Lowrance M52 S/GPS Installation And Operation Instructions Manual
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Lowrance M52 S/GPS Installation And Operation Instructions Manual

Fish-finding sonar & gps plotter
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Pub. 988-0152-001
www.lowrance.com
M52 S/GPS
Fish-finding Sonar & GPS Plotter
Installation and Operation
Instructions

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  • Page 1 Pub. 988-0152-001 www.lowrance.com M52 S/GPS Fish-finding Sonar & GPS Plotter Installation and Operation Instructions...
  • Page 2 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Marine-Tex is a trademark of Illinois Tool Works Inc. Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We reserve the right to do so without notice. All features and specifications subject to change without notice.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Sec. 1: Read Me First! ... 1 Capabilities and Specifications: M52 ... 2 How your Sonar Works... 4 How your GPS Works ... 4 Introduction to GPS and WAAS... 5 How to Use this Manual: Typographical Conventions... 7 Sec. 2: Installation & Accessories ... 9 Preparations...
  • Page 4 Stop Chart ... 63 Surface Clarity ... 63 Zoom Pan... 65 Sec. 5: Sonar Troubleshooting... 67 Sec. 6: Basic GPS Operations... 71 Keyboard ... 71 Power/Lights (Turn Unit On and Off) ... 72 Main Menu ... 72 Pages ... 74 Sonar Pages...
  • Page 5 Sun/Moon Rise & Set Calculator... 106 Trip Calculator... 106 Trip Down Timer... 106 Trip Up Timer ... 106 Sec. 7: System & GPS Setup Options... 107 Alarms ... 107 Auto Satellite Search... 108 Coordinate System Selection... 109 To Setup Loran TD: ... 110 Map Fix ...
  • Page 6 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.

  • Page 7: Section 1: Read Me First

    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.

  • Page 8: Capabilities And Specifications: M52

    They're all you'll need to know to find your way on the water quickly. 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 6 or scanning through the setup options in Section 7.
  • Page 9 Back-up memory: ... Built-in memory stores GPS data for dec- Languages:... 10; menu languages selectable by user. Frequency:... 200 kHz. Transducer:... A Skimmer Transmitter: ... 800 watts peak-to-peak; 100 watts RMS. Sonar sounding depth capability: ... 600 feet (180 meters). Actual capability de- Depth display:...

  • Page 10: How Your Sonar Works

    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.

  • Page 11: Introduction To Gps And Waas

    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 —...
  • Page 12 These signals can be easily blocked by trees, buildings, an automobile roof, even your body. 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.

  • Page 13: How To Use This Manual: Typographical Conventions

    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.
  • Page 14 Arrow Keys The arrow keys control the movement of dotted cross-hair lines on your plotter screen called the cursor. The arrow keys also control a horizon- tal line depth cursor on the sonar screen. The arrow keys help you move around the menus so you can execute different commands.

  • Page 15: Section 2: Installation & Accessories

    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.

  • Page 16: Recommended Tools And Supplies

    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...

  • Page 17: How Low Should You Go

    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 is shown here, but the principle is the same for Skimmers inside a hull.

  • Page 18: Shoot-Thru-Hull Vs. Transom Mounting

    Transducer centerline 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.

  • Page 19: Transom Transducer Assembly And Mounting

    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.
  • Page 20 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.
  • Page 21 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.

  • Page 22: Trolling Motor Bracket Installation

    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.

  • Page 23: Transducer Orientation And Fish Arches

    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.

  • Page 24: Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation And Installation

    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.
  • Page 25 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 (high speed) Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation.
  • Page 26 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.
  • Page 27 Sand this surface 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.

  • Page 28: Power And Cable Connections

    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.

  • Page 29: Mounting The Sonar Unit: In-Dash Or Bracket

    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.
  • Page 30 ALWAYS VERIFY DIMENSIONS. Cut along this line In-dash mounting template for M52. 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.
  • Page 31 107.5 [4.23] 76.9 [3.03] Front view (left) and side view (right) showing dimensions of the M52 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.
  • Page 32 Screw hole Power/transducer cable M52 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.

  • Page 33: Portable Sonar Installation

    GBSA-3 swivel base is shown with the quick release bracket. Portable Sonar Installation Like many Lowrance products, the M52 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.
  • Page 34 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.

  • Page 35: Portable Transducer Assembly

    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.
  • Page 36 NOTE: When you first turn the unit on, the GPS Plotter Page appears. If you'd rather start learning about GPS operation first, turn over to Sec. 6, Basic GPS Operation. (Remember, you don't need to read this manual from cover-to-cover to get going.

  • Page 37: Section 3: Basic Sonar Operation

    Numbers in the photo correspond to key ex- planations below: Lowrance M52 Sonar, front view, showing screen and keyboard. (A close-up of the keyboard can be found at the beginning of Sec. 6) 1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and off and activates the backlight.

  • Page 38: Memory

    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.
  • Page 39 The default setting is on, which is really handy while you're learning. The remaining Main Menu commands are either for GPS use, or for ad- vanced sonar functions, mostly setting various system options. (They're all detailed later in Sec. 4, Advanced Sonar Operation, or Sec. 7, System Setup and GPS Setup Options.) The other Sonar options in the Main Menu are:...

  • Page 40: Sonar Menu

    Sonar Menu The Sonar Menu contains commands for the major sonar features and options. You access the Sonar Menu by pressing the key one MENU time. You run a command by using ↑ or ↓ to highlight the command and then pressing .
  • Page 41 • Depth Cursor command: displays a cursor line on the sonar chart which allows you to accurately measure the depth of a sonar target. • Overlay Data command: chooses what types of information (such as water temperature) to show overlaid on the sonar chart screen. •...
  • Page 42 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.

  • Page 43: Basic Sonar Quick Reference

    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 4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displays digi- tal depth and surface water temperature in the corner of the screen.

  • Page 44: Sonar Operations

    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 —...
  • Page 45 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.

  • Page 46: Fish Symbols Vs. Full Sonar Chart

    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.

  • Page 47: Other Free Training Aids

    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.
  • Page 48 Notes...

  • Page 49: Section 4: Sonar Options & Other Features

    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.

  • Page 50: Alarms

    3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press 4. To return to the previous page, press 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.

  • Page 51: Zone Alarm

    3. Press ↑ or ↓ until the depth is correct, then press 4. Press ← to HALLOW 5. To turn off the alarm, press ONAR LARMS 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.

  • Page 52: Fish Alarm

    3. To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select , then press ↑ or ↓ to move the top of the bar to the desired depth. PPER 4. To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or→ to select , then press ↑...

  • Page 53: Chart Speed

    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.

  • Page 54: Depth Range - Automatic

    At left, Sonar Page menu with Depth Cursor command selected. At right, sonar chart with the depth cursor active. The line indicates the The cursor can be moved to any location on the screen, letting you pin- point the depth of a target. 1.

  • Page 55: Depth Range - Manual

    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 Depth Range - Manual You have complete control over the range when the unit is in the man- ual mode.
  • Page 56 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 The Sonar Chart Limits menu appears, with Upper Limit selected. 2.

  • Page 57: Fastrack

    To turn off upper and lower limits: 1. From the Sonar Page, press 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.

  • Page 58: Fishtrack

    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.

  • Page 59: Grayline

    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.  Grayline Grayline lets you distinguish between strong and weak echoes.

  • Page 60: Overlay Data

    To adjust the Grayline level: 1. From the Sonar Page, press |↓ to MENU RAYLINE 2. The Grayline Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease Grayline; press ↑ to increase Grayline. 3. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT HyperScroll...

  • Page 61: Ping Speed & Hyperscroll

    3. To return to the previous page, press To turn off displayed data: 1. Press |↓ to MENU 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type, then press to the left of the selected data type disappears. (If you wish, you may now use ↓...
  • Page 62 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.

  • Page 63: Reset Options

    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.
  • Page 64 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.

  • Page 65: To Turn Auto Sensitivity Back On

    To adjust sensitivity in manual mode: 1. First, turn off Auto Sensitivity: from the Sonar Page, press ENSITIVITY 2. Press ↑ to ENSITIVITY Press ↓ or ↑ to pick a different sensitivity setting. When it's set at the desired level, press To turn Auto Sensitivity back on: From the Sonar Page, press NOTE:...

  • Page 66: Sonar Color Mode

    1. Press MENU MENU 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 indicators now accurately show the depth of water beneath the keel.

  • Page 67: Split Zoom Sonar Chart

    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.

  • Page 68: Digital Data/Chart

    Digital Data/Chart This mode shows nine digital boxes or windows containing (by default): Water Depth; Water Temp; Speed; Distance to Destination; Bearing; Travel Time; Track; Off Course; and the unit's Voltage. Flasher The Flasher page represents a flasher style sonar. A circular dial shows all returning echoes at a high screen refresh rate.

  • Page 69: Stop Chart

    1. From the Sonar Page, press 2. Turn off Sonar Simulator by pressing EXIT IMULATOR 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 simulator.

  • Page 70: Upper And Lower Limits

    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 Sonar Features menu with Surface Clarity selected. ↓...

  • Page 71: Zoom Pan

    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.
  • Page 72 Notes...

  • Page 73: Section 5: Sonar Troubleshooting

    Section 5: 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.
  • Page 74 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. 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.
  • Page 75 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.
  • Page 76 Notes...

  • Page 77: Section 6: Basic Gps Operations

    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 81.

  • Page 78: Power/Lights (Turn Unit On And Off)

    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. 7, System Setup and GPS Setup Options. You can access the Main Menu from any of the four Page screens by pressing .
  • Page 79 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.

  • Page 80: Sonar

    Pages The unit has four GPS Page displays that represent the four major oper- ating modes. They are the Satellite Status Page, the Navigation Page, Plotter Page and the Position Page. They are accessed by pressing , then using ↑ or ↓ to select a Page. (Clear the Pages |←...
  • Page 81 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 that are in light blue. The re- ceiver hasn't locked onto a satellite if the number is dark blue, there- fore it isn't being used to solve the position.

  • Page 82: Navigation Page

    Navigation Page This screen has a compass rose that not only shows your direction of travel, but also the direction to a recalled waypoint. To get to the Navi- gation Page: Press The navigation screen looks like the one below when you're not navi- gating to a waypoint or following a route or trail.
  • Page 83 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.

  • Page 84: Position Page

    Current track or heading, shown in degrees Cross track error range (off course indicator) Trail line Left cross track error line Navigation information displays Navigation Page, backtracking a trail while creating a new trail. In the example figure above, the driver is headed north (a 12º track) toward a waypoint 12º...

  • Page 85: Plotter Page

    The Position Page can be fully customized. The lower window can display ten of 22 types of navigation information. For customization instructions see the Customize Page Displays topic in Sec. 7, System and GPS Setup Options. Some of the popular information displays include: Altitude is height above sea level, not ground level.
  • Page 86 MENU 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 M52, you might consider photocopying this quick ref- erence page and tucking it into your pocket.

  • Page 87: Gps Quick Reference

    1. Install the unit. (See complete installation details beginning on page 9.) 2. To turn on the M52, press and release 3. Opening screen displays the GPS plotter at the 4,000 mile zoom range. Rotate through the four main GPS Page screens (Plotter, Satel- lite Status, Navigation and Position Page) by pressing |↓...

  • Page 88: Viewing The Plotter: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys

    Viewing the Plotter: Zoom & Cursor Arrow Keys The plotter is presented from a bird's eye view perspective. The current zoom range shows in the lower right corner of the screen. 1. Press the key (zoom in) to move in closer and see greater detail in a smaller geographic area.

  • Page 89: Cancel Navigation

    Navigate to cursor. In this example, the cursor has waypoint 004. 3. Press and the M52 will begin navigating to the cursor MENU location. The Plotter Page will display a dotted line from your current position to the cursor position. The Navigation Page displays a compass rose showing navigation information to your destination.

  • Page 90: Find Your Current Position

    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 has as clear a view of the sky as possible, then turn the unit off and back on again.

  • Page 91: Find Distance From Point To Point

    Find Distance From Point to Point You can also measure distance between two other points on the plotter. 1. While on the Plotter Page press: 2. Center your cursor over the first position. (A rubber band line ap- pears, connecting your current position to the cursor's location.) Press to set the first point, and the rubber band line disappears.
  • Page 92 Sequence for setting a waypoint. Step 1: while traveling, quickly press WPT twice to call up Find Waypoint screen (shown at left) and set a point. Step 2: a message says the waypoint has been saved (shown cen- ter). Step 3: vehicle continues on its way; number waypoint symbol is visible on plotter (shown at right).

  • Page 93: Delete A Waypoint

    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 plotter and in the waypoint list. Create Waypoint by Average Position This feature sets a waypoint at the current position after taking several position readings and averaging them.

  • Page 94: Edit A Waypoint (Name, Symbol Or Position)

    To delete a waypoint from the plotter: 1. Use the arrow keys to select the waypoint with the cursor. 2. Press |→ to ous page and clear the cursor, press To delete all waypoints at one time: press |↓ to ETUP ELETE to the previous page, press...
  • Page 95 You will use the Find Waypoint commands to choose a waypoint you want to navigate to, or to choose one for editing. 1. Press . To look up the nearest waypoint, just press down the list to find the desired waypoint; .

  • Page 96: Navigate To A Waypoint

    Plotter screen showing Find Waypoint. 7. To clear the search and return to the last page displayed, press . (Before you completely exited out of the Search menus, you EXIT EXIT could have gone looking for another place.) Navigate To a Waypoint You can select any waypoint visible on the Plotter Page with the cursor, then use the Navigate to Cursor command (we described how to do that earlier in this section).

  • Page 97: Set Man Overboard (Mob) Waypoint

    Course line (dotted) Off course range, set at 0.20 mile Navigation Page, navigating toward a waypoint 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 —...

  • Page 98: Trails

    Navigating to Man Overboard: Navigation Page, left and center, and Plotter Page, 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.
  • Page 99 To Save a Trail 1. Press MENU MENU 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 plotter display.

  • Page 100: Delete A Trail

    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 RAILS Caution: You also have the option of completely turning off trail record- ing, under the trail Options command.

  • Page 101: Edit A Trail Name

    Edit a Trail Name To edit a trail name: press . Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → name| ENT|ENT to the next character and repeat until the name is correct. Press then EXIT EXIT EXIT Tip: You can quickly call up the Edit Trail menu by selecting a trail on...

  • Page 102: Visual Trailing

    "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.
  • Page 103 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 command highlighted for Trail 1. A trail is always converted to a "route"...

  • Page 104: Navigate A Back Trail (Backtrack, Or Reverse)

    Trail point Present position arrow Navigate trail, plotter views: at left boater is heading straight toward trail point 3. Center, when the point is reached, Arrival Alarm goes off and the steering arrow points toward next trail point. At right, boater has reached point 3 and has turned northeast to follow trail to point 4.

  • Page 105: Icons

    3. Press → to ELETE 4. Press ↓ to AVIGATE 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 clear the alarm and proceed.

  • Page 106: Create Icon At Current Position

    Cursor selects icon location, left; Select Icon Symbol menu, center; Boat Ramp icon on plotter, right. (Cursor has been moved for clarity.) Create Icon at Current Position 1. While you are traveling, press Icon Symbol" menu. 2. Press ← or ↑ or → or ↓ to select your icon symbol, then press The icon appears on the plotter.

  • Page 107: Navigate To An Icon

    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.
  • Page 108 Route Planning command on Main Menu, left, will open the Route List screen, right. 2. Press ↓|↓|↑ or ↓ to route name| |↓ to |↓ to OUTE END . The Plotter Page appears with the cursor showing. LOTTER Edit Route menu, left. Edit Route Waypoints menu, right, with Add From Plotter command selected.

  • Page 109: Delete A Route

    Route creation sequence: At left, the Plotter Page shows the waypoints we want to visit in our route. Set the first route point at waypoint (001). Center, move cursor to the next waypoint in the route and press Enter. Waypoint added message appears. Right, continue adding way- points until you reach the end of the route.

  • Page 110: Edit A Route

    Edit a Route You can edit the route name if you wish. 1. From the AVIGATION press |↓ to MENU MENU 2. Press ↓ to route name| 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 Return...

  • Page 111: Navigate A Route In Reverse

    Route Planning command on Main Menu, left; Routes menu, center; Edit Route menu, right. Navigate command is selected. 2. Press ↓ to select route name| 3. Upon arrival at your destination, cancel navigation: press |↓ to MENU MENU The following figures show what the Navigation Page and Plotter Page look like while navigating a route.

  • Page 112: Utilities

    Figure 4. Navigating along a route: Figs. 1 & 4 show the Plotter Page (top) and Navigation Page (bottom) while running a route. Boater is heading straight for waypoint 3. In Figs. 2 & 5, the traveler has arrived at Wpt 3;...

  • Page 113: Section 7: System & Gps Setup Options

    Section 7: 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.

  • Page 114: Auto Satellite Search

    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.

  • Page 115: Coordinate System Selection

    GPS Auto Search on the Satellite Status Menu. You can force the unit to immediately kick into auto search mode. Here's how: 1. Press and switch to the Satellite Status screen. PAGES 2. Press |↓ to MENU Coordinate System Selection The Coordinate System Menu lets you select the coordinate system to use when displaying and entering position coordinates.

  • Page 116: To Setup Loran Td

    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.

  • Page 117: Map Fix

    It's shown as a ratio, for example 1:24000. Press returns to the Configure Map Fix screen. Configure a map fix so the M52 can find your position on a printed |↓ to GPS S ETUP YSTEM chart or topographical map.

  • Page 118: Customize Page Displays

    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-...

  • Page 119: Simulating Trail Or Route Navigation

    This will allow you to use the plotter cursor during a simulation. To turn steer- ing and speed boxes back on again, return to the GPS Simulator menu, select the TEER to return to the previous page.

  • Page 120: Hide Gps Features

    Plotter 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...

  • Page 121: Plotter Orientation

    EXIT EXIT GPS Menu, left; Plotter Orientation menu with the North Up plotter orientation option selected, right. Overlay Data To change the digital data shown on top of the Sonar Page or the Plot-...

  • Page 122: To Select Data For Display

    First, press PAGES press EXIT To select data for display: 1. From the Plotter or Sonar page, press 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type| 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."...

  • Page 123: To Change Displayed Data Font Size

    2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type| pears from the top of the list and reverts to its previous, unchecked po- sition. (If you wish, you may now use ↓ or ↑ to select other Data Types to turn off.) 3.

  • Page 124: Pop-Up Help

    Sonar Menu. Position Pinning When you are standing still or moving at extremely slow speed, a GPS receiver can have trouble determining the direction you are traveling. In the past, this resulted in a "wandering" plot trail that moved around the plotter, even if you were standing still.

  • Page 125: Reset Options

    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. |↓ to GPS S ETUP to return to the previous page. |↓ to...

  • Page 126: Set Language

    To adjust the display's brightness: Press ↓ to RIGHTNESS scale is minimum brightness; the right end is maximum brightness. To adjust the screen's display mode: Press ↓ to ISPLAY Set Language This unit's menus are available in 10 languages: English, French, Ger- man, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Dutch and Finnish.

  • Page 127: Show Waas Alarm

    Software Version Information From time to time, Lowrance updates the operating system software in some of its products. These software upgrades are usually offered to customers as free downloads from our web site, www.lowrance.com.

  • Page 128: Sounds And Alarm Sound Styles

    At left, Main Menu with Software Information command selected. At right, the Software Information screen. 1. Press MENU MENU 2. Read the information displayed on the screen. 3. To return to the last page displayed, press Sounds and Alarm Sound Styles Sounds triggered by key strokes and alarms can be adjusted: You first press MENU...

  • Page 129: Track Smoothing

    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 plotter display in track-up mode.

  • Page 130: Delete All Trails

    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 ELETE Update 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.

  • Page 131: Delete Trail

    With one of the Update Criteria selected, use the cursor arrows to highlight either the . Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first character, then press → to press the next character and repeat until the entry is correct. Press return to the Trail Options Menu.

  • Page 132: Trail Visible/Invisible And Other Trail Options

    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.

  • Page 133: Sec. 8: Supplemental Material

    Section 8: Supplemental Material 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.
  • Page 134 Notes...

  • Page 135: Index

    89, 91, 97, 98, 101, 106, 113, 123 Contrast, 33, 73, 119 Coordinate System, 109 Cursor, 35, 37, 47, 48, 82, 90, 100, GPS Data File, 5 Icons, 3, 5, 8, 32, 72, 81, 99, 100, 101, 102 Creating, 100...
  • Page 136 113, 117 Create and Save, 101 Delete, 103 Navigate, 104, 105 Satellite Search, 108 Searching, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91 Set Local Time, 108, 120 Simulator, 4, 33, 62, 63, 112, 113, Software Version Information, 121 Sounds, 122 Status Menu, 109 Sun/Moon Rise &...
  • Page 137 Notes...
  • Page 138 Notes...
  • Page 139 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.
  • Page 140 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.
  • Page 141 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.

  • Page 142: 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.

  • Page 143: Accessory Ordering Information For All Countries

    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.

  • Page 144: Visit Our Web Site

    Visit our web site: Lowrance Pub. 988-0152-001 © Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 091903 Lowrance Electronics, Inc.

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