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Pub. 988-0151-411
www.lowrance.com
X86 DS & X86 TX
Fish-finding & Depth Sounding Sonars
Installation and Operation
Instructions
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Copyright © 2006 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, transmitted or distributed for any purpose, without prior written consent of Lowrance Electronics. Any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited. ® Lowrance is a registered trademark of Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Lowrance Electronics may find it necessary to change or end our policies, regulations, and special offers at any time. We rese
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Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction....................................................................1 Specifications: X86 DS and X86 TX ....................................................1 How Sonar Works.................................................................................2 Preparations .........................................................................................3 Section 2: Installation & Accessories..........................................5 Recommended Tools
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Depth Display.....................................................................................41 Temperature Display .........................................................................41 Voltage ................................................................................................42 Units....................................................................................................42 Backlight...............................................................................
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Section 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. To get started with your Lowrance sonar, first read the installation sec- tion. It contains instructions for mounting the sonar unit, the trans- ducer and any opti
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Depth capability: ...........To 1,000 feet (305 meters) with 83 kHz. Ac- tual capability depends on transducer con- figuration and installation, bottom composi- tion and water conditions. All sonar units typically read deeper in fresh water than in salt water. Depth display: ................Continuous display. Audible alarms:..............Deep/shallow/fish/battery. Automatic ranging: .......Yes. Auto bottom track: ........Yes. Zoom bottom track:.......Yes. Surface water temp: .....Yes. NOTICE! T
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Dual Search Transducer Your unit is packed with a Dual Search Skimmer Transducer that can transmit at 83 kHz and 200 kHz. A new innovation, the 83 kHz frequency offers superior sonar perform- ance at all depths from very shallow up to 1,000 ft and provides up to 120º of fish-finding coverage. 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 drill- ing
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Notes 4
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Section 2: Installation & Accessories These instructions will help you install your Skimmer transducer on a transom, on a trolling motor or inside a hull. Please read all instruc- tions before proceeding with any installation. Your Skimmer transducer typically comes packaged with a one-piece stainless steel bracket for mounting it to the transom of your boat. The optional trolling motor mount uses a one-piece plastic bracket with an adjustable strap. These are "kick-up" mounting brackets. T
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NOTE: Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the hull create large amounts of turbulence at high speed. These boats typically have large outboard motors capable of propelling the boat at speeds faster than 35 mph. Typically, a good location on alumi- num boats is between the ribs closest to the engine. 2. The transducer should be installed with its face pointing straight down, if possible. 3. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make sure it doesn't interfere with the
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Transom Transducer centerline Hull bottom Align transducer centerline with hull bottom. If you want 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 frequently lose bottom signal lock while running at high speed, the transducer may be coming out of the water as you cross waves or wakes. Move the transducer a little lower to help prevent this. If you cruise or fish around lots of struct
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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 hulls require either a transom mount or a thru-hull installation. Fourth, if your Skimmer transducer has a built in temp sensor, it will only show the temperature of the bilge, not the water surface temp. Follow the testing procedures listed in the shoot-thru-hull installation section at the end
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If you can, then go to step 3. If it doesn't, repeat step 2, but use a dif- ferent alignment letter until you can place the transducer on the transom correctly. Ratchets Insert bolt and check transducer position on transom. 3. Assembling the transducer. Once you determine the correct posi- tion for the ratchets, assemble the transducer as shown in the following figure. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time. Metal washer Nut Rubber Metal washer washers Bolt Assemble transducer and bracket. 4.
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Transom Transom Position transducer mount on transom and mark mounting holes. Side view (left) and shown from above (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. Route cable over bolt and through bracket. Side view (left) and shown from above (right). Attach the transducer to the transom. Slide the transducer up or down until it's aligned
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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. Use caution when routing the transducer cable around these wires. WARNING: Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the transducer. This can preven
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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. 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 w
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If only the back half of the arch is printed, then the nose of the trans- ducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised. NOTE: Periodically wash the transducer's face with soap and water to re- move any oil film. Oil and dirt on the face will reduce the sensitiv- ity or may even prevent operation. Shoot-Thru-Hull Preparation Hulls With Flotation Materials The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fibergl
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1. Anchor the boat in about 30 feet of water. Add a little water to the sump of the boat. Plug the transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on, then hold the transducer over the side of the boat in the water. Adjust the sensitivity and range controls until a second bottom echo is seen on the display. You will need to turn off Auto Sensitivity, Auto Depth Range and ASP . Try a range setting that is two to three times the water depth. The harder (more rocky) the bottom, the easier it will be to ge
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You will need to figure some way to prop the transducer into position while you make your test run. A brick or two might be sufficient to hold it in place. 5. When you are satisfied with a location, mark it and proceed with the installation. Transducer location Transducer location (trolling speed) (high speed) Shoot-thru-hull transducer locations for high speed or trolling speed operation. Shoot-thru-hull Installation 1. Make sure the area is clean, dry and free of oil or grease, then sand both
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WARNING: Use only the epoxy available from LEI. It has been for- mulated to work with these installation procedures. Other epoxy types may be too thin or may not cure to the right consistency for optimum transducer perform- ance. 2. The epoxy consists of the epoxy itself and a hardener. Remove the two compounds from the 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 f
