Lowrance X-28 User manual

X-28, X-38,X-28, X-38,

X-28, X-38,

andand

and

X-48X-48

X-48

INSTINST

INST

ALLAALLA

ALLA

TION AND OPERATION AND OPERA

TION AND OPERA

TIONTION

TION

INSTRINSTR

INSTR

UCTIONSUCTIONS

UCTIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................1

SPECIFICATIONS ...........................................................................................1

INSTALLATION -Transducer ...........................................................................2

POWER CONNECTIONS ...............................................................................11

BRACKET INSTALLATION ............................................................................12

SPEED/TEMP SENSORS ..............................................................................13

KEYBOARD BASICS ......................................................................................16

DISPLAY .........................................................................................................16

OPERATION ...................................................................................................17

MENUS ...........................................................................................................17

AUTOMATIC ...................................................................................................17

RANGE ...........................................................................................................17

ZOOM .............................................................................................................18

UPPER/LOWER LIMITS.................................................................................20

SENSITIVITY ..................................................................................................21

GRAYLINE

®

.............................................................................................................................................................................

21

FISH ID ...........................................................................................................22

FISH TRACK™ ...............................................................................................23

TARGET TRACK ............................................................................................23

CHART SPEED ..............................................................................................24

DISPLAY MODE .............................................................................................25

TEMPERATURE PROBE SELECT ................................................................28

ALARMS .........................................................................................................29

BACK LIGHT...................................................................................................30

FEET/METER .................................................................................................30

DISPLAY CONTRAST ....................................................................................30

ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) ...............................................................31

SIMULATOR ...................................................................................................31

TROUBLESHOOTING ....................................................................................32

WARRANTY ...................................................................................................37

UPS RETURN SERVICE - U.S.A. ONLY .......................................................38

All features and specifications in this manual are subject to change

without notice.

All screens in this manual are simulated.

1

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions ...................... 5.9" W x 5.35" H x 3.4" D

Input Voltage.................... 10 - 15 vDC

Current Drain ................... 350 ma (lights off)

........................... 500 ma (lights on)

Transmitter

Frequency.......... 192 kHz

Output Power..... 600 watts (peak-to-peak) (typical)

........................... 75 watts (RMS)

Display ........................... 128 pixels (H) x 65 pixels (W)

........................... Supertwist Liquid Crystal Display

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing a Lowrance sonar. Your sonar unit is a high

quality unit designed for both professional and novice fishermen. All of our

sonars have an automatic feature that finds and displays the bottom, fish,

structure, and more! All you have to do is press the on key. However, if

you wish to fine tune the unit, all you have to do is press the menu key. This

series of sonar products has powerful features available through easy-to-

use menus.

To get started with your Lowrance unit, first read the installation section.

This is where it all begins. Improper installation can cause problems down

the road. After you’ve read the instructions, install the unit, then read the

rest of the manual. The more you know about your unit, the better it will

perform for you.

NOTICE!

The storage temperature for your unit is from -4 degrees to +167 degrees

Fahrenheit (-20 degrees to +75 degrees Celcius). Extended storage in tempera-

tures higher or lower than specified will damage the liquid crystal display in your

unit. This type of damage is not covered by the warranty. For more information,

contact the factory customer service department or your local service center.

5.35"

5.9" 3.4"

2

Transducer Installation

Some of the models covered by this manual have a transom-mount

transducer included. The following are installation instructions for this

transducer.

The “kick-up” mounting bracket helps prevent damage if the transducer

strikes an object while the boat is moving. If the transducer does “kick-

up”, the bracket can easily be pushed back in place without tools.

Read this manual carefully before attempting the installation. Determine

which of the mounting positions is right for your boat. Use extreme care

if mounting the transducer inside the hull, since once it is epoxied into

position, the transducer usually cannot be removed. Remember, the

transducer location is the most critical part of a sonar installation.

Location - General

1. The transducer must be placed in a location that has a smooth flow of

water at all times. If the transducer is to be mounted inside the hull,

then the chosen location must be in the water at all times. If the

transducer is not placed in a smooth flow of water, interference will

show on the sonar’s display in the form of random lines or dots

whenever the boat is moving.

2. The transducer should be installed with it’s face pointing straight

down, if possible.

3. If the transducer is mounted on the transom, make certain it doesn’t

interfere with the trailer or hauling of the boat. Also, don’t mount it

closer than approximately one foot from the engine’s lower unit. This

will prevent cavitation interference with the propeller. Typically, the

transducer should be mounted as deep in the water as possible. This

increases the chance that it will be in the water in high speed and

reduces the possiblity of air bubble interference.

4. If possible, route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the

boat. Electrical noise from engine wiring, bilge pumps, and areators

can be displayed on the sonar’s screen. Use caution when routing

the transducer cable around these wires.

3

Shoot-thru-hull v.s. Transom Mounting

(X-28 and X-38 Only)

Typically, shoot-thru-hull installations give excellent high speed opera-

tion and good to excellent depth capability. There is no possibility of

damage from floating objects. It can't be knocked off when docking or

loading on the trailer.

However, the shoot-thru-hull installation does have its drawbacks. One,

some loss of sensitivity does occur, even on the best hulls. This varies

from hull to hull, even from different installations on the same hull. This

is caused by differences in hull layup and construction. Two, the angle

of the transducer cannot be adjusted for the best fish arches. This can

be a problem on some hulls that sit with the bow high when at rest or at

slow trolling speeds. Follow the procedure listed in the shoot-thru-hull

installation section in this manual to determine if you can satisfactorily

shoot through the hull.

DOT

Transducer Assembly and Mounting - All Units

The best way to install this transducer is to loosely assemble all of the

parts first, place the transducer’s bracket against the transom and see if

you can move the transducer so that it’s parallel with the ground.

1. Press the two small plastic ratchets into the sides of the metal bracket

as shown below. Notice there are letters molded into each ratchet.

Place each ratchet into the bracket with the letter “A” aligned with the

dot stamped into the metal bracket. This position sets the transducer’s

coarse angle adjustment for a fourteen (14) degree transom. Most

outboard and stern-drive transoms have a fourteen degree angle.

4

2. Slide the transducer between the two ratchets. Temporally slide the

bolt though the transducer assembly and hold it against the transom.

Looking at the transducer from the side, check to see if it will adjust so

that its face is parallel to the ground. If it does, then the “A” position is

correct for your hull. If the transducer’s face isn’t parallel with the ground,

remove the transducer and ratchets from the bracket. Place the ratch-

ets into the 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 3. If it doesn’t, repeat step 2, but use a different letter until you can

place the transducer on the transom correctly.

3. Once you determine the correct position for the ratchets, assemble

the transducer as shown at left. Don't tighten the lock nut at this time.

NUT

METAL

WASHER

RUBBER

WASHERS

METAL

WASHER

BOLT

RATCHETS

5

CAUTION!CAUTION!

CAUTION!

CLAMP THE TRANSDUCER CABLE TOCLAMP THE TRANSDUCER CABLE TO

CLAMP THE TRANSDUCER CABLE TO

TRANSOM NEAR THE TRANSDUCER. THISTRANSOM NEAR THE TRANSDUCER. THIS

TRANSOM NEAR THE TRANSDUCER. THIS

WILL HELP PREVENT THE TRANSDUCERWILL HELP PREVENT THE TRANSDUCER

WILL HELP PREVENT THE TRANSDUCER

FROM ENTERING THE BOAT IF IT ISFROM ENTERING THE BOAT IF IT IS

FROM ENTERING THE BOAT IF IT IS

KNOCKED OFF AT HIGH SPEED.KNOCKED OFF AT HIGH SPEED.

KNOCKED OFF AT HIGH SPEED.

GOOD LOCATIONGOOD LOCATION

GOOD LOCATION

POOR ANGLEPOOR ANGLE

POOR ANGLE

POOR LOCATIONPOOR LOCATION

POOR LOCATION

GOOD LOCATIONGOOD LOCATION

GOOD LOCATION

TRANSOM

SIDE VIEW

4. Hold the transducer and bracket assembly against the transom. The

transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground. The bottom of the

transducer bracket should be in line with the bottom of the hull.

Don't

let the bracket extend below the hull!

Mark the center of the slots for

the mounting holes. Drill two 5/32" holes in the marked locations for

the #10 screws supplied with the transducer.

6

5. Remove the transducer from the bracket and re-assemble it with the

cable passing through the bracket over the bolt as shown above. At-

tach the transducer to the transom. Slide the transducer up or down

until it’s aligned properly on the transom as shown above. Tighten the

bracket’s mounting screws. Adjust the transducer so that it’s parallel to

the ground and tighten the lock nut until it touches the flat 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 water.

6. Route the transducer cable to the sonar unit. Make certain to leave

some slack inthe cable at the transducer as shown above. If possible,

route the transducer cable away from other wiring on the boat. Electri-

cal 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.

IMPORTANT!

Clamp the transducer cable to the transom close to the transducer. This

can prevent the transducer from entering the boat if it is knocked off at

high speed.

7. Make a test run to determine the results. If the bottom is lost at high

speed, or if noise appears on the display, try sliding the transducer

bracket down. This puts the transducer deeper into the water, hope-

fully below the turbulence causing the noise. Don't allow the trans-

ducer bracket to go below the bottom of the hull!

7

NUT

FLAT WASHER

BOLT

2. Slide the adjustable strap supplied with the TMB-S through the slot in

the transducer bracket and wrap it around the trolling motor. Position

the transducer to aim straight down when the motor is in the water.

Tighten the strap securely. Route the transducer cable alongside the

trolling motor shaft. Use plastic ties (not included) to attach the

transducer cable to the trolling motor shaft. Make certain there is

enough slack in the cable for the motor to turn freely. Route the cable

to the sonar unit and the transducer is ready for use.

1. Attach the TMB-S bracket to the transducer as shown below using the

hardware supplied with the transducer. (Note: The internal tooth washer

is supplied with the TMB-S.)

INTERNAL TOOTH

WASHER

TMB-S

BRACKET

TROLLING MOTOR BRACKET INSTALLATION

(X-48 Only)

8

SHOOT-THRU-HULL

(X-28 and X-38 Only)

The transducer installation inside a fiberglass hull must be in an area

that does not have air bubbles in the resin or separated fiberglass

layers. The sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. A success-

ful transducer installation can be made on hulls with flotation materials

(such as plywood, balsa wood, or foam) between layers of fiberglass if

the material is removed from the chosen area. For example, some

manufacturers use a layer of fiberglass, then a core of balsa wood,

finishing with an outer layer of fiberglass. Removing the inner layer of

fiberglass and the balsa wood core exposes the outer layer of fiberglass.

The transducer can then be epoxied directly to the outer layer of fiber-

glass. After the epoxy cures, the hull is watertight and structurally sound.

Remember, the sonar signal must pass through solid fiberglass. Any air

bubbles in the fiberglass or the epoxy will reduce or eliminate the sonar

signals.

To choose the proper location for thru-hull mounting, anchor the boat in

60 feet of water. Add a little water to the sump of the boat. Plug the

INNER HULL

OUTER HULL

FILL WITH EPOXY

EPOXY TO HULL FIRST

transducer into the sonar unit, turn it on, then hold the transducer over

the side of the boat. Adjust the sensitivity and range controls until a

second bottom echo is seen on the display. (you will need to turn both

automatic and ASP off.) Don’t touch the controls once they’ve been set.

Next, take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the

sump of the boat. Observe the sonar signal to see if there is a notice-

able decrease in sensitivity. The second bottom signal may disappear

and the bottom signal may decrease in intensity. Move the transducer

around to find the best location. If the sensitivity control has to be

increased greatly to compensate, then the transducer should be

mounted on the outside of the hull. If not, then mark the location that

shot through the hull the best and follow the instructions on the next

pages for a shoot-thru-hull mounting.

9

TRANSDUCER LOCATION

(HIGH SPEED)

TRANSDUCER LOCATION

(TROLLING SPEED)

2. Follow the instructions on the epoxy package and mix it thoroughly.

Do not mix it too fast, as it will cause bubbles to form in the epoxy.

(NOTE! Use only the epoxies specified on the inside front cover of this

manual! Failure to use one of these epoxies may result in poor sonar

performance!) Apply a small amount on the face of the transducer as

shown above, then spread a small amount onto the sanded area on the

SAND THIS SURFACE

SPREAD EPOXY HERE

Shoot-thru-hull Installation

(X-28 and X-38 Only)

1. Make certain the area is clean, dry, and free of oil or grease, then

sand both the inside surface of the hull and the face of the transducer

with 100 grit sandpaper. The surface of the hull must be flat so the entire

transducer face is in contact with the hull prior to bonding.

10

TRANSDUCER AIMED TOOTRANSDUCER AIMED TOO

TRANSDUCER AIMED TOO

FAR FORWARDFAR FORWARD

FAR FORWARD

hull. Place the transducer into the epoxy, twisting and turning it to force

any air bubbles out from under the transducer face. The face of the

transducer should be parallel with the hull, with a minimum amount of

epoxy between the hull and transducer. After the epoxy dries, route the

cable to the sonar unit.

Fish Arches

If you do not get good fish arches on your display, it could be the

transducer is not parallel with the ground when the boat is at rest in the

water, or at slow trolling speeds. If the arch slopes up, but not back

down, then the front of the transducer is too high and needs to be

lowered. If only the back half the the arch is printed, then the nose of the

transducer is angled too far down and needs to be raised.

TRANSDUCER AIMED TOO FARTRANSDUCER AIMED TOO FAR

TRANSDUCER AIMED TOO FAR

BACKBACK

BACK

PROPER TRANSDUCER ANGLEPROPER TRANSDUCER ANGLE

PROPER TRANSDUCER ANGLE

11

3 amp

FUSE

12 VOLT

BATTERY

BLACK

WIRE

RED

WIRE

TO SPEED/TEMP

SENSOR

(X-38 and X-48 ONLY)

POWER CONNECTIONS - All units

This unit works from a 12 volt DC system only. For the best results, run the

power cable directly to the boat’s battery. Keep the power cable away from

other boat wiring, especially the engine’s wires. This will give the best

isolation from electrical noise. If the supplied cable is not long enough to

reach the battery, splice #18 gauge insulated wire to it. You can attach the

power cable to an accessory or power buss, however, you may have

problems with electrical interference. Make certain to attach the in-line fuse

holder to the positive lead as close to the battery or terminal strip as

possible. This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event of

a short. Use a 3-amp fuse.

WARNING!

Do not use this product without a 3-amp fuse wired into the power cable!

Failure to use a 3-amp fuse will void your warranty!

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.

TO SONAR UNIT

12

Bracket Installation

You can install the sonar unit on the top of a dash or from an overhead with

the supplied bracket. It can also be installed in the dash with an optional

IDA-3 mounting kit. If you use the supplied bracket, you may be interested

in the optional GBSA-1 swivel bracket kit. This converts the unit's gimbal

bracket to a swivel mount which can be used on the dash or overhead

mounting positions. Installation instructions for the in-dash and swivel

mounting kits are supplied with the adapter kits.

Mount the unit in any convenient location, provided there is clearance

when it’s tilted for the best viewing angle. Holes in the bracket’s base allow

wood screw or through bolt mounting. It may be necessary to place a piece

of plywood on the back side of thin panels to reinforce the panel. Make

certain there is enough room behind the unit to attach the power and

transducer cables.

Drill a hole in the dash for the power and transducer cables. The best

location for this hole is immediately under the gimbal bracket. This way,

the bracket covers the hole. The smallest hole the power and transducer

cable connectors can pass through is 5/8". After drilling the hole, pass the

transducer connector up through the hole from under the dash. Pass the

power cable down though the hole from the top. Slide the bracket over the

hole, then route the cables out the slot in the back of the bracket. Finally,

fasten the bracket to the dash.

Attach the unit to the gimbal bracket using the supplied gimbal knobs and

washers as shown above.

GIMBAL KNOB

RUBBER WASHER

SONAR UNIT

GIMBAL BRACKET

13

SPEED/TEMPERATURE SENSORS

The X-38 and X-48 can use up to three optional temperature sensors which

can monitor surface water, live well, air, and virtually any other tempera-

ture. You do need to be careful when purchasing the temperature sensors,

however. Each temperature sensor has its own "address". The sensors

are labeled "Water", "T-2" (or Temp-2), and "T-3" (or Temp-3). If you want

two (or more) temperature readings, you'll need to use the proper sensors.

For example, you can't use two T-3 sensors. The sensors that will fit these

units are:

TS-1BK One sensor for "Water" temperature display.

TS-2BK One sensor for "T-2" temperature display.

TS-3BK One sensor for "T-3" temperature display.

TS-12BK Two sensors for "Water" and "T-2" temperature displays.

ST-TBK One speed sensor and one temperature sensor for

"Speed" and "Water" displays.

You can combine these sensors in many combinations. See the list on the

following pages for temperature and speed sensor combinations.

14

Sensor Chart

(Note: Do not use these sensors in any other combination.)

ST-TBK = 1 speed sensor and 1 temperature display

ST-T BK + TS-2BK = 2 temp sensors and one speed sensor

ST-TBK + TS-2BK + TS-3BK = 3 temp sensors and one speed sensor

TS-1BK = 1 temperature sensor

TS-12BK = 2 temperature sensors

or

TS-1BK + TS-2BK = 2 temperature sensors

TS-12BK + TS-3BK = 3 temperature sensors

or

TS-1BK + TS-2BK +TS-3BK = 3 temperature sensors

Two Temperature Sensors

(Water and T-2)

TS-12 BK

X-38 or X-48 POWER CABLE

Here's some sample wiring diagrams:

15

Three Temperature Sensors

(Water, T-2, and T-3)

Three Temperature Sensors

plus Speed

(Water, T-2, T-3, and Speed)

TS-12 BK

TS-3 BK

ST-TBK

TS-2 BK

TS-3 BK

X-38 or X-48

POWER CABLE

Sensor Chart

(Note: Do not use these

sensors in any other combina-

tion.)

X-38 or X-48

POWER CABLE

16

KEYBOARD BASICS

The unit sounds a tone when you press

any key. This tells you the unit has ac-

cepted a command.

PWR/CLEAR

Use this key to turn the unit on. It also

clears menu selections and the menus

from the screen. This key also turns the

unit off. NOTE: You must hold the OFF key

down for a few seconds in order to turn the unit OFF.

MENU FWD / MENU REV

These sonar units have many features that are accessed with the menu

keys. The MENU FWD key moves forward through the menus, the MENU

REV key moves backward. To see the first menu, simply press either

MENU key. To see the other menus, press a MENU key repeatedly.

UP and DOWN ARROWS

Use these keys to adjust virtually every feature and function on the unit.

NOTE: The up arrow key also stops the chart when no menus are

displayed. In other words, anytime you wish to stop the chart, first make

certain no menu is on the screen. Now press the up arrow key. The chart

freezes and the word “STOP” appears at the top of the screen. To start the

chart, press the up arrow key again.

DISPLAY - General

The lights flash for about ten seconds when the unit is turned on. Two

menus appear, one after the other. The menus are the lights (BACK

LIGHT) and a feet-meter selection (FEET/METER). To turn the lights on,

press the up arrow key. To switch from feet to meters, press the down

arrow key when the proper menu appears. The menus disappear after a

few seconds. If you don’t want to wait, press the

PWR key to clear the menus from the screen.

When the sonar unit is first turned on, the display

appears similar to the one at right. The unit is in

the automatic mode and the Fish ID feature is

off. The depth range shows on the left side of the

screen. On the screen at right, the range is from

0 to 40 feet and the bottom depth is 29.4 feet.

17

OPERATION

MENUS

This unit uses menus to guide you through the

unit’s functions and features. The menu key

accesses these features, allowing you to cus-

tomize the unit to your particular needs and

water conditions. All you have to do to leave one

menu and enter another is press the menu key

repeatedly. If you ever get lost in the menus,

simply press the PWR key. This clears the

menus from the screen.

Menus change depending on the mode the unit

is in. For example, if the automatic mode is

turned off, the sensitivity menu changes from “AUTO SENS” to “MAN

SENS.” Other messages may appear in menu boxes or new menus can

appear, again depending on previous selections.

AUTOMATIC

When the unit is first turned on, the automatic

feature is enabled. This feature automatically

adjusts the unit’s range and sensitivity ac-

cording to water conditions. It always keeps

the bottom depth displayed in the lower por-

tion of the screen.

To turn the automatic feature off, press the

menu key until the AUTO/MAN menu ap-

pears. Now press the down arrow key. This

highlights the letters “MAN.” The unit is now

in the manual mode. Wait a few seconds and

the menu will scroll off the screen’s left side.

Pressing the PWR key also clears it. To turn the automatic feature on

again, repeat the above steps, except this time press the up arrow key.

RANGE

You can’t adjust the range when the unit is in the automatic mode. It is

adjustable when the unit is in the manual mode, however. To do so, first

put the unit in the manual mode. Now press the PWR key to clear the

screen. Then press the menu key until the “RANGE SEL” menu appears

as shown at the top of the next page. The current range shows at the

bottom of the menu. In this case, the range is 60 feet. Now press the up

arrow key to decrease the range, the down arrow key increases the range.

18

After you select the desired range, press the

PWR key to clear the display. If you wait a few

seconds, it will automatically clear.

This unit has the following ranges:

10, 20, 40, 60, 120, 240, 480, and 900 feet.

and

5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 100, 200, and 300 meters.

ZOOM

The zoom feature enlarges all echoes on the

screen. If the unit is in the automatic mode, it

tracks the bottom signal, always keeping it

near the bottom of the screen. This lets you

see small detail, at the same time enlarging all

echoes that appear on the screen. The unit

doesn’t track the bottom in the manual mode,

and the adjustments are slightly different.

Zoom - Automatic Operation

To zoom the display, first press the MENU

key until the RANGE/ZOOM menu appears

as shown at right. Now press the down arrow

key. This switches the unit into the zoom

mode. A new menu immediately appears as

shown below.

This is the zoom size menu. Zoom size is the

distance between the upper limit and the

lower limit. The upper limit shows at the top

left corner of the screen. The lower limit is in

the bottom left corner. For example, if the

upper limit is 40 feet and the lower limit is 70

feet, the zoom window size is 30 feet. The

word “TRACK” appears in this menu when

you first activate the zoom as shown at right.

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