Lowrance electronic X59DF manual

Pub. 988-0151-211 www.lowrance.com X52 and X59DF Fish-Finding & Depth-Sounding Sonars Installation and Operation Instructions[...]

Copyright © 2004 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. Lowrance ® is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed for any purpose, without prior written consent of Lowrance. Any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictl[...]

i Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................... i Capabilities and Specifications: X52 and X59DF .............................. 1 Installation & Accessories ............................................................. 3 Preparations ........................................[...]

ii Backlight Level ................................................................................. 46 Calibrate Speed ................................................................................. 46 Chart Speed....................................................................................... 46 Grayline  ..............................[...]

1 Introduction Thank you for buying a Lowrance  sonar! Your unit is a high-quality sonar designed for both professional and novice fishermen. All Lowrance sonars 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. However, if you [...]

2 Sonar Frequency: ...................... 200 kHz (or 50/200 kHz – X59DF only). Transducers: .................. A dual-frequency Skimmer  transducer comes packed with the X59DF. It has 35 ° /12 ° cone angles. Single frequency models for X52 with a 20 ° cone angle are sold separately. Both models offer a wide fish detection area of up to 60?[...]

3 Installation & Accessories Preparations You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, but we recommend this installation sequence: CAUTION: You should read over this entire installation section before drilling any holes in your vehicle or vessel! 1. Determine the approximate location for the sonar unit, so you can plan h[...]

4 Recommended Tools and supplies If you prefer the option of routing the cable through the transom, you will need a 5/8" drill bit. (If you intend to install an additional speed or temp sensor and route its cable through the same hole in the transom, you will need a 1" (25.4 mm) drill bit to accommodate all the cables.) NOTE: The followin[...]

5 3. The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight down, if possible. For shoot-thru applications: Many popular fishing 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. Left, vee pad hull; right, vee hull. A pod style transducer i[...]

6 Align transducer centerline with hull bottom. A dual frequency transducer is shown at left and a single frequency transducer at right. 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 frequen[...]

7 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[...]

8 wit h th e alignment mark mol de d in to the br ack et . Pl ac e th e r at che ts onto the transducer with the lette r "A" aligned with the 12 o' cl ock position on the transducer stem. These positions set the transducer's coarse angle adjustment for a 14 ° transom. Most outboard and stern- drive transoms have a 14 ° angle. [...]

9 holes in the bracket with the letter "B" aligned with the dot stamped in the bracket. 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 3A. If it doesn't, repeat step 2A, but use a different [...]

10 Assemble transducer and bracket. 3. Assembling the transducer. A. One-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position 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. B. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for t[...]

11 Drill the holes. For the one-piece bracket, use the #29 bit (for the #10 screws). For the two-piece bracket, use the #20 bit (for the #12 screws). 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. A. One-piece bracket: Remove the transducer from[...]

12 bracket's mounting 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 wat[...]

13 Manual locking collar connector Push-on self-sealing connector requires a 1" hole. requires a 5/8" hole. Caution: If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it is located above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal the hole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterline sealant/adhesive used for the [...]

14 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. Transducer angles and their effects on fish arches. If the arch slopes up [...]

15 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 remove any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitivity or may even prevent operation. Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation The transducer installation inside a fib[...]

16 Testing Determines Best Location Ideally, the shoot-thru transducer should be installed as close to the transom as possible, close to the centerline. This will give you the best performance during high speed maneuvers. Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation. To choose the proper location for shoot-thru-hu[...]

17 figure on the following page.) Notice how the signal strength decreases. The second bottom signal will probably disappear and the bottom 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 locati[...]

18 Epoxy transducer to hull. 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[...]

19 Speed/Temperature Sensors Optional Temperature Sensor All the units in this series can display water temperature from a single analog sensor. Your unit comes packed with a transducer with a temp sensor built into it. If you wish to purchase an optional additional sensor for your unit, refer to the accessory ordering information inside the back c[...]

20 Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom. Speed sensor mounting configuration: side view (left) and rear view (right.) If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between the transom and the sensor with the sealant. This will help ensure a smooth water flow. Route the sensor's cable through or over the trans[...]

21 2000 Power". The thicker three-wire cable (red, black and white) is the Power Supply for your unit (and optional external speaker connection for some units); it has no label on the cable. The Power/Data cable for this unit. Depending on your configuration, you may not use all of these wires. (For example, many units cannot operate an option[...]

22 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 salt water environment, we strongly recommend 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 supp[...]

23 Power connections for the units in this series. NOTES: If you're powering a NMEA 2000 buss, you will attach both the NMEA 2000 Power cable and the unit's Power Supply cable to the boat's battery. To attach the NMEA 2000 Power cable, connect the red wire to battery's + and black and shield wires to battery's –. If you a[...]

24 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. An optional 8-foot, CA-4 external power cable with a cigarette lighter adapter is available from Lowrance. NMEA 2000 Cable Connections NMEA 2000 is a new buss network specific al[...]

25 Cable connections for this unit. Mounting the Unit: Bracket, In-Dash or Portable You can install the unit on the top of a dash with the supplied gimbal bracket. It can also be installed in the dash or mounted on a portable power supply. Network socket (blue socket nut) Power/Data socket (blue socket nut) Sonar/sensor socket (blue socket nut) NME[...]

26 If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested in the optional R-A-M  bracket mounting system. This converts the unit's gimbal bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on the dash or overhead mounting positions. Optional R-A-M mounting system. Bracket Installation Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is c[...]

27 Drill a 1-inch (25.4 mm) hole in the dash for the power, transducer and data cables. The best location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal bracket location. This way, the bracket can be installed so that it covers the hole, holds the cables in position and results in a neat installation. Some customers, however, prefer to mount the bra[...]

28 Before positioning the bracket, be sure to hold the cables against the rear edge of the hole. Then, slide the bracket over the hole and butt the rear of the bracket base firmly against the cables, thus pinning them in place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to the dash. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supp[...]

29 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. Look inside the back cover of this manual for accessory ordering information. Other Accessories Two switch boxes are available for this unit. The SB-9BL transducer switch box switches two transducer s to one sonar unit. The SB-10BL transd[...]

30 Notes[...]

31 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 explanations below: Lowrance X59DF Sonar, front view, showing screen and keyboard. 1. MENU/PWR (menu and power) This key appears in the manual text simply as MENU . Press this[...]

32 3. EXIT Press this key to clear menus from the screen and return to the Sonar Chart display. You will also use EXIT to cancel alarms, and to clear any information windows that may appear on the screen. 4. UP and DOWN ARROWS These keys appear in the manual text as ↓ or ↑ . Use these keys to move through the menu options and to adjust virtuall[...]

33 Main Menu. Main Menu Commands There are four "basic" Main Menu commands that you'll really want to read more about. They are: • Screen commands ( C ONTRAST and B ACKLIGHT L EVEL ): change the appearance of the display screen. Use these commands to adjust how the screen looks under various lighting conditions. • Volume command:[...]

34 • Set Keel Offset command: calibrates the unit to show depth under the keel or actual depth from the surface. • Calibrate Water Speed command: adjusts how a speed sensor measures water speed. • Reset Water Distance command: resets water distance log to zero. • Sonar Simulator command: turns the simulator feature on and off. Useful for le[...]

35 Section, but Sensitivity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that are discussed both he re and in the Advanced Section. The other Sonar Menu commands include: • Grayline  command: separates fish and structure near the bottom from the actual bottom, and defines bottom composition/hardness. • Depth Range command: manually set[...]

36 Sonar Page, showing full sonar chart mode. Sonar chart display options (from left) full sonar chart and split zoom. Surface clutter Structure Bottom signal Fish arches around school of bait fish In FasTrack, fish arches show as horizontal bars. Depth scale Digital data overlay (depth & temperature) Surface signal Zoom bar FasTrack bar graph[...]

37 Sonar chart display options (from left) digital data and flasher. You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data are displayed in many ways. We'l l di sc uss al l o f th os e f eat ure s a nd o pt ion s in the Advanced Section, but to show you how easy the sonar unit is to ope rat e, the following page contains a simplified, 1[...]

38 Basic Sonar Quick Reference 1. Mount the transducer and unit. Connect the unit to electric power and the transducer. 2. Launch your boat. 3. To turn on the unit, press and release MENU key. 4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digital depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen. The auto settings[...]

39 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 novic e, 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 fr[...]

40 You can change the sensitivity level whether you are in Auto Sensitivity mode or Manual Sensitivity mod e. The adjustment method works the same in both modes, but it g ives you slightly different results. Adjusting sensitivity in Auto Sensit ivity Mode is similar to manually adjusting a car's speed with the acce lerator pedal while cruise c[...]

41 NOTE: If you want to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode, first turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO S ENSITIVITY | ENT | ↑ to S ENSITIVITY | ENT . Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT . Important Tip: While you are experimenting and[...]

42 Other Free Training Aids The following section discusses Fish I.D., fish alarms and other features 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 il[...]

43 Advanced Sonar Options & Other Features Material in this section is arranged in alphabetical order. ASP  (Advanced Signal Processing) The ASP  feature is a noise rejection system built into the sonar unit that constantly evaluates the effects of boat speed, water conditions and interference. This automatic feature gives you the best di[...]

44 Alarms This unit has two 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. The other alarm 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 [...]

45 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 S ONAR A LARMS | ENT . 2. Press ↓ to D EEP A LARM D EPTH | ENT . 3. Press ↑ or ↓ until the depth is correct, then press ENT . 4. Press ↑ to D EEP A LARM E NABL[...]

46 Backlight Level The unit defaults to the maximum backlight level. To adjust the display's backlight level: Press MENU | MENU | ↓ to B ACKLIGHT L EVEL | ENT . The B ACKLIGHT L EVEL slider bar appears. Press ↑ or ↓ to move the bar. At The lower end of the scale backlighting is turned off; the upper end is maximum backlight level. The Ba[...]

47 However, you might consider experimenting with chart speed when you are stationary or drifting very slowly. You may sometimes achieve better 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 [...]

48 If you have two signals of equal size, one with gray and the other without, then the target with gray is the stronger signal. This helps distinguish weeds from trees on the bottom, or fish from structure. Grayline is adjustable. The factory default for this unit is 69 percent. Since Grayline shows the difference between strong and weak signals, [...]

49 The Contrast control bar. Depth Cursor The depth cursor consists of a horizo ntal line with a digital depth box on the right side. The numbers inside the box show the depth of the cursor. Sonar chart with the depth cursor active. The line indicates the large fish is 40.52 feet deep. The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting [...]

50 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,[...]

51 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 example, a range from 12 feet to 3[...]

52 3. To set the lower limit, press ↓ to L OWER L IMIT | ENT . Press ↑ or ↓ until the depth is correct, then press EXIT | EXIT | EXIT . To turn off upper and lower limits: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO D EPTH R ANGE | ENT | EXIT . FasTrack  This feature automatically converts all echoes to short horizontal lines on the [...]

53 extending outwards from a group of limbs is the hardest object for the Fish I.D. feature to distinguish from fish. 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 interpreting sonar returns in a specific way to help take some of th[...]

54 targets. 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 S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . 2. Press ↓ to F ISH ID D EPTHS | ENT | EXIT | EXIT . To[...]

55 The Overlay Data selection menu. 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.) Data list showing "Water Speed" selected to display on Sonar Page. 3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT | EXIT . To turn off displayed data: 1. Press MENU [...]

56 3. To return to the previous page, press EXIT | EXIT . To change displayed data font size: 1. Press MENU | ↓ to O VERLAY D ATA | ENT . 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type , then press ENT . The D ATA S IZE (displayed in the bottom of the Overlay Data Shown window) cycles through available sizes. Keep pressing ENT until it shows the desired[...]

57 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 percent, the unit automatically enters HyperScroll mode. These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high-detail picture on the screen, a[...]

58 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[...]

59 3. All the menus are cleared and all options are returned to the factory settings. Main Menu with Reset Options command selected. Reset Water Distance The sonar chart's Digital Data display option includes a window that shows distance traveled, called Water Distance ("W Distance"). This information is calculated from an optional w[...]

60 Automatic Sensitivity The default sensitivity mode is automatic. The unit bases the sensitivity level on water depth and conditions. When the unit is in the automatic 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, [...]

61 To adjust sensitivity in manual mode: 1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO S ENSITIVITY | ENT . 2. Press ↑ to S ENSITIVITY | ENT and the Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT . To turn Auto Sen[...]

62 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 imp[...]

63 The Main Menu with Software Information command selected. 1. Press MENU | MENU | ↓ to S OFTWARE I NFO | ENT . 2. Read the information displayed on the screen. 3. To return to the last page displayed, press EXIT | EXIT . Sonar Chart Mode Grayscale is the default setting for the sonar chart, but we offer other variations to suit your viewing pre[...]

64 targets. The line at the top of the screen represents the surface. The bottom depth and surface temperature (if 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[...]

65 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 six large digital boxes or windows containing: Water Depth; Water Spee[...]

66 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 Grayline feature to show weaker targets as lighter shades. The bottom depth is also shown as a black bar across the outer circle. Flasher page. Sonar Simulator This unit has a built-in simulator that le[...]

67 stops the chart from scrolling. Sonar restarts automatically each time you turn on your unit. Press MENU | ↓ to S TOP C HART | ENT | EXIT . To turn on sonar and start the chart sc rolling 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. Su[...]

68 Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected. 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select clarity level | EXIT | EXIT | EXIT . In the illustration at left, Surface Clarity is turned off. The right view shows Surface Clarity set at High. Units of Measure This menu sets the speed and distance (statute or nautical miles, meters), depth (feet, fathoms, or me[...]

69 The Units of Measure Menu. To set Units of Measure: Press ↓ to the desired units, then press ENT . After all the options are set as desired, press EXIT | EXIT to return to the page display. Upper and Lower Limits See the entry in this section for Depth Range - Upper and Lower Limits Volume This command adjusts the speaker volume, which control[...]

70 To switch to zoom: 1. Press MENU | ↓ to Z OOM L EVEL | ENT . 2. The Zoom Level menu appears. Press ↓ or ↑ to select the desired zoom level, then press ENT | EXIT to set the zoom and clear the menu. 3. To select a different zoom or turn zoom off, repeat steps 1 and 2. To turn on the Zoom Bar: 1. Press MENU | ↓ to S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . [...]

71 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[...]

72 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 [...]

73 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 appears on the sonar's display as random patterns of dots or lines. In severe cases, it can comp[...]

74 that has a smooth flow of water at all boat speeds. Read your transducer owner's manual for the best mounting position.[...]

75 Index A Accessories, 1, 3, 25, 26, 29 Alarms, 33, 44, 45; Depth Alarms, 44; Fish Alarm, 44, 45 Antenna, 73 ASP  (Advanced Signal Processing), 16, 43 B Backlights / Lighting, 1, 33, 46, 59 Batteries, 3, 21, 22, 23, 32, 71, 72, 73 C Calibrate Speed, 46 Chart Speed, 35, 46, 47 Communications Ports, 20, 21, 23, 24 Contrast, 33, 48, 49, 59 Cursor,[...]

76 Reset Water Distance, 34, 59 Route, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 18, 20, 71, 73 S Sensitivity, 16, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 70, 73 Simulator, 1, 34, 66 Software Version Information, 62 Sonar Chart Color Mode, 63 Sonar Chart Display Options, 31, 35, 63, 64, 65 Sonar Menu, 31, 32, 34, 58, 67, 70 Sonar Operation: Quick Reference, 38 Speaker,[...]

77 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 fi rst person who purchases this product as a consumer item for personal, family or household use. We warrant this product against[...]

78 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 servi[...]

Accessory Ordering Information for all countries To order Lowrance accessories, please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer. Most quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipment should be able to assist you with these items. To locate a Lowrance dealer near you, visit our web site and look for the Dealer Locator ( www.lowrance.com/support/d[...]

Visit our web site: Lowrance Pub. 988-0151-211 Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 111904 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.[...]