Summary of the content on the page No. 1
Pub. 988-0161-001
www.lowrance.com
Radar & RIM 100
Radar Interface Module
Installation Instructions
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
Copyright © 2006 Lowrance Electronics, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be copied, reproduced, republished, trans- mitted 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. NMEA 2000 is a registered trademark of the National Marine Elec- tronics Association. Lowrance Electronics may find it ne
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
Table of Contents Warnings and Cautions............................................................. i Section 1: Introduction............................................................. 1 What is radar? ............................................................................... 1 Antenna...................................................................................... 1 Side lobe ..................................................................................... 2 Characteristics of
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
Caution: International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea man- date that when radar is on a vessel, the radar must be used at all times, regardless of weather conditions or visibility. Numer- ous court decisions have not only ruled the radar must be used, but that the radar operator must be knowledgeable in all opera- tional aspects of radar performance or otherwise face a greater risk of liability if an accident occurs. Caution: If you purchased an open array radar antenna, make sure
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
Section 1: Introduction Thank you for purchasing this Lowrance Radar with the RIM 100 radar interface module. Your radar consists of three main components: the radar scanner unit, a display unit (sold separately) and the RIM 100 radar interface module which connects the scanner unit and the display unit. We know you’re anxious to begin the installation, but first, let us tell you how this manual is organized. The first section describes how your radar works. We'll also discuss is- sues to consid
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
rate targets at a distance. The critical factors are the antenna's beam width and side lobe level. Typically, a radar antenna will radiate a tightly focused beam from the front of the array. The longer the an- tenna array is, the narrower the beam width. Additionally, it will also emit smaller amounts of energy to each side. A lower side lobe level lessens the effect of a false echo. Side lobe The beam radiating the strongest radio signal from the antenna is called the "main lobe". Those beams r
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
False echoes Sometimes radar will display targets on screen that do not exist in the real world. You should be aware of how and why this happens. A. Ghost echoes Sometimes one large object very near your boat will appear as two dif- ferent targets onscreen. One is the actual radar echo. The other is a ghost echo generated by a re-reflection of the original signal. It comes back to your own boat, bounces back to the target, and then is picked up by the antenna on the second bounce. The actual ech
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
Radar interference If another boat's radar is operating on the same frequency as yours, it can create interference on your display. The interference usually appears as spiral or radial patterns. This ra- dar has an interference rejection control to eliminate interference. Turn it on to reduce or eliminate the interference. Installation Considerations Prior to actual installation of the radar scanner unit, several factors must be considered to assure maximum performance. Location The scanner must
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
The scanner unit should be mounted on the center line of your vessel in a location that has an unobstructed view forward and is as clear as pos- sible the rest of the way around the unit. A location as high as practical to improve maximum range is desirable, keeping in mind that minimum range objects may be overlooked if mounted too high. Position the unit forward of large structures and exhaust stacks. Large structures or stacks cause blind spots. Contamination from engine ex- haust on the scan
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
The recommended mounting surface thickness is 3/8" to 1/2" (9 mm to 13 mm). If the mounting surface is thin, a doubler should be added. If it is thicker, longer bolts must be purchased. WARNING: The scanner will be damaged if bolts penetrate more than 9/16" (15 mm). Also, consider the cable route from the scanner to the operator’s loca- tion. Avoid routing the interconnecting cable through areas of possible damage from moving objects, machinery, exposure to chemicals or high temperature. The rad
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
vent microwave radiation exposure. This antenna is installed cor- rectly. It safely exceeds the recommended separation distance. 7
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
Section 2: Radar Installation Preparations Unpack your new radar and check the contents against the packing list. Do not remove the cover from the unit. There are no connections or ad- justments inside the unit that are needed for installation or operation. The cable must remain attached. For ease of handling, coil the cable and place it on top of the scanner, then secure it with tape. Invert the scanner and make sure the four mounting holes are clear to accept bolts. Working at higher elevation
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
6. Install and tighten four M10 x 25U (M10 x 1") mounting bolts. Use anti-corrosive grease on each bolt to avoid difficulty in removing the bolts later on. 7. Uncoil the scanner cable. 8. Secure the cable near the scanner to support the weight of the cable and prevent strain on the watertight cable seal. If the cable is to pass through tubing or a bulkhead, protect the unfinished end. Do not use the unfinished wires or fabric braid to pull the cable. Attach a fish cord only to the cable jacket.
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
Section 3: RIM 100sp Installation You can install the RIM 100 module in some other order if you prefer, but we recommend this installation sequence: 1. Select a flat surface near the display unit to mount the module. The location must be close enough for the RIM's RS232 data cable to reach the display unit's RS-232 data cable. Use the RIM 100 as a template to mark the location of the pilot holes for the four mounting screws. RIM 100sp Radar Interface Module 2. Drill four 1/8" (3 mm) diameter pil
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
4. Route the radar cable to the RIM 100 location. Connect the RIM 100 radar data cable to the radar antenna power/data output cable using heat-shrink butt connectors. Follow instructions on the wiring diagram that corresponds to your radar antenna — Detail Drawing A for radome models or Detail Drawing C for open array models. Diagrams are shown on pages 11 through 14. 5. Connect the RIM 100 RS-232 data cable to the display unit RS-232 cable using heat-shrink butt connectors. Follow the instructi
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
Cable Connections and Wiring Diagrams See following LRA-1000, LRA-1500, LRA-2000 radomes detail drawing A RIM 100 SP Dark gray (not used) Purple/Transmit White/Receive Drain/Ground Display unit Data cable for future serial device.† RIM Power/data cable Display unit power/data cable Display unit Display unit pwr RIM Data data RIM Power ** NMEA 2000 (red/power +; network pwr black/ground –) See following detail drawing B Cable connections and wiring diagrams for Lowrance radar, RIM
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
Detail Drawing A Large black/pwr – Radar motor power{ Large white/pwr + Small black (not used) Data Out +/Brown/Data In + Data Out –/Red/Data In – Data In –/Yellow/Data Out – Data In +/Orange/Data Out + SW1 On Signal/Blue/On Signal SW1 SW2+/Green/+V SW2 Crimped connection To radar unit RIM 100 SP Detail drawing A: wiring diagram, RIM 100 to radome unit. Detail Drawing B Crimped connection Optional data out RS232 Blue/TX2 Drain/Ground ------------------ Drain/Ground White/RX ---------------------
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
LRA-4000, LRA-5000 open array radars See following detail drawing C RIM 100 SP Display unit Dark gray (not used) Purple/Transmit White/Receive Drain/Ground Data cable for future serial device.† RIM power/data cable Display unit power/data cable Display unit Display unit pwr RIM Data data RIM Power ** (red/power +; NMEA 2000 black/ground –) network pwr See following detail drawing D Cable connections and wiring diagrams for Lowrance radar, RIM 100 interface module and display unit.
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
Detail Drawing C Large red + Radar magnetron power{ Large black – Large white + Radar motor power{ Large Blue – Small black (not used) ----------------------- Brown ------------------------- ------------------------- Red --------------------------- ----------------------- Yellow ------------------------- ----------------------- Orange ------------------------ Blue Blue Green Green Crimped connection To radar unit RIM 100 SP Detail drawing C: Wiring diagram, RIM 100 to open array unit. Detail Dra
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
Lowrance Radar Specifications Model LRA-1000 LRA-1500 LRA-2000 LRA-4000 LRA-5000 Radome 1.0 ft. 1.5 ft. 2.0 ft. N/A N/A Diameter Open Array N/A N/A N/A 4.0 ft. 5.0 ft. Length Power 2 kW 2 kW 4 kW 4 kW 4 kW Output Power 30 watts 55 watts 70 watts 85 watts 95 watts Required Voltage 10.8-41.6 10.8-41.6 10.8-41.6 10.8-41.6 10.8-41.6 Required volts DC volts DC volts DC volts DC volts DC Slotted Wave yes yes yes open array open array Guide Antenna X-Band yes yes yes yes yes (10 GHz) Rev. Per Min. 30 3
