Eagle 480DF - Manual

1 Section 1: Read Me First! How this manual can get you out on the water, fast! Welcome to the exciting world of digital sonar! We know you're anxiousto begin finding fish, but we have a favor to ask. Before you grab yourunit and begin installing it, please give us a moment or two to explainhow our ...

2 After you've gained some experience with your sonar, you'll want tocheck out Section 4, which discusses more advanced Sonar Options and Other Features . When you come to a sonar menu command on the unit's screen, you canlook it up in the manual by skimming over the table of contents, justflipping ...

4 Speed/distance log: ....... Optional (requires optional speed sensor). NOTICE! The storage temperature range for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celsius). Extended storage in temperatures higher or lower than specified will damage theliquid crysta...

7 Section 2: Installation & Accessories Preparations You can install the sonar system in some other order if you prefer, butwe recommend this installation sequence: Caution: You should read over this entire installation section beforedrilling any holes in your vessel! 1. Determine the approximat...

9 then the chosen location must be in the water at all times. If thetransducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water, interferencecaused by bubbles and turbulence will show on the sonar's display inthe form of random lines or dots whenever the boat is moving. NOTE: Some aluminum boats with strakes...

10 How low should you go? For most situations, you should install your Skimmer transducer sothat its centerline is level with the bottom of the boat hull. This willusually give you the best combination of smooth water flow andprotection from bangs and bumps. Align transducer centerline with hull bot...

11 However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks.First, some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. Thisvaries from hull to hull, even from different installations on the samehull. This is caused by differences in hull lay-up and construction. Second, the transdu...

12 B. Two-piece bracket: Locate the four plastic ratchets in the transducer's hardware package. Press two ratchets into the sides of theplastic bracket and two on either side of the transducer as shown in thefollowing illustrations. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet. Place the ratche...

13 2. Aligning the transducer on the transom. A. One-piece bracket: Slide the transducer between the two ratchets. Temporarily slide the bolt though the transducer assemblyand hold it against the transom. Looking at the transducer from theside, check to see if it will adjust so that its face is para...

14 bracket holes with the letter "B" aligned with the bracket alignmentmark. Place them on the transducer aligned with the 12 o'clockposition on the transducer stem. Reassemble the transducer and bracket and place them against thetransom. Again, check to see if you can move the transducer so...

15 B. Two-piece bracket: Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the figure in step2B. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time. 4. Drilling mounting holes. Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. Thetransducer should be roug...

17 Caution: If you drill a hole in the transom for the cable, make sure it islocated above the waterline. After installation, be sure to seal thehole with the same marine grade above- or below-waterlinesealant used for the mounting screws. 7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom i...

18 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 becausethe transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at restin the water or at slow trolling speeds. Transducer angles and thei...

19 If the arch slopes up – but not back down – then the front of thetransducer is too high and needs to be lowered. If only the back half ofthe arch is printed, then the nose of the transducer is angled too fardown and needs to be raised. NOTE: Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and w...

20 WARNING: Do not remove any material from your inner hull unlessyou know the hull's composition. Careless grinding orcutting on your hull can result in damage that couldsink your boat. Contact your boat dealer ormanufacturer to confirm your hull specifications. To choose the proper location for th...

21 100 grit sandpaper. The surface of the hull must be flat so the entiretransducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding. Epoxy transducer to hull. 2. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly. Do not mix it too fast, because it will cause bubbles to form in the...

22 If a second temp sensor is used, it must be the model TS-2U. This model has a fixed electronic "address" which designates it as the secondof two temp sensors. Dual temperatures are only displayed on the Full Chart page. The Large Digital page will only display the primary temperature sens...

24 Stern view showing good location for mounting sensor on transom. If the base of the transom has a radius, fill the gap between thetransom and the sensor with the caulking compound. This will helpensure a smooth water flow. Speed sensor mounting configuration: side view (left) and rear view (right...

25 attach the power cable directly to the battery. You can attach the powercable to an accessory or power buss, however you may have problemswith electrical interference. Therefore, it's safer to go ahead and attachthe power cable directly to the battery. CAUTION: When using the unit in a saltwater ...

27 If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested in the optionalR-A-M  bracket mounting system. This converts the unit's gimbal bracket to a swivel mount, which can be used on the dash or overheadmounting positions. Installation instructions are supplied with theR-A-M mounting kits. Bracke...

28 After drilling the hole, pass the transducer connector up through the hole from under the dash. Pass the power cable's bare-wire end down though the hole from the top. If you wish, you can fill in the hole around the cables with a goodmarine caulking compound. (Some marine dealers stock cable hol...

29 place against the side of the hole. Finally, fasten the bracket to thedash. Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbalknobs and washers. In-Dash Installation You can mount the unit in the dash with an optional FM-5 In-DashAdapter Kit. The kit includes mounting hardware, a tem...

30 The PPP-13 Portable Power Pack can be used with eight "D" cellalkaline batteries or an optional sealed, rechargeable battery. For set-up directions, refer to the pack's instruction sheet, part 988-0147-601. Install batteries in power pack battery adapter. Face Cover Your unit comes with a...

31 Section 3: Basic Sonar Operation This section addresses the unit's most basic sonar operations. The instructions presented here in Sec. 3 follow a chronological order. Sec.4, Sonar Options & Other Features , will discuss options and other more advanced functions and utilities. The material in...

32 1. PWR/LIGHT (Power & Light) – The PWR key turns the unit on and off and activates the backlight. 2. PAGES – Pressing this and the ↑ ↓ arrow keys switches the unit between the four different page options. (Full Sonar Chart, Split ZoomSonar Chart, Split Frequency Sonar Chart and Digital Data.)...

33 Menus Your sonar unit will work fine right out of the box with the factorydefault settings. You only need to learn a few basic functions toenhance your viewing. We'll discuss them briefly here, then talk aboutthem and all the other commands in more detail in the next section,which begins on page ...

34 Main Menu Commands There are four "basic" Main Menu commands that you'll really want toread more about. They are: • Screen command: changes the contrast or brightness of the display screen. Use this command to adjust how the screen looks under variouslighting conditions. • Sounds command:...

35 • Reset Options command: returns all options and auto functions to their original factory settings. It's a great safety net while you'relearning and experimenting with various settings. • Set Language command: your unit has menus in 10 different languages. This command switches from one language ...

36 Sensitivity and Auto Sensitivity are important basic functions that arediscussed both here and in Sec. 4. The other Sonar Menu commandsinclude: • Grayline  command: separates fish and structure near the bottom from the actual bottom, and defines bottom composition/hardness. • Depth Range command...

38 Sonar chart display options (from left) split zoom (all models) and split frequency (SeaFinder 320DF only). Digital data sonar chart display option. You can customize how the Sonar Page pictures and other data aredisplayed in many ways. We'll discuss all of those features and options inSection 4,...

39 Basic Sonar Quick Reference 1. Mount the transducer and unit. Connect the unit to electric powerand the transducer. 2. Launch your boat. 3. To turn on the unit, press and release PWR key. 4. Head for your fishing grounds. Your unit automatically displaysdigital depth and surface water temperature...

40 9. If you are drifting at a very low speed or anchored, you are notmoving fast enough for a fish to return the tell-tale fish arch signal. Asyou drift over a fish, or as a fish swims through the transducer's signalcone, the fish echo will appear as a straight line suspended between thesurface and...

42 To adjust sensitivity: 1. Press MENU | ENT . 2. The Sensitivity Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease sensitivity; press ↑ to increase sensitivity. When it's set at the desired level, press EXIT . (When you reach the maximum or minimum limit, a tone sounds.) At left, Sonar Menu with Sensitivit...

44 "printer friendly" version of the tutorial available on our web site…itmakes a great supplement to this operation manual! For the ultimate training aid, be sure to download the free emulatorsoftware for your unit. Aside from being just plain fun, this programcan help you learn both basic ...

45 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 conditionsand interferenc...

46 To change the ASP level: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . 2. Press → ↓ or ↓ to N OISE R EJECTION | ENT . 3. Press ↓ or ↑ to select a setting, then press ENT . 4. To return to the previous page, press EXIT | EXIT . Alarms This unit has three different types of son...

47 To adjust and turn on the shallow alarm: 1. Press A LARM . 2. Press → to S HALLOW A LARM D EPTH | ENT . 3. Press ↑ or ↓ to change the first number, then press → to move the cursor to the next number and repeat until the depth is correct, thenpress ENT . 4. Press ← to S HALLOW A LARM E NABLED | EN...

48 Adjust Zone Alarm selection box, with Upper selected. 3. To set the upper boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or → to select U PPER , then press ↑ or ↓ to move the top of the bar to the desired depth. 4. To set the lower boundary for the Zone Alarm, use ← or → to select L OWER , then press ↑ or ↓ ...

49 Calibrate Speed The speed sensor can be calibrated to compensate for inaccuracies.Before you change the setting, first calculate the percentage that thespeed is off. You will enter this percentage in a moment. For example, if you figure the sensor is reading 10 percent faster thanactual speed, yo...

50 If you do experiment with chart speed, remember to reset it tomaximum when you resume trolling or moving across the water athigher speed. To change chart speed: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to C HART S PEED | ENT . 2. The Chart Speed Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease chart speed;...

51 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to D EPTH C URSOR | ENT . 2. The depth cursor appears. Press ↓ to lower the cursor line; press ↑ to raise the cursor line. 3. To clear the depth cursor, press EXIT . Depth Range - Automatic When turned on for the first time, the bottom signal is automaticall...

52 To turn Auto Depth Range on again: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to A UTO D EPTH R ANGE | ENT | EXIT . NOTE: The sonar's depth capability depends on the transducerinstallation, water and bottom conditions, and other factors. FasTrack  This feature automatically converts all echoes to sh...

53 There are several fish symbol sizes. These are used to designate therelative size between targets. In other words, Fish I.D. displays a smallfish symbol when it thinks a target is a small fish, a medium fishsymbol on a larger target and so on. The sonar's microcomputer is sophisticated, but it ca...

54 At left, figures 1A and 2A show Sonar Page in normal chart mode. At right, figures 1B and 2B show the same underwater scene with Fish I.D. turned on. Note how arches are replaced with symbols. To turn the Fish I.D. feature on: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to S ONAR F EATURES | ENT . 2. ...

55 FishTrack  The FishTrack feature shows the depth of a fish symbol when itappears on the display. This lets you accurately gauge the depth oftargets. 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 instr...

56 The normal mode of operation (with FishReveal turned off) shows theweakest echoes as black and the strongest echoes in light gray. Sinceall weak echoes are black, fish arches show boldly against the whitebackground. The drawback is that all weak echoes – such asthermoclines – are also emphasized....

57 Sonar chart in regular grayscale mode, left, and in FishReveal mode, right. Notice how shallow fish formerly hidden in the surface clutter become visible in FishReveal mode. NOTE: Water conditions vary greatly, and that affects sonar performance.Under certain conditions, FishReveal will show you ...

58 all sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water.)There is a common exception to these rules of thumb. Some fishermenon freshwater lakes (or the ocean) using downriggers like to see themon the sonar. In many of those cases, you'll see a 50 kHz transducerfrequency in use bec...

59 Grayline is adjustable. Experiment with your unit to find the Graylinesetting that's best for you. To adjust the Grayline level: 1. From the Sonar Page, press MENU | ↓ to G RAYLINE | ENT . 2. The Grayline Control Bar appears. Press ↓ to decrease Grayline; press ↑ to increase Grayline. 3. When it'...

60 This series of figures shows how different Grayline settings can revealmore information. The "A" figures to the left show locations withGrayline set at the factory level of 64 percent. At right, the "B" figuresshow the same locations with Grayline increased to 84 percent. InFigure...

61 At left, we scrolled down the data list to highlight "Water Speed." At right, 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 | ↓ to O VERLAY D ATA | ENT . 2. Press ...

62 1. Press MENU | ↓ to O VERLAY D ATA | ENT . 2. Press ↓ or ↑ to select Data Type |press → or ← to select Data Size | ENT . The data will be shown in the new font size. To return to theprevious page, press EXIT | EXIT . NOTE: Some data types can be displayed in only one font size. If that is thecas...

63 These faster ping rates allow you to maintain a high-detail picture onthe screen, and the screen refresh rate and chart scroll speed can keeppace with the boat as it moves quickly over the bottom terrain. When using HyperScroll, you may also need to manually decrease thesensitivity for optimum pe...

64 Pop-up Help Help is available for virtually all of the menu labels on this unit. Byhighlighting a menu item and leaving it highlighted for a few seconds, a"pop-up" message appears that describes the function of the menu item.This feature is on by default. To set up Popup Help: Press MENU ...

65 Reset Water Distance The sonar chart's Digital Data display option includes a window thatshows distance traveled, called Water Distance ("W Distance"). Thisinformation is calculated from an optional water speed sensor. TheWater Distance window can be reset to zero using the Reset WaterDis...

67 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...

69 4. Press → to the second number, them press ↑ to change the number to 5, then press EXIT . The depth indicators now accurately show the water depth from surface to bottom. Set Language This unit's menus are available in 10 languages: English, French,German, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Russ...

70 2. Press ↓ to S ONAR C OLOR M ODE | ENT . 3. Press ↓ or ↑ to Mode Name | ENT . 4. Press EXIT | EXIT to return to the Sonar Page. Sonar Chart Display Options The Pages Menu offers four chart display options for dual-frequencymodels and three options for single-frequency models. To access them,pres...

71 Full Sonar Chart. The Overlay Data (depth and water temperature) are both set to the small text size. Split Zoom Sonar Chart A split chart shows the underwater world from the surface to thebottom on the right side of the screen. The left side shows an enlargedversion of the right side. The zoom r...

72 Split Frequency Sonar Chart page, with 50 kHz view at left and 200 kHz view at right. You can adjust the sensitivity in each window. To adjust sensitivity in auto mode: 1. Press MENU | ENT . 2. The unit asks which you wish to adjust. Press ← or → to select the one you want | ENT . 3. The Sensitiv...

73 and Voltage used. ( Note: Temperature #2 requires an additional optional temperature sensor.) Digital Data/Chart Customizing the Digital Data/Chart Screen The Digital Data/Chart screen can be customized to show digital datadifferent from the defaults first shown. To customize this screen: 1. From...

74 Data Type and pressing Enter, use the ↓ key to select another window to change. When the selected window title bar flashes,press ENT | ↑ or ↓ to select data type | ENT . Repeat these steps until you're finished customizing, then press EXIT to return to the Sonar Page. Sonar Simulator This unit ha...

75 Surface Clarity The markings extending downward from the zero line on the chart arecalled "surface clutter." These markings are caused by wave action,boat wakes, temperature inversion and more. The surface clarity control reduces or eliminates surface clutter signalsfrom the display. It d...

76 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 meters) andtemperature (degrees Fahrenheit orCelsius). To change the uni...

77 Pressing ZIN once doubles the size (2X) of all echoes on the screen. Pressing it again quadruples the size of the echoes (4X). The zoom baron the far right side of the screen shows which echoes will be displayedon the screen when the ZIN key is pressed. For example, pressing the ZIN key once will...

79 Section 5: Troubleshooting If your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use thefollowing troubleshooting section before contacting the factory customerservice department. It may save you the trouble of returning your unitfor repair. For contact information, refer to the last...

80 Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals: 1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean theface of the transducer. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on thetransducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mountedinside the hull, be sure...

81 spark plugs or routing the sonar unit's power and transducer cablesaway from other electrical wiring on the boat. No fish arches when the Fish I.D. feature is off: 1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. This is themost common problem if a partial arch is displayed. 2. The sensi...

83 Section 6: Supplemental Material FCC Compliance This device complies with Part 15 of the U.S. FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) Rules. Operation is subjectto the following two conditions: (1) this device may not causeharmful interference, and (2) this device must accept anyinterference recei...

88 How to Obtain Service… …in the USA: We back your investment in quality products with quick, expert serviceand genuine Eagle replacement parts. If you're in the United Statesand you have technical, return or repair questions, please contact theFactory Customer Service Department. Before any produc...

Accessory Ordering Informationfor all countries To order Eagle accessories such as power cables or transducers,please contact: 1) Your local marine dealer or consumer electronics store. Most quality dealers that handle marine electronic equipment or other consumerelectronics should be able to assist...

Visit our web site: www.eaglesonar.com Eagle Pub. 988-0143-711 © Copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 103103 Eagle Electronics 