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46

Troubleshooting

If your unit is not working, or if you need technical help, please use the

following troubleshooting section before contacting the factory cus-

tomer 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.

Unit won't turn on:

1. Check the power cable's connection at the unit. Also check the wir-

ing.
2. Make certain the power cable is wired properly. The red wire con-

nects to the positive battery terminal, black to negative or ground.
3. Check the fuse.
4. Measure the battery voltage at the unit's power connector. It should

be at least 11 volts. If it isn't, the wiring to the unit is defective, the

battery terminals or wiring on the terminals are corroded, or the bat-

tery needs charging.

Unit turns on only in simulator mode:

There is a problem with the transducer or the transducer cable. Check

the cable for damage.

Unit freezes, locks up, or operates erratically:

1. Electrical noise from the boat's motor, trolling motor, or an accessory

may be interfering with the sonar unit. Rerouting the power and trans-

ducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat may help.

Route the sonar unit's power cable directly to the battery instead of

through a fuse block or ignition switch.
2. Inspect the transducer cable for breaks, cuts, or pinched wires.
3. Check both the transducer and power connectors. Make certain both

are securely plugged in to the unit.

Weak bottom echo, digital readings erratic, or no fish signals:

1. Make certain the transducer is pointing straight down. Clean the

face of the transducer. Oil, dirt and fuel can cause a film to form on the

transducer, reducing its effectiveness. If the transducer is mounted in-

side the hull, be sure it is shooting through only one layer of fiberglass

and that it is securely bonded to the hull. Do NOT use RTV silicone
rubber adhesive or Marine-Tex

 epoxy.

2. Electrical noise from the boat's motor can interfere with the sonar.

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.

Summary of Contents for X50 DS

Page 1: ...Pub 988 0151 431 www lowrance com Fish Finding Sonar Installation and Operation Instructions...

Page 2: ...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 reserve the right to do so wit...

Page 3: ...Hull Preparation 13 Testing Determines Best Location 15 Shoot Thru Hull Installation 16 Power Connections permanent mount only 17 Mounting the Sonar Unit In Dash Bracket or Portable 18 Bracket Install...

Page 4: ...40 Battery Alarm 40 Noise Rejection and ASP 41 Depth Display 43 Temperature Display 43 Voltage 44 Backlight 44 Contrast 44 Simulator 44 Set Language 45 Software Information 45 Reset Options 45 Troubl...

Page 5: ...read the installation instructions install the unit and ac cessories Then read the rest of the manual The more you know about your sonar the better it will work for you Capabilities and Specification...

Page 6: ...stal display in your unit This type of damage is not covered by the warranty For more information contact the fac tory s Customer Service Department phone numbers are inside the manual s back cover Ho...

Page 7: ...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 120 of fishfinding coverage Preparations The following shows th...

Page 8: ...ick up the bracket can easily be pushed back into place without tools Depending on your sonar unit s connectors your transducer cable may also have the sonar unit s power cable attached to it If that...

Page 9: ...ow on the sonar s display in the form of random lines or dots whenever the boat is moving NOTE Some aluminum boats with strakes or ribs on the outside of the hull create large amounts of turbulence at...

Page 10: ...and bumps Align transducer centerline with hull bottom There however are times when you may need to adjust the transducer slightly higher or lower The slots in the mounting brackets allow you to loos...

Page 11: ...owever the shoot thru hull installation does have its drawbacks First some loss of sensitivity does occur even on the best hulls This varies from hull to hull even from different installations on the...

Page 12: ...t will adjust so that its face is par allel 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 ratc...

Page 13: ...the transducer and bracket assem bly against the transom The transducer should be roughly parallel to the ground The transducer s centerline should be in line with the bot tom of the hull Don t let t...

Page 14: ...view shown left and seen from above right Attach the transducer to the transom Slide the transducer up or down until it s aligned properly with the bottom of the hull as shown in the preceding and fol...

Page 15: ...need to drill a hole in the transom to pass the connector through the required hole size is 5 8 If you intend to route an additional speed or temp sensor cable through the same hole you will need a 1...

Page 16: ...sducer 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 3 Route the transducer cable alongside the t...

Page 17: ...half of the arch is printed then the nose of the transducer 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 a...

Page 18: ...cturers 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 fiberg...

Page 19: ...om signal Unit is in 30 feet of water with range set at 80 feet and sensitivity set at 87 percent 2 Next take the transducer out of the water and place it in the water in the sump of the boat face dow...

Page 20: ...t Thru Hull Installation 1 Make sure 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 sanded hul...

Page 21: ...ave the weight in place for a minimum of three hours Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours before moving the boat 5 After the epoxy has cured route the cable to the sonar unit and it s ready to use Pow...

Page 22: ...the fuse holder directly to the battery or power buss This will protect both the unit and the power cable in the event of a short It uses a 3 amp fuse Caution Do not use this product without a 3 amp...

Page 23: ...mounted X50 DS sonar unit Holes in the bracket s base allow wood screw or through bolt mounting You may need to place a piece of plywood on the back side of thin pan els to reinforce the panel and sec...

Page 24: ...ble through one of the slots Fasten the bracket to the dash using the three screw holes X50 DS quick release mounting bracket Slots in the base allow routing the cable from beneath the mount Attach th...

Page 25: ...al PPP 12 portable power pack The power pack and portable transducers expand the uses for your sonar You can use your X50 DS sonar unit on your boat or take it to the dock on a float tube on an ice fi...

Page 26: ...e through the opening under the sonar mount Close the case bottom using the slot in the case wall to avoid pinching the cable Turn the unit over to mount the sonar CAUTION When using the sonar in a sa...

Page 27: ...battery adapter If it still doesn t work check the battery voltage Most complaints we hear about portable units result from stale batteries Make sure you buy fresh ones Always remove batteries from th...

Page 28: ...attaching the suction cup Lo cate the transducer on the hull as shown in the following figure Don t let the bracket extend below the hull because water pressure against it can cause the suction cup t...

Page 29: ...fishing tilt the sonar down to the storage position Open the case and lay it flat Unplug the power connector from the battery compartment socket Wrap the transducer cable around the suction cup then...

Page 30: ...26 Notes...

Page 31: ...his manual the Power Clear key is referred to as PWR Press this key to turn the unit on and off It also clears menus and menu selec tions from the screen To clear a menu from the screen press PWR NOTE...

Page 32: ...rned off Units of Measure Temp Size Depth Size Fish I D mode Noise Reject mode Range mode Zoom Sensitivity Grayline Chart Speed Battery Alarm Display Contrast Backlight Language Fish Alarm Battery Ala...

Page 33: ...he water temperature is 34 5 F Opening screen Full Chart page or mode The factory default setting has the Fish I D fish symbols turned on Full Chart The unit s default page Full Chart shows all echoes...

Page 34: ...To do this repeatedly press MENU until the DEPTH RANGE menu appears Press to select MANUAL then press MENU UP to display the RANGE SIZE menu Use the arrow keys to select a desired depth range When yo...

Page 35: ...number 40 would ap pear at the top of the depth range scale To turn off the zoom feature repeatedly press MENU until the ZOOM menu appears Press to select OFF then press PWR to clear the menu The top...

Page 36: ...a little at a time There are situations when too much clutter appears on the screen Decreasing the sensitivity can reduce the clutter and show the strongest fish echoes if fish are present As you chan...

Page 37: ...ant to change the sensitivity in Manual Mode turn off Auto Sensitivity Repeatedly press MENU until the SENSITIVITY menu appears Press to select MANUAL then press MENU UP to access the sensitivity scro...

Page 38: ...of equal size one with gray and the other with out then the target with gray is the stronger signal This helps distin guish weeds from trees on the bottom or fish from structure Grayline is adjustabl...

Page 39: ...alled the chart speed The default for this unit is max 100 percent We recommend you leave the scroll speed setting there for most all fishing conditions Chart Speed scroll bar You however might consid...

Page 40: ...percent of the fresh and salt water sport fishing applications When you get into very deep salt water up to 1 000 feet the 83 kHz frequency will work best The 200 kHz transducer will give you better d...

Page 41: ...on right To see what is under your boat in maximum detail we recommend you turn off Fish I D and begin learning to interpret fish arches You may see Fish I D symbols on the screen when actually there...

Page 42: ...lect OFF If you want to turn off FishTrack depths but leave Fish I D on press to select ON then press PWR Remember Fish I D must be on in order to use the FishTrack feature Fish ID menu and symbol wit...

Page 43: ...ottom goes deeper than its setting Both alarms adjust the same way although through different menus Shallow Alarm To set the shallow alarm depth repeatedly press MENU until SHALLOW ALARM appears Shall...

Page 44: ...repeatedly press MENU until DEEP ALARM appears Deep Alarm menu left Deep Alarm dialog box right Press the to SET VALUE The Deep Alarm Value dialog box will appear Use to enter the first number in the...

Page 45: ...he menu If the voltage value falls be low the alarm s setting the alarm will sound and a message will ap pear on the screen Noise Rejection and ASP The ASP Advanced Signal Processing feature is a nois...

Page 46: ...g If however you are having trouble with noise we suggest you take steps to find the interference source and fix it rather than continually using the unit with the high ASP setting There are times whe...

Page 47: ...enu Temperature Display Temperature may be displayed on the screen in a small or medium size or can be turned off completely Temperature menu left Temperature display set to small size right To displa...

Page 48: ...clear the backlight menu from the display Contrast The unit s display contrast is adjustable to suit different lighting condi tions It will help you see the screen from different angles or at various...

Page 49: ...to select the desired language All menus now appear in the language you selected Press PWR to clear the menu from the screen Software Information To show the unit s software system information repeate...

Page 50: ...rical noise from the boat s motor trolling motor or an accessory may be interfering with the sonar unit Rerouting the power and trans ducer cables away from other electrical wiring on the boat may hel...

Page 51: ...imination or noise rejection feature This can cause the unit to eliminate weaker sig nals such as fish or even structure from the display Try using resistor spark plugs or routing the sonar unit s pow...

Page 52: ...radio antenna cables radiate noise when transmitting so be certain to keep the sonar s wires away from it You may need to route the sonar unit s power cable directly to the battery to isolate it from...

Page 53: ...OR REPLACEMENT OR REFUND AS JUST DESCRIBED IS THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AVAILABLE TO YOU AGAINST US FOR ANY DEFECT MALFUNCTION OR NON CONFORMITY CONCERNING THE PRODUCT OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE RESULTING...

Page 54: ...to change or end our ship ping policies regulations and special offers at any time We reserve the right to do so without notice in Canada If you re in Canada and you have technical return or repair qu...

Page 55: ...ras com 3 Canadian customers can write Lowrance Eagle Canada 919 Matheson Blvd E Mississauga Ontario L4W2R7 or fax 905 629 3118 Shipping Information If it becomes necessary to send a product for repai...

Page 56: ...Visit our web site Lowrance Pub 988 0151 431 Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved Printed in USA 032106 Lowrance Electronics Inc...

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