. When it’s in the auto- matic mode, the unit doesn’t up- date the plot trail while you’re trav- elling in a straight line. Once you deviate from a straight line, the unit “drops” a plot point onto the trail. This cons[...]

45 W A YPOINTS This GPS receiver gives you the ability to create your own database of locations, called “waypoints”. Y ou can save your present position, cursor position, or enter a coordinate and save it as a waypoint. For example, you may wish to store the location of your boat dock as a waypoint before starting on a trip. When you want to re[...]

46 Saving a New Position T o save a position other than the cursor ’s or the present position as a waypoint, first press the WPT key . The “Find W aypoint” menu appears. “My W aypoints” is high- lighted. Press the right arrow key to move to the Subcategory sec- tion. Now highlight “New” and press the ENT key . The screen at right appe[...]

47 A verage Position This feature averages your posi- tion. This helps to eliminate errors in the position due to atmospheric effects and other conditions. When the “Average Position” menu item is selected, a screen similar to the one at right appears. The small plotter screen shows your present position. The num- ber of positions used to calcu[...]

48 “Edit W aypoint” returns the unit to the “Edit Waypoint” menu described on page 46. “Delete W aypoint” removes the waypoint from the list. W A YPOINT NA VIGA TION This unit makes it easy to navigate to any waypoint. All you have to do is press the WPT key , select the waypoint, then select “Go T o Waypoint” on the W aypoint Infor[...]

49 The box with the “S” in it was your starting location when the waypoint was recalled. The dotted line is called a course line and is the shortest path from the starting location to the destination. The “D” is the cursor destination, when the cursor position is used as a destination. If you fol- low the course line, you’ll reach the des[...]

50 The Man Overboard symbol is also placed on the map screen in the appropriate location. Y ou can use the map screen to navi- gate to the Man Overboard loca- tion, if you so desire. T o stop the unit from showing navigation to the man overboard position, see the Cancel Naviga- tion section below . Remember , saving the victim is the primary goal. [...]

51 Create a Route T o create a route, first press the MENU key twice , highlight the “Route Planning” label, and press the ENT key . The screen shown at right appears. This unit can store up to 100 routes. T o create a route, highlight “New Route” and press the ENT key . The screen at right appears. The route’s name appears at the upper l[...]

52 so “Saved” was chosen. A new menu appears, letting you choose from the list of names or from the nearest waypoint to your present position. In this example, “Name” was chosen. The screen at right appears. Select the first waypoint for the route from the list and press the ENT key . The screen at right ap- pears. Data for the selected way[...]

53 Follow a Route T o navigate a route, press the MENU key twice, then select “Route Planning”. Using the ar- row keys, highlight “Saved Routes” and press the ENT key . Select the desired route from the list. The “Edit Route” screen ap- pears next. Now highlight “Navigate” and press the ENT key . The unit imediately begins showing n[...]

54 and speed in the boxes provided on simulator screen. The altitude is also adjustable. T o use the GPS simulator , press the MENU key twice, than select “GPS Setup”, then “GPS Simulator”. The screen at the bottom of the previous page appears. Make the desired settings, then turn the simulator on by highlighting the “Simulator On” box [...]

55 tems, you must be in the respective country . This unit will pick the match- ing datum for you when you select the grid. See the Datums section for more information. The military grid reference system (MGRS) uses two grid lettering schemes, which are referred to as standard and alternate MGRS on this unit. Y our position and datum in use determi[...]

56 measure up four inches and to the left a half-inch from the reference point on the map to find your location. T o use this format, you need to follow these steps in order . First, take your map of the area and determine a reference latitude/longitude. (Note: in order for this system to work, the latitude/longitude lines must be parallel with the[...]

57 world, or just a small portion. By default, your position shows using the WGS-84 datum. However , it can show your position using one of 191 different datums. T o change the datum, first press the MENU key , then highlight the “GPS Setup” label and press the ENT key . Now highlight the “Map Datum” label. Finally , press the ENT key again[...]

58 ALARMS This unit has several GPS alarms. (Sonar alarms are covered in the sonar section of this manual.) Y ou can set an arrival alarm to flash a warn- ing message and sound a tone when you cross a preset distance from a waypoint. For example, if you have the arrival alarm set to .1 mile, then the alarm will flash a message when you come within [...]

59 T rip Calculator The Trip Calculator processes information on your current path and dis- plays it in an easy to read format. When activated, it shows your current, average, and maximum speed, trip time and distance. T o turn the Trip Calculator on, press the Menu key twice, then select “T rip Calculator”. A screen similar to the one at right[...]

60 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. Unit won’t turn on: 1. Check the power cable’s connection at the unit. Also check the wiring. 2. Make[...]

61 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 will flash continuously . It may change the range to limits far greater than the water you are in. If this happens, place the unit in the manual mode, then change the range to a re[...]

62 NOISE A major cause of sonar problems is electrical noise. This usually appears on the sonar ’s display as random patterns of dots or lines. In severe cases, it can completely cover the screen with black dots, or cause the unit oper- ate erratically , or not at all. T o eliminate or minimize the effects of electrical noise, first try to deter-[...]

63 LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC FULL ONE-YEAR WARRANTY “We”, “our”, or “us” refers to LOWRANCE ELECTRONICS, INC, the manufacturer of this product. “Y ou” or “your” refers to the first person who purchases this product as a con- sumer item for personal, family , or household use. We warrant this product against defects or malfunctio[...]

64 DA TUMS WGS 1984 Default Adindan Mean for Ethiopia, Sudan Adindan Burkina Faso Adindan Cameroon Adindan Ethiopia Adindan Mali Adindan Senegal Adindan Sudan Afgooye Somalia Ain el Abd 1970 Bahrain Ain el Abd 1970 Saudi Arabia Anna 1 Astro 1965 Cocos Islands Antigua Island Astro 1943 Antigua (Leeward Islands) Arc 1950 Mean for Botswana, Lesotho, M[...]

65 Luzon Philipines (Excluding Mindanao) Luzon Philipines (Mindanao) Mahe 1971 Mahe Island Massawa Ethiopia (Eritrea) Merchich Morocco Midway Astro 1961 Midway Islands Minna Cameroon Minna Nigeria Montserrat Island Astro 1958 Montserrat (Leeward Islands) M’Poraloko Gabon Nahrwan Oman (Masirah Island) Nahrwan Saudi Arabia Nahrwan United Arab Emira[...]

66 DA TUMS South American 1969 Ecuador (Baltra, Galapagos) South American 1969 Guyana South American 1969 Paraguay South American 1969 Peru South American 1969 Trinidad & T obago South American 1969 V enezuela South Asia Singapore T ananarive Observatory 1925 Madagascar Timbalai 1948 Brunei, East Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak) T okyo Mean for Japan,[...]

67 LOWRANCE DA T ABASES LICENSE AGREEMENT THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE END-USER WHO FIRST PURCHASES THIS PRODUCT AS A CONSUMER ITEM FOR PERSONAL, F AMIL Y , OR HOUSEHOLD USE (“YOU”) AND LOW- RANCE ELECTRONICS, INC., THE MANUF ACTURER OF THIS PRODUCT . (“WE”, “OUR”, OR “US”). USING THE PRODUCT ACCOM- P ANIED BY THIS LICENSE [...]

68 DA T ABASES LIMITED W ARRANTY “We”, “our”, or “us” refers to Lowrance Electronics, Inc., the manufacturer of this product. “Y ou” or “your” refers to the first person who purchases the product as a consumer item for personal, family , or household use. The Databases Limited Warranty applies to the one or more databases that y[...]

69 Saving and Replaying a Sonar Record T o save a sonar chart: 1. Press the MENU key . 2. Select “Sonar Chart Logging”. The screen at right appears. 3. T o save the chart as “Chart 1”, select “Start Logging” and press the ENT key . If you want to use a different file name, select “File Name” and name a new file. The Sonar Chart Logg[...]

70 T ransferring GPS Data to/from a MMC T o transfer waypoints, routes, icons, and plot trails from this unit to a MMC, press the MENU key twice, then select “System Setup”. Next, select “T ransfer My Data”. The screen at right ap- pears. All data with check marks next to their labels will be transferred to the MMC. If you don’t want a pa[...]

71 How to Obtain Service (Canadian Customers Only) We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service and genuine Lowrance replacement parts. If you need service or repairs, contact the Lowrance Factory Customer Service Department at the toll-free number listed below . A techni- cian may be able to solve the problem and save you[...]

72 Ho w to Obtain Ser vice (U.S.A. Only) W e back your investment in quality products with quick, expert service and genuine Lowrance ® replacement parts. If you’re in the United States and you have questions, please contact the Factory Customer Service Department using our toll-free number listed below . Y ou must send the unit to the factory f[...]